We know that he gave forgiveness of sins to many men previous to the atoning sacrifice of Christ, and yet no man had ever forgiveness except in virtue of that sacrifice. He may in like manner have given resurrection from the dead to Moses, as he gave exemption from death to Elias previous to the resurrection of Christ, and yet Christ still be most truly and emphatically the protos from the dead.

But it is further objected, that the right application of the Jewish type, referred to by the apostle when discussing this subject, requires that the resurrection of Christ should have priority, as well as pre-eminence. The type is the Jewish corn-field, from whence the sheaf of the first-fruits must be presented in the temple, before it was lawful to put the sickle to harvest, (Lev. xxiii. 9-11.) St. Paul expressly calls Christ the first-fruits of them that slept, (1 Cor. xv. 20;) and therefore on the strength of the type, seems to assert the priority of Christ's resurrection.

The answer to this is found in a fair and adequate reference to the type in question, taken in its completeness. Let due attention, then, be paid to the following enactment concerning the Jewish corn-field, previous to the cutting of the first-fruits, "When thou comest into the standing corn of thy neighbour, then thou mayest pluck the ears with thy hand: but thou shalt not move a sickle in thy neighbour's standing corn," (Deut. xxiii. 25.) It was

lawful then, before the time of first-fruits, while the corn was still standing, to gather and use a few ears, though it was not lawful to cut the harvest until after the first-fruits. This distinction is no more fanciful, than a reference to the type itself is fanciful; and it gives us this result : that although, in the general order of things, the first-fruits must precede the harvest, yet antecedent to the first-fruits, there might be a few ears gathered, bearing no assignable proportion to the harvest, and therefore not disturbing the general order. The application is perfect. The harvest represented the resurrection of the whole Church, with reference to which the resurrection of Christ, the firstfruits, has indeed priority, as well as pre-eminence. And

antecedent to the resurrection of Christ, an individual or two-Moses for example-bearing no assignable proportion to the whole Church, had been raised from the dead, the type of the Jewish corn-field, taken in its completeness, was not violated, the general order of the divine arrangement was not disturbed.

The Transfiguration of Christ, in its suddenness, was a specimen of his own second coming in glory. It was while they were employed, as usual, with him in prayer, (Luke ix. 29,) and without any special preparatory notice, that, to the astonishment, and for a moment to the alarm (Matt. xviii. 6) of even such men as Peter, and James,

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and John, Jesus was transfigured before them, and the voice of God sounded in their ears.

Such suddenness is a special feature in the prophecies of the Lord's second coming. He says himself, (Luke x. 24,) "As the lightning that lighteneth out of the one part under heaven, shineth unto the other part under heaven ; so shall also the Son of Man be in his day." And again, "As it was in the days of Noah, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of Man: they did eat, they did drink, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all. Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot: they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded; but the same day that Lot went out of Sodom"--and all the people were employed as usual-" it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all. Even thus shall it be, in the day when the Son of Man is revealed." Thus the believers in the Lord Jesus, taken like Lot, to a place of safety: the unbelievers, like the men of Sodom, left under the impending destruction. The separation will be perfect. "Two men shall be in one field, one shall be taken, and the other left." And if false professors, who have joined themselves to the believers, wear for a moment the appearance of being taken; yet shall they in the crisis be

detected and left.

"Remember Lot's wife." "The sun was risen upon the earth, when Lot entered into Zoar." The face of Jesus shone like the sun, when Peter said, Lord, it is good for us to be here. And when the Son of Man shall appear in his glory, the Church shall sing, “Lo, this is our God: we have waited for him, we will be glad and rejoice in his salvation,” (Isa. xxv. 9.)

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JOSEPH.

BY THE REV. CHARLES B. TAYLER.

THERE is a truth and freshness about the narratives of Holy Scripture which commend them at once to the heart of the reader. There are touches so true to nature, that we feel, not as if we were reading of persons who have lived and died some thousand years ago, but of those with whom we have ourselves associated, holy and lovely characters, the ornaments of the Christian world at the present day, whom we revere and love, or with whom we have ourselves taken sweet counsel. Notwithstanding the entire difference of country and customs, we find ourselves divesting the individual of all surrounding circumstances, and of all the peculiarities of the age in which he lived, while his words and his actions come home at once to our hearts, and it seems to us as if we had seen his face with our own eyes, and that the very tones of his voice were familiar to our ears. Joseph, the guileless and nobleminded son of the patriarch Jacob, is one of these persons.