Such, briefly, are some of the reasons referred to in support of the doctrine of man's immortality. They were urged with force and eloquence ages before the Christian era. They are strong with proof, but fail fully to meet our human need. Something more vital than arguments merely, is needed. They were exhausted centuries ago, and still men longed for somewhat more, -longed as men now long to be certified in some way that they have reasoned truly,-longed to feel their immortality. Not so much logic as light is wanted; not so much reason as direct discernment. Exhaust the last resource of argument, and still this void in the mind remains. Men may reason well upon the subject, who have not the spiritually unfolded power of discernment to behold and sense it as a verity. They cannot soar above a mental conviction, or get beyond a rational conclusion. They cannot reason themselves into this spiritual power of discernment. The end of their endeavors is simply a deduction or an inference.

For the same reason, the popular phenomena of "spirit manifestations" brings no effectual help. How many, who affirm a belief in the genuineness of the phenomena, are yet really brought no nearer to a consciousness of spiritual verities than they were before their new belief! It fails to renovate and elevate human character, as a true revelation of immortal verities ought to do; and persons everywhere deal so lightly with the phenomena that it becomes simply frivolous, too trifling to bear the stamp and character of such a revelation of eternal verities as shall be to men everywhere a soul-elevating assurance.

The difficulty, observe, belongs to a spiritual state. They who are not in any measure regenerate, nor in the endeavor to become so, surely cannot be helped to any clearer discernment or better apprehension of the great truth by arguments, however strong or clear or forcible; nor by any external appliances or phenomena, of whatever character or sort.

To convince the mind is not necessarily to remove spiritual blindness or cure the soul's malady. Before we can rest in a full assurance of the truth, we must have the power of seeing and feeling it spiritually.

It is true, death, as it casts its shadows over the future existence of the departed, more or less sensibly affects all; for our senses tell us, that all there was vital of those we loved has expired. But we may not consistently demand more concerning our cognizance of them, now that death has set its seal upon them, than was possible to our mortal vision before. We never did see or know them in their substantial, spiritual form and character, nor ever shall, till we will see and know them in the immortal land.

How manifestly has God in mercy veiled from our mortal vision the verities of the immortal life! We could not look upon them now, and live, much less continue to be the same free agents we are.

We have said the Scriptures nowhere offer reasons in confirmation of the doctrine of man's immortality, but everywhere assume it.

In our Lord Jesus Christ it is brought to light, and rendered real and radiant to our discernment..

First. We see him, after his crucifixion and burial, rise from the dead, and minister to his disciples and church as he did before. To those whose spiritual vision was open to discern him, he brings thus demonstrative evidence of the immortal life. Death had wrought its last work upon his bodily frame. It had been openly committed, as all are committed, to the earth, "dust to dust." And yet in that same form he moves amongst those whose visions were prepared to behold him, rising though but to ascend shortly to purer regions.

We bear in mind the doubts which some entertain of this event. But it is as well attested as any of the facts of the gospel narratives. And to those who receive the central truth of Christianity, the divine character of Jesus, hist resurrection seems no strange event, but what we might expect.

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We propose not to argue the point; we assume that thus hath he brought immortality to light. And how many have been so affected by this evidence as to be drawn to the highest spiritual discernment and consciousness of the truth,- to "the witness within," the evidence of experience!

It is the life we live which precedes this discernment, even as life in Jesus precedes the immortality brought to light in him. We see it verified in him as an indwelling reality. We become aware, by apprehending him, that what he said and did would be imperfect without it. "He walked in its light." "His whole being savors of the celestial courts whence he came.' He thus abolishes or dissipates the fear of death by assurance. As we are changed into his likeness, we obtain the spiritual discernment and consciousness so fully unfolded in him. It is a gift to those, who, by a believing acquaintance, walk with him. Therefore the exhortation, "Let this same mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus."

Doubts of the reality of the immortal life, and as a consequence the bondage of the fear of death, is the inheritance, the inevitable experience, of the spiritually unrenewed. They may have rational convictions upon the subject, may reason well about it; but there remains to them a spiritual blindness, -a want of power to apprehend the truth, a power which sweeps the soul's horizon permanently clear of doubts, banishing every dark cloud, and bringing full assurance to our need. That power is unfolded from within, and only by a humble walk with Him who is "the way, the truth, and the life." It is a new sense of the regenerate heart; a perception of faith and love. Therefore, to the sensual, the worldling, the unregenerate, it is excluded. They have no power to sense it, no capacity to realize it. The verities of the immortal life to them are as dreams, as nothing. as nothing. They walk in darkin the fear of death and of retribution after death. This is their "bondage; " for it is only by newness of life in Christ that men may have the discernment in question, and be enabled of a truth to say, in the apostle's exultant words, "O death! where is thy sting? and O grave! where is thy victory? Thanks be to God, who giveth us the victory THROUGH OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST."

ness,

As, in the light of this discernment, we look to the world. above us; as we catch clearer glimpses of the glories there to be revealed, the great realities upon which we are to enter,

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yea, already are entering, death loses its terrors, and becomes indeed to us an angel of mercy.

Arguments are no longer needed. We have the witness within, the power to apprehend the thing itself, and no longer need to reason about it. This assurance is vitally unfolded, and therefore brings a joy and peace inexpressible and full of glory. "Whosoever," said Jesus, "liveth and believeth in me shall never die." They shall not suffer spiritual death or the fear of temporal death; for it shall have no more power over them." Life and immortality" is their inheritance.

TRUE LOVE.

FROM THE GERMAN.

A VIOLET, in the meadow green,
Bowed down its head with modest mien:

It was a charming flower.

There came a lovely maiden there:
With happy heart and joyous air
She came, she came

Blithe singing in the meadow fair.

Ah! thought the violet, could I be
The fairest of all flowers to see! -
If 'twere but half an hour,
Till, charming my beloved's eye,
She plucked me, on her breast to lie,
And, withering there,
In ecstacy of bliss to die!

Then nearer came the maiden fair,
Nor saw the violet blooming there,

But careless crushed the flower.
It sank, and, dying, sweetly said:
No pain to die beneath her tread;
No pain to die

Through her, and at her feet lie dead!

H. T.

A SERMON ON COLD.

BY REV. J. C. KIMBALL.

Ps. cxlvii. 17: "His cold."

COLD is one of those agents in nature that we are apt to look upon as tending neither to the glory of God nor the comfort of man. The associations connected with it are, for the most, gloomy, sad, and desolate. It comes to us after the close of summer, as the ruthless destroyer of all its wealth and beauty. Its reign is marked with suffering and death. It rides madly over the land on the fierce coursers of the North. The orchards groan and sigh, and toss their limbs, at the stroke of its lash. The thousand springs of life in the meadow and forest are sealed up by its breath. It lays siege, with shriek and hiss and bugle-blast, to the little barriers of brick and iron that are built up to resist its dominion. And through the texture of our garments, through every crack and crevice of the house, it inserts its long and swift and viewless lances, keener than the blade of Soliman, ready first to sting the sleeper into agony, and then to wrap him in the iron peace of death. It is classified with famine, disease, and blight, as the great natural enemy of mankind, and is warred against with all the thousand appliances of art. The mythology of the Norse Edda makes it to be the great source of torment in the world to come. It is used in our common speech as the symbol of stupor, formality, indifference; the negation of love and zeal and strength, and of all those qualities which belong to the highest life.

And yet this frigid visitor, in spite of its bad reputation, is sent forth into the world as the wise and faithful servant of our heavenly Father. Its icy arms are laden down with blessings. The Psalmist, with a special significance, calls it "His cold." And, though in itself an unpromising subject, it may help to enlarge our conceptions of the divine economy, if we give our attention a short time, this winter day, to its manifold uses.