worm, Thou art my mother and my sister. God hath overthrown me I cry out of wrong, but I am not heard; I cry aloud, but there is no judgment."

Not that this was strictly true; or that his petitions even for himself were utterly without effect. God Almighty had mercy in store, though he kept it back from him all the long time that he was making the most pathetic supplications for himself, and then bestowed it when he began to pray for others: "The Lord turned the captivity of Job, when he prayed for his friends."

Nay, these very friends, as they are here styled, hardly merited so favourable an appellation; accusing him of crimes he had not committed, and upbraiding him with those punishments of his sins, which were, indeed, the trials of his virtue. And he was sensible of all the bitterness of their reproaches : "Ye overwhelm the fatherless; ye dig a pit for your friend. If your soul were in my soul's stead, I could heap up words against you, and shake mine head at you. But I would strengthen you with my mouth; and the moving of my lips should assuage your grief. He teareth me in his wrath, who hateth me he gnasheth upon me with his teeth: mine enemy sharpeneth his eyes upon me."

Yet was it required of Job to become the intercessor for these very persons, and to beg for them the forgiveness of those offences which had been committed against himself. And then, at last, after this illustrious testimony of his charity, added to those of his patience and piety, when his virtues were thus brought to the height, and appeared in all their glory, then it pleased the wisdom and mercy of God, breaking forth out of obscurity, and made conspicuous by His judgments, to restore and double his prosperity.

THE RESURRECTION OF CHRIST.

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A Socratic Dialogue.

But what sceptic was ever satisfied? What caviller confuted? The adversaries of our faith finding no further resources on the plain ground of common sense, make their last retreat into the thorns of subtilty.

The resurrection, it seems, was an event so strange, that no testimony whatever is enough to prove it. The story, we may be sure, is not true, whoever he be that tells it.

On what foundation, pray, do you build an assurance so very absolute?

On the foundation of experience.

As how?

I am to tell you, then, that we know nothing of the essence of causality; but found all our assent upon similitude.

I am not sure that I comprehend you.

You cannot be possessed of so fine an argument in its perfection, without having recourse to the original inventor. It may suffice to let you know in brief, that we believe always what is most likely, and call that most likely which most resembles what we have before met with.

But things often fall out that were not likely.

Yes, so often, that we find it, in general, likely that they should; and in each particular case reflect which of the two is less likely, that the thing should be as it is represented, or the reporter represent it falsely.

Have you ever found in the course of your experience that anything was not true which had been as well attested as the resurrection?

It was a miracle. Experience, therefore, universal experience declares against it.

That of the five hundred brethren who saw it was, sure, on the other side.

You must appeal to present experience. Nature we find unchangeable.

Nature! When I dispute with you about Christianity, I suppose that you believe a God.

You suppose perhaps too fast.

Then I have no further dispute with you: I leave you to other hands. Christianity desires no greater honour than to be received by every one that is not an atheist.

Suppose there be a God: what then?

Why, then he made the world.

Well?

And a multitude of things must have been done at that time of the creation, which are not comprehended within the present course of nature. Every animal, every vegetable, must have been brought into being at first in some manner of which the world now affords no examples. Of this we have no experience, yet we allow it to be true; and we need no testimony, for we know it must have happened.

And if the Son of God were to assume our nature a second time, and be once more crucified and buried, according to the unalterable laws of the universe, He must rise again from the grave, and "the pains of death be loosed" as before, "because it was not POSSIBLE that He should be holden of it."

The Lord's Supper.

[There may be some question as to the propriety of ascribing to a Divine speaker a discourse like the following. But it must be accepted as the author designed it—as at once an epitome and paraphrase of the Redeemer's last address to His disciples. Without adopting all its sentiments, we are glad to quote it, as coming so near that great theme of "Christ crucified," from which most of the preaching of those days kept so strangely aloof.]

THE LORD'S SUPPER.

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Imagine you see our Divine Redeemer sitting with His disciples at His last supper, and hear Him addressing Himself to them in the following manner :—

"The solemn ceremonies which I and you are now observing, are memorials, you know, of a great event which happened many ages ago to your forefathers. This lamb before us is the representation of that which was slain and eaten by them in Egypt. Come, I will institute a new rite, to be kept in remembrance of what shall immediately befall myself on your account. Before the evening and the morning shall conclude the present day, this body of mine shall be delivered into the hands of men, and they shall wound, and pierce, and kill it. I take this bread into my hands, and break it to pieces. Take, eat; it is my body which is given for you. By this token you shall keep in memory and represent to all ages unto the end of the world, this 'precious sacrifice, fore-ordained before the foundation' of it, and now going to be offered for your sake.

"My Father, who is in heaven, loves me, His own and only begotten Son, with a tender aud unparalleled affection. He 'loved me before the foundation of the world.' And though I indeed was and am willing to suffer, yet would He not have sent me down into this state of humiliation, to undergo the sufferings and death which are even now preparing for me, if He had not also loved you, and had compassion on you, though enemies to Him by evil works, and dead in trespasses and sins. For God indeed is love. It is the chief part of His very nature, which it is possible for you to comprehend and to imitate. Love Him, therefore, who is love, with all your heart, and mind, and strength. This is the first and great commandment. Of His own tender pity towards a lost world, He sent me to do and suffer all that you have seen and shall soon see, for the benefit of men. And when I am removed from you, and you see me no more, He shall give you another Comforter, even the Spirit of Truth, to supply the want of my presence,

and conduct that great work of the salvation of mankind for which the Father sent me, and for which I am come willingly into the world.

"And as the bread which I broke represented my crucified body, so this cup which I command you all to drink of, let it signify my blood, which is now going to be poured out for all

men.

"It is written, that 'it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul.' By the law almost all things are purged with blood: and without the shedding of blood is no remission.' But it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away the sins of men. That was required, and was available only as a type of my blood, now to be shed, once for all. Take this cup, to be partakers of this atonement.

"You remember also, when Moses had read to the people the book of the covenant between God and them, and the people consented to the covenant, and said, 'All that the Lord hath said will we do, and be obedient,' Moses took half of the blood of the sacrifices, and sprinkled it on the altar, and the other half he sprinkled on the people, and said, ' Behold the blood of the covenant which the Lord hath made with you.' The blood was sprinkled on both the contracting parties; the one half on the altar, representing him who was there worshipped, and the other half on the people of the Jews.

"That covenant is now expiring in my death, and a new one is to be made with all the nations of the earth. I am the victim offered at this great solemnity on the altar of the cross. When you take this cup you ratify this new covenant on your part, and give your consent to the conditions of it.

"You will be no longer bound by the ceremonial law. It expires of course with me, who am its end and consummation.

"But my own power and providence shall abolish it more effectually, and execute what I now predict. Some even of