righteousness arising in each life, no vindication of pain, sorrow, poverty, death? Why, then, let us help ourselves wherever we can, let us force our way into Cainaan at once by all possible means. If there is nothing but this life, we must have it. The good Lord Jesus has had His day. Do not talk about the judgment of the prince of this world; let us see it done; let us do it ourselves. If we are to be any the better for it the affair must not be delayed."

Balaam understands the danger, and to Balak's astonishment, he neither curses at all nor blesses at all. Let them give diligent attendance at Bethnal Green Museum. Study of watercolor drawings and Chinese pottery may do wonders for them. Frequent contemplation of grinning Japanese figures may elevate their spirits above the cares and worries of life. As for Balak let him be warned in time.

THE CHOSEN SEED.

A correspondent in Wilmington, Delaware, who is an earnest Bible student, has sent us two or three communications, in which he gives what he claims as a key to Scripture. He finds the ground plan of creation and of revelation to be the eternal purpose of God to create a man in the image of Himself, who was to have dominion over His works. This man, however, was to have a help-meet, a bride. Adam was but the figure of him who was to come. The true man of God's choice and perfect image of Himself was the Lord Jesus Christ.

A certain portion of Adam's race were chosen to be associated with Him in his glory and predestinated to be conformed to his image. These constitute his Bride. It was for the salvation and completion of this chosen seed

He came. This was the work the Father gave him to do, -to call out from the world and purify unto Himself those whom the Father had given Him. The number of these elect was completed during the lifetime of the Apostles. The Son of Man was to come for them, to raise or translate and to glorify them "before they had gone over all the cities of Israel." This Bride of Christ is therefore now completed and reigning with Him in heaven. Those who have since believed on Christ, and the rest of mankind, are to be blest in the manifestation of these sons of God from Heaven. Christ and His Bride are to be the fruitful parents of a numerous seed. This Jerusalem which is above is the mother of us all. As the writer states it:

It is then the Divine purpose to "manifest these sons of God," to this groaning creation with all the accumulated information they have obtained in the heavenlies. Then they will do even "greater works than Jesus did," at his first advent. Then, if necessary, "mountains will be removed, and cast into the sea" at their bidding. Then, in their light and salutary influence, together with their burning words of truth, the world will behold the towering grandeur of a new church, "one with Christ as he is one with the Father." Then, the fulfilment of God's unconditional covenant made with Abraham will be due, and Christ will commence the fulfilment of his promise. "And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me," and of "the eternal purpose of God which he purposed in Christ Jesus before the world began." "For he hath purposed in himself, that in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ; both which are in heaven, and which are on earth, even in him." "For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; who will have all men to be saved, and to come to the knowledge of the

truth. For there is one God, and one Mediator between God and man, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time." And this "due time," will then have fully come. Is not this the true theology? Who were this predestinated, this called out, justified, sanctified, glorified and translated body, but "the first fruits unto God and the Lamb?" And what do "first fruits" indicate in Bible language, but a future harvest? We see now how shallow the wisdom of intervening centuries of theological disputants has been. And yet it is but the perfect reflex of the Holy Spirit's forecast. "They will not endure sound doctrine, but after their lusts," likings or desires, "heap to themselves teachers having itching ears."

With the main feature in this outline we are in agreement. We believe that the fruitful cause of division in the Church, and of partial and dishonoring views of the Divine plan, has been the failure to recognize the place appointed in that plan to the chosen seed in which the rest of mankind were to be blessed. Calvinism, for example, sets forth truly that there is such an elect seed, but it left all the rest of mankind to be eternally damned. We cannot see with this writer, however, that the work of calling out and perfecting this seed was finished by Christ in the Apostles' day. His main argument for this is that this primitive body alone manifested the in-dwelling energy of the Holy Spirit, and that the Apostles evidently taught that Jesus would come and receive them to Himself in their own day. But even the grace of miracles was not wholly withdrawn from the early Church until a later age. And the power of the Holy Ghost in the transformation and consecration of human lives has been manifest all down the centuries. It would be strange indeed to main

tain that there have been no saints since Apostolic days. To this conclusion the writer seems to be driven because compelled to believe that the coming of the Lord for His saints is already past. But even granting that these early saints are already with the Lord, as was believed concerning the martyrs that they passed at once into glory, there is nothing to forbid the idea that this company is constantly being enlarged from those who still fight the good fight of faith and win the crown of life. It is possible, indeed, that this brother has got hold of an important truth in his view of Christ's parousia as not a long-postponed event, but as having successive stages leading on to the final consummation. This would provide for progressive resurrection, and relieve us from the anomaly of supposing that the apostles and martyrs, who died expecting a speedy entrance into glory, are yet awaiting their awakening from the dead. It would explain also why Scripture gives so little countenance to the modern notion of heavenly bliss before resurrection, and why it always connects it with that event. And it would quiet the solicitude of many Christians about the condition of their departed friends by the assurance that no such long interval as has been supposed intervenes before their resurrection, but that this blessed change reaches all as they are prepared for it. As we have been compelled to admit from our Lord's words in Matt. xxiv, 34, that the events connected with His coming began to be fulfilled before that generation passed away, although the open manifestation of His presence (parousia) is still future, so we are led to believe that the resurrection which Scripture associates with his coming is a progressive triumph over death, until in the end death and hades yield up all their

captives. The "parable of the fig tree" teaches that there are the budding twigs before the full-leaved summer. There is a first-fruits before the harvest. And therefore we are prepared to believe with our correspondent that there is even now a church of the first-born from the dead; although we cannot believe with him that all their work of lifting up and saving and blessing mankind is put off until the future. If our eyes were opened, as were those of Elisha's servant, we might perhaps see that even now they are the leaders in the encamping hosts of God who are carrying forward this world-battle unto victory.

THE LAST DAY.

It is often assumed that the repeated word of Jesus, "I will raise him up at the last day" (John vi. 39–54), binds us to the conclusion that all believers sleep in death until the end of the age. In the eleventh chapter, however, at the resurrection of Lazarus, the Lord corrects the impression that His resurrection power is all held in reserve until a distant future.

"Then said Martha unto Jesus, Lord, if thou hadst been here my brother had not died. But I know that even now, whatsoever thou wilt ask of God, God will give it thee. Jesus saith unto her, Thy brother shall rise again. Martha saith unto Him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day. Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection and the life; he that believeth on me, though he die, yet shall he live: and whosoever liveth and believeth on me shall never die."