wings were expanded, how many centuries have sped! How many events have transpired! How many changes have taken place upon the face of nature! How many kingdoms have flourished-how many have fallen!

We look on the relics of spacious palaces and magnificent temples on the ruins of ancient cities-the fate of ancient nations, and read the destiny of those that are. Yet, amidst all the admonitions such changes express and present in a most affecting and forcible manner to the mind of man, how few turn their steps toward the better land-the abiding city!

They reared the monumental pile, and beautified it with costly sculpture. They made strong the foundations thereof, and the cloud rested upon its summit. To its marble the monarch committed his name, that his fame might descend to latest generations. They looked on the works of their hands, and exclaimed, "Lo! this will endure for ever!" Many summers smiled upon the structure, it withstood the rage of many a winter's storm. But the characters shrank from the finger of time,-now the traveller's eye tries to trace them in vain. And was this his hope for immortality? Ah, how fragile the foundation! His exploits are lost in the sea of oblivion; his name is not found in the records of men. Ages have rolled away, and men in general still manifest indifference, apathy, and unconcern towards that truth which points them to the joys of heaven, and bids them shun the place of perdition. O that they were wise!

But we will not linger longer among the relics of ancient days. Let us lift our hearts to the God of heaven, who has also become our salvation. "Our souls are in his mighty hand." What though no temple stands a record to our memory; what though no lofty column bears our names inscribed, the Lord will keep what, we have committed to his care. What though we should sleep in the valley of death, or our dust be scattered to the four winds of heaven, our names, though not found on the tablet of marble, are engraved on the palms of his hands! And in expectation of being made like the Saviour at his appearing in glory, we sing, "O, grave! where is thy victory? O, death! where is thy sting ?" Trust in the Lord for ever. O Lord, blessed is the man whose strength thou art.

The year upon which we are entering is considered by many, especially in America, as peculiarly eventful. In that country, the doctrines taught respecting the immediate

appearance of the Lord seem to have obtained a wide circulation, and, by many, a warm reception. They who have their loins girded, and their lamps burning, will hail his appearance whenever it may take place; on all others the door will be shut. P. S.

STUDY OF THE PROPHECIES.-No. I.

WHEN we give our attention to the examination of the prophetic testimonies of the Bible, we wish first to arrange the parts of prophecy into their appropriate orders and classes. The first grand division of the prophecies of the Bible which I shall suggest, is of a very important character. All prophecy is either Jewish or Christian.

JEWISH PROPHECY.-The prophecies of the Old Testament, from Moses to Malachi, are properly and peculiarly the property of the Jewish nation. All the burden of the Jewish or Old Testament prophecies was bearing upon the future fortunes of the nation of Israel. Whenever the Jewish prophets referred to any other than their own nation, they spoke of them as "Gentiles." The fortunes of the Jewish nation have been wrapped up in the prophets for more than three thousand years; and if we can but spread out the scroll, and decipher its rude but significant characters, we may perceive, by the pencil of heaven, the correct features of every age, from the time of Moses to the present.

A fact arrests my attention. The prophetic periods, measured out in the Old Testament, have always found their fulfilment with reference to the nation to which these prophecies were given. "To them, the Jews, the Oracles of God were entrusted," says the apostle Paul. This is natural to expect of such communications. No one would think, upon receiving a communication from a distant friend, stating that such and such things would be sent, so long time after, that they were to be sent to some other person, unless named; but to the one to whom the communication was sent. The prophetic writings of the Old Testament are so many communications from heaven to the Jewish nation. It appears to me, therefore, that to behold their fulfilment, I must fix my eye on the nation of the Jews, unless the particular prophecy to be fulfilled specifically points out the Gentiles. I repeat it: The prophecies of the Old Testament, the threatened judgments and the promised bles

sings, all rightly and properly belong to the Jews, and they have a right to claim them as their property-Daniel's prophecy of the cleansing of the sanctuary not excepted. Let the student in prophecy remember this, that every prophecy belongs to those to whom it was given from the Almighty, unless some others are specified in the communication. Sometimes the event predicted may bear but slightly on those to whom the prophecy is sent. But those to whom prophecies have been given, are those who are designed by heaven to be benefitted by them.

CHRISTIAN PROPHECY.-The Lord Jesus uttered some prophecies with particular reference to the Jewish nation, the city of Jerusalem, and the land of Judea. His other prophecies were concerning the preservation of the church, the spread of his doctrine, and the particular fortune of his chosen disciples.

The prophecy of the twelve Jewish apostles. The apostles to the twelve tribes, throughout their prophecy, have kept an eye on the future religious fortunes of that people to whom their embassy was directed, viz: the Jews. Hence we find the Apocalyptic visions of John gather together first one hundred and forty-four thousand, out of the twelve tribes of Israel. What Israel? We look again and we perceive him delighted with the vision of a descending city-it has twelve gates for the twelve tribes of Israel;-not a Gentile would seem to gain a possibility of admission.

Paul, the apostle to the Gentiles, was an argumentative prophet. He glanced at the future fortunes of the fallen Israel; the progress of the gospel; and the coming of the Lord.

All Christian prophecy can be found in the New Testament Scriptures. We are not at liberty to urge as christian prophecy, or as christian doctrine, that which cannot be gathered from the Christian scriptures.

Had the Jews in madness destroyed their sacred writings from the world, in the New Testament scriptures, we would have had all of the Christian doctrine and Christian prophecy.

The great agitation at the present time, from the expected personal appearing of the Lord Jesus during this year, is founded, not on Christian prophecy, but Jewish. No idea of any particular time, or year, for that event, is hinted at in all the Christian scriptures. Is it a Christian doctrine? If so, why is it not to be found in the records of Christian

inspiration? Are the Christian oracles wanting in fulness? How important to keep in view to whom any divine communication was at first addressed, in order to properly understand its true application.

A. G. COMINGS.

THE JEWS IN RUSSIA.

WE find the following in a letter from Odessa of the 5th ultimo:-"Our government seems to be seriously disposed to grant emancipation to the Jews, whose numbers in Russia, according to the late census, amounted to about one million two hundred thousand. The ministers of the interior and public instruction have charged Dr. Lienthal, the grand rabbi of Riga, with the mission of visiting the eighteen governments of the empire in which Jews reside, to collect all the necessary details of their condition, informing them that the only object of the government is to be enabled to furnish gratuitously all the means of giving them the moral and intellectual education required for raising them to the rank of the other citizens, without in any manner interfering with the free exercise of their religion. The Jews of our town are preparing to give Dr. Lienthal a solemn reception, his arrival being looked for from day to day."

SIGNS OF THE TIMES.

THE learned Professor Bush thus speaks concerning the prophecy relied upon by Mr. Miller and his followers, as proof of the end of the world in 1843.

"If we take the ground of right reason, we must believe that the present age is one expressly foretold in prophecy; that it is just opening upon the crowning consummation of all prophetic declaration.

"The first inquiry is, What are we taught to expect? It is evidently something stupendous-something final-the last grand act in the great drama of the world. We cannot agree with those who believe that the physical destruction of our earth is predicted, and close at hand: though if their premises once be granted, we cannot see how their chronology is to be disputed. We firmly believe we are now upon the borders of the momentous changes predicted.

"We have clear intimation from prophecy that the last

times shall be distinguished for a laxity of morals and manners, for the prevalence of a spirit of lawlessness and licence, for party legislation, for general public profligacy and corruption, and for all the evils by which we are surrounded. These are facts to which we cannot shut our eyes, and over which it is not easy to go to excess in lamentation."

CHRISTIAN WARFARE.

MEN prosecute business in proportion as they feel its importance. Our intellectual powers give no force to principle. It is only when a subject, a theory, or principle, is directly applied to our feelings, that we are prompted to carry it out.

The soldier knows the object of his enlistment; but he does not love or desire the dangers of a conflict. Fill him with patriotic feeling, i. e. excite in him an ardent feeling of patriotism, and he can endure hardship, suffer privations, and jeopardize his life, with the greatest pleasure. All this because he feels.

An individual who lacks feeling, will as certainly lack energy of character.

This is as true in a moral sense as in any other. The individual who does not feel the importance of the Christian religion, will be a timid warrior at best. The King's honour will not lay very near his heart. His battle will be "on a

retreat."

He who feels the great importance of Christianity to the world, will shrink at neither time, nor money, nor ardent toil, which may be necessary, to make it known in its simplicity.

The unction of religious faith is in its enthronement in the feelings. A religion that does not enlist our feelings, will do very little indeed for mankind.

The stability of one's religion depends on a good understanding of the truth; but its energy depends on the depth of benevolent and conscientious feeling which it causes.

Christianity, unless we feel its influence deeply, will not operate through us, to any very important benefit of mankind.

The gospel addresses us as having ears to hear, and hearts to feel, and hands and tongues with which to labour in all necessary things. A. G. COMINGS.