miraculous birth of a mother ninety years old, seems to foreshadow the Divine Son, miraculously born of a virgin (as also in some other points of his history), it is hard to deny that the latter, in his supernatural might and extraordinary feats, was intended to prefigure the prowess of Him "Who is able to subdue all things to Himself." Indeed, was not every anointed king, and every consecrated priest. among the Hebrews, a type of Christ? But of alleged personal historical types eleven only are introduced in the following pages. (See Classified List at the end of the volume.) One point which seems to demand apology is the unequal length of the Readings. The writer set out with the intention to restrict each to seven or eight pages, and never to exceed nine. He did try to observe that rule. But being limited to fifty-two sections, with their two hundred and eighty sub-divisions of varied lengths, he found it hardly practicable in some instances. But it will be easy for such as use the book for social reading, to curtail or omit just what will bring the offending lesson within the proper dimensions. To others he trusts it will be no inconvenience. Right thoughts of the Lord Jesus Christ lie at the very root of all Christian religion. If, through the blessing of the Holy Spirit, the attainment of these should be in any degree promoted by the re-publication of this volume, or if the perusal of it should prove half as useful and refreshing to the reader, as the preparation of it has been to the author, his reward will be most abundant. J. L. CONTENTS. WITH THE HOLY GHOST-AARON-ALTAR II. ARK-AMEN-AUTHOR OF ETERNAL SALVATION-AUTHOR AND FINISHER III. APPLE OR CITRON TREE AMONG THE TREES OF THE WOOD-ALTOGETHER VII. BEGINNING OF THE CREATION OF GOD-BEGINNING AND THE END- XI. COVERT FROM THE TEMPEST-CITY OF REFUGE-CONFIDENCE XII. CHOSEN OF GOD-CALLED-CONSECRATED-COVENANT TO THE PEOPLE- CORNER STONE-CROWN OF GLORY AND DIADEM OF BEAUTY XVII. ENSIGN EQUAL WITH GOD-EXPRESS IMAGE-EVERLASTING FATHER- XVIII. FRIEND-FIRST-BORN-FIRST-BEGOTTEN OF THE DEAD-FIRST-FRUITS- FAITHFUL WITNESS-FORERUNNER-FAIRER THAN THE CHILDREN XX. FOUNTAIN OF LIVING WATERS-FOUNTAIN OPENED FOR SIN XXI. GOD-GUEST-GOVERNOR AMONG THE NATIONS-GOVERNOR OF ISRAEL XXIV. HEAD OF THE BODY-HOPE OF ISRAEL-(OUr) hope-hiDING PLACE- 253 XXIX. KEEPER-KING--KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS-KING OF THE JEWS OR KING OF ISRAEL-KING OF SAINTS-KING OF GLORY- LEADER AND COMMANDER-LIFE-LIGHT OF THE WORLD-LOVE. 240 XXX. LION OF JUDA-LAMB THAT WAS SLAIN-LAMB OF GOD-LAMB IN THE MIDST OF THE THRONE-LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS-LAW- XXXI. LORD OF LORDS-LORD GOD OMNIPOTENT-LORD GOD-LORD FROM HEAVEN-LOWLY-LORD OF HOSTS-LORD OF THE DEAD AND LIVING--LORD OF GLORY-LORD OF ALL-LORD OF THE WHOLE EARTH-LORD OF THE HARVEST-LAST XXXII. MESSIAH-MAN -MAN OF GOD'S RIGHT HAND-MAN OF SORROWS- MAN THAT IS MY FELLOW-MIGHTY GOD-MAKER-MOST MIGHTY MIGHTY ONE-MIGHTY TO SAVE-MOST UPRIGHT-MOST HOLY . 272 XXXIII. MOSES-MESSENGER OF THE COVENANT-MINISTER OF THE CIRCUM- XXXIV. MELCHIZEDEK-MEDIATOR-MERCY-SEAT-MINISTER OF THE SANC- TUARY-MERCIFUL AND FAITHFUL HIGH PRIEST XXXV. MYRRH AND CAMPHIRE-MANNA-NAZARENE-OFFSPRING OF DAVID -ONLY BEGOTTEN SON-ONLY WISE GOD OUR SAVIOUR-OMNI- XXXVI. POLISHED SHAFT-POWER OF GOD-PRINCE AND SAVIOUR-PEACE- PRINCE OF PEACE (AND LORD OF PEACE)--PRINCE OF PRINCES― PLACE OF BROAD RIVERS AND STREAMS. XXXVII. PRESERVER OF MEN-PLANT OF RENOWN-PEARL OF GREAT PRICE XLI. RAIN AND SHOWERS-ROCK OF AGES-REFUGE FROM THE STORM- XLII. STAR OF JACOB-SUN OF RIGHTEOUSNESS XLIII. SHEPHERD AND BISHOP OF SOULS SOWER XLIV. STONE OF STUMBLING-STRONGHOLD-SHADOW OF A GREAT ROCK- . 379 389 L. TABERNACLE-TEMPLE-TENDER PLANT-TREE OF LIFE-VINE. LI. UNSPEAKABLE GIFT-WATER OF LIFE-WITNESS-WORD OF GOD- INTRODUCTION. First Sunday. ALPHA AND OMEGA. ADAM. ANOINTED. ANOINTED WITH THE HOLY GHOST. AARON. ALTAR. Ir is a trite saying, that God instructs mankind by means of three books. The book of Creation, which tells us of His power, wisdom, and goodness; the book of Providence, which also displays His justice and His patience; and the book of Revelation. The last, we find, is intended to supply what the others omit. It proclaims the whole character of God. It speaks of His forgiving mercy, His wonderful love, His faithfulness, and His truth. This volume is therefore the key to the two first. It informs us who is their Author, "what is His name, and what is His Son's name." It apprizes us that the way to know God is through Christ: and, as it goes on to unfold to us what Christ is, in parables and prophecies, it is wonderful to what an extent it refers us to Creation and Providence, for symbols whereby to describe His work and illustrate His worth. It says, Jesus Christ is like this beautiful tree, or that pure fountain, or yonder innocent lamb. Thus the first two volumes, which teach us nothing about Christ as a Saviour, when we use the Bible as the key to unlock their treasures, furnish us with the most precious instruction concerning Him. We cannot read David's psalms without observing how he was accustomed to view every scene in creation, as well as every event in Providence, in connection with God. The "great mountains" reminded him of God's immutable righteousness; and their awful precipices of the "great deep of His judgments." The lofty firmament led him to dwell sweetly on the thought, that "God's mercy to them that fear Him is as high as the heavens are above the earth." The brimming river, glistening in the sunshine, spake to him of God's exuberant goodness, which "preserveth man and beast." If David in those early times thus read and compared these three open volumes, surely we, with our greater advantages, should do so much more. Many of the secrets of nature, which were hidden then, are open now; and many mysteries of revelation, not known to him, are unfolded to us. We should not only set our affections on "things above," but make a ladder of "things below," by which to climb upwards. Then the heavens will declare to us the glory of Christ, and the earth will show forth His redeeming work. Our opened eyes will read mystic lessons of evangelic wisdom in every object we see; our unclosed ears will hear mystic voices sounding from every side, effectually instructing us in the things that pertain to salvation. But our purpose in these Sunday Readings is, not to wander at random through the world in quest of comparisons wherewith to illustrate revealed truth; but rather to confine our attention to those Names and Emblems which the Scriptures have themselves specially consecrated, as Symbols of the Lord Jesus Christ. They are culled from the earth, and from the air, and from the waters ;-from past history, and from things that come under daily observation ;-from things the most familiar that can be, and from such as are far beyond our ken. Many of them were adopted by our Lord Himself, who, when He taught the people, " used similitudes," and dealt largely in parables. Thus, when He would have them to know that there was no way to heaven, but through Him, He said, "I am the Door." And when He would teach them how kind He was to them that follow Him, He said, "I am the Good Shepherd." When He would impress on their minds how weak and worthless they were without Him, He spake of Himself as the Vine, and His disciples as the branches. If we follow His counsels, then, He says, we build on a rock; and if not, then we are like the foolish man who built his house on the sand. And all this a child can easily understand, much more a wayfaring man, though a fool. None can err therein, except those who wish to go astray. Our Lord's object was to preach Himself, to call all the world to the love and worship of Himself. And as a picture of some part of a temple could not give the mind a full idea of its magnificence, so our Lord, finding no one thing worthy to compare Himself to, brings forward the most beautiful and endearing things in the universe, to shadow forth His glory. And in the same manner do the prophets witness to His worth. They exhaust all the powers of words and things in describing Him, heap one figure on another, and end by telling us we can never by searching find Him out in perfection. "Join all the names of love and power, All are too mean to speak His worth, Or set Immanuel's glory forth. Nor earth, nor seas, nor sun, nor stars, Nor heaven, His FULL resemblance bears; His beauties we can never trace Till we behold Him face to face." We will begin with one of our Lord's highest Titles,-a description of Him as sublime as it is simple : ALPHA AND OMEGA.-Rev. i. 8. Four times this remarkable Title occurs in the Book of Revelation. On one occasion it was |