by the attractions of the true gospel to surrender their spirits to God and merge themselves in the central sphere of perfected human life which already envel ops Christ. Here is a short way to all the results which the physiologists anticipate from their chimerical schemes of scientific marriages, and disinterested painstaking for the benefit of future generations. God has in store for us the concentrated results, not only of what he accomplished by natural propagation in the ages before the advent of Christ, but of all that he has accomplished by spiritual propagation, in the invisible world, since his kingdom of righteousness began. Who can estimate the treasures of life, love, wisdom, virtue, civilization, refinement, and social perfection, which have been accumulating for ages in the heavenly phalanx gathered and organized by Christ? And who can conceive of the glory which will burst upon this world when those treasures shall be given to it as they will be, when the visible church shall yield itself as a bride to the invisible?

We may consider, further, the more specific results of the condensation of life, in perfecting individual character. Christ's prayer that his followers might all be made perfect in one,' points evidently to the principle which Paul so frequently illustrated by reference to the organization of the human form, viz., that individuals are not made for perfection by themselves, and can be perfected only by a combination with each other, like that which exists between the different members of the body. An eye or an arm or a foot by itself is a monstrosity. An entire set of these and other organs, with diverse characteristics and offices, is necessary to make a perfect body. So men and women, in the isolated state, are not capable of perfection. The characters and adaptations of individuals are as diverse as those of the members of the body. By nature, one man is like the eye, keen in discernment; another, like the hand, strong in action; one is impetuous, another prudent; one is bold, another gentle. The good elements of life are distributed to the two sexes in such a manner that man by himself is deficient in those beautiful affections which abound in woman, and woman by herself lacks the strength of heart and head which belongs to man. The condensation of any two characters into one, would improve both; and the more diverse the two might be, the greater would be the improvement. A great part of the immorality of the world is only the result and index of isolation. Peculiarities in individuals, which in combination with the counter peculiarities of others would be wholesome and beautiful, acting by themselves, are odious and mischievous. By the unity of life to which Christ calls believers, the good elements of an innumerable multitude of characters will be condensed into one, and the perfection of the compound will be transfused through every individual. Ît is easy to see that the operation will develope magnificent treasures of righteousness and beauty.

The spiritual atmosphere in which individuals will grow and ripen, when the life and love of God and of the millions of the human race, shall be concentrated in one glowing sphere, will be as different from that of the present order of things as summer is from winter, or as the years of Palestine are from those of Greenland. The desert shall rejoice and blossom as the rose.' Education, in its highest and most valuable form, will be a natural growth.

As plants, which in northern regions require hotbeds and tedious cultivation, under the sun of the tropics grow spontaneously, so intellectual, moral and physical life, under the sunshine of divine and human love, will spring up with a rapidity, and bring forth fruit in an abundance, which will put to shame the tillage of all our present schools for mind and body.

There is a close affinity, if not an identity, between life and heat, and between death and cold. The same effects can be produced upon the body by spiritual elements acting from within, and by physical elements acting from without. For instance, fear makes the body tremble, and the same effect is produced by cold. Physical warmth is caused by warm affections, as really as it is by fire or sunshine. It is as if the life of the body had two surfaces -an inner and an outer-one of them exposed to the impressions of spiritual elements, and the other to those of physical elements, and both, when affected, acting upon the body in the same manner. The bread of this world infuses

life through the outer surface, and the bread of heaven infuses life through the inner surface. The result in both cases is satisfaction and strength. One of the results of the condensation of life will be, the bringing of these principles into the field against the powers of disease and death. When life shall accumulate in unity, by the centripetal force of love, till all hearts shall radiate and receive a perpetual sunshine of joy, it is not unphilosopical to believe that the substantial physical results (at least so far as health is concerned) of an actual amelioration of climate, will be obtained. Though the outer surface of life may be exposed to the cold of the North, yet if the inner surface dwells in the warm regions of love, as it will when all shall be one, the body will have many of the benefits of a genial climate; and in proportion as the action of the inner surface prevails over that of the outer, health will become independent of the external elements, and death at last will lose his prey.

We have before us a sketch of the great MIRACLE OF UNITY for which Christ offered his prayer and his life, and by means of which he proposed and still proposes to convince the world that God sent him on his mission of love. Who will not heartily join in his prayer, and offer himself a sacrifice for its fulfilment ?

§73. PRINCIPALITIES AND POWERS.

THE governments that rule over the world by law and sword, are objects of much attention and interest to the mass of mankind. And well they may be for they have a mighty agency in shaping the character and working out the destinies of their subjects. But, after all, viewed in the light of spiritual philosophy, they are but inferior principalities-visible vehicles and instruments of the powers of the invisible world. Believers in animal magnetism may surmise, and believers in the Bible may be sure, that there are 'thrones and dominions' over us, as much greater in dignity than the dynasties of the external world, as the soul is greater than the body. We wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in heavenly places." Eph. 6: 11. And with equal truth it may be said that we wrestle not in the strength of flesh and blood, but of principalities, of powers, of the rulers of the light of the eternal world, of spiritual righteousness in heavenly places.

Ascending, with the Bible for our guide, from the visible to the invisible sphere, we find two great spiritual empires, distinct and antagonistic, yet ruling together, one above the other, over the kingdoms of this world.

Previous to the coming of Christ, Satan was the prince of this world,' and could boast that all power on earth was delivered to him. Luke 4: 6. He was the strong man armed who kept the palace of the world, and his goods were in peace. Luke 11: 14. But a stronger than he came upon him and bound him. When Christ triumphed over death and ascended up on high, he became the head of all principality and power. Col. 2: 10. To him was given the dominion which the devil had before claimed and exercisedhe became Prince of the kings of the earth.' Nevertheless the new sovereign did not immediately abolish the principalities which Satan had established, and banish his subject-spirits from the world. He only commenced that administration which is to terminate in putting down all rule and all authority and power.' 1 Cor. 15: 24. He proved his actual sovereignty, first, at his second coming, by annihilating the Jewish hierarchy, which had been the ascendant spiritual dynasty; and afterwards, by establishing the religion which bore his name and kept his records, on the ruins of the Roman Empire, which had been the head of the political and heathen world. But Satan was not immediately sent to his final doom-the lake of fire. Though he was dethroned and driven into the abyss' to remain a thousand years, yet he found means to install the beast' as his successor and vicegerent; (Rev. 13: 2;) and to this day,-though Christ, with the army of the primitive saints and the loyal angels, reigns over all nations with a rod of iron, dashing them in pieces at his pleasure, and guiding all the elements of the world to the issue of the final judgment,-yet at the same time, below him,

The word here rendered in our common version high places,' is the same as that translated 'heavenly places,' in Eph. 1: 3, and 2: 6.

and in more immediate contact with mankind, an invisible kingdom of evil demons, with Satan (now loosed again) at its head, covers and darkens the face of the whole earth.

To illustrate the relative position of these two kingdoms-the good and the evil,—we may compare the world to a city surrounded by two concentric armies, the inner army besieging the city, and the outer army besieging the inner. The city is rightfully in friendship with the outer army, and occasionally communication is established between them. But while the siege lasts, the inner army has the advantage over the city. Or, since the force by which the invisible kingdoms rule, is spiritual, we may take an illustration from Mesmerism. Suppose that one man magnetizes another till spiritual identity is established between them, and then a stronger magnetizer commences operations upon both. In this case the first subject would receive the fluid from both magnetizers, and would be affected by the will and thoughts of each by turns, till the strongest should entirely prevail. So Satan, having first magnetized the whole world, was overcome in the spiritual conflict of the cross, and for eighteen hundred years has been subject, in conjunction with the world, to the superior magnetism of Christ. The operation will end in the separation of Satan from the world, his destruction, and the spiritual unity of God and man. But for the present, the magnetism of both Christ and Satan are at work upon the world, producing a medley of incoherent and conflicting results.

This view of the position and influence of the invisible powers, will help spiritual persons to understand many mysterious phenomena in the movements around them and in their own experience.

The manifestations of supernatural power and wisdom which are found in connection with false and wicked systems of religion, and among the credentials of deceivers and hypocrites, will not be wondered at or feared by those who know that the hosts of evil as well as of good still occupy regions, which, with reference to our position, are properly called 'heavenly places; and thus are able to pour forth transcendental influences on those who are in affinity with them, in this world. The pretences of false spiritualists to miracles and inspirations, need not be denied and derided. Admitting the reality of such manifestations, the believer who has learned that his warfare is not with flesh and blood,' may boldly resist them, as emanations, not from the upper sanctuary, but from the spiritual wickedness of the lower heavens.

Again, when the believer first opens his heart to the spiritual world, and is conscious of the blessed influences of the spirit of heaven, he is apt to imagine that he is out of the reach of all evil spirits, and that the day of glory which has dawned upon him will never be sullied by a cloud. Whereas the truth is, by emerging from the visible to the invisible world, he is placed in more immediate contact with the powers of darkness than he was before. He has entered into private communication with the outer army, and according to the instructions given him, he has passed out of the city and is on his way to his friends. He may rejoice that he is called to the escape, but he will find ere long that the whole breadth of the enemies' camp lies between him and the end of his journey. The same spiritual change which has made him

sensitive to the magnetism of Christ, has also bared the fibres of his soul to the magnetism of Satan. All our experience and observation bids us warm those who are entering upon a spiritual life, to expect suffering as well as joy.

But there is abundant encouragement, as well as warning, in the views we have presented. When spiritual suffering comes, inexperienced believers are prone to suspect themselves of sin, and to admit a spirit of self-accusation. But let them learn that by the very nature of their condition they are exposed to malignant, as well as benign influences, and they will impute the darkening of their spirits not to the displeasure of God or to their sins, but to the magnetism of that evil one who poured an agony on the pure soul of Christ. Much of the spiritual tribulation for which conscientious persons are ever ready to blame themselves, is unquestionably the effect of causes as far above their control, as the clouds which darken a summer's day.A child may cry when the heavens are overcast, and the chill of the coming storm is felt; but a wise man will button his coat and wait patiently till the cloud is past, not blaming himself, nor doubting that the blue heavens are still above him, and that fair weather will come again.

Spiritual believers are often conscious of astonishing changes of feeling, for which they can assign no cause. To-day every thing seems green and hopeful;. the universe smiles upon them, and they sit with Christ in heavenly places. To-morrow they are cast down, and see nothing but evil within and without. They have not varied their course of life at all, and the change seems unaccountable. But let them consider their relations to the good and evil kingdoms which are in conflict over them, and the mystery will vanish. To-day the upper magnetism prevails, and they rejoice: to-morrow the lower magnetism prevails, and they are sad. The change is not in them, but in the spiritual atmosphere which is upon them. Let them learn to hold on their way through such changes, with unwavering faith and patience, and without wondering.

It is the business of the believer's life to break through and overcome the principalities of the lower kingdom, and effect a permanent and perfect junction with the kingdom of Christ. This is the good fight'-the 'fight of faith.' The conditions of it should be well understood; and, first of all, that condition which most directly results from the facts which we have stated, viz., that the issues of the good fight are not dependent on human strength and skill. Individual conflicts are parts of the one great battle between the powers of heaven and hell. Every believer, however he may isolate himself in his own imagination, and set up his own wisdom and will as his bulwarks against evil, is, after all, little more than a passive battle-field, on which the invisible hosts contend. As the combat thickens, he may expect to find himself, like a disputed point on a field swept by charging battalions, taken and retaken many times over by opposing forces. But God will triumph-good will finally hold possession of the field. This is the believer's hope. His interest in the conflict is not a matter of mere individual concern, but a public interest. God and the armies of heaven have their eye on him, and will take care that their cause--the cause of universal good-shall not