was so complete and indissoluble (Paul's great theme afterwards), and marked by such living sympathy, that whoso touched them, touched the apple of his eye; whoso served them even with a cup of cold water, served Him. We can at once perceive the difference of revelation made to Peter and to Paul. Peter knew the Lord Jesus in the flesh; the One of promise and prophecy; who by suffering entered into glory. Paul knows not Jesus after the flesh at all. He beholds the Lord of glory, and straightway preaches that Jesus is the Son of God, not before preached. It is a fuller, clearer revelation of the Divine Person of the Lord, and of the result of His work, it was Redemption-glory. Peter could

testify of the sufferings of Christ, and the glories after these [sufferings] see Greek, 1 Peter, i. 11. (Note, not glory, as translated, but glories, for Our Lord Jesus will be crowned with many, many diadems of glory; He will bear all the glory-glory connected with each dispensation). But Paul sees Jesus as the One who had completed His work-who was at once the foundation, deeper than Hades and Hell-for His own-the Head, the centre, "Christ is all and in all,"-who had reconciled all to God, and upheld His body, the Church, before God, in His own righteousness, beauty, glory, and strength. "I am Jesus," was the electrifying word to reach, quicken, and search Saul's heart and conscience. 'And Í have a body, whose members struggling through the wilderness, are yet so identified with me, that in hurting them, thou persecutest me.' It was this full revelation of Jesus, which, while it crushed Paul's flesh, through the working of the Holy Ghost in his soul, gave him that strong grasp of faith for all saints, enabled him to endure the petulance of some, while he could not bear any doctrine which touched the gospel, the work of Christ, as we see in Galatians; led him through such sufferings (2 Cor. xi. 23, etc.); qualified him to be a minister of the Church (see Col. i. 23, et seq). Peter did indeed confess to Christ (Matt. xvi.), His divine glory as Son of God; but in his testimony we never see more than Jesus as the glorified Head. The saints risen were as pilgrims and strangers scattered abroad," looking for a heavenly

inheritance, incorruptible and undefiled. Paul had a key given to him to open the mystery, not before known, of an elect heavenly bride-Jew and Gentile in one-the Church-the Body of Christ-the fulness of Him "who filleth all in all,"—and it may be observed, how, to the end of his course, we find him speaking of our gospel, my gospel,-"The glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God."-"My gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began, but now is made manifest" (Rom. xvi. 25). It would seem to be clear indeed, that after Paul's conversion and preaching Jesus to be the Son of God, deeper instruction is given to the saints, and we read, "the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch" (Acts xi. 26). Antioch seems to have been the scene of work from which Paul started with a fuller revelation, and more glorious gospel: and though I ought now to look at chap. x., which was the limit proposed in this paper, I would just follow Paul on to two eventful epochs in his course, as shewn in the Acts, in which one traces what he got from this glorious gospel, how strikingly we find displayed in him the power, conscious ease with God, joy in deep trial, and real standing in the dignity put upon him by virtue of his union with Christ" (Acts xvi. and xxvi). In the former, we read of the commencement (in Lydia and the Jailer), "according to the grace of God given to Paul as a wise master_builder" (1 Cor. iii. 10), of the Church at Philippi, so endeared to the apostle, as we find in his epistle to them. Satan strives to weaken and nullify the testimony of the apostle (ver. 16, 17), as if he was in league with the apostle, and approved of the preaching of the way of salvation; and Paul being grieved, commands the evil spirit to come out in the name of the Lord Jesus. Satan changes his opposition to violent persecution. The apostles are, as far as bodily trial went, in wretched plight; the stocks, according to historians, were high, and Paul and Silas it would appear, must have been lying on their flayed backs, with their clothes rent off, but God is present. They prayed and sang praises, and the Lord answers as it were with a voice of thunder (ver. 26), symbolical truly

of that mighty gospel of Christ, which "Brings out the prisoners from the prison, and them that sit in darkness out of the prison house" (Isaiah xlii). In chap. xxvi., how vividly and blessedly Paul shews out what was in his heart and soul: he stands in chains, a prisoner before the mightiest monarch of the world, and all the state surrounding him. Yet Paul evidently is the one possessed of conscious dignity and ease and happiness. He can afford to wish that all that heard him were "almost and altogether such as he was, except these bonds." What joy in God, what blessedness Paul stood in, as having simple faith in that of which Festus spoke, "Of one Jesus, which was dead, whom Paul affirmed to be alive" (xxv. 19). In chap. x. Peter also sees "Heaven opened." God works a miracle to meet the prejudice of his narrow heart! The "great sheet knit at the four corners, and let down to the earth," in a lively manner represents the heavenly calling of the Church, -its heavenly origin (though filled with unclean creatures in themselves)—its having no resting-place on earth—but moved about, waved, as a bough of a tree, as it were, is received up again into heaven. Another has suggested whether the expression, "Knit at the four corners," may not be delicately significant of the heavenly calling of the saints, inasmuch as those inside the sheet, whose corners were thus knit, could not possibly look down on the ground. They must look up, and that of necessity. Such is the Church's standing and portion. How soon "we which are alive!" (1 Thess. iv. 15) may be caught up, solemn yet joyful thought-"to be for ever with the Lord!" Observe in this and the preceding chapter of Acts, man's narrowness, God's largeness. Ananias (ix. 13) pleads with God against the reception of so bad a man as Saul of Tarsus-"But the Lord said unto him, Go thy way, for he is a chosen vessel unto me." In this chapter Peter evidently does not like that the unclean Gentiles should enter the kingdom (compare ver. 14, and 28). The Divine answer is,-Ŏ what mercy for our poor souls!— "What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common."

There is nothing new in these thoughts beloved reader, but there is old truth, which we cannot meditate on too

much (read 2 Pet. i. 12), and never more than in such a day as this is. As the Lord spoke to Jeremiah (vi. 16), "Thus saith the Lord, Stand ye in the ways, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein; and ye shall find rest for your souls." "Surely I am coming quickly, Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus. The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you all." Amen.

A.

THE BLESSINGS OF THE TWELVE TRIBES. Genesis xlix.

THE following outline of Genesis xlix, is given in order to show that this chapter traces in type, as we believe, the history of the Jewish nation from beginning to end, from their redemption out of Egypt to the establishment of Messiah's kingdom.

Observe, as to its order, that six out of these tribes, get the blessing; the remaining six get none. Of the former, three express Christ, and three the faithful remnant. In order to mark this distinction, the letter B here indicates blessing; BB double blessing, in connexion with CHRIST; the cypher O no blessing; 00 the same thing in connexion with Dan, the type of ANTICHRIST.

* Why this utterance of the Spirit in connexion with Dan? The answer appears to be this.-Dan is here seen as the type of that false one whose kingdom will precede the kingdom of Christ; and hence, at the mention of his name, the hopes of the Patriarch, in reference to the deliverance of Israel, are awakened. Thus, though encompassed with trouble, the remnant hereafter will lift up their heads, because their redemption draweth nigh.

No. XXIII.

THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE FULNESS OF

TIMES.

Ephesians, i. 10.

CHRIST is the true and only centre of the purposes of God, as it is only by Him the Holy Ghost reveals them. Hence it is, and must be in the proportion of our Spirittaught acquaintance with Christ, that the divine plans are understood and appreciated. When He is not steadily kept before the soul, what becomes of the study of scripture itself? It is no longer truth which sanctifies, but a barren theology which puffs up. And why has prophecy been perverted to unfruitful and injurious speculation? Because God's grand object has been lost sight of ("that in all things he might have the preeminence; one might perhaps apply here); and thereby the Spirit has been grieved, and has blown upon the busy exercises of man's mind. "He shall glorify ME," said the Lord, "for He shall take of MINE and shew it unto you' (John xvi. 14). The moment the view of the glory of Christ is supplanted by researches into providence, for instance, important as that may be in its place, the temple of prophecy degenerates into a counting-house of human intellect; and the tables of those who traffic in mere erudition crowd its courts, until, by the just judgment of God, it is left desolate. But by His grace a better sanctuary is opened for those who have ears to hear and eyes to see Jesus crowned with glory and honour in the heavens. May we have grace to draw near through the rent veil, and there by our Master's side, with unshod feet and worshipping hearts, follow His eye and finger as they rest upon the spheres of His varied but harmonious glory!

"Since the beginning of the world men have not heard, nor perceived by the ear, neither hath the eye seen, O God, beside Thee, what He hath prepared for him that waiteth for Him." There the Jewish prophet