rapidity in striking contrast. Childh'lod has its own thoughts, sometimes upon the most mysterious themes, always with little knowledge of the thoughts of others; thou"hts unfounded, unjustifiable; thoughts, too, which may be developed into a larger and ri~her experience. Now, he who becomes a man puts aside these infantile ways. His lanQ"uac,e is articulate, perhaps elegant and precise, perhaps copious and poetical. His fe;lin~s are less easily roused, but they are deeper and more lasting. His thoughts range ov~r heaven and earth, the past and the future; they" wander through eternity." II. THE ANALOGY OF THE SPIRITUAL LIFE BASED ON TffiS FACT. This the apostle suggests and leaves his readers to work out in detail. There is an obvious resemblance between the life of the individual upon earth and the larger, longer life of the soul. As is childhood to manhood, so is this present state of being to the immortality beyond. This being so, there is a measure of probability that the resemblance extends where we cannot follow it. This is the argument of analogy; alike in many points, alike probably in more. 1. The future will be a development and expansion of the present. 'fhe speech and the feeling, the thoughts and the judgments, of the man are based upon those of the child. They are not radically different. Even so our earthly faith and hope and love, our earthly consecration, obedience, and praise, are the germ of the experiences and services of the heavenly sanctuary. Heaven will witness the manhood. of that intelligent piety, that devotion of heart and energy, of which earth has witnessed the infancy and childhood. 2. The future will immensely transcend the present. Great as is the difference between the acquirements of the child and those of the man, greater will be that between the religious knowledge and experience of earth, and what is reserved for us hereafter. It i8 vain for us to suppose that in this present state we can form any conception of the glorious future. ,ve are now God's children, and we know not what we shall be. This we know: "We shall put away childish things."-'!'. Ver. 12.-" Face to face." He who looked into and, as it seemed, through the brazen <lisc saw a dim reflection of his own or his brother's features, or a misty representatior.. or the landscape. But he who sees face to face sees, as by an immediate intuition, with nothing to hinder a perfect knowledge of perception. The comparison opens up to us a woni.lerful and most inspiring view of the perfection of the future, the heavenly state. I. TRUE OF OUR KNOWLEDGE GENERALLY. Tbe apostle speaks without any words limiting the application of his statement to religious realities. Man's pride or know- ledge, notwithstanding his intellectual powers are limited in their range and in their efficacy. Some of the causes of this limitation we can see, and we can well believe that in another ond higher state they may be removed. The senses or other avenues of perception may be multiplied in number and intensified in power. It may be that words-which are the medium of much of our knowledge-may bo replaced by symbols more definite and instructive. Our feebleness of attention and application may be replaced by a vigour not possible in this body. Many tbings now known by inference may tben be known by intuition. And whilst there moy be a change in our own nat11ral capacities and faculties, there may be also an enlargement of the material presented to our minds. And the search after truth may be more pure and disinterested as well as more vigorous. We are all aware that purity or beart is a condition of apprehending moral and spiritual truth; this condition will in heaven be perfected, and corresponding results may be expectetl. II. TRUE ESPECIALLY OF WHAT MAY DE CALLED OUR RELIGIOUS KNOWLEDGE. 1. Of religious truth. This we now know ~ufficiently for all practical purposes ; but we aro often conscious that we see but glimpses and hear but whispers of the great truths upon which our higher life and deathless hopes depend. 'l'he progress made by the child as he advances to spiritual maturity is probably as nothing compared with the advance to be made by the Christian when the veil of sense and time falls off. The mysteries by which the mind has often been perplexed shall be revealed ; tho harmony of truths we could not reconcile shall be apparent; tho reasons of regulations we could not understand shall become plain. '!'he world, ourselves, society, life, all arc now full of enigmas. Eternity shall provide th~ solntio?· 2. Of ~ur _knowledge_ of God in Christ. We do know Christ, and, notw1thst:rndmg the obJect10ns of philo- sophers, we have a real though very partial and inadequate knowledge of God himself; HS THE FIRST EPISTLE TO THE CORINTHIANS. [cu. xm. 1-13
fur Christ said, " He who hath seen me bath seen the Father also." There have been special revelations of God to specially favoured memb~rs of the human family; but hereafter, the vision shall be open, it shall be for all the purified and glorified. "We shall see him as he is." ",ve shall lrnow [God] even as we are known." Well is this called "the beatific vision:" to behold and know him who is infinite in nature, eternal in existence, perfect in all moral attributes. III. TRUE ALSO o~· OUR KKOWLEDGE OF OUR SPIRITUAL KINDRED AND DRETHREN. There_ are man~' circumstances which hjnder us from enjoying more than a superficial acquamtance with some of our nearest kmsmen and our daily associates. But in heaven there shall be no disguise, no restraint, no separation. Misunderstandin"S shall vanish• we shall see '.' face to face.''. lmaginati?n pictu:es, upon the suggestion ;f this principle: the fellowslup of pure delight to be enJoyed with all "saints," iu "the assembly and Church of the Firstborn, whose names are written in heaven.''-T.