of autherliy. Are men prepared to acce-pt as authorities on thts matt.er men -.vho ll8k them l\o' disbelieve the resurrection, br cause science can give them no information 0
~ t n g it? We; for our pa.rt, ohallenite men to prodnt1e mMe trustworthy testimony on any matter, than that of our Lord and h_is apostles conc~tniag the t1iamrre·ction. lf asked, then, ftir the ground on which \ta b\ilieve it, we would reply: 1. 'l'he_ Lord has usured us of it (John i:i. 23} 2. He regards ·it aa a part of the trust committed td hilil (John vL 39, 40).' 3. He bas _led the way byhia own resurrection (1 Oor. xv. 17). 4. He has declared his will that his people shall follow hhll to glory (John nit 21): 5. The completion of his own mediatorial work demands it (1 Cor. xv. 20~2i .l. 'l'heu. il.19; Col. i. 28; Jude 24). · V. Wn'f WILL _FOLLow l'BO■ THE RESUBRRimoN? (Ver. 14-, "Death and HacletJ were cast-into the lake of fire.") The bodies of men before the resurrection were, so tb apeak~ held in the grasp of, death. 'l'he spirits of men were in Hades, i.e. in the invisible realm-those of the blessed in a stat!l of happy rest and honour in and with Christ; thOl!e bf the ungodly and unbelieving under the gtfard of Christ, with a view to the great, the'decisive d&y, ushered in by the resurrection. When the mighty voice' of the Son of God shall wake the dead, then Death ·shall resign his hold- of the bodies, and the in,isible 'Wotld must open its gates for all its occupa.nts to quit those i!Jyst~ rioua realms. 'l'hus Death will . be· dead. And the invisible ~ will be vacaht. Both will haYe sened • purpo!!fl in the development of the Divine plans, but l:b.ey -.,itf be no lon'!er. They will be "ca.st into the lake of fire." ·. ' '' ' Yl. .WHAT us..:s HA vE BEEN HADE oF TnE · noO'l'IUN11 oll' '1'tn! tt'E!WiniEO'l'loil •l Perhn~ fow doctrines have suffered so much as this froni the meddlfng arid futidi:llih$;; of mau. Aful in part, at any rate, It is owing t.o this that tt has 'bilen so misused. Yet not altogether to this' cause must we attribute auch il.b'use. For the dOll:tfui'e lll: confessedly so mysterious, that the proud heart scorns it. It is s0: f're.1.Jght with terrors &o'the ungodly that the wicked tremble at it. (See Sit Samnel_Bil.ker'f CQllversati'on with 11n African youth on the Nlllllrr(lction; Dr. Moffat's with an Afnclln · chief upon it.)· It is very remarkable that we h'a-v& in Scripture illustl'atfons of no fewer tnati aeven ways of tteating this doctrine. · 1. Sritne denied it altogether (1 Cor. xv. !2); j_ Some decl&recl that it wa, past alteady (2 Tim. ii. 18). 3. Some ma.de it .a plea fur putting fotth curious questions (Matt. xxii. 28). 4. Some mocked (Acts x,•u.s21· 5. Some poBt}J6il.ed the consideration: of the m{Ltter ( Aets xvif. 82); · 6. Son:ie believ'ecl: (1 Pet.. i. 3-5). _7. One, at least, with a touching blendini of ~aith, fear, and. common sense, was nnable to formulatil the doctrine, but reposed unpl1cttly ln the Lord Jesus Obrist (ef. John xi. 26, 27, •Believest thou thi.sf" etc.). We admire the answer of Martha, in which she seemli'to say, "Yea, Lord, I believe it, because I believe tlie4, though l ~ 1 understand what it means I'' Happy they who, with. extreme diffi. oulty in formulating the doctrine in detail, can fall back in loving fatth in hi$ hi whom it eentres, and who "'Will make it plain."· As that excelleht man, Dr. Clerk Maxwell, said, shortly before death, "It is but a very li~tle of pure truth that we can reach; but what a tnercy to h, able to eay, 'We know _wbotn we have believed!'" VII. BELIEVING THR DOCTRINE, WIIAT OUGHT TO 11B l'Ts PllAOTIOA.L POWER~ l= It ha, a gladSMM side. Herein: (1) Let the believer rejoice (Col. iii. 8, 4). (2)· Let the ·Christian worker iather from it a holy stimulus; and keep it in view in all. t his teaching of Jesua Christ (Col. 28, 29; 1 Thess. ii. 19, ~; 1 Cor. xv. 58). (3) With this great crisis in view, let the hearer of the gospel temmnber his responsibilities (Heb. xiii. 17). (4) Let a_ll Christian people see to it that they abound in the work of holy living (1 John ii. 2B; 2 Pet. iii. 14). 2. It has, 1nONOl1llr an as-pect qf~k• t aJik !Okmnity. (Ch. 7; Joh'n: v. 2S, 29.) To rlse, ftoi? the d;J to confront the Judge :,fall, ln an unprepared and unpardoned state, how tem!>le I _ · 'l"be Lord grant that we may find mercy of the Lord m that day I , .... Ven. tl-'--15.-Judgment; or, t"6 openltig of tltlJ book,.1 Foilowilie: on the ~ tioo {-a the judgment. In connection with this, we read that before the face of hiin thai sat ·upon the throne the heavens Md the earth fled away; Tl).is may include the final oonflagra.tion. But what the phrase actually means, no man is in a position adequately 1 The student will find very many valu,.'lble hinta in a small work entitled,• The Jlldg. tneut Boob,' by Alex. Macleod, D.D., Birkenh81ld. Elliot., Edinburgh: 1~65. oa1 :1:t. 1-15.] THE REV.ELA.TION OF ST,. JOHN TfTE Dl,VINE. W