not be comforted, of any thing but hope, and faith, and heaven.' Man complained that the sun and stars would rise again; but when his day was set, he must lie down in darkness, and sleep a perpetual sleep.

'Alas! the tender herbs and flow'ry tribes,

Though crushed by Winter's unrelenting hand,
Revive and rise when vernal zephyrs call;
But we, the brave, the mighty, and the wise,
Bloom, flourish, fade and fall,—and then succeeds

A long, long, silent, dark, oblivious sleep;

A sleep which no propitious Power dispels,
Nor changing seasons, nor revolving years.'

6

Indeed, man was groping his way, guided by a few transitory and uncertain beacons, amid desolate realms of mental darkness and chaos. And God said, Let there be light! and there was light.' And the Resurrection and the life appeared. The firstborn from the womb of nature meets the morning of his resurrection. He arises a conqueror from the grave; he returns with blessings from the world of spirits; he brings salvation to the souls of men. Never did the returning sun usher in a day so glorious. It was the jubilee of the universe. The morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted aloud for joy. The Father of Mercies looked down from his throne in the heavens with complacency; he beheld his world restored; he saw his work that it was good. Then did the desert rejoice: the face of nature was gladdened before him when the blessings of the Eternal descended as the dews of heaven for the refreshing of the nations.' Then was 'heard a great voice out of heaven, saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell

with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.'* And now the dark, impenetrable veil that has hung over the grave for ages has been lifted up. The cold Jordan of death has been passed, and we hear the gracious and consoling words coming up from the tomb, 'Because I live, ye shall live also.' 'I am the Resurrection and the life. He that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live.' And to the bereaved he says, Mothers! take again your children to your arms, for they are living. Sons! your aged parents are coming forth in the vigor of regenerated years. Friends! behold, your dearest connexions are waiting to embrace you. The tombs are burst. Generations long since lost in slumbers are awaking. Is there not something pleasant in the thought of dying -of leaving a world of sorrow; scenes of grief, and going home to our Father in heaven; to a world radiant in immortal beauty, and glowing with unearthly splendor and loveliness!

'Where the saints of all ages in harmony meet,
Their Saviour and brethren transported to greet;
While the anthems of rapture unceasingly roll,
And the smile of the Lord is the life of the soul.'

Come, then, the last hour, in God's own time, and a good life and a glorious hope shall make it

* Rev. xxi. 3, 4.

welcome. Come the hour of release! and affliction shall make it welcome. Come the hour of re-union with the loved and lost on earth! and the passionate yearnings of affection, and the strong aspirations of faith, shall bear us to their blessed land. Come death to this body-this burdened, tempted, frail, failing, dying body!-and to the soul, thanks be to God, who giveth us the victory!-to the soul, come freedom, light, and joy unceasing! Come the immortal life! 'He that liveth,' saith the Conqueror over Death,' he that liveth and believeth in me shall never die.'

And when the morning of the resurrection breaks on the disordered and groaning creation, and with a bounding throb, and richer song, we feel and celebrate the wonders of redemption, then the words, THE RESURRECTION AND THE LIFE, will be understood in their majesty, and they will form the chorus of that noble anthem, as it swells louder and louder from world to world, 'O death! where is thy sting? O grave! Where is thy victory? * * * Thanks be to God, who giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.'

'Glory to God in full anthems of joy,

The being he gave us death cannot destroy!

Sad were the life we must part with to-morrow,

If tears were our birthright, and death were our end;
But Jesus hath cheered the dark valley of sorrow,
And bade us, immortal, to heaven ascend:
Lift, then, your voices in triumph on high,
For Jesus hath risen, and man shall not die.'

LXV. ROCK.

And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.' 1 Cor. x. 4.

THERE is said to be some difficulty in this verse. It has been asked, How could the rock follow them? To meet this objection, we are told that the rock is here put by metonymy for the water of the rock, and that this water did follow them. The ancient Jews say, that the streams followed them in all their journeyings, up the mountains, down the valleys. It has also been contended that all that was meant was, that they carried the waters with them on their journeyings. This is common in these deserts even to the present day. The Greek verb anolovbɛw, to follow, has this sense.

This metaphor is often applied to God, Deut. xviii. 31. xxxii. 4. Psa. xxviii. 1. xlii. 9. lxii. 2. lxxviii. 35. This is the only instance where it refers to Christ. There is a plain reference to the rock of Horeb, where the waters gushed out to sustain the hosts of Israel in the desert.

We shall offer a few remarks on the comparison involved in the motto, and then take a general view of our whole subject.

I. There was an abundance of water.

II. The water endured as long as the necessities of the people required.

Let the

I. There was an abundance of water. reader imagine the scene in the desert. Two millions were there. There was the old man with his hoary locks, and the infant in its mother's arms. There were the sick and the infirm. All were famishing for water. Can the wilderness afford the stream? Can all this multitude be supplied? Behold, God has not forgotten them, though they have forgotten him! He had led them through the pathless deep. He had overwhelmed their enemies. He had in a thousand ways shown his protecting care. Alas! how could they so soon become unmindful of his goodness? But hark! I hear the voice of Jehovah to the Leader of Israel: '** Speak ye unto the rock before their eyes, and it shall give forth his water, and thou shalt bring forth to them water out of the rock so shalt thou give the congregation and their beasts to drink.' What joy must have thrilled the hearts of the hosts of Israel as they gathered around Horeb! I see them collecting in bands of families and kindred, partaking of the pure streams as they gush from the flinty rock!

II. The waters lasted as long as the necessities of Israel required. The Apostle says, 'for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them.' Through all their wanderings, there was the rock with its streams. If they ascended the steep mountain, it was there. If they wound among the hill-sides, it was there. If they stopped to refresh themselves in the valleys, it was there. He opened the rock, and the waters gushed out; they ran in the dry places like a