luminous and happy frame of mind; he has changed his own filthy robes - his false and insane persuasions, for the white and shining garments of heaven-the pure Truths of Revelation; he is then found "sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed, and in his right mind." (Luke viii. 35.) This renovation of state is effected when Messiah's kingdom rules in the mind of man; for "then shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing " (Isaiah xxxv. 6.) The former wilderness state of his understanding shall pass away, together with the dry, arid condition of his will, while the Truths of Revelation, as the waters of life, shall break out as streams in the desert. It is in consequence of the spiritual signification of the maimed, lame, and blind, as denoting evils and ignorance of spirit, that in the Jewish church, the rituals of which were all representations of good things to come, no person was allowed to minister at the altar, or perform the ceremonies of worship, who had any blemish of body, such as being diseased, lame, deformed or blind. (Levit. xxi. 16-24.) This Divine law was written to instruct us that the pure worship of

God cannot proceed from spiritual ignorance and deformity of mind.

The blind and deaf are the objects of the Lord's mercy. He came to open the blind eyes, and to unstop the ears of the deaf. Here again the true law of Scripture interpretation affords the means of acquiring a correct explanation. By the eye is meant the understanding, and by the ear, hearkening and obedience of life. The blind eye is the intellect wrapt in spiritual ignorance; the deaf ear, carelessness of, and contempt for, all heavenly instruction, whence arise disobedience and a life of carnality and false pleasure. But when the eye becomes enlightened by the truths of heaven, and the ear lends a willing obedience to the voice of God, then the maladies are removed, and the things of God and heaven are seen and heard.

Those whose affections are bound down to the perishable things of the world, who are by false, atheistical, or other persuasions, led astray from the pure path of life; these are bound in the hard fetters of a mentally slavish bondage, and are called prisoners and captives: they are, as the Scripture expresses it, led captive by the

devil at his will. Now nothing can set them. free from this captivity, but the truth as it is in Jesus; and if the truth shall set them free, they shall be free indeed. Hence one of the grand objects of the Lord's coming was to give liberty to the captives.

Those, again, in whom the life of heaven has become extinct, who have no spiritual affection for purity and wisdom, these are called dead. They are dead to all the living joys of heaven, and grovel in the uncleanness of sensuality. But even these, at the voice of the Lord, or when truth finds its way into the heart, and is there received and loved, shall rise up from their deathly condition - from that state of being dead in trespasses and sins, and spring upwards to that of life, righteousness, and peace. These restorations are the real effects of the reign of Christ in his church, and they are even now, in this day, taking place; which will explain clearly this saying of our Lord, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God and they that hear shall live." (John v. 25.) It is to these spiritual evidences of the

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reign of Christ that the Lord alludes, when, in answer to John's disciples who asked him the question, "Art thou He that should come, or do we look for another?" He replied, and show John again those things which ye do hear and see; the blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear; the dead are raised up, and the poor have the Gospel preached to them, and blessed is he whosoever shall not be offended in me." (Matt. xi. 5, 6.) These then, are the grand subjects taught in the Book of Life. Truths of Revelation are the sacred testimonies of God. They clearly describe all the varieties of human affection and thought, as well as every man's growth in wisdom, righteousness, and peace. Surely, then, we must acknowledge with David, that the testimonies of the Lord are wonderful.

The

The wonders of the Book of God will further appear, as we contemplate the vast scene around us, and view the grand theatre of creation, as reflecting by its objects, the goodness, wisdom and power of the Creator. The Scriptures call upon us to contemplate these things, and as

such they must be designed to teach us the spiritual matters of eternity. The prophet invites us to reflection, and says, "Lift up your eyes on high, and behold who hath created these things." (Isa. xl. 26.) All created things speak, in their uses, the power of the Creator, and declare his wonders to the people. If we lift up our eyes on high, we observe the sun, moon, and stars, as the brightest objects in nature. Now these are frequently mentioned in Scripture, and this is the reason why we are called upon to lift up our eyes on high, that we may contemplate their relative uses, and draw forth the spiritual lessons they teach. The sun shines by its own light, and borrows nothing from any other created object; it is, therefore, in nature, the bright emblem of the Lord of heaven, as the never varying and everlasting Sun of Righteousness, who borrows nothing from any other being, but constantly dispenses his Divine heat and light-his love and wisdom, for the life and health of that creation he himself has produced.

The moon has no light in itself, but reflects only that which she has borrowed from the sun.