be undertaken. A duty which has no set time in which it should be done is apt to be overlooked.

3rdly, It would be announced that it was the duty of the minister to impress it upon his congregation, and to see that it was definitely attended to and carried out at a set appointed time. That which is nobody's duty is apt to be done by nobody. Whitsunday would be a very excellent time for a service of Confirmation. Commending these considerations to the worthy reviewer, and to your readers generally, I conclude.

J. B.

BECOMING AS LITTLE CHILDREN.

HE Lord has given to every one of us an understanding, and we can conceive no higher use to which that faculty can be put than that of understanding as much as we possibly can about Him and His kingdom. This appears to us to be His teaching: "When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, then cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart. But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; which also beareth fruit" (Matt. xiii. 19, 23); again, "Whoso readeth, let him understand" (Matt. xxiv. 15). It is also recorded that "then opened He their understanding, that they might understand the Scriptures" (Luke xxiv. 45).

How comes it, then, that very often when certain doctrines are presented to us, such as those of the Vicarious Sacrifice, the Trinity of Three Persons, the Resurrection of the Material Body, etc., as soon as we begin to ask for explanations of difficulties, we are answered that "these subjects are mysteries," "We ought not to pry too closely into such questions," "It is not to be expected that we can understand such deep and holy doctrines," "We ought to accept the doctrine in faith," "We ought to become as little children," etc.

The last argument (?) is very often used in a manner that implies that unless we receive the said doctrines implicitly and without inquiry we cannot possibly "enter into the kingdom of heaven."

Such a position is entirely untenable. When the Lord does not ask us to refrain from investigating and understanding His teachings, when we read that St. Philip's first question to the reader of the book was, "Understandest thou what thou readest?" we are justified in looking with suspicion at any doctrines that will not bear the test of rational investigation.

Before we can believe in any doctrine as true we must know upon what evidence it is based. St. Paul gave some advice in his Epistle to the Romans which is not yet out of date, "Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind" (xiv. 5). When the Lord speaks all the earth shall keep silence before Him. His truth must be reasonable and consistent, and hence everything unreasonable and inconsistent may be safely dismissed as of human origin.

The attempt to prove that the Lord prohibits full and rational investigation in spiritual things will not bear looking at. Certainly no plea for such a prohibition can be fairly deduced from the Lord's words as to the necessity of becoming as little children.

His theme was the qualifications for heaven, in reply to the question of the disciples, "Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?" Following His common custom, in order to impress His answer upon their minds, He gave them an object lesson: He "called little child unto Him, and set him in the midst of them, and said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and

become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven" (Matt. xviii. 1-4).

It argues a very imperfect acquaintance with the habits of children to suppose that the Lord could have intended to imply that even His teachings are to be received unquestioningly. It is proverbial that "children ask questions that would puzzle a lawyer" (in Yorkshire they say "bairns would craze a clock "). The following extract from a popular periodical is by no means an exaggeration : "What makes that noise?' asked a little boy in a train the other day. The carriages,' answered the mother. 'What for?' 'Because they are moving.' 'What are they moving for?' 'The engine makes them.' 'What engine?' 'The engine in front.' What's it in front for?' 'To pull the train.' 'What train?' 'This "This carriage?' pursued the youngster, pointing to the one in which they sat. 'Yes.' 'What does it pull it for?' 'The engineer makes it.' 'What engineer?' 'The man on the engine.' 'What engine?' 'The one in front.' 'What's it in front for?' 'I told you that before.' 'Told who what?' 'Told you.' 'What for?' 'Oh, be still! you are a nuisance.' 'What's a nuisance?' 'A boy who asks questions.' 'What boy?' 'My boy.' 'What questions?' At this point the train pulled up at a station. The last that was heard as the lady led the youngster along the platform was, 'What tickets?'”

Children are indefatigable in their search after knowledge, and in many cases irrepressible. Even when they are told that "children shouldn't ask questions" they are very likely, in utter unconsciousness of the fact that they are disobeying the law laid down, to look up with an astonished, "Why not, mother?" Their questioning is not of a doubting character; they are in an affirmative state, anxious to acquire all the knowledge they can. The very irrepressibleness of their questioning is a means of strengthening their intellectual powers; and though they often receive fictions as facts, they gradually grow out of the fictions because of their habits of inquiry.

But to return to the meaning intended to be conveyed by the Lord. He was not speaking about the acquirement of knowledge at all, but about the means of becoming great in the kingdom of heaven; and this is dependent not on intellectual but on affectional qualifications. The Apostle Paul has well caught the true sense in which we ought to look upon the necessity of becoming as little children: "Brethren, be not children in understanding howbeit in malice be ye children, but in understanding be men" (1 Cor. xiv. 20). Again he speaks of the offices necessary "for the perfecting of the saints . . . till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: that we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine" (Eph. iv. 12-14).

:

We become as little children in the manner intended by the Lord when we become imbued with the spirit of teachableness, and of trust in our Heavenly Father. The Lord does not always answer our questions in the way we expect or desire, but He never forbids inquiry; He stimulates inquiry: He stimulates inquiry: "Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you" (Matt. vii. 7). Even His teachings are to be received with the understanding, and it is our duty to endeavour to comprehend the meaning of what He says; much more are we justified in demanding the right to scrutinize the declarations of men-made creeds and the

interpretations of Scripture given by the "Churches." We must guard against becoming little children in credulity; and therefore while receiving implicitly the teaching that we know comes from our Heavenly Father, we must scrutinize very closely the credentials of those who profess to give us His messages. SEDAN.

M

"IS THERE A PERSONAL DEVIL?"

ANY seem to have been agitated lately respecting the personal identity of His Satanic Majesty. It cannot, however, be shown very clearly in what consists the usefulness of such a belief, except that the Bible says so, and that to give credence to what is there stated must necessarily be right. In that, of course, all are agreed. But does the Bible really teach it? It appears to me that reason is at one with Scripture on this as on all matters. Judging from what we see around us in this life, where we find that though there are many ringleaders in evil, there is no one central chief who controls and directs the whole world's wickedness, we would rationally conclude that in the real life which succeeds this, when such men leave the body, similar rivalries in evil will continue to exist, preventing one from having complete control over all others. In diversity of evil lies safety in the evil themselves. The Bible seems to be quite accordance with this. True, it speaks in the literal sense of a devil by name; but in order to bring out the full inner meaning of all such passages it is essential to substitute. in our thought, for the idea of a personal power outside of ourselves, evil as an abstract quality within ourselves, i.e. perverted life. This is especially necessary where the term "devil" is used. Falsity or perverted truth is meant where the term "Satan" is used. The Bible does teach both in the literal sense and inner meaning that there are many devils, many qualities or types of perverted life, and many Satans, many sorts of falsities; but that there is one grand self-existent Being who causes and dominates them all it does not teach. Take, for instance, some of the words "Quartus" quotes. "The Devil and his angels" means simply evil and its messengers, or the evil perverted will of a man using all his faculties as messengers to work out its evil. "Simon, Simon, Satan hath desired to have you that he may sift you as wheat," cannot clearly be taken literally, but rather as meaning, "Falsity is desirous to appropriate and pervert all the good seed of truth in you.' No doubt "the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience" is evil. The disobedience shows the will to be evil, tending to disorder and perverted life.

Then take the quotation from St. Jude's Epistle, on which most stress has always been laid in proving the existence of a personal devil. Michael the Archangel is a messenger powerful in quality of celestial good (hence he is called archangel), and in contending with evil as regards the mere externals of the Mosaic Law (the body of Moses) brings no railing or scornful accusation, but in the words "the Lord rebuke thee" seems to say, with a gentleness born from above, God give thee light to see what is hidden within these mere externals, which you are bending to the service of your own evil.

Some may perhaps take exception to this method of interpreting Scripture. Let me, however, simply ask which is the more rational interpretation of the passage "Resist the devil and he will flee from you"? Is it more rational to believe that this is meant to teach that if we resist a certain powerful personal wicked spirit who rules. all others he will run away; or will it have more practical effect on our lives and conduct to take it to mean, Shun

evils in yourselves and you will be enabled to drive them out?

It is painful, no doubt, to many sinful and erring, as all are, to have their faith in a personal devil rudely shaken. Once give up that and no longer can we say, as Eve did long ago when her sensual appetites and desires tempted her, because she loved them, as ours do now for the same reason, "The serpent beguiled me, and I did satisfy my craving." Give up the devil! and we have no one to blame for our evils but ourselves. For God only gives us good life, which we too often pervert to evil uses. Still it is perhaps well that this flimsy excuse for our misdeeds should be taken away from us, that the veil should be withdrawn from our eyes that we may be the better able within the boundaries of our own nature to discern and drive out, by the power of God-given regenerating life, that love of evil which is the devil.

T

THE BIBLE AND DAILY LIFE.

HE following extract from the speech of Mr. H. H. Fowler, delivered at the meeting of the British and Foreign Bible Society, deserves to be well the Word. weighed by every professed believer in the inspiration of It is only in the degree that we recognise the Bible as pre-eminently a book for the present time that it can serve as a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path. It is only in the degree that we permit the influence of the Divine Word to influence our elementary and scientific teaching, and our commercial and national life, that we can hope to experience the prosperity and happiness of that nation whose God is the Lord:

"Our Bible is not an illustrious monument, mutely recording the beliefs and deeds of a long past age, like that venerable obelisk which has transferred to the banks of the Thames the story of the banks of the Nile. Our Bible is not an unrivalled classic, enshrining the beauty and wisdom of some of the earth's loftiest intellects; our Bible is not even a gallery, transmitting to all the ages the lineaments of some of the noblest men and women. Our Bible is a speaking, acting statute-book, as binding in faith and morals in London as it ever was in Jerusalem, legislating daily for our individual and national life, and justifying its claim to that legislation by the accumulated proofs of past and present history, that there can be no successful, no beautiful individual or national life in permanent defiance of its precepts. I say then, let us nail our colours to the mast. In all the spheres where our voice or our influence is effective, let us stand to this position; let it dominate all other controversies. may have our different opinions, say, upon the question as to what is the wisest, best way to educate the rising generation of this land; but however much we may differ in minor details and in minor administrations, let us repudiate any and every system of education which excludes the Bible; let us reject every assertion, every speculation of science which derides the Bible; let us abandon every principle, whether of intellectual or commercial life, which ignores the Bible; and let us resist to the very uttermost every national policy which defies the Bible."

We

the unorthodox views of his American hero, Tristram Decker, these remarks:

AUTHOR'S NOTE.

The spread of infidelity is one of the most notable signs of the times in which we live; and it is worthy of the serious consideration of all denominations of religious teachers, whether a platform of alliance cannot be found between every sect and creed for a campaign against the rapid progress of secularism. Ten thousand secularists recently marched through the city of Berlin to declare themselves infidels and scoffers at the Christian faith in open day. In New York last month vast crowds went on a Sunday to hear Colonel Ingersell preach against all kinds of religion, and to openly denounce the Bible as unworthy of belief, and heaven and hell as mythological fables. The leading papers reported his address. His views are popular among large masses of people in London. They are advocated more or less in one of our chapels, which a few Sunday evenings since was formed into a theatre for the nonce; and there are several secularist journals of large circulation in the metropolis. The kind of argument they use in denying all supreme control is akin to the specious theories and sounding platitudes which I have put into the mouth of Tristram Decker, whose brain is not strong enough to bear the chastening of the Divine hand. I venture to call attention to this new phrase of Decker's mental transition in deference to the more sensitive of my religious readers, who may feel shocked at his profanity, and also as a warning to the various Protestant Churches of England, that while they are disputing over minor points of essentials and non-essentials, Infidelity and Secularism are seizing the outposts of the Christian fort, and that ere long a bold and united front of Protestant and Catholic Churchmen, Dissenters, Methodists, Baptists, and other Religionists will be needed to defend the very citadel itself.

Upon this there appeared the subjoined correspondence, which we commend to our religious readers, not only in the interest of Christianity, but as an illustration of the broad usefulness of fiction when well directed. "Cruel London" boldly exposes "the cant of charity" and other social sores of London life, and has proved one of the most popular of the famous newspaper novels introduced through the well-known agency of our Bolton neighbour, Mr. W. F. Tillotson :

A MINISTER OF RELIGION AND "CRUEL LONDON."
To the Editor of the Bolton Journal.

DEAR SIR,-Among numerous letters which have reached me touching the story I have had the honour to contribute to your columns, the following may prove as interesting to some of your indulgent readers as it is gratifying to Yours truly,

GARRICK CLUB, 15th May 1878.

JOSEPH HATTON.

21 CROMPTON STREET, DERBY, 14th May 1878. "MY DEAR SIR,-Although a stranger to you personally, yet not to your writings, I trust you will pardon the liberty I take in addressing you.

"In your Romance of Real Life,' called Cruel London,' there is a chapter entitled 'The Arrogance of Infidelity,' in which the subject of religion is favourably introduced. I have for a long time been convinced that a splendid opportunity is afforded the novelist to vindicate the great principles of Christian philosophy, and to enforce them in a manner more cogent and living than is possible in lectures or formal discourses. I am, therefore, extremely gratified to find your opinion coincides with my own in this respect as evidenced by the chapter referred to, and also by the footnote.

"The doctrines of religion have too often, even by advocates, been represented as unreasonable and contradictory, and I am under the impression that a great amount of the infidelity which you rightly deplore is due to this fact. Men need a common-sense creed by which the conduct of their moral and spiritual natures may be regulated, as well as common-sense rules in respect of business affairs. We know, of course, that there is an infidelity which is fatal to all truth whatsoever of a reforming and elevating character, which has its ground in a selfish and bad heart, but this infidelity, we rejoice to think, is comparatively rare. I am, therefore, of your opinion, that if a platform of alliance' could be found-and I think it might-between every sect and creed, much more might be done to stem the torrent of infidelistic notions and prejudices than we in our present divided state are capable of.

"In the meantime, I am confident much can and will be accomplished by manly and Christian novelists, among whom, sir, I delight to consider you.

"I trust since 'Mr. Kerman' has put on the Christian armour he may be able to stand, and to give reasonable and satisfactory replies to the ravings (which are born of ignorance) of 'Mr. Tristram Decker.'

“Allow me, dear sir, to suggest that if through the multiplicity of your engagements you have hitherto been prevented from reading

The New Church Missionary and Tract Society in council, having this correspondence before them, asked the author to accept, with their thanks and congratulations, a copy of the work mentioned by Mr. Ashby, which Mr. Hatton tells them he receives "under the circumstances with peculiar pleasure." The importance of the subject since it was mooted in the "author's note" has received terrible indorsement in the socialistic plot to kill the Emperor of Germany, and in the forcing upon the Government of that country restrictive measures, which it is naturally feared will for some years to come prove seriously obstructive to a genuine and constitutional progress.

EMPLOYERS AND EMPLOYED.

meeting of persons employed in the establishment of Messrs. Cassel, Petter, and Galpin, of Ludgate Hill, was held on May 6th at the City Terminus Hotel, to hear from the heads of the firm a statement relative to a benefit fund they contemplate initiating to provide a system of superannuation allowances for "long and faithful service," and bonuses to the families of those who die in their employment. About six hundred of the employés availed themselves of the invitation to attend the meeting, which was under the presidency of the senior partner in the firm, Mr. Petter, who was supported by Sir Charles Reed, Mr. Galpin, Mr. Jeffrey, and Mr. Turner. The business was opened by the reading of a document detailing the scheme, by which the firm undertook to set aside from year to year a fixed proportion of their returns to provide a gratuitous life assurance to all who remained with them for seven years and upwards, the amounts payable at death varying according to length of service and class of work from £25 to 100; and also further to provide for the payment of bonuses of similar amounts to those who became incapacitated either by old age or ill-health. The amount so appropriated would for the current year amount to about £600, and it was intended that the scheme should have a retrospective effect, dating from the commencement of the year. Mr. Petter, who was received with prolonged cheering, said that himself and partners had for some time felt that some steps other than those already taken should be adopted to give expression to their indebtedness to the workers associated with them in an enterprise which had proved so successful, but the difficulty had been to devise a scheme which would cement the good understanding between employers and employed that had now existed without a serious interruption for a quarter of a century, and at the same time guard against possible complications and a lessening of individual exertions. The scheme now before them was the outcome of the matter, and for the concession he only asked in return that they would make it a matter of mutual obligation to do their best to promote the interests of the firm, thus directly promoting their own, and not allow the undertaking to become in any way discredited. (Loud cheers.) Mr. Galpin said a census of the establishment revealed the fact that there were 830 persons employed there, and of these 190 had already completed seven years and upwards of service, and would, therefore, have the satisfaction of taking home with them a fully paid-up policy of life insurance. (Cheers.) Sir Charles Reed, the Rev. T. T. Shore, and Mr. Jeffrey added a few words, and the cordial thanks of the employes were tendered to the members of the firm.

TO CORRESPONDENTS.

Is Evil a Substance ?—“An Inquirer" (Bristol). We have glanced at the articles in the Intellectual; the object of the writer is evidently to show that the origin of evil is not an origin of substance, but of state. He says, "There never was one particle of evil substance created, but all that was created was good, and it came under the denomination of evil only when it was perverted." Evil is only a negation or perversion of good, and is therefore not to be described as a substance. Good affections and thoughts, however, are real spiritual substances, substances that are incapable of destruction. Hence Swedenborg says: "No one can deny that those things of wisdom and love, which are called thoughts, perceptions, and affections, are substances and forms, and that they are not volatile entities flowing from nothing, or abstracted from that real and actual substance and form which is the subject” (D. L. W. 42). Again, "Love and wisdom are a substance and form. To separate love and wisdom, or affection and thought, from substance

in form is to annihilate them" (224). The work on the "Divine Love and Wisdom" is very clear upon the point that good affections and thoughts are real substances; any apparent contrary view in the Intellectual notwithstanding. The statements of Swedenborg are generally much more convincing than the laboured arguments of metaphysicians, and we would advise new readers to always endeavour to find Swedenborg's explanation of apparent discrepancies.

ITEMS OF INTEREST.

We print in our present number an article entitled "Is there a Personal Devil?" which we take from the Canadian Spectator. We are pleased to see a New Church article on this subject, and others with relation to the question so widely agitated lately of the future life, gain admission into a literary and political newspaper of this standing. As the article formed a part of a correspondence for and against the personality of Satan, we have omitted the references it contained to the views of other correspondents, so as to adapt it as a general article on the subject. We hope to give another specimen next week of the work which may be done in this way in a paper taken from the same source on "The Present and the Future Life."

The Rev. Chauncey Giles is at present in Paris, but will return to London about the beginning of August, and be present at a meeting which has been arranged by the London Association of the New Church to be held on the 8th of August. The Rev. W. H. Benade, who has returned from his tour in the East, is also in Paris, and has been invited to be present at the meeting referred to. Both Mr. Benade and Mr. Giles are typical ministers of the New Church in America, and we trust that both may be able to make it convenient to be present at the meeting devised to give them welcome. Mr. Benade, Mr. Giles, and the Rev. C. A. Dunham will, we believe, all attend the next session of Conference.

We have pleasure in printing the following letter, which has been sent to us for the purpose. From it we learn that there are materials in Salisbury which only need the organizing faculty of a good leader to make the nucleus of a vigorous New Church Society. It is as follows: "Dear Sir,-Although not connected with, I am interested in the New Church. It is not therefore surprising that, spending a Sunday in Salisbury recently, I was desirous of finding out the locality of the New Church building, and worshipping with the friends there. You will therefore imagine my sorrow on arriving at the place to find that the building so long occupied by our brethren had been turned over to the 'Plymouth Brethren,' and that the members of the New Church had taken refuge in the building evacuated by this more successful body. I of course worshipped in the building now occupied by our friends, and found over forty persons present, who entered most heartily into the services. Mr. Saunders, whom I understood to be a working man, gave a most useful exposition of the six days of creation. The service delighted me for several reasons. I saw to my joy several young people present, who appeared to take a thorough interest in the proceedings. There was a greater air of cheerfulness pervading the meeting than I could have anticipated, and from some conversation I had with some of the friends I found that there was a determination to hold on. My object in writing is to bespeak the interest of any friends who may be in or near Salisbury on a Sunday, and to urge them to give our friends a call and encourage them by kindly words. I know but, alas! too little of the beautiful doctrines of the New Church, but I know enough to assure me that there are nowhere such maxims of brotherly love as are inculcated in the writings. And I long for the time when each one of us will desire our brother's before our own good. Should any friend at Salisbury see this, I trust he will feel encouraged to go on in the work there, being assured that in due time he shall reap if he faint not.-Yours very sincerely, George Sweetman, Wincanton."

A contemporary has the following: "Mr. J. C. Earle, the author of the book on the 'Spiritual Body,' which has been condemned by the Council of the Index, determines to show a bold front. He says his friends ask him when he is going to retract like Father Curci. He replies that he is not going to retract at all, and that he does not think Father Curci has done very much in the way of eating humble pie either. He himself has, he submits, violated no dogma of the Catholic Church in repudiating what he calls the 'old bones theory,' or 'the resurrection of corpses,' and which he sets down as a degrading superstition. I am curious to see what will be done with Mr. Earle. The Roman Catholic authorities are accustomed to find their votaries more pliant. Mr. Earle tells me that he is about to ventilate his opinions afresh in two magazine articles on the first of July. The first will be in the Psychological Review, and is to be entitled 'The Abate of San Gandolfo;' the other will appear in the Christian Apologist."

On Saturday, July 6th, the annual summer trip of the SundaySchool, and of the members and friends of the Camden Road Society took place, to what may be styled the usual excursionground of this Society. The friends went by train from Highbury and Camden Town to Rickmansworth, and thence proceeded to Moor Park, the grounds of Lord Ebury. The day was fine, and afforded an excellent opportunity for enjoyment both to old and young. The older members strolled in the park and viewed the landscape and the deer, or occupied a shady seat by the little river, and spent the time with pleasant chat. The smaller ones had bat and trap, skipping ropes, and balls to play with. The skipping ropes not being confined to the little girls by any means, but including also a number of the "old boys. Cricket, too, had its usual number of fervid devotees. A few of the young ladies preferred to seek a picturesque view of the river and the mill, and to amuse themselves (and others) by doing a bit of water-colour sketching. The dinner was bountiful; and the afternoon tea provided in the way that children like-with lots of cake. All confessed that though it was near midsummer, and so very near the longest day, they had found the day one of the shortest in all the year.

SUNDAY-SCHOOL LESSONS.

JESUS AND OTHERS' INTENTIONS.

July 28th, Morning.-John vii. 14-30. The Jews intended to kill the Lord, and though they had not given expression to their intention He knew it, because He knew all things. They professed to be actuated by great zeal for their religion, but the Lord showed that this was only a pretence (ver. 19). The law of Moses is in entire harmony with the teaching of the Lord, it being a shadow of the better things to come; hence the Lord came not to destroy the law and the prophets, but to fulfil; and hence also He told them that if they believed Moses they would also have believed Him.

The midst of the feast is the inmost of goodness, the temple is the Divine truth; verse 14 therefore signifies that the Lord from the inmost of His love, by means of His truth, teaches the way of life. Verse 16 means that His doctrine was not of truth alone, but of truth and love; and verse 17, that His doctrine can only be appreci ated when it is loved, since he who does the Lord's will loves Him. Verse 18, truth is from the Divine love and seeks to form and promote love or good in man; men seek to kill truth when they place truth above good, professing to exalt it, they really degrade it. Verse 20 illustrates the truth that those in evil never acknowledge themselves guilty of seeking to destroy goodness and truth. Verse 24 is a warning against being so bound to the letter of the law as to neglect its spirit. Though the Jews would so far depart from their usual routine of Sabbath observances as to attend to the ceremonial of circumcision, they murmured at the Lord's performance of a work of real benevolence on that day. (See Bruce's Commentary on St. John, pp. 174-180.)

RUTH AND NAOMI.

July 28th, Afternoon.-Ruth i. ii. The Book of Ruth is not one of those containing a spiritual sense. There is nothing in it that purports to be a direct message from the Lord. It is nevertheless a very interesting scrap of Jewish history, and is doubtless a genuine Hebrew document. The answer of Ruth to Naomi (chap. i. 16, 17) is a sample of pathetic entreaty and affectionate determination unequalled in secular literature. The narrative brings up several points of Israelitish custom that are very different to our present English habits-one of them being that when a husband dies leaving no children his widow shall become the wife of his brother. This regulation was doubtless given to the children of Israel for the better keeping of property in the same hands, and spiritually to signify the necessity of the marriage of goodness and truth so as to result in good works.

The account that is given of the gleaning in the fields of Boaz gives an illustration of the working of the Levitical law (with those who, like Boaz, are thoughtful of the poor) in relation to the gathering in of the harvest. A beautiful lesson to be drawn from chap. ii. 8-12.

Ruth was the great-grandmother of David, and is mentioned in the genealogy of the Lord given in St. Matthew's Gospel. Her resolve to accept the God of Naomi is, we believe, the first instance of the acceptance of the Lord by a Gentile, and is an evidence that in every nation he that feareth God and worketh righteousness is accepted by Him.

BIRTH.

On July 9th, at Bradford, Mrs. David Goyder, of a daughter. Printed by MUIR AND PATERSON, 14 Clyde Street, Edinburgh, and published by JAMES SPEIRS, 36 Bloomsbury Street, London, W.C.