figures of speech derived from the Hebrew polity, but they are intended to represent a state of things connected with Christianity. The opening chapters of his book concern Christians.* The state of things which has prevailed in Christendom has arisen from mistaking the character of Christianity, and by a retro

* Isaiah begins his book with "The vision of Isaiah, the son of Amoz, which he saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem." The terms “Judah and Jerusalem " are supposed to have reference to the Jews, and it is thought that the prophetical language in the first chapter was intended for them.

It should be remembered that there are not two Israels. There are different states of the people Israel. There are believers and nonbelievers in Christ. The believers constitute the present Israel, the non-believers the Jews. The prophecies chiefly concern the professing believers. Little is said about the Jews beyond predicting their dispersion and future ingathering. The great stream of prophecy concerns "the house of Jacob, called by the name of Israel, come forth out of the waters of Judah " (Isa. xlviii).

"Judah," is a term used for the house of Israel, and means all included in the old and new covenants, unless a distinction is sought to be drawn as in Ezekiel between the ingathered and the outcast (Ezek. xxvii).

The figurative expressions used by the prophets are derived from the patriarchal age, which was designed to convey knowledge to every age. Thus, when Jacob blesses his sons, he does so prophetically. If we refer to the prophetic language concerning Judah, we find it declared that "unto him shall the gathering of the people be." We find, also, this expression, "Binding his foal unto the vine, and his ass' colt unto the choice vine." In these words "the foal unto the vine," is a prophecy of the second dispensation. The vine, the people Israel; the foal, the younger dispensation, called, in prophetic language, "the daughter of Zion." Our Lord came out of Judah, His imputed earthly parents belonging to that tribe. The language of Jacob has reference to Him and to His people.

Jerusalem," is a term also to denote the Israel of God. The holy city, new Jerusalem, represents the faithful; Jerusalem, as a general term, represents the whole Israel.

That Isaiah is prophecying concerning Christianity, observe what he says of "Judah and Jerusalem,” in the 2nd chapter, which refers to a yet future. The term "daughter of Zion," also, used in the 1st chapter, sufficiently shows for whose instruction he is writing.

gression to a preceding priestly or levitical principle. Christians have given "heed to Jewish fables and commandments of men." They have depreciated the Atonement. They have "gone away backward." They have not understood the doctrines of Christianity. Even some reformed Churches have elevated the two commanded rites to a position to which they are not entitled. The ecclesiastical or clergy Church, more than this, have made them Saviours. If Christians will search the Scriptures with a view to discover any special promises connected with them, they will be surprised what an absence of such there is. When expressions are understood which seem to lead to the conclusion that exclusive salvation is tied to water baptism, it is discovered that they do not mean this. With a few persons the opinion is gaining ground, that salvation is not confined to baptism. The great majority believe that it is.

Conformably with the absence of any promises in relation to the two Christian rites, we find them scarcely imposed in the way of commands to receive them. There is a command with regard to baptism, but the command is not enjoined to recipients. The command is to the administers, "Go teach all nations, baptising them." The recipient, as far as the command goes, is rather passive than active. Again, as to the Eucharist, the command is not at all in the form of the language employed to promulgate the Hebrew rites. Certainly our Lord declared "This do in remembrance of me;" but it is easy to perceive the vast difference between the comparative indefinite language employed, and the absolute precision of that under the law. In the New Testament there is nothing definite with regard to the rites. There is no fixed time, no exact mode, no precise definition of the subjects for baptism. And why is this? Because the Hebrew was a religion of ritual observances; the Christian is emphatically a religion of grace. The former had a strictly imposed ceremonial; the latter has not.

In former ages, when uninstructed man had not reached to a

knowledge of nature's laws, and could not rise to a perception of the God of nature, and though told by God, through the patriarchs and Moses, of His existence, yet needed to be constantly reminded thereof, God imposed a ceremonial law, not for any inherent virtue in ceremonial observances, but to aid man in preserving a knowledge of God. These observances, in types and shadows, proclaimed the purity and holiness of God, and of spiritual life in harmony with Him. Man in his then state of ignorance could not understand the glorified condition of which his nature was capable. It was needful to impose some definite material rites of which his senses could take cognizance. Even with these helps, and the repeated revelations of God, the people were continually falling away into idolatrous worship.

But when God came upon earth in the person of Christ, and instructed man more fully in His righteous laws, a ceremonial law was utterly abolished. Purifications and propitiatory sacrifices were set aside. They had been established as a necessity arising out of man's ignorance. They were put away when it was intended he should be better informed. The Gospel, therefore, imposes no ritual observances in the shape of commands to receive them. The language concerning them, instead of being peremptory, is instructive.

A return to the supposed efficacy of ceremonial rites has been the sin of Christendom. Faith in baptism administered after some prescribed mode, reliance upon propitiatory offerings of masses, an attention to forms and ceremonies, dependance upon the prayers of priests, and saints, and others, all proclaim the fact that "Israel doth not know, God's people doth not consider."

Though God came on earth and instructed man more fully than He had done before, yet, to preserve among mankind a knowledge of God and of His righteous laws, it was needful to establish an external kingdom called by His name, and for this purpose two simple rites were ordained. One whereby men should be named after the God of heaven, and thus nominally

allied to God; and another commemorative of the sacrifice" once offered for the sin of the whole world." In themselves very simple and very unmysterious, but shadowing forth two great mystical truths-the cleansed nature of man, and its incorporation with Christ. We, like the Jews of old, mistake much the object of rites when we suppose them to stand for the mystical truths. They bear a distant image to them, but they are no more them than an image is the substance. True harmonious union with God is of the Spirit, and no visible or outward act is intended to effect it. To expect that it would is contrary to the sense we have of what constitutes spiritual life, and contrary to the Gospel teaching.

Herein have Christians erred. As Israel of old worshipped false idols, so has the new Israel departed from the truth and worshipped idols. The writings of the Prophets are levelled against this state of things. Though we who are Protestants do not literally err by sacrificing as of old, yet a priesthood set up by false principles which established the Clergy Church literally err in this matter, "The Prophets have prophesied falsely, and the priests bear rule by their means; and God's people love to have it so" (Jer. v). The priests, and through them the people, bring "vain oblations to the Lord." Though as Protestants we do not literally sacrifice "in the blood of bullocks and of lambs," we grossly offend in the spirit of Isaiah's denunciations. We offend when we confide in outward acts for justification. Even "the solemn meeting becomes iniquity." Like the people of Sodom and Gomorrah, we may offer "a multitude of sacrifices," observe appointed "feasts and fasts," and yet be far removed from righteousness. God declares that puritanical observances are hateful to Him, and by this is intimated that more or less of iniquity invariably accompanies the over-estimation or puritanical observance of a rite. The heart which depends upon a ritual is not right towards God. It is that state which seeks out "many devices," and strains at a "righteousness over much." "The

perfect love which casteth out fear" is not known to it. The dependence upon rites is a non-dependence upon the one sufficient Atonement.

In the past, when death reigned triumphant over the earth, God revealed Himself to the favoured descendants of Abraham, and appointed a ceremonial law which typically should give life to men.

Under the Christian dispensation God revealed Himself more fully, and taught that in Him alone was life, and that ceremonial observances could not convey it. Thus nothing precise and definite is laid down with regard to the two Christian rites. "Let all things be done decently and in order" is the rule, and if this be observed, nothing more definite is commanded. If the two simple rites had been intended, as some contend, to be the sole channels of grace, is it not reasonable to suppose they would have been enjoined in more specific language.

Christ" abolished the law contained in ordinances," Eph. ii. 15, Col. ii. 14; and, notwithstanding, men will cling to such a law. As the Jews of old repelled the teaching of Jesus, so Christians, through every age since, have been repelling His teaching. They cling to a "law contained in ordinances." They attach undue value to some supposed efficacy in the performance of the two simple rites. They must be performed after some imagined fashion. The mode is everything; the hands to administer everything; the condition of assistants and of recipient everything. This state of things has relation to what are called Reformed Churches; but what shall be said of the many false sacraments established by Popery. In these is gross error, "through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men." But even among reformed Churches, Christians now, as did the Jews, ascribe all virtue to a rite, and cling with tenacity to a ceremonial religion. They think God's mercies obtained through a ceremonial worship. They believe in an appointed channel through only which God's grace flows. They do not rise to the Gospel teaching that what God seeks are men's hearts; that a genuine love to Him may