stand the complicated machinery that must be set in motion in order to give a literal accomplishment to the remainder, and therefore I must interpret those figuratively. To this reasoning my own heart would dictate but one reply, and it was this: I look back with adoring gratitude to a suffering Saviour, and henceforward will I expect a reigning Messiah! I felt I could no longer infringe on God's prerogative, and explain the Scriptures according to my contracted vision and finite comprehension, but remembering the eternity of Jehovah and his infinite capabilities of action, I resolved by his grace to bow reverently and submissively to his most holy word, believing that what he had done under circumstances peculiarly humiliating, he could do again amid circumstances of surpassing grandeur, and, that what was unworthy of him to do again, he had never done at all! On this firm ground I took my stand, and from this position I have never yet seen cause to move, but have had daily reason to bless God who led me there; and the most earnest wish of my heart is, that you, my loved child, should take your stand beside me, that we may watch together till the day of his Second Advent dawns, and the shadows of the present dispensation flee away.'

Ellen. 'Thank you, thank you, dear Mamma, for this most interesting reply to my question. Most heartily do I join in your concluding wish to believe with you, to hope with you, to watch with you, has been for many months almost the only wish of which I have been conscious, and now that we are quite alone, I will tell you that not for months, but for years, your life has preached to my heart, and often, unknown to any one but God, has driven me to my Bible and prayer, to seek the same principles that I saw day by day were influencing you.'

Mrs. R. My most precious child, none but a Christian mother can conceive the intense interest with which, for these eighteen months past, I have watched the change so visibly going on in your mind, and though I knew not the moving cause till now, yet knowing the Lord the Spirit was the great worker, I felt unshaken confidence that the work would not be left incomplete, but sooner or later I should see you 66 sitting at the feet of Jesus clothed and in your right mind: " in short, as you now appear-resolved to dedicate your time, your talents, your all to his service and glory!'

For some time the tears of both Mrs. R. and Ellen prevented a reply,—at length Ellen drawing nearer to her mamma, threw her head on her bosom, and softly whispered,

'Mamma, words cannot tell you how much I feel I owe you, nor how earnestly I desire to study the happiness of your future life. My daily, hourly prayer is, that I may not disgrace by word or act the profession I have made, nor settle down in cold indifference to the claims my Redeeming Lord has to my unworthy services. While I look to him on his cross for the pardon of my sin, I desire to look to him on his throne, and to let the certainty of his expected appearance, influence me continually, so that I may be found ready to meet him with kind acceptance.'

Mrs. R. listened with breathless attention, and Ellen continued :

‘I feel, mamma, that I have no power or strength of my own, but I do trust I am looking to Jesus, simply and entirely as my all-sufficient Saviour; and that at times, at least, I find his strength made perfect in my much weakness. But this, dear mamma, is quite a digression from our original subject, and certainly one I

did not contemplate, but it has been passing sweet to me, and perhaps not less so to you.'

Mrs. R. We have indeed deviated from the main subject which was to occupy our attention this evening, but I trust the digression will long be remembered with feelings of hallowed joy by each, as affording another motive for more abundant praise to our Heavenly Fa-. ther for his rich mercy towards us. For oh, my child, what joy can be compared to that which arises from the confidence that parents and children are one in Christ— "heirs together of the grace of life," so that when Christ our life shall appear, we shall also appear with him in glory!

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Ellen. Oh happy, happy thought-appear with him in glory!—our frail and corruptible bodies, fashioned like unto his glorious body! In answering my first question, mamma, you said, you now firmly looked for a reigning Messiah. Do you think he is to have a visible throne and kingdom, to be shared by his redeemed people?

Mrs. R. 'I do indeed, my child, for how else can I understand Dan. vii. 22-27; Matt. xix. 28; Rev. iii. 21; v. 10; xx. 4. ? The throne on which he is now seated he calls his Father's throne, (Rev. iii. 21.), but the PROMISED throne is totally distinct from this. Daniel tells us, the kingdom is not in heaven but under the whole heaven, the government of which is shared by the people, the saints of the Most High. Do not prophecies such as these clearly teach us that there is some throne to be set up, some kingdom to be established, at some future period of the world's history, the honours and privileges of which those who own Christ as their Lord and King now shall enjoy? It needs but little knowledge of history, to show beyond

fear of contradiction that the saints never have either reigned or ruled." Would to God," says St. Paul to the saints in his day, " that ye did reign, that we might reign with you."

6

Ellen. The 11th chapter of the Hebrews, mamma, is quite enough to prove, that at the setting up of the SPIRITUAL kingdom the SAINTS did not bear rule. "They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword. They wandered about in sheep-skins, and goat-skins, being destitute, afflicted, tormented, &c."

Mrs. R. Yes, dear Ellen, and there is also another point of importance to be noticed. The setting up of the spiritual kingdom was gradual.—It began with only twelve fishermen, without influence, without wealth, without power; but by turning again to Daniel, chapter ii, we shall find that the promised kingdom is not to be established by any gradual spread of the Gospel. In fact the Gospel is only the good news of the future kingdom. The fourth kingdom was a divided kingdom, partly strong, and partly broken or brittle, before the appearance of the stone, suddenly cut out of the mountain. Now, we know, both from profane and Sacred history, that at the commencement of the gospel kingdom the Roman empire was not divided nor weakened, but was the most powerful, extensive, and consolidated in the world. Nor is the agreement less unsound with regard to the visible power of the stone.' The gospel kingdom, instead of breaking down, and rooting out all other kingdoms, was oppressed and broken, (though not rooted out) by the ruling power. This lack of agreement between the type, and what has been looked upon by a certain class, as the antitype, affords to my mind irrefragable proof, that the introduction of the

Gospel was not the kingdom predicted, nor the first coming of our Lord the event symbolized by the wonder-workingstone.'

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Ellen. 6 Well, mamma, though I have read Roman History so often, and with so much pleasure, yet these comparisons never occurred to my mind before, but how very much light does this kind of argument throw on this part of the prophetic word! I am often surprised to see how very beautifully one part of the Sacred Scriptures seem to explain other parts.-the Bible and Testament shedding a reflex light on each other.

Mrs. R. It is indeed the case, my child; hence the vast importance of comparing Scripture with Scripture, and this is the only sure way of understanding the Spirit's meaning in them. There is another text which gives and receives light by comparison with the "Stone," and its mighty exploits. You will find it in Matt. xxi. 44. At his first coming, the builders set Christ at nought: compare this with what St. Peter tells us concerning him, that "he was a stone of stumbling, and rock of offence" (1 Pet. ii. 8), which is an exact fulfilment of Isaiah's prophecy. chap. viii. 14. The house of Judah fell on him, and were as a nation broken to pieces; but, at his next appearing, he will fall on them, and not on them only, but on all who shall set him at nought. If we suddenly loosen a stone from a mountain, without placing any confining power to influence it, we know what would be the result. It would roll with a velocity proportioned to its weight, bearing down all opposition, and destroying all impediment, until it had found its level. The symbol, therefore, which the Spirit uses, is well chosen to represent an all-conquering power, which no hostile efforts can withstand. And thus, without metaphor, we are assured Jesus, at his next appearing,