ment of humanity, if they have not their origin in the Author of all good; and receive not from Him the prophecy of their fulfilment. Thank Heaven that they do. Thank Heaven that continually new voices, both of " them that are far off, and them that are nigh," join in with the song of redeeming grace for all. Thank Heaven that so clear a tone as this from Sweden, has reached us here, and that it comes in that popular voice which is sure to find its way to many hearts.

It is indeed no strange thing to meet in the pages of modern literary writers, of every religious name, passages of great force and beauty, which imply a faith in the triumph of good over evil, to be exhibited in the final purity of every intelligent being. Many of them no doubt prophesy, as did some of old, without apprehending the spirit by which they speak; and others it is to be feared, have asked permission to bow down with their master when he worships in the house of Rimmon. But with neither of these can we class Miss Bremer. The truthfulness which she discovers in every thing else, is observable also in this. She is certain that, "the work of reconciliation shall be completed," and she speaks out like a true believer; not in all points of "the faith," as we receive it; but so, as regards the grand result.

It would not be proper, perhaps, to attempt to draw out a system of theology from a series of tales like these, but should we do so, the best we could derive from them, would appear, I think, to want simplicity. There would be something in it, to remind us again of the Mythic age of the North. It would be like another "Song of Vala," imperfect in the means, but glorious in the fulfilment. There is a monstrous brooding evil, and darkness, to be destroyed; and to effect this, the heroes war against the giants; but the heroes in their turn must be destroyed, before the more perfect order and beauty can be introduced. That this order and beauty will at length appear, she has no doubt; and she speaks out in relation to it, as she does in every thing else. That is, she takes no pains to disguise her sentiments, but follows her convictions wherever they lead her. She finds the character of woman inefficient, and her life too often useless and unhappy; and she hesitates not to claim for her a better equality, and a wider freedom. She

sees much confusion and misery in social life, and she traces them to their true cause; the want of a more distinct individualism, in those who make up society. She sees the spiritual life disorganized in all its parts, because the image of God in man has become darkened by reason of his sin.

"But God, the eternal Goodness, the highest Love, will He forsake his fallen, his unhappy child? Will He do less than a mother does for hers? O, no! He will never turn away his face; He will seek his child; He will call it; He will reconcile it to Himself. If God in holy worlds lives as the giver of bliss, on earth he must live as the Reconciler. This hymn of anguish, and home-sickness, which, before the memory of man has risen from the earth,- this ardent cry, Lord, come,' is from eternity to eternity answered by, 'Here, my child.""

Even on this earth, God wills that man shall partake of the fulness of this life; but what, before all does Christianity say? "God is love." "God is love." He will therefore never cease to desire the delivery of man; here, and in eternity, He will labor for it. God is the only principle, ever the same, ever active. O, surely, the time will come when the Son, the eternal Word, shall have subdued all to the Father.

L. M. B.

ART. XVI.

Illustrative Imagery.

asked by a lady, that he neither had The reply of wonot in the record, some allusion to

WHEN Dr. Witherspoon was once whether he loved flowers? he answered them in his garden nor in his sermons. man's keen perception and ready wit, is but we may readily surmise, that it was God's gardens and sermons. The choice which the learned Doctor made of doctrines out of the vast mass of human traditions, did not permit him to cultivate any fondness for the overflowing of the divine Benevolence which decked the earth with flowers; and, unlike the master of Christians,

he had no religious impulses that inclined him to bid his hearers "consider the flowers, how they grow." A loftier lesson, and one of deeper import was never uttered, than came from the lips of the Teacher when he pointed to the graceful lily, and drew the contrast between nature's loveliness and the show of royalty. He did not forget that all through the Scriptures the sermons of Heaven had some flowers in them, and that they were woven into the wonderful fabric which became the peculiar earthly residence of God. In the Tabernacle was centred all the beauties of the then known world, that wherever the Israelite might journey, he might behold some thing, which, through the senses, should aid 'the soul's recollections of the spiritual home. And thus may it be with the Christian, if he will. Every thing, from the tiniest flower to the magnificence of the starry firmament, may symbolize some precious thought; and like some of those cheering words which are mingled in with the Lamentations of the prophet, a single flower in the desert may remind of consolations which will infuse strength into the soul to press on and endure. All things lovely and good should be made contributive to the unfolding of religious truth by the pulpit; and into the world of Theology the sunshine of poetry should be permitted to enter, revealing beauties which otherwise must be hidden. We must attract the mind to the truth, before we can impress the heart with its momentous realities; and whatever is discovered to be a generally effective means of attracting intellectual attention, is worthy of being cultivated by him whose alpha and omega of purpose and desire is, to enlarge the dominion of truth, unto the divine glory, in human holiness of thought, feeling and action. And this is the sober argument for giving more consideration to Illustrative Imagery, or that use of the imagination and fancy, which makes words colors, and language pictures; which presents ideas in things; "apples of gold in pictures of silver;" and which gives "heavenly visions" unto which the awakened soul cannot be "disobedient.” "Beauty and strength are in the sanctuary," said David, but the beauty did not lessen the strength, any more than the precious stones in the high priest's breast-plate harmed the golden rims within which they were placed. And not to an Oriental imagination, or to the exuberance of an Eastern fancy, are we to refer the

peculiarities of the exquisite combination of beauty and strength in the illustrative imagery of the Scriptures, as where the true religious character is symbolized by " the growth of the lily and the casting forth of the roots of the cedars of Lebanon." In imagery like this, thoughts are seen- they are incarnated, and breathe sweetness and move in gracefulness. We have something to interest the mind, parallel to the effect of demonstrative experiments in the hand of the lecturer on chemistry, as he mingles colorless fluids, and proves the wonderful changes of the combination.

I have no doubt but that the lady who received Dr. Witherspoon's answer, felt a new sympathy for the floral innocents of her garden, as for the injured, and could have made a brave argument in their behalf. I wish I had the ability to do justice to a similar feeling in reference to illustrative imagery, the use of which so often brings from sneering critics, the remark,-"Poh, it is nothing but flowery preaching." It is time to say a word or two in defence, especially as these very critics need some few cautions to assist them in better imitating what they profess to despise.

It is the province of the preacher, and of all who in any sphere design to assist him, to arrest the wayward mind and turn it from the all-engrossing tendencies of toil and pleasure, that it may receive considerations which shall keep the true significance of life so distinctly in sight as that it may incline the soul effectually to think wisely and to act well. He performs his work successfully, in proportion as he makes impressions favorable to this end; and to make such impressions, he should employ whatever means his own mind can grasp and use, and which are adapted to reach various classes of intellect. He should never forget, that on the right training of the young, whose world is the present, depends, in a great degree, the success of all good projects for the improvement of our race; and with this remembrance he should associate the difficulty - sadly enough felt by some of interesting this class in religious truths, in the diligent contemplation of man's highest duties, which alone can fix in the mind those Christian principles which can discipline the impulses, modify the appetites, restrain the passions, and give to the soul the mastery of the senses. How shall they be interested? not in this

or that service not for this or that length of time, limited by some extra excitement or happy festival- but how shall they be interested so that the whole current of life shall be forever impregnated with the religious element, pure in the bounding joyousness of youthful vivacity, and pure in the calmer flow of sober manhood and age? We must do this by employing what we find is attractive, and which can be employed with a healthy and permanent effect. And can any one declare that even a redundance of imagery is more to be shunned than an entire want of it?that it is better to hang up no pictures at all in the chambers of the mind, than to cover the walls with them? — that it is wisest of all to be a Witherspoon, not entering the "kitchen garden" when the vegetables are in blossom, lest he should find that even potatoes are adorned with flowers? One thing is certain, that with a class, by far the majority, when the arguments of a speaker are gone with his statements, some figure, some pictured thought, is still retained, and by it, the impression made by the speaker, is felt again; an impression, it may be, in behalf of the most heroic devotion to life's best interests; an impression which, but, for that illustrative imagery, would have passed away with the time and occasion. And in reference to this matter, it is useful to recall the confessions made by many who have received life-long impressions in this manner, which seemed to enter at the very roots of existence, and diffuse a regenerative power through the whole being; as in Dr. Boucherie's invention, a whole tree, to the leaves on the very summit, is imbued with the richest colors and most delicate odors, by the aspirative force of the vegetable transporting a prepared fluid, possessed of virtues that can change the entire tree to its own colors. Such a force, though it be but a metaphor or a trope, is not to be hastily set aside, for the work of an insignificant worm has undermined a fabric which man had deemed impregnable against ruin.

But ere we proceed farther, let us here drop a caution. I treat of and magnify illustrative imagery. I hold in as deep dislike as any one the vanity of metaphor and symbol, having in its connection no more significance than the cross in a late advertisement of an infidel stone-cutter, where a weeper is represented standing by a tomb, holding in her arms the cross; nay, having less significance than this, be