in this kind: till I see God's hand in the events narrated, I see no wisdom: and he that perceives it not, is no philosopher or lover of wisdom. There are two things, in looking back upon God's dealings in times past; the first is historical truth, that is, the matter of fact; the second is the theological truth, that is, the spiritual or divine. operation therein. It is in this way that the church's unity is preserved, by her being able to discern, through all the disadvantages of space and time, the one cause, operation, and end of God: yea it is in this way of lying all dispersed over time past and time to come, that the church arriveth more near to the condition of the Divine Mind, which knoweth no distinction of past, present, and to come. And I am convinced, nay, and I partly see it in the condition of the dissenting bodies, that, whenever knowledge of things past and things to come, is wanting in the ministry, or held back from the people in preaching, it comes to pass that they fall into all manner of temporary and local prejudices, guide themselves by every-day rules of expediency, or lose themselves amidst the reveries of inward experiences, moods, and frames, brought on by no spiritual or supersensual cause, but by some of the various conditions of the natural or carnal man. I fully believe, that the chief work of the Spirit is to lift us out of ourself, our place, and our day, and to enlarge our thoughts to all men, to all places, and to all times, so as that we shall see things as much as may be from God's own point of vision, upon whom persons, times, and places, work no change whatever. Certainly the office of the church in glory is thus to look back and thus to look forward: and though few be the words of their adoration, there is one for recollection, "which was ;" one for anticipation, "which is to come ;" and one for present inspection, "which is." To this last we are now arrived: for besides the eyes which they had behind and before, they had also eyes within.

It is remarkable, that this feature of the four living creatures, they were full of eyes within," should be in a different part of the description than the other, "they were full of eyes before and behind;" not mentioned till their outward appearance had been completely gone over, and standing inmediately before the description of their

worship. Now, the meaning of this is, as it appears to me, that meditation, which is the office of the inward eye, follows contemplation, which is the object of the outward eye; and must be added to it, in order to prepare us for the great end of our being, which is to worship God. Contemplation regards the temple of the universe in which we dwell; meditation regards the thoughts of the mind and the heart which arise within ourselves; and adoration of God the Creator, who is at once Creator of the thing beheld and of the beholder, is the proper issue. And these things not occasionally, but always; so that the occupation of a spiritual man might, it seems to me, be represented by these three words, CONTEMPLATION, MEDITATION, ADORATION. The eye inward with which the church is endowed, is given to her for the study of herself, as the chief of all the works of God; in which self is included, not the body only, but also the Head, who is of the church a part, yea and the life, though also one with the glorious Godhead. Incarnate, he is of the church a part, he is the church's Head, at once the foundation and the chief corner stone. And what is a member of the church, but one conformed into his image by the inworking of the Holy Ghost? In studying him, we study our nature redeemed and glori fied; in studying him, we study Godhead manifest in our nature. In him the creation and the creature meet and dwell and harmonize together. This now is the office of the church, in knowing Christ to know herself: yea, in knowing Christ, to grow into the same likeness; as it is written: "But we all with open face, beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image, from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord” (2 Cor. iii. 18). By studying Christ we know God also, the only searchable God, the only God that is; and if the only God that is we see in Christ, harmonious with our nature, how can they say that God is not at peace and in love with man? This inward eye looks upon Christ formed within us; looks upon the Father and the Son dwelling within us by the operation of the Holy Ghost; contemplates the beauty, the cleanness, the loveliness of the new man of the Spirit; beholds God; for the pure in heart ever see God. There is a mode by which God manifests

himself to us, as he is not wont to do unto the world, by which he lets us see him; and what is this? The question was once put to Christ, and this was the answer : "Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him" (John xiv. 23). To look inward, therefore, is to look upon a manifestation. of God and of Christ; it is to see that image of God in which we were created, renewed again in righteousness and true holiness. In a human soul it is that God is glorified; in man and the Son of Man it is that the eternal and incomprehensible Godhead obtaineth that image of himself, to which it is the very object of creation to give outwardness. Within himself from all eternity there was an image of himself in the person of the Eternal Son: out of himself that image is found in man; first, in the person of Christ, and then in every one who is renewed after the image of God in righteousness and true holiness. Here also within the soul of a renewed man it is that all creation finds itself concentrated. Every thing visible is only a minister and a subject of man. To him it brings its homage, and into his lap pours out its treasure. And he it is who is to divert it from, or direct it into, the current of worship and glory unto God. Man is made the sovereign of creation, which sinks or swims, which falls or rises with man. Man is the responsible creature: he only is the responsible one; all the rest are subject to him, and look up to him; not to God directly, but to man directly, and through him their offering is to be presented unto God. Contemplation, therefore, of things without, remembrance of things past, and anticipation of things future, can and do amount to nothing, so far as God is concerned, unless we add to them, meditation of man for whom all these things were created, and for whom they undergo their several revolutions and changes. God expects not the wonder of man, to see what he sees, but the gratitude of man, to be the object of such wonderful things. It is the praise of man meditating himself as the subject of such a work, as the object of such a continual working, as the possessor of such perfected glory, that God desireth. These inward eyes present to us this the bearing of creation upon the church, present us the church, queen and

mistress over creation, present us the church beloved of Christ, over which God himself sings that song of songs, setting forth her several parts of beauty. Oh that I could sing that beautiful song, which now no man regardeth! Ob that I could look inward, and tell of the beauty of Christ's bride. Very sweet in the days of old were these canticles in the ear of my mother church: the leaders of her quire were wont to strike their harps to the song of the church's loveliness in the sight of God. If any one would understand the ravishment which Christ hath in looking upon his spouse, and considering her various points of beauty, let him read the iv th chapter of the Song. If any one would understand the glory with which the church should look upon the world, let him read the viiith Psalm. The former of these exemplifies the church using her eyes for inspection; the latter, for contemplation: and the end of both should be worship unto the glorious Creator and Redeemer. Accordingly after the mention of the eyes within, the vision proceeds to describe the incessant worship which these four living creatures offer to the Most High God, in whose presence, notwithstanding their own excellent beauty, they do cover their faces and their feet with their wings.

LECTURE XII.

JESUS CHRIST THE REDEEMER AND KING OF

THE HABITABLE WORLD.

REV. V.

And I saw in the right hand of Him that sat on the throne a book written within and on the backside, scaled with seven seals. And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, Who is worthy to open the book, and to loose the seals thereof? And no man in heaven, nor in earth, neither under the earth, was able to open the book, neither to look thereon. And I wept much, because no man was found worthy to open and to read the book, neither to look thereon. And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof. And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth. And he came and took the book out of the right hand of him that sat upon the throne. And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four and twentyælders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints. And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; and hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth. And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands; saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to re