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happy-happy from the hour of their release from toil-happy in rest from their labours, and in being followed by their works. There remaineth, therefore, a rest to the people of God; for he that is entered into his rest, he also has ceased from his own works, as God did from his. Let us (the living) therefore labour to enter into that rest."

It is not with respect to any millennium on earth, but to this heavenly sabbatic state that John says, And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them, even the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the Word of God, and who had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, nor in their hands, and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years; but the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. Blessed is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such, the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years."

He saw in vision not the bodies but the souls of those who once living on earth, had faithfully witnessed unto the death for their Jesus and the Word of God-those who had braved and withstood the apostacy, striving for the faith once delivered to the saints-those who, taking counsel of him who is the Resurrection and the Life, feared not them who kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul, but him rather who is able to destroy both body and soul in hell; so having done, John saw in their sabbatic experience the fulfilment of the Master's words, "He that findeth his life shall lose it; and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it."

This life of the soul and its enthronement above, within the vail and the true sanctuary with the risen and highly exalted Jesus in priestly relationship to his God and Father, is the first resurrection. In this exalted and blessed estate terminates that uprising of which conversion is the first step in the heavenward ladder. No higher altitude can be reached, nor greater blessedness be enjoyed, till the close of the mediatorial economy, when the priestly robes of the sanctuary, now hidden like their wearers from mortal view, shall, in kingly splendour be made apparent as the sun in its strength to an assembled universe, when Jesus, as the king eternal, immortal, invisible, comes forth in his majesty, from the light unapproachable, with the myriads of his saints, to make them manifest

as the sons of God, and to execute vengeance on all who know not God and who obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. "Happy and holy, therefore, is he who hath part in the first resurrection."

Christian reader, be it yours to labour now to enter into that sabbatism which remains for the people of God. And you undecided Christless reader, make no delay in turning to the Lord with full purpose of heart, that he may lift you from the fearful pit, and from the miry clay, and make you sit together with the saints and faithful brethren in the heavenlies in Christ Jesus.-ED.

ESSAY ON PRAYER.

(Continued from p. 146.)

WHAT is the duty of the church towards those who are without, when they come to hear the gospel, or are present "when the disciples come together to break the loaf," &c., including the children of “a Sunday School," and any others, young or old, pious or impious, without the church? Or should the church encourage, or even sanction the offering of worship, (praise and prayer) by any one, before entering the church?

Our answer to these questions is the same, viz., that praise and prayer are privileges of the church—the children of God, as such. In the Word of God we find a line drawn between the church and the world, and we may not wink at its being crossed and defaced, however loud the voice of custom or expediency may be raised against us. But if the world be at liberty to join the church in their sacred exercises, we treat such uncourteously, unless we provide hymn-books adequate to the seats provided for such, and as easy of access. Neither should we entitle our hymn-books "Christian praise for the disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ;" but for saints and sinners. If we stand up to proclaim the gospel and conform to the modern custom of joining the disobedient in these holy exercises, we deface the line of demarcation. If such "come into our assembly," when we meet as a church. and we present them with hymn-books to join in “ Christian praise," we offend against the King of heaven, and oppose both his authority and his example. Some have attempted to draw another line, excluding such as they deem impious, and introducing to Christian privileges such as they deem pious

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or hopeful. One says, "I would not join such an one in worship until he has made up his mind to enter the kingdom; but if, at his own fireside, he tells me this, I would then say, Let us pray!" Another says, "I would not do this, but I would pray with him as soon as he comes to 'the bath of the new birth,' before baptising him into the kingdom." Brethren! if God has drawn a line at all, it is between the church and the world. We may as well bring one to the table of the Lord to-day who proposes to enter the church to-morrow, join in prayer with such an one a day or an hour before baptism. Yes, God has spoken, but expediency speaks also. Alas, that the church should ever listen to expediency or any other charmer, seeing there is one who has all authority--who is Lord of all-and who says, Ye are my servants if ye do whatever I command you. How came the church to be wedded to the state? Certain men of carnal minds pleaded for it as an expedient! How came another door of entrance to be opened after that the King Messiah had so explicitly said, "Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom?" It was pleaded for as an expedient! And so of all other corruptions; which it is our duty to expose, and, if possible, to remove. It is dangerous to take one false step. It is dangerous to listen to the voice of expediency on behalf of any person whatever. Does it plead for a dear child, telling of some who say that their conversion was promoted by joining, day after day, with Christian parents in prayer? To the law and to the testimony, if it speak not accordingly, there is no truth in it. Does it point you to the writings of certain great and good men who practised family worship in unison with their ungodly servants, or thoughtless children, some of whom afterwards professed their faith, expressing a conviction that this expedient was useful in leading them to a knowledge of the truth? We respond, possibly so; and possibly the result was both evil and good. However, let us not do evil or wrong that good may come. God will have all men, masters and servants, parents and children, come to the knowledge of the truth; but He will also have them come in His own specified way, and not in any way thought to be expedient by us, or by any human "divine." (An intelligent and pious man, who has had to do with Sunday Schools for more than twenty years, is of opinion, that more evil than good has resulted from the practice of compelling children to

join in public worship. A City Missionary once collected 138 avowed thieves, in order to ascertain whether they desired to obtain a living-honestly so, and to encourage them to do so, ▸ he first desired them all to kneel and join him in prayer! Yet no wonder, for his employers, in their book of instructions, say to every one of their missionaries, read a portion of scripture and offer prayer, in every house or room you visit.)

We have heard of certain brethren who think it expedient to do that which they admit is unscriptural, viz., to unite with the world in praise and prayer, in their public assemblies; and some of these deem it expedient also to join with aliens-the unbaptised-in the breaking of the bread. Well, if the former is right the latter is so too. If expediency is our guide in the one, let it be in the other also, for assuredly, scripture is neither more nor less explicit or authoritative in the one than the other. The only safe course is never to listen to expediency when Scripture affords us either precept or example.

As to children, for what can they pray? This question has been repeatedly proposed in the British Millennial Harbinger, but has not been answered. If they are old enough to understand, to believe, and to obey, such is their first duty. Unti they do this, for what can we join with such in asking? I asked, would you exclude them when about to pray with the Christian members of your family? We answer, no; but as soon as they are capable of understanding, we would instruct them that they could not participate in this, or any other Christian privilege before entering the church. That as children of God, we were about to present our desires and thanksgivings to our heavenly Father, our earnest desire that our children might be born again, and thus become His children in early life; and that we should instruct and admonish them with this great object in view. If asked, did not children cry Hosannah! and did not the great Teacher approbate their doing so? We answer that they were children of the kingdom, that there was no religious ordinance or privilege from which they were excluded. Twenty-six years ago, a child was immersed into the church in his tenth year, who is now living, and who has walked circumspectly from that day to this. Some brethren who read this, perhaps, have children in their tenth, twelfth, or fourteenth year, capable of understanding the things of the kingdom quite as well as did some of us when we entered it; and who know, or ought to know that they are unsaved, unpardoned, living without God in the world

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or kingdom of the Satan! Why have they not been translated into the kingdom of the Redeemer? You have duties to discharge to the world at large, and to your neighbours particularly to the world, and especially to the household of the faith. But have you not here a prior and paramount obligation? Why are not these children children of God? Is it because they have not been brought up in the instruction and admonition of the Lord, before their tenth, or even their sixth year. Brethren and sisters, fathers and mothers in Israel, entertain these questions, we beseech you! Great is the responsibility under which you have placed yourselves; and great will be your honour and your happiness if you act under its influence. For if you train them up in the way in which they should go, when they are old they will not depart from it. Therefore, walk before them circumspectly. Instruct, admonish, restrain, constrain, correct, and allure them; with all diligence, earnestness, and perseverance. But as to prayer, you are not forbidden to express your desires to God for their conversion and salvation. And this we may do without asking God to do that which he has directed either us or them to do, or to do in one way that which He has appointed to do in another; e.g., You know that the blessing of forgiveness is to be received at the door of the church; and not by prayer (asking) before entering the church. What, then, is the condition of those children (or others) who understand the will of God, and do it not? Let us not talk of expedients, but lay it down as an immutable truth, that when God, or the Word of God. teaches us to use certain means to reach certain ends, it is not, nor can it be expedient for us to substitute others, but an absolute reflection upon divine wisdom! Suffice it to say that neither our Lord nor his apostles invited the hearers of the gospel to unite with them in prayer or praise. Their doctrines and their practices are alike opposed to the modern expedients of promiscuous worship. The line, drawn by God, between the church and the world must be restored, preserved, and made as clear and as distinct as possible.

BROTHER BROWN AND BROTHER JONES.

THE under-written dialogue, between Brother Brown and Brother Jones, is fairly expressive of that which has actually been experienced of late by the writer in his correspondence with various Brethren, and may serve to show that many of the Christians herein referred to, while they hold a large amount of scriptural truth, and

are