edness of every power of the soul. Merely to receive a resigned disposition is not all that is necessary; when obtained, it must be preserved and nurtured with incessant care. To do both the one and the other requires mental action. Besides, we have to consider the things which constitute this disposition. Confidence enters into its character; but to confide or trust in another, presupposes a knowledge of him in whom we confide, and knowledge is the result of reflection, comparison and study. A blind confidence holds no nearer relation to religion, than that composure which we call indifference, or that resignation which we have denominated insensibility. The climax of christian character is completed by a combination of graces, among which knowledge is exceedingly conspicuous. "I KNOW in whom I have believed," is the appropriate motto of the resigned heart.

To these views of our subject, it is necessary only to add, that the observations we have made, fall in with the experience, and coincide with the doctrine of pious and reflecting men in every age. Under all the trials to which the early Christians were exposed, and which most of them suffered, they were comforted with the assurance that a father's hand inflicted their chastisements; and to the parental character of God, the appeal was always made, for a solution of all difficulties, and the production of a calm, serene and resigned disposition. In evidence of this, I might quote much of the New Testament, particularly the Epistolary part, but it is unnecessary. We shall only notice the consoling sentiments. advanced by Paul while addressing the afflicted Hebrews. "Ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him for whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom

he receiveth. If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? Furthermore, we have had fathers of our flesh, and we gave them reverence; shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live? For they verily for a few days, chastened us after their own pleasure, but he, for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness. Now, no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous; nevertheless it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness to them who are exercised thereby." The fathers of our flesh derive their right to chasten us, and exact a reverence from us in virtue of the paternal relation, and the chastenings of God are inflicted, and our subjection to him, because he is the Father of our spirits.

The duty of condolence is suggested by a common law of our nature. Sympathy is at oncé a natural exercise, and a christian obligation. This we can never better discharge than by opening the sources of comfort, and directing the fainting steps of the moment to a more solid and substantial joy, than earthly possessions can impart. We may not invade the sanctuary of widowed grief, nor pour unmeaning words upon the ear of orphaned woe; but we may labor to "console those who are in any affliction with the same consolations with which, at any time, we have been comforted of God." We may urge the duty and describe the felicity of a quiet submission to the Divine will; and the satisfaction arising from an acquiescent and patient frame of spirit. In doing this we perform a service, which the High Priest of our profession has directed in his word and sanctioned by his example.

The instance of mortality which occasioned this discourse, is deeply affecting to the sensibilities of the husband and family of the deceased; and it throws a gloom over the faces of her associates and friends. We mourn

the departure of the virtuous, exemplary wife, the sincere and affectionate friend. Alas, how do we sigh out the mournful apostrophe, "we are exceedingly distressed for thee, very pleasant hast thou been to us." The interesting scene is calculated to awaken thought, to chasten and subdue the love of vain objects, and to plant the affections on things above. God of consolation, comfort our friends, and teach us to aspire to that world, where there is no death, and where joy is endless as it is perfect.

EXPLANATION OF THE TARES OF THE FIELD. Matt. xiii. 24-30. "The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field; but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way. But when the blade was sprung up and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also. So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst thou not sow good seed in thy field? from whence then hath it tares? He said unto them, An enemy bath done this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up? But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest; and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them; but gather the wheat into my barn."

In noticing the above parable, we shall do well to call to our assistance our Savior's explanation, which we find beginning at the 37th verse of the same chapter with the parable. It is the following. "He that sowed the good seed is the son of man; the field is the world the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the

tares are the children of the wicked one; the enemy that sowed them is the devil; the reapers are the angels. As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world. The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity, and shall cast them into a furnace of fire; there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth."

In understanding the parable of the tares of the field, it seems that little remains to be performed, other than to put as natural and easy construction to the words of our Savior's explanation as can be rationally adopted. Notwithstanding our divine Master has given us both the parable and the interpretation, we find there is not a uniformity of opinion among christian writers upon this subject. Most of our own denomination, tho usually agreed among themselves on this parable, differ considerably from all others. We have no objections that our readers should be in possession of these different views, nor would we restrain them in the free exercise of their judgement in choosing that which they deem the most correct.

The sermon in our last number was upon this subject. The views embraced in it are those usually held by the brethren of our connexion. And altho our views of this subject vary a little from the writer of that discourse, we can heartily recommend it as amply worth the perusal of the candid inquirer.

In the given explanation of the wheat and the tares, our Lord says, The good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked." All would allow that the most natural interpretation of these words, as they now stand before us, is, that the children of the wicked mean the righteous, or those that receive the gospel, and the children of the wicked, mean

the wicked, or those who reject the gospel or receive it only professionally. The next thing then in question is, is there any other interpretation that better agrees with the fair rules of biblical criticism than this? We will notice now as an argument in favor of this position, that at the time of harvest the tares are represented as being gathered in bundles and burned, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Now tho we should conclude that this description of sorrow is, at least, partly figurative, it comports much better with our idea of persons than of things. If we could attach any proper idea to a false doctrine's weeping, when taken in the abstract, by considering the expression a figure of speech, we should still be greatly embarrassed to read of its gnashing its teeth. If gnashing the teeth be figurative of sorrow, sorrow when applied to doctrine and not to persons, must surely be figurative, which would make gnashing the teeth the figure of a figure, and of all things the most bungling and wanting in proper analogy, as applied to false doctrines.

But the grand objection to the idea under consideration is, did the devil make any portion of our race? for it is said the enemy that sowed the tares is the devil. Those who suppose a question like this unanswerable, on the adoption of the aforenamed position, will not find themselves free from the difficulty by abandoning the ground which we have now taken. It would still remain for them to tell us how the Jews were the children of the devil, for Christ said he was their father; and also Elymas, the sorcerer, who was expressly called a child of the devil.

These cases tend to illustrate the scripture phraseology upon this subject, and remove the force of one of the most prominent objections to the more literal interpretation of our Savior's words. And tho we admit that the good seed, in the abstract, like that in the parable of