We may thus perceive that while man is yet an inhabitant of earth as to his body, he is also, as to his spiritual nature, though not visibly or consciously, in connection with the spiritual world. For not only is the spiritual world no where beyond the natural universe, but it has no relation to natural space and time. It is altogether different in quality, as different as the natural body is from the soul; it is in all respects spiritual; it is the suitable home of the soul, as this earth is the suitable dwelling of the natural body. Therefore it was that the Lord said to the Pharisees "The kingdom of God cometh not with observation; the kingdom of God is within you." The Saviour was then speaking of His spiritual, His heavenly kingdom, and was referring to the spiritual nature of man.

Man is at once an inhabitant of two worlds. As to his body he is on earth, amid all its circumstances and influences; but as to his soul he is continually, though invisibly, in connection with the spiritual world, and moving amid another set of influences. Not only is this knowledge impressed upon us by the Word of God, but it also serves in turn to explain all the marvellous passages in that Word, in which men are described as instantaneously beholding spiritual things. When we know and believe that man has a spiritual form and a spiritual nature, spiritual sight and spiritual hearing, and that his inner being is in close connection with the spiritual world, then we can understand these wondrous parts of the Holy Book; but not otherwise. And yet the insight of the patriarchs, prophets, or apostles into the spiritual world, whenever it was granted, was always swift and perfect. Also the young man, the servant of Elisha, saw the horses and chariots of fire; the very moment in which his eyes were opened, his spiritual vision unsealed; and so with all who beheld similar phenomena.

And in addition to the teaching of the Scriptures, we may all draw some evidence of this momentous truth from our own experience. We all know that at times thoughts and feelings, tender and sweet, gush forth in our minds, we know not whence or why. We know how deepseated remembrances arise that seemed to have been buried or lost,how they fill our hearts with unwonted life, melting us even to tears. We know how the simple-minded cannot see a little infant smiling in its sleep without believing that angels are whispering round it; and do we not love to think, when gentle memories and thoughts of the departed come upon us, that our spiritual being is in close communion with theirs?

*Luke xvii. 21, 22.

+ 2 Kings vi. 17.

It is yet withal a strange and solemn thing this fact, of the close proximity of the spiritual world, and our indissoluble connection with it! With what a startling import does the question rise, What is our true relation to it, and who are our associates there? What should we see if our spiritual eyes were at this moment unsealed, and the things of another universe broke upon them? What visions would flash upon our awakened minds as the revelation of our own conditions! Should we see the chariots and the fiery horses, the hosts of Jehovah, with banners of light, encamped around us, as a rampart of protection, and a promise of victory in Christian arms; or should we behold another and a darker picture-vile associates of vile desires, pandering to selfish appetites, loading us with the harness of sin? The Word of God assures us that with one or the other we must soon be united, and for ever. We cannot long halt between two sets of influences or two opinions. On the one side are the many myriads of the noble and true-hearted, ready and waiting to claim kindred with us, and lead us to our Father's house; on the other, the discordant multitudes, raging like an angry sea, anxious only to engulph and destroy. And every day, every hour, the Divine Messenger speaketh in our ears-"Choose this day whom ye will serve." And we, by every action of our lives, are deciding this question for eternity, and fashioning our characters into shapes in which they will permanently endure. We cannot remain passive and inert, but must serve one or the other, by the very laws of our existence. And how do these considerations enhance the value and the bearing of our present life! How does every part of it,-every action, apparently trifling,— every good thing, apparently weak,-rise into dignity and importance when seen in its relation to an everlasting future! How would our sins, apparently secret, be checked, did we studiously keep before us the fact that the very thoughts and desires which occasion them, bring us into spiritual contact with those who cherish similar lusts! If this were realised, life would have to us a new power and a new meaning; it would prevent us thinking overmuch of the thoughts and praises of men, and would lead us to examine with far more interest the relation in which we stand to God, and the innumerable company of angels who are ascending and descending the ladder that leadeth to His house. It would teach us in times of trouble to look less upon 66 our light affliction, which is but for a moment," and more of the eternal weight of glory held in store, "while we look, not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal." *

* 2 Cor. iv. 17, 18.

As, while we are in this world, we are in a state of preparation, in which our natures gradually become fixed and shaped into the likeness of our chief desires, it is easy to perceive that while we remain on earth we must necessarily be in the spiritual society of those beings who are in a similar state of preparation. But there is to each man another state—a state of permanence to which, as his nature becomes fixed, he is gradually tending. With the evil man it is a hell, an abode of darkness, a home for all his foul desires, where his most congenial associates prowl or congregate in bands- —a state of woe and retribution, but one which he himself has made, and where he will be, of all places in the universe, least miserable. But with the good this state of permanence is a blessed home and a comfortable resting-place, in which they shall enjoy the sweet communion of those with whom they have most in common, and shall sing, with smiles, the anthem of salvation ; it is that house of our Heavenly Father, in which there are many mansions, and where, for all, such a place is prepared.

The Divine Saviour, in the passage before us, assured His disciples, and doth hereby assure His true disciples in every age, that He doth prepare a place for those who diligently seek Him; and this preparation of an eternal resting-place goes on through the whole course of the life of those who submit themselves to the Lord, to be guided to His house, to be built up into His image and likeness. With those who in

prayer, and with diligent hearts, seek to be honest and pure, it is continually proceeding. Each principle of conduct, implanted in the life of such, is a foundation stone, firmly fixed in the earth; each rational principle appropriated, and which defends from error and ignorance, is a wall of adamant about us; and soon, if this holy state proceed, our actions begin to be performed from higher ground; every nobler principle acted upon becomes a glorious pillar of our house, efflorescent at the capital with golden harmonies; each truth of life implanted firm becomes radiant and translucent, like a floor inlaid with marble; and true wisdom, well applied, shapes and beautifies the windows of our heavenly home, arranges the borders of precious stones, and crowns it with its pinnacles and domes. All the kind affections cherished in our hearts warm, enrich, and beautify the place which the Saviour is preparing, and each loving action done is registered there in living beauty by pictures which will never fade.

Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ has gone to prepare this place for His true disciples. Let us think of this through the coming time; let us recollect that we have to decide if we will be His disciples, and that we can only decide it by our lives. And, in this case, how

momentous the fact that none of our actions are unimportant, none trifling or obscure! All point unerringly and provide unrelentingly for the everlasting to be. When we have lived our time here, we cannot live it again, even should we desire. If our acts are not divinely guided; if our hearts seek not the Lord, and our minds refuse to follow him, then a place is not prepared for us in the heavenly home; but we are wilfully and madly preparing for ourselves another dwelling, not a noble house of peace, but a fantastic and false abode of darkness, burrowed in winding passages underground, amid the dens and caves of the earth. If earthly things ensnare us and engross us; if selfish desires fill up the measure of our lives; if carnal meditations complete the circle of our hopes, there is for us no house above-for, should we wish to go there, we could not endure the cloudless splendour of its clime, nor stand before its penetrating light.

May such a fate not be ours! May our thoughts be humble, and our prayers sincere. May the peace and power of our Saviour enter our hearts with full redeeming virtue. May our house be builded and our place prepared, and, when we close a life of duty and denial, may we be enabled to join that host, all clothed in white, gathered round the Lamb upon Mount Zion, who sing the song of the redeemed! Birmingham.

A DAY WITH THE

J. W. T.

SUNDAY-SCHOOL UNION.

THE New Church Sunday-school Union having its place of meeting at Blackburn this year, on the 26th of June, and being at Blackburn myself for ministerial duties, on Sunday, the 25th of June, I was enabled to have the privilege of a day with that body,-a privilege which for several years I had not been enabled to enjoy. I found the business varied, important, and practical; and as it passed before me, and I heard the details of the various operations, I was much impressed with the amount of good which is being annually performed in the Sunday-school operations of our brethren, and felt sure your readers would be interested by having some of the prominent facts transferred to your pages.

The Rev. E. D. Rendell occupied the chair. There was Mr. Potts, the indefatigable secretary, and the members of the Sunday-school Committee. There were leaders of societies, ministers, and represen tatives of schools, well-known and earnest, about thirty in number, all intent upon the well-being of the institutions under their care.

Thirty-eight schools were reported as connected with the Union; and

372

A DAY WITH THE SUNDAY-SCHOOL UNION.

the statistics of these schools furnish interesting data. In all, nearly 5,000 scholars, and upwards of 750 teachers, were reported upon. Some schools had slightly increased during the past year; some slightly decreased, the number of the latter somewhat in excess; but on the whole, I could not but think what a delightful amount of good and noble work those figures represented. Seven hundred and fifty teachers engaged every Sunday in explaining to their youthful charges the truths of eternal life. Five thousand young immortals having line upon line, precept upon precept, given to them, of the very counsels of heaven, the bread which will be found, when their souls need it in the trials to come, after many days. The tone of many reports seemed somewhat indicative of discouragement; but there was also much to cheer; and I would say to all these worthy labourers, Go on; do not faint or become weary; be faithful, sow well, tend well, guard as much as you can against weeds, and in good time your souls shall reap a worthy reward.

There was reason to conclude from the reports, that those schools had the greatest success where the teachers were most steady and regular in their attendance. The idea was suggested, and I hope it will be adopted, of inquiring the average of the teachers' attendance, as well as that of the scholars. It cannot be doubted that steady and cheerful attendance of teachers is the surest way of securing good attendance in the scholars; and with good attendance, good habits, and sound instruction of every kind. If teachers would lay this to heart, they would never linger from their duties, or let their classes or superintendent mourn their absence at some trivial engagement, or in the pursuit of vain and empty pleasure. If all the teachers would pray the Lord to give them the graces of punctuality and perseverance, a degree of success would be reached in these Sunday-schools far beyond what has ever yet been attained. From one Sunday-school (Accrington) however, during the year, eighteen members of the church have been received; from another (Bolton) ten; from a third (Kersley) twentynine; and surely such facts are eloquent in proving the value of these admirable institutions !

It appeared from the Committee's report, that during the year there had been sold in the various schools 289 volumes of the works of Swedenborg, including 67 of the minor works. Other publications had been sold, including the Repository, pamphlets, and tracts, to the number of nearly 12,000; besides 1,145 volumes, and 22,304 numbers of the Juvenile Magazine. Surely these figures speak of a most gratifying amount of reading amongst the young people, and are themselves indicative of great uses being performed by the schools and the Union.