can be more simple, or can more readily commend itself to hu man reason. The answer evermore is and can be no otherwise: "If ye do his will ye shall know of the doctrine." No one has applied this test according to the direction of faith and given testimony against the gospel.

The soul fully satisfied that God has given a Revelation in the written and the living Word-in the Scriptures and in Christ. Faith henceforth, assumes its legitimate prerogative. With the consent of reason it looks beyond human reason to a higher, even a divine guide. It believes in God, and believes also in Christ. Having rationally received Christ as divine, we believe that he is competent to instruct our ignorance; and believing in his complete veracity, we accept all that he may reveal although we are unable to comprehend all that he may say. He may speak in grace as freely or unexpectedly or marvelously as in nature. Who shall dictate to God in the creation and control of worlds or of atoms? Who shall dictate the revelation or the riches of divine grace?

The Scientist, with philosophic faith, acts as the interpreter of nature; the Christian, with Evangelical faith, acts as the minister of grace.

Now, it is easy by faith to understand that the worlds were framed by the Word of God.

Now, in the superior light of Revelation, it is rational and easy to look not at the things which are seen and temporal, but at the things unseen and eternal. Now, in this superior light which reason recognizes as divine, it seems not only desirable, but clear, to faith that God should establish his kingdom among men; a kingdom that is not meat and drink, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Ghost-a spiritual kingdom.

In order to this, it seems to faith consistent that material interests be made subordinate and subservient to the spiritual; and so, that all be ordained in the hands of the Mediator, and that this gracious work of renovation and purification and exaltation be effected by the ministration of the Spirit, the only competent agency. Henceforth, faith becomes to the human soul the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. The soul is justified by faith in Christ who is made unto us wisdom and righteousness and sanctification and redemption. Thus we rise to a new spiritual life of communion

with God through our Lord Jesus Christ; so that henceforth we live-in the truest, highest, best sense-we live by faith. This is not abstract or mythical, but rational and simple, commended to human reason in the light of infinite reason. Henceforth, we walk by faith as seeing God who is invisible, and have the testimony that we please God,-for, at this stage of our advance, even finite reason is competent to affirm, (what revelation declares), that without faith it is impossible to please God. At every progressive step we rise higher and higher into spiritual life, and spiritual communion with him who is the fountain of life and of light. Henceforth, faith works by love, combining graces in one spiritual character which becomes more excellent as the combination of graces becomes more complete: "Until we all come in the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man." Eph. iv. 13.

Now, whether faith be set forth prominently by Paul, or love by John, or hope by Peter, or works by James, it is to the believer only the clearer unfolding of graces which are really inseparable. To the view of faith, variety in revelation harmonizes in a higher unity like the separate colors of the rainbow blending in the clear light of day. It is then the prerogative of faith to illumine, to guide, to stimulate the soul. "Paganism," as DeQuincy has justly said, "Paganism aimed at no distant prize ahead; it fled from a danger immediately behind." This is equally true of rationalistic infidelity and atheistic materialism.

In the darkness which surrounds them, they are confronted evermore by despair, by which, though resisted again and again, they must at length be overborne. The spirit of the times, so far forth as divorced from Christ, is one of spiritual unrest and despair.

This appears in literature and science, as well as in morals. and religion. But faith, saving faith in Christ, gives rest-the rest of a liberated soul-a rest at once intellectual (for they that do his will know of the doctrine) and spiritual-repose in God as a Father, in Christ as a Saviour, in the Holy Ghost as a purifier, in the Scriptures as the word of truth making wise unto salvation. They which have believed do enter into rest.

In its complete exercise, then, as saving trust in the Redeemer faith assumes exalted prerogative. It commends to the human

reason the highest guide, even the divine; the loftiest motives, even those that are infinite and eternal; an infallible rule for belief and life, even the inspired Scriptures; an Almighty Saviour, even Jesus; an unfailing witness, companion and comforter, even the Holy Ghost. By rightful prerogative higher than the human it secures for man all the blessings of salvation, and from man humble and hearty obedience. It prompts to this obedience by presenting a faultless model, even the perfect Christ, tempted in all points like as we are, yet without sin, leaving us an example that we should follow his steps; a divine friend whom it behoved to be made like unto his brethren that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest; stooping to our low estate that he might redeem us from the curse of the law and lift us with himself to the throne of his divine majesty; encouraging us to overcome and sit down with him on his throne, as he also overcame and hath set down with the Father on his throne.

In the light of revelation, faith, evermore cheers the soul with divine promise, begetting patience in sorrow, waiting for God— strength in weakness, resting on God-courage in danger, trusting in God-diligence in business, serving the Lord-peace, victory even in death, through our Lord Jesus Christ.

ART. III.-THE NEW TESTAMENT MEANING OF ETERNITY AND ETERNAL.

By Rev. GEO. D. LITTLE, Connersville, Ind.

THE belief in the eternal or everlasting punishment of the wicked is openly rejected and denounced by many on purely rationalistic grounds; it is seriously questioned and doubted by many others who take the Bible as their only and infallible rule of faith; it is tacitly ignored or feebly sustained and presented by many others still, who believe it because they think that it is found in the Bible, but who are unable to defend it against those who deny it, and unwilling to appeal to it as a motive for action to those who are indifferent to it.

The doctrine of eternal punishment does not hold the prominence in the belief and preaching of the Church that it has held in the past, and it is much more generally denied or neglected by those out of the Church than ever before. It is of great practical importance to know whether this drifting of opinion is in the right or wrong direction, and, if in the wrong, how best to meet it and turn it in the right direction. The general method in discussing this question is to take it by itself and attempt to prove the eternity of future punishment by quotation of various passages as found in our English Bible.

But a great advantage is lost in separating this from other questions that rest on the same evidence, but which being readily believed, because they are in consonance with men's wishes, do not awaken their prejudice and arouse their opposition as this does. Moreover special difficulties are encountered in studying the English Bible only, owing to the diversity of words and phrases chosen by the translators, which are not only different in different passages that treat of future life, but different in the same verse and sentence even, thus giving rise to erroneous interpretations, as e. g. the words of Christ, Matt. xxv. 46. Concerning the two classes of inen described as the "goats and the sheep," "and these shall go away into everlasting punishment, and the righteous into life eternal." In this place Christ uses the same word to describe the length of punishment that he does to describe the length of reward; but the translators have made one everlasting, and the other eternal, words synonymous in meaning to them doubtless, but differently understood by others. We propose first to examine the idea or conception of eternity as taught in the words that actually fell from the lips of Christ and his disciples, and were recorded by inspired men; and having compared this with the diversity that is seen in our translation of these words, we propose, with the knowledge thus gained, to inquire secondly of what things eternity, thus revealed, is predicated.

By this method we shall escape the difficulties and disadvantages already alluded to, and all things declared eternal will thus stand or fall together, instead of being sustained or defeated in detail. We shall confine ourselves to the New Testament, because it is the fullest source of knowledge, and because the Old Testament

passages, as Dan. xii. 2, are translated in the Septuagint by the same words that are used by Christ and his disciples.

Let us then inquire

I. How is the idea of eternity expressed and taught in the New Testament writings? or in what words is endless duration of time conveyed to us, and applied to eternal things?

Locke says "By repeating the idea of any length of duration with the endless addition of number, we come by the idea of eternity." Eternity itself is inconceivable, incomprehensible and hence inexpressible. As finite creatures, we have a clear idea only of a certain length of time, which is present, upon which our individual existence has impinged, and with which for a longer or shorter time it is identified. Of endless time before or after this we know only by repetition of this present time, thus approximating, looking at, going towards, but never reaching that which we call eternity.

This is the exact thought up on which the Greek language, expressing endless duration of time, seems to have been framed.

A certain known length of time, be it longer or shorter, was called "aicov." And strange as it may seem there is no other word used to express time, past, present or future, than this one word and two variations of it. Air was the means of measuring time to the Greeks, as a mile is to the carpenter the means of measuring distances; and they had no idea of eternity, except the repetition of this measure, which was some certain length of duration.

Very long time, cr longest conceivable time, being the repetition of one length of time, was expressed by repetition of the word given to that length of time. Thus, "Tov aivov TWY aicovcov," translated, Eph. iii. 21, "world without end," literally time of times, ages of ages.

To describe endless time thus measured by successive repetition, they used the adjective, aicários, which is ever-enduring, everlasting, eternal.

It greatly simplifies the whole discussion to thus know that eternity, as taught in over 170 passages in the New Testament, is expressed or conveyed in one of the three forms of this one word, aicov. Had the same simplicity and unity been retained by the translators, it would have been of great advantage to the common reader. But turning to the English Bible we find that