his doubts and torments. God will then have rejected the

sacrifice."

Once more Satan whispered, "If thou art the Son of God cast thyself down, for it is written". . . "It is written," replied Jesus, "Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God. Thou shalt trust in God, but never tempt him." To cast himself from the pinnacle of the temple, while near at hand there was a staircase that led down, might really furnish a very simple proof of Messiahship. The crowd might have regarded this as a very wonderful exhibition of power, but it could surely have done nothing in advancing his cause. There are other depths to be fathomed besides the many hundred cubits of the temple wall, and if thou hast fathomed these, surely no proof of strength that simply gratifies an idle curiosity is necessary. That timidity which is often called prudence, must first lead to the edge of sin's dark abyss, before the Saviour regained his full trust in God, and he now begins to realize from whence came these voices that would turn him from his calling. The fogs of doubt have been dispelled; he knows on what proof his mission hangs; he begins now to realize, to its fullest extent the truth,that to walk with God among men, and as a man, and yet continue to be the Son of God, is the most wonderful achievement. The trust thus imparted will nevermore depart from him. When mocked and scourged, so that a heathen was constrained to exclaim "Behold the man!" the tempter might once more ask: "Art thou the Son of God?" and the answer would come as readily as before "Thou say'st!"

He

III. Thus it was that the Lord made the sacrifice which the accomplishment of his great work demanded. had mustered sufficient courage to trust in the voice of God that was within him, and now but one thing was left for him to do, and that was to choose the means by which to accomplish his work. He will build a new heaven and a new earth, and not a single stone of the temple of the old world is to remain in place. But how and where was he to commence ? By what means was he to secure the confidence of men?

What ways was he to adopt in order to further this end? What power was he to set in motion in order to improve the present condition of things, a condition in which the souls of men seem to lie hopelessly crippled? With which of the mighty ones of the land, with which of the ruling parties shall he enter into a covenant and thus find the proper splrere of action. But, behold, here comes once more the prince of this world, saying," Cast thyself into the surging billows of this age, into the flood tide of events, for a swimmer like thee can never sink! For an eloquence like thine, which so effectively crushed the Pharisees; for tactics like thine, which are able to ward off and avoid all cunningly devised traps, are at this day of greater value than sceptre and sword! It is true that thou wilt unchain my demons that are now lying bound and asleep among the masses, but yet thou wilt be able to use and direct them according to thy mind. Look thou but down into this seething time! Away down in the earth. there is heard the low rumbling that preceeds the earthquake!"

Seest

Again, the devil taketh him into an exceeding high mountain, and showeth him all the kingdoms of the world and the glory of them." "Look thou toward the south where the Arabians are at war with the Romans! Dost thou hear, in the distance, the tramp, tramp of the Parthian hordes ? thou in thy own land the eyes that flash with intense fierceness as they contemplate the Roman garrisons? The sons of Ephraim, keeping up a constant warfare in the mountains; how they tantalize the cohorts? Hearest thou the marching of the legions as they come from Cæsarea? Behold the raging storm! It is I who am marching through the seething nations, leading on the Orient against mighty Rome! Follow now the track of my chariot, unite thyself with the patriots of thy people, and thou wilt stand foremost among them all! For these Scribes and Pharisees are only agitators, but as soon as the storm begins to rage through the rigging they will forthwith leave the ship. Then is the time for thee to seize the helm, and raise the Messianic banner on high. The spirit of revolt

rages throughout the land. Thou wilt force the Romans to the borders of the sea, and after the Messianic kingdom is estab lished then there will be time enough for thee to instruct and convert humanity."

And what is the first round of the ladder that leads to this power? "Why, bow down and worship me, the spirit of the age! What I bid thee do, that call thou good! Strive to secure the favor of the multitude!

Bow thyself before the
Fall down and worship

people's rulers and their courtiers! me, and I will bestow on thee all the kingdoms of the world and their glory!"

Then said Jesus to him" Get thee hence, Satan; for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve!" "Not with fire and blood is the garden of God to be fertilized. My kingdom is not of this world. Not with the cunning and intrigue is it to be established."

The way that leads to the kingdom of God is indeed harder to travel than the broad avenues of the spirit of the age. Consider but the difficulty of the task which the Lord here so clearly sets forth. To a people that chafes under the heavy yoke of the stranger, and is goaded on to fierce revenge, he comes and announces to them their inalienable rights on this wise Blessed are the peacemakers; for they shall be called the Sons of God." "Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth." But that was not the place where this message would be heeded; it was not where the great, the noble and the proud were pressing for recognition; it was not where all these were busily engaged in rearing the funeral pyre which in the course of time was to consume them. "He withdrew into Galilee." There, among the mountains, on the shores of the lake, among the poor and simple-minded, he sedulously planted the mustard seed that will in time grow into a mighty tree. In the face of great storms it was his mission to plant a small garden, to see that the bruised reed was not bruised still more, and that the light that burned on the feeble wick was not quenched. Indeed, the coming storms will be of service to him, and the

seeds that he has thus reared will be scattered over land and sea. And when then the old world will have become the heap of ruins which the great ones of this age are now seeking to make it, then will burst forth the buds and blossoms that have been planted by that almost forgotten Rabbi, who, we know not fully why he should have been was crucified, JESUS OF NAZARETH.

From the top of the mountain to which Satan carried him could be seen all the kingdoms of the world. But Christ's point of vision was far higher. He could see beyond the centuries, and he knew well what was to come to pass. From this point of vision how small do all the things appear that now seem to us so great. That which is to us the end and aim of life, peace, comfort, happiness, was to him, on his life's journey, only a hampering burden; that which is to us praiseworthy prudence and moderation, is in his sight nothing else but a want of confidence in God; that which seems to us to be the wisdom of life, is in his estimation high treason to the kingdom of heaven. And thus has he torn up the last worldly roots and fibers of the heart's purposes and desires. "Then the devil leaveth him, and behold angels came and ministered unto him."

Translated by Rev Edward Smiley.

ARTICLE XXVI.

The Logic of the Immortal Life.

THE domain of theology furnishes no theme that touches so profoundly the dearest interests of mankind as the question of human destiny. To every serious mind that believes in the continued existence of the soul beyond the tomb this, above all others, must assume the gravest magnitude and challenge the most earnest attention. What scenes lie beyond the sunset of our earthly lives? To what shores are these contrary

winds and beating storms on the sea of time, driving this ship of our immortal being? What is the nature of those conditions and surroundings that are reserved for the race of man in the unseen world? These are questions in regard to which no thoughtful person can be entirely indifferent. The soul itself in its present prison house of bondage, pleads for light. The long procession of bereaved ones standing over the graves of their beloved, cry out with bleeding and aching hearts for solution. The deepest spiritual needs and the highest moral interests of humanity alike demand an answer.

Among all the subjects that now agitate either the secular or the religious world what one, indeed, more than this, is worthy of sober thought and investigation? What one that involves such solemn and tremendous issues, or comes so near the hearts of mortal beings?

And true to the wants and instincts of his nature there has probably existed no question that has so often been the theme in the past of speculation and controversy by man as this. Around it has revolved the most anxious thought and the most earnest inquiries of his intellectual and spiritual being. His curiosity has been awakened and his love of the marvelous intensely excited as he has looked toward the immortal sphere. He has attempted to lift the dark curtains that hide it from his vision and to gaze in upon its sublime mysteries. The teachings of the revealed word have not been deemed sufficient to satisfy his inquisitive search. General statements of truth in regard to it have not responded to all the earnest aspirations of his soul. Hence where revelation has not shed its light,and reason dares not tread, or is too weak to climb, his imagination has soared on etherial wings to regions of cloud and mist, and returned with some nicely arranged hypothesis or fancy colored theory and demanded for it a place among the verities of religious faith or hastened to incorporate it into the framework of a creed. To such an extent has man carried his speculations in this direction, that he assumes, in many instances, to speak with oracular knowledge of all the details of the soul's future history to profess the utmost familiarity