tale; since, at all events, the withering of the nerves would not, could not, be visible. Besides, the prediction of Lord Tyrone was not verified, inasmuch as Lady Beresford did not die in child-birth, nor till she had completed her fortyseventh year.

Next of Lord Lyttleton, the circumstances of whose death are well known. It is manifest that this case is very analogous to that of Colonel Gardiner, in many of its circumstances. The disordered state of Lord Lyttleton's health will fully account for the appearance and his lordship's sudden death cannot be considered as extraordinary, under any circumstances, subjected as he was to those fits of suffocation; how much less so, when the influence of this morbid state must doubtless have been immensely increased by the powerful impression which had been made upon the nervous system; while the depressing agency of the same cause, would have greatly tended to diminish the power of re-action, and consequently to extinguish the chance that the energies of the constitution might be

able to surmount the destructive agency of the disease. There is nothing at all extraordinary in Lord Lyttleton's not believing that the hour of midnight had passed, as his friends wished him to believe; because it is difficult to conceive any man, of common sensibility, losing one hour out of twelve, under such circumstances; while, as the period of midnight drew on, the feelings must have been wrought up by suspense, and susceptibility must have been accumulated about the brain, even to its highest pitch of excitation.

It is, however, necessary, Mr. Editor, to put a limit to the investigation of histories of this kind, or I should unduly trespass upon the limits of your journal. I am already obliged by the space you have allotted me, and I would not willingly draw further on your kind

ness. With regard to these cases it must be said, however, that some of them admit of immediate reference to the principles laid down in the foregoing essay;-others are so defective in circumstantial details, that they allow of no reasoning at all upon them;-while others are the manifest creations of the designing; of the involuntary dupes to themselves; or of the dupes of others. It may be that others are inexplicable; but do we not act wisely in referring such cases to principles which we can explain, rather than to adopt the incomprehensible hypothesis of a spiritual appearance ?-In conclusion, I will only request the space of a few more pages of your journal, for the completion of my design in this essay, and taking a general review of the whole argument, with the inferences to be drawn from it.

(To be continued.)

FAMILY SERMONS.-No. CCLX.

Ephes. iii. 9, 10.-And to make all

men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ: to the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known, by the church, the manifold wisdom of God.

IT will assist us in comprehending the spirit of this sublime declaration, if we consider four particulars which are included in it: namely, First, the mystery disclosed; Secondly, the time of its disclosure; Thirdly, the persons to whom it is disclosed; and Fourthly, the medium through which it is made known. The mystery, the Apostle says, is the manifold wisdom of God in the calling of the Gentiles to be partakers of the blessings of the Gospel. The time of its disclosure, he adds, is "now"

namely, under the Christian dis

pensation-it having before been "hid in God from the beginning of the world." The persons to whom it is manifested, are said to be "all men "—that is, the inhabitants of this lower world—and also "the principalities and powers in heavenly places." And the medium through which it is disclosed, is stated to be "the church." All these particulars are expressly mentioned in the text: "And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ: to the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known, by the church, the manifold wisdom of God."

It is, then, no barren or uninteresting subject on which we are about to meditate; it is a sacred mystery-a mystery into which angels desire to look; a mystery in which we ourselves are specially concerned; and oh may we be enabled so to contemplate it, and so to apply it to our own circumstances, that it may become the joy and rejoicing of our hearts! It is not a tale of other ages, other nations, other worlds; to us, to each one of us severally, is this Gospel of salvation sent: and infinitely does it concern us to understand it; to receive it by faith; to walk worthy of it; to live in its spirit, to die in its hopes, and to be for ever happy in the blessedness which it unfolds. May the Spirit of all truth this day guide our meditations aright upon this sacred theme, taking of the things of Christ and revealing them to our hearts by his Divine influences, through the instrumentality of his holy word!

First, then, the Apostle speaks of an important mystery which had been disclosed. This mystery was "the manifold wisdom of God" displayed in the free offer of pardon of sin, and all the blessings of the covenant of mercy in Christ Jesus,

to the whole world. The Apostle had called it in a former verse of this chapter, the mystery of Christ," "that the Gentiles should be fellow-heirs," that is, heirs with the faithful children of Abraham according to the flesh-" and of the same body," that is, the mystical body of Christ-and "partakers of his promise," the promise of God, "in Christ, by the Gospel." To the mind of a Jew, whose nation had been long a peculiar people, a people especially dedicated to God and partakers of his favour, while all other lands were immersed in the darkness of heathenism, a revelation of Divine mercy might not appear so wonderful in itself, as in the circumstance that this grace was to be manifested, not to his own nation only, but to the whole world; not merely to those who were nigh, but to those who were afar off; those whom the Jew at that period frowned upon, with much the same illiberal jealousy which the Gentiles in their turn exercised towards the outcast Jew. But whether to Jew or to Gentile, this disclosure of the mercy of God to fallen and guilty creatures, through the sacrifice and mediation of his beloved Son, was indeed a stupendous exhibition of "manifold wisdom." For whither can we turn for so striking an illustration of that heavenly attribute? Where can we see its varied operations so brightly displayed, so harmoniously blended? It exhibited infinite wisdom, in magnifying the law of God and making it honourable, yet redeeming those who by transgression were under its curse, and freeing them from its penalties. It exhibited infinite wisdom, in uniting the claims of justice with those of mercy; in pardoning the offender, yet shewing the infinite displeasure of God against the offence; in converting rebellious apostates into loyal and obedient subjects to the Divine Majesty ; and where sin had abounded making grace much more abound. A mystery is that which is astonishing,

that which passes our natural powers of reason to comprehend or account for. And such is the whole plan of our redemption. It was a mysterious dispensation, that, while apostate angels were left to perish without remedy, redemption was provided for fallen man. The way, also, in which the redemption was effected, was mysterious; for "we were not redeemed with corruptible things, such as silver and gold;"-nothing human, nothing that we could give, was the price of our ransom; we had no merit, no virtue to offer; we were without strength, as well as without hope;" but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot." For, notwithstanding our transgres sions, "God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." Yet, though this plan of mercy was mysterious; though it was beyond the faculties of the human understanding to have devised, or the most ardent desire to have hoped for; it was not inconsistent with the highest exercise of reason. So far from it, though a mystery, it was a mystery of wisdom; the wisdom of God himself; and he who gave us the faculty of reason could not make its true dictates inconsistent with the declarations of his own wisdom. And we find this to be the fact; for the better we understand the plan of human redemption, the more we discern its excellence. While it secures pardon, it excites to holiness; while it honours God, it blesses man. It is free, without money and without price, and its benefits are received simply by faith; yet this very faith is the fruitful parent of good works; and all, far more than all, that sages and moralists in vain endeavoured to effect by barren precepts, is accomplished by an exhibition of Divine mercy, the language of which is equally, "Thy sins are forgiven thee," and "Go and sin no more."

Such is the mystery of wisdom

which the Apostle mentions in the text. Let us consider,

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Secondly, the time of its disclosure. He speaks of it as recent: it had been hid, he says, from the beginning of the world, but had now been made manifest. And had the wisdom of God, then, never been known before? Had he left himself without witness among his creatures, from the foundation of the world to the days of the Apos tles? Was it not known in the heavenly regions, when the morning stars sang together, and the sons of God shouted for joy? And is it not said of Wisdom," the Lord possessed me in the beginning of his way, before his works of old: I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, or ever the earth was?” And if from eternity we pass on to the commencement of time, are we not told, "The Lord by wisdom founded the earth, by understanding hath he established the heavens ?" And was not boundless wisdom exhibited in the creation of mankind, and in all the arrangements of the Divine providence, from the creation of our first parents to the present moment? Can we read the Scripture narrative, and not see in it constant traces of a wisdom which nothing could perplex, as much as of power which nothing could withstand, and of love which not even the multiplied transgressions of mankind could subdue? And was not the wisdom of God, thus displayed from eternity, "manifold," as well as infinite? did it not comprehend all that related to the creation, the government, and the well-being of the universe, with all its wants, and under all its aspects? Why, then, does the Apostle assert that the manifold wisdom of God had hitherto been a mystery, hid from former ages, and revealed only at the promulgation of the Christian dispensation?-He speaks comparatively, and with particular reference, as we have already seen, to the extension of the blessings of the Gospel to the Gentiles. Hitherto life and immor

tality, though abundantly shadowed forth, had not been fully brought to light; nor did even the disciples of our Lord himself clearly understand that the Messiah was to be a "light to lighten the Gentiles," as well as "the glory of his people Israel." The prophecies of the Old Testament had indeed largely spoken of this mystery of Divine mercy, and set forth the wisdom of God in the redemption of the world, through the obedience unto death of his coequal Son; but a veil was upon the hearts and understandings of mankind; a more clear and explicit revelation was necessary; so that He who had at sundry times and in divers manners spoken in times past by the prophets, saw fit, at length, to speak by his own Son. Compared with the fulness of this revelation, all former manifestations were feeble. It was now that the way of salvation was to be universally proclaimed; the glad tidings were to go out to all nations; and they who had long sat in darkness and the shadow of death, now for the first time beheld the meridian splendour of the Sun of Righteousness beaming upon them with healing in his wings. Why this particular time was chosen, we are not informed: the mystery, it is said in our text, had been "hid in God;" and he was not constrained to open to us the secrets of his eternal wisdom. In the fulness of time, however, according to the foreordaining of his all-perfect will, his beloved Son was born into our world, and fulfilled those purposes of Divine grace which he had undertaken to accomplish. And reason enough might it be for the postponement of this purpose of mercy, that in the mean time its necessity had been the more fully proved. The guilt and impenitence of mankind had been so fully displayed, as for ever to justify, in the sight of all created beings, the righteous awards of Jehovah; and the inability of human wisdom to devise, and of human strength to execute, any plan of redemption, which should

at once honour God and rescue man, had been proved, beyond the possibility of future denial, by four thousand years of sin, misery, and spiritual ignorance. At length, all the preparations for this manifestation of Divine goodness being complete, the atonement was offered, and the message went abroad: "Go ye into all the world, and preach the Gospel to every creature: he that believeth and is baptized shall be saved, and he that believeth not shall be damned."

The nature of this mystery of Divine wisdom, and the period chosen for its promulgation, having been noticed, we proceed to consider,

Thirdly, the persons to whom the disclosure was made. The Apostle says in our text, first, "all men;" the whole of our fallen race, without distinction of age, or rank, or nation. It had been partly made known within the precincts of Paradise, when, at the fall of man, the promise was given of a Deliverer who should bruise the serpent's head it was foretold to the patriarchs of old; Abraham, especially, saw afar off the day of Christ, and was glad: and it was, as it were, visibly embodied in the rites and ceremonies of the Jewish law, and proclaimed by a long succession of inspired prophets. Still the communication was but partial. The nation of Israel had indeed the lively oracles of God, so far as then revealed; but the world at large was in darkness; so that even the most learned and enlightened nations of antiquity were not better informed respecting the character of God, the nature of the human soul, the fallen and helpless condition of mankind, and the only way of pardon and acceptance, than the most ignorant barbarian. But now the message of mercy was to be made known to the whole world; now were to be fulfilled those prophecies which foretold that the heathen should be given to Christ as his heritage, and the uttermost parts of the earth as his possession; now was the wall of partition

between Jew and Gentile broken down; now was the whole family of believers in heaven and earth named of Christ, the common Lord and Saviour of all; and now began that dispensation of Evangelical illumination and grace under which we at this moment live, and the knowledge of which is to be diffused more and more widely, till the whole world shall be filled with the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea. All men have not yet heard, much less cordially received, the message; but the promise is made, the word has gone forth, and soon the kingdoms of this world shall become the kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign for ever and ever, King of kings and Lord of lords.

But the Apostle does not confine the disclosure of this mystery to the human race; for he adds, that "to the principalities and powers in heavenly places" is made known, by the Gospel," the manifold wisdom of God." And how greatly does it elevate our feeble conceptions of the glory of this Divine mystery of mercy in the redemption of mankind, that the most exalted archangels in heaven desire to look into it! Though having no personal concern in the sacrifice of Christ, and not themselves needing an atonement, they see in this plan of Divine mercy so bright a manifestation of the attributes of their adorable Creator, the author of all their blessedness, that they rejoice to contemplate the heights and lengths and breadths and depths of the love of God in Christ Jesus to a fallen and guilty race. Yes, never shall there cease to be a grateful choir to swell the anthem of praise "to Him who loved us, and gave himself for us;" Him "who was slain, and hath redeemed us to God by his blood." For, even if the whole human race had refused to acknowledge this Divine beneficence, if not one of the sons and daughters of Adam had embraced the offered mercy, heaven would not have wanted wor

shippers, the praises of God would not have been unsung: the principalities and powers of the heavenly world, who rest not day nor night, saying Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come, would add to their wonted anthem " a new song," as this new and brightest illustration of his power and wisdom and goodness awakened in them still higher conceptions of his all-perfect attributes. But, no: they will not be thus left alone; for, debased as is our nature by the fall, and hardened as it is by actual transgression, it will still, through the reclaiming power of God, supply a company which no man can number, to join in that heavenly chorus of love and gratitude: so that both "the voice of many angels around the throne," and that of "the spirits of the just made perfect," yea, "every creature which is in heaven and on the earth,” shall be heard saying, "Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto Him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb, for ever and ever."

Thus, from the consideration of the mystery of Divine wisdom disclosed, the time of its disclosure, and the persons to whom it is communicated, we are led,

Fourthly, to the medium through which it is made known-namely, "by the church." There had not been wanting, as we have seen, other channels of communication. The works of creation had not spoken in vain; the whole course of the providence of God, both in heaven and on earth, had not been lost upon such willing and intelligent spectators of his wisdom and goodness. But a still nobler survey was to be exhibited through the medium of the Church of Christ. There the principalities and powers of heaven might trace the mystery of the wisdom of God, unfolded in the course of successive ages; the display becoming brighter and brighter as the dawn became visible, the twilight vanished, the sun broke forth, and