There was no ebbing of the tide of existence, no weari. ness from excess of blessedness.

As Mrs. Jay and her friends were walking together in the grounds of the palace, studying the beauty of the statuary and temples, they saw a great convoy of angels and Redeemed floating onwards to the palace. They were evidently enjoying the splendors of the hour The sun had just sunk into a sea of molten gold, while silver-capped clouds rose like mountains intervening between the zone; so that this broad, illuminated belt looked like a bow of promise resting on clouds of silver.

It was the closing day of the week, and these angels and Redeemed whom they saw in the air were returning from distant worlds to share in the services of the Lord's day at the temple of the palace. On earth this is a day, with most Christians, of penitence and prayer; but here the day was spent by all in public worship and praise. In all worlds, as we have before said, there is a Lord's day; and wherever the Redeemed of earth are present, they tell to unfallen beings the story of man's redemption; and this is their last and highest attainment to preach the Gospel of the grace of God. This was the joy of Paul on earth, and is his delightful theme in heaven. In whatever world the Redeemed are placed for their development and culture, all alike rejoice in the hope of being at some time thus capacitated to glorify their God and Saviour.

The next day was a high day at the palace; and it

was a beautiful sight to see the assembling of the angels, Redeemed and servitors, with buoyant steps and countenances lit up with devotion, thronging to the temple.

Every part of this vast edifice was full at an early hour in advance of the time for beginning the services, and the great masters of music were in their places, when Handel and St. Cecilia entered the choir, whereupon the sublime services of this sanctuary commenced by a choral anthem. This was followed by songs of praise, in which the orchestra and organ, and every one present, joined. This magnificent ritual of worship was the work of ages. The grandest conceptions of the love of God in the gift of his only Son, for the redemption of man, were conveyed to their souls by a liturgy, exhibiting in itself the utmost power of language; which was intensified by the genius of the great masters, and made vocal by a vast audience, all alike glowing with the enthusiasm of love. Mrs. Jay and Peter sat overwhelmed with emotions of gratitude to God who had made them partakers of the divine nature. This service ended, the orator of the day ascended the forum. He was of a majestic height, and his face was noble. His eye threw rays of light over the audience as he surveyed them from the platform. There was in his bearing a consciousness of the loftiness of his theme, which swelled in his breast and gleamed from his eye. The attention of every one present was riveted. Stretching forth his hand, the orator began: "Hear, O heavens,

and give ear O earth; for the Lord hath spoken. I have nourished and brought up children, and they have rebelled against me." Taking this for his text, he portrayed in words of flame the rebellion of man, from the earliest days to the death of Christ; and then he brought this home to every redeemed soul present, in their past history and present blessedness; showing the glory of God's grace in their salvation with a vividness, which, like a flash of lightning to the eye, shut out from their minds every other thought, and only God and Christ, and their soul's life, were present in their consciousness.

When the orator ceased there was a long pause. Like the apostles on the Mount of Transfiguration, his auditors were blinded with the excess of glory, which weighed upon their spirits like a heavy sleep, out of which they slowly awakened. And this was the eloquence of a human being!-a minister who had held a high place in the Christian world, and who since had been a student in the school of eloquence, and was now traversing the wide-spread universe of God, to tell of the glorious gospel of Jesus Christ.*

*The heavens as seen on a starry night are called the universe. Now, modern astronomy has shown us the shape of the firmament in which our sun is a star; and beyond and outside this our firmament, are already catalogued upwards of twelve hundred nebula, believed to be distinct firmaments; and of these there is no end.

Sir J. F. W. Herschell, in his Astronomy, chapter xii., § 626, says: "The nebula furnish, on every point of view, an in exhaustible field of speculation and con.

One afternoon of the following week, as Mrs. Jay and Peter were walking in the gardens, watching the coming twilight and listening to the singing of birds and of faroff choirs, they were joined by the orator, John Howe, the eminent chaplain to Oliver Cromwell, whose benignant smile as he approached them, encouraged Mrs. Jay to address him. With a courtesy full of graciousness he came up and inquired what had been the subjectmatter of their conversation, that he might share in it.

"We were talking of the blessedness of the righteous, and of the text in John's epistle, 'Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed upon us that we should be called the sons of God.'"

"A precious subject," replied Mr. Howe, "and one concerning which I delighted to speculate while on earth."

"I was expressing to my friend my astonishment that this topic is so seldom the subject of ministerial teachings at the present day; and that mere matters of method and of ritual are permitted to take the place of the great theme of the adoption of sinners into the family of God. I was myself, sir, a member of the Episcopal church, and

jecture. That by far the larger share of them consist of stars there can be little doubt; and by the interminable range of system upon system, and firmament upon firmament, which we thus catch a glimpse of, the imag'aation is bewildered and lost."

Since this work of Sir J. F. W. Herschell was published, Lord Rosse has erected his great telescope, which has resolved many nebulous spots into vast firmaments of stars.

in the light of eternity I see no reason to change my preference for its liturgy; but I fear it is too common for Christians of all denominations to deem the shell as essential as the kernel itself."

"As it is," replied Mr. Howe, with emphasis; “for, madam, a man to be without a creed, a mode of faith, a formula of devotion, is to be without religion."

"But, reverend sir, on earth," said Mrs. Jay, "the scaffolding is too often regarded as an object of more interest than the temple. Here accessories are nothing, and Christ is all-his birth, his life, his works of mercy and his words of love, his death and resurrection, and the descent of the Holy Ghost; these are the themes of heavenly worlds, but how is it on earth? Is Christ all and in all? No, indeed! It is the General Assembly, the convocation of the House of Bishops, or the Convention of some sort―mere vehicles for promoting the interests of the several sectarian organizations, absorbing the talents and time of the ministry which should be consecrated to God and Christ."

"It is the infirmity of earthly natures. In the world there is no progress but what comes from conflict of opposing forces. There was no little of this in the days of the Protectorate, in which I largely shared."

"How does modern preaching compare with that of your times?" asked Peter.

"The ministry of my day, and of all days since the aposage, has been too often aside from the true power

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