promiscuous dispersion, so long exposed and bleached, and mingled together in this open valley, carried by beasts of prey hither and thither? How can they be made to resume their former places, each in its own body, bone to its bone, and stand up alive? The prophet's faith could answer no further than by referring the question to the power of God: "O Lord God, thou knowest." Then came the command: "Prophesy upon these bones; say unto them, 'Hear the word of the Lord." How can the dead hear? But the prophet obeyed. "And there was a noise, and behold a shaking, and bones came to bones, bone to his bone." Each resumed its original place in its own body, "and the sinews and the flesh came upon them, and the skin covered them above." But as yet there was no life in them. The prophet, as commanded, prophesied again, and "the breath came into them, and they lived and stood up an exceeding great army." Then came the interpretation of the Lord: "These bones are the whole house of Israel; behold, they say, 'Our bones are dried, and our hope is lost.' Behold, O my people, I will open your graves, and cause you to come out of your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel, and put my Spirit in you, and ye shall live and know that I am the Lord."

Now, what says the unbelief of the world, as it looks over the present condition of the Jews, so widely dispersed, so mixed up among themselves, so mixed up among all nations-the ten tribes so lost that none know where they are all so hardened against the gospel? "Surely their bones are dried, and their hope is lost." We ask the faith of man, "Can these dry bones live?" Can the promises of the Scriptures, concerning these people, be fulfilled? We do not wonder that many ridicule the idea; that others are unable to entertain it, seeing how few are content with the answer of the prophet: "Lord, thou knowest." The difficulties are as insuperable to human might as the raising of the dead. So was it intended that we should regard them. We have no desire to lessen the appearance of impossibility, except to him who is "the Resurrection and the Life."

But carry the use of the prophet's vision beyond the people of Israel. The state of the population of the whole unconverted world may be seen in that valley of bones. Converted unto God it is all to be. The heathen are already given to the Lord, our Saviour, "for an inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for a possession ;" and a day is fast coming, when the possession and inheritance shall be, not only given, but received and entered on. But what immeasurable difficulties oppose such a conversion and regeneration: such impossibilities! What! shall the little flock of the true people of God possess such a kingdom? Shall this little stone ever fill the whole earth? Can all these nations, so long dead and buried under vices, and superstitions, and idolatries, and all darkness, and perversions of mind for so many centuries can they be made all to turn unto Christ, and live as his people? Make the hope

lessness of such an event, to human power, as great as you please. The reality can not be exaggerated. Hopeless it is, indeed, if the power of the church, without the power of its Lord, or without a far mightier putting forth of his power, than the church has known since her first days, is to be our whole trust. But our assured answer to all difficulties, is, the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ from the dead. His word assures us that such great things are promised. His resurrection assures us that, because promised, they can and will be accomplished. What is there in all of them more hopeless, more impossible, than seemed the resurrection of Christ, during those days in which he lay in the grave? To the heathen, nothing was more impossible than that the dead should be raised. Pliny said, that to bring them back to life (revocare de functos), was one of those things which even God could not do. Festus thought Paul mad, and the Athenians mocked at him, because he preached the resurrection. And are there any bonds holding the Jews in unbelief, stronger than those which held our Lord's body in death? Are there any barriers between the resuscitation of the Jews, as a nation, and their being restored to their own land, more impassable than those between our dead and buried Lord, and the kingdom on high, to which he ascended? Have the powers of darkness a more hopeless dominion over the heathen world, than they seemed to have obtained over the rejected, and crucified, and lifeless Head of the promises of the gos pel? Is there any thing to discourage the Christian from expecting that the Jews, and the heathen, will ever live unto God as a Christian people and church? Is there any thing to make the unbeliever mock at such an expectation, which had not its perfect equal when Jesus lay in the sepulcher, his disciples scattered and dismayed, his enemies scoffing and triumphing? But "the Lord is risen indeed." Those impossibilities were all brought to naught. He rose, the "Lord of all power and might." Death could not hold him from ascending to his Father. The nations could not prevent him from fulfilling his word. All that he hath said shall be done. The greatest is done already. Did he raise himself from death? Then he can, and will, bring Jews and Gentiles to spiritual life, because he has promised. God hath given assurance unto all

men in that he hath raised him from the dead.

Lastly, we must consider the resurrection of Christ in its connection with that of his people, who sleep in him. There must be "the redemp tion of the body," because man is already redeemed. Our Lord will not leave his work unfinished. "Your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost," and he will not leave it in ruin and desolation, polluted and outcast. He will build it again, and in far more than its original beauty. It partook of the sin, and the condemnation, and penalty. In the case of all believers, it must partake of the justification and the glory. What God joined together in the fall, he will join together in the restoration. "We shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at

the last trump." "This corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal, immortality." The sign, the pledge, the assurance of all is, that the Lord is risen. Believers are members of a mystical body, of which he is head. Because he lives, they shall live also. He can no more permit the gates of hell to prevail over them, to keep them in death, than he would allow them to prevail over him. When he rose, as when he died and was buried, it was in his federal relation as a surety and representative of his people. In him the believer rose also. Our graves were opened when the stone was rolled from his sepulcher. Our victory over death was secured when he burst its bands and came forth free. Beautifully is the argument-from his resurrection to ours-delivered in St. Paul's allusion to the presentation of the sheaf of the first ripe wheat in the temple. "Now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the first-fruits of them that slept." The Jews were prohibited the gathering of the harvest, until the first-fruits were offered to God as an acknowledgment of his goodness in the products of the ground. Till then, the harvest was regarded as unholy-unconsecrated. The great proprietor had not received his tribute. That done, all was considered as acknowledged to be his own, and was received by the people as from him, and the harvest, so consecrated, was secure to be reaped and gathered. Vast is the harvest of the dead, lying ungathered. The people of God of all generations, in the graves of earth and sea, under all skies, dust on dust, an immense community, precious beyond thought to him who died for them; what a field from which the angels may gather for the garner of heaven! It is all ready, only waiting "the voice of the archangel and the trump of God," that the work may begin; for the first-fruits have been already presented. Jesus, "the first-begotten from the dead," hath passed within the vail, and now appears in the presence of God for us. Thus the whole harvest of the dead in Christ is consecrated and pledged. It must be gathered, for the Lord is its owner. O, glorious day, when the trump of God sounding from heaven shall give the signal, and, "in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye," the dead in Christ shall all come forth! O, that jubilee, that year of all years, and end. of all times, for which all cycles and dispensations have been preparing; when every bondsman of the Lord's household now in the captivity of death, shall go free, and all debts of God's people to this law shall be finally canceled, and all the true Israel, from their wide dispersions, and separations, and bondage, shall go home, returning "to Sion with songs and everlasting joy on their heads;" when loved ones shall meet again to be no more divided, and the great family, the vast communion, the universal brotherhood of Christ, shall meet in their heavenly Jerusalem, to keep their feast of redemption and blessedness for evermore; every trace of the curse and the death abolished; every risen saint beholding in each brother the likeness of the glory of his Lord! That will be a "holy convocation unto God," indeed. How will they crowd the bat

tlements of Sion, to look down upon the deserted graves, and the whole vanquished and ruined dominion of death, whence they have been ransomed! How will they fill that holy city with their praises, as they cry with one voice, "Thanks be to God which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." Then will it be said, as never before it could be said, "The Lord is risen indeed"-risen in his mystical body, the church; for which, in his natural body, he died and rose again. Then his work is done-redemption is complete; the fullness of his glory, as the Saviour of sinners, is consummated, and the year of his redeemed is come. O, may our eyes see that endless year! May our feet stand in thy gates, O Jerusalem; to have part with them that shall keep that feast!

Brethren, what shall we do that we may rise to that resurrection of life, and belong to that blessed company? I have time but for one brief answer, "Seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affections on things above, not on things on the earth." Make Christ your heart's treasure and hope, and he will make you, and keep you as his own dear treasure; and at last will receive you unto himself, as the crown-jewels of his kingdom.

DISCOURSE XXXIII.

FRANCIS WAYLAND, D.D., LL.D.

THE venerable ex-President of Brown University was born in the city of New York, March 11, 1796. When he was eleven years of age, his father removed to Poughkeepsie, where he prepared for entrance to college, under the care of Rev. Daniel H. Barnes. In 1811 he entered Union College, nearly two years in advance, and graduated in 1813. He studied medicine for three years, and then relinquished this profession for the ministry. In 1816 he entered the Theological Seminary of Andover. In 1817 he was appointed tutor in Union College; and, in 1821, he was called to the pastorate of the First Baptist church, in Boston. He returned to Union College, as a professor, in 1826. During the same year he was elected President of Brown University, Rhode Island, which office he filled with distinguished honor until the year 1855, when, feeling the weight of years, he resigned, to find relief from so grave responsibilities, and perfect for publication several works upon which it is understood he has for some time been engaged. During the period of his official services, Manning Hall and Rhode Island College were added to the University buildings, the library became one of the most valuable collection of books on the continent, and the resources and general efficiency of the University were increased fourfold.

Dr. Wayland is well known as an author. His principal literary reputation rests upon his "Elements of Moral Science," "Elements of Political Economy," and "Elements of Intellectual Philosophy," which are used as text-books in many schools and colleges. Besides these, he has published a volume of sermons; "Thoughts on the Collegiate System of the United States;" "Limitation of Human Responsibility;" and "Notes on Baptist Principles and Practices." He also prepared the memoir of the late Dr. Judson, in two volumes.

The personal appearance of Dr. Wayland is stately and majestic, well befitting the noble intellect within. The whole aspect of the man is such as would arrest attention in the largest assembly. He is, in stature, a little above the medium height, square built, and massive. His head has been spoken of as one which a sculptor might have taken as a model for Jupiter; and the dark piercing eyes gleam out from beneath bushy black brows, which in their turn are surmounted by a broad forehead, overtopped by iron-gray hair.

Few men have exerted a more important influence upon the educational interests of the country than Dr. Wayland, both by his writings, and his professional career. At the same time, he has never lost sight of his office as a Christian minister. He has almost constantly kept up the habit of preaching, and in private intercourse as well, the steadfast aim has been to make men good as well as great. He is now acting as temporary pastor of the First Baptist church, Providence.