cedony; the fourth, an emerald; the fifth, sardonyx; the sixth, sardius; the seventh, chrysolite; the eighth, beryl; the ninth, a topaz; the tenth, a chrysoprasus; the eleventh, a jacinth; the twelfth, an amethyst." have often said precious stones are the broken fragments of ancient Paradise. At that explosion of which our sin was the igniting spark, these precious stones were broken into fragments. Admired by kingly eyes, and worn in kingly crowns, they are bits of Paradise; and hence there are two things on earth excessively beautiful and lovely-the flowers that come forth in summer, and precious stones. These are permanent flowers; amaranthine blossoms; they do not fade, they are always beautiful. Why should not women wear these? They are the most beautiful remains of Eden; they are almost sacred; they will be part of the future glory. Your adorning, says Peter, is not to be these things. He does not forbid the use of these things, he only says these things are not to be your glory, nor to be your chief ornament; you are to look higher than these to the ornament of a meek, and a quiet, and a gentle spirit. Precious stones remind me of Paradise that was, and prophesy to me of this more beautiful cathedral that will be. God has selected these to be the foundations of that grand cathedral whose founder, whose builder, whose glory, whose high altar is Christ. In language most magnificent, language that one never wearies reading: "I saw no temple therein; for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it. And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it; for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof." Then what an exquisite thought is that: "And God "-when he shall bring forth the top stone, when the edifice shall be completed, and this world lasts till the last living stone has been quickened and laid upon Christ the foundation stone-" shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain; for the former

things are passed away. And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it; and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honour into it. And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day, for there shall be no night there. And they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light; and they shall reign for ever and ever." Grand cathedral! glorious edifice! in every light worthy of Him who bears its glory! It is meet, it is essential, it ought to be your prayer, that you should find a place in it. Let me ask, are you living stones? Have your hearts been quickened by the warmth of celestial sunshine? Have you been taken out of the cold, dead, shattered quarry of this present cold, miserable, fallen earth, and feel you in your hearts something of the temperature of the sky? Is your worship the adoration of that spotless Lamb? Are there in your hopes the expectation of standing before Him who has redeemed you by his blood, and praising and adoring Him for ever and ever? What are all our local churches? what is the edifice in which you worship every Sunday? Just a shed in which the workmen are working with Christ to build up this grand cathedral. What is the noblest cathedral in England, as it is called? A workshop, where stones are being prepared for the great Master Builder, to be fastened into that glorious edifice, living stones in a living cathedral. And what do we on a communion Sunday? We try to bring down from the sunny heights of heaven a little of its sweet sunshine to give us a reminiscence of a glory that has faded, and to give us-blessed be God!-the earnest and the foretaste of a glory that will come again when the top stone shall be He who is the foundation stone, and we shall meet where our songs have no discord, where our prayers have no imperfection, where our service shall never weary, for they serve him day and night without ceasing.

O thou living Rock of Ages, make each of us a living stone in thine own sublime edifice, and thou shalt bear the glory! Amen.

LECTURE XXXV.

THE LAST AND PERFECT EXHIBITION.

THIS year, 1862, the kings and nations of the earth are gathering together to see and admire the treasured glories of art, civilization, and science. It suggests, what is rather contrast than comparison, the descent from heaven of the city of God-the palace of the earth— to set forth the glory of which heaven and earth contribute their united riches and splendours.

"And the building of the wall of it was of jasper and the city was pure gold, like unto clear glass. And the foundations of the wall of the city were garnished with all manner of precious stones. The first foundation was jasper; the second, sapphire; the third, a chalcedony; the fourth, an emerald; the fifth, sardonyx; the sixth, sardius; the seventh, chrysolite ; the eighth, beryl; the ninth, a topaz; the tenth, a chrysoprasus; the eleventh, a jacinth; the twelfth, an amethyst. And the twelve gates were twelve pearls; every several gate was of one pearl: and the street of the city was pure gold, as it were transparent glass. And I saw no temple therein for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it. And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof. And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it: and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honour into it. And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day for there shall be no night there. And they shall bring the glory and honour of the nations into it. And there shall in no wise enter into it anything that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh

abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb's book of life. And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb. In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in and his servants shall serve him: and they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads. And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever."-REVELATION Xxi. 18-xxii. 5.

it ;

THE apocalyptic picture suggests, by way of contrast, the evanescence of all that is an approximation to it. Man tries to imitate the heavenly, but his brightest and most beautiful approximation is only a splendid failure. What man attempts upon the earth is evidence of yearnings in his soul after a perfection, a beauty, a glory which this world cannot furnish. These yearnings are Divine instincts-indomitable instincts, not to be disappointed, but to the utmost gratified when the New Jerusalem shall come down from heaven, and the splendid picture that is here set in prophecy shall be fulfilled in fact, in the world's history, and in the Christian's grateful experience.

Earth has been often the scene of great gatherings. Sometimes men have met in countless hosts to battle; sometimes to celebrate the Olympic games, and races, and wrestlings. Once they came as the Crusaders of old, under the auspices of a Pope, who was foolish enough to consecrate such folly, and at the instigation of Walter the Penniless, and Peter the Hermit, who had nothing better to do, and set out to recover the desolate tomb of a dead Christ, instead of going forth to preach the risen glory of a living and interceding Christ.

Incidental evils have accompanied all great gatherings; but if there have been incidental evils, as there may be in this great city at this remarkable time, there will be permanent, it may be, everlasting good.

Every such attempt is an effort of man to reach that perfection which was his first destiny; and it is a confession upon man's part that he feels the want of something, and that he is anxious, and that he will labour, if possible, to recover it. The most beautiful painting we look at, the most finished poem we read, the most glorious structure we contemplate, are efforts of man to reach a perfection of which he has vague and inextinguishable recollections; a perfection, too, the very attempt to reach which is not only a prophecy, but an augury of the fulfilment of God's promise, that this air shall not always resound with the tramp of battle-steeds, the roll of the war-drum, and the sound of the clarion, and that this earth shall not always be steeped in tears, and torn with graves-that sick-beds, and sorrows, and crosses shall not always be-that one day, sooner than some imagine, the New Jerusalem will come down from heaven, and the world shall close as the world began, -with Paradise itself.

The prediction of the Book of Revelation describes a descent upon the earth, not an erection upon it. "John saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down from heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.” It did not grow out of the earth like a flower made of the earth's materials, and destined with the earth to decay, but it comes down from heaven. Its origin is heavenly, its destiny is heavenly; its character is therefore essential and unmingled purity. It comes down, it is said, from heaven, and is planted on the earth, and it shall exhibit a glory the very reading of whose record is music. When we listen to one reading these last two chapters of the Apocalypse, it is as if we listened to the sweetest strains of the most majestic oratorio. The thoughts are so magnificent, the language so poetical, that all that Shakspeare wrote, or Milton conceived, sink into insignificance in comparison with these grand