where all will contribute to its constant preservation and increasing adornment.

The saint's future building is attractive.

"For we that are

in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened: not for that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of life." Paul craved the spiritual body or house. "I have," he said, "a desire to depart and to be with Christ, which is far better." While at home in the body, he knew that he was absent from the Lord. When absent from the body and in his spiritual building, he felt that he should be in his Lord's immediate presence. Similar was the feeling of the believers of his day. Nor do saints in our day feel otherwise. Hence the godly in every age have, like the apostle, longed for the "house not made with hands." The saint's future building he is prepared for. "Now he that hath wrought us for the selfsame thing is God." Jehovah pardons and accepts the saints, and enlightens and renovates their nature, and thus renders their souls meet for their respective future glorified bodies. Their justification and sanctification-the requisite preparation-the Almighty effects on the ground of Christ's expiatory sacrifice; and by bringing them to rest solely on Jesus, the atoning Lamb, for His justifying and sanctifying grace. Everyone that wishes to possess the building of God, must be meetened for it; and there is no way of securing the necessary meetness but by penitentially and believingly yielding himself up to the Father through Jesus Christ.

The saint's future building he has the assurance of. "Who also hath given unto us the earnest of the Spirit." God gives the believer the pledge that it shall be his. He sends forth the Holy Ghost to witness with the believer's spirit, that he shall finally have the better body. This, the sacred Spirit does in various ways, chiefly by giving the Christian a sense of the Divine favor, and by enabling him to behave in such a manner as to show to himself and to others that he has undoubtedly become an heir to the heavenly inheritance, a part of which is the soul's future spiritual body or building.

Finally, have you such a house in prospect ? If not, never rest until you have. At any moment your clay tenement may be taken down; then, if you have not a building of God, your soul will be found naked. Wherefore comply with the dictates of God's Word and Spirit, and at once look to the Saviour with contrition and in faith, and He will yet redeem your spirit from all sin, and your body from the loathsome grave. Amen.

J. S.

Biblical Criticism.

THE CODEX SINAITICUS OF PROFESSOR TISCHENDORF.

It is impossible to over-rate the importance of ancient manuscripts of the New Testament. It is from them that our existing printed copies were derived; it is by means of them that our readings are either verified or corrected. We suppose the reader to be in possession of the general facts connected with the subject. Hitherto we have known four great manuscripts of the New Testament, written in uncial, or capital letters, and of great antiquity. These are:-(1) The Alexandrine, which is called Codex A, which is ascribed to the fifth century, and is in the Library of the British Museum :(2) the Vatican, Codex B, written in the fourth century, and now in the Vatican Library, at Rome:-(3) the Codex Ephraemi, Codex C, which was probably executed in the fifth or sixth century, and is in the Imperial Library, at Paris. It is a palimpset, that is, the original writing has been as far possible removed, to make way for certain treatises of Ephrem the Syrian. And there are numerous chasms :-(4) The Codex Bezae, Codex D, probably written in the sixth century, and now in the Library of the University of Cambridge. contains only the Gospels and the Acts. There are many other uncial manuscripts, as the Claromontanus, the Basiliensis, and the like; but those mentioned above were

It

until lately regarded as the four of peerless value and importance. Now, however, Tischendorf has given a fifth to the world, which will probably rank with the first four. This he calls the Codex Sinaiticus, and distinguishes it by the first letter of the Hebrew alphabet, Codex . It is considered by Tischendorf to be as ancient as the fourth century, and is written on vellum, the skin of antelope or ass. Tischendorf gives the following account of his discovery of this manuscript :

In 1844, Tischendorf found a portion of the Septuagint version of the Old Testament in a basket of papers at the convent of St. Catharine, on Mount Sinai. These he rescued from the flames to which they were destined. Endeavoring

however to get the rest from the monks, his over-anxiety roused their suspicions; and on their hearing from him the probable antiquity of the writing, they refused to give him any more. He again visited the monastery in 1853, but could hear nothing about the treasure. However, in 1859 he was there again; and being now under the protection of the Emperor of Russia, the monks showed him and permitted him to copy the whole, which was now found to comprise a large portion of the Septuagint, the New Testament entire, the Epistle of Barnabas in Greek, and a large portion of the Shepherd of Hermas.

In the year following, Tischendorf took the manuscript, which he had borrowed from the monks, to Leipzig, where he prepared an edition of it for presentation to the Emperor. Of this larger edition, in four volumes folio, only three hundred copies were issued. Of these, two hundred were appropriated by the Russian Emperor. The others were sold by Tischendorf at £34 10s. per copy. The paper is substantial and fine, the ink and type are made to represent the original. One of the four volumes contains the Dedication, Prolegomena, Notes on the Text, and twenty-one fac simile plates. This has recently been followed by a cheaper edition, in ordinary Greek type, and containing only the New Testament, and Barnabas, and Hermas. For this edition the Prolegomena have been somewhat revised, and there is one

fac simile of the writing from Heb. xii. 27 to xiii. 25. Even this smaller edition is sufficiently handsome, and is calculated for the ordinary purposes of the student of the New Testa

ment.

We propose to give in our next some account of Constantine Simonides, and the remarkable claims he has set up in relation to the Codex Sinaiticus; afterwards to speak more particularly of the manuscript itself, and the reasons adduced by critics for believing in its antiquity; and, finally, to give an account of its more interesting and important variations from the Received Text of the New Testament.

The Chair of Theology.

[This position we have rather been elected to by others, than arrogantly assumed of ourselves. Studious young men, in and out of orders, are adopting the custom of asking us for information and advice respecting a course of theological study, the choice of books, and the like. The thought has occurred, that it would be for their advantage, and our convenience, to throw such remarks as we are able to offer into a systematic form, once for all, that our correspondents may be referred to a standing document.]

STUDENTS of Theology, whether at college or in private, often waste time and energy for want of guidance. Unacquainted with the true method of study, and having but vague notions of the very science they are in pursuit of, they wander without satisfaction, and sometimes consume years in labor, much of which is needless, before finding the right path. If theology, like the mathematics, or the natural sciences, were in principles and results, for the most part a matter of general agreement and recognition, as definite and ascertained, and there were an abundance of trustworthy text-books suited to every grade of advancement, the business would be comparatively easy. But this is not the case. On the contrary, although truth on this subject, as on every other, is but one,

there is a great diversity of opinion. Vagueness prevails to a large extent, and many even of those who hold the truth, do it from want of definite principles and scientific method, in a confused manner, and with various mixtures of error, to the great detriment of themselves and their disciples. Hence it is often found very difficult to make real progress, or even a right beginning in this study. Long experience in reading, and much painful reflection, are the conditions of attaining a ripe and independent judgment, able to sift the wheat from the chaff, and to make solid acquisition. The writer can speak feelingly on this subject, having himself suffered from the present unsatisfactory state of theological learning. He will be happy if a plain and concise statement of the results of his experience be found profitable to beginners, saving unnecessary trouble and perplexity, by putting them at once on the right track.

A difficulty which besets the student at the very threshold, is the question whether theology itself is possible and legitimate, or not. Sometimes he is long haunted by misgiving, which damps his ardor and diminishes his vigor. Or, he may adopt the negative opinion, and suppose himself to have cast away theology, though he is all the while theologizing after a fashion. We earnestly counsel him to face this preliminary question boldly and warily. Until it is settled, he can do nothing well. If theology should turn out to be a dream or a crime, let him abandon the pursuit for ever; if a lawful and necessary reality, he will have the satisfaction of proceeding with unimpeded vigor.

Some amongst men of letters and men of science, and some who are members of the secular professions, or are otherwise engaged in active life, are in the habit of alluding to theology with a but half-disguised contempt. In their estimation, evidently, it is a relic of by-gone ages, and is unworthy to retain hold on the vigorous leading intellects of an enlightened and practical age. It is not our present business to argue the question with these men. We are dealing now neither with the worldliness which disrelishes theology because of its