DEATH AND THE SHADOW OF DEATH. BY REV. ISAAC HEADLEY. EVERY shadow has a substance, and every substance a shadow, when light is reflected upon it. There is death, and there is the shadow of death, when that light which Christ has shed on the tomb is reflected upon it. "It is appointed unto all men once to die." And there never have been but two exceptions among all the countless millions of former generations; and we have no reason to believe there will ever be another, until the resurrection morn, when the bodies of those who are alive will experience a change equivalent to death. To the impenitent, dying is a double death; for all their hopes and expectations die and perish with them, and they sink down into all the horrors of the second death. It is a fearful thing for a person and his hopes to expire together. To such, death is indeed the king of terrors. But not so with dying believers; though they too must pass through the valley, yet faith enables them to do it without fear or dismay, for it is only the shadow of death through which they pass into their long-desired and wished-for home, and rest with their God and Saviour in heaven; hence they can say with the Psalmist, "Though I walk through the valley and shadow of death, I will fear no evil for thou art with me, thy rod and thy staff they comfort me." Although the Christian knows he must die; must put off this earthly tabernacle before he can enter heaven; must have a conflict with death; and although he knows he must fall in the conflict, yet faith assures him though he falls he will conquer-will gain the victory, through the Captain of his salvation, who has won it for him; he can therefore by anticipation shout the triumph even before he engages in the conflict, "O death, where is thy sting; O grave, where is thy victory ?" As the sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law; and as Christ has become the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth; hence he has disarmed sin of its power, and death of its sting. To real Christians death has, as it were, changed his form, yea, even lost his substance, and nothing of him is left but his shadow; sleep, merely the image of death. It is death, not the Christian that dies. He just begins to live; he falls asleep in Jesus, and his soul awakes in immortal life, glory and blessedness, where death can never enter or have any more dominion over him forever. Death is not only a conquered enemy, but he is also transmuted into a friend. "Death is yours," saith the apostle; yours to deliver you from all sin, sorrow, and suffering; yours to introduce you into the presence of your God and Saviour, and into all the pure and holy joys and felicities of heaven. Who would not wish to die the death of the righteous, and have their last end like his? And whose inmost soul does not shudder at the thought of dying the death of the wicked, and have his last end and final portion like theirs? What cause have we to thank God for giving to feeble, dying mortals, such a victory over the monster death, as to enable them to contemplate the closing scene of life not only with composure, but with pleasing anticipation, "having a desire to depart and be with Christ." And many others, "who through fear of death, were all their lifetime subject to bondage," yet when the time of their departure drew near, and they were about to step down into the lone valley, have found death so disarmed of his sting, and disrobed of his terror, that they could, while passing through his shadow, triumphantly sing "Lord, lend your wings, I mount! I fly! O grave! where is thy victory! O what a debt of love, gratitude and praise do we owe the everblessed Saviour, who has purchased all this for us by his own sufferings and death; he encountered and conquered death in his most horrid forms, that he might give his faithful followers an easy and triumphant victory over him.-N. Y. Evangelist. XV. THE WEAPONS OF OUR WARFARE.* BY SAMUEL M. WORCESTER, D.D., PASTOR OF THE TABERNACLE CHURCH, SALEM, MASS. "For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh; (for the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds;) casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ."-2 Cor. x. 3-5. In the "lively oracles," both earlier and later, “the knowledge of God" denotes or implies true religion. As used by the apostles, it is but another expression for the Gospel, or "the truth as in Jesus.' Evidence of this we have in the text, and in many other passages of the New Testament. "The knowledge of God," important as it is to the welfare of man, both in this life and the future, has never had free course. "The carnal mind," because of its "enmity against God," has desperately resisted "the grace that bringeth salvation, teaching us, that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world."-With a very obvious, if not also a peculiarly impressive significance, in the times of Paul, the self-denying and perilous exertions and exposures of himself and other followers of Christ were represented as a "warfare,"-themselves, as "soldiers," their means of operation and defence, as "swords" and "helmets,"-and even the "Prince of Peace,❞— their Leader and Lord-as the "Captain of Salvation." What the apostle intended by "strongholds" is partially intimated by what he says of "imaginations and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God." There can be no doubt, that he comprehends in this description all the vain speculations, conceits, devices, and pretences of self-righteousness, selfsufficiency, and self-delusion; in short, everything which can be arraigned in opposition to "the truth of God and the faith of Jesus." And how did he and his associates prosecute their "warfare" against "spiritual wickedness?" Although "in the flesh," and therefore subject to many and great infirmities and temptations, they did not strive to obtain their "incorruptible crown," or to accomplish *Preached before the Massachusetts Pastoral Association, at Boston, May 28th, 1850. any of their purposes, by means or instrumentalities, which are congenial to selfishness and ungodliness. "For," as he affirms, "the weapons of our warfare are not carnal." It is evident, that he means as if he had said,-we attempt no coercion or violence. No fraud, no self-aggrandizement, no corruption of the word of God, can be laid to our charge. We may indeed invoke miraculous judgments in vindication of our despoiled authority. But we much prefer to "beseech you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ," and to speak with far less of assurance, than would become us, of the "authority which the Lord hath given for edification, and not for destruction." Laying aside the metaphors of the text, I propose to specify and illustrate the principal means, by which the great apostle so successfully labored to promote the Gospel of the grace of God; and by which he became so pre-eminently a model for the "ministry of reconciliation" among all people and throughout all ages,-until the last message of redeeming love shall be delivered in the name of Jesus. 1. The apostle labored to promote the Gospel, by publishing it as a definite and distinctive system of faith and practice. As in the material, so in the moral world, when "God said, Let there be light, there was light, and God divided the light from the darkness.' "The light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ" shone into the heart of Saul of Tarsus. The doctrine of Christ and him crucified, like Christ himself, was to him no longer "without form or comeliness." He saw in clearness and resplendence the amazing "mystery, which was kept secret since the world began,"-the way of salvation by a sincere, penitential faith in the blood of the cross. It was not an airy, misty, shadowy, undefined, and undefinable something or somewhat; but it was "the word of life," which could be "seen," be "looked upon," and be "handled." When, therefore, Paul went out to preach to his fellow-men, he carried with him a FORM OF DOCTRINE, which he could publish and "deliver," as such, to all who became the disciples of his Master. It was a "form of sound words," which the faithful could "hold fast" unto death. It was "truth," and the truth, in a reality and with a blessedness, of which he had sure and most ennobling experience. In all things he thus had an incalculable advantage, in encountering the philosophy of the schools, and vulgar superstition, whether associated with the bewildering traditions of the Jew, or the debasing mythologies of the Gentile. He could edify, or build up, as well as demolish and destroy. His creed was His faith did not consist in "not believing.' neither a summary of negatives, nor of disclaimers. He could announce to all men everywhere, as a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners;" for the LIVING GOD, who made heaven and earth, gave his only-begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." In few words he could answer the question, "What must I do to be saved?" Or he could discuss the great doctrines of justification by faith, and of atonement, in elaborate treatises, as in the Epistles to the Romans and the Hebrews. In either case he had something positive, substantial, real, visible, and tangible. He was neither a pantheist, nor a mystic, a transcendentalist nor an enthusiast. 2. It may next be remarked, that Paul labored to promote the Gospel, by publishing it as indispensable to salvation, and as freely offered to all. It made no difference, whether he was addressing Jews or Greeks, barbarian, Scythian, bond or free. He "preached Christ" to all, as the only Saviour from "the wrath to come." No one, however, could better have known the first impressions of the story of the cross, especially upon minds of the higher cast, both in activity and attainment. The intellectual habits, and the moral associations of those in the great cities of wealth, learning, luxury, and pride, in which most of all the apostles preached,-gave them ideas of dogmatical and irresponsible self-consequence, and predisposed them in large masses to repel with ineffable scorn the uncompromising and humbling claims of Christ and him crucified. Yet in all places and among all people, without the least respect of persons, he proclaimed the "Gospel of Christ, as the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth.' "The love of Christ constraineth us, because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead! Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new God hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him." He knew, that "of God Christ Jesus is made unto us wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption,-that, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord." He knew and felt most deeply, that "the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, in flaming fire, taking vengeance on them that know not God and that obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ; who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power, when he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe." And hence it was, that, while willing to be himself accursed from Christ for his brethren, his kinsmen according to the flesh, he laid to their charge as the sin above all their sins, that of "forbidding" him “to speak to the Gentiles, that they might be saved." creature. As a "Hebrew of the Hebrews," he had himself sought righteousness and heaven by the deeds of the law. His eyes had been shut, and had then been opened to see, that no man on earth was ever so justified and saved. Ruined and helpless-as a man weltering in his own heart's blood,-Jesus Christ was revealed to him, as "the |