truths respecting the present state of every unconverted sinner. Ver. 1. 'Hand, a divine influence brought this scene before Ezekiel's mind. Ver. 4. 'Prophesy, &c., declare the gracious designs of God toward your countrymen. Ver. 7. 'So I, &c.,' the prophet obeyed and soon beheld a change. Ver. 9. 'Come, &c.,' representing the dispersion of the Jews; see Ezek. v. 19, xii. 14, Ver. 10. 'Stood up, &c.,' the resurrection being completed. The prophet both preached to the bones and prayed to the spirit.

QUESTIONS.

1. How does the state of unconverted children resemble dry bones? Eph. ii. 1; 1 Tim. v. 6.-2. Have we naturally any holy life and warm love to God?-3. Do people know this, or, like a corpse, are they unconscious of it ?-4. Might they know their state of danger if they wished it?-5. Why should unconverted souls be alarmed? John iii. 19, 36.-6. By what power can dead souls be made alive, and concerned about eternal things? John iii. 8.-7. Can any but God raise souls from indifference? Zech. iv. 6.-8. Should this lead us to neglect our state, or to cry mightily to God for help ?-9. Do you believe that God is willing by his spirit to raise your soul from this awful condition? Ezek. xxxiii. 11.-10. If you refuse or neglect his aid, what will be the result? Prov. i. 24-33.-11. When the Holy Spirit quickens a soul, what is the consequence?-12. Ezekiel was to address the dry bones, what are sinners to hear and believe? Jer. xxii. 29; Acts xvi. 31.-13. Why did not the Prophet object to address dry bones ?-14. What change took place when he had prophesied ? ver. 8.-15. Does this progress in the work resemble any effect which Sunday school education can produce?-16. Many young persons know much of divine truth, what do they need further? Mark xii. 34; John iii. 1-6.-17. What was the last stage in the raising of these dry bones? ver. 9, 10, 14.-18. As none are truly alive for heaven till they have the spirit and the word within them, how should teachers and scholars act?-19. Why should seasons of deep prayer for the Spirit be united with times of learning the truth ?-20. When souls are savingly quickened how should they feel towards God, and walk in the world?

ance.

JAN. 28.-THE JOY OF ANGELS.-Luke xv. 1-10.

NOTES.

Ver. 1. 'Publicans, &c.' tax-gatherers and heathens. Ver. 2. ‘Murmured, &c.* thinking Jesus was degrading himself and violating their maxims. Ver. 7. 'More than over, &c.' the angels rejoice over the conversion of the most abandoned sinner more than they would over these scribes who thought they needed no repentThere are no persons who need no repentance. Some have thought the allusion is to infants. Most likely the persons named are merely supposed characters. We naturally rejoice over the recovery of any one from danger, more than over one who was not in danger. Repentance was described by a Puritan as having the heart broken for sin and from sin.' Ver. 8. 'Piece,' each worth sevenpence-halfpenny. 'Light a Candle,' the houses of the poor formerly had no windows, or mere loop-holes.

QUESTIONS.

1. Under what circumstances did Jesus deliver these parables?— 2. Can you explain the feeling which these Pharisees had? Prov. xxx. 12, 13.; Isaiah lxv. 5.; Luke xviii. 10, 14.-3. In what way does Jesus now receive sinners? Matt. xi. 28.; Is. lv. I.; Rev. xxii. 17.-4. How may we know whether he has received us?-5.

If we hope that Christ has received us, how should we evince our love to him?-6. What will be the final state of such as have been received by Christ?-7. Why was it right for Jesus to associate with sinners?-8. What object should we have in view when we hold intercourse with unconverted persons ?-9. By what figures did Jesus represent the condition of unrepenting sinners?-10. Why does the repentance of one sinner excite joy in heaven?-11. Can you describe the change which repentance makes in the state and prospects of a sinner?-12. What feelings in the bosoms of angels may we suppose are gratified by our repentance?-13. Should the effects of sin or its horrid nature as offensive to God, excite the deeper grief?-14. What scripture cases illustrate this difference? Matt. xxvii. 3, 5.; Ps. li. 4.; 2 Cor. vii. 10.-15. Why should the young be anxious about repentance?-16. Were an impenitent sinner to enter heaven, what would be his feelings?-17. As saving repentance is the gift of the Spirit, how must we seek it? Zech. xii. 10.; Acts v. 31.-18. What will be the end of final impenitence? Luke xiii. 3.—19. The affairs of earth are known in heaven, what is there known of us, our present state and solemn intentions?

FEB. 4. THE HEAVENLY MULTITUDE.-Rev. vii. 9-16.

NOTES.

Ver. 9. 'Great multitude,' infants are saved, they are one-third the human race; the gospel has yet to triumph universally; without the pree-minence in the number of his saints, Christ's heart would not be satisfied nor his atonement honoured. When the ransomed of every age are collected together, they will be innumerable. Stood, &c., the attitude of attentive adoration: 'white robes,' indicative of purity and joy; · Palms,' denoting victory; Lev. xxiii. 40; Neh. viii. 15; John xii. 13. Ver. 10. 'Loud voice,' showing ardent feeling. Ver. 11. •Angels, &c.' these happy creatures seem to adore God for saving sinners; ‘beasts,' Hving ones. Ver. 15. 'Serve him, &c.,' the service of the Jewish temple was kept up day and night. Ver. 16. 'Hunger, &c.,' all desires for ever satisfied. Ver. 17. 'Lamb, &c.,' Christ as the atoning lamb appears on the throne, the seat of law and dignity; what a proof that his death has magnified the law, and that his dying did not destroy his right to the highest honours of heaven. His appearing like a lamb as it had been slain, with the marks of his sufferings upon him, will for ever remind the saints of the source and security of their salvation.

QUESTIONS.

1. What did John see in this vision ?-2. How do you reconcile this multitude with such verses as Matt. vii. 13, 14?-3. Whence was this innumerable crowd brought?-4. As the gospel is able to convert all nations, what is our duty to these nation ?-5. How were these saints in heaven dressed ?-6. How came their souls to be thus pure from sin?-7. Of what were these Palms significant?-8. Why were they put into the hands of the ransomed ?-9. To whom do the redeemed ascribe their salvation?-10. Can you state the part which the Father and the Son took in our redemption?-11. In what ways may we suppose the angels who were never redeemed, worship God?-12. The saints had passed through great tribulation, did it entitle them to heaven?-13. What followed their being washed in Christ's blood?-14. Why can none be fit for heaven who are not interested in Christ?-15. How is the happiness of heaven represented in ver. 16, 17?-16. For what do believers hunger and thirst

on earth? Matt. v. 6.-17. What feelings shall we have toward the Lamb in heaven?-18. Why is he on the throne? Phil. ii. 8, 11.— 19. How should believers and unbelievers feel towards Christ's celestial dignity?-20. Can you state several causes of weeping on earth which will not exist in heaven?-21. As there is such bliss for such a multitude of persons in glory, how should we now act toward it?

Entelligence.

Newcastle-on-Tyne-The Sunday school Teachers in connexion with the St. James' Congregational Chapel, Blackett-street, assembled on Tuesday the 5th of December, for the purpose of taking leave of a beloved friend about to leave them for a sphere of more extended labours. The meeting, which was most interesting, was opened by prayer, by Messrs. Robert and James Fletcher; when Mr. Joseph Mather, a Superintendent of the Croft-street school, delivered a most sultable address to the departing friend, as to his past labours among them, what under the blessing of God he had been able to accomplish, and what might be yet accomplished in the work to which he was about more especially to devote himself in Bradford; and then presented Mr. DAVID WILSON, the esteemed Superintendent of the Branch school, in New Pandon-street, with an elegantly bound copy of' Doddridge's Family Expositor,' on behalf of his fellow Teachers, as a small token of the high esteem in which he is held, and as a mark of their approbation for the deep interest which he had taken in the schools, during his connexion with them. Mr. Wilson, in reply, referred to the happiness experienced by him, in the labours of Sabbath school tuition-to the necessity of every Teacher keeping prominently in view, that each scholar in his class, was the possessor of an immortal soul; and that the conversion of the soul, in a great measure, depended on his instrumentality. After many useful suggestions as to the best mode of conducting the schools, he closed with a most solemn and touching address, to the unconverted teachers, urging them without delay to flee to Christ, to be cleansed by the 'blood of sprinkling, shed for the remission of sins." Short addresses, suitable to the occasion were then delivered, by Messrs. Robert Fletcher, Joseph Wood, and Henry H. Tubbs, after which, Mr. Joseph Wood Invoked a blessing from God upon all present, and especially on the departing friend.

Newcastle-on-Tyne.-Mr. Thompson, who has been a devoted Superintendent of the Hillgate Branch school, having been engaged by the Baptist Missionary Society, as Engineer of the Steamer, destined for Western Africa, the Teachers of the Sabbath schools, have recently presented him with a handsome writing desk, bearing the following inscription:-' Presented to Mr. Thomas Thompson, on his departure for Africa, by the Teachers of Tuthill Stairs School, as a token of their affectionate regard. Newcastle, October 12th, 1843.'

Nottingham.-The venerable Archdeacon Wilkins, D. D., Vicar of St. Mary's, has recently closed his professional connection with this place, after a ministry of twenty-six years. His congregation manifested their respect in suitable ways; and on Monday, November 13th, the Teachers of the Sunday schools had a Tea party, and then presented to Miss Wilkins a splendid gold watch, as an acknowledgment of their high regard for the important aid she has rendered in their department of Christian labour.

This cut represents the Egyptian process of embalming. We find references to this peculiar custom in the scriptures. The patriarch Jacob, who died in Egypt was embalmed. In the book of Gen. ch. 1. v. 2., we read that 'Joseph commanded his servants the physicians to embalm his father; and the physicians embalmed Israel. And forty days were fulfilled for him; so are fulfilled the days of those which are embalmed; and the Egyptians mourned for him threescore and ten days.' Joseph himself, also, when he died, embalmed. In Gen. 1. 26., we read that Joseph died, being an hundred and ten years old; and they embalmed him, and he was put in a coffin in Egypt.'

was

The original painting from which the above cut is taken, was found in the tombs at Thebes, and in all probability is as old as the time of Joseph. We see before us, therefore, the

C

process of embalming in actual operation, as it was accustomed to be performed in those times. The four figures are the professional embalmers,—' the physicians,' as they are termed in scripture. These were a class of men specially trained for this purpose, who probably formed a branch of the medical profession. The body in the centre of the cut has undergone the process of embalming; and you may observe, that two of the figures are employed in bandaging it. The figure on the left is assisting them. On the right of the cut, you observe a body set up against the wall; it has been embalmed and bandaged, and one of the four is engaged in painting it. On the floor, stand various vessels, containing the drugs and spices employed in the operation.

The process itself, we shall now describe. After death had taken place, and the body had been laid out, it was washed entirely in warm water. It was then opened and disembowelled; that is, all the intestines were taken out, and the inside clean washed. The brain was drawn out of the skull through the nose, by means of a hook. The body, when thus disembowelled and deprived of the brain, was then laid in a solution of nitre or saltpetre, for thirty days. By means of this, it was, if we might use the expression, literally pickled. After this pickling had been completed, at the end of thirty days it was taken out of the solution of nitre, and carefully dried. The inside of the belly, where the bowels had been, was filled up with sawdust and chips of cedar wood, together with a little natron. The inside of the skull was filled up with asphalte, sand, and clay. The whole body was then wound and bandaged, with rollers of linen cloth, as we see them doing to the body in the centre of the cut. A great profusion of gums, spices, and aromatic drugs were employed in this part of the operation. When the body had been thus wound and bandaged, it was put into a coffin of cedar wood, or of pieces of pasteboard glued together, and made closely fitting to its shape. This coffin was then painted, often very richly, with a great profusion of figures. The coffin-lid always contains a resemblance of a human face, probably an attempt at the portraiture of the original. When the whole process was thus completed, the body, was called a mummy. It was then deposited in the tomb, which was always a cave or some excavation of the solid rock. The whole process of embalming a body took seventy days, during which time the relations of the deceased were in mourning. The expense of embalming was