gives him a home in the hyperphysical; and gives him his true vo

cation.

The source of the moral is, therefore, necessarily transcendental.* I shall be understood in the use of this word, as meaning that the source of the moral is above nature-it is a new force in creation, meeting nature at its climax, introduced from above into the constitution of the world. It lies in man's nature as lord of the lower world that he should be above it-it lies in the nature of him as the image of God that he should have a source also in the higher, in God-it lies in his nature that he should have a certain independence over against nature. This is involved in the conception of his freedom; he is not to be ruled by nature, and stand blindly in the power of time and space. Morality is, therefore, not mere na

ture, not physics.

This side of man, therefore, comes not out of mere nature-it is no product of its powers as vegetables, or animal life. There is provision made for it in the higher powers of the soul. He stands related to the invisible through these higher powers, as truly as he does on the natural side to this world through the senses. It is the office of these higher powers to govern. Hence, by virtue of them it is, that he has dominion over himself and this lower world.

The powers in question are placed in the soul of man for this purpose, and in their own nature are fitted for such mastery over his life and over the world. But to be equal to their office, they must be true to their own law. This is not in themselves, much less in the lower world; but only in God. They are to image his attributes, that is, to be in subordination to the invisible and infinite. Failing this, they have no power to fulfil their own office.

This office of the higher powers, requires then freedom to be under subjection to their own law. In this is their strength-by virtue of this there is dominion. All strength is under law. So in nature. All things are strong only in their proper place, and so under law. So the planets, plants, and animals. So in societyin the family-the state.

These higher powers, in which there is this strength and dominion possible, are in and from God. The higher nature of man has its end and rule in God. These powers are powers of the infinite. In the sphere of this relation to the infinite they have their only normal use. They are not infinite themselves, only of the infinite, set towards the infinite as their proper source and end. They are God's image in man-the mirror of the real-unseen. They are not abstract-they must have the infinite; for their proper contents— hence they reflect these eternal ideas. Form and contents must correspond.

Reason must have truth as its contents. So also conscience-it

* Transcendental. That is, the moral is no product of any law, or forces belonging to the physical. It springs from a new higher form of existence in man himself. The soul has power to originate its own acts-it is autonomic thus, and not a link only (like the animal) in the nexus or chain of physical causes and effects. The source of such action transcends the physical scheme of the world-lies over it and beyond it in the sphere of mind and will.

may be in error, but this is not its normal life-it rests in the infinite-it looks to the eternal. It must be as a mirror to reflect the mind of God. So will must have its ground in the infinite. It is formed for liberty--not to be under blind powers and forces as instinct, or the senses. The power of choice is not itself freedom, though it be the necessary condition of freedom, its proper form. But the form must have its proper contents also, its right informing substance, to be this idea in full. This implies that the choice may fall on truth or error. The object, the contents of freedom must be good. God is good-He is holy. The will that has these contents is free. The will, having its law in the divine nature, is free when it answers to that nature. Thus mere liberty is not free'dom-this is arbitrium-for it may seek the lower as its contents. Freedom rests in the infinite as its contents. The attributes of God meet in man's spirit; and the higher powers of man are an endeavor towards these contents. Here there is harmony of the human and divine; and here is the perfection of morality and of physics. This harmony is religion; and thus in religion alone have we true morality. In its consummation alone is the moral possible. Now this whole constitution of life, from the highest power of soul downward to unorganized matter, is what we are to understand by the "order of nature." The natural is not the material world merely, not merely the body in its relations to the natural world. Nature is that constitution as a whole, beginning in the lowest forms of creation and ending in the highest-in man; where it reaches that part in man which rests in the unseen and eternal side-will, reason, conscience. When all this nature is subordinate to the higher, it is in its normal state. All this is the order of nature so far as man's constitution is concerned. It includes the physical, the moral and the religious; and where these are in their just and proper relation, there is nature in its normal form.

There is room, therefore, for the idea of the Tripartite life, recognized in Scripture, body, soul, or animal mind—and spirit. The animal mind and the spirit are not two different existences; we only say that besides the body there are two other forms of existence in man, the soul, as the bond of union between the body and spirit. The soul of man, in its animal powers, is the efflorescence of the lower physical world; whilst in its higher faculties it is the seat of activities that have to do with the world unseen and eternal. Thus man has power to govern all below, as its Lord.

This division of man's nature has much to do with the idea of Christ and His Church.

Here is the conjunction with the supernatural. The lower is met by the higher, and there must be a real union of the two in man. Without this there can be no religion. This may be aimed at by man, but it cannot be reached except he be met by an objective revelation from God-by the presence of God, the original source, in such revelation. There must be a condescension and grace from God, or there can be no religion. We are shut up to this-man cannot join himself to God-he cannot evoke religion out

of himself, or from that which is lower than himself. This was the sense of the early Church-they held an objective revelation of supernatural grace. In and from the higher side there must be the infinite brought down within man's reach. This is the meaning of the donum supernaturale of the ancient Church, the supernatural gift. God comes thus to man. This supernatural gift is not itself part of the order of nature-it comes to it, takes it up-but is itself infinite and supernatural. This donum supernaturale was

suspended upon the condition of free obedience.

Before the fall man had not the power to generate out of himself life; but he had power to keep his relation, all suspended on the condition of free obedience. There was a harmony between him and nature, and him and God, which held all nature in its subordinate place, and there was room for the saying that all was "good," "very good."

We cannot now conceive properly of this normal state of nature. Since we are fallen, we cannot grasp what was before, no more than a bird (if we can conceive of such a thing) in the water could conceive of life in the air. There are some hints of it afforded us in Scripture; and it comes also within the reach of reflection.

One characteristic of that state of man was entire self-government-full mastery over his nature, and second, through his body, rule over his inclinations, so that his life was free and easy. All the lower in him was subordinate to the higher. He was also so over the physical world as to make the language of the 8th Psalm proper to him-verse 6, 7, 8. These are glimpses of this supremacy which come to view in the mortal life of our Saviour-still more after His glorification. This supremacy made Him so far independent of nature, that He was not necessarily under the power of death. He died willingly; and could have chosen not to die.

The difference between nature in its normal state and now is that it is, in man, and with him, fallen. In the normal state the higher moral reigned over the lower; and had he not fallen it would have continued so; and he would have been, no doubt, raised higher, even to immortality, without death. He was made originally to be the prophet, high priest, and king of nature-all nature was to utter itself, and offer itself, and be obedient to God through man. He was to be God's vicegerent in this lower world. Adam, and his posterity, were to have reigned as did Christ over nature.

From this normal order, the fall has sunk us; and we lie helpless in the power of nature. We need no proof, that we are fallen. The mystery is before us, and stares us dreadfully in the face. We feel it in the contradictions of our own nature. It is also testified to by a universal tradition. All nations have lingering reminiscences of a higher state, a golden age that once was the lot of the dwellers on earth. They have also, hence, all aspirations after such a state again. The fact of the fall, the Bible and Christ do not seek to prove; they assume it. There is no pains taken to establish the truth of it in the Scriptures. It underlies the whole revelation of the Sacred Scriptures.

THE PHEBE FAMILY.

CONCLUDING ARTICLE.

BY THE EDITOR.

It must be evident to any observing closely, that it is a great privilege to belong to the Phebe family. The benefit it bestows is not of flesh, nor of blood, nor of the will of man, but by the grace of God. When the ancestorial Phebe had occasion to go to Rome, St. Paul wrote to the Church of that city: "Receive ye her in the Lord, as becometh saints, and assist her in whatsoever business she hath need of you."

She must go to Rome, a distant city. She goes commended by an Apostle. She goes with a good name, well endorsed. She goes into a city where all is strange, and where all are strangers to her, and she a stranger to them, and yet she goes at once into the warm bosom of a Christian community. There are now none shy of her. None lookļupon her with suspicion. She comes among them recommended and accepted as a sister in the highest and purest sense of that term.

Even in her case, firm and experienced as she was in the faith, it was an advantage to go with such a name, and into such society, How much more important is such an advantage to the young members of the Phebe family. To come as a stranger into the midst of strangers has always its perils. It is easy for a young person going into a distant city to fall into the wrong hands, and thus to be brought into the wrong society. How easily may such danger be prevented by a commendation from the Church. This insures access to the right kind of hearts; and gives to the young Christian at once a position in Christian society, and the advantage of privileges, which it would otherwise require a long while to secure. This is well understood by the members of this ancient family. They keep up the customs of their ancestor in this respect. No one goes beyond the reach of known associates, to abide in a distant place, without the commendations of the Church, breathing the ancient spirit! cometh saints."

"Receive her in the Lord as be

Receive her affectionately. She is worthy of it. She has herself succored and received many. You know her not in the flesh, but she is now known to you in Christ. Though by birth a Greek, she is a "sister," as being with you a member of the new spiritual family. She speaks the language of a higher world, and you will find her to be in spirit and life one of you. Receive her "in the Lord."

Receive her as a fellow-worker. It is her meat and drink to do the will of Christ. She is happy only in doing good. To this her life is devoted; in this she has been earnestly engaged; and she will be out of her element if she is not placed in a position where she can serve Christ in the service of His Church. She will soon

become acquainted with the lanes and allies of the city. She will know where the poor and needy reside, and she will find her highest joy in ministering to them. She will honor the Church by her service, and the wretched nursed and warmed into life and hope by her cheering presence will feel as if the Christ preached to them had reappeared in the person of His servants. What a privilege to an earnest Christian heart to be thus admitted into the circle of labor in the Church. Had it not been for this she might have been in Rome for years without finding this sphere of joyful labor for Christ and his saints.

Receive her as a fellow-beir. Regard her as a child in your family of love and hope. Let her be admitted to all the privilges enjoyed by yourselves. Be not unconcerned even in regard to her temporal interests. She must live among you. She is dependent upon her own industry for support. "Assist her in whatsoever business she hath need of you."

This is touching! The best saints are often poor and deperdent. Lydia was a seller of purple. The disciples of Jesus in the midst of the deep sorrow occasioned by the death of their Lord, are found all night floating upon the sea of Tiberias toiling to take a few fish for food. St. Paul must sit down part of his time to make tents for bread! Phebe who succored many, who served in offices of love through many weary nights, must be diligent in business to gain her bread. Perhaps for this reason, in part at least, she goes to Rome to improve her condition. In this view, how touching the apostolic charge to the saints at Rome: "Assist her in whatsoever business she hath need of you."

This kind of assistance is not a small matter, nor a matter beneath Christian attention. That is certainly a doubtful spirituality which overlooks the temperal good of fellow Christians. When those who secure their living in a certain honorable calling come among us as strangers, so far from being profane, it is a sacred Christian duty to assist them in whatsoever business they may have need of us. Christianity is not an abstraction, but a real brotherhood. As it hath the promise, so it involves the duties, which pertain to the life which now is as well as to that which is to come. No doubt the Church has lost much of its ancient spirit of mutual interest and brotherly love. Would that the life and spirit of the ancient Church were more widely felt in this selfish age.

We have, in the ancestorial Phebe, an example for our imitation. We may well study her character. We ought to imbibe her spirit -enter upon her labor-covet her usefulness. How glorious the work; how blessed the reward. Her toils have long since ended. There in Cenchrea and in Rome are the scenes of her brief but pious labors, and self-denial; yonder, in heaven, are the scenes of her eternal reward! High above the thorns blooms the fragrant, fadeless flowers. With the saints she once succored, she now walks in white. For behind and beneath both them and her are the sufferings of the wilderness; before them, through ages without end, lie the extended plains of eternal felicity. Now she is Phebe in