of the approach of the world's crisis, we should instance the rapid growth of armaments, which have become already almost too great for national endurance, and yet are ever on the increase. Within the last few days the press of Europe has been discussing, with perplexity, the appalling facts of the case; and leading statesmen of every party and nation have been turning their attention to the question-Where is it all to end? Some have tried to view it as a guarantee of peace; some hope against hope that mutual disarmament will one of these days be resorted to, to relieve the intolerable strain on national industry and resources; others, as Count von Moltke, sadly declare that it will take centuries of further experience and enlightenment before the nations will learn to view even successful wars as great calamities; but all alike have to deplore that the madness grows apace, and that a state of armed peace, such as at present prevails, is little better than actual war.

The Times lately devoted several articles to the discussion of the matter. From the figures there given (taken from a German paper), we learn that in 1865 the total military expenses of the states of Europe were 117 millions; in 1879 they had risen to 160 millions. National debts have swelled in the same period from £2,626,000,000 to £4,324,000,000. Thus, "in the last fourteen or fifteen years the world has been galloping in the accumulation of armies and the creation of gigantic national debts."

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Germany spent in 1865 ten millions on its army and navy; now it spends twenty-one millions. Russia spent twenty-two; now it spends thirty-six. England and France spent respectively twenty-seven and seventeen millions; now they spend thirty-two and twenty-seven. Great Britain and Holland have in the time discharged part of their debts, and Italy and the Austrian Empire have reduced their army expenses. Those are the solitary crumbs of comfort in the statistics."

The sole cause," says the Times, "of the nightmare which is riding Europe down is that each nation is striving to steal a march upon its neighbour before its neighbours' open eyes." Germany, we are told, can at the present time, taking into account its Field Reserve and Landsturm, "calculate on the trained protection of some two millions and a-half of soldiers." "But fear has seized upon Prince Bismarck and Marshal Moltke. They look around them, and by the help of dexterous arithmeticians discover the portentous fact that France and Russia could place in line several hundreds of thousands more. Military statisticians demonstrate that France has three hundred battalions more than Germany, and that Russia has five hundred and sixty. It seems to follow obviously that the German Empire must add some scores of thousands of men to its regiments, and £850,000 to its military budget;" and a bill is brought into the German Parliament accordingly, and readily passed into law. But will it end there? Already France and Russia are taking jealous note of their rival's open menace, and will doubtless follow suit soon enough. "If ever," says the Times, "there was an appetite which grew with feeding, the appetite which craves for larger war budgets and greater armies is such an one. .. Kings and Emperors, and their Ministers of State, and the leaders of militant democracies, seem absolutely blind to the manifest fact that European commonwealths run in harness. With

each fraction of accelerated speed in one, all the rest, perforce, quicken

their pace."

And what of benefit is there as a set-off against this evil? Let the Times again speak-"Even to talk of standing armies as a protection at all seems a bitter jest in view of a social condition such as a wide expanse of the European continent now exhibits. There is Russia, with its military budget of thirty-six millions, and a state of stolid ignorance, incendiary recklessness, and material poverty, which Russian censorship itself cannot restrain the Russian, press from deploring.

Pre

parations for a fictitious mission abroad starve energies which might wrestle with the misery of scores of millions at home. Never was there in the history of mankind so monstrous an example of reaching. after the unknown, and neglecting the known." "Over enlightened Germany, as over benighted Russia, broods a thunder-cloud of international fear, jealousy, and ambition, darkening the minds of rulers and subjects. With Germans war has for the present generation been a necessity and a duty. But it is not the less true that they have paid and are paying a more terrible cost than can be measured by war budgets and wounds and death. The stagnation of spirit in a Silesian village is such as has never depressed the souls of Dorsetshire labourers. The peasant cannot raise himself above the earth. Germans whose birthright entitles them to make the attempt have been taught that their first obligation is, not to their labourers and farmers, but to the drill serjeant."

What a terrible satire on the opinion,-held, it is true, by many worthy and good people-that the kingdom of the Prince of Peace has been set up in the world, and is being "extended by every increase to the bounds of professing Christendom! Here is "Christian" (!) Europe (and Britain not excepted), where-if anywhere in the worldthe authority of the Christ is acknowledged, perverting every gift of heaven, the finest intellectual powers, the sturdiest physical strength, the richest natural resources, to the ghastliest ends; to the perfecting, not of the arts of peace, but of the most effective weapons of mutual havoc and butchery! Will such things be possible under the rule of Heaven's Righteous King 2*

No, no! If any prophecy has a place in these affairs, it is that of Joel, and not of Micah, which is fulfilling before our eyes. "Prepare war," says the prophet. And, as if in direct answer to his call, the statesmen of modern Europe openly tell us they are acting on the advice of the wise Roman maxim, Si vis pacem, para bellum" if you desire peace, prepare war."

*Mr. G. J. Emanuel, minister of the Birmingham Hebrew Congregation, in a recent lecture on "the theological opinions of modern Jews," made some reference to the subject of "war," and said-" With Christian Europe filled with millions of armed men, all duly supplied with Christian chaplains; with Christian England waging war on very slight provocation in any part of the world, I think we (Jews) ought to be forgiven if we decline to believe that the founder of Christianity brought peace into the world, and that His followers have since maintained it."

But, whoever asked the Jews to believe that the Founder of Christianity had, at His first Coming, " brought peace into the world," it was not the Lord Himself. He specially warns His followers against such a delusion (Matt. x. 34-36; Luke xxi. 9).

"The vine of the earth" is ripening. How soon the cry may go forth, "Put ye in the sickle," we venture not to say. But, brethren, let us endeavour to perfect holiness in the fear of God, and be prepared for troublous times; for a well-established peace will not be had till God's judgments have fallen upon the pride of human armaments, as announced in Psalms xlvi. and lxxvi., and other Scriptures. Trust not to political writers or speakers, of any school or party, for guidance in these things. They reck not of "the prophetic word" in all their calculations, nor does it enter their thoughts that God will Himself interfere to settle their perplexing problems in His appointed way. All that the Times can say is-"We must apparently look forward to an indefinite period of anxiety and suspense in Europe;" and that "to expect that mankind will ever dispense with all species of military apparatus is to anticipate what is as little desirable as it is possible." It is thus that both Joel and Micah are forgotten, and out of mind.

But those who will allow themselves to be instructed by the Word of God, can foresee both the dreadful culmination to which all this human frenzy tends; and the blessed dawn of a happier era just beyond. Having, therefore, more sure the prophetic word, let us take heed thereto in our hearts (as unto a light shining in a dark place), until the day dawn and the daystar arise. "A prudent man foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself; but the simple pass on, and are punished" (Prov. xxii. 3). M. W. STRANG.

1.

THE IMMORTALITY OF MAN;

AN ELEMENTARY RECAPITULATION.

HE writer desires to say a few words on this interesting subject, here are weak and faltering; but as Christ has "illumined life and incorruption through the joyful message" (2 Tim. i. 10), it is not permissible in His disciples to plead that they know nothing of the victory over death which their Master gives.

2. Wishing, as far as possible, to speak of Bible things in Bible words, the theme proposed is "The Immortality of Man,"-not, be it observed, merely the immortality of the soul; for not only is this latter phrase never once found in the Bible, but the Holy Scriptures emphatically deal with man as a whole, essentially composed of " spirit and soul and body" (1 Thess. v. 23), and treat even the body itself as a subject of redemption (Rom. viii. 23), transformation (Phil. iii. 21), and so also of incorruption and immortality (1 Cor. xv. 53, 54). Yet can these terms not be confined to the body alone, since from the body the man is frequently designated (Gen. iii. 19; Psa. ciii. 14; Joel ii. 28; 1 Cor. iii. 3, &c.); and man as man is expressly said to be either corruptible (Rom. i. 23) or incorruptible (1 Cor. xv. 52).

3. It is important, and tends to simplification, to remember that immortality is a quality or state of the living. Only the living can die. Only the living can live on for ever. Only the living can triumph over

death. The great importance of this is seen by observing that, thus viewed, immortality and endless life become practically synonymous.

4. What then, according to the Scriptures, is immortality? I answer unhesitatingly: Immortality is incapacity of death-an immortal being cannot die.

5. That this is the true Biblical definition appears from the following considerations:-(a) That immortality (athanasia) and incorruption (aphtharsia) are in the New Testament inseparably connected,—the immortal God (1 Tim. vi. 16) being also the incorruptible God (Rom. i. 23; 1 Tim. i. 17, Greek), and the immortal body being also an incorruptible body (1 Cor. xv. 53, 54); and (b) that our Lord Himself expressly asserts, of "the sons of the resurrection," "Neither can they die any more" (Luke xx. 36)—that is, they are incapable of death.

6. The leading question of this article may now be submitted, and it is this: How does immortality come to man? Is it his by original endowment, as an actual possession by virtue of his creation? or is it bestowed on him as a gift of grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus? In other words: Was Adam already immortal when he was created, or was he created capable of death until he should be qualified for immortality? And, accordingly: Are we necessarily immortal by virtue of our creation, or do we only become immortal as and when we are created anew in the risen Redeemer ?

7. A short and simple sentence will express the correct answer: Man was created, not in but for immortality. He was made capable of death, though not doomed to it until he sinned. While thus capable of death-that is, mortal-he was placed under training for immortality. Failing to win the prize by unbroken obedience, he (and the human race in him), passed, in the mercy of God, under the gracious provisions of redemption, centred not in Adam, but in Christ. And so, for ourselves, the answer may be couched in another short sentence: In Adam we are mortal-in Christ we may become immortal. The only immortality held out to us is an immortality of holy blessedness. Let us approach the evidence of this by two or three easy steps.

8. "With Thee," says the Psalmist, addressing Jehovah, "is the fountain of life" (Psa. xxxvi. 9). Therefore, as a stream cut off from its fountain dries up, so all created life perishes when severed from God. "In Him we live and move and have our being" (Acts xvii. 28).

9. "God only has immortality" (1 Tim. vi. 16). This should make us pause before we attribute immortality to any creature. alone is immortal whom God Himself has made to be so.

That creature

10. "The LORD is good to all, and His tender mercies are over His works" (Psa. cxlv. 9). It would perhaps be difficult to demonstrate wherein would consist the Divine goodness in making an untrained and inexperienced creature like man at once immortal. Let us close in with more direct evidence.

11. Man was created "in the image," yet not in the "express image" of God (Gen. i. 26, 27; v. 1; ix. 6; 1 Cor. xi. 7; James iii. 9; Heb. i. 3). He was, in truth, created as the shadow, outline, or sketch of God, as the Hebrew word tzelem beautifully suggests. And though in man's case the shadow was not exactly "a vain shew" (as the same word is rendered, Psa. xxxix. 6); yet at least the sketch had to be filled

in, the image to be perfected by the development of character and the glorification of personality. The image is only completed in and through Christ (Eph. iv. 22-24; 2 Cor. iii. 18).

12. If man had been originally made immortal, the tree of life planted in paradise (Gen. ii. 9) would have been without meaning; instead of possessing the striking significance with which the sacred record invests it-namely, as a sign of Adam's call to a higher style of being, and the means ordained of God by which he should in due time attain thereto. It is, indeed, supposed by some that Adam had been accustomed to eat of that tree in his innocence-against the evidence; for the Divine apprehension lest" the man," should "take ALSO of the tree of life" (as well as of the tree of knowledge), and the Divine haste to remove the offender from the garden lest he should immortalise himself in sin (Gen. iii. 22-24), conclusively show that (for whatever reason) Adam had not yet eaten of that tree, and was not yet immortal.

13. Provided only that Adam understood the design of the tree of life, his knowledge of immortality may be summed up in seven words: “I can die; but I need not." The Divine threatening assured him of the former-the tree of life of the latter.

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14. That grand chapter on immortality-1 Cor. xv.-teaches us that there are two Adams, and (as represented by them) two styles and stages of manhood. The First Adam is expressly said to have been an earthy" man-a man "of earth" (ek gees)-and therefore, by fair inference he was corruptible and mortal. The Last Adam (Christ) is as expressly said to be "heavenly," "of heaven" (ex ouranou); and therefore, by equally fair inference, he is incorruptible and immortal. These types and states of humanity are to be neither confounded nor inverted. Adam the First was not Adam the Last-no, not even just for a little while, when first created. And this principle is radical both to the original genius and to the historical development of human nature. "That is not first which is spiritual," and heavenly, and incorruptible and immortal; but that is and must be first, in every human being, which is psychical ("soulical "-taking character from the soul rather than from the "spirit") and earthy, and corruptible, and mortal. The first Adam did not by obedience conduct our manhood up into its heavenly condition of existence; and therefore a second exemplar was needed a second typical man. Christ now is that Second Man. Hence, to speak of Adam as created in immortality is to throw the whole subject into confusion. Over against such confusion let us not hesitate to say that even Jesus, the Christ, our Lord and Redeemer, was-as a man, in the days of His humiliation-most truly a Son of the First Adam, made in all things like unto His brethren (Heb. ii. 17); and that only when He was born from among the dead did He actually become the Second Man, the Last Adam. In the former condition He could die, and He did; in the latter He can die no more (Rom. vi. 9). He is the Immortal Man, and being to His brethren "the Resurrection and the Life" (John xi. 25), that is, their Immortaliser, he becomes humanity's Second Head, the "Father," "Founder," "Author" of an incorruptible and perpetual human race (Isa. ix. 6, "Father of eternity"; Isa. lxiv. 5, "In those [thy ways] is eternity, and we shall be saved"). No third Adam is required. The "Second" is also the "Last." Thanks be unto God, who giveth us the victory.