had been almost forgotten, Mr. Boyle, on leaving his house one day to visit a friend, was met by the gentleman who had sent him the books, but whom he fain would have shunned. The subject of the books was introduced, and inquiry was made as to his opinion of them. Mr. Boyle, who had expressed himself so anxious to read, was rather annoyed at the question. He confessed that he had not read them; but he added, I will. To keep his promise, instead of proceeding to pay his intended visit, he returned immediately home, and sat down to read. The result was very different from his anticipations. What was commenced under a painful sense of duty, soon became a source of the highest pleasure. The truth of what he read appeared to him so clear, and the principles and expositions so beautiful, that he accepted them at once as a gift from heaven; and was not less ashamed at the prejudice which had prevented his looking into the works, than he now was astonished at the treasures they contained. The sequel of his reception of the doctrines has been related in the obituary of Mrs. Boyle, which appeared in our January number, when we little expected so soon to record the removal of her husband. He had been reading for some time, and had even made up his mind to join the New Church, without ever having mentioned the subject to his wife, fearful, as he supposed, of disturbing her faith. It may not be uncharitable to suspect that in this, and in such cases generally, there is as yet less moral than intellectual faith in what the person himself accepts as the truth. For although obtrusiveness is to be avoided, an earnest faith in the efficacy of what we ourselves believe, must make us desirous to impart it to others, especially to those we love, satisfied that it will promote their happiness. In this instance however the object which Mr. Boyle desired, but dared not hope, was effected without his active means, and even without his knowledge. Having observed the effects of the reading of these works on her husband's mind, she, unknown to him, had read them also, and had been imbibing the views as readily as himself. They both therefore entered the Church together. And they continued during the remainder of their lives to be most worthy members of it, and of the particular Society, of which Mr. Noble was the minister, with which they soon connected themselves. As they entered the New Jerusalem on earth together, so did they nearly together enter, as we doubt not they have entered, the New Jerusalem above. After having lived happily together as husband and wife for more than fifty years, they left the world within a very few weeks of each other, and both after a few days illness.

During the course of their long married and religious life, they had passed through great changes, both temporal and spiritual. They had known prosperity and adversity, they had suffered trial and temptation.

But in the midst of these they had retained stedfastly their trust in the Lord, comforting themselves with the assurance, that He who alone knows what the morrow will bring forth, provides what is best for the states of his children. They have now entered into that beautiful world, which is above all the changes and other conditions of time and space, where there is no more sorrow neither crying, where the Lord wipes the tears from all faces-where in the rigour of eternal light and tranquility nothing remains of the world and its chequered experiences, but the wisdom and goodness acquired by their means.

THE LATE MRS. Sarah GrangER.-On the 10th of March, Mrs. Sarah Granger, was removed to the spiritual world, aged 65. She was the widow of the late Mr. George Granger, so many years master of the London New Church Free School, whose removal took place on the 15th July, 1856; so that she survived her husband just eight months.

INDEX.

ESSAYS, ETC.

THE PRESS-SIGNS OF PROGRESS.

Barnes, Mr. Thos., to Miss Emma C. Backhouse, 216. | Hoe, Mr. Wm. to, Miss Harriet Eliza Hodson, 216.

As, at the close of every year, it is customary for the merchant and prudent tradesman to examine minutely into his worldly affairs-to see how he stands with the world, and whether, upon a strict examination of his transactions, of his books and accounts, the balance, when ascertained, will be in his favour or against him; so it is no less a prudent work, on the part of every Christian, at suitable times and seasons, to examine his spiritual accounts, to explore the inner chambers of his mind, to look into the secret springs of his life; into his affections and thoughts, motives and desires; for these, when faithfully examined and known, will shew him the true nature and quality of his life, and point out to every sincere examiner of his inward state, whether he has been faithful or unfaithful, and whether he has or not, any well-founded hopes that this spiritual self-examination is in his favour, and that his hopes of everlasting blessedness brighten up with increasing lustre, as days and years pass on.

This day, being the first Sabbath in the New Year, is well suited to the work of self-examination; for, to the spiritual Christian, every period of time in its commencement, indicates the opening of a new state in the mind and life-the budding forth of fresh degrees of knowledge in the understanding; and all knowledge, to be of any value, must be applied to the purposes of life. The doctrines of the New Church are well adapted to assist the Christian in this duty of self-examination; for

"What shall I render unto the Lord for all his benefits towards me? I will take the cup of salvation and call upon the name of the Lord."-Psalm cxvi. 12, 13.

NO. XIII.-VOL. II.

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they allow of no second person to interefere therein. The man is his own examiner, and the Divine Truth of Revelation is the light which the Lord has mercifully given to assist him in the work.

In Rev. xx. 12, John says, "And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works." Here it is said that judgment was given from what was written in the books. But what are these books? and what is the nature of that writing which is said to determine the everlasting condition of all, both small and great. These are questions which, when properly answered, will shew that the time occupied in examining what is written in these books, is indeed well spent; and that to neglect so important a duty, may involve us in sorrow and ruin.

These books, and the writing therein, whence all true judgment is effected, are evidently of a spiritual nature, and relate to the actual quality of the mind and life of man; for it is the quality of the interior life, whether good or bad, that will determine the future state of all, and appoint to each his happiness or woe! The interiors of the mind of man are, in Scripture language, called books, because in or upon these are inscribed or written all things appertaining to his life, and which express the quality of his affections and thoughts. Every evil loved and cherished within, writes pollution upon the inward life; the affections become depraved, and the thoughts dark, and upon the interiors of the mind, these living books of the soul, are inscribed what was written upou Ezekiel's roll of the book, viz., "lamentations and mourning and woe." When evil is secretly loved and cherised in the inner chambers of the soul, and written as it were, upon the books within, it will sooner or later shew itself in outward manifestation, and then it is that the hand-writing from within will appear upon the wall, as it did at Belteshazar's impious feast, to denounce the impiety that rules within, and to declare the awful truth in an unerring judgment, that the spiritual life of such a man has been weighed in the balance and found wanting, and that the kingdom of heaven has departed from him. How serious, then, and how heart-searching is the fact, that every one is judged out of those things which are written in the books. How rational and self-evident is the idea, that the internal life of man, with all the qualities of such life, be they what they may, though concealed during his residence in the body from all human eyes-that is the books are closed, and the writing therein concealed; yet, when the man departs out of this world and comes into the spiritual and eternal