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2 (Oitr yuXptt SPEAK TO THE EARTH, AND IT SHALL TEAOH THEE.-JOB 12:8. A SERMON BY I. It. BRANHAM, D. D. It is a.remarkable fact that com paratively few persons study the book of nature itself. A large majority of mankind ■seem to have little or no power to observe or to in vestigate independently. Seeing with other eyes, and touching with other hands, than their own, they re ceive, indirectly, all the knowledge they possesss. Reversing the order of nature, our children are confined, at a very early age, within bare blank walls, books arc placed in their hands and many long weary years are spent in the dull, and, al - most, profitless study of abstractions, to the exclusion of an endless vari ety of objects that lie scattered aroud them, in the study of which are to be found lessons of the highest value both to mind and heart. Under this system of training the majority of people walk through the world with their eyes closed, and the volume of nature remains to them a sealed book. It is the careful study of the few, who have looked at what they have seen, and patiently han dled what they have touched, that has revealed to us the facts of science, applied the skill of art, and sent their fellow-men forward on the march of progress. But it is not rny purpose to “speak to the earth,” that it may teach us lessons relating to science. That would be more properly the business of the schools, or the work of those whose duty it is to direct our minds to the observation of the world around us. Let us “speak to the earth” that it may teach us lessons of religion. She is a patient, willing teacher, ever ready to answer the questions of the devout inquirer. Ist. Speak to the earth, then, and it shall teach us a lesson of Creative power. Power cannot be seen. A knowl edge of it can be obtained only by its effects. The giant that slumbers in his bed of water is invisible, but when roused, by the application of heat, he rises in his strength, and manifests his power by the motion of the ponderous train, or the revo lution of the mighty wheel that starts the clatter oi coutless looms, and the whirring of numberless spindles. Confined in his iron prison, he seems quiet and docile as a lamb, but when he becomes rest less of restraint, with resistless power, he tears asunder the fetters that bind him. and scatters death and destruction far and near. That subtle agent electricity, im ponderable, and invisible, gives no lign of its presence, so long as the proper equilibrium is preserved. But disturb the balance by friction, or chemical action, and its power, at once, becomes manifest. Pull the throttle lever of yonder engine, and set in motion a dynamo. In an in stant, motion reveals itself in light which rivals the brightness of the sun. Touch the signal key connected with yonder battery, and quick as a flash, thought is tranformed into words, and swift as thought, the message is borne along the iron thread, over land sea, and at a point thousands of miles away, the re corder responds with its mysterious click. Away in the .western sky, silently gather Summer clouds. Brilliant fringes of silver glisten upon their crests, while delicate shades of crim son, blue and purple, blend upon their bosoms. Soon, lifted by the winds, they rise, like mighty giants, towards the Zenith. The brilliant colors that dazzled the eye begin to lade, and a leaden hue rapidly set tles upon them. Darker they grow, higher they rise, nearer they ap proach, as if to grapple in mortal conflict, while fierce flashes of anger leap from their enraged bosoms, and the awful roar of battle resounds throughout earth and air. Not con tent with disturbing the peace of the giants of the clouds, it leaps toward the earth, lights upon y onder mon arch of the forest, scatters his leafy covering, tears away his limbs, and smites his shattered body to the very ground. There is a Persian fable which tells us that Moses preached a long time to King Pharaoh, (who was an atheist, as well as a ty rant) on the existence of one eternal God, the Creator of the world. Finding that he made no impression either upon the King, or his courtiers, |Moses ordered a fine palace to be erected, privately, at a considerable distance from a country- residence of Pharaoh. It happened that the King, as he was hunting, saw this palace, and in quired who built it. None of his followers could give him any- infor mation concerning it. At length, Moses came forward, and said to him that the palace must certainly have built itself. The King laughed at the absurdity', saying, that it was a pretty thing for a man who called himself a prophet to declare that such a palace had built itself in the midst of a desert! Moses interrupt ing him, said, “You think it a strange extravagance to affirm that this palace built itself, the thing being impossible, and yet, you believe that the world made itself. If this fine palace, which is but an atom, in comparison, could not build itself in this desert, how much more impos sible is it, that this world, so solid, so great, so admirable in all its parts, could have been made by itself, and that it should not, on the contrary, be the work of a wise and powerful architect. The King was convinced, and worshipped God as Moses had instructed him to do. “The things which are made do plainly declare the things which are not seen—the eternal power and Godhead of the Great, First Cause.” The work shows the workman.” “For every house is built by- some man, but He that built all things is God.” Hcb. 3:4. Speak to the earth, ask, whence art thou, and the silent answer comes to us, “I am the manifestation of an invisible, self-existent, omnipo tent Creative power.” 2d. Speak to the earth and it shall teach us a lesson of Wisdom. Wisdom consists in the adaptation of means to ends. The earth, in all its departments of being, displays this adaption. There exists a due proportion of land and water, the one adapted to meet the wants of the other. Water is the great sol vent of nature. It changes the con dition of the otherwise unappro priated elements of the soil, and ren ders them fit for nourishing, and promoting the growth of plants. But how is it to be transferred from the ocean and distributed over the land t Means have been wisely de vised to accomplish the end. The warm rays of the sun nestle upon the surface of the water, vaporize it, and lift it into the regions above, whence,borne upon the wings of the wind, it meets with colder currents, is condensed into drops of rain, and falls in copious showers upon the thirsty lasd. Under the combined influence of heat ami moisture, there spring from the bosom of the earth innumerable vegetable products, while beasts and birds, reptiles and insects, swarm upon its surface in countless num bers. What are the means adapted for their mutual support? Each zone manifests its own peculiar development of Flora and Fauna, the one suited to the other. In the Artic regions, are found stunted Alpine shrubs lichens afid mosses, adapted to the use of land animals. There, heating food is de manded for man, and the best exter nal covering. Its frozen seas afford whale-oil, and seal meat, in great abundance, and fur—bearing ani mals furnish the clothing required. In the Tropics where burning heat prevails, and cooling food is needed, are found delicious fruits, spon taneously produced, and light, ex terior coverings. In the Temperate zones, where extremes of heat and cold do not prevail, there is an equally perfect adaption of food and clothing to the wants of animals. The mutual dependence of ani mals and plants, in annother respect teaches us the same lesson of wis dom. Both are provided with re spiratory organs, which, in animals, are their lungs, in plants, their leaves. The former require oxygen for the support of life, while the latter de mand carbon. At every’ inspiration the air is decomposed in the lungs of animals, the oxygen uniting with the carbon of their blood, forming carbonic acid gas, which is given off at every expiration. The leaves, which are the lungs of plants, re ceive this carbonic acid, decompose it, appropriate the carbon, and give us back the oxygen. Thus, poison is rendered harmless, the equilibrium is maintained, and life, animal and vegetable, is supported. The beasts of the field, the fowls of the air, and fishes of the sea, as well as the earth itself, in its diversity of soil, and climate, afford countless examples of the adaptation of means to ends. Speak to the earth, and ask “Who formed thee thus?” the answer comes back, “Ob Lord, how mani fold are Thy worb; in wisdom hast 'Thou made them all!” I*s. 104:24. 3d. Speak to the earth, and it THE CHRISTIAN INDEX: THURSDAY, JUNE 2. 1892. shall teach us a lesson of Goodness. Light is pleasant to the eye, filling the soul with joy, and giving health to the body, but an unending day, in this life, would prove painful, be yond endurance. Ilence, in good ness, God turns the earth upon its axis, draws tne curtain of night over the blazing sun, and man and beast, and bird, aud plant, close their eyes in slumber. Spring, with its verdure, and beauty, delights our senses. Sum mer, with its warm sunshine, and re freshing showers, unfolds the bud, and ripens the grain. Autumn, with its waving fields, and golden har vests, gladdens the heart of the hus bandman. Even bleak winter, with its hoar frost, its icy breath, and snowy mantle, brings rest to the laboring earth, and cheers the social circle with its glowing fires. But perpetual Spring would give us half formed leaves, and never opening buds. Unending Summer, would give us withered flowers, and never ripened fruits. Perpetual Autumn would give up only the sere and yellow leaf. Unending Winter would give us chilling winds, bare forests, blighted gardens, and ice bound streams. To prevent this wearisome mo notony God, in His goodness, has so inclined the axis of the earth to the plane of its orbit, as to cause the sun to wind upon his spiral journey, north and south, producing the pleasing recurrence of change in the seasons. It is, almost, a universal law that heat expands, while cold contracts, material substances. There is, how ever, one exception to this law, which affords a striking illustration of the goodness of God towards his crea tures, that have their homes in the smaller streams. As the tempera ture of water falls, and approaches the feezing point, in accordance with the law above stated, it contracts. But strange to say', just as this point is reached, instead of con tinuing to contract, it begins to ex pand. But for this, continued re duction in temperature, would in crease its density, and consequently, its weight, also. The result would be, that each successive frozen layer would sink, forcing the liquid below to the surface above, which, in its turn, would also freeze, and sink. Should this process bo continued, during a'long winter, in high latitu des, the mass of water in the streams located there, would become con gealed from top to bottom, forming rivers of solid ice. As a consequ ence, all the fishes in the frozen streams would die. To prevent such a catastrophe, God, in His goodness, has so ordered it, that water, in the moment of freezing, should not con tract, but expand, and hence, grow ing lighter, that it should not sink, but float upon the surface of the liquid below. Ice, being a non-con ductor of heat, prevents a further re duction in the temperature of the water underneath it, and, thus, pre serves the lives of the fishes. As the population of the earth in creases, and civilization advances, the forests of the earth disappear to make room for teeming cities, and cultivated fields. The result is, that fuel, and timber grow’ scarce, and unless some provision were made to supply this deficiency, man must dwell in the open air, aud, in high latitudes, would suffer, and die from cold. In the absence of timber for building, God upheaves granite and marble from the foundations of the earth, gives to man the iron of which to make his tools, and bids him go, and take from the quarry that which he needs. When the surface of the earth grows bare of fuel, God gives man a key to the storehouse below, which he may unlock and supply his wants. It has been estimated that the coal fields already discovered within the limits of the United States will cover an area of 250,000 square miles, and that their combined solid contents will reach not less than 3J millions cubic miles. A distinguished geologist says that there are in the coal-fields of North America alone, eight trillion tons, and in the British Isles, Bel gium and France, about 800 billion tons, to say nothing of the rest of the world, or of mines yet to be dis covered. There are about 100,000,- 000 tons of coal consumed annually. At this rate of consumption, the coal-fields of Pennsylvania alone, would meet the demand for more than 3,000 years. If the consump tion were quadrupled, the coal-fields of North America alone would sup ply the world for 10,000 years. Thus, long before man was! created, God was preparing for 1 him a habitation. During the long epochs of the coal forma tions, He was kindly providing for man’s wants, by laying in an abund ance of bituminous fuel to do him for all the winters of his life. Buried, for ages, by the hand of the Almigh ty, it has been exhumed by the hand of man, and brought into useful ser vice for the human race. “It glows in the grate, and warms the bodies of millions. It lights the fire of un numbered forges, and cheers the heart of the honest mechanic. It feeds the flames of Manchester and of Lowell and of thousands of other factories, and helps to clothe the world. It lends its heat to water, and moves the wheels of commerce throughout the habitable globe. It glitters in the street lamp, and lights the path of the evil and the good. It shines in the festive hall, and guides the dancers’ steps. It illuminates the chambers where legislative to enact the laws that govern men. It lightens the sactuary where devout assemblies meet, and helps them in the worship of their Maker.” Wherever we turn the eye, we are taught this lesson of goodness. It is seen in the queenly rose, with its bursting bud, or full bloom blossom —in the modest violet, with its beau tiful blue—in the variegated pink with its marvelously blended colors. It is reflected from the pure white of the lilly,—it glitters in the gold of the sun-flower, —it is printed upon the crimson of the dahlia. It is spread out upon. the emerald carpets that cover the far-stretching land scapes, and waves from the grand old forests, that are clothed in living green. Wherever the ear is opened, it is greeted with melody. The harmon ious hum of insect life, the cheerful warbling of the songsters of the air, the subdued murmur of rippling brooks,the bleating of harmless lambs, the gentle lowing of homeward bound herds, unite their voices in an anthem of praise to the goodnes of God. Fragrant odors fill the air, deli cious fruits satisfy the palate, a gen erous soil yields its abundant supply of .the staff of life for man and beast, while all combine to teach this lesson of goodness, leading us to lift up our hearts, and sing, “Oh, give thanks unto the Lord, for He is good.” 4th. Speak to the earth and it shall teach \» a lesson of patience. accept the chronolo gy of the fitible in its strictly literal meaning, wheVaer we interpret it by the light of modern science, or whether we take the Mosaic account of creation as merely typical of the various stages of man’s moral devel opment, the old saying, “the world was not in ide in a day,” still remains true. Whether we study chapters in the book of Nature, or in the book of revelation, we are taught the same lesson of patience. It is evident that in the work of creation God was in no hurry. What period of time elapsed between “the begin ning,” spoken of in Gen. Ist, and the work of the six days, subsequent ly described, we ha’ve no sure means of ascertaining. It is very certain, however, that ages elapsed, after the work of creation began, before the earth became a fit habitation for man. “He laid the foundations of the earth, covered it with the deep as with a garment, and the waters ■ stood above the mountains. At his rebuke they fled, they went down by the valleys into the place which He had founded for them.” It is stated upon good authority that “the breadth and depth of the allu vial deposit at the mouth of the Mississippi river, and the length of time, ascertained by actual calcula tion, which has been required to bring it to its present dimensions, show that that stream has been run ning, not less, than 100,000 years.” What, then, must have been the vastness of the period required for the subsidence of that mighty ocean, which once spread itself over the southern and south-western portions of the North American Continent! The very spot over which we now sit was once submerged beneath that boundless sea. This fact, together with many others, corroborative, that might be mentioned, will serve as a specimen, to show the length of time intervening between the foun dation of the earth, spoken of by the Psalmist, and the erection of its superstructure. Even in the more minute, and, ap parently, less important works of God, this lesson of patience is taught with equal plainness and power. He does not cause the full grown oak to spring, instantly, from the little acorn, but under the gentle influ ences of heat, and moisture, and the productive power of soil, the seed slowly swells, the germ gradually develops, the root strikes down into the earth, the stem shoots above its surface, and, through long years progresses to maturity. The rings that encircle its axis, when counted, show that its growth has extended through seven to ten centuries. So slowly has it grown, from its point of germination to its present tower ing height, that no human eye, even with the closest inspection, has been able to detect its movement up wards. So in the growth of animals, from the minutest insect to the largest beast, we discover this process of slow, and gradual development. Even man himself, the noblest earth ly manifestation of creative power, has his period of helpless infancy, of dependent youth, of vigorous man hood, and of mature age, requiring three score years and ten for their completion. The alternations of day and night are not suddenly made. The darkness of the night quietly steals away before the rays of the rising sun. So the beams of the set ting sun linger in the twilight, and softly fade into the deeper darkness of the night. The transition of the seasons comes upon us by slow de grees. The balmy days of Spring, gradually loosen the icy grasp of Winter, and gently lay upon us the warm hand of Summer. So, like wise, the gradually shortening days of Autumn turn us away from the fierce heat of departing Summer, and by their slowly falling tempera ture, brace us up against the chilly blasts, and blinding snows of ad vancing Winter. Indeed, in all the operations of Nature, which are but the expression of the thoughts of God, and the effects of the exertion of His omnipotent power, we are taught the lesson of Divine patience. Speak to the and ask “Who laid thy foundations in the deep, and built up thy wondrous fabric through all the ages of the past”— the answer comes back to u», “The God of patience” is my builder. sth. Speak to the earth, and it shall teach us a lesson of Life. Earth, air, and water, teem with life. Thousands of different species of plants have already been analyzed, and classified by botanists, and it is not improbable that hundreds of thousands remain to be explored by the industry of future ages. We are told that “Every country, hitherto explored, produces a variety of spe cies of plants peculiar to itself. Those districts of the world, which have been frequently surveyed, present to every succeeding observ er, a new field of investigation, and reward his industry with new discov eries of the beauty, and variety of the vegetable kingdom. While this is true, a very large, if not the lar ger portion, of the vegetable world, still remains to be surveyed by the scientific botanist. It has been con jectured by some, on the ground of numerous observations, that there is not a square league of earth that does not present some one plaht pe culiar to itself. This would make the number of species of plants to amount to as many millions as there are of square leagues on the surface of the earth, that is, to more than 21 millions.” How shall we enu merate the myriads of individuals embraced within this multitude of species! But we are not less astonished at the manifestation of life in the animal world, visible even to the naked eye. The uncounted va rieties of feathered songsters, that make their home in field and for est, the myriads of the finny tribe, that are found in river, lake and sea; the vast herds of beasts that roam the western prairies of Ameri ca, and that hide themselves in the jungles of Asia and Africa, together with the insects, that literally swarm in earth, air and water, beggar the power of numbers, and pass the comprehension of man! Turn the microscope on but one single drop of stagnant water, or on the cup of yonder fragrant rose, or upon the leaf that hangs upon the stem, or even upon the flesh of liv ing animals, and a new world of life is brought to view with a population, infinitely more numerous than that which reveals itself to the unaided eye. Add to this the 1 billion, 400 millions of human beings that inhab it the earth, and we have only begun to learn soniethingof the lesson of life. Speak to the earth and ask, “Whence all these forms of life?and the answer comes, From God, the “Fountain of life.” “Let every thing that hath breath, praise the Lord! 6th. Speak to the earth and it shall teach us a more solemn lesson. It is a lesson of Death. The domain of death is commen surate with that of life. Decay and dissolution mark all earthly objects with as much distinctness as do growth and life. The beautiful flowers that now smile upon the earth, will soon droop, and fade, and die. The living stein that bears them, and the green leaf that flutters beside them, in striking contrast, will wither away, and dissolve in dust. The dense forests that over shadow the earth, standing in their strength and majesty, resisting the mighty sweep of the tempest, will soon lie prostrate upon its bosom, and disappear from human sight. As with this lower department of animated nature, so with the higher, Death is the doom of all. The eph emeral insect of a day, quickly breathes away its short period of life. The sweet singers of the air, soon cease their songs, and fold their wings in the silence of death. The monarchs of the forest, the terror of all around, as well as the weakest, and most timid of their fellow creat ures, soon reach the end of life. The innumerable multitudes of fishes, that swarm in the waters, are laid under tribute to satisfy the demands of this insatiable monster. The marks of his footsteps are to be seen through all the ages of the earth. Death has been one of the mighty builders of this huge fabric upon which we live. “Mountains of limestone, miles in thickness, and hundreds of miles in extent, are composed of the remains of beings that once lived. The earth itself in all its strata, throughout its whole extent of land and sea, is but one vast burial ground. As countless as are the living forms that now exist, they are but as nothing compared to the multitudes that lie buried in the earth. Nor is man himself, in all the greatness of his intellectual power, in all the comeliness, and strength of his form, with all his longings for continuance in life, exempt from the law of death. He too must yield up his breath, and give his body back to dust. One hundred years from to-day and the millions of hu man beings that throng the cities of earth, or till its soil, or go down in ships to the sea, will be numbered with the dead. Go to the populous cities and towns of our comparative ly, newly discovered land, search their graveyards, and see the sad havoc that death has made within the last 300 years. Go to the cav erns of Egypt, unlock her pyramids; Turn your steps to Asia, where al most every foot of land is occupied by human beings; to Africa, with its dusky millions; to Europe with its densely populated countries, and to the islands of the seas—let the imagination stretch itself back over the ages past, since man first ap peared upon the earth, and number if you can, the mighty multitude that once walked its surface. Think of war, of famine, of pestilence, of disease in its multiplied forms, and learn the solemn lesson taught us by every foot of ground beneath our tread. “Dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.” 7th. Speak to the earth, and it shall teach us a lesson of Law. The governing hand of the Crea tor is seen impressed upon all earth ly objects. The globe, with all its forms of matter, and varieties of liv ing beings, constituting one mass, is controlled in its motions by the force of law. Hurled from .the hand of the Creator, it must in obedience to law, have moved on, forever, in a right line, unless deflected from its course by some modifying force. This force was found in the attrac tive power of that sun, which con stitutes the centre of our system. By mutual influence, thus exerted, a resultant law is produced, causing the earth to move in a continual curve, and marking out its path with in certain limits, beyond which it cannot stray. In this law of motion, we find a hint of the law of activity impressed upon all beings upon the surface of the earth. It is a necessity of life. Stagnation is death. The minutest insect must labor for its food. The fishes of the sea, must pro vide for their own wants. The beasts of the field, and the birds of the air, must, alike, labor to build, for themselves, their dens, aud nests, and to secure the means of subsis tence. So the same law asserts its sway over man, the lordly sovereign, whose dominion extends over all these lower orders of beings. The bristling thorns, the unfriend ly briars, the noxious weeds, the ever springing grass, and the fallow ground, tell him that labor is the law of his life. The ax, the fire, the plough, and the hoe, must be dili gently used through weary months of toil, followed by the sowing, reap ing, and garnering before he eats his bread. It is but the product of the “sweat of his face.” It is in obedience to this law that he discerns the curse of sin. It is in the study of this law that he discov ers the law of sacrifice, so plainly stamped upon the world around him. “A life for a life,” is the demand of all earthly living beings. Even the soil itself, pierced and torn, and beaten with plough, and hoe, and spade, and rake, yields up its strength, and gives its life for the support of the plants that it nourishes upon its bosom. The herbs of garden and field, yield their lives for the support of living creatures above them. The fruit bearing tree supplies its luscious products for man and beast,and soon exhausts itself, and dies. The stat lier growth of the forests furnish the materials for the dwellings of man, which soon decay, and mingle with the earth from which they sprang. Even the lower order of animals, dwelling both in sen, and upon land, yield themselves as sacrifices for the support of the lives of the more pow erful. The vegetable and the brute creation, are, alike, sacrificed to meet the demands of humanity. Nor is man, in the propagation of his own spe cies, exempt from this universal law of sacrifice. The lives of the father andthe mother are sacrificed in the production and maintenance of their offspring. Often indeed, is it the case, that as the child is born, the mother dies. This lesson of law leads u« to the base of that rugged mount, which still lifts its lightning-scarred sum mit aloft from the plains of Arabia. There, upon Sinai, covered with clouds, stood Moses, face to face with God, receiving, upon the two tables of stone, that moral law,which Linds man to his maker,qpd to which, he must yield obedience, or die. So that, wherever we turn, in whatso- ever direction we move, we are met by the impassable barriers of law, that restrains both the inner and the outer man. Speak to the earth, and ask whose hand guides and rules, and the answer comes, “Thy throne, O God, is in the heavens, and thy Kingdom ruleth over all.” Bth. Speak to the earth, and it shall teach us a lesson of Grace. Thanks to a benevolent Creator, the lesson of stern law is not the last one that earth can teach. Con scious of our vain efforts to respond to the demands of the moral law, holy, just and good, we come, with a sense of our weakness, and ask if there is no hope of relief from the penalty incurred by its violation. Between the eastern shore of the Mediterranean sea, and the river Jor dan, lies a narrow strip of land, in cluding Judea, Samaria, and Galilee, from which comes the sweet lesson of grace. Nearly 1900 years ago, there was born in Bethlehem of Ju dea, a mysterious babe. “And there were in the same country, shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flocks by night. And 10, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them ; and they were sore afraid. And the angel said Unto them, fear not; for be hold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all peo ple. For unto you is born this day, in the city of David, a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly, there was with the angel, a multi tude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying: Glory to God in the highest, and, on earth, peace, and good will to men.” Here it was that the" earth saw God manifest in the flesh, for “the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us.” Here it was that the earth witnessed the humilitation of the King of glory. Here it was that the earth beheld His conflict with Satan, and His victory over Satan. Here it was that the earth offered her waters for His baptism, and saw the Holy Ghost descending, in bodi ly shape like a dove, and lighting up on Him. Here it was that the earth heard the voice from the most excel lent Glory, saying, “This is my be loved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” Here it was that the earth heard His command, “Repent and believe the Gospel.” Here it was that the weary world first heard the gracious invitation, “Come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy la den and I will give ye rest.” Here it was that earth first heard the pro clamation of God’s love, and the promise of eternal life. “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotton, that whosoever bclieveth in Him, should not perish, but have eternal life.” Here it was that earth first witnessed the sympa thies of the Son of God for suffer ing humanity. Here it was that earth saw His miraculous power manifested, in healing tiie sick, giv ing sight to the blind, loosening the tongues of the dumb, uustopping the ears of the deaf, and raising the dead to life,. Here it was that earth, witnessed the infinite offering on Calvary that forever satisfied the demand of the law of sacrifice. Here it was that the earth saw the God-man iay down His life for the redemption of sin ful man. Here it was that the earth beheld the Sun veil his face, for very shame, at the wickedness of His cruel murderers. Here it was that the earth felt the trembling quiver of sympathy for the dying Saviour, Here it was that the very rocks did rend,as if in the agony of their grief, over the death of their maker. Here it was that the earth opened her graves, and sent forth her slumber ing dead to life again, to behold the tragic scenes of crucifixion. Here it was that she made bare her tender bosom to receive the body of her dead Lord. Here it was that she witnessed His resurrection, and glo rious triumph over death, hell and the grave. Here it was that she heard her risen Savior utter the great commission, “Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel to every crea ture. He that beheveth and is bap tized shall be saved—he that believ eth not shall be damned.” Here it was that earth saw Him borne upon the fleecy wings of clouds to the throne of the Majesty on High, there to receive the crown of glory, which He had with the Father from before the foundation of the world. There it was that she beard the assurance from the angelic Host, “This same Jesus that is token up from you into Heaven shall so come in like manner ns ye have seen Him go into heaven.” Speak to the earth, and it shall teach us lessons of God's omnipotent power and of His unerring wisdom. Speak to the earth, and it shall teach us of His boundless goodness, and of His inexhaustible patience. Speak to the earth, and it shall teach us the shortness of life, and the universali ty of death. Speak to the earth, and it shall teach us the lesson of sub jection to law, physical and moral, and of man’s disobedience, and spir itual death. Speak to the earth, and it shall teach us of God’s all abound ing grace in the vicarious death of His son. Jeans Christ; in His com plete redemption of every believer; in the lively hope of a coming res urrection ; in a never ending life in “His presence, where there is full ness of joy, and at His right hand where there are pleasures forever more.”