whose members had apostatized from the Jewish faith, and become Christians.

Saul is a young man and a bigoted Jew, educated in the best Jewish school of theology, and learned in all its lore. He is fresh from his studies, and full of zeal and endowed with high intellectual energies. He brings the case of the Syrian apostates before the Sanhedrim at Jerusalem, obtains from them letters of authority and an armed police, and starts for Damascus for the purpose of arresting the heretics, and probably putting them to death. He has come within sight of Damascus. It is high noon, and they can see the city away through the hot and stifling air, and they feel sure of their prey.

The noon is blazing down upon the Syrian plain, and we appreciate the force of the language when it is said that a brightness greater than that of a Syrian noon now surrounds the travellers and overpowers them. And please observe the difference in the impressions made on the minds of the company. They all witness a sudden and intolerable brightness. They all hear a sound, resembling probably that of thunder, rolling down out of a clear sky.* Damascus, the green oasis, suddenly disappears from their sight; they perceive only the blaze that involves them; they cannot bear it, and they fall prone. But one of the company perceives something more than a blaze of light, and hears something more than a rumbling sound. Within that blaze there is a person, and within that sound there are Hebrew words, and he hears his own name articulated aloud, "Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?" "Who art thou, Lord?" "I am Jesus whom thou persecutest. Rise and stand. Go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou shalt do." The light pales away and disappears; they rise and stand, but all is a blank now to Saul. He is blind. The intolerable blaze is followed by midnight blackness, but his attendants see again, and the green city looms up in the distance as before. They lead the blind and stricken man into it, and he now inspires pity rather than terror. They conduct him to the house of a friendly Jew, where he betakes himself to contrition and prayer. Though all is dark without, light begins to dawn from within. For, behold, as he is praying, a sweet and kindly face seen in vision melts through the gloom, until the form of a man stands before him and lays his hand upon him in blessing. He knows not the benevolent face, but it is the presage of heavenly mercy. Three days pass away, and a footstep enters his apartment. A hand is laid upon his head, and a voice tells him to open his eyes. His eyes are opened, and lo! he looks

* Compare with John xii. 29.

up into the same face that came before him in vision. It is the face of Ananias, a converted Jew,-one of those persons whom he came from Jerusalem to imprison and slay. He rises, and is baptized into the faith he so lately hated and persecuted.

The word again rendered "vision" in the Scripture narrative of Saul's conversion is oraσía, a word specially used to designate the sight of objects which are not within the sphere of the natural senses.

The Apocalypse. This is the only book of the New Testament which is prophetical throughout; that is, in which all the scenery is strictly and entirely extra-natural. The reader will note carefully the expression of the writer at the beginning, "I was in spirit," ev veúμari, an expression specially · ἐν πνεύματι, appropriate to describe a change in the inner mind produced by quickening and elevating that sense which becomes cognizant of the objects of a higher sphere. It does not denote a sharpening of the natural sight to discern things more subtle or remote, but just the reverse. It denotes a closing up of the natural sight, and the opening of a new eye to a light that never strikes our fleshly eyeballs. From this state the prophet of Patmos gives us the vast and solemn panorama of what he saw.

It comes not within our scope to expound the Apocalypse. Abstine manus, improbe,-Keep off profane hands. It has been constantly expounded as if it represented_natural things by natural things, and, following this method, Dr. Cummings finds in these chapters cholera, potato-rot, influenza, Napoleon Bonaparte, and so forth. Not till we purge ourselves of this vice in theologizing will the expositors be able to open the book and loose the seals thereof. What we here indicate is the fact of extra-natural scenery, spread out in such wise as to body forth a life so much more intense than aught we experience here, that even the prophet could not bear the sudden blazon, and fell as one dead under the too ardent effulgence. Let Lord Monboddo, and the scholiast of Cudworth, put their eye here for a moment where the prophet has so poised his telescope as to sweep the higher heavens and bring them near, and let them say whether God is beholden to dull matter alone in the creation of worlds, and whether the phenomena of form, colour, extension, distance, motion, may not be produced otherwise than under the combinations of natural law, and in a sunlight so much more warm and full, that the earth in comparison seems to suffer eclipse, and to hang like a corpse in the shadows.

NOTES AND GLEANINGS.

BRITISH NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF SPIRITUALISTS.

ON Tuesday, 14th ult., a Council Meeting was held at the Rooms of the Association, 38, Great Russell Street. Present: A. Calder, Esq. (Chairman), Mr. Morell Theobald, Mr. Joseph Freeman, Mr. T. Everitt, Mr. R. Pearce, Mr. E. Dawson Rogers, Mrs. Everitt, Mrs. Theresa Wood, Mr. E. Parkinson Ashton, Dr. Sexton, Mr. E. T. Bennett, Miss Georgina Houghton, Mr. A. Joy, Mr. R. Pomeroy Tredwen, Mr. Desmond Fitz-Gerald, Mrs. Fitz-Gerald, and Mr. G. King. An application was made from the Cardiff Society, desiring to ally itself with the British National Association, which was acceded to. A vote of thanks was passed to Mr. Reimers, of Manchester, for a cast of spirithands presented by him to the Association. A letter was read from Mr. W. H. Harrison, pointing out that the law was in a most unsatisfactory state with regard to mediums, and that they could be prosecuted by any malicious, evil-disposed person, and that the prosecution could be extended to that Association, since they had mediums on their premises who charged admission to séances. Dr. Sexton said that for one he should like to see the prosecutions commence at once. He believed that nothing would do them so much good as the being prosecuted. He had been connected with many movements that had been placed in the same position, and he always found that prosecution was the very best thing that could happen to them.

Mr. E. Dawson Rogers now brought up the report of the "Offices Committee," upon the case of the relationship of Mr. Harrison to the Association, which had been referred to them at a previous Council Meeting. This report was worded as follows:

That the Council be asked to agree to a resolution that Mr. Harrison shall not after a certain date, to be mutually determined upon, use the address of 38, Great Russell Street, as a publishing address, and to obtain Mr. Harrison's consent to this, previous to the Committee going further into the matter.

Mr. E. Dawson Rogers moved the adoption of this report, which was seconded by Mr. E. T. Bennett, and supported by Mr. G. King. The Chairman said he rose with great pain, but he saw they were being led into a difficulty from which they would not recover, and he maintained that the report was foreign to the intention of the Council when the matter was handed over to the Committee. Mr. Desmond Fitz-Gerald took a similar view and moved the following amendment :

That the recommendation of the "Offices Committee " be referred back to

them, with the request that they consider the pecuniary terms on which Mr. Harrison can be allowed to continue the occupation of the room now occupied by

him.

This amendment was seconded by Mr. Morell Theobald, and supported by Mr. E. Parkinson Ashton. The Chairman moved a second amendment to the effect that the affair should be referred to the " Finance Committee," but this failing to find a seconder was dropped. Miss Houghton made a few observations, but did not appear to take any side, and Mr. Pearce and Mr. Everitt spoke in favour of the original resolution. Mr. E. Dawson Rogers having made a few remarks in reply, the amendment was put to the Meeting, when six voted for it and eight against it, and it was therefore lost. The original resolution was then put, when ten voted for it and seven against. The original resolution was consequently carried. other business of no public interest the meeting closed.

After some

BRIXTON PSYCHOLOGICAL SOCIETY,

On Thursday evening, the 16th ult., Dr. Sexton delivered a lecture, under the auspices of this Society, in the Angell Town Institution, Brixton, on "The Philosophy of Spiritualism, with Criticism of Adverse Theories invented to account for the phenomena." The lecture contained an elaborate defence of Spiritualism, from a scientific standpoint, and showed that, to a rational mind, judging of the matter philosophically, there was no escape from the conclusion that communion with the so-called dead was really established. The lecture created a great amount of interest in the neighbourhood, and was listened to with the greatest possible attention by an audience composed largely of persons to whom the facts detailed appeared to be quite new. Mr. E. Parkinson Ashton presided, and on the platform were seated Mr. Desmond Fitzgerald and Mr. Gray. The Brixton Psychological Society deserves great praise for its endeavours to spread a knowledge of Spiritualism among the inhabitants of the district. This is the third lecture that has been given under its auspices this season, the two previous ones having been delivered, one by Mr. E. Parkinson Ashton, and the other by Dr. Sexton, and another is already being talked of.

DEBATE BETWEEN DR. SEXTON AND MR. CHAS. WATTS.

As the time draws near for this great discussion, the interest felt in it increases. Not only in Newcastle-on-Tyne, but in many of the surrounding towns has it during the past month formed the principal topic of conversation. The large lecture room in

Nelson Street has been secured for the debate, and this it is expected will prove far too small to accommodate the great numbers of persons who will seek to gain admission. It is to take place as before stated on April 6th, 7th, 10th, and 11th. The subjects are as follows:-6th and 7th, "Is Secularism sufficient to promote the Well-Being of Mankind ?" Mr. Watts to take the affirmative, Dr. Sexton the negative. 10th and 11th, "Is Christianity of Divine Origin and adapted to the Real Wants of Mankind ?" Dr. Sexton will take the affirmative, Mr. Watts the negative.

SPIRITUAL PROPOGANDISM.

The "British National Association of Spiritualists" recently decided to engage Dr. Sexton to deliver ten lectures in different parts of the country, with a view to assist in the promulgation of the principles of Spiritualism in those districts where the Societies are too small or too poor to pay a lecturer's fees. Five of these lectures will be delivered at Malton, Seghill, Blyth, Seaham Harbour, and Cockermouth, on the occasion of Dr. Sexton's visit to the North, and the remaining five will be given early in May, in the neighbourhood of Manchester. The lecturer's fee in all these cases will be paid by the Association, and the Societies therefore will only incur the expense of getting up the meeting and providing accommodation for Dr. Sexton during the time that he stays in the town, together with such travelling expenses as may be incurred. The latter item will be small, because each of the series of five lectures will be given in the same district. Societies in Lancashire desirous of availing themselves of this opportunity must communicate with Dr. Sexton at once. The lectures in the Newcastle district are already arranged.

"CHURCH OF THE LORD."

In the absence of Dr. Sexton, during his provincial tour to the North, services will be held in the Cavendish Rooms on Sunday evenings, as usual. On the 9th inst. the Rev. F. R. Young (of Swindon) will preach on "The Lord's Lament over the Doomed City;" and on the 16th Mr. J. W. Farquhar will deliver a Discourse on "The Fundamental Doctrine of Christianity." It is expected that Dr. Sexton will return in time to resume his ministrations on the 23rd.