without burning and shining lamps? The parable of the ten Virgins, (see 25th chapter of Mathew) is very instructive to the people of God, and should be often in their minds."The kingdom of heaven: or the church at the coming of Christ is likened unto ten virgins which took their lamps and went forth to meet the bridegroom." The people of God are styled virgins; they have solemnly vowed to Christ. The lamp I understand to represent the profession they make of the doctrine of Jesus Christ. Here let me remark that this profession of the doctrine of the Master is made at the time we enter into a covenant with our Heavenly Father-and now with this profession we go forth to meet the Bridegroom, and this answers to the words in the parable-" which took their lamps and went forth to meet the bridegroom." Now it will be necessary, in the first place, to examine our lamps to see if they be sound-that is, if our profession have embodied or embraced every precept, and institution in the Testament--if so, then our lamp is sound, and can contain the oil of the grace of God. But should we not profess the whole truth, as it is in Jesus, our lamp is unsound, and for every precept and institution not included in our profession, we have a leak in our lamp and will render it of no real benefit. Suffice it to say, a lamp in the sense of that word in the parable, means a profession of all the precepts and institutions of the Gospel; and which profession is indispensably necessary, and must be made by every person, who desires a present and future salvation. A mere lamp will afford no light, neither can a mere profession of the doctrine of Christ save the soul. Therefore we must no⭑ only have a lamp, but we must have oil in our vessels. The vessel in the parable represents the heart. Therefore, in order to replenish and keep our lamps brightly burning, we must take oil in our vessels--that is have

the oil of grace or the Spirit of God in our hearts, and then our light will emenate from our profession to the salvation of our souls &c. Now to the difference between the wise and the foolish Virgins. The foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them. They made the good profession, but they did not live up to it-they did not carry out their profession in their life and conversation-they were lukewarm, and of course did not enjoy the life and power of Godliness in their hearts. It is true, they were in the church, but they did not live up to their calling, therefore, their membership could not save them. That lukewarm professors are an injury to the cause of Zion, will not be denied. But those who try to excuse themselves from coming into the church, because of foolish virgins-such as do not walk in every respect according to the rule of Christ, will be miserably disappointed in the end, for every man must account for himself, and it will avail nothing to say in the judgment day, "Lord we observed the members of thy church, we eyed them closely, and because we saw some who did not walk according to their profession, we concluded that we were as good and perhaps better than they, and did not come into thy church." We infer from the above, that they would have the judge to pardon their disobedience to the Gospel, on the ground of the unfaithfulness of some of the members of the church; about as poor an excuse for disobedience, as the devil could invent, or put into their mouth; and the devil (if he can,) will no doubt take a hearty laugh at them, for he delights in deceiving man in the salvation of the soul. What folly! because some of the professors of religion are careless and do not work out their soul's salvation, I will make no profession and thus not engage in the work. I ask the question, what is the difference between these characters? I answer, in one sense there is no difference.

both are disobedient, and will be damned if they dot not obey the Gospel, yet if there be any difference, it will be in favor of those who have engaged in the work of salvation, but have been overcome through the trials and temptations of this life, and those who have disobeyed every call to come into the vineyard, and of course would not engage in the work of the Lord. Reader, it is no reason that you and I should not do our duty, because some are undutiful. Let us adopt the resolution of good old Joshua," but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." Joshua xxiv, 15. The windows of our hearts. should be like the windows of Solomon's Temple wide within and narrow without if so, we should have enough to do to watch ourselves, rather than our neighbors; we should see our own faults and have enough to do at home, rather than the faults of those around us. In the parable we read that "the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps," and though they were like the foolish slumbered and slept, their lamps were kept burning-that is their lamps had not gone out, and they had a supply of oil to answer the exigency of their state. Thus when the Heavenly Bridegroom comes they will be able to enter in with him to the marriage. It is the privilege of the whole church to be in a state of readiness at the coming of the Master, the Husband of the church. But it is evident from the parable and other scriptures, that there will be many rejected and not admitted to the marriage supper of the Lamb. But be not deceived by the predictions and sayings of men. How unreasonable to suppose that such people as have not the light and have not obeyed the first principles of the Gospel, and of course do not conform to the doctrine of self-denial, and are united with the false church, should know the precise year in which Christ will come. A point which the Apostles themselves did not reveal, and which the true

church has never ventured to express. We have no assurance in the Scriptures for placing any confidence in the revelations of such men or women, as do not belong to the true church, it matters not how zealous they may oe to propagate their sentiments; seeing they are not identified with the true church. (Here we wish it to be distinctly understood that by the true church, we have a reference to that body which professes and observes all the items in the economy of grace, and of course is not identified with the kingdoms of this world.) Secret things belong unto the Lord. "The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him, and he will show them his covenant." Psa. xxv, 14. See Deut. xxix, 29. Prov. iii, 32.

THE FOLLOWING TESTIMONY ON THE INSTITUTIONS, WAS RECEIVED FROM OUR WELL BELOVED BROTHER JOHN KLINE, OF ROCKINGHAM COUNTY, VIRGINIA.

THE LORD'S SUPPER.

This is that institution which God instituted, through his Son Jesus Christ, as a remembrance in figure of that Heavenly Supper of which Christ speaks-"A certain man made a great supper, and bade many;" Luke xiv. 16, and "blessed are those servants, whom the Lord when he cometh shall find watching; verily, I say unto you that he shall gird himself, and make them sit down to meat, and will come forth and serve them, xii. 27, and they shall come from the East and from the West, and from the North and from the South, and shall sit down in the kingdom of God." xiii. 29. "That ye may eat and drink in my kingdom, and sit on thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel." xxii. 30-among other passages go to prove the above. That the Lord in the

evening (or end,) of this world, will or has prepared such a Supper, for all them that love him and keep his commandments, as the above, is a fact (which cannot be denied.) We must reasonably conclude, that the Lord has something in his Church and in his ordinances of the new covenant, as an anti-type of that Heavenly Supper. And as the ordinance of the breaking of bread, and partaking of the cup, is an entirely different representation, to accomplish, in the mind, of the believer, namely, to remember the broken body of Christ, which was mangled, and lacerated by the lash, in Pilot's judgment hall, and by the nails and Spear on the Cross; and of his shed blood, which was shed for the remission of sins;— of this the Saviour says: "This do in remembrance of me." Luke xxii. 19. And Paul says, as oft as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do show the Lord's death till he come. i. Cor. xi. 26. So we see, that the communion or breaking of Bread, is not the Lord's supper. It becomes a subject of investigation, to see what is the Lord's Supper. Paul speaks thus of the Lord's Supper, "when ye come together into one place, this is not to eat the Lord's Supper." i. Cor. xi. 20. Why was it not the Lord's Supper, which the Corinthians held? he answers, for in eating, every one taketh before other, his own Supper, and one is hungry, and another is drunken, 21. This is plain, but he now shows that he wished them to eat a supper, for he says in the latter part of the same chapter. "Wherefore my brethren when ye come together to eat, tarry one for another." verse 33. Do not as you have done"every one take before other his own supper;" but tarry, wait until the night, and then eat the Lord's Supper, as becometh Christians in love and union. Thus it is plain, that the Apostles had, and ate a Supper; and that the Bread and Wine, are not that Supper, is like