Education Committee of the Free Church took the Training System under their patronage, and resolved to erect suitable buildings, in order that the system might still be carried out fully and efficiently. An eligible site was soon fixed upon. In the meantime the schools were carried on in a wooden building erected on the new grounds. In April, 1846, the permanent buildings were completed and taken posession of. At that time there were seventy masters in training, and the schools collectively were attended by about eight hundred children. From the origin of the institution up to the present time above twelve hundred teachers, male and female, have been trained in it. These teachers, on completing their training, have been variously located, some in most of the counties of England, Scotland, and Ireland, and many of them have gone abroad. Such is a brief outline sketch of what may be called the external history of the Training System.

W. K.

SCRIPTURE TERMS AND PHRASES.

ARTICLE II.

"The World.”

IN fitting contrast with the subject of our last article, "The Kingdom of Heaven," stands that which we now proceed to consider, "The World."

Is the former looked at in its eternal duration ?" The fashion of this world passeth away." Is the former viewed (in its perfect state) as without spot and blemish ?-"The world lieth in wickedness." Is the Kingdom of God, in another sense, the everlasting Gospel ?The world hateth even the Divine Author of that Gospel. Is the Kingdom of God the acknowledgment of his sovereignty ?-The world owns Satan as its God. 1s that Heavenly Kingdom in each believer's heart righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost ?The cares of this world, on the contrary, choke the good seed, and it becometh unfruitful.

Nor can the meaning of either term be fully grasped without taking the other, also, into the account. Many a worldling seeks, indeed, to throw down the boundary between them, and persuade

himself that "modes of faith" are of consequence only in the eyes of "senseless bigots;" but the Christian knows that the two antagonistic principles are as distinct as life from death, light from darkness. "If any man love the world, the love of the Father is NOT IN HIM;" but of the disciples of the Lord Jesus, it is ever true, "they are not of the world."

I. The World signifies the entire universe, material and visible,

"The work of an Almighty hand;"

marred, indeed, by the effects of man's sin, but even yet passing fair, evidencing wisdom, power, and love-all alike infinite.

This sense of the word includes the whole human race, as inhabitants of the earth; for whom, indeed, it was prepared as a dwelling-place. Hence one Greek word, rendered by our translators "world," means "inhabited ;" and twice in Revelations (viii, 13, xii. 12), and twice in the Psalms (xxxiii. 8, xlix. 1), men are called, "the inhabiters of the earth;" literally, dwelling in the earth as in a house. And thus, going out of the world (John xvii. 15, 1 Cor. v. 10), is equivalent to dying.

Texts in which the word bears this construction are very numerous. A few instances will suffice :

:

(a). The material universe.

"Or ever Thou hadst formed the earth and the world." Ps. xc. 2.
"Let the sea roar, and the fulness thereof, the world and they that
dwell therein." Ps. xcviii. 7.

"Nor fill the face of the world with cities." Is. xiv. 21.

"For then must ye needs go out of the world." 1 Cor. v. 10.

(b). The human race, by metonymy for that in which the human race is contained, as a cup-full of water means the water of which the cup is full.

"He shall judge the world in righteousness." Ps. ix. 8.

"All the ends of the world shall remember and turn unto the Lord."

Ps. xxii. 27.

"All the world should be taxed." Luke ii. 1.

"God so loved the world." John iii. 16.

To this latter section are referrible all those texts wherein the Gentiles are called the World, in contradistinction to the Jews.

Thus,

"If the fall of them (the Jews) be the riches of the world (the Gentiles)." Rom. xi. 12.

The creation of the world is frequently called "the foundation of the world"; as in Matt. xiii, 35; John xvii. 24; 1 Peter i. 20.

II. A slight modification of this sense is that which might be described as "the life-time or period of the world as it now exists." We look for new heavens and a new earth-a "world to come," spoken of in the following texts :

"And in the world to come eternal life." Mark x. 30; Luke xviii. 30. "They which shall be accounted worthy to obtain that world, and the

resurrection from the dead." Luke xx. 35.

And, in contrast to that world or age to come (aiwv) stands "the life that now is," the existence of mankind as a whole, from the day creation to the day of judgment.

In other words, the world often means the existing dispensation, ending with "the LAST DAY."

"So shall it be in the end of this world." Matt. xiii. 40.

"I will eat no flesh while the world standeth." 1 Cor. viii. 13. "The world passeth away, and the lusts thereof." 1 John ii. 17. "Whoso hath this world's good." 1 John iii. 17.

"The children of this world marry and are given in marriage." Luke

xx. 34.

Thus "world without end," Is. xlv. 17, means-outlasting the present dispensation, and stretching into eternity.

Turning the world upside down, Acts xvii. 6, means, of course, throwing society into confusion, creating a revolution in "the exist ing state of things."

There are two rather difficult texts in which the word occurs; viz., "To the angels hath He not put in subjection the world to come, whereof we speak." Heb. ii. 5. "The powers of the world to come." Heb. vi. 5. Commentators consider these texts to apply to the Gospel Dispensation, the Jews using the term as synonymous with the times of the Messiah.

III. The next meaning of the word, which yet is only a modification of it, is that which excludes a portion of mankind, those who, through Divine Mercy, are become the children of God, and leaves the residue -the unrenewed and unconverted-to be described as "the world." How the word deserves such a meaning it is, alas! not difficult to For in the first place, the numbers of the unconverted are sadly beyond the number of those who have returned to God; the latter being the "little flock," Luke xii. 32; the few chosen, out of the many called, Matt. xx. 16.

see.

Again; the ungodly are the world, because this world is their portion, the bound of all their desires, the theatre of all their achievements, the be-all and end-all of those who wilfully shut their eyes to the future with all its wondrous circumstances.

Such are called " the men of this world."

"Deliver my soul from the wicked . . . from men of this world." Ps. xvii. 13, 14.

Also "the children of this world."

"The children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light." Luke xvi. 8.

In this sense God's children, though not out of the world as regards

their natural existence, (John xvii. 15,) are out of the world as regards their spiritual life; thus,

"Because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world." John xv. 19.

They mingle in it, in their daily business, but they stand aloof and apart from it, in having desires, rules, aims, and principles, diametrically opposed to it.

The following few texts, out of a great number, must suffice to illustrate this meaning of the word, which is chiefly confined to the writings of the Apostle St. John, though used also by St. Paul and St. James

"The world cannot hate you, but Me it hateth." John vii. 7.

"Even the Spirit of Truth, whom the world cannot receive." John xiv. 17.

"The world hath hated them because they are not of the world." John xvii. 14.

"Now we have received not the spirit of the world." 1 Cor. ii. 12. "The friendship of the world is enmity with God." James iv. 4.

IV. There is an easy transition from the application of the word to ungodly men to its application to the principles on which they actungodliness as a whole, the love of this present life, the yielding a homage to its dignities, power, and wealth, and a thorough immersion in its sinful pleasures, pleasures which indeed are but for a season. It is this sense which the word bears in two or three passages; as for instance,

"Be of good cheer, I have overcome the world." John xvi. 33.
"The world is crucified to me." Gal. vi. 14.

"To keep himself unspotted from the world." James i. 27.

"Love not the world." 1 John ii. 15.

"Whatsoever is born of God, overcometh the world." 1 John v. 4.

But it must be noticed that the riches of the world are not in themselves a curse; it is not money but the love of money which is the root of all evil. Accordingly we are bid to

"Use this world, as not abusing it." 1 Cor. vii. 31. which also agrees with the Gospel precept,

"Make to yourselves friends of (by the use of) the mammon of unrighteousness." Luke xvi. 9.

Such is a brief description of this term in its various modifications; and we think that here, as in the term previously examined (the Kingdom of God) there is a connecting link between all those various modifications. In the former, Grace lay at the root of all the manifestations of God's Kingdom; in this, Sin is the common property. Fair and beauteous as it was when first God rested from his work, the world soon fell under a curse; for sin entered into it; and from that time to this the whole creation groans in bondage, the whole

human race is born in sin, the whole tendency of man so born is to sink still lower and lower in the pit of destruction.

The material world, the history of the human race, and the reign. of Satan, the prince of this world, will all come to a close together in one awful day, when the earth shall be burnt up, Satan cast into the lake of fire, with all not found written in the Book of Life; and the reign of everlasting Righteousness and Peace commence in a New Heaven and a New Earth.

I. G. F.

QUESTIONS SUGGESTED TO BIBLE STUDENTS.

1-What does this passage contain ?

2-What parallel or correspondent passages are there ? 3-What additional information is there in other scriptures? 4-What evidence of Divine inspiration does this passage contain? 5-What doctrine may we learn from it for our Salvation? 6--What rules for our conduct are contained here?

7-What information does it afford concerning experimental religion?

8-What impression should it leave upon our hearts ?

Q-What hints are suggested to lead us to seek Divine teaching? 10-What historical information does it afford or require ? 11-What geographical information?

12-What information or use may be derived not included in any of the above questions?

THE BOOK OF PSALMS,

IN

CONNECTION WITH SUNDAY SCHOOL TEACHING.

(Fifth Article.)

We promised to introduce occasionally to the notice of our readers some portion of "the common treasure of all good precepts," with especial reference to the Sunday School Teacher in his Study; we trust then that, in fulfilling our promise, we shall be aiding our dear friends by bringing before them the Fifth Psalm. It is one of no little value to the Christian student, as containing a precept of prayer for a man of God at all times, and more particularly in times of opposition or distress.