expectation of, a FUTURE GOOD, and thus reinforced faith, stimulating the soul to more perfect obedience. Thus, an incident of the Abrahamic covenant was the development of Hope, as a means of influencing the conduct, and directing the purposes of the individual; and Faith and Hope united, commanded the PRESENT and FUTURE, in their power to induce action and to influence character.

This epoch, in its influence, did not extend to making manifest the CHARACTER of God, except as a being of POWER and of FIDELITY to his covenant obligations. It did not reveal the spiritual attributes of Jehovah, as a righteous and holy being. It did not require humanity to become just, and holy, and truthful, and pure, to secure the favor of the Almighty; because humanity, in this stage of unfoldment, was not in a condition to receive such a commandment. In divine order, such a revelation could be made only when, through attainment of spiritual condition, humanity could perceive and respond to these requirements.

The characteristics of this epoch are represented by the third day of advance in the material creation; which consisted in causing the land to appear above, or separated from, the waters, in places by itself; where it became fitted for producing organic structures, laying the foundation for living individualities. Hitherto the atmosphere had been so filled with clouds of vapor that the natural heavens had been entirely obscured. Sufficient light therefrom to cast a shadow had not reached the earth; therefore, the light which had penetrated the mantle of vapor enshrouding the earth

was less than a shadow in the presence of the direct ray. Consequently, a living, conscious individuality had not been created. The first degree of individual life had appeared in the vegetable kingdom; but there had been neither individual sensation nor motion; because the conditions, under which sensation and motion could have been produced, did not exist, until this epoch had finished the work assigned to it, and thus had prepared conditions for introducing the animal kingdom.

Spiritually the same characteristics appear. Abraham, as a conscious individuality, recognized God as a being of life and power; and God had entered into covenant obligations with him. God is represented as becoming a party to a contract with Abraham, by which He obligated Himself to do certain things for him and for his posterity, provided Abraham and posterity would perform on their part, according to the terms of the contract. And whatever Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, or their posterity did, religiously, was done with a view of placing God under obligations, according to the existing covenant. But none of those who became representative men of the epoch extending from Abraham to Moses, knew anything of the spiritual character and attributes of Jehovah; nor did they suspect that the Lord required of them the performance of moral duties, in addition to making themselves members of the Abrahamic family, through circumcision. The spiritual atınosphere, which had hitherto encompassed the human, had been so heavily laden with vapors and clouds, that spiritual light and heat had not penetrated to the soul, imparting to it spirit

ual life and motion, sufficient to create a moral individuality. Therefore, completeness of moral character must not be expected or even hoped for, in the representative men of this epoch.

The history embracing this epoch of unfoldment is full of spiritual instruction to him who has ears to hear, eyes to see, and understanding to comprehend its spiritual significance. The influence which the union of Faith with Hope exerted upon the character of Abraham, is manifest in the absolute fidelity imparted thereby. Faith and Hope combined command the present, and prepare it for giving birth to the future.

CHAPTER XI.

THE FOURTH EPOCH IN THE SPIRITUAL CREATION.

THE next advance in spiritual growth and development required the creation of a spiritual conception of God, and of his moral attributes. To accomplish this, a condition of soul is required, in which a sense of holiness can be awakened, accompanied with awe, and an idea of sacredness. The Bible narrative represents it in this manner: Moses — meaning he who was drawn out (from the waters)-a man learned in all the arts and sciences of the Egyptians, had fled from Egypt, to the land of Midian; and had taken a wife, one of the daughters of a priest of Midian; by the name of Zipporah (little bird), and he became the keeper of the flocks of his father-in-law. And, as he led them out on the back side of the desert, to Mount Horeb (dryness), he saw a bush apparently burning with fire; and yet the bush was not consumed. And he turned aside to see why the bush was not consumed; when a voice came from out the bush, saying, Moses, Moses. Draw not nigh;— put thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground. I am the God of thy father;-the God of Abraham,-the God of Isaac-and the God of Jacob.

This vision was employed to teach Moses that the God of Israel was a Being of a higher and holier

character than had been hitherto conceived, and that he was to be approached only through preparation, with awe and reverence, that man should stand uncovered in the Divine Presence, that everything connected therewith is holy, even the ground upon which we tread.

Moses, who was about to become the deliverer of, and the lawgiver to, Israel, inquired, By what name shall I represent this Presence to Israel? The answer given was, I AM WHO I AM. Say thus to them, I AM hath sent me unto you. This, in its expanded significance reads, THE ETERNAL PRESENCE—THE JEHOVAH— HE WHO IS NOW-WHO EVER HAS BEEN-and WHO EVER WILL BE, hath sent me unto you. During this vision Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look upon that awful Presence. Here stood the man learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians,―rneaning, of the worldly-wise-humbled and silent in the presence of this spiritual manifestation, not knowing even by what name this Presence should be represented, which name became too sacred to be pronounced on ordinary occasions. Moses also soon became invested with powers incident to his new condition of spirit, by which he appealed to the sense of wonder and awe in those whom he was about to lead, instruct and govern. And it was through the exercise of these powers that he obtained an influence with the children of Israel, by means of which, he could bring them, as a people, to perceive and recognize, in a feeble degree, the awful and mysterious Presence of the God of their fathers.

The history of the transactions of Moses with the