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remembered, nor come into mind." But we find in Revelation xxi. that the new heavens are to follow AFTER the present earth has vanished away. We find the same truth in 2 Peter iii. How can we reconcile Isaiah and the New Testament? Isaiah describes a new heaven and earth BEFORE the present earth has been burned up. The enigma is explained by the heavenly city. Isaiah in chapter 65 is speaking of nothing whatsoever but the land of Israel; and over that favoured land the heavenly city will be suspended-1,500 miles broad at the BASE consequently it will overhang the entire land of Israel completely. It will fill up the whole concave of the sky from east to west, and from north to south, and will blot out and supersede all other heavenly bodies. Thus the heavenly city will produce a NEW HEAVEN over the whole territory of Israel; while its beams, mixing with the atmosphere, and uniting with the sunbeams, will create a NEW and allproductive EARTH as far as the Israelitish territory extends. And this fully explains Isaiah lxv.

Hoping to speak in the next of the heavenly city, I will now only add, that I believe the well-known title of the Messiah-"The Sun of Righteousness"—is as much a LITERAL title as a spiritual one. For "the Lamb is the light thereof," namely, of the heavenly city; and, as the light of the city, He becomes a new and additional SUN to the world at large.

A BRIEF MEMOIR OF

THE REV. CHRISTIAN G. BARTH, D.D.
BY THE REV. J. A. JETTER.

PART I.

THE Rev. Dr. Barth was born in Stuttgart, July 31st, 1799. His father died early, and left his widow with three children, among whom Christian, the subject of this memoir, was the eldest. The mother lived with her fatherless children in a circle of truly Christian friends, which had a blessed effect upon the lively and promising boy. His father had been a pious and devoted Christian, who was very helpful in building up others, who met together in a private meeting for mutual edification at the house of Mr. Gundert, master of a public school in the city. The people used to tell the son that they remembered well his earnest and heartfelt prayers for the spread of the Gospel and the extension of the kingdom of Christ. His mother was a person of an equally energetic and powerful mind, yet full of Christian love and simplicity. Her house was ever open to Christian brethren who might happen to visit Stuttgart. She used to pray separately with her children upon her knees, and brought them up in strict obedience. Until his 11th year, Christian visited the German school, of which Mr. Gundert was the head master. It was he who encouraged his mother to bring up her son to a learned profession.

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With the help of a private tutor, Christian soon was brought on in the Latin, Greek, and Hebrew languages. Besides his diligence in the acquirement of languages, he early showed talent, inherited from his father, of drawing and painting. He used to write Bible stories, to which he painted figures by way of illustration, and then presented them to his juvenile friends, or on market days he sold them to the passers-by. A remarkable indication of his talents as author, artist, philanthropist, and man of business, which we admired in him in after

life.

His early religious impressions he greatly owed to his pious tutor Jeremia Flatt, and to the Rev. A. Dann, whose sermons he used to take down, and in his vacations visited him, and begged to be examined by him. In his progress through the higher grammar school of his native city, he distinguished himself as a poet and an orator. To extend the circle of his knowledge, he acquired modern languages, studied natural history, and practised himself in drawing and music. He collected likewise natural curiosities. His different talents, by which he was distinguished in after life, showed themselves in the germ already in his youth. From the very beginning he manifested an inclination for variety, and could never limit his mind to the prescribed studies. But his principal aim, amidst all his various pursuits, was to arrive at a knowledge of God in and through Christ. Among his tutors, Werner and Roth exercised the greatest influence on him; and at a later period, the Professors Klaiber and Reinblek, attracted him much. Remarkable characters had always a strong attraction for him, and they created the wish in him to become a true man, and to avoid, if possible, all eccentricity, which his keen mind taught him early to be a defect in the best of men.

The wars of Napoleon, in the years 1814 and 1815, excited him much, and led him to write political poems. But he soon withdrew from all those commotions, and took up his favourite subject-the kingdom of our Lord.

Already in the year 1816 he began to write a book, "A Voice of a Preacher in the Wilderness: a mirror of the present times." This work certainly was never completed; but it was pregnant with the thought that ours were the last days.

He became early acquainted with the writings of Henry Young Stilling. Before he entered the University, he visited this remarkable man, who left a deep impression on his mind; so much so, that once a year he regularly perused his "Heimwch" (home-sickness, or longing after home: a book somewhat in the style of Bunyan's "Pilgrim's Progress"). With the exception of a few occasional poems, there appeared nothing in print of his productions till in October, 1817, when he published "Stilling's Festive Triumph," a scene from the world of spirits. These verses of this inspirited youth created a great excitement in the circle of believers, and they asked who could be their author. The first edition was soon sold, as it found its way into distant parts of Germany and into Switzerland. An old experienced saint wrote to him, after having been discovered as the author of this poem, "Seek the Lord, and learn to know and to love Him with all your heart, you will become a blessed and useful instrument in His hand. Oh, my Jonathan! abide in Him: suffer nothing to lose your hold of

and

Him. But may He make such use of you, as may seem best in His sight."

Two orations on Breuz and Melancthon closed his career in the high school, and he entered the University of Tubingen in October, 1817. There he joined soon after his entrance in the celebration of the third centennial festival of the Reformation, and published anew the Theses of Luther, by which he showed his deep sympathy with that great man and his work.

With modesty, yet with a sense of superiority, united with brilliancy of wit and sprightliness, induced by his general progress in a polite education, coupled with a firm resolution and enduring zeal, he entered the circle of his fellow-students, but made friends but with a select few. Hoffacker and Krummacher may be mentioned among these. In matters of Christian experience, the members of this select circle applied always to Hoffacker. Barth appeared to them at times as a remarkable genius-as a polymathy, of whom they could not be certain how he would turn out. His friends were disquieted by his great precocity, which might as soon end in the production of mere wild shoots as in fruit-bearing branches. His piety they regarded as being formal; and his theosophical tendency, and belief in the marvellous, they could not harmonize with his sober, and sometimes severe criticism. He pursued many things in his studies-sometimes philosophy, then the old languages; again the Italian, English, and Spanish languages, and the Talmud and Arabic. He likewise occupied himself in painting portraits of his friends; would paint coats of arms, and other devices, as a lyre, a sword, or a ship under full sail, with the motto underneath-“Odi tranquillitatem" (I hate rest), which was the true picture of his innermost being. He had, besides, many visits from brethren near and far, an extensive correspondence, and constant occasions to write for the press. He likewise gave private lessons for his own support, to relieve his mother as much as possible.

The Rev. A. Dann, whom he often visited, was not satisfied with his multiplicity of engagements, and used to tell him in all affection, "I love all scholars of true wisdom." He did not think highly of a little book which Barth placed before him for inspection; he took, however, 12 copies, without suspecting him to be the author; whilst another Christian friend took 200 copies. In 1818, some of his poems were printed in Vienna, and others appeared in other publications. In his first vacation, in December, 1817, when he was but 18 years old, he ventured to preach in a village church near Stuttgart. His text was— "Follow thou me." (John xxi. 22.) It gave him great pleasure to see his mother among the audience, and still more, that he experienced such perfect liberty, and felt that he had now been introduced in his true calling for life. He closed his sermon with a hymn of his own composing. He preached after this often in the villages around Tubingen In his first Easter vacation he preached also in Wurtzburg, in Bavaria, which occasioned a reproof to the minister there, for suffering such a young man to occupy his pulpit. When his turn came to preach in the castle church at Tubingen, where usually students and professors only attend, the place was generally crowded with people of all descriptions, to whom he boldly declared the truths of the Gospel. In his studies he pursued his own way, and read and studied more in private than in

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attending public lectures. He was particularly fond of the study of the writings of the pious divines of the last century, as Bengel and his like. Withal, he was a free inquirer into the signs of the times, in order to discover the demands which the cause of God and His kingdom makes on the present generation. And herein lay already, then, one of his principal talents.

The cause of missions attracted his peculiar attention. In November, 1818, he addressed his friends on this subject, and exhorted them to promote this important work. "Whoever approves of it," he said, "must show it in very deed; and the missionary boxes in England," he added, "demand our imitation." The late Rev. Mr. Blumbardt and Dr. Pinkerton encouraged him in this idea, and advised him to exhibit missionary boxes at every meeting, into which every one might put what he felt disposed to give, and to forward the amount to the Basle Missionary Society. Barth succeeded in his plan; and in the year 1819 he could write to Basle of the existence of a missionary association in Tubingen, which he kept up ever afterwards. His sermons breathed a true missionary spirit; his ideas were illustrated by references to the heathen and their misery. He could never speak of man's inalienable liberty without referring to the chains of the negroes; and whoever regarded this zeal in the youthful Barth as a mere ebullition of the mind, was soon undeceived, for it was real and enduring. In July, 1821, he visited the missionary anniversary at Basle, and entered into useful alliance with friends in Switzerland. Dr. Schubert, of Erlangen, wrote also to him at this time, and wished him God's blessing to his labours for the extension of the kingdom of God, and recommended a converted Israelite to him. Even awakened Roman Catholics applied to him for counsel and for help. But the question now arose, should not Barth himself go abroad as a missionary? At the ordination of the late Rev. Mr. Laroche, which took place in Stuttgart, in the year 1819, the mother and sister of Barth were melted into tears, half fearing lest he himself should lollow his example.

It appears that he at one time actually prepared himself to go out as a missionary among the Jews, but he could not arrive at a settled conviction about this step. His aged mother, his sickly sister, and a helpless brother, prevented his carrying this resolution into effect. He had an urgent call at one time from a dear friend to become the minister of a Protestant congregation in Austria, as well as by the late Rev. Dr. Steinkopff to come to London. The activity of the Lord's people in establishing missionary, tract, and Bible societies, and in endeavouring to do good in other ways, caused at this time great excitement, and in some instances opposition among the dead orthodox party in the country. Likewise, among the godly divisions were pushed to great lengths, so much so that a party separated from the rest entirely. This state of things induced Barth to write and publish some rather severe pamphlets, which occasioned him much unpleasantness and suffering. He himself confessed afterwards that he had been too severe, and his mother addressed to him on this occasion the following advice :

"Enter at once into thy closet, and on thy knees entreat God, thy heavenly Father, for forgiveness of all thy sins and transgressions, and anew resolve to live to Him alone. I have no doubt of thy being

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delivered-yet, the sooner the better. How will thy sainted father be delighted, and thy grandmother rejoice (who was always very partial to thee); nay, there will be 'joy in heaven,' by witnessing thy entire surrender to the Lord. Is it not incumbent for one who is to have the care of souls, first to attend to his own soul? Do not place confidence in those who flatter thee, and be not so open and communicative. Seek the promotion of God's honour, and not thine own. Pray daily for humility and Christian simplicity. How is the state of thy heart before God-how thy faithfulness in little things? Every hour is lost which you live for yourself; therefore, look to the promises given to those that overcome. Be not satisfied with secret sighs to God, but force thyself away from business in order to pray, and then wait for the answer," &c.

Barth was greatly indebted to his faithful mother. Nevertheless, he maintained his stand-point in opposition to his mother, by expressing himself as follows:-"Your anxiety is not founded on truth. The more carefully I study the word of God, the more I am convinced that I am under the special care of the Lord. Suppose that the author of my pamphlets were made known, and I were brought to account, what matter would it be to sustain a loss in my worldly circumstances ? I should rejoice to suffer for truth's sake. I am called to write in defence of the truth; of this I feel convinced. Here apply the words of Gossner, Truth is truth, let it be told either by a clown, or by a professor.' There must be no respect of persons. Truth is always bitter, but in our times it is needful to be bold in defence of it. Is it wrong to defend the cause of the Lord? I have committed all to Him; He will direct it according to His will. The only comfort I derive is in prayer," &c. The threatenings of the clergy whom he had attacked were, however, not carried into execution; for they had resolved at one time to bring the publisher before a court of justice, in order to betray the author. The excitement was allayed. But Barth had still further plans before him to carry into execution, which were, however, for the time kept in abeyance.

The Lord supported Him wonderfully in his endeavours to serve Him. Wherever he went on his travels, the cause of missions was always his principal object. In this way, among others, he became the founder of the Missionary Association at Darmstadt, in Hesse, which was espoused and supported by the Grand Duchess herself. The time had now arrived when he should leave the university, and enter upon active clerical duty. The heads of the college dismissed him with the following testimony:-" In erroris mysticismi delapus."

He now took leave of his brethren and college friends, with whom he still kept up an acquaintance afterwards. In the year 1821 he entered upon his first curacy, where he at once established a missionary association, and had the encouragement to see his labours blessed among all parties.

But while his wise mother rejoiced at his usefulness she still exhorted him to pray much for wisdom and self-knowledge. She said, "Pray much! May the Lord fill thee with His Spirit, and enable thee to represent Him as what He is!" She was not elated by his popularity; for his plain Gospel message was welcomed by all. In the year 1822 he was called to take the sole charge of the parish of Effringen, in the Black Forest, and thus he commenced his labours in this region, which filled