black: thus the mode of his reception and reflection of the truth will exhibit the quality of his bow in the cloud—brilliant, vivid, and beautiful, if the truth be applied to the life—less brilliant and somewhat dim, if not so ardently applied; and no bow appears if the truth be not received, or if suffered to pass unheeded by.
Reflect, O man! upon thy responsibility! If thou dost not receive the truth, or receiving, dost not apply it to the directing of thy life and practice, there can appear no state of regeneration—there is nothing to indicate thy progress heavenward—there is no bow seen in the cloud, and consequently no covenant for the Lord to remember. The Lord only bestows his blessings upon those who desire to possess them; the covenant can only be remembered when the bow is seen in the cloud.
When Truth, as light, the mind illumes,
Heaven's blessings to bestow:
Then man a heavenly state assumes,
And brilliant is his bow.
February Fourth.
THE FIVE BARLEY LOAVES.
"There is a lad here which hath five barley loaves, and two small fishes: but what are they asnong so many?"—John vi. 9.
THE feeding of five thousand men, besides (as stated in Matt. xiv. 21) women and children, with but five barley loaves and two small fishes, is among that class of Scriptural facts called miracles. It appears from the narrative, that the miracle made a powerful impression upon the minds of those who
