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May be! must be, man; you can make naught else of it," said the old bookseller. "But I'll tell you something more, if you'll listen. You're all for reform, and new moral worlds, and what not; very good. And you're mad against old abuses, and tyrannies, and all manner of iniquities in the world; very good again. I say nothing against it. You're right, lad, so far. And you're going to hear this reformer lay down his new plans, and that reformer lay down his; and you're after books that tell of new philosophies and new doctrines, when you've never had a thought of going to the fountainhead; and you know nothing of the grandest Reformer that ever came into the world; and that is not very good; it is very bad, man.

"I asked you, just now, if you knew anything of Jesus Christ," continued the bookseller; "and 'tis plain that you don't know, and don't care to know; and yet but you shall hear what he says;" and Davie again took me in his hand, and opening me, read: "Woe unto you, Pharisees'—they were your great men in those days, you must know; riding, as it were, on the high places of the earth, and caring nothing for the people, you understand-Woe unto you, Pharisees,' said Jesus Christ; for ye love the uppermost seats in the synagogues, and greetings in the markets. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are as graves which appear not, and the men that walk over them are not aware of them.-Woe unto

you also, ye lawyers'-law-makers, you must know -'for ye lade men with burdens grievous to be borne, and ye yourselves touch not the burdens with one of your fingers.-Ye have taken away the key of knowledge; ye enter not in yourselves, and them that were entering in ye hindered.'*

“I tell you, man," continued the bookseller, "that if you want to know the words of a right down grand Reformer, you should read the Bible; and there you'll have them. And if you want to know aught of liberty, and equality, and fraternity, just search the Scriptures, and you'll find out more than you'll learn at all your big lecture rooms and halls. And if you want to make acquaintance with a brave Teacher that wouldn't run away when his life was in danger from tyrannical laws, and that did not leave his followers to shift for themselves— like some modern reformers that I have heard of, ay, and known-but just laid down his life for them and in defence of his doctrines, read the Bible; and you'll find out who it was; and so I'll tell you no more."

"Well, I'll have the book, man, good or bad," said the workman. "What do you value it at?" "Will you read it when you have it?" asked the bookseller.

"Ay, will I," the man answered.

"Then you shall have it for nothing. Yon man, that beat his wife with a billy-roller till she couldn't

*Luke xi. 43-52.

call out for mercy any longer, threw it in my teeth that I wanted to cry up my wares. May be I did, and may be I didn't. But for the poor old Bible that's seen its best days, you're welcome to it;" and the strange-tempered old man thrust it into his visitor's hand.

"I'll take nothing for it," said the bookseller; "but if you won't be beholden to me, I'll make a bargain: you shall promise that when you have found out the Pearl of great price in it-you don't know what that is now, but may be you will-you will get another Bible (I'll sell it you that time if I'm living, and you come to me), and give the old one away to another poor ignorant creature that's crying out for reform."

The man laughed and promised; and putting me into his pocket, he departed.

CHAPTER XIII.

THE NEW MORAL WORLD LECTURE.

HURRYING through the lighted streets, my new possessor at length arrived at a large building, which he entered; and pushing his way into the crowd, he took his station near to a man of middle age, who, standing on a platform, was addressing

the multitudes who were gathering around him, and were listening to him.

Among the predictions which I have it in charge to utter is one that foretels that "there shall come in the last days SCOFFERS:" and in him whose voice now sounded through that place of assembly were the words of my prophecy verified. Loudly and passionately he declaimed against the arrogance of priests and the tyranny of human laws; and vehemently did he assert that of all books which had ever been written, and of all religions which had ever been thrust upon the world, the Bible, and the religion of the Bible, were the most mischievous and pestilent.

With many bold and blasphemous words did this unhappy man mock at the Holy One who inhabiteth eternity; and with proud and lofty look did he declare that by a more more excellent way than by obedience to God, and regard to the laws written in his word, could he, a weak and fallible creature, show to his fellow-men how happiness might be obtained, and a golden age again caused to visit the down-trodden world. And while, with the arrogance which he condemned in others, he triumphantly asked, "Who is the Lord, that we should obey him, or listen to his voice?" his language was, "Listen to me, and obey me, ye who would be delivered from all evil."

Much did this demagogue say concerning the wretchedness which was in the world, and how it

had been brought about by the disregard of nature's laws, and by the ambition and folly of designing men: yet did he assert unblushingly that the dogma of man's depravity, because of his departure from God, and of the indwelling evil of sin, was insulting to man's dignity, and an invention of interested priests.

He spoke of Christianity, calling it a fable, and treated the story of the human birth and incarnation and sacrifice of the Blessed One as a monstrous fabrication. In set terms of contempt and hatred akin to that of fallen angels, he reviled the glorious revelation of God's mercy and free gift to the world, in that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. He asked what had Christianity and the Bible done for man?-or rather, what mischief had they not done, in teaching those who would receive their teaching, to bow their necks submissively to the yoke of tyrants, and to yield obedience to barbarous laws, which man's enlightened judgment condemned.

Then arose there a voice from the crowded room, asking, "What laws?" It may be that the speaker heard not the question; and yet methought he did, though yet he replied not; but waxing louder in his vehement speaking, he taxed all who named the name of Christ as their Lord and Master with double-faced hypocrisy and deceit, or as being the dupes of a miserable imposture; and trusted that