But it is like some of you may say, what is this to the purpose? This is not the sin we are guilty of. We have never imbrued our hands in the blood of God, and so herein we cannot see our crimes. This makes nothing to that which now you are doing, the unfolding the heinous nature of that crime you now implead us as guilty of before God. To this we answer,

Should we grant what is alleged as to your innocency in this matter, to be true, yet herein there is much of the nature of your sin to be seen, since it partakes of the common nature of sin, with that of the murder of God; and since it is every way equal to, if not that very same, against which God did evidence his hatred in so wonderful a manner, in the death of his only-begotten Son, whom he spared not, but gave to the death, when he laid on him the iniquity of the elect world.' But,

We say that very sin lies at your door, O sinners! and if you deny it, we would only ask you one question, dare you hold up your faces, and in the sight of God say, that you did receive Jesus Christ the first time ever there was an offer of him made to you? If not, then you are guilty in that you practically say, that the putting him to death was no crime. You, by your practice, bear witness to, or assert the justice of the Jews' quarrel, and bring the blood of God upon your head: and therefore in their crimes you may see your own. All the world, to whom the gospel report comes, must either be for or against the Jews in their prosecution of him; and no otherwise can we give testimony against them but by believing the gospel report of him, that he was indeed the Son of God, the Saviour of the world. In so far as we refuse a compliance with this, in as far are we guilty of the death of Christ: for unbelief subscribes the Jews' charge against the Son of God, and asserts him an impostor.

'SHOW ME THY GLORY.'

THIS prayer was not entirely proper. It would seem that Moses desired some visible display of Deity, or some kind of representation of Him. And so far it was refused. He said, Thou canst not see my face for there shall no man see me and live. Behold, there is a place by me, and thou shalt stand upon a rock: and it shall come to pass, while my glory passeth by, that I will put thee in a clift of the rock, and will cover thee with my hand while I pass by: and I will take away mine hand, and thou shalt see my back parts: but my face shall not be seen.'

Here we perceive our weakness, even physically considered. How little can we

bear! When Daniel only saw an angel he fell into a deep sleep. John, at the sight of Him on whose bosom he had often leaned, fell at his feet as dead. Flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God. Neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.

We cannot go on well till God has gained our full confidence. Let us never suppose that he denies us any thing from insufficiency to give, or from a grudging disposition. He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all: how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?' The very same principle that leads him to give us some things, induces him to withhold others-a regard to our safety and happiness—

'Good when he gives, supremely good;

Nor less when he denies:

E'en crosses, from his sov'reign hand,
Are blessings in disguise.'

Had the Lord yielded all the wish of Moses, Moses would have been destroyed upon the spot. He therefore rejects what was evil in it, but grants what was good-'I will make all my goodness pass before thee; and I will proclaim the name of the Lord before thee; and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy.' We are morally defective; and our infirmities appear even in our prayers. We know not what to pray for as we ought. What would be the consequence, if all our desires were accomplished? It is our privilege that God is as wise as he is kind. He knows what is really good for us; and answers us not according to our wishes, but our wants; and according to what we ourselves should only pray for, if we were alive to our real welfare, and always knew what it includes.

Thus qualified, we cannot do better than to make this prayer our own, and desire God to show us his glory; for he alone can do it efficiently. As the sun can only be seen by his own shining, so God can only be known by his own revealing: in his light we see light. But we have every seek encouragement we could desire, if we the discovery from him. If any lack wisdom, let him ask of God, who giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not, and it shall be given him. Then shall ye know if ye follow on to know the Lord.

Let us pray, therefore, that he would show us more of his glory—more of it in his works, more of it in his ways, more of it in his dispensations and ordinances, and, above all, more of it in the face of Jesus Christ.

Nor let us ever think we do not stand in need of more. For who expressed this desire? A man who had been indulged already beyond any of his fellow-creatures!

Yet after communications the most deep and extensive; after being inspired to write Scripture; after beholding God in the burning bush; after talking with him as a man talketh with his friend-so far is he from being satisfied that his soul is drawn forth after more acquaintance with him; and he, even he cries, 'I beseech thee show me thy glory.' Behold another instance. Paul, after all his intimacies with the Lord Jesus for many years, cries, That I may know him!' But who is Moses? Who is Paul? 'Which things the angels desire to look into.'

Yet some are so perfectly indifferent to the subject of this prayer, that they say unto God, Depart from us, for we desire not the knowledge of thy ways. Spiritual darkness is the forerunner and pledge of eternal. If our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost. Because they are a people of no understanding, therefore he that made them will not have mercy on them; and he that formed them will show them no favour.

'JOSEPH IS NOT!'

It was a sorrowful conclusion which Jacob arrived at, when his sons proposed to take their youngest brother with them down to Egypt: Joseph is not,' said the aged patriarch, and Simeon is not, and ye will take Benjamin away: all these things are against me.' But no part of it was founded in truth. 'Joseph is not'— yes, he is and not only alive, but riding in the second chariot of Egypt. And Simeon is not'-yes, he is-and only detained for awhile as an hostage for the return of his brethren. 'And ye will take Benjamin away '-yes-but not to be destroyed, but to prove a deliverer, and to bring every thing to a favourable issue. Let the lad go, and no evil shall befall him, and supplies for thyself and family will soon be brought; and the waggons shall accompany them, sent by Joseph, to carry thee and thy household down into Goshen, where he will nourish thee, and, after the storms of the morning and afternoon of life, thou shalt enjoy a calm and clear evening, and rejoice in the development of a series of dispensations beyond all that thou couldest ask or think. And what say you now, Jacob? I have spoken once, but I will proceed no further. I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear, but now mine own eye seeth thee: wherefore, I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes. So foolish was I and ignorant. I was as a beast before thee. Nevertheless, I am continually with thee; thou hast holden me by my right hand. Thou shalt

6

guide me with thy counsel, and afterward receive me to glory. Just and true are all thy ways, O thou King of saints! He hath done all things well.'

The inference here so groundlessly drawn is not peculiar to Jacob. Nothing is more common than to hear the subjects of Divine grace exclaim, 'All these things are against me,' when yet all the ways of the Lord are mercy and truth;' and 'we know that all things work together for good to them that love God.' Whence does it proceed? Sometimes they judge under a morbid physical influence. We are not only fearfully, but wonderfully made; and there are many things which would hardly appear credible were they not confirmed by frequent experience. How will a change of weather, or a redundancy or increase of some secretion or fluid, affect not only our feelings, but our views! How tenderly are some to be pitied! How much they constantly suffer from corporeal causes! They see every thing through an injured medium; and there is no persuading them often but that the discolourations of the glass are the hues of the objects themselves.

They often err from a deficiency of knowledge with regard to the subject itself. It is not easy to determine what is against us or for us. 'Who knoweth what is good for a man in this life?' Can we always distinguish between appearances and realities?-between the beginning and the end of things? Do we perfectly know ourselves? Do we know what effects untried things will have upon our minds or our conditions? We go forward into futurity with our present views and feelings, not reflecting that other events will produce other views and feelings, and that by circumstances we may become a kind of new creatures, which, could they be presented to us in prospect, would occasion more than our wonder. This was the case with Hazael: he abhored in imagination what he became in reality, by a transition from a private to a public station. What miseries did Lot entail upon himself in choosing the vale of Sodom, because it was well watered as the garden of the Lord! On the other hand, Ruth was early deprived of her husband, and reduced to the lowliness of a gleaner, but met with Boaz in the field, and became the ancestor of the Messiah. A man wished to sail in a particular ship, and to his extreme disappointment found, when he reached the port, that the vessel had just sailed. The next day it was wrecked! and his anguish was turned into joy.

We draw the conclusion also, because we are carnal, and walk as men. We regard our ease and indulgence more than our spiritual advantage. If the hedging up

of our way with thorns prevents us from going astray, if the sickness of the body secures the health of the soul, if the loss of a creature brings us to God, surely we cannot say, these things are against us. They are greatly for us; and we should acknowledge this, if we were wise unto salvation, and had our conversation in heaven.

We also err by judging prematurely. He that believeth maketh not haste.' If a man engaged to accomplish a great work in ten years, would it be right to decide concerning it at the end of ten days, or ten weeks? God did not pronounce judgment upon his own creation till it was done: God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good.' The end will not only crown all, but explain all; and produce not only satisfaction, but praise. Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come. And the coming of the Lord draweth nigh. And blessed are all they that wait for him. In the meanwhile, there is a substitute for the explanations of heaven. It is, in the absence of sight, to walk by faith. If ye will not believe, surely ye shall not be established. But by believing we enter into rest, and the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, keeps our hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Under the influence of this faith, let us look at his promises; let us think of his perfections; let us review his wonders of oldabove all, let us keep near the cross. All our discouragements and perplexities originate in our departure from this. God forbid we should glory in any thing else! It not only opens the kingdom of heaven to all believers, but it is the key to unlock the dispensations of providence. If God be for us, who can be against us! He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all; how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? God of love! thou shalt have all the future confidence of our hearts

We may view the

out of his own mouth. inquiry three ways. First, as an instance of God's moral observations of his creatures. His eyes are upon the ways of man, and he pondereth all his doings. Nothing can screen us from this inspection. Elijah was in a wilderness, and alone; he had even left his servant behind him, but the eye of God followed him. And the eyes of the Lord are in every place, beholding the evil and the good. And let us not imagine that he only looks after an extraordinary character, like Elijah. No one is too small and inconsiderable to be disregarded by him. Every human being is not only his creature, but his subject, and responsible to him. The meanest slave is great in the sight of God, as possessed of a soul, and destined for eternity. God has a right to know where we are, and what we are doing; and a much greater right than a father or a master has to know this, with regard to a child or a servant: for we are absolutely his. And he is interested in observing our conduct-interested as a judge, who is to pass sentence upon our actions-interested as a friend and benefactor, who would check us when we are going astray, or recall us when we have wandered.

But we may consider it as a reproof given to a good man. He ought not to have been here, hiding himself from his enemy, and begging that he might die; but should have been engaged in carrying on the cause of God in the reformation he had so nobly begun-he was therefore blamable. God does not cast him off; but he reprehends him. And as many as he loves he rebukes and chastens. And faithful are the wounds of this friend.

And how does he administer this reproof? He had all the elements under his control: and he showed Elijah what he could do: 'And he said, Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the Lord. And, behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and break in pieces the rocks before the Lord; but the Lord was not in the wind: and after the wind, an earthquake; but the Lord was not in the earthquake: and after the earthquake, a fire; but the Lord was not in the fire: and after the fire, a still small voice. And it was so, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle, and went out, and stood in the entering in of the cave.' And, behold, there came a voice unto him, and said '-You cowardly deserter? You ungrateful, rebellious wretch ?-No: but

What doest thou here, Elijah?' And this, 'in a small still voice-a kind of under-tone, or whisper, as if no one should hear it beside. Here was no up

braiding; nothing to inflame passion: but a kind and calm appeal to reason. How forcible, and yet tender! It is thus his gentleness makes us great. It is thus he does not break the bruised reed, nor quench the smoking flax. It is thus he calls upon us to be followers of him, as dear children. If a brother be overtaken in a fault, let us not employ the earthquake, the wind, and the fire; but the small still voice. Let us take him aside. Let us tell him his fault between him and us alone. Let us restore such an one in the spirit of meekness. Reproof should never be given in a passion. It is too much, says an old writer, to expect that a sick patient will take physic, not only when it is nauseous, but boiling warm. And we know who has said, 'In meekness, instructing those that oppose themselves.' The wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.'

But as a rule by which we may judge ourselves, let us suppose that we heard God addressing us, as he did Elijah. How should we answer him? Could we say, I hope I am where Thou wouldst have me to be? and doing what Thou wouldst have me to do? He does thus inquire. And therefore it behoves us so to act as to be able to give a satisfactory account of our conduct.

Let us apply the question to our troubles. How came we into these difficulties? Have they befallen us in fellowing after God? Or have we drawn them upon ourselves by our folly and sin?

Let us apply it to our connexions. We are choosing associates-Are we walking with wise men, or are we the companions of fools? We are engaging ourselves for life-Are we marrying in the Lord, or unequally yoking ourselves with unbelievers? "What doest thou here, Elijah?' Let us apply it to our recreations. Are they such as conduce to the health of the body? and accord with purity of mind? or are the amusements and dissipations which, if God should call us to account, would strike our consciences dumb?

Let us apply it to our stations. Are we abiding with God in our own callings? or are we acting out of our proper sphere of duty? How many have injured, if not ruined, their usefulness and comfort, by improper removals, or striking their tent without the cloud!

Let us apply it to our religious services. We ought to have an aim in coming to his house. Happy they who, when they hear the inquiry, What doest thou here, Elijah?' can say, Here I am not from custom or curiosity, but to know what the Lord will speak; and to see his power and his glory as I have seen him in the sanctuary.

And let us remember, that a false answer will be more than useless. We often assign a reason very different from the true one, to an inquiring fellow-creature: and him we may deceive. But God is not mocked.

THE EDITOR'S LIBRARY.

ARMAGEDDON; or, The Battle-Field on which Antichrist and his Armies are to be Overthrown, as Seen through the Telescope of Divine -Prediction. London: Houlston & Stoneman. Edinburgh: Thomas Grant.

IF a successful effort is made in any departiment of literature, it has always been the signal for the appearance of a host of would-be instructors to the world, and the country is immediately inundated with productions professing to enlighten the public mind. These untimely effusions, and their imprudent authors, are only got rid of after they have in vain attempted to attract attention, and discovered, to their no small disappointment, that they cannot prevail on the world to follow after them. At no past period has the above remark been more strikingly exemplified than it has been within the last few months. That remarkably successful pamphlet, the Coming Struggle,' appeared about the close of the last or the commencement of the present year, and no sooner was it announced than an unprecedented demand was made for it. The idea immediately occurred to less successful writers that the opportunity was favourable for turning the extraordinary excitement into some profitable channel. Thus day after day pamphlets were pressed into our hands; authors, known and unknown, in their wisdom or in their folly, made the fruitless attempt to unpopularize a work which has already more than a hundred thousand patrons. The want of success, however, has proved the Antidote to the Fallacies, and thus the pseudo interpreters of Scripture have been forced into their original obscurity, and the world is again allowed to move onward in its usual common-sense way. But with these remarks we turn away from such effusions, and feel not a little refreshed to have it in our power to introduce our readers to a pamphlet of sterling merit, and which bears internal evidence that the prophetical writings have been the subject on which the author has bestowed much profound thought to ascertain the meaning of 'What saith the Spirit.' The style in which it is written is vigorous, and the ability which throughout its pages is displayed well entitles it to a wide circulation; but as few of our

readers may as yet have seen the work we quote the opening paragraph of the pamphlet:

The Pen and the Press have ever been the dread and the terror of Antichrist; and wherever these mighty engines have been allowed full play, they have uniformly proved detrimental to his interests. In the present day they are employed against him with terrible effect, and seem destined at no distant period to contribute mightily to his overthrow. In almost every position, where they are not absolutely chained to his throne or crushed under his foot, they are already sending their shafts, polished with reason and pointed with truth, through the joints of his harness, and making his limbs quiver to their very extremities. There is something truly significant, and even prognostic, in the immense streams of literary productions which at present are issuing from the press. Many of these are disclosing the horrid deeds of Antichrist's oppression and cruelty, and giving the world warning of his approaching ruin. And there is a solemn significancy in the increasing avidity with which all such information is swallowed by the public mind. When, in the history of the world, was there ever such looking and longing for coming events?-such an anxious desire to gaze through the prophetic transparencies in that veil which hangs between us and the future? or to calculate the dimensions and the distance of these events, whose shadows are so ominously stretching out and indicating their speedy approach? Or when were ever such efforts made by the pen and the press to gratify such desires, and to direct the attention of the human mind to divine predictions regarding events that are approaching? True, indeed, the views of those who study the inspired predictions may be very various; but whatever may be the difference of opinion regarding details, all seem to be agreed that the present aspect of providence, the prophecies of the Word of God, and the present state of our world, all indicate the near approach of extraordinary events, and that we are on the eve of some momentous crisis. And although the conflicting opinions of men regarding these matters may excite the scorn of the infidel, and even stagger the faith and obstruct the inquiry of some of the friends of truth, yet we are disposed to view these numerous publications, in so far as they are exciting and arresting the attention, and turning the minds of men to the subject, as tokens of the near approach of the awful crisis.

It is a striking fact in the history of God's providence, that when a great crisis is approaching, or when he is about to

work some great deliverance for his Church, he generally indicates its approach by signs in his providence, and by turning the minds of men, and especially of his own people, to the subject. When the time drew near that Babylon must be destroyed, and God's Church delivered from captivity, Daniel was led to observe the providence of God toward Israel, and to search and study the prophecies of God's Word that referred to that event. And when the Saviour was about to appear in our world, for our redemption, not only were there some found waiting about God's temple for the Consolation of Israel, but even multitudes in the world appear to have been under the impression that some great personage was about to make his appearance. And Christ, in his prediction of those fearful events that are rapidly approaching, tells us that one of the signs of their approach will be seen in the minds of men being anxiously turned to the subject: "Men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after these things that are coming on the earth”—a graphic description of the present time. The human mind seems aroused to attention, and to the observation of passing events, and to an unwonted searching into the meaning of God's predictions concerning these; and the impression appears to be almost universal, that we are on the eve of some eventful crisis. And if there is an analogy in God's procedure, these things clearly indicate that events of awful magnitude and importance are at hand.'

The author now proceeds to consider the locality of the field of Armageddon— the time when the battle is to be fought -the preparations that are making for it

the occasion of the battle-the mustering of the hosts to the battle—the nature of the contest, and its important consequences. The only other extract which our space permits us to quote is the occasion of this great battle :

'What does all this mean? Why such mustering of warlike hosts, and whence so dreadful prospects? Surely the reasons for such sweeping events bear some proportion to their magnitude and importance. The Word of God informs us that all this is occasioned by the proud blasphemy of the Antichristian system, and its relentless cruelty and opposition to the kingdom and to the cause of Christ. When Christ set up his New Testament kingdom in our world, hell and earth were moved against it; peace was taken from the earth; the sword was drawn, and the blood of God's servants was made to run about Jerusalem like water; persecution to the death, in all the various forms which it was possible for diabolical malice to invent, was em ployed against the Church of Christ. But,