be persecutors, instead of being the persecuted! Seeing it is declared with a yea that "all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution," and in the text under consideration, that "in the world ye shall have tribulation," it is but striving against the immutable decrees of God to strive to avoid it. We should indeed be careful that we give our adversaries no just occasion to speak reproachfully, for if we take this patiently, it is but reasonable, as we are then only buffeted for our faults, and can by no means repair the injury we do to the cause of truth. But if we be wrongfully reproached, we may rejoice, inasmuch as we are partakers of Christ's sufferings, and the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon us (1 Pet. iv. 14). We have not only the promise of peace in Christ to bear up our minds under the tribulations of the way, but we have also an assurance that our enemies are already conquered: "Be of good cheer; I have overcome the world." Though a troop may for a little season overcome us, yet we shall at last overcome through the Captain of our salvation-yea, and be more than conquerors through Him that loved us. Victory! victory! Old Sampford, April 13th, 1819.

S. R.

FAITHFUL WORDS.

ONE reason why sinners do not feel the sting of sin is on account of an insensible hardness grown over, and a desperate searedness impressed upon, their consciences by extraordinary villainy and variety in sin, such as those in Isaiah v. 18-"that draw iniquity with cords of vanity, and sin as it were with a cart rope;" by waving the glorious light of the Word under which they sit, and which shines in their faces, as a "foolish thing;" by villainously trampling under foot the power of it, with despite and scorn many times against that light, which stands in their consciences like an armed man; nay, and by treading out through custom in sin the very notions that nature hath engraven in their hearts, as men do the engravings of tombstones, which they walk upon with foul shoes. I say thus, at length, their consciences become so utterly remorseless and past all feeling so hardened, so seared, so sealed up with a reprobate sense-that, with an audacious and giant-like insolency, they challenge even God Almighty Himself to draw His sword of vengeance against them. "Woe unto them that draw iniquity with cords of vanity, and sin as it were with a cart rope: that say, Let Him make speed, and hasten His work, that we may see it: and let the counsel of the Holy One of Israel draw nigh and come, that we may know it." These roarers and

swaggering Belials in this respect have consciences worse than the devil himself, for he "believes and trembles." Even those already desperate and damned spirits tremble at the forethought of that fuller wrath which is to come, and yet further deserved damnation. And thou sometimes easest thine heart against the terror of the Lord for thy sins, by looking upon God's mercy with false spectacles, and so enlarging it beyond the limits of truth; for, though God's mercy be of the largest extent, yet it is bounded with His truth; and, therefore, usually in the Scriptures we find these two coupled together, God's mercy and His

truth.

Now, this truth tells us that the good tidings of the Gospel belong only to the poor, to the broken-hearted, to the captives, to the blind, to the bruised; that he only who "confesseth and forsaketh his sins shall have mercy" (Prov. xxviii. 13); that "except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish" (Luke xiii. 3); that "except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God" (John iii. 3); that "God shall wound the head of His enemies, and the hairy scalp of such an one as goeth on still in his trespasses" (Psa. Ixviii. 21); that, "if we regard iniquity in our hearts, the Lord will not hear us (Psa. lxvi. 18); that "without holiness no man shall see the Lord" (Heb. xii. 14).

Compare, now, these and the like places with thine heart, life, and present impenitent state, and tell me, in cool blood and impartially, whether any mercy at all as yet belongs unto thee upon good ground, while thou art yet lying in thy sins.

BOLTON.

It is by understanding the Scriptures that we know our own hearts, and it is by knowing_our own hearts that we come to understand the Scriptures.-Foster.

WHEN I go down into the country, and shake hands with hedgers and ditchers, their hands are callous; and what makes them so? Working much. And there's nothing makes the heart so callous as working for the devil.-Hill.

CHRIST loves to undertake desperate cases. Martha and Mary sent for Him-"Behold, he whom Thou lovest is sick." Jesus stayed where He was. Lazarus dies; but He will not go till He had been buried four days, then He goes. So comes the nobleman "My little daughter lieth at the point of death." Jesus stays where He was till one of Job's messengers came, saying, Thy daughter is dead; why troublest thou the Master any further?" Then He says, "Fear not, only believe." "O thou of little faith, wherefore dost thou doubt," seeing God hath sent His Son to save the lost, and to call sinners to repentance ?-Huntington.

WHAT IS IN THE NAME?

WHAT is "the religion of humanity" which the infidel applauds? It is the religion which has its origin on earth, and confines its hopes to earth. The phases of infidel opinion are as countless as the waves on the sea. They range from Universalism-all saved, no hell, no devil-to blank atheism; no God, no future, but as the leaves of the forest are reproduced in the verdure of spring-man but a superior animal.

We have in our midst just now a wave of Freethought, socalled. Fine names, such as "Rational Religion," "Freethought Platform," &c., are used to allure the unwary. Who would not

be free, liberal in thought, and rational in religious opinion? Is there not a savour of presumption in the assumption of such names? Why not call themselves rejectors of the Bible as a rule of faith-unbelievers in Jesus Christ as the Savioursupporters of the rights of man as not fallen from integrity? Then their names would correspond with their opinions. Their doctrines give them no peace of conscience, for the nature that God has given to man admits of rest nowhere except in God. Restlessness is as true of the lost on earth as it is true of the lost in hell. One of Gambetta's last words was, "I am lost!" and it is what every outcast from the divine presence will feel when the truth of his condition is realized in the light of eternity. The language of Scripture cannot be gainsaid except by fools: "He that believeth not shall be damned."

Reader, beware of those false teachers who are nothing better than pioneers of the false religion adopted by infidels.

THE ENGLISH REFORMATION.

THE English Reformation was a great and God-honoured, as well as a God-directed movement by which the British people were freed from the bondage of Rome-a bondage at once very cruel and very degrading. What gives special importance to such a history is the reaction going on in the Church of England -a movement from spiritual liberty to intense spiritual darkness, from freedom to slavery, from faith to superstition. The Ritualistic movement in the Anglican body is one of the strangest in modern history. How enlightened men can go back to bondage, to superstition, to the innumerable follies of the corrupt Roman organization, passes comprehension.

A bishop some time back wrote, "I am perfectly convinced that the Reformation is menaced, and that a corrupt form of worship and teaching is now being insidiously introduced. We have to deal not with individuals, but with a conspiracy.

The

present state of things cannot go on long, and the comfort is, it could not well be worse.' ""

Many clergymen of the Church of England are efficient agents in leading their people into the fold of Rome. They deem their conduct consistent with their obligations; and they are at little pains to conceal their aims or methods.

Dr. Geikie says what is too obviously true:* "Our clergy has become virtually Romish to a most sad extent. The English Church Union boasts of some three thousand members-about one-eighth of the clergy-banded together to resist the law. Ritualism is spreading among the younger clergy; and Ritualism is Romanism to all intents and purposes. The Bishop of Chichester has said: "From one church alone five clergymen have lately passed over to Rome, and they have to the utmost of their power leavened all they could influence with Romish doctrine. Craft, subtlety, and secrecy, are the characteristics of the Roman propaganda." ↑

The Sisterhoods established in the Church of England have largely gone over to Rome. One, of which Dr. Pusey was warden, went over bodily. Mr. Mackonochie was almost equally successful with one of which he was warden. Dr. Pusey introduced with a favourable preface a book in which a Ritualistic essayist boasts of the success with which Ritualists are teaching men "that God is to be worshipped under the form of bread, and that the priest's absolution is God's forgiveness." In the same volume it is declared that their object is "ultimate union with Rome."

The Ritualists scorn to be called Protestants, and abuse of the great Reformers is especially delightful to them. It is well that the true character of the Ritualistic leaders should be known. It seems to us vital to the Church of England that she should throw off this wretched survival of barbarism which has usurped and degraded the name of Christianity-this religion of

pantomime and machinery, which is as irrational as it is opposed to the example and precept of Christ and His holy apostles and martyrs. Ritualistic mummeries are an insult to the good sense of this nineteenth century, and are far more congruous to the religions of Central Africa than to the holy religion of Christ.

These people, these Ritualistic propagandists, desire to assimilate the Church of England with the Church of Rome. It is curious that such an ambition should exist even for one

"The English Reformation, How it Came About," &c. (London: Strahan and Co.)

† And yet loud complaints have frequently been made that this same Bishop not only winks at the Romish practices in such churches, but actually speaks in flattering terms of the work the clergy are doing there.

hour in the soul of any one who has read Church history. We can understand men brought up Roman Catholics cleaving to their Church. But for a Protestant to go back into a society degraded by the unspeakable crimes and cruelties of a series of Popes who all the while claimed to be Vicars of Christ to go back into a muddle of heathenism and debased Christianity-to disown the glorious liberty of the Gospel-is simply to commit intellectual suicide. In one phase of it, the Papacy is unquestionably a conspiracy against the future of humanity; and it is a fearful blot upon the fair character of the Church of England that she tolerates in her ministry not a few such conspirators.

The Reformed Church of England, when founded, repudiated the ridiculous doctrine of "apostolic succession." That absurd error was introduced by the same Bancroft who, falling on his knees before James VI., declared that he was the special gift of Almighty God, and the noblest prince since Christ's time. It was enforced by Whitgift, who blasphemously declared James to be specially inspired by the Holy Ghost. Presbyterian ordination was accepted as valid in the Church of England till the relapse into moral darkness in 1662. A profligate court, a degraded and venal clergy, found it convenient to do all in their power to bring back a diluted Popery, from which the English Church is suffering to this hour.

LETTERS FOR THE YOUNG.-No. XL.

MY DEAR YOUNG FRIEND,-I feel sorry to have kept you so long without a reply to your very kind letter; but I know you will pardon me this time when I tell you I have been very unwell since I last saw you, and my school is still very full, which is a great fatigue to me. I feel, as I advance in age, my energies fail me much among the children, but I do not wish to grow weary of well-doing, although often am weary in it, but desire to trust in the Lord, who hath said in His most holy Word, "As thy day is, so shall thy strength be." The weather is most excessively hot to-day. Through mercy, I have not to go out in the broiling sun to labour, but can sit in my school-room and quietly enjoy the pleasure of penning these few lines to you, which I sincerely hope will find you in good health and strength. I have work wants doing in the garden, but must forbear until it be the will of Almighty God to send us cooler weather, which I do earnestly pray for. It is most trying for poor creatures in the hay-fields at this time; and we begin to hear accounts of some being taken ill, and obliged to leave their work.

Oh, my dear young friend, I find this to be a world of toil and