hope in his mercy, because of his word. The Lord be praised.

"Fixed on this rock will I remain,

"When heart shall fail, and flesh decay; "A rock which shall my soul maintain,

"When earth's foundations melt away."

Gibbon modestly says the doctrine is very good in its operation, and respectable for its antiquity, (and, I will add, credible for its source ;) but he thinks it is not agreeable to experience. I commend the manner of the unbeliever to the imitation of some bolder spirits of this age.

The experience of this world is quite too short, in that way, to overturn the divine word. The experience of one age sometimes reverses the decisions of another; and all our decisions go up for final settlement, to the judgment seat. Then, it may be, the word of the Judge will appear to have been a safer guide in this world, than human experience; seeing that the word works well, like eternal truth; while the "experience" has launched the church into a sea of troubles, which, like wicked error, continually lashes up dirt. "But, after all, must you not admit, that the primitive church erred in supposing the day of judgment so near at hand ?”

I would not fail of dignity in discoursing of this subject, nor yet fail of satisfying any seeker after holy truth. Therefore, "if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost in whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which bélieve not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them." (2 Cor. 4: 3, 4.) The primitive christians were not mistaken in this matter. Ask any of them.

Tell me, Peter, were not you mistaken in saying: “The end of all things is at hand?" (1 Pet. 4: 7.)

Peter answers: These are they of whom it is written: "There shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, saying: Where is the promise of his coming?" (2 Pet. 3: 3, 4.) "Ye, therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware, lest ye also being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own steadfastness." v. 17.

James, let me inquire of you: Were you strictly correct in saying: "The coming of the Lord draweth nigh." (Jam. 5: 8.)

James might say: "For the resolution of such a doubt, it is written: Be patient, therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord: stablish your hearts: behold the Judge standeth before the door." (James 5: 7, 9.)

John, was it proper in good faith for you to say it was the last time, eighteen hundred years ago?

"Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that Antichrist shall come, even now are there many Anti. christs; whereby we know that it is the last time." (1 John 2: 18.) Truly, if ye are little children, ye will believe; "that when Christ shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before him at his coming.) (1 John 2: 28.)

Jude, you are a prophet of few words, what are we to understand by "the last time ?"

Jude replies: It is that time, in which there should be "mockers ;-who separate themselves, sensual, not having the spirit:" denying the Lord and the faith: "behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousand of his saints." (Jude 18: 19, 14.)

Paul, are you of the same mind still: "Yet a little while, and he that shall come, will come, and will not tarry?" (Heb. 10: 37.)

Paul replies: "Ye have need of patience:" (Heb. 10: 36.) but the just shall live by faith." (Gal. 3: 11.) Jesus our Lord has said: "Have faith in God." (Mark 11: 22.)

"Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my word shall not pass away." (Mat. 54: 35.)

You see, therefore, they are every one of the same mind still; notwithstanding "it has not been found agreeable to experience." But suppose now we ask honest Mr. Gibbon himself, whether he remains of opinion still that this doctrine" has not been found agreeable to experience ?" He candidly replies: "So far as I am personally experienced, I confess, the doctrine is true; literally true; and the whole world will soon find it so, "agreeable to experience." O, yes, a few short years makes an incalculable change in the experience of man; but the holy word abides true for

Thus, "the light of the glorious gospel of Jesus Christ" shines to the believer, foreshowing those things which experience will find, in the world to come. "I have five brethren," said a man of experience: let me go warn them, that they come not to this place?-But the Father of the faithful replied: They have Moses and the prophets, let them hear them. And he said: Nay, father Abraham, but they would believe, if one should go unto them from the dead. And he .said, If they hear neither Moses nor the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead." And the world does not believe Jesus, who is risen from the dead, nor do they believe his word, that the kingdom of heaven is at hand.

However, I spend time on this subject, grasping it only as the word of God; and having it so, I will not give it up for any appearances whatsoever; nor for any "experience" of this world. What I would impress on the mind of the reader is,that by the testimony of all, the primitive church held this doctrine, and, in the strength of it, made all the church's victories. From the time the church ceased to hold it in simplicity, she ceased to conquer; and from the time she treated it as a "profound allegory," she openly apostatised;

and from the time she regarded it as "a doubtful opinion," she shamefully lost territory, as well as purity; and by the time she rejected it "as the absurd invention of heresy and fanaticism," she was already sunk in the dark embrace of the Man of sin, and Son of perdition and the church has now in consequence long broken the bread of the eucharist with downcast face; and drank of the cup of blessing, with a heavy heart, unmindful of her returning Lord, her Redeemer, her Deliverer from the yoke of Egyptian bondage, and her Savior from those who do oppress her. There is no joy in the feast ; no foretaste of bliss; not a 'communion of the Spirit of holy truth and love; because the Holy Spirit cares not much, I think, to associate in the house, where there is no light burning, to welcome the returning Lord. If the lamps have all gone out, and the porter is asleep, He seems to pass by for more faithful households: and, indeed, the sound of strife, sometimes, where the lamps are burning, forbids his entrance; and so, from the time of the ten kingdoms, we have had a spiritless, graceless, faithless church, compared with that of the first ages and to this day a Lilliputian race inhabits Zion; and the glorious displays of divine grace have almost forsaken the earth.

THE HOLY SPIRIT.

"The Spirit breathes upon the word
"And brings the truth to light."

But within a half century past a cry has been raised, amidst the Egyptian darkness: Behold, the Bridegroom cometh : go ye out to meet him! such as had not before blest the ears of man, since the fourth century: and the True Witness of Jesus, and comforter of his people, has again sealed this testimony in converting power, when it has been earnestly preached, such has often struck whole cities and regions of

country with solemn conviction of the exaltation of Jesus, and of his soon coming in glory, to Judge the world. Since the noble effort to preach and to publish the gospel in all lands, has been resolutely sustained by the churches; and especially in the earlier day of the effort, when disappointment did not offend the faithful, the most extraordinary awakenings and revivals have at times blessed large sections of our country; the Holy Spirit evidently delighting with the people of God, in the prospect of Satan's final overthrow, at the coming and kingdom of our blessed Lord. From this holy and prevalent spirit has come many sacred melodies, like the Missionary hymn, which speaks according to the mind of the Spirit, although it be commonly sung blindfold, under the delusion of the god of this world :

"From Greenland's icy mountains,
"To India's coral strand."

The beautiful hymn, perfect in all its parts, and rich in the full freight of rapture it bears sweetly along, would still be no way better, without the last lines, than a full rigged ship with top sails set in a charming breeze, having neither tiller nor helm :

This last line shapes the course of the entire hymn to the mind of the Spirit, and to the mind of the Poet.

Those feeble attempts to return to her first love, though very imperfect, have been greatly blessed of the Comforter. Many men have looked, and do now look, in the last time, for a latter rain of divine grace, (Joel 2: 23. James 5: 7.) answering to the former, which introduced the gospel dispensation, without having any reference, on their part, to the