of poverty hang the head, when it is caused by no moral depravity? and why should the man of wealth be proud, when it is no part of his moral character? They who value themselves on account of their riches are indeed objects of scorn, and the contempt of such men is the highest praise, In a little the distinctions of life will pass away, very and the moral beauty of character be open as noonday. To keep the eye on the termination of life, and to press forward, are frequent injunctions in Scripture; and were we to do so daily, life's cares and sorrows would affect us but little our greatest grief would be where we came short of the glory of God.

Dreams of the night frequently alarm and trouble us during sleep; but on awaking we are glad it was but a dream. And when we awake in eternity's bright day the sorrows of life will vanish like a dream. Unseen things do not deceive us; there is a reality in the future, a certainty of a coming judgment. Let us not then dream in the journey of life, but put our hands to the plough, and persevere unto the end. God, neither in life nor at death, works miracles on our frame; the indolent are left to make their bed in sloth, the diligent to get rich, the persevering to overcome. His laws of action produce the intended effect, and deviation ends in ruin. At death, it is they who have overcome that are crowned; it is they who

have come through tribulation, have washed their robes in the blood of the Lamb, that enter the kingdom of heaven: and those who are without are the fearful, the unbelieving, the liars, murderers, and all the abominable. That people are so at the hour of death, is an evidence of their having practised such during life. To live a life of holiness is not a life of indolence; we know not what we possess until we are tried. If our truth were never tempted, we know not but we might fall. Temptation is the touchstone to try us: if we fall, we shew what we are; if we overcome, it is an earnest of future triumphs.

When Jesus visited the dwellings of men, there was a moral darkness spread over the earth, and the only nation which God visited had sunk in profound ignorance and moral depravity. That his gospel should have raised the dead to life is a powerful evidence of its divine origin; and that it prospered at a time when the world was given up to moral depravity, preached by men of no repute, obnoxious to Jews and Gentiles, prescribing a purity of heart and a blameless life, is of itself a work of Infinite Power. It was not by the slow operation of instructing the young, and training them up in the principles of the Christian doctrine, but in the stronghold of Satan it made its powerful attack. Men of all ages, who had wallowed in the grossness of idolatry, and had sunk in crimes de

basing to our kind, became exemplary in their lives, enlightened in their understandings, and in death shewed the triumph of faith. He who could work then, and who is unchanged by the lapse of time, shall he not work now, when the renown of his gospel is over all the earth?

An era is commencing in which God shall make bare his arm in revealing to the Jews the knowledge of Messiah, and in preparing the way for the great day of Armagiddon, when the kings of the earth and warlike captains shall be laid low; at the appointed time the vision will speak out. Many of the apocalyptical visions of St John have been literally fulfilled; a woe has not been pronounced in vain, and the popish dominions have already been drenched in blood. That there is yet a day of fearful agony, an hour of retributive judgment, is evident, because the beast and false prophet are untaken away, and their armies undestroyed; but that day will come as a thief in the night it will visit with indignation the impious hands who have made a gain of the gospel of peace, who have intruded themselves into the office of priesthood without its qualifications. At that day the vail shall be taken from the eyes of all the world, that they may see the dreadful iniquity of corrupting the word of God, and the idolatrous act of bending to the opinions of men, instead of the Scrip

-tures.

From the apocalyptical description of ushering in the Millennium, it seems as if kingly power and warlike prowess would be for ever annihilated, and Christ be the only King and Supreme Governor of the nations. Had every one the law of God written in his heart, and did every one act agreeably to its dictates, there would be no necessity for kings and warriors to preserve the peace, because there would be no transgression. The greatest

blessing promised in the Millennium is peace; and that is to be produced by the gospel's influencing the actions of men. It will be a time of general joy and glory to the church; but the individual born again in Christ Jesus possesses the essence of that joy, when it pleaseth the Lord to visit him in his humble state; and the spirit entering the mansions of bliss possesses a higher enjoyment, and a more unclouded view of Deity, than the highest in the Millennium period can possess: so to be a sharer in the most consummate bliss, and to enjoy the most unbounded views of Deity, our wish should be, rather to be free from this mortal body, than that we should live to see the Millennium period.

The eventful period of our exit is hastening apace; to act well our part should be our highest wish, and to go with cheerfulness to the unseen world, when it pleaseth the great Master to call us hence, is the obedience of a Christian. Our feelings naturally recoil at the prospect of dissolution.

To die to be ushered into a world of spiritual beings to a new scene of existence-requires the most serious thought; but when we know we are to meet Jesus in all his glory, and many dear friends whose society enlivened us in this valley of tears, it must be a joy rather than a sorrow. The myriads of our race that have tasted death before us, had the same feelings with us the same dread of death. When we look back on the thousands of years that have passed away, and read in the historic page of the millions of our race that have immersed themselves in the cares of life even to the last, and comparing the ages that are gone with their few days of life, we are astonished at the frivolity of their lives; but still we think not that our own days are passing, and will soon be numbered. Do we improve the time? Is the blank in their lives filled up in ours? Does the record of their folly prove a warning to us? The judgment is hastening, the books will be opened, and every one judged according to his works; every idle word must be accounted for, and every frivolous action receive its just reward. Are we convinced of the truth of all this, and remain inactive? Surely not. For such a belief would produce works, and that without ceasing; they who give themselves up to indolence, declare they believe it not.

That our lives be not wholly lost, let us double our diligence to make our calling and election sure,