into the people's minds, and the dissolution of the existing Union between the two countries has been set forth as an indispensable necessity. The ignorance, dirt, squalor, laziness, which stigmatize every priest-ridden land. form good soil for Rome's seed, and "the harvest becomes a heap" of confusion "in the day of grief and of desperate sorrow. When famine prevails, Protestantism is the cause. Whatever ill may happen, it is traced by the crafty priests to the same root. The Jesuitical maxim that the end sanctifies the means, puts the whole of Rome's accursed machinery in operation, and has ever done so since Ireland submitted to the fatal yoke imposed on her by the power of England's Henry. Seething sedition, open rebellion, cruel mutilation of animals, secret assasinations, open murders, wholesale butcheries, all have been called to play their part from the days of the Stuarts in the efforts of Rome's priesthood to sever Ireland from British authority. Each quarter or half century has witnessed some frantic display to this end. And our rulers, with few exceptions, have learnt nothing. They play into the hands of the authors of nearly all the mischief. They aim at conciliating the irreconcilable priests. These men who, by the key of the confessional hold the lock of the people's consciences in their power, must of necessity be privy to most of the crimes committed. By their threats or admonitions they can command the evil-doers to perform the most atrocious work. Yet for the benefit of these men our senators legislate, and hope for peace by these means. But it is not for Rome's interest for Ireland to be satisfied and in peace. The beast was seen by John to arise out of the restless sea, Rev. xiii. 1—the convulsions of the Western Empire; and the distraction of nations still affords its finest opportunity for mischief. It is ever plotting in quiet times; it is powerfully active in troublous times. In politics, it can be intensely Conservative, Liberal, or Radical. In religion, it equally becomes "all things to all men." But its aim is to mystify and confound. Hence when an awful occurrence, like the murder of the Chief and Under Secretary for Ireland occurs, or in a great movement like that of the Land League, the priesthood can and do act opposite parts; the one appearing to condemn in their pastoral addresses and appeals what the other upholds and defends. Thus is dust blown into the eyes of our senators and thousand of professing Protestants. And this is what we witness at the present time, and Rome with her hands "defiled with blood and her fingers with iniquity" hides herself from public view behind this double screen. And how long will England remain blind to this? The day is fast coming when the prediction shall be fulfilled in England (one of the ten horns) as in the case of the other nine. In France, Italy, and other priest-ridden continental countries the people have long been growing weary of the dominating power of priestcraft. Infidelity, its firstborn, laughs at the imbecility of its parents; and unable to distinguish between truth and error derides everything sacred. But the Lord Who reigneth will doubtless use this as other things to be Rome's scourge. His purpose is that all the ten horns "shall hate the whore, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire." Rev. xvii. 16. The "FLESH" of Rome is not her spiritual power, but her body politic. The overthrow of Austria by Prussia, and then of France by united Germany, has paved the way for this. But every country, even infatuated England and America, for the latter sharp pains and conflicts being certainly in store,-shall come to the resolute determination that Rome must have no consideration shown to her. Her decrees must be abolished, her slaves have no power to smite. A great crisis is impending. Till its consummation arrive things will go from bad to worse. The spread of Popery, under the refined name of Ritualism in Great Britain, and its vast increase in America, proclaims a mighty struggle to be in reserve. We are not of those who think the active battle will be fought only by Zion's children. No: the time is coming when men of the world will have to fight for their liberties such as a priestly caste would never tolerate. In the Reformation of the 13th and 15th centuries, though men of God led the van, the majority who took part in the overthrow of Rome's body politic, were men of the world, but men sickened with its farce and oppression. So we believe it will yet be. The Lamb, and His called and chosen and faithful followers, will contend on Divine grounds and for the honour of His Father and His own name, but multitudes who see only worldly advantage accruing from Protestant principles will unite, by legislative means and perhaps force of arms, to destroy the vast pretentions of "the Man of sin and Son of predition," and thus will peace and prosperity be shared by lands like Ireland. Societies like the Fenian, the Ribbon, the Moonlight, &c., whose atrocities are exhibited after the manner of the infamous butchery in Phoenix Park, will all hasten on the eventual accomplishment of God's exhibition and destruction of Antichrist: of whom it is written: "In her was found the blood of prophets, and of saints, and of all that were slain upon the earth." Rev. xviii. 24. The spirit of the Apostate Church from the time of her arising is thus identified with all the bloodshed nationally prevalent: for it is a question whether Rome, through her countless confessors in the courts of Kings and Councils of Republics, has not had a hand in all the wars that have arisen since her day. But "strong is the Lord God that judgeth her." And He will not lack the means in His appointed time for her utter irremediable overthrow. He knoweth what is in the darkness, and the light dwelleth with Him. There is no counsel or device against Him; for His counsel shall stand, and He will do all His pleasure. But when we read of the lamentations of kings and merchants of the earth over Rome's fall, it makes one almost tremble at the foreshadowing of vast revolutionary elements being brought into motion which, like the convulsions of an earthquake, shall cast mystical Babylon's earthly power and splendour like a millstone into the sea, while its spirit shall ultimately be consumed by the Spirit of the Redeemer's mouth, and destroyed by the brightness of His coming. And Ireland shall share in the deliverance or punishment. Blood has long been crying for vengeance. It is crying still, and shall be answered by Him Who saith, "Vengeance is Mine: I will repay, saith the Lord." THE EDITOR. PURE GOLD FROM PURITAN AND OTHER MINES. GOD ministers not the Spirit by the works of the law. The law of faith and the Spirit always go together; "After ye believed ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise." We are under the law of faith to Christ; and God ministers the Spirit by the hearing of faith. Nor is the law the strength of grace, but the strength of sin; for, "The strength of sin is the law." The rod of the Lord's strength is His gospel, which is "the power of God into salvation to everyone that believeth." HUNTINGTON. God hath several ways wherewith to exercise his people. Divers miseries come one on the neck of another, as the lunatic in the gospel fell sometimes in the water, sometimes in the fire;' so God changeth the dispensation, sometimes in this trouble, sometimes in that. Paul gives a catalogue of his dangers and sufferings: 2 Cor: xi. 24-28, 'In perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the city, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren!' Crosses seldom come single. When God beginneth once to try, He useth divers ways of trial; and indeed there is great Divers diseases must have divers remedies. Pride, envy, covetousness, worldliness, wantonness, ambition, are not all cured by the same physic. Such an affliction pricks the bladder of pride, another checks our desires, that are apt to run out in the way of the world, &c. Do not murmur, then, if miseries come upon you, like waves in a continual succession. Job's messengers came thick and close one after another, to tell of oxen, and house, and camels, and sons, and daughters, and all destroyed, Job i. Messenger upon messenger, and still with a sadder story. We have divers lusts," Titus iii. 3, and, therefore, have need of divers trials.' ΜΑΝΤΟΝ. reason. ESSAYS ON HART'S HYMNS.-LV. HYMN 51. "And when they had nothing to pay He frankly forgave them both." -Luke vii. 42. HE ordeal through which every vessel of mercy passes in order to "glorify God for His mercy" is, in every instance, more or less painful and distracting. Whether the heat of the furnace to which the Lord submits His precious metal be ordinary, or seven times hotter than usual, it is always sufficient to discover the dross of human nature, and to prove the heart of the most morally-disposed to be "deceitful above all things and desperately wicked." The Fall of man has not only depraved, but blinded and cauterized him. Could he see and feel what he is in his native condition, he would not continue to flatter himself in his own eyes until, by some open manifestation of wickedness, "his iniquity is found to be hateful." Ps. xxxvi. 2. Nor will the Lord permit this in Zion: for heart-work, the fruit of the Holy Spirit's gracious indwelling, shall stop the mouth from boasting in all cases, and bring in each soul guilty before God. And then how true "As cold waters to a thirsty soul, so is good news from a far country," Prov. xxv. 25. And such is the news of "mercy." Flowing from the river of everlasting love, it is one of those streams which make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacles of the Most High, Psa. xlvi. 4. Ezekiel appears to refer to its manifestation through the mediation of the Lord Jesus, when he describes the waters of the sanctuary as issuing from under the threshold of the house, and at the south side of the altar, chap. xlvii. 1. Comparatively unseen, until God was manifested in the flesh, were the extensive purposes of mercy, especially as they related to the Gentile elect, and until from the altar of Christ's sacrifice, the abounding of grace was revealed. Eph. iii. 5, 6. Then the riches of Jehovah's mercy became apparent and the good news was proclaimed by Apostles and their successors-every sent ambassador for Christ, however humble, to the comforting of those who needed it: for only those "Wretches that feel what help they need Will bless the helping hand." A Peter sinking in the waters, and a Pharisee on the dry land of self-security, are not likely to equally appreciate the outstretched arm of an almighty Jesus. Souls at ease in Zion, and they who know the plague of their own hearts, can never hear with the same sensations the good news of Sovereign mercy. dispute the fact, that ment. Morally, none will Ver. 2. But spiritually, how great the opposition to this consistent stateThe "alms" of Divine favour must be given to the Christdespising moralist; the "cure" to those who never felt the wound produced by the arrow of conviction. So frothy professors contend; i.e., such as recognize "Mercy" as at all needful: while many of their number rather regard the heavenly boon in the light of a debt due to those who are workers for Jesus. This is a striking feature in the profession of our day. The grand old truth-"To him that worketh not, but believeth on Him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness"-never was held in more general contempt than it is now. To win the crown of everlasting life, man must be a co-worker with God. The Holy Spirit's work is nothing more than a general influence operating upon all, of which all must avail themselves, and work out their own salvation. The free-will of man must decide the matter of salvation, or Jesus Christ will have died in vain. Such is the general teaching. This Babel structure thus is rising day by day, higher and higher, while Zion prostrate in the dust is scorned and derided of her enemies. But the truth abides: "We all have sinned against our God, The only "exception" consists in the knowledge of the fact. In mount Zion the face of the covering and the vail spread over all nations is destroyed; on the rest it remains. "By the law is the knowledge of sin ;" and this knowledge comes by Divine teaching and discipline, and all Zion's sons and daughters experience this in |