Earlier text: The Bible no Refuge for SlaveryAND, behold, I come quickly, and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be. Rev. xxii, 12. In briefly commenting upon this text we will notice the following points: 1. These are the words of our Lord Jesus Christ. In fact, the entire book is the "Revelation of Jesus Christ." Chap. i, 1. 2. The expression, "I come quickly," probably marks the period from the time probation closes, as described in verse 11, to the second advent. 3. The declaration, "and my reward is with me," shows that the saints' reward is not given at death, but at the second appearing of Christ. 4. The saints will receive reward according to their works in this life. A short life of well-doing, attended with light afflictions, will meet the reward of a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, to be given at the second coming of Jesus Christ. Then the Master will say, Well done, good and faithful servant; enter thou into the joy of thy Lord. The fact that the future reward will be according to good works in this life, does not in the least set aside the benefits of faith. The apostle says, "Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works. Shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works." James ii, 18. Faith cannot take the place of works, neither can works supply the place of faith. They go side by side. They must agree, and in the well-instructed, genuine Christian, they do agree. The amount of faith any man has is shown by his works. If his works are good and abundant, he demonstrates that he has a large amount of genuine faith. If a man professes much faith, and does not sustain his profession by good works, he gives the best of proof that he is either a hypocrite, or a blind fanatic. The man who flatters himself that he will come in possession of all the joys of everlasting life by faith only, soon becomes a fanatic. Talk to him of doing all the commandments of God, and probably he will tell you that he will when he feels it his duty to do so. And he who hopes to reap the reward of the righteous by his works alone, becomes self-righteous, and is in danger of rejecting the means of salvation through Christ. Genuine faith, which always brings the sustaining power and comfort of the holy Spirit, is necessary to a life of good works. Well-doing, which meets the reward of eternal glory in the kingdom of God, is but the result of true faith; hence when we read the many sacred promises of the saints' reward according to their works, we understand that faith, which is indispensably necessary to the performance of good works, is understood. But before leaving this subject it may be profitable to make a close application of it to every-day life. Reader, if you are to be rewarded according to your works, how great a reward will yours be? As perhaps we may indulge in some little calculation upon the comparative degrees of reward which different persons may receive, we will divide the church into three classes: 1. Those who do the works of Christ and thus show themselves Christ-like. They take no other pattern. They seek for truth and duty as for hid treasure, and pursue them joyfully for the truth's and Christ's sake. They are ever ready to bear burdens and lift at the wheel of the cause of Christianity and humanity in and out of meeting. These are laborers, workers, and when the portion of the saints shall be given, great will be the reward of this class. 2. Here we get up an imaginary class, those who do neither good nor evil. We say imaginary, because the Lord says, He that is not for me is against me. But there seems to be such a class; those who feel no weight of the cause, no burden for souls. Their care does not reach beyond dear self. They are peaceable and quiet, and very kind and happy unless they are called upon to help even where help is needed. What they have done has been for the special benefit of beloved self. When they look back upon life to see where they have imitated Him who was rich, yet for our sakes became poor, that we through his poverty might become rich, they can find no such good works in their history. And when the books in heaven shall be opened, and a careful search be made for the record of such works, none can be found. And when the reward shall be given every man according as his work shall be, there will be none for this class unless they reform and become like the first. If they remain where they now are, we would not give a three-cent postage-stamp for their entire interest in the kingdom of God. 3. The state of the third class is still worse. They are not only of no use to the church, but are a burden. They have to be carried upon the shoulders of the first class, and their influence is often against the truth. Murmuring, jealousy, fault-finding, and complaining against the first class for trying to do them good, is often their crime. Their condition is a fearful one. May God pity them, and give them a heart to repent and reform, and be of the first class, that when the Lord comes to reward the saints, every one as their works appear in books soon to be opened, they may receive the reward of well-doing. It is not too late for wrongs to be righted. The fountain is still open for washing from sin and uncleanness. The plan for saving men from sin is ample. Let the half-hearted and lukewarm come fully to Christ, love instruction and correction, and to suffer for Christ's sake, and the waters of salvation, in all their gushing fullness, will flow over them, their vile natures will be changed, they will receive a moral fitness for the coming glories of the kingdom of God. But many of the second and third classes will never come fully to Christ. They are asleep to their condition, and will be offended when corrected and reproved. In love and pity we should do all we can to save them, but never should be dragged down from the high position of right action by their course. The lot of the faithful is to cheerfully labor on, toil on, suffer on, till the reward be given. Lessons for Bible Students.
(HISTORY OF THE SABBATH, PP. 50–63.)
WHEN the voice of the Most High had ceased, what positions did Moses and the people take? In the brief interview which follows, what three classes of precepts did God give to Moses? In this interview the Sabbath is not forgotten; what does the Lord say in regard to it? Of what does this scripture furnish incidental proof? What did Moses do when he returned to the people? What response did the people make? After he had read the book of the covenant in the audience of the people, what response did the people again make? For what was the way now prepared? What was the signal honor now conferred upon the law? Upon what day may we infer that the ten commandments were given? p. 51, note. How long did Moses remain in the mount? During these forty days what did God give to Moses? When these things were ordained, and God was about to commit to human hands his law as written by himself, what mention is made of the Sabbath? With what other scripture should this testimony be compared? Do either of these scriptures teach that the Sabbath was made for Israel? Do they teach that it was made after the Hebrews came out of Egypt? Do they even seem to contradict those texts which place the institution of the Sabbath at creation? What then do we learn from these scriptures? Whenever the word LORD is found in the Old Testament in small capitals, to whom does it refer? What is Dr. Clarke's testimony relative to the Hebrew verb, kadash, to sanctify? p. 54, note. From what time did God set apart the Hebrews? To what expressions relative to himself did this relation give rise? What was it that set apart Israel from all other nations? What was the most expressive sign that God could give them, that it was the living God that sanctified them? Did the Sabbath derive its existence from being given to the Hebrews? What was it, and upon what did it rest, when given to them? What then constituted the Sabbath a gift and sign to that people? Is it any more remarkable that the Sabbath which was made for man should be given to the Hebrews, than that God should give his oracles and himself to that people? [It only signified that to them was committed the office of preserving a knowledge of the true God and his worship, in the midst of a race, who, with the exception of themselves, had become wholly apostate.] Did the Sabbath originate from the fall of manna for six days and its cessation on the seventh? If the fall of the manna did not originate the Sabbath, why was it given thus? [Thus the Sabbath regulated the fall of the manna, not the fall of the manna the Sabbath.] As the Sabbath became a sign between God and Israel, did it thereby become a ceremony and a shadow? p. 56, note. What considerations prove this? It is objected that if the Sabbath is now binding, the penalty anciently affixed must now be executed, and the Sabbath-breaker must now be stoned; what shows the fallacy of this claim? As a part of what code was it that the penalty of death was affixed to a violation of the Sabbath and the other commandments? What did this infliction of the magistrate probably foreshadow? By what decision did the Saviour suspend, for this dispensation, such penalties? Did our Lord by this decision set aside the penalty of the law? When and by whom will the real penalty of the law yet be inflicted? What was the last act of the great Law-giver in the memorable interview of forty days with Moses on the mount? When Moses came down from the mount, in what condition did he find the people? What did he do with the tables of stone received from God, when he saw their idolatry? What did Moses do to the people on account of their sin? After he had inflicted retribution upon them, what did he next do? What did God then promise him? On what texts does this fact throw light? p. 58, note. Before Moses went up the second time to meet with the Lord, what was he commanded to do? How long did this second interview last? Ex. xxxiv, 28, speaking of this interview, says, "He wrote upon the tables the words of the covenant," &c.; to whom does the word, he, refer? p. 59, note. What parallel case can be referred to, where the pronoun, he, does not refer to its nearest apparent antecedent? What texts furnish positive testimony that God, and not Moses, wrote upon the second tables? By what other name are the ten commandments sometimes called? How did the writing on the second set of tables differ from that on the first? The two high honors of being spoken with God's own voice, and written with his own finger, are enjoyed alike by all the commandments; but what other one does the Sabbath commandment alone possess? What is suggested by the commandments' being given on two tables?125 What position does the Sabbath commandment occupy in these two tables? What two passages show that the ten commandments of themselves form a complete code of moral law? Where were the tables of stone containing the moral law deposited? What was the top, or cover, of the ark called? Why was it called the mercy-seat? Was it a real, or shadowy, law that was deposited in the ark? What kind of an atonement must then be made for the transgressors of that law? Was the atonement, accomplished by the blood of beasts under the typical dispensation, shadowy, or real? [Shadowy; hence the necessity of the real atonement by Christ, the great antitype of the Levitical sacrifices.] And to what law must this real atonement relate? What must be the character of a law which demands an atonement, that its transgressor may be spared? What should be remembered in relation to the fourth commandment? The scenes of more than savage and demonic barbarity which occurred in the late riot in Detroit, comport well with the description given in the inspired record, of the character of men in the last days. The riot originated in the fact that a man supposed to be a negro had committed an offense for which he was sentenced to the State prison for life. While on his way to the jail an attempt was made by a proslavery, democratic mob, to wrest him from the hands of the officers, and kill him on the spot. Being defeated in this, they turned their rage, without reason or provocation, against the colored inhabitants of the city, wreaking their vengeance upon them in all possible ways, burning their dwellings and destroying their property. Some thirty-two houses were destroyed by the mob, and between thirty and forty families, forming an aggregate of not far from two hundred destitute men, women, and children, thrown upon the charities of the community. Many lives were lost. The following instances of horrible brutality are copied from the Detroit Tribune and Advertiser: Some of the scenes during the attack upon the houses on Lafayette street were of a most harrowing and inhuman description. Our reporter stood near a house when it was attacked by the violent mob, with all description of missiles. The occupant of the house—a young colored woman with her children—believing that the mob possessed some manly feelings, seized an infant about three months old, and, with it in her arms, she went to the door, imploring them to save her rude domicile. Her presence seemed to make them still more savage, and with yells, screeches, and horrid oaths, they rushed upon her. The child was taken from her arms, thrown a distance of fifteen feet upon the ground, kicked and beaten, while the mother received similar treatment. The acts of brutality of these rowdies are only equalled by the Sepoys of India. Well may respectable citizens blush, when boys, the sons of respectable men, are seen taking an active part in a riot so malignant in its nature. In several instances last evening, houses were fired with the inmates in them. One of the most heart-rending cases was the cooper-shop on Beaubien street, near Lafayette, where a number of colored persons, male and female, had taken refuge. The building was fired, and as the flame leaped over the side, the terrified inmates tried to escape, and were driven back time and again. At one time a mulatto woman with a child in her arms came to the door, when some hell-bound wretch drew back an immense club to strike her down, but his arm was caught and the murder averted, but not until she had been seriously pelted with missiles of one kind and another. Finally, as the flame closed around the desperate inmates, they burst forth and were knocked down, shot at and beaten by the crowd, until they managed to escape to places of refuge—pelted as they ran. An old, gray-headed man was struck with a stick of cord wood, his head laid open, and he knocked senseless. Such outrages would have disgraced the kingdom of Dahomey. Don't Forget.
By R. F. Cottrell
THERE are some points concerning the law of God, which I find it very difficult for some of my friends to remember. Their mind and imagination are so filled up with certain detached ideas, such as, ‐end of the law,‐ ‐not under the law, but under grace,‐ ‐the law was our schoolmaster,‐ ‐delivered from . . . . . the law,‐ ‐let no man judge you,‐ ‐let every one be fully persuaded in his own mind,‐ ‐all the law is fulfilled in one word,‐ ‐there is no law,‐ and the like, all in a state of chaotic confusion, that there seems to be no room for anything else. If they can be persuaded to remember and reflect upon the following points, it will relieve them of their law-abolishing malady, and restore them to sanity of mind. 1. During the Jewish age the ten commandments were placed in the ark of the covenant, while the ceremonial law required that blood should be offered before the ark in view of the fact that they were transgressors of the law contained in the ark. 2. There was the real law of God in the ark, which showed them their sins, and demanded a real atonement; but the offering of the blood of beasts was no real atonement—it could not take away sin—and hence could only shadow forth the facts that Christ was to shed his blood, and make a real atonement for the transgressions of that very and veritable law contained in the ark. 3. There can be no doubt that this is the law which the Saviour came not to destroy or subvert, and of which he declared that one jot or tittle of it should not pass away till heaven and earth pass. Matt. v, 17-19. 4. It is this law of which Paul speaks in his letter to the Romans. Chap. iii, 19. Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law; that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. Verse 31. Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid; yea, we establish the law. Chap. vii, 7. What shall we say, then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin but by the law; for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet. 5. This is the royal law of liberty which James affirms that his brethren would do well to fulfill; the transgression of which in one point or precept is sin; and by which his brethren are to be judged. Chap. ii, 8-13. 6. The great original of this law is in the ‐true tabernacle‐ in heaven, while that in the ‐worldly sanctuary‐ was a true copy of the original, certified by Jehovah himself, in his own hand-writing. 7. The original law remains in its place, beneath the throne of God's mercy, as late as the sounding of the seventh angel, of whom it is asserted, that in the days of his voice, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished. Rev. x, 7. ‐And the temple of God was opened in heaven, and there was seen in his temple the ark of his testament.‐ Chap. xi, 15-19. 8. It is the Sabbath of this law that was instituted in Eden, before man fell, and which will be observed by ‐all flesh‐ in Paradise restored. Gen. ii, 2, 3; Isa. lxvi, 22, 23. If my friends will carefully consider these points, and be half as desirous to claim the blessings of the Sabbath, as they are to get rid of its obligation, it will work a perfect revolution in their way of thinking, and restore them to soundness of mind. Tobacco and Tea.
By D. T. Bourdeau
It is a matter of encouragement to God's people, that as far as organization and church order are adopted and carried out among us, tobacco and tea are being laid aside. It has often been proved, and the testimonies to the church teach, that these articles are injurious and expensive, and must be overcome in order that it may be said that we have cleansed ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, and that whether we eat or drink, we do all to the glory of God. If tea and tobacco are injurious to our health, as far as we use these herbs, we violate a principle of the sixth commandment, which says, "Thou shalt not kill." And let us remember that we profess to show a respect for all of God's commandments. Again, if we see the light on this subject, and manifest more willingness to sacrifice our means in buying tea and tobacco, that we may satisfy an unsanctified appetite, than we do to promote the well being of our fellow-creatures and the glory of God, do we not show plainly that our affections are not limited to the real worth of things, and that we do not love God supremely, and our fellow-creatures as we love ourselves? How plain it is that self, tea, and tobacco, etc., are idols, to which many bow and sacrifice. Some can afford to pay several dollars a year to satisfy their appetite for tobacco and tea; but they think they can not give anything for the advancement of the cause of truth, for religious works, which they very much need, or for the Review, which is a source of so much light, comfort and encouragement to the remnant, and by which we can keep pace with the church, in the way of holiness. It is not necessary to make lengthy remarks to show that with some a reform is necessary on this point, and that the appetite should be overcome. This appetite is not natural but artificial and injurious. In this respect it is like the appetite for spirituous liquors. Some feel worse for not using tea and tobacco. They have had these articles, and their nature demands them. While using them they have been stimulated, and have, perhaps, for the time being, lost the sense of pain; but they have not been really and permanently benefited. To say the least, the injury has been as great as the benefit, so that in reality no advantage has been gained. If we would overcome this appetite, we should avoid that which would lead us to use the articles that feed it. Hence if a friend presents us a pipe, or a quid of tobacco, or a cup of tea, we should have decision enough to say, No. Here is where many have erred, and have been overcome. A little decision here would save much trouble and perplexity. Tea should not be used as a beverage. To use it as a beverage would keep up the appetite for it. Those who really need warm drink, can use articles that are not prepared with poison, and which are more congenial to our nature. Again, when we are perplexed in regard to the propriety of using tea or tobacco, we should keep on the safe side, and see that our example does not encourage the use of and appetite for tea and tobacco, in others, and cause the good way to be evil spoken of. I prefer to deny myself even of that which might be a benefit to me, rather than to cause others, by my example, to do that which is not lawful. The idea that there is a difference between tea and tobacco is not a sufficient reason why tea should not be overcome as well as tobacco. It will not do for us to excuse ourselves by saying that one sin is not so great as another. We must overcome every sin. A pure people will the Lord present to the Father at his coming; and now is the time for us to purify ourselves. If we lower the standard to suit the taste of one, why not lower it to suit the taste of another, and so on, till the work of reform stops among us? No, the standard must be raised, and God's people will rally around it. The fact that the blessing of the Lord does attend those who follow the body in this reform, is good evidence that our position is correct. We truly sympathize with those who are trying to overcome, and would say to such, be of good courage. Look at the sufferings of God's people in the past, and murmur not. Look at the trials and sufferings that Jesus endured that he might sanctify a people unto God, and remember that he can be touched with the feeling of your infirmities, and that his grace is sufficient. Limit not his power. Master your appetite, or it will master you. You have not yet resisted unto blood striving against sin. "If at first you don't succeed, try, try126again." You can yet obtain the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. The following lines from sister R. Smith are appropriate on this point: "Tea, coffee, and tobacco, lay aside forevermore;
The High and Holy One will help, if we his aid implore,
He'll help to get the victory; and victory must be gained,
Or no resolve to break the hold will ever be maintained. "Not victory for a single day, a week, a month, a year,
But victory that shall stand the test till Jesus shall appear,
A victory that will overcome inordinate desire
To gratify perverted taste, by habit made, entire. "The conflict rages fiercely—here a victory, then defeat;
But faint not, we can overcome, and make our foes retreat.
An armor for us is prepared, with helmet and a shield,
And One who mighty is to save, is with us on the field." Be as consistent in this matter as you would in other matters. See that you do all you can to help yourselves, and the Lord will do for you what you cannot do for yourselves. When the temptation presses upon you and threatens to captivate and overcome your appetite, then flee to the Lord in prayer, and ask him for overcoming grace. In doing this you will resist the temptation, obtain strength, and get an experience that will be a blessing to you and to others. You will learn the art of obtaining strength to help in time of need, and be enabled to comfort others with the comfort wherewith you are comforted of God
D. T. BOURDEAU. Why I Wrote as I Did.
By Jos. Clarke
A BELOVED and much-esteemed brother writes to me and asks me three questions: 1. Whether I wrote an article for the Review, signed, An Elder. 2. Whether I designed it for him. 3. What my motive was in so doing, &c. To the first interrogation I will say, I wrote that article. To the second question I will answer, that I wrote for the good of all to whom it might apply, myself coming in for a good share of it. To the third interrogatory I reply, that my motive was to glorify God, and be of some use to my fellow-men. Now I must be permitted to speak a little on some few principles which nearly concern those writing for the Review, and those reading the same. It is conceded by all that a writer, to be useful, must be practical; and to be practical, he must be observing, and he must of course be pointed. When you take your gun to shoot at a hawk, you intend to hit, else why shoot? So here, if a writer takes the time and expense of writing to do some good, and strike at the evils which afflict our race, he must take deliberate aim. No hunter will shoot at random, as he takes precious time, and as he wades the swamps in quest of game, and lays out his money for ammunition, he does not make a mockery of it. Often I have had brethren in this vicinity accost me pleasantly about something I had written for the Review, which they could trace to some little affair, and they took so much pains to take it all in good part, that I loved them the more, and they have encouraged me to continue to point a moral the best I could, hit whom it would; and they knew that I as often reflected upon my own besetments as upon others'. Now if I must cease to do this, I must (as far as I see) lay down my pen, for the whole plan and object of writing is with me frustrated. When I have a hard struggle with the enemy, and gain the victory, I immediately feel like taking a sketch of it on paper; but I do hope brethren will consider that I do not write for my own, or their, amusement, but rather to discharge my duty. Not a word of that article is intended for any one to whom it does not apply, but if any brother finds anything in this, or other articles, which applies to him, God grant to set it home. We are all fallible, erring, weak; and he is our best friend who warns us most, if given in a right spirit, and with wisdom. O that we could feel that God alone is our Judge. What is it to us if our brethren should even misjudge us for a time? God has promised to bring our righteousness to light. O, to come to him with our troubles; he can comfort the wounded heart. He wounds to heal. Trust in him; do not allow Satan to cause thee to fret and grieve over fancied wrongs! Thy brethren love thee! God and angels love thee; but they will love thee more when thy heart is become like the jasper of the walls of the beloved city, transparent, so that his bright rays may shine through thy soul, reflecting its bright hues all around. Of one thing be assured, God is just; rest in him, and wait patiently; but be just with thine own heart. Condemn not thy brother hastily. OH! the dire conflicts through which Jesus passed. The wilderness tells of the conflict there, how Satan, three times discomfited, fled from the field of battle, and the angels of God came and ministered unto Christ, and placed upon his brow a crown of victory. Gethsemane holds, in its memory, the scenes of strife enacted there, how that, in the first attack, the soul of the Son of man, as he bore the load of our sins, felt such power pressing down upon him, as to cause him to cry out, "Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me"—how, again strengthened, the conflict again renewed, the multitude of sin, the sin of the whole world thrust upon him, again brought forth from the lips of the anointed, "Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me.". Oh! the intense suffering of the Son of God in the garden, where, wrestling for our sins, he sweat, as it were, drops of blood. Yet, blessed be his name, He drank the cup, even to the bitter dregs; he conquered sin; and the angels again came and ministered to him, placing upon his brow another victor's crown. Calvary, too, can tell how the hosts of hell seemingly triumphed there, and rejoiced when it had bruised his heel, so that he was taken from the battle-field and laid among the dead. The garden near by, the garden of Joseph of Arimathea, can exultingly relate how, on the morn of the third day, though his enemies watched around his grave, he arose in power, conquered death and the grave, and how again the angelic host circling around him, cried to the vanquished, "O grave! where is thy victory? O death! where is thy sting?" And the mount of ascension can tell how he who left the courts of heaven as a warrior, returned thither as a conqueror, leading captivity captive, laden with the richest spoils, gifts for men even for the rebellious; and how the myriad of angels who conducted him to his scene of conflict, heralding his approach to earth in the noble strains, "Glory to God in the highest, peace on earth, and good-will to men," again led the mighty victor home, shouting, as they passed through the skies, the conqueror's praises, and crying, as they neared the Eternal City, "Lift up your heads, O ye gates, and the King of Glory shall come in. Lift up your heads, O ye gates, even be ye lifted up ye everlasting doors, and the King of Glory shall come in." And then, as he passed up through the shining streets into the Father's presence, and there had placed on his head many crowns, tokens of many victories, and was seated upon the right hand of the Majesty on High, upon the throne of his power, heaven's arches rang as the morning stars sang together and all the sons of God once again shouted for joy.—"H." in Evangelical Messenger. To the Friends of Truth.
By M. E. Darling
Ye who by the help of the Lord,
Have set out for a world that is fairer,
Resolved, through the mercies of God,
In the kingdom of heaven to be sharer;
Who the light of his truth have received,
And with joy have rejoiced in its shining;
The sure word of his prophets believed,
Let your hearts now be daily refining. Prepare ye yourselves for the test;
Give diligence unto your calling,
Make sure your election to rest,
Trust in God who can keep you from falling;
For soon He that cometh will come;
Yea, quickly he'll come and not tarry.
And we know that there then will be some,
Whom he to bright mansions will carry. O let us with diligence run,
Ne'er once to the enemy yielding;
May we each till our work is well done,
The sword of the Spirit keep wielding.
Then when we have ended the strife,
And the truth from iniquity frees us,
Everlasting enjoyment and life
We shall gain through the merits of Jesus. It is sometimes objected by skeptics, that the Bible has been through so many manuscripts and versions, that it is altogether uncertain whether it is essentially the same as it was written. But these people either know or are willingly ignorant that the Hebrew Bible—i. e., the Old Testament—is in the original language still, as is also the Greek New Testament. Neither of these have been corrupted by translation, for they are in the same tongue in which they were written. Neither is the English translation essentially different from the original, as anybody who can read Greek or Hebrew can see for himself. Moreover there is a manuscript at Rome which is 1400 or 1500 years old, and another as old or older has recently been found in the East by one of the best scholars in the world, in the employ of the Russian Government. Then, too, there is a translation of the New Testament into the ancient Syriac, made, perhaps written, fifty years after the death of the Apostle John, and widely circulated in Asia. This has recently been translated into English, and is a valuable witness of the general accuracy of our common English New Testaments. No one who carefully examines the subject, will have a reasonable doubt that our means of knowing what the Apostles and Prophets wrote, are, in the main, as good as if we had lived in the second or third century.—Sel. THERE is a deep feeling of despondency pervading the public mind at the present time; a certain fearful looking for of God's judgments on the nations, and especially our own country. Well does the Boston Traveler say, "The age of violence has come upon the country, and that savage spirit which led to secession in the South is fast spreading over the North." A fearful crisis is upon us, and blood toucheth blood. It is natural that the apprehensions of Christians should be excited as well as those of worldlings. At such a time, instead of yielding to fear or despondency, it should lead them to stay themselves upon their God, and with the royal Psalmist to say, "Why art thou cast down O my soul, and why art thou disquieted within me? Hope thou in God; for I shall yet praise Him, who is the health of my countenance and my God." It is for such a time as this that our heavenly Father gave us his exceeding great and precious promises of support and protection. To His name should we flee as to a strong tower, making Him our only trust. We are clearly entering those days of which the Saviour informed us before they came, when it shall be as it was in the days of Noah and Lot. If we wish protection and deliverance, we must, like those men of God, live in communion with Him, and bring him nigh to us. Instead of despairing, we should, like the old prophet in his trials say, "The Lord is my portion, saith my soul, therefore will I hope in him." Few, who have not experienced it, can imagine the relief and strength the Christian receives by simple repetition of that passage in the spirit of confidence. "The Lord is my portion." How precious the words! Be strong in Him who is your wisdom, righteousness, sanctification and redemption. "Faint not, feeble tempest-tossed disciple." "It is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom." Be dead to the world, to sin, to fear, dwelling in God and he in you. There is a plentitude of grace, and of protecting and saving power in him. Wait, I say on the Lord.—J. LITCH, in Ad. Herald. WE can only truly enjoy our mercies as we see in them the hand of a God of love.