approaching death? Oh, no! The man who has no peace but that which this world giveth, feels that he wants somewhere, though where to find it he cannot tell, a mighty friendship, on whose expansive bosom he may repose all the cares both of time and of eternity. He wants a resting-place, the solidity of which he could not question, any more than the pillars of eternity itself. Yet this, Christ gives. He reconciles the soul to God; and makes Omnipotence the friend, the sure unfailing friend of the penitent believer. And He encourages His faithful follower to draw near to God, in confidence; to cast all his care upon Him, in the belief that God careth for him. He says, "Be carefor nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." And who shall give sorrow where He gives such peace? An assurance of the ever watchful protection of Infinite love is sufficient to maintain an unruffled repose, even though a host should arm against you; "Though," as the prophet says, and it is sadly descriptive of this world's experience,

Though briers and thorns be with thee, and thou dost dwell among scorpions, among men whose teeth are spears and arrows, and their tongues a sharp sword." There is nothing to fear in all the trials of the yet unknown hereafter; if God, as a gracious covenant God, in Christ Jesus, ensures and blesses our way. Death and eternity are made bright and blessed, through a crucified Saviour's immeasurable and unfailing love; and well then may we commit to Him, without

a murmur, the petty concerns of a few short and transitory hours. The word of God has said, "Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose soul is stayed on thee;" but the peace which Christ gives, extends even beyond this. It is peace which flows from the present occupancy of the soul with an object worthy of its powers. That is where the world fails. Look at the restless, endless toil and bustle of men after some satisfying pursuit. See how the man of occupation labours, and bereaves his soul of rest. Look at the morbid activity of what is called the gay world: see how they are hunting down a phantom, a false spectre of happiness, which always eludes their grasp: and because they find that no occupation fills the void in their hearts, or calls out all their energies, they are always changing, wearying, fretting, despairing, and turning again to something else. But look at the Christian :-The faith of Christ places the infinite Author of all things intelligibly before the mind as a reconciled God; exhibits His infinite superiority to all things else; disposes the mind to be engaged as a matter of preference with Him, and thus opens to it a new world of wonders, and developes, in the moral operations of God, in His rational creation, a field of inquiry as illimitable as God Himself. Then, indeed, the world may keep its attractions to itself: other men may seek this novelty or that trifle, this amusement and that bauble, but what are they to believe whose highest energies are thus called out to the contemplation of Infinite goodness and power, carrying on a covenanted work of grace, for the redemption of the human soul from the corruption of its fall, and for its everlasting bliss in

heaven? What are the trifles and the glitter of earth to him whose mind the Spirit of God is assimilating to the mind of God, making it a partaker of the Divine nature, in all its inimitable perfections, and raising it gradually to heights of holiness and devotion that once the mind could not have conceived; and which the vicissitudes of human sorrow, and the very pangs of death, cannot disturb ?

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Such is the peace that the gracious Saviour of the world commends to the restless children of sorrow. gives it to all that know and love Him: He invites all others to come and partake of it. Now, then, compare the of Christ with the peace of the peace world, and say which is preferable. Do you not see, in the first place, the utter inferiority of the peace that the world giveth, to that which may be had in the faithful following of the Son of God? Did ever your brightest moment of exultation in earthly indulgence,-did ever the loveliest combination of earthly delights, come anything near to the joy which you can conceive would flow from the assurance that your sin was pardoned, that God was your friend, and that your eternity would be an eternity of peace? Would not the faintest realization of such a hope, on good grounds, outweigh everything else, and make the scale of this world's emptiness

"Upfly, and kick the beam?" Set the friendship of God against the friendship of the world; the brightest glow of refined dissipation against the calm atmosphere of an opened heaven, and the free and healthy breathing of a cleansed and quiet conscience; and then look to the end of things, and set the care, and the neglectedness, and the disease, and the weari

ness, and the hopelessness of declining life, against the increasing brightness of the believer's hope, and the triumphant victory over sin and imperfection; and set the brightening of the aged believer's eye, with the reflected glories of a near eternity of bliss, against the increasing horrors of that last sickness, when the lamp of the wicked shall be put out; and then your common sense and feeling will determine this question.

But, in the second place, there is another point worth notice,—The utter incompatibility of the one hope with the other;― of the peace of this world with the peace of Christ. Hear what Christ says, "Not as the world giveth, give I unto you.” There is a radical and essential difference between the two; and to obtain them we must go two decidedly opposite courses. If we would really experience that “ peace of God which passeth all understanding," we must turn away our eyes from beholding vanity. If we would have the peace of Christ, we must renounce the peace of the world. True, this will raise the war-cry of a hostile multitude,--These religionists are enemies to rational pleasure. We cannot help it. If they choose to give things wrong names, and call their follies, "rational," and all true devotion to God, "enthusiastic," we cannot help it, but we cannot be deceived by it! We have drawn from this world's experience, through the alembic of true christian faith, the essence of real delight, the knowledge of God, and the hope of glory. And if they will take the worthless dregs, and be satisfied with them, they may. We may mourn for them, but we cannot consent to go down with them to darkness. We have been told that "Strait

is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it."

But there are some who still say, Oh, we are not prepared to give up so much,—surely we may still unite a moderate portion of this world's dissipation with the peace of the Gospel. Then we may confidentially appeal to the experience of such, and ask, If so, what have you made of it yet? Where is this peace? Are you happy? Have you attained in the midst of your devotion to vanity, the calm assurance that you have boldness to enter into the holiest, by the blood of Jesus? Have you perfect peace in reliance upon the providence and the grace of God? Is your soul finding its love and delight, and its brightest entertainments, in the mystery of God and His redemption? Go then, and ask what mean all those misgivings, and frettings, and disappointments, and cares, that haunt both your public and private hours. Why are you restless still? Because the two things are incompatible. Either you are a Christian, and your worldly compliances are hurting your conscience and clouding your hope; or, what is far more likely, your religion is a name, a notion, a mere convenience, and the world and its vanities is your idol still. You have yet to learn one of the first and simplest truths of Divine worship, that you cannot serve God and Mammon; that God will not receive and consecrate the scanty remnant of a heart, which is given in all its warmth, and energy, and freshness, to the irreligious triflings of His enemies. You cannot know the peace of Christ till you make Him not only all your salvation, but all your desire.

Having thus gone through a rapid sketch of what we purposed to con

sider, let us now make a personal application. We fear that with the cordial friends of worldly and irreligious pleasure, meditations such as these are not likely to produce much of the impression that we wish. Not that we should limit by our unbelief the extent of the Divine operations. The heaven-directed shaft, though shot from a weak and erring string, may pierce the heart. Still, however, it is to be feared, that multitudes of individuals will persevere in seeking no other peace than that which earth can give. We must let them go on, and labour, and strive, and toil,—sowing the wind and reaping the whirlwind. God grant that the day may come when they shall find it to be in vain, and turn in the hour of desolation and despair to Him who is mighty to save. But to those who acknowledge the principles which we have laid down to them, this subject may be useful. It becomes them to guard with diligence and circumspection the peace which Christ bestows. Do not let trifles disturb it! Do not forget how tender and how timid a guest is that Spirit which bears a living witness to our safety in Jesus Christ. Think how high our privilege is to be called the sons of God,-to have the Lord Almighty dwelling in us, and walking in us, and enjoining upon us, as the terms of His gracious and comforting presence, a holy circumspect conduct, and a resolute separation from the vain and wicked dissipations of irreligious men. Think how infinitely superior our enjoyments are to the fairest gifts and the brightest joys that the world has to bestow. Except in the moment of temptation and weakness, they will not bear an instant's comparison. No, if we would be

happy, if we would make progress in grace, if we would glorify Him who died for us; if we wish to express as a free-will offering, in the moment of probation, the gratitude which we feel for a deliverance out of the everlasting burnings; and if we would be useful to those of our perishing fellowmen, who walk by our example, we must not creep to the verge of temptation, we must not court the appearance of evil,-but come forth boldly and manfully as the avowed servants of a crucified Saviour, and professing to be crucified with Him; and seek Him with all our heart and mind in that narrow way which leadeth unto life," esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the trea

sures of Egypt." And if upon points of difficult duty we are in doubt, let us not go to have them solved to the amphibious borderer upon the utmost limits of our Zion,-the man, halfworldling and half-saint, the stumbling block of many an honest heart; let us not go to the false and carnal reasonings of our own wavering spirit, but go in the spirit of prayer upon our knees before the Great Searcher of hearts, and spread our case before the Lord, who “giveth liberally, and upbraideth not;" and rest assured, that if we ask in sincerity for guidance, He will lead us safely through all the mazes of a deceitful casuistry, and guide our feet into the way of peace.

Φωνη τεθνηκότος.

THE prophetic portions of the Word of God, though not intended to enable man confidently to unravel the mysteries of futurity, are, nevertheless, a certain revelation of the progress of mankind, and of God's dealings with the human family. By the light thus given to his path, the traveller in this world's career, may ascertain his own position, and, if he will, steer clear of the rocks and gnarls that abound about his course, and avoid the currents and the shoals that would other wise impede his progress or wreck his bark. In the prophecies of Scripture are pointed out many things which we should do well to avoid; and some promises are held out, to which we should do well to take heed.

Nor is prophecy intended to remain for ever a sealed book, nor is its study to be neglected; for while the inquisitive and mere curious prying into the future, was rebuked even in the Apostles,-who on one occasion were told that it was not for them to know the times and the seasons;-yet an attentive consideration of those things which immediately relate to

ourselves, is warranted as well by the example of some of the older prophets,-to whom, when they sought diligently to understand the meaning of prophecies given before their time, further revelations were made,-as by the express promise, that the wise, as distinguished from the wicked, shall understand; and by the encouragement conveyed in the words, Let him that readeth understand."

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And though the Apostles were reproved for enquiring into matters with which they had no personal concern, their question was answered for our sakes, and the signs of Christ's second coming were largely given. Does any one ask, For whose information? -the answer is obvious: For those in whose days the events there narrated should occur.

Again: many prophecies contain warnings, which, unless addressed to persons acquainted with their connection in point of time, with the portion of prophecy in which they occur, would be and are utterly dead letters.

And again: Daniel is told that certain of his prophecies should remain

sealed, or incomprehensible, until the time of their accomplishment; which certainly implies that at or about the time at which their accomplishment should take place, men's minds would be enabled, either by concurrent circumstances, or by especial intervention of God, to unravel the mysteries so long kept hidden.

It surely then is the duty, as well as the privilege of every diligent Christian, to endeavour to ascertain what and what manner of things the Spirit of God has revealed for his guidance and comfort.

A prophetic outline of the world's history, extending from the time of its proclamation to the perfecting and supremacy of a power which shall destroy all former dominions, and endure for ever, was sketched by Daniel, in interpretation of a remarkable dream of the king of Babylon.

In this dream the Babylonian empire is likened to a head of gold: a second, or succeeding empire is compared to a breast and arms of silver a third, to a belly and thighs of brass: and a fourth (which continues till the establishment of that universal dominion, under which all previous powers are subdued, and which shall endure for ever) is described as legs of iron, and feet of iron and clay.

Now, if it can be proved that the first three dominions have passed away, and that the master power, that is to subdue all, has not yet been manifested, it will be evident that our lot is cast under the fourth dominion, which continues from its rise to the establishment of the last; and then, any revelation of the character and prospects of this fourth dominion must be specially interesting to every candid and thoughtful mind.

That the first three dominions have passed away, is evident from the facts following. The head of gold is expressly said to represent the Babylonian empire. "Thou, O king, art this head of gold." And that the kingdom is intended, is rendered certain by the next clause of the interpretation, "And after thee shall arise," (not another king, as though an individual were meant, but) "another kingdom inferior to thee." But to remove

all doubt on this point, Daniel was favoured with other visions, more distinctly pourtraying the characteristics and faces of the four great powers thus slightly but graphically sketched; and, by placing these descriptions together, their application will be the more clear.

The next kingdom is described as a breast and arms of silver. In another place, this second kingdom is depicted as a bear, more greedy, but not so noble as its predecessor; which bear raised itself up on one side.

In a third passage of Daniel's prophecy, this same power is described, as a ram with "two horns; and the two horns were high; but the one was higher than the other, and the higher came up last;" and in the explanation given of this latter vision, it is expressly said, "The ram which thou sawest having two horns are the kings of Media and Persia;" and when Belshazzar had defiled the holy instruments of the Jewish sanctuary, Daniel, in interpreting the handwriting on the wall, announces the extinction of the Babylonish empire and the advent of its successor thus: "Thy kingdom is divided, and given to the Medes and Persians."

The resemblances throughout all these figures and descriptions are too strongly marked and too significant to be overlooked. In each case a subdivision, and the pre-eminence of one portion of the empire, are clearly embodied in the vision: the right arm, the one side, the high horns, are all surely indications of one and the same circumstance; that though the Medo-Persian was a united empire, yet that one portion, the Persian, was under the control of the other, and that that other rose to power somewhat later in point of time.

The second of Daniel's four kingdoms was therefore clearly the empire of the Medes and Persians.

But this was destroyed, in turn, by a third kingdom, described as of "brass," being baser in kind than its predecessor. And the counterpart of this kingdom is found in a creature like a leopard, which had upon the back of it four wings of a fowl: the beast had also four heads; and domi