and high priest in his interest!-How did he rejoice at the self-righteous professors, so zealously attached to all the religious guides and teachers who were in his favour. Yet there was a drawback on it, while Christ existed, and any believed in him. There were none but the Apostles, and a few of the like cast, all of them so ignorant, and so very low and contemptible in society, that it was discreditable to be acquainted with them. Yet, although this was the general feeling, there was some exception;-and Satan, fearful it would increase, must have him out of the world. Avarice in Judas was a fortunate circumstance. How did he caper for joy at this conquest, and how did he and his enslaved agents indulge in malignant exultation on beholding Christ's agony on the cross! -Thou foul deceiver, thy shallow policy outwitted thyself; for that vile deed, ere long, thou wilt how! as loud as thou rejoiced then. There is nothing wanted, but a few of the creatures thou hast so long filled with pride and conceit, to be convinced it comes from thee; the spirit's light to show them to where thou art leading them; then, will they, like the Israelites in Egypt, cry for deliverance from thy diabolical delusions. And thanks, ten thousand thanks be given to the great creator of man! unceasing praise be raised to him who suffered so much for man! Intelligence of thy fall has been announced to the world; yet thy malignant efforts have not ceased; thou hast been at work with all the instruments appointed to receive this intellence; thou hast been at work with all that have paid any attention to it, to make them idolators; but no farther than is necessary to shew thy arts to them that seek to have the spirit of the living God in them. They that make themselves acquainted

with the darkness and ignorance that this animal, in human shape, is truly in, and by it have the humility of a little child-look at this shadow the Lord has set before them, and have a perfect conviction of the reality of it.That no more than an infant child knows of natural things, no more do they know of spiritual things. When this conviction comes, how will such pity the proud pretenders to a knowledge of the way! How will some of them stand aghast, like consequential Saul! How, when the light comes, to enable them to feel the blindness they are in, and they are told, only one of these dispised creatures, one of these creatures that have appeared so very contemptible to them, can open their eyes to make Pauls of them, as Annanias did of him,-how will they feel!-This is as certain as if acted on, although stated to you by a simple creature, and in language too simple to claim any attention from the sons of pride and vanity; who are more delighted with manner than matter, and would prefer reading the high flown and lofty language of a Byron, on the most profane subject, to the humble language of the most pious, where there are no beauties of style to admire.-They that reflect not on the purpose for which life is given are ever in search of something to excite merriment,-something to kill time. They need not do it; it will die a natural death too soon for many. If such were to interpret the words of our Lord thus, concerning the impossibility of a rich man entering the kingdom of God-" That "which is impossible with man is possible with God;" -suppose their inquiry ran-" How can this impossibility be rendered possible? Shall we, when this life ends, be brought into existence again, in poverty and wretchedness, to punish our misuse of riches now;

and to make us cry for that, under such a state, which we now refuse? Shall we, who have killed the precious time, be brought into a new stage of existence, to punish us for our prostitution of it now; to labour and toil, with some desire then in us, of answering the end of our existence, yet in such perplexity, and under such embarrasment, that we have neither means, nor time for doing it?"

Shall we whose happiness has consisted in comparison of ourselves with those beneath us, and who, like proud Haman, could not rest without all bowed down submissively to honour us, be brought into existence again, and placed in the state of those we have so treated, to receive the same of others? Shall we for whom Providence has provided friends to procure riches for us, before we were born, and to cultivate our minds with learning, when we came into the world;-shall we, who have despised them that were destitute of these advantages, and over whose consciences we have tyrannised, have another stage of existence to suffer what they have endured from us? Shall we, from our pride and self-conceit, take advantage of a situation Providence has placed us in, to frame some mode of reasoning on religious subjects to raise popularity, use our powers on some pretended discoveries we have made, which some feeble minds could not reach, to draw praise and applause to ourselves,— fare sumptuously, from the hard earnings drawn from many of those who listened to it? May we be placed in the situation of those, and have to look up to some one placed in our present situation!-Would not ideas of this sort be a better check in many of the irregularities of life, than holding out the terrors of hell? These are a mere bug-bear, none but a few

insane persons have any fear of going there. Not, one out of fifty that hold out this dreadful scourge to mortals, believe it themselves; but as they can find only two places for mortals to go to after this life ends, one or the other of the two must be the destination of all. The Catholics allow no salvation out of the pale of their church; all without are heretics, and must go to darkness. The Protestants conceive Catholics are idolators, anti-christians, therefore, cannot go to heaven. Then, according to the account of those that settle the business for mortals, none can go there; yet each have power to induce a belief, that those faithful in the separate congregations to which they belong are certain of admission.

Is there any wonder at the prevalence of deism? Is it not rather wonderful that there are, under this Babylonish confusion, so many professing faith? And, over and above all this, each separate body of professors agree, that at the end of time must be the day of judgement. All must then come forth to be tried for the deeds done in the body, whether they be good, or whether they be evil. Who can understand this? Who can reconcile this inconsistency? Among the mighty dead, millions and millions consigned to the regions of woe, and some that these guardians of souls, send to glory. Yet, after ages have rolled away, all are to come forth, to be tried at the judgement-day, to know which they deserve!

In reflecting on these things, I have endeavoured to antidate this awful and important period, and enter into the feelings of these two distinct bodies. Them that leave the mansions of bliss for this awful trial must have unpleasant feelings, some fears and apprehensions, least they should not be destined to return;

and those who are relieved from their state of torment, must encourage high hope of a change.-Thoughts of this nature must surely be very perplexing, at least to them that do think; to prevent which, the mind is led into a wide field of reasoning, on sectarian plans, and the main object and end are disre-' garded.

The union of deity with humanity, in the person of Christ, was the commencement of man's recovery. In that pure and perfect body, the law was fulfilled in every iota, in thought, word, and deed; by this a perfect righteousness is obtained; and by submission to death on the cross, a sufficient atonement was made for the sins of the whole world. If this is admittednone can be consigned to the regions of woe, till the day of judgement is passed. Nor can any enter heaven till they are in union with Christ, and are made like him, and we cannot be united with him, without faith;-that faith, that makes us feed on his precepts and depend on his promises. There is one of each that claims our immediate attention. The first is Matt. xviii. 4. "Except ye be converted, and be"come as little children, ye shall not enter the king"dom of heaven." This was to the apostles on their inquiry, who was to be the greatest in heaven?-The Lord tells them, without being as simple and humble as little children, having no more pretensions to knowledge of heavenly, than infant children have of earthly things; but, as they were led by the judgement of the parents, so must these be led, by the Spirit of God, day by day, or they could never enter. How does this accord with the contentions of them that pretend to be the successors of the apostles? Are these any greater and better instructed than the apos