Popes come to their office by election, with much gravity of manner, and a thorough persuasion of their sanctification resting on their own mind, and on the mind of the millions who own their sway. I am willing to learn; but I shall be slow to believe under the gospel dispensation, in any perfection of the human nature, which papal power, or spiritual supremacy, will not corrupt. A child of the Lord has the spirit of the Lord; but set him on high to rule over his brethren, by any mode of elevation, if it were the nomination of thunder, or the ballot of the people, and the son of Adam will learn to domineer, and will be tempted in an evil hour to taste forbidden fruit. Adam in innocence fell, and how in sin can his children stand? They are irretrievably down, until Jesus raises them from the dust; and in him they are secure for ever. He is the chosen king, the anointed king, the legitimate king, the appointed heir of all things: and it is delusion to think of any other ruler in righteousness, to govern the earth, but the Lord our righteousness.

"All hail, the glorious day,

"When through the heavenly way,

"Lo, he shall come !
"While they who pierced him wail,

"His promise shall not fail,
"Saints, see your king prevail,
"Lord Jesus, come!"

THE PRIMITIVE CHURCH, AND GIBBON THE HISTORIAN.

"God moves in a mysterious way,

"His wonders to perform."

The faithful historian, whose elegant page is no less admired, than trusted, by the same who speak very lightly of Gibbon's name; the historian of all others most thoroughly read in the works and writings of the decline and fall

of the Roman Empire; himself taken to be an unbeliever; and, so far as between sides, always held by different sects to be impartial; the honest and impartial historian truly says: "IN THE PRIMITIVE CHURCH, the influence of truth was very powerfully strengthened by an opinion, which, however it may deserve respect for its usefulness and antiquity, has not been found agreeable to experience. It was universally believed that the end of the world, and the kingdom of heaven were at hand. The near approach of this wonderful event had been predicted by the apostles; the tradition of it was preserved by their earliest disciples, and those who understood, in their literal sense, the discourses of Christ himself, were obliged to expect the second and glorious coming of the Son of Man in the clouds, before that generation was totally extinguished, which had beheld his humble condition, and which might still be witness of the calamities of the Jews under Vespasian, or Hadrian. The revolution of seventeen centuries has instructed us, not to press too closely the mys. terious language of prophecy and revelation; but, as long as for wise purposes this error was permitted to subsist in the church, it was productive of the most salutary effects, on the faith and practice of Christians, who lived in the awful expectation of that moment, when the globe itself, and all the various race of mankind, should tremble at the appearance of their divine Judge."

For this very end the Lord preached the holy truth; its salutary effects on the heart and life of Christians; on the faith and practice of those who believe in his word! What a testimony is here! And this from an infidel in reputation ! Surely he estimated the practical value of the doctrine with judgment and "the salutary effects on the faith and practice of Christians" wrought in the primitive church, by this supposed "error," were worth having. The same would have been convenient at any time, from the fourth to the fif teenth century. Indeed, it would have been almost worth

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while, in that dark time, to have reverted to the origina ERROR," for the sake of obtaining some bright evidence, that Christian faith and practice themselves "were permitted to subsist in the church.” It were better even now, to have these abound with one error, than to be quite barren of them, for the sake of that "error." Suppose it were an error; it was certainly a very singular one; for, "as long as it was permitted to subsist in the church, it was productive of the most salutary effects, on the faith and practice of Christians!" No doubt of it; and they had much better remained in the "error," to this day: then all the reign of the man of sin would have been outside of the faithful and practical church; although it would have come in the name of truth, with lying wonders: better have let the error subsist to this time; and, then, we should have the primitive faith, which most of us would be willing to accept at hazard, if we could fairly lay our hands on it, in this day of Babylonian confusion. Better have let it remain; for the apostles did teach it, predict it, and proclaim it; and, on the whole, the church is safer with the apostles in one "error,” than to be exactly right with the world, and with the man of sin. Better have let it remain; for Jesus is a Prince of no mean character! O, he is faithful, and his word may be taken literally, though it oblige the hearer, "to expect the second and glorious coming of the Son of Man in the clouds, before that GENERATION was totally extinguished." It is better to study faithfully what is written, than to be wise above what is written.

"O faithless and perverse generation!" have ye really passed away; and so made void the word of the Lord?

"O Scribes, Pharisees, hypocrites!" have ye indeed left the world to stand, and the word of Jehovah to fall?

"O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken," have ye ceased from among the very apostles of the Lord? (Luke 24: 25.)

"O generation (or race) of vipers! how can ye, being evil, speak good things?" (Mat. 12: 34.)

"Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers! how can ye escape the damnation of hell;" (Mat. 23: 33,) except, by the very faithfulness of that Jesus, whose word you impugn? Truly, ye are witnesses against yourselves, that you are the chil. dren of them which killed the Lord: for, neither your fathers believed, else they would not have killed the Lord of glory.

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Verily I say unto you, all these things shall come upon this generation:" or sinful race. (Mat. 23: 36.)

We are more content to interpret this of the age of Judas, than of our age. But it may be doubted, whether any one age will be required to answer for the sin of all other ages, in addition to its own. "Generation" does not mean age, however, in the first verse of Matthew's gospel, nor in any subsequent verse quoted here, or referred to. "The book of the generation of Jesus Christ," means the book of his lineage in the flesh. And a common dictionary will give half a dozen meanings to the word generation, before age, either of which will relieve this passage, in the twenty-fourth chapter of Matthew, from all difficulty on that score. Gibbon did not search this word with care, though he speaks of the doctrine with excellent judgment, and dissents with praiseworthy modesty. Generation means race.

The summary of the history of the doctrine of Christ's reign upon earth, Gibbon states thus, from the era of Constantine, until when it was held universally.

"The doctrine of Christ's reign upon earth, was at first treated as a profound allegory, was considered by degrees as a doubtful and useless opinion, and was at length rejected, as the absurd invention of heresy and fanaticism."

And this, too, is nearly step by step according with the church's apostacy; until now the same sect can barely hold together, solely for want of this ruling principle of faith and

love, which is able to make all believers one in the Lord, at his near coming.

But that modest word of Gibbon concerning this opinion of the primitive church, that it " has not been found agreeable to experience," deserves notice.

It was agreeable to experience in that it worked agreeably; but he thinks it failed in point of fact.

"Did it not fail in point of fact?"

With firmness, I say, No; at the top of my voice; for it is the word of God, and I rather believe with the father of the faithful, counting on God's truth and infinite power to fulfil his word, than to doubt his acknowledged word, on the evidence of my own senses. I know, in my own senses, I am a sinWhy, therefore, should I trust that flesh, which is ever ready to betray me, rather than my God, whose faithfulness is of old from everlasting?

ner.

"You are an unreasonable man!"

I might appeal from your decision to the final bar; not that I think you will care to prosecute the matter there; but only to recall the fact, that all our life should be ordered in reason with reference to the bar of Christ's judgment: and what will stand examination there, we may not reasonably distrust here. Now to hope in him against hope; and now to believe in his acknowledged word, as it were against the evidence of my own sinful senses, will not displease him in that day: I hope not. And, certainly, while I feel that sin reigns in my body unto death, I will believe in him whose word is eternal life, against the evidence of my sinful body. This is my confidence, that eternal life will explain all; and I cannot hope to inherit that, by any reasonable share of unbelief; but by the most implicit faith. "Though he slay me, yet wil! I trust in him." I know he will slay me, as the body must die; but I