what they feel to be mere lucrative impostures; but it is impossible to think that all Rome's functionaries are conscious of her frauds. "Deceiving and being deceived," has been doubtless the character of many of them. It would be hard to suspect Newman of being aware that he has "a lie in his right hand;" and yet he has edited a book of the lives of British saints, which contains such fairy tales as might tax the credulity of little children. Once let men be persuaded in their minds that Rome, not Scripture, is God's Bible, and that saving faith is a belief in all her oracles, and then they must needs be of opinion that to listen to their common sense in resistance of those oracles is nothing better than a mortal sin. Even such a man as-Fenelon, when certain statements of his were condemned by Innocent XII., exhorted his flock to "perfect submission and unreserved docility, lest," said he, "we should swerve insensibly from that simple obedience of which, by the grace of God, we wish to set you the example to the last breath of our life." A late writer, Abbé Migni (quoted in the Clerical Journal for August 1856), expresses himself thus:-" If the Church is the judge of controversy, I ought to lay all my difficulties at her feet, and to acknowledge everything whatever to be clear, certain, definite, as soon as she has so pronounced. Rome has spoken: the case is settled." Well may Gibbon style the popes "the great masters of human credulity."

The Apostle tells us of this "Man of Sin," that the Lord will consume him with the spirit of His mouth, and destroy him with the brightness of His coming. Luther frames a prayer out of this prophecy, in which he invites all who love Christ's kingdom and salvation to unite with him. And surely all who answer to that character will be ready to give ear to the request.

"Dominus noster, Jesus Christus, qui cœpit ore Spiritûs sui occidere illum adversarium suum, velit propediem etiam illustratione adventûs sui destruere eundem ! 'Amen' dicat, et omnibus votis optet, et in hoc quicquid poterit faciat, quisquis diligit regnum Dei et salutem suam.'

An impressive comment is that of Bishop Jewell on the solemn language of St Paul in the 12th verse of the chapter. Now," says he," if we have the Word of God before our eyes, and regard it not, nor be thankful for it, nor set price by it, God,

*"May our Lord Jesus Christ, who has begun to slay that adversary of His by the mouth of His Spirit, speedily also destroy him by the brightness of His coming! Let every one who loves God's kingdom and salvation, say his Amen, and desire it with his warmest wishes, and do all he may towards promoting it!"-Luther's Preface to Barnes' Vitæ Pontificum.

in His justice will withdraw it from us. Then shall we delight in darkness, and have pleasure in error; our latter end shall be more dreadful than our first beginning. This is it which Paul saith God shall send them strong delusion'—that is, His Holy Spirit, the Spirit of truth, shall depart from their hearts; and the power of Satan shall dwell in them, and wholly possess them. This is the first judgment of God, And this is the condemnation,' &c. They forsake the light, and delight in darkness, and this is their condemnation. They will not understand, nor seek after God, that they may be reformed. The Prophet saith, Because he loved cursing, it is come upon him; and because he loved not blessing, so shall it be far from him.' God will strike them with blindness. They shall be astonied. They shall fall into rebuke, and the snares of the devil. They shall be drowned in destruction and perdition.

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"From hardness of heart, and contempt of Thy Word and commandment, good Lord deliver us."

Dr Whitaker observes that, as it was a question put by some of the Jews of old-" When Christ cometh, will He do more miracles than this Man doeth ?"-so we might most truly ask with reference to the Papal dynasty, "When Antichrist cometh (such an one as the Papists look for and expect), will he do greater things, or worse, than have been perpetrated by these Pontiffs?" But, as the Jews could never see a Saviour in the true Messiah, so, as Calvin forcibly remarks, the Papists cannot see the Antichrist in him whose yoke of tyranny is on their necks. Their imaginary Antichrist of three years' and a half continuance prevents their eyes, says he, from seeing him in whom the marks and badges of that adversary, as delineated by the Spirit, are obviously apparent. Bishop Abbot puts the matter in a neat sharp form, as follows :--" Christus, testaceo vase, thesaurum salutis offerens, repudiatus est per inscitiam a Judæis. Antichristus, aureo poculo, venenum propinans, suscipitur per amentiam, a Christianis "*-Dem. Antich. p. 135.

This remark applies only, of course, to Papists. One cannot but lament that so many of our more enlightened brethren should, in this instance, concur with them. Once relieve the Roman sorceress of the odious title of the Antichrist, and she seems, in the eyes of many, to lose half her evil. Her golden cup is very fascinating to the eyes, the wine contained therein very pleasant to the taste; and, if they can believe that it is not

* "Christ, offering the treasure of salvation in an earthen vessel was repudiated through ignorance by Jews. Antichrist, by proffering poison in a golden cup, is received, through madness, by Christians."

Babylon who proffers it, or not that "Man of Sin" this chapter stigmatises, the cup, it may be feared, will not be long declined.

The following passage in that excellent old commentary, Caryl upon Job, appears so applicable to the men who follow the delusions of "the Man of Sin," either as open and professed Papists, or under the specious cloak of Anglican High Churchmen, that it will form a very suitable conclusion to this little tract. Drawing his inferences from the text, "Cannot my taste discern perverse things?"-" Observe," says he, "reason distinguishes truth from falsehood, as the palate distinguishes bitter from sweet. Reason is the soul's taster. Princes have their tasters before they eat, lest there should be poison in the dish. God hath given unto man a taster for his spiritual meat. The Pope will not suffer the meat he provides and cooks to be tasted; but will have it swallowed whole, or else he will thrust it whole down their throats. It is alike spiritual tyranny to starve souls and to cram them. It is our duty, when meat is set before us, and we are at a full table of knowledge, where variety of doctrines and opinions are served in, then to call for our taster. We may be surfeited else, if not poisoned. There may be a wild gourd among good herbs in a pot, and so 'death in the pot' too; therefore, first taste, then eat and digest. A Christian hath a taste to discern error from truth; why then should he be denied the use of it? A woe is pronounced against those who offer unwholesome doctrine. Isaiah v. 20,' Woe unto those who call evil good, and good evil; that put light for darkness, and darkness for light; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter.' A like woe is due to them who will not give others leave to discern for themselves what is good or evil, light or darkness, bitter or sweet. As good let another live for us as another taste for us. And their misery will be little less than the woes of those men who cannot, or will not, take pains to distinguish when evil is called good, and good evil, when light is put for darkness and darkness for light, when bitter is put for sweet and sweet for bitter; or (as Job speaks here) whose taste cannot discern perverse things.' There are some whose taste is so far from discerning perverse things, that it is easy to discern their taste is perverse; for, bring them wholesome, true, and savoury doctrine, they say it is bitter or false doctrine; bring them false doctrine, a lie, a dream, a fancy, a mere human invention dish out such provision before them-that is excellent cheer. This was the heaviest curse which God sent upon the Gentiles; Rom. i. 28, God gave them over to a reprobate mind to do those things which are not convenient,' that is, to a mind void of judgment; a mind that could not taste or distin

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guish things; therefore the issue or effect was, 'they did things which were not convenient;' as if a man, being able to judge of meats, eats poison, or meats most contrary to his health and constitution.

"It is a fearful judgment to be given up to a mind that cannot discern truth from falsehood, the oracles of God from the forgeries of men, superstition from holy worship. It is a sad thing to lose our spiritual senses. Such as play the wantons with the Word of God, and walk below the truths they know, are at last given up to a mind not able to know the word of truth, and then they swallow down error for truth, and suck in deadly poison like sweet pleasant wine. The apostle, speaking of the difference of doctrine under the metaphor of meats, saith, 'Milk is for babes, but strong meat is for them of full age, even for those who, by reason of use, have their senses exercised to discern good and evil;' that is, their spiritual senses exercised to taste this from that doctrine, and not to swallow every doctrine alike. It is a great blessing when people have 'senses exercised;' and it is a blessing we have much cause to pray for in these times. That many palates are out of taste is too apparent by the number of heterodox opinions which go down. without disrelish. Some, which would even make a man tremble to name them, are entertained with delight. Some, which dissolve our comforts, and break us off from comfortable communion with Christ--some which shake, if not overthrow, the very foundations of faith, are swallowed as pleasant morsels. Doth not this convince that there's a want of Job's taste among us to discern perverse things?' Therefore, get your senses exercised; be established in the present truth, that ye, as this holy man, in the midst of all bodily distempers and outward troubles (which usually put the natural palate out of taste), may yet, even then, as he, have your inward senses exquisite, and your spiritual palate exact, to discern right from perverse things."

ART. VII.-LOOKING AT THE BRIGHT SIDE.

MOST persons have heard the saying of the philosopher, that "a disposition to look at the bright side of things, is better than to be born to a thousand a year." Still we should remember, that while it is not right to be desponding and foreboding, it is wise not to be over sanguine, nor to overlook real

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danger. 'Hope must have reason," that is, have a good ground for its conclusions, that it may not at last "make ashamed." While some put all comfort away from them, and refuse to hope even though God has sown seeds of a plentiful harvest, others shut their eyes against stern facts, and gaze at a brightness which grows out of their own imaginations, not a heaven-born light, but an ignis fatuus, which belongs to earth, and lures on to bitter disappointment.

We desire now to say a few cheering words to true Christians, who alone have a bright side, and who ought continually to look at it.

If any should read this paper who are not Christians, and so do not possess this real bright side, we would first ask them to consider the way in which alone any can come into this happy condition, and to remember that this way is now open for them. The unconverted and unpardoned are said, by God himself, to be "in darkness," yea, to be "darkness;" to walk "in darkness," and so travelling on to a dark eternity. This is the condition of all by nature; but some have discovered their evil position and dark prospects. They have been convinced that their history and hearts are alike dark. They then looked to heaven and all was dark there. The hopes they long cherished died, and deep gloom settled round them. Then a voice was heard, saying, "I am the light of the world, he that followeth me shall not abide in darkness, but shall have the light of life." Happy those who can say

"I came to Jesus and I found in Him my star, my sun,

And in that light of life I'll walk, till travelling days are done."

That voice of inviting love is still sounding, "The life is still manifested," and the "life is the light of men." From the living, loving Saviour, there flows, to all who trust Him, the light of peace, joy, hope, and holiness, and only those who refuse to come, are excluded from all this blessedness. Alas! of how many it may be said, "they know not, neither will they understand, they walk on still in darkness." Those who have "received Christ Jesus the Lord," are encouraged to "walk in Him who is the light;" to "walk in the light as God is in the light;" and if they always did so, there would be no need to exhort them to look on the bright side. If the believer did but look directly to the Saviour, even as the earth faces the sun in summer, all would be bright; but few habitually do this. There is too much obliqueness, and hence darkness and coldness are often realised. We know, from experience, that the children of light require to be continually exhorted to look on