nought, and those that are contemned by the world are held by him as honourable. The difference betwixt the lowest and most exalted sphere in life is the degree of responsibility. They who are exalted high in life, at the tribunal of God, must answer for their exercise of authority; and if they have raised the fire of persecution against the faithful followers of the Lamb, violating the freedom of conscience, over which Christ proclaims himself the only umpire, their judgment will be, just as they have done to others so will it be done unto them. The sentences they have pronounced against others will be pronounced on themselves; yea out of their own mouths will they be condemned.

The experience of past ages, and the history of the church, should wean Christians from being desirous of combining the Christian religion with civil government. Heaven and earth will never amalgamate, till the elements melt with fervent heat, and "nature sink in years." Vain is it then to expect, that the church incorporated with civil government can remain pure. The ministers of the church, in the days of Constantine, no doubt thought that the establishment of the Christian religion, as the religion of the empire, and officers of state, and members of senate, professing themselves Christians, was a great triumph to the church, and brought honour to its head (Jesus Christ ;) but the faithful ministers of the word in future ages felt

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all the horrors of this heterogeneous combination of men of the world and children of God. What we may consider triumphant, in the eye of the Eternal is as nought: the lowest of his children he holds in higher estimation than the greatest potentate on earth that is unblessed by the influences of his grace. The only triumphs that are pleasing in his sight, are obedience to his commands in denying the world, the lusts of the flesh, and the pride of life. Jesus sought not honour of men; and they that would be his disciples must take up his cross and follow him; he holds his power higher far than the world's dominions, and it is only they who by faith rest upon him as the head of the church that he will honour. The crouching of the civil power to the arrogant assumption of the clergy, raised the diabolical and tyrannical power of the popes of Rome to that universal dominion which lasted for so many ages; they seated their throne upon the ruins of the Roman empire, assuming dignity and splendour, and an authority over the nations of the earth above their predecessors, the emperors; they, by darkening the moral powers of men, and boldly asserting themselves the vicegerents of Heaven, maintained that dominion over the earth which the physical arm of Rome was unable to perform! they made the kings of the earth lick the dust of their feet! and their kingdoms tremble at their nod! In the zenith of their

power, they bathed their swords in the blood of the saints; they indeed kindled that fire (which Christ said his coming to earth would occasion) against them who neither bore their mark nor the number of their name. They made it burn with awful violence, not only against the pure doctrine of Christ, but also against the sciences, and that noble principle of thinking and declaring freely individual opinion. When church and state are combined, and the nomination of the clergy dependent on the will of the monarch, and they acknowledged as princes of the land, and their income a sufficient temptation to the profligate, then the church becomes a ladder by which the avaricious and ambitious rise to splendour and power: the preaching of the gospel becomes a secondary consideration to these men of the world.

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The first ages of Christianity, though enduring all the fire of persecution, and unprotected by civil power, exhibited the purest and most powerful state of the church the world has ever witnessed. still small voice of the gospel required not then violence, or the coercive measures of government, to promote it cause; it went forth on a white horse conquering and to conquer, unstained by the blood of man, or violence done to his conscience. head of the church (Jesus Christ) triumphed over principalities and powers, and made a show of them openly; so the church, by the power of him who

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still reigns as the alone head of his church, will triumph over all opposition. The people will be made willing in the day of his power, till the heathen be given for his inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for his possession! his hand is not shortened that it cannot save; neither is his ear heavy that it cannot hear. Doubt not then of the triumph of Jesus, O ye! of little faith; for the word hath gone forth from the Lord of Hosts, and it must accomplish that for which it was sent. Sooner expect to see the sun obscured in the firmament, and the earth tossed from its orbit, than that the gospel of Jesus should cease to triumph; "heaven and earth shall pass away, but his word endureth for ever."

Dangerous is it for kings, governments, or societies, to use any coercive measures in propagating the gospel: the command Jesus gave to the apos"Go ye therefore, and teach all nations,

Father, and of

Teaching them have command

tles was, baptizing them in the name of the the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. to observe all things whatsoever I ed you; and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world." Whoever uses other means in propagating the gospel than what is prescribed in the scriptures are the enemies of Jesus; they may do it ignorantly, but they have neither the promise of his presence nor blessing; and their labours will be consumed, though their souls may be saved as

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it were by fire. The stone was hewn out of the mountain without hands; so the preaching of the gospel must not be done with words of man's devising, or by means which the God of the whole earth hath not prescribed: for this stone is to break in pieces the " iron, the brass, the silver, and the gold; and, in the days of these kings, shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed; and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever."

The gospel of Christ is proclaimed to all the sons of Adam as the way of salvation; and all that look unto Jesus as the propitiation for their sins shall be saved. Its simple rites, its unaffected humility, and pure morality, is adapted to all the tribes of men, however degraded they may appear. It requires not temples for the celebration of its ordinances, nor organs to tune its praise. The melody of the hearts of humble worshippers is more acceptable to him who formed the heart to pray, and tuned the voice to praise, than the symphony of all the instruments formed by the hands of men. Whatever tends to localize the gospel of Christ, whether it be in civil establishments, or confessions of faith, must be inimical to the word of God, because that gospel is neither confined to the past nor present race of men; but while the sun and moon endure, it lifts its still small voice, "Ho! every