;

quoted the words of the Prophet Isaiah, saying, I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight, every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be made low and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways shall be made smooth; and all flesh shall see the salvation of God. * Obedience to this precept, appears now to be the duty of the people of God. Our Saviour said that his kingdom was not of this world, where the devil was to have power until it was utterly destroyed; therefore, a wilderness, which in a short time may be made to blossom as a rose, through the industry of his humble worshippers, is now ready to be prepared for him. The Bridegroom cometh, go ye out to meet him. † The wise virgins are distinguished from the foolish in this parable, by having oil in their lamps; and the ten may be compared to "all who profess and call themselves christians." The five wise virgins resemble those who are daily praying for the Holy Spirit, and studying the word of God, that they may grow in grace, and the knowledge of his will, and through the instrumentality of that written word, which has been a lamp to the feet, and a light to the path of so many, it will probably be His will to teach them when it is the right time for each individual to take refuge in the Lord's Garner.

The five foolish virgins resemble those professors of Christianity, who are in possession of the Word of God, but who, although they are expecting the bridegroom, are "careful and troubled about many things;" and never pray for the teaching of the Holy Spirit, or open their Bibles, except as a task to be gone through at stated periods; and many of them resemble the evil servant who is mentioned in the preceding chapter, who

* Luke, iii. 4, 5, 6. † Matthew, xxv. 6.

say in their hearts, "my Lord delayeth his coming," and in the confident assurance that the Saviour will not come in their life-time, they take no interest in anything which might interfere with their following the leaders of fashion into the "pomps and vanities" of an ungodly world. But the Lord of those professing Christians tells each of them, that "He will come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites.” * How important then is it, for all who wish to be inhabitants of the New Jerusalem, to study the Holy Scriptures with fervent prayer for that Comforter, which is promised to accompany the teaching of the Apostles to the end of the world.

Every faithful preacher or writer, who encourages others to "seek out the book of the Lord and read," is the Lord's Messenger. The preaching and writing of several of those messengers has been wonderfully blessed during the last century; and many of the Lord's people are so weaned from the " pomps and vanities" of the world, that they feel themselves only "strangers and pilgrims on the earth," and as their only wish is to be employed in their Lord's service, occupying their ten or their two entrusted talents, until he comes, as he has promised, "suddenly to his Temple," they should now consider if it is not time for them to be engaged in building that temple, of which He himself is the "cornerstone;" and whether they should not be, like the Apostles of old," with one accord in one place," § where they might be free from the Egyptian bondage of a world that "lieth in wickedness," and is ripening for destruction. How difficult do Christian parents find it to

* Matthew, xxiv. 50, 51.

+ Hebrews, xi. 13. Malachi, iii. 1. § Acts, ii. 1.

keep their children from the pollution of evil associates, although they no longer sigh after "the flesh-pots of Egypt," themselves. "Whoso is wise, and will observe these things, even they shall understand the loving-kindness of the Lord. "" *

When those who are interested in the advancement of Christ's Kingdom hear of such men as the Bishop of Exeter, and the Bishop of Sydney, persecuting faithful Ministers, they are inclined to feel as Elijah did, when he went 66 a day's journey into the wilderness."+

The people of God were then lapsing into idolatry, and slaying the Lord's Messengers, and six years ago, a faithful servant of Christ, gave warnings to the British nation in the following energetic language:

PROSPECTS OF THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND.
Storms are gathering in the sky;
Vengeful thunders hover nigh;
Plague-spots in the Church appear,
Filling every heart with fear.
She must drink the cup of woe,
Shame and sorrow she must know;
She is wandering from her God,
On her brow write Ichabod. §
Mystic fingers on the wall

#

Trace her sin, and bode her fall;
Warning voices through the gloom
Tell us of our coming doom.
Priestcraft, with a giant stride,
Stalks the land in pomp and pride;
He who should preach only Christ,
Now a semi-papal priest,

Would the Church's Lord appear,

Not its lowly minister:

Calling all men, great and small,

Psalms, cvii. 43. +1 Kings, xix. 4. Noel.
§ The Glory is departed.

Down before the priest to fall.
Priests, forgetting in their pride,
Him who as our ransom died,
Bid us on our works depend,
Not on Christ, the sinner's friend.
None the Bible now must read,
Till the priest has fixed our creed;
None must rest on Christ alone,
Till the priest his work has done :
Sacraments the priest extols,
For 'tis he each rite controls;
Thought to freedom is allied,
Therefore preaching set aside;
Fonts and Altars now must teach;
Priests should sacrifice, not preach.
Priests, they say, can intercede
In our hour of guilt and need;
Priests, ambassadors of Heaven,
Can pronounce our sins forgiven;
Since, whate'er their want of sense,
They the gifts of grace dispense;
And, ordained by Heaven, possess
Apostolic power to bless.

Priests the Monarch's throne outshine,

By a dignity divine;

Mean compared with these, are kings;
Dynasties but mushroom things;
Priests had won their rightful throne,
Ere the crown of England shone ;
They had risen to princely state,
Long ere England's senate sate;
And when empires pass away,,
They shall hold their steadfast sway.
Devotees around them wait,

To exalt their lordly state;
See them sit in chancels proud,
High above the vulgar crowd;

See them, when the prayers they say,
From the people turn away,

Muttering hidden words of prayer
That the vulgar may not share.

Then at Altars, rich and high,
Bow and cross, we know not why.
What is wanting? Increase bring;
Morn by morn the matins sing;
Faldstool and sedila place;
Hang upon the altar lace;
There the dying figure fix,
Knelt before by Catholics;
Then dispense the wafer bread;
Say due masses for the dead;
Chant the dirges slow and sad;
Sacred copes and banners add,
Candlesticks with glittering gloss,
Credence table, rich reredos;
Pictures round the table set,
Then the show will be complete.
Woe to thee my country, woe!
Thou canst bear this papal show;
Thou canst tamely sit and see
This advancing mummery :
Forms exalted to the skies

While God's Word dishonored lies;

Rome is fondled as a child,

Martyrs scorned, and saints reviled ;
Truth is bound with priestly chain,
Charity and candour slain.
Pastors, who their country warn,
From their grieving flocks are torn ;
From the Church they loved at heart,
Crowds indignantly depart;
While triumphant errors stand
Lords of the bewildered land.
Oh, for an hour of Luther now!
Oh, for a frown of Calvin's brow!
Once they broke the papal chain;
Who shall break it now again?
Lord, thou seest us weak and cold;
Rise, as in the days of old,
Bare thy own almighty arm,
Save thy church from every harm,
And may truth the victory win.
Over falsehood, fraud, and sin.