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in harmony with this scene; the variable star, Argus, had increased to the first magnitude, just above the beautiful constellation of "The Southern Cross," which slightly inclined over the river, in the only portion of sky seen through the trees. That very red star, thus rapidly increasing in magnitude, might, as characteristic of her rivers, be recognized as the Star of Australia, when Europeans cross the line. The river gradually filled up the channel nearly bank high, while the living cataract travelled onward, much slower than I expected to see it; so slowly, indeed, that more than an hour after its first arrival, the sweet music of the head of the flood was distinctly audible from my tent, as the murmur of waters, and the diapason crash of logs, travelled slowly through the tortuous windings of the river bed. I was finally lulled to sleep by that melody of living waters, so grateful to my ear, and evidently so unwonted in the dry bed of the thirsty Macquarie. " *

Establishing a house on the "top of the mountains," gives us an idea of reaching a place which cannot be arrived at without great difficulty. Our Saviour said to his disciples when he preached his memorable sermor to them from the top of a mountain, "Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? Behold the fowls of the air; for they sow not, neither do they reap nor gather into barns; yet your Heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit to his stature? And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they

*See "Journal of an Expedition into the Interior of Tropical Australia." By Lieut. Col. Sir T. L. Mitchell.

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spin; and yet I say unto you, that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to-morrow is cast into the oven, shall clothe you, O ye of little faith? thought, saying, What shall we eat? drink? or, Wherewithal shall we after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your Heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." From this command we may learn that the kingdom of God, where the "Lord's house," was to be established, was to be found in a part of the earth capable of producing all the raw material requisite for the best description of food and clothing, which was to be discovered by some of the Lord's people who should be engaged in preaching his gospel, and setting an example of righteousness; and the reward they were led to expect, for not thinking so much about their own individual food and clothing, as proclaiming the Lord's message to a perishing world, was, that they should find a country equal in natural advantages to any of the nations of that world, but still unoccupied, and sufficiently large for them to "flow" into it from all nations in great numbers. It is very remarkable that the gospel should have been preached for nearly 1800 years before Australia was discovered, and that it should then have had the British flag planted in it. The flag of a nation which, although stained by the blood of martyrs, was then sending the gospel message to all parts of the known world. From Britain, missionaries were then,

*Matthew vi. 25-33.

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and are still sent to preach the gospel, at the risk of their lives, to the inhabitants of the most distant corners of the earth. In the city of London, was the Bible Society formed, towards the end of the last century; and in what a wonderful manner has this "leaven" assisted in "leavening the lump." That society have, by their exertions, had the word of God translated into seventy languages, and circulated amongst nations and people against whom it will be a "witness," in the "last day; and for this reason London may be the "Holy Place," which our Saviour alludes to when he tells his disciples to observe the "signs of the times." "When therefore, ye shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the Prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth let him understand,) then let them which be in Judea flee into the mountains.” * Let us now enquire what is meant by "the abomination that maketh desolate,” which Daniel speaks of, being "set up." When our Saviour referred to this prophecy, he was answering two questions which were asked him at the same time; one was "what shall be the sign of the destruction of Jerusalem?" The other "what shall be the sign of the end of the world?" And the answer probably applies to both. When the Roman standard was hoisted near the walls of Jerusalem, we learn from history, that the Christains who were in the city, and remembered the words of their Lord, fled to the mountains, near Judea, where they found places of safety; while the unbelieving Jews remained in Jerusalem, and sustained a siege of three years and a half, until their city was destroyed, and the surrounding country made desolate by the Roman armies. From that time the daily sacrifice

* Matthew xxiv. 15. † Daniel xii. 11.

was taken away, and Judea became incorporated with the Roman empire, until it fell into the hands of the Turks, and was ultimately the scene of much blood-shed at the time of the Crusades. Now England resembles the Holy Land in possessing and disseminating the word of God. But alas! Romanism is making rapid strides into the "holy place." The Jesuits, whose abominations have made so many countries desolate by their inquisitions and their persecutions, have got into the colleges at Oxford, and are from thence poisoning the fountain of truth. The wealth with which that wicked nursing father of the Church of Christ, Henry the 8th, endowed the Church of England is coveted by those "hypocrites," whose aim is universal supremacy. How well are their deeply-laid plans described by that ornament of the Church of Christ, the Hon. and Rev. Baptist Noel:

"Let Critics write, let Bibles spread,
Bring up old Luther from the dead,
Only let millions list the call
To bow at our confessional;
And still a subject world shall own
The Jesuit's universal throne.
The Church's clear and sleepless eye,
We look through all society;
We are a voice, whose mighty tone,
Controlling all, yet frightens none :
An unseen force, on empire bent,
Ubiquitous, omniscient.

Still will we rule by skilful guile,
By woman's tear, and tender smile,
By devotee with fear imbued,
And by the credulous multitude.
Protesting England too shall know
The Jesuit is no vulgar foe:

Not yet-her wealth and power we share,
But we with our allies are there;

And there our sure foundation fix,
By aid of Anglo-Catholics.

They find the prey with jackall art,
But ours shall be the lion's part:
We'll have within our ample net,
England's fair dames and nobles yet;
Oxford shall pioneer our way

Prelates shall lead us to our prey;

And haply British statesmen be the tools
To give us empire o'er a world of fools."*

Now that there is a Jesuit's church built in London, may it not be said that "the abomination that maketh desolate is set up in the holy place." Is it not then time that our Saviour's commands should be obeyed by those who can read and understand them? Is not the time approaching when a mountain which belongs to England should be taken possession of by "the saints of the Most High, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him.” t

We may observe all through the scriptures that the Creator of the world has, in his dealings with mankind, had one object in view, which is thus expressed by St. Paul. "To purify unto himself a peculiar people zealous of good works," to worship hin on the earth; and after death to live with him throughout eternity. The means and instruments he has used to effect this object form the history of the world since the flood. One of the great distinctions between the Lord's people and the devil's people is, pride. Worldly pomp, a spirit of tyranny, and a desire to sacrifice the many for the gratification of the few, are amongst the marks of "the beast;" and whether this is found in individuals,

Protestant Thoughts in Rhyme. By B. W. Noel, M. A. + Daniel vii. 27. Titus ii. 14.

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