voted it down. In the days of Noah the wicked were everywhere, and did wickedly, and he alone and his household feared the Lord. In the days of Elijah so complete was Israel's apostasy, that in the desolateness of his spirit he exclaimed, "They have thrown down thine altars, and slain thy prophets with the sword; and I, even I only, am left, and they seek my life to take it away." There was a like universality of corruption in the time of the Captivity. As soon as the sound was heard of cornet, flute, harp, sackbut and psaltery, all the people, the nations, and the languages, fell down and worshipped the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar had set up, save Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego. They alone, at the peril of their lives, refused to bow the knee and worship. And apparently it is to be so again for a season, when the last Antichrist shall be fully realized; for in the thirteenth chapter of the Book of Revelation it is thus written: "All that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world."

In all these instances we see public opinion and divine in open and deadly antagonism, and the redeemed alone proving faithful and true. "Christianity was designed," says Vinet, "to produce a race of men who should believe in truth, not in numbers, nor in years, nor in force-men, consequently, who should be ready to pass for fools;" and, it may be added, ready also not only to be bound, but to die for the name of the Lord Jesus. Let none of God's children, however, be discouraged because of these things: for if such a conflict is coming, it is to be the last, and is to be brief, and all helpful grace shall be given; and better than all, joy and glory unspeakable are immediately to follow.

"What a world, when all its sorrow

Shall for ever pass away!

What an earth, when each to-morrow

Shall be fairer than to-day!"

As the Lord liveth, what the Lord saith unto me, that will I speak.1 KINGS Xxii. 14.

Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men.-ACTS v. 29.

When Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house; and his windows being open in his chamber toward Jerusalem, he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime.-DAN. vi. 10.

Thy shoes shall be iron and brass; and as thy days, so shall thy strength be.-DEUT. xxxiii. 25.

When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.-Isa. xliii. 2.

November 29.

SILENCED FOR A MOMENT, TRIUMPHANT FOR EVER.

AT

T the beginning of our Lord's public ministry eager crowds followed him, and it was the common utterance on every side, "Never man spake like this man "He doeth all things well." It was widely different towards the close of it. Many then went wholly back; friends grew feeble; enemies grew bold; till at length, with combined and resolute malignity, they hurried him off to ignominy and death. It was the hour and power of darkness, and every cherished hope of his disciples now lay buried in his grave. Brief was the victory, however; for on the third day Jesus rose again as the Prince of Life, the Lord of Glory, the Hope of Israel and the world. It is thought that, like her Lord, the Church also, knowing "the fellowship of his sufferings," will have her dark

passion-week followed by a bright resurrection morning. In the eleventh chapter of Revelation we are told that when the faithful witnesses, the true and living Church of Jesus Christ, "shall have finished their testimony, the beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit shall make war against them, and shall overcome them, and kill them;" and that "they that dwell upon the earth shall rejoice over them, and make merry, and shall send gifts one to another."

If it is to be so, then also will be the hour and power of darkness, and sorely will the saints of God be tried. Their trial, however, if severe, is to be short; for we read that "after three days and a half the Spirit of life from God entered into them, and they stood upon their feet and great fear fell upon them which saw them. And they heard a great voice from heaven saying unto them, Come up hither. And they ascended up to heaven in a cloud; and their enemies beheld them."

Hitherto the view generally entertained has been that this chapter refers to past events exclusively; but with many earnest students of the Word the growing conviction now is, that this prophecy, at once dark and bright, has never yet been fulfilled. Several things lead them to this conclusion. First of all, the time specified in the prophecy for the silencing of the witnesses is "when they shall have finished their testimony;" but this they have not yet done in any sense that clearly and unmistakably fulfils the prediction, for they are still testifying in an evil world for truth and righteousness. Still further, the peculiar persecuting power specified as the one destined to prevail in the end,—namely, the beast from the bottomless pit-a power seemingly hellish in its origin, and full of

atheistic blasphemy, has not yet arisen. The Church of Rome, though all along, doubtless, a great and persecuting Apostasy, has yet never been avowedly infidel, or openly denied the Father and the Son, as it is emphatically predicted the Antichrist will do. Moreover, final, permanent triumph, has never yet come. To this very hour we see symbols, not of victory, but of humiliation, in the reproach, obloquy, and suffering still borne by so many of the faithful for Christ's sake. Necessarily, therefore, as there has never yet been the predicted triumph of the witnesses, so neither has there been the complete silencing of them that is to precede it. Both are still future.

When referring to this symbolic prediction, Thomas Scott the commentator said, "I cannot but think that this prophecy relates to events yet future; and it is of vast importance that Christians should be aware of it, and act accordingly." Later still, Dr. Lillie stated it as his solemn belief, "that the last, the subtlest, and the most depraved of all the Antichrists is still to appear in Christendom, and draw the whole world wondering after him."

This to all will be a dark and trying era, yet believers have no need to yield to despondency. Come what may, the Lord, in the riches of his grace, will sustain and strengthen them, and gladden them also; for what will be fearful to others will be to them sure and joyous tokens that their redemption draweth nigh. "Don't fear," said a good man; "Antichrist is indeed coming, but Christ also comes behind him." Better comfort could not have been given, for Christ can cheer even in the darkest hour. When the tidings were brought to John Bradford in prison that

next day he was to be burned in Smithfield, and that already the chain that was to bind him was bought, putting off his cap, and lifting up his eyes to heaven, he said, "I thank God for it; I have looked for the same a long time, and therefore it cometh not to me suddenly, but as a thing waited for every day and hour. The Lord make me worthy thereof!" Then turning to his companion he said, "Be of good comfort, brother; we shall have a joyful supper with the Lord this night."

Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.-REV. iii. 10.

Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.-REV. ii. 10.

If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us.-2 TIM. ii. 12.

And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming.— 2 THESS. ii. 8.

November 30.

THE LORD'S COMMENDATION OF MARY.

T would have gone hard with Mary when severely

IT

censured, had the judgment of men been final. But happily for her the Lord himself was near, and instead of condemning, approved with emphatic fulness and love: "Why trouble ye the woman? she hath wrought a good work upon me...for she hath come aforehand, to anoint my body to the burying."

Here the question naturally arises, Did Mary understand and design this? It may be that she did not, and that