frenzied violence of suppressed rage. She will again be drunken with the blood of the Saints1. Let us be sure of this; and let us take heed accordingly. We have need to do so; more need, perhaps, than many of us suppose. The warning is from God: He that hath ears to hear, let him ear 2.

3. Again: from the Apocalypse we learn that Rome will be visited with plagues, like Egypt; but that, like the Sovereign of Egypt, she will not repent : her empire will be darkened, and her citizens will gnaw their tongues for pain. But she will not repent of her deeds". She will be Babylon to the end. And God forbid that Britain should ever be joined with Babylon !

Here then is another warning. Let us pause before, with a view to peace, we sacrifice truth. Let us not incur the divine malediction, by doing evil that good may come. Let us not treat the Roman Babylon as if it were Sion, lest God should treat our English Sion as if it were Babylon.

We have already proceeded far, very far, in polluting our land with the abominations of Rome: Heaven forbid that we should aggravate our guilt!

ledged to be their highest authority,-A General Council, so called, with a Pope at the head of it; and is practised in all of them, I think without exception, where it can be done with safety."-Bp. Butler's Serm. V. on 1 Tim. ii. 1, 2.

Yet, alas! some are found to taunt us with the fact, that we have endowed Romanism in our Colonies; and "therefore (they allege) for Consistency's sake, we must endow it at home." For Consistency's sake! Most wise and admirable Consistency! To be consistent in sin is to rebel against Heaven, and to be the slaves of Satan. It is to imitate Babylon, who will not repent, and to suffer her plagues, and to incur her doom. Heaven defend us from such Consistency as that! May God give us grace to reject such false and recreant suggestions as would make one sin a reason for more! Let us know no other Consistency than Obedience for the future, and Repentance for the past. Let us listen to the Voice of God. Hast thou sinned? do it no more1. Woe unto them that draw iniquity with the cords of vanity, and sin as it were with a cart rope 2. Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter 3. Woe to the rebellious children that take counsel, but not of Me (says the Lord); that cover with a covering, but not of My Spirit, that they may add sin to sin; that walk to go to Egypt, and have not asked at my mouth, to strengthen themselves in the strength of Pharaoh, and to trust in the shadow of Egypt. Therefore, the strength of Pharaoh shall be your shame, and the shadow of Egypt your confusion!

1 Ecclus. xxi. 1.

3 Isaiah v. 20.

2 Isaiah v. 18.

4 Isaiah xxx. 1.

Again: Let some tell us, if they will, that "by endowing Romanism we are showing charity to persons, and not encouraging strange doctrines." Charity to persons! True charity to persons is, not to abet their errors, but to aid them to recover the truth. It is cruelty to persons to patronise their sins, and so confirm them in sinning, and close their door of repentance. A nobler and more charitable work is now before us. To hold fast, and advance the truth. Blessed is he who labours in it! Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life1.

2

Lastly, let others say, if they will, that some good men among us would not have scrupled to endow Romanism; and that such a design was entertained by a revered Monarch and by a great Statesman 2; and let them ask, if they will, in a tone of ironical scorn, Who are you, that you should pretend to be more wise or religious than they? Be it so. Then we might ask in return, Have we not had other Kings and Queens also-and other Statesmen, who nobly freed us from Papal usurpation? Were not they wise and courageous? And, after all, is England to be so degraded, as to follow human examples instead of obeying Divine Laws? Are we to adopt the errors of men, and to make them supersede the Truth of God? To what miserable consequences should we be led by such feeble reasoning as this! It might be used to justify the worst crimes. Accord

1 Rev. ii. 10.

2 King George III. Mr. Pitt.

ing to it, adultery would be innocent, for it might appeal to the example of David; and the denial of Christ would be no sin, for it might plead the example of Peter. No. Let God be true, and every man a liar'. Let us govern our lives, not by the examples of men-even of Kings and Statesmenbut let all—Kings and Statesmen, as well as subjects -regulate their actions by the Law of God. Let us not enquire, what might have been the designs of earthly Monarchs, but what is the language of the KING OF KINGS? What does HE say? He describes Rome as Babylon. He pourtrays her doom in words of fire. He bids us flee from her, lest we be involved in her ruin.

Almighty God Himself now speaks by the mouth of St. John to the Rulers and People of England. If you cast in your lot with Rome, if you make common cause with her, if you cherish, if you encourage her, if you endow her, her end will be yours. The strength of Pharaoh will be your shame ; the shadow of Egypt will be your confusion. Be not partakers of her sins, that ye receive not of her plagues.

May it please God so to guide and govern the hearts of all who bear rule among us, that they may promote true Religion and Virtue, and be blessed for evermore. Grant us ever, O Lord, Princes to reign in Righteousness, and Pastors after Thine own heart!

1 Rom. iii. 4.

LECTURE IX.

REV. xvii. 9. 18. 5.

Here is the mind which hath wisdom: The seven heads are SEVEN MOUNTAINS, on which the woman sitteth. And the woman which thou sawest is that GREAT CITY, which REIGNETH over the kings of the earth. And upon her forehead was a name written,-Mystery, BABYLON THE GREAT.

PROCEEDING With our Expository Comment on the Apocalypse, we were led in the last Discourse to contemplate the Prophecies contained in Six chapters -the Thirteenth, Fourteenth, Sixteenth, Seventeenth, Eighteenth, and Nineteenth-of that Book; and it was then affirmed that these Prophecies have been partly fulfilled, and are in course of complete fulfilment, in the Church of Rome.

It was also observed, that, if this point is established, we have here a confirmation of the divine authority of the Apocalypse; for God alone can foretell the future; and that the fulfilment of these predictions ought to remind us, that the other clear and awful Prophecies of the Apocalypse, concerning Judgment, Heaven, Hell, and Eternity, will be fulfilled likewise.