for remarks on the liberty of the will, on its bondage, on grace, &c. "Come" may refer to exertion, as opposed to mere wishing, as including the full exercise of the mind, and the tenor of the conduct, as implying progress, perseverance, and all things connected with journeying. "After me;" in disregard of riches, honours, ease, through persecution, labour, toil, suffering, prayer, benevolence, meekness, patience. "Me" affords room to discourse at length, of the attractions in Christ, his offices, grace, power, promises, and glory.

"Let him deny himself." Here Christ's self-denial may be shown, in leaving his glory, becoming man, sufferings and death :—the motive, "the joy set before him ;" and how, in all ages, self-denial has been required;-Noah, building an ark, though, perhaps, despised for folly; Abraham leaving his country; Moses, and all the prophets and apostles, &c.

EXODUS XX. 12.

"Honour thy father," &c.

Under the names of father and mother are included both civil and ecclesiastical parents, as well as domestical. Because at the time of the promulgation of the law, parents were princes, priests, and prophets. Such were Noah, Job, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob.

HEBREWS V. 10, 11.

"Who was Melchisedec ?"

Perhaps the preceding thought may lead us to some conjecture on this subject: as, if he were not a mere vision, he must have been a patriarch: for to the patriarchs pertained both the priestly and princely diginities. Not that God was confined to the first-born, for Cain seems to have been excommunicated, and put out of God's presence, for his crime;

So Shem was

and Seth, his younger brother, put in. not Noah's eldest son, though named first, for dignity's sake; for Japhet was his elder brother, (Gen. x. 21.) Shem was the father of the Hebrews (as of Heber) the church of God, and Japhet of the Gentiles, which then were not (though afterwards they or some of them did become) members of God's church. And I believe that Shem was he who was called Melchisedec; for he lived some years in the time of Abram, and who else could be a king and a priest in God's house, and greater than Abram, but only Shem?-Hollingworth's "Spirit of God on the Bench, and other Spirits at the bar."

PASSAGES OF SCRIPTURE, ILLUSTRATED BY FACTS, NEVER BEFORE PUBLISHED.*

There are facts always taking place in the world of the same nature with those recorded in scripture, and equally indicative of the operations of providence and grace. There are materials in existence for a similar history to that of scripture, were but the pen of inspiration afforded to throw its light on their remote causes and consequences, and on all the agencies concerned in them. But since the clue has been given us, it is wise to follow it, and to place these facts in analogy with those of scripture, as confirmatory of its principles.

THE OFFICE OF ANGELS.

LUKE xvi. 22.

"And was carried by angels into Abraham's bosom."

MR. Isaac Ambrose was an eminent non-conformist minister in Lancashire; it was his usual custom once in a year, for the space of a month, to retire into a little hut in a wood, and avoiding all human converse, to devote himself to contemplation. Possibly by this

practice he was fitted for his sacred ministration all the rest of the year. He published a great many excellent books about the practical parts of religion. He lived the latter part of his life at Preston, and when his end drew near was very sensible of it. Having taken his leave of many friends abroad with unusual solemnity, as if he foresaw that he should see them no more, he came home to Preston from Bolton. In a little time some of his hearers came from Garstang to visit him, with whom he conversed freely, gave them good counsel, and told them he was now ready whenever his Lord should call for him, having finished all he designed to write. His last treatise was on the Communion of Angels, which he had finished for the press and sent the night before. He accompanied his friends to their horses, and returning to the house, entered his closet for meditation and prayer. Thinking he stayed long, one opened the door, and found him breathing his last, with these words " Now, ANGELS DO YOUR WORK."

DELIVERANCE FROM TEMPTATION.
1 COR. X. 13.

"But will with the temptation make a way to escape."

A YOUNG Woman, servant in an irreligious family, fell under strong convictions of sin. For some time she concealed her distress of soul, but at length requested liberty to go and hear the gospel. The family being altogether ungodly, this request was denied. She could find no opportunity of listening to the joyful sound, She knew no one who could afford her the least direction or consolation. Her distress increased to such a degree that Satan took advantage of the opportunity to suggest to her the ready method of terminating her trouble by ending her life. She provided herself with a cord, had chosen the place, and was actually on the stairs going to perpetrate the dreadful act of selfdestruction, when the postman's well-known knock at

the door startled her. Proceeding immediately to answer the summons, she finds, instead of a letter for her master, one for herself. It was from a relation, and contained an account of her religious experience. It particularly stated that that relation had been labouring under the very same temptation, and how she had been graciously delivered from it. This remarkable interposition was the means of dissolving the fatal snare, and of pointing the young woman to the true refuge of the soul.

A HISTORY OF THE PAPACY,

FROM ITS

RISE TO THE PRESENT DAY.

IN A SERIES OF PAPERS; WRITTEN EXPRESSLY FOR THIS WORK.

(Continued from page 308.)

THE reader will bear in mind the period at which we have arrived in the history of the church of Christ under the encroaching and continually augmenting sway of the bishops of Rome. We are now upon the borders of the public exhibition and setting up of their asserted supremacy in the person of the almost immediate successor of the now reigning pontiff. Before, however, we dismiss him from the scene, it will be necessary to diverge a little to the affairs of our own country, in connexion with the christian religion, in reference to the introduction and establishment of which it is contended for by the partizans of the church of Rome that he took the first and most prominent place. The testimony of different historians must be

balanced, in order to arrive at a correct conclusion on the subject; and in supporting the following brief narrative of the matter most of them will be found to unite.

While Gregory filled the office of deacon only at Rome, he one day observed some captive children led up the streets towards the place appointed for their public sale. Struck with the beauty of their appearance, he made several inquiries concerning them, and the following is reported to have been the result of his conference with some of the citizens concerning them. He was told aloud that they were Angli, or English; from the province of Deira, in Britain, (now called Northumberland), and then under king Alla, the prince of that part of the country; upon which he promptly and pleasantly observed, in allusion to these, three particulars-that, for their beauty, they deserved to become angeli, angels; to be rescued from Dei ira, the wrath of God; and to be taught to sing Alleluiah, or hallelujahs to heaven. An impression was left upon his mind in consequence of this spectacle and conversation, which made him immediately resolve upon a mission in person for the conversion of those people whose progeny had thus remarkably interested his sympathy. As soon, however, as this was made known, his friends and followers, who were exceedingly attached to him for his parts, and zeal, and entire devotedness to the interests of the church, raised such remonstrances against the step, in conjunction with entreaties and representations of the necessity of his continual presence among them at that critical period, as induced him to desist, at least for a time, from all thoughts of such an undertaking. But that the project was never wholly abandoned in his mind appears from his revival of it, and carrying it into execution when seated in the pontifical chair. This took place a little before the era to which we have conducted the general features of the history, namely, between the years five hundred and ninety, and six hundred. One Austin, or Augustine, a monk, was the person whom he pitched upon to conduct the