MIRACULOUS DELIVERANCE OF THE ROMAN ARMY UNDER MARCUS ANTONINUS.

The army of Marcus Antoninus being surrounded by the Marcomanni, with whom the Romans were at war, and in this dreadful predicament, languishing with thirst in a parched desart, without one drop of water; were said to have been relieved in answer to the prayers of a christian legion, by a sudden and unexpected rain, while the Marcommanni were dispersed or destroyed by thunder and lightning-and although the heathen soldiery attributed this deliverance to the interposition of Jupiter, in answer to their prayers-yet men of enlightened reason, will be at no loss to form a just conclusion of this miracle, for such it may be properly denominated, when they reflect that during the second century, in which this happened; the divine wisdom continued to dispense to the christian church, the extraordinary gifts, with which he had at first so remarkably endowed it.

THE JEWS ATTEMPTING TO REBUILD THE TEMPLE OF JERUSALEM ARE DEFEATED.

The Roman emperor Julian, in the fourth century, permitted the Jews in his dominions to attempt rebuilding the temple of Jerusalem-history informs us, that encouraged by his indulgence, they undertook the work; but that while they were removing the rubbish before the foundation was laid, formidable balls of fire issuing out of the ground with a dreadful noise, dispersed both the works and workmen; and repeated earthquakes filled the spectators with terror and dismay-this fact alone, furnishes strong evidence in support of the christian religion; the records of which inform us, that one stone of that temple should not stand upon another; and that Jerusalem should be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled.

THE LAW AND THE GOSPEL-TIME AND ETERNITY ONE

UNIFORM WHOLE.

All the works of God go on toward perfection, from the germination of a seed of grass, to the perfection of

the fairest flower; from the feeblest reptile, to the highest angelic existence-nor has any part of all he has created, yet attained all that is attainable-The laws, therefore, by which some inferior creatures are bound in the first stages of existence, we behold with our eyes abrogated and abolished-for the caterpillar, who to use a figure of speech, is bound by the law of its earthly nature to creep, is set free from that law, so soon as it attains to its heavenly or ærial natureMan is also a progressive being; and the world since its commencement, has been making progress in knowledge-why therefore do we esteem it a contradiction, that the laws of Moses should precede the laws of Christ in the order of Providence; or that the dispensation of grace, should succeed that of the moral law, as the only adequate qualification to keep it.

The sun (like the law of Moses) rising above our horizon, reflects light upon the objects of creation, and manifests them as they are-but in the infancy of its progress, its warming energy, although invariably the same, is not imparted in such measure to our earth, as to mature the objects it discovers If prevented in its progress, the sap of the vine, should lye latent in its stock-no fruit would be produced to reward the toils of the husbandman-Its first rising (like the law of Moses) is nevertheless necessary, for it communicates light to distinguish the objects which ought to be cultivated, from those which ought to be destroyed-here is its first office→→→ its next (like the grace of the gospel) is to ripen those which remain, that they may bring forth fruit-the inference is obvious.

The moral law of Moses, which revealed and confirmed to man the distinctions of right and wrong, and which although interwoven in his nature, by the hand of the first great Artist, had been defaced and almost destroyed by human corruption, is the sun, (obscured for many ages by this mist of corruption) again risen to illuminate the earth" By the law," says the Apostle, "is the knowledge of sin"-that is by the rising of the sun, objects are discerned in their true light-Virtue only appears amiable, and sin odious-and thus appearing in their native colours, mans' duty becomes obvious, which is to cultivate the one and eradicate the other-And to assist him in this noblest of all employments, the Sun after enlightening the world proceeds to warm it, that man animated by its enlivening as well as enlightening influence,

may work "while it is called to day," lest the night overtake him when no man can work

-From these observations, it appears that the office of the sun is twofold to enlighten and mature-fruits of superior flavor may therefore be expected from those trees in the moral vineyard, which have submitted to its vernal rays, and proceeded to embrace its autumnal influence-or who to speak without a metaphor, have embraced both the law and the gospel, from a perfect conviction, that they are both necessary to inform the understanding, and to regulate the life-and that in fact they compose but one perfect system.

If man was capable of taking a survey of the works of Creation and Providence-If he could comprehend the whole plan of the great Artificer, Legislator and Governor-I have no doudt but he would be convinced of the perfet harmony of those seeming contrarieties, which. have puzzled the minds of philosophers; and filled the mouths of sceptics with objections- -Time and

eternity constitute one uniform whole-to separate them is madness to form any conclusion of those portions of the divine administration, which are visible to human sight; is similar to the conclusions which a child would form of the different parts of an immense machine, which lying in broken fragments on the artist's table, exhibit no trace of order or design-just such children are we, when we attempt to separate the law from the gospelwhen we reason upon human principles independent of eternity or when we deduce conclusions unfavourable to the self-denying doctrines of the gospel, or the divine administration, because in certain cases they seem to reverse the order of nature, and refer the attention of man to eternity, for the solution of those difficulties, which are unresolvable in time, by the principles of human

reason.

PERSECUTIONS OF THE BRETHREN AND SISTERS OF THE FREE SPIRIT IN THE FOURTEENTH CENTURY.

In the fourteenth century, numbers of pious characters on the continent of Europe, perished in the flames of persecution by the barbarous inquisitors of the Latin churchbut those called the brethren and sisters of the Free Spirit,

were particularly obnoxious to their rage For as this sort of people professed an uncommon and sublime sort of devotion; endeavouring to call off men's minds from the external parts of religion, and to win them over. to the inward and spiritual worship of God; they were greatly esteemed by many pious, well-meaning people, and made many converts to their opinions-Numbers of them suffered death for their fidelity to the grace received, during this century, both in Italy, France, and Germany.

SOME ACCOUNT OF THE MENNONISTS,

The Mennonists or Mennonites, a branch of the Anabaptist church, practise water baptism by immersion; but admit none to this rite, but persons that are come to the full use of their reason; because infants are incapable of binding themselves to a holy life-their ancient principles reject civil rulers from their communion-nor do they allow any of their members to perform the functions of magistracy-they deny the lawfulness of repelling force by force, and consider war in all its shapes as unchristian and unjust-they also refuse to confirm their testimony with an oath*-the person from whom they derive the denomination of Mennonists, was Menno Simon, a native of Friezland, who had formerly been a popish priest, and a man of dissolute life by his own confessionIn the year 1536, he resigned his priestly office, and publicly embraced the communion of the Anabaptists, and shortly after assumed the functions of a teacher in their society.

From this period to the end of his days, that is during the space of twenty-five years, he travelled from one country to another with his wife and children, exercising his ministry under calamities of various kinds-the laws of those times punishing with severity, that profession which he had adopted-In all the places where he tra velled, his ministry was attended with remarkable success; bence he is deservedly looked upon as the common chief of almost all the Anabaptists- He was a man of genius,

* These people seem to have gone as far in reformation as the Quakers.

possessed an easy and persuasive eloquence; integrity of heart, and a meek and tractable spirit; was zealous in the promotion of practical religion, which he recommended both by example and precept-Such a teacher must have proved an acquisition to the Anabaptist church, at a time when the mistaken zeal of some of its members, had incurred the censure and disapprobation of the genuine friends of christianity-for whether true or false, those doctrines which they attempted forcing upon men by the edge of the sword; their method of propagating them was utterly contrary to the genius of the gospelthese unfortunate men however, met with severe retribution-for the city of Munster in Westphalia, the new Jerusalem of which they had possessed themselves, being retaken by Count Waldeck, its bishop and sovereign,† many of them were put to death; and the governments of those countries, where they attempted propagating their sentiments, being unanimous in their suppression, their warlike zeal soon subsided; but the many valuable principles of their profession survived the storm, and attached to their community, vast numbers of exemplary christians; many of whom in these early days of violence, had to seal their testimony with their blood.

Simon Menno, whose character and services have been briefly related, after a life of toil, peril and agitation, died in peace at the country seat of a nobleman in the Duchy of Holstein, who moved with compassion at a view of the perils to which he was exposed, and the snares that were daily laid for his ruin, took him and certain of his associates under his protection.

+ What a curious medley is this? Bishop, sovereign, and soldier.

OF SOCINIANISM,

The origin of Socinianism may be traced to the earliest period of the reformation-and, I believe the history of the church furnishes some instances of it, in the first ages of christianity-but its votaries do not seem to have had opportunity of forming themselves into a distinct body, until by an order of the diet of Petrikow in Poland, commanding them to separate from the communion of