mentions it with marked approbation (Rev. iii. 8, 10). What is there said of the church in Philadelphia, is true of all the faithful-they keep Christ's word--they adhere to it as the rule of their faith and practice. They adhere to it (1) with implicit confidence in its certainty and truth, accepting it as the Word of God, and not as the word of man. (2.) They adhere to it alone; without adding anything to it, without mixing anything with it. They possess no wish to have the pure word of Jesus either supplemented or diluted. (3.) They adhere to the word as it is. There are some persons who try to modify the word a little, to make it more to the tastes of men and the requirements of the age, as they say. Those who are faithful to Christ do not attempt anything like this. They feel the word does not need modifying. They have the fullest conviction that, so far as a divergence exists between the teachings of the Bible and the tastes of men, it is the tastes of men that are wrong, and that the thing to be done is not to bring the Bible down to them, but to bring them up to it. And, besides, if the word did need modifying, they feel that without authority from God they have no right to modify it, and so they wisely leave it alone. Some persons are always trying to reconcile the word. Those who are faithful to Christ do not trouble themselves much about this. It is not their business. They are commanded to believe the word, to keep it, to preach and spread it, but never to reconcile it. They are not very anxious to reconcile it. They know it contains nothing but what is right, and they leave the reconciliation of its different parts with God. Without caring to modify or reconcile, they adhere to the word as it is. (4.) They adhere to the entire word—to its doctrines, to its precepts, and to its ordinances; to the entire word—admitting no reserves, allowing no compromises, indulging no crochets. It is characteristic of the faithful servants of Jesus thus to adhere to his word. Tried by such a test, how few comparatively of his professed servants are faithful now? Still, what we have said holds good. All who are Christ's faithful servants adhere to his word, and by this means they overcome the devil. Adherence to the word of the Saviour is a duty which all his servants are called upon to perform, but the observance of that duty is attended with personal advantage. In his wisdom and goodness, the Saviour hath so ordered it, that, by the very means by which his servants evince their fidelity to him, they shall gain the victory over their greatest foe. There is no victory for the servants of Christ apart from the word. Men may say that they will meet the devil with their reason, or their zeal, or their charity. The devil cares not a rush for any, or all, of these. There is no victory over him apart from the word. As we cannot prevail over the devil without the blood of Christ for the foundation of our hope, so neither can we without the word of Christ, and the word of Christ in all its completeness and entirety, for the rule of our life. If any man, or any set of men, abandon to any extent the Word of God as the rule of their faith and practice, they place themselves at great disadvantage in their conflicts with the foe. They may be men very amiable, very sincere, and of great ability; but, notwithstanding, they will be placed at great disadvantage. The man who has doubts and misgivings as to the truth of any portion of God's Word, enters the battle field like a soldier whose limbs are out of joint. The man who holds truth in reserve, enters the battle field like a soldier whose limbs are paralysed. The man who compromises truth, enters the battle field like a soldier who has had some of his limbs taken off. The man who wrests any part of God's Word from its legitimate position, or magnifies it beyond its due proportions, making it a sort of hobby or crochet, enters the battle field like a soldier who has an unnatural protuberance upon his person, which answers no purpose except that of disfiguring him, and presenting a ready aim to the fire of his adversary. It is easy to perceive that all these give to the devil a facility for doing mischief of which, we may be sure, he will not be hesitant or tardy to avail himself; and it is no more than the persons who give him such facility ought to expect, if they ultimately sustain a defeat which will bring shame to themselves, and injury and dishonour to the cause which they have professedly at heart. But let there be, on the other hand, undeviating, consistent adherence to the word of Christ, and there is nothing for the devil but defeat. He never could stand against the written Word of God; he cannot stand against it now. By this the Saviour conquered him. By this individual Christians conquer him. By this the servants of Christ collectively conquer him. It matters not with what show of power and determination he may come, or how insufficient apparently the church may be to resist him, when he is met with a 66 Thus saith the Lord," he must necessarily betake himself to speedy and ignoble retreat. 'Built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner-stone ""walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless," the church may view with calm and undisturbed composure the assault of her foes. The devil cannot touch so as to injure her. She is invulnerable to all the artillery of hell. "They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony.' 66 III. Devotion, even unto the death, to Christ's service. "They loved not their lives unto the death." This is the last thing mentioned in the text. Our limits only allow us to observe that, 1. The servants of Christ have sometimes to suffer. The devil brings suffering upon them. He used formerly to bring it upon them in the way of direct persecution; he brings it upon them for the most part now, in the way of reproach, and ridicule, and scorn. It is not the custom of our archenemy avowedly to reproach the servants of Christ as such. He first misrepresents them-he calls their faithfulness uncharitableness, their firmness bigotry, their zeal fanaticism; and then he reproaches them; and sometimes he does this through their professed fellow servants. The true and faithful followers of Jesus have often to suffer in this way. 2. They are determined to suffer rather than sin. It matters not how much they may be opposed or ridiculed, they are ready to say with Paul, “None of these things move me." They would rather suffer ten times more than they are ever likely to experience, with a good conscience, than violate their consciences to escape suffering. In their estimation suffering is not so great an evil as sin. 3. They resolve upon this to the end. "Loved not their lives unto the death." Some have been put to the test. They have actually lost their lives, not accepting deliverance at the price of betraying or dishonouring the Master; and it is to these especially that the words under notice refer. And all Christ's faithful servants possess this spirit. They are not all called to develop it in the way indicated here, but they all possess it. Now, the possession of this spirit gives them the mastery over the devil. Ordinarily the devil is not anxious to bring the servants of Christ into suffering. He does not find it answer very well. He would rather prevail upon them by enticement and persuasion to forsake the Saviour and his word. But when enticement and persuasion fail, driving by persecution and suffering is his only resource; that failing, he is involved in hopeless defeat. In the case of the faithful servants of Christ it always does fail. In comparison with Christ and his truth, "they count not their lives dear unto them." They would rather die than give up either the blood of Christ as the ground of their hope, or the word of Christ as the rule of their life, and thus they overcome. The use to be made of this subject is that of enquiring personally in what relation we stand to it. We do not sustain a neutral position in reference to the conflict. We are fighting on one side or the other. On which side are we? If we are fighting with the devil, it is very sad. His is the harder side, the less noble, the losing side, and that which ends in ruin. The sooner we seek to be on the side of Jesus and his friends, the better will it be for us. There are some of us who profess to be fighting on the side of Christ. What means are we using in the conflict? Are we using those here mentioned, and using them in combination? If not, we shall be defeated. There is no way of conquering the devil but by the blood of the Lamb, and the word of his testimony, and loving not our lives unto the death. It is fearful to think how many there are who will be defeated because they overlook this. If we are fighting in the way that the text points out, let us be thankful, and take courage. The conflict is watched with deepest interest by those above, although it may attract but little attention on earth. The victory shall come. It may be delayed-but it shall come, for heaven has so decreed; and it shall prove to ourselves and others a source of greatest joy. "I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night. And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death. Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them." Amen, Page for the Young. BILLY IN TERROR. IF possible, about noon every day, I call on "Billy," my young horse, at his stable. He knows very well what it means. He knows when the saddle is on right, and the bridle in order, and when the girths are tight and when every buckle is right. He knows, too, just how to side up to the block from which I mount, and when the feet and the stirrups are adjusted. And then how carefully he steps along among carriages and sleighs till he comes to the door, and pops out and snorts as if he never saw the world before. He is a very young and beautiful creature, and seems to know it. He will arch his neck and toss his head, and lift his feet as if the very ground was not good enough for him to tread on. And when I get back he looks at me very sharp and knowing, as if to say, "Well, sir, don't that service deserve an extra nubbin of corn?" And he knows he will get it. One winter's day, after a terrible storm, during which the high winds biew the snow anywhere and everywhere, except in the path, we were taking our accustomed round, and found it difficult to turn out of the path, as the snow was very deep each side. Now horses, as well as men, have their trials; and "Billy" has his. He has great fears-or pretends to have. It sometimes seems to be on the peril of his life to get past a load of great bags of wool on their way to the factory, or a load of chairs. It so We happened this day that we ascended a hill, and on its top was a deep ditch by the side of the road, and an immense rock between the ditch and the fence. Well, just at that spot we met a load of hay on a high wagon. had to get into the ditch to let it pass. Slowly it came towering far above us, and shaking, as if it would fall on us. Billy saw it, and felt sure it would fall on him and crush him. He could not whirl round one side, for that would bring him nearer the awful thing; he could not whirl the other way, for the rock prevented. So he rolled his eyes and opened his mouth, and stood and trembled-sure that the next moment would be his last. It was the very agony of terror! Poor Billy! It soon went past, and he was alive. So we made our route, and when we got home we found that load of hay in the barn for Billy to eat. "Art thou not ashamed, young Billy, to stand and quiver under the shadow of that which was on its way to be a blessing to thee?" And do we not all do so? Have we not all seen providences coming toward us at which we tremble, they looked so fearful and great, but which afterwards proved to be the very thing that we needed? Jacob was sure that the loss of Joseph would carry his gray hairs down to the grave-but it was the load of hay-to be food for him and all his during the famine of after years. What agonies filled the heart of the mother of Christ as she stood near the cross, and saw the sufferings of her innocent son; but it was that which gave the bread of heaven to a multitude which no man can number. I sometimes stand over the coffin of the beautiful child at the funeral. I can say but little that really comforts the mother. It seems as if the calamity would crush her. But I feel sure its results will be that she will more deeply appreciate her remaining children, and will try more prayerfully to lead them to Christ. Thus it will be seen hereafter that it was sent to her family for a blessing. The poor blind boy that I met the other day, so pale and gentle, so patient and resigned, that everybody pities and loves him-perhaps it will be found hereafter, and most probably will-that it was the greatest blessing of his life. The little crippled boy that I meet so often on his crutches, and who will most likely never see a well day in his life!-it seems a great calamity now-it cuts him off from the hopes of earth; but God is giving hopes of something so much better, that he will hereafter think of it as a great mercy. Thus the dark thunder cloud, instead of killing us with its bolts, is dissolved into the sweet shower that revives and cheers everything. Thus the storm makes the air clearer and sweeter. Poor things! do not the 66 "But have I nothing to do?" said the boy. I thought I must do something; for I was once told that I must be good, or else God would have nothing to do with me." "My child, Jesus has done what was needed; and you are saved by knowing that all is done." "But I am not good," said the boy. "Will God have anything to do with me unless I am good?" "My boy, Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners; he receives the bad, not the good; else none would be saved. It is your badness, not your goodness, that you are to bring to Him." Poetry. THE PROTESTANT DISSENTERS' DECLARATION. BY G. WEBB, EYNSFORD, KENT. WE want no rates, or tax, or tithe, We want no bishop, priest, or dean, With these we've knocked the trammels off, And so we will again. Our mainspring of religion is, Ye Churchmen, do whate'er you please, Impose your rates, by magistrates, We yield to none in earnest love We will not yield to mother Church, And so we will again. Our people willingly subscribe For what they think is right; And if they did not pay without, We'd not proceed to might: The Truth into their heart has gone, Like copious showers of rain; It's proved without the force of law, And so it will again. If your religion does not draw, Nor move the people's heart; We do not mean to pay your rates; And find out other ties To bind the people to your church, But if our voice you do not heed, The more coercion you have used, A poor religion that must be, True thoughts the heart shall gain; We've virtues won by these before, And so we will again. Stand up, Dissenters, everywhere- And make them feel the shame Correspondence. Rev. Baptist W. Noel. From want of a thorough investigation of the subject, this much respected gentleman and minister has supposed that the baptism of proselytes to Judaism (of which it need not be denied that when it took place, it was accompanied by that of their infant children) was practised before and during the time of our Lord on earth, and has accordingly, and perhaps without taking counsel of such as were Baptists before him, and had more thoroughly examined the subject, publicly conceded the point. This is the more to be regretted from the fact that the argument derived from the supposed existence of the practice of baptising proselytes to Judaism, during the time of our Lord on earth, is by many Infant Baptists considered to be the best of the rather numerous list to which their party, in general, are in the habit of resorting. The argument plainly stated is as follows:-The practice of baptising proselytes to Judaism existed during the time of our Lord on earth;-Ŏur Lord did not express disapproval of it;-There |