"And he that saw it bare record, and his record is true: and he knoweth that he saith true, that ye might believe." The believing produced by the fact recorded, must have primarily consisted in the belief of the reality of the death of Jesus, for the water showed that the pericardium, or sac in which the heart is enclosed, in which a clear fluid like water is contained, had been pierced, and that consequently the spear had reached the substance of the heart itself. But the reality of the person of Jesus was also demonstrated, and as this was the fact especially called in question at the time the Gospel was written, it must have been for the correction of this fatal error that the fact was so particularly recorded. I may mention that the Apostle John seems to make allusion to the fact referred to, in his first Epistle (v. 6), but I shall not dwell on it further than to say, that it strengthens the probability that John wrote his Gospel chiefly to maintain the reality of the person of our Lord against the Gnostics. This denial by Antichrist that Jesus Christ had come in the flesh was, as has been stated, a most effectual means of subverting the grand central doctrine of the Gospel-namely: that "Jesus is the Christ." And while this central element of the one faith was subverted by other means, the doctrine of the Gnostics must have largely contributed to that general apostasy which soon spread over the professing church. The various creeds of Christendom, even the earliest, known as the Apostles' Creed (but which all agree is not quite so ancient), agree in ignoring that definite form of this central truth, as stated by John, both in his Gospel and Epistles. The formula of the apostle is reduced from a proposition-containing subject and predicate-to a mere name and surname. "I believe in God the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, and in JESUS CHRIST, his only Son our Lord." Here the Christship, or that official dignity which belongs to our Lord, in virtue of the covenant made with David, and which forms so prominent a portion of the prophetic word, is entirely lost sight of. And this even, although the reality of his person is distinctly maintained, in the clauses declaring his birth, sufferings, death, resurrection, ascension, and coming again. And we know how common is the belief that Jesus was a real person throughout Christendom, but how few apprehend the true force and meaning of the truth that Jesus of Nazareth, who suffered and died as a sacrifice for the sins of the world, is that Anointed King whom God has destined to be, not only the Ruler of his people Israel, but the Monarch of the whole earth. From what has been advanced I submit that a mistake has been made in applying the term Antichrist to the man of sin or beast, or the wilful king, or Gog, as Mr. Baxter and many others have done. As I have said, the question of a personal antagonist to the Messiah in the future, or the development of an apostasy in the papal hierarchy, is left exactly where it was. Mr. Baxter seems to hold that both of these are to be understood, and I do not now give any opinion on that matter. But it must tend to simplify the question, if one of the elements, hitherto so deeply entering into it, be withdrawn. Perhaps I am too sanguine in expecting such a result; but I shall be glad to consider any suggestions on the subject. Edinburgh. J. CAMERON. I 221 THE LOVE OF GOLD. WAS lately much struck with an observation of Junius to Woodfall in March, 1772; "As for myself, be assured that I am far above. all pecuniary views; and no other person I think has any claim to share with you; make the most of it, therefore, and let all your views. in life be directed to a solid, however moderate, independence. Without it no man can be happy, nor even honest." These are the sentiments of the Great Unknown, and bespeak his moral sense of right and wrong; and show us very plainly, he knew nothing of that grace from on high which lifts a man from the lowest depths of poverty, and keeps him pure while in it. We have the testimony of one who lived on the bounty of God through the hands of his churches. "I have learned," said the Apostle to the Gentiles," in whatsoever state I am, there with to be content. I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound; everywhere and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need." And the key note of this jubilate is: "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me." (Phil. iv. 11-13.) Junius, apparently, knew nothing of this confidence in God. He could, perhaps, echo the words of Agur the son of Jakeh: "Give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with food convenient for me: lest I be full, and deny thee, and say, Who is the Lord ? or lest I be poor, and steal, and take the name of my God in vain." (Prov. xxx. 8, 9.) He had no higher flight: he could not understand that Christian sentiment; "Godliness with sufficiency (Gk. autarkeias) is great gain." (1 Tim. vi. 6.) The race for wealth has progressed with the age. It has not been content with the slow process of the accumulation of the past century; but like her sister, Commerce, she has pressed the steam engine and the telegraph wire into the service, and made them slaves. Men have been accumulating since history began, but the scale of accumulation has varied exceedingly from age to age. There is strong evidence to prove that Charles V.'s bankers, the Fuggers, whose wealth made them princes with sovereign rights, never had more than a quarter of a million; while in 1750, scarcely any Englishman could have produced half a million. The new scale, under which a man with less than a million is, among rich men, quite poor, (and men can be quoted worth nearly twenty millions,) has only been in force twenty years, and most of the new millionnaires have not had time to die. Thus, from the columns of the Illustrated London News we learn, that from 1863 to the middle of the year 1874, no less than seventeen persons have died in the British Isles whose personalty amounted to one million and upwards; fifty-three, more than half a million; and 170, leaving more than a quarter of a million sterling. The consequence is, that a man is estimated and valued according to his bank account, and his morale respected or excused by the same rule; and money" covers a multitude of sins." On the other hand, the tyranny of wealth, i.e., vulgar wealth without any higher qualification to tone it down to the rules of better society and religious propriety, is brought to bear against any one who does not bow the knee, and put " bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter:" or run into the same excess of riot and vulgarity. "Greed of gain. "Greed of gain" comes within range of the Apostle's warning to his son Timothy; "They that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is the root of all evil; which, while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. But thou, O man of God, flee these things." (1 Tim. vi. 9-11.) Then the Apostle adds for the encouragement of the rich : "Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not high-minded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy; that they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate; laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life." (17-19.) These words need no comment of mine; they refer to the godly getting and the godly giving; and are in strong contrast with the greed of the world whose maxim is," Get all you can and keep all you get:" and again,-"Get money honestly if you can, but at all events get money." To speak to such about the pearl of great price, is to sow the word in stony places, "for the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful." It is probable that few, if any, of those greedy of gain will ever read this paper; indeed the pages of the RAINBOW are quite out of their line of reading; but, perhaps, some casual sympathiser may, and it may offend some lover of the world. Be it so. The disciple is not above his master, nor the servant above his lord. But we are encouraged with the shelter of the Master's wing, "It is enough for the disciple that he be as his Master, and the servant as his lord." We stand by his side, and listen as he spake "unto his disciples." (Luke xvi. 1, et seq.) "No man can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or he will hold to the one and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and Mammon." Mammon, the least erected spirit that fell From heaven; for even in heaven his looks and thoughts The riches of heaven's pavement, trodden gold, Than ought divine or holy else, enjoy'd In vision beatific: by him first Men also, and by his suggestion taught, Ransack'd the centre, and with impious hands Rified the bowels of their mother earth For treasures better hid.* We still gladly stand by the Saviour's side and listen meekly while his hearers gnash their teeth and otherwise insult him for the truth's sake. "The Pharisees also, who were covetous," (Gk. philarguni,) “heard all these things and they derided him." (Gk. exemukteerizon.) The word is much stronger than our English translation; and is so vile and insulting that we cannot express it without offending decency: suffice it, that it was a peculiarly offensive action, exhibiting their utter contempt for *Paradise Lost, lib. 1. "Mammon," in the quaint style of Trapp, "is a monster, whose head is as subtil as the serpent, whose mouth is as wide as hell, eyes sharp as a lyzard, scent quick as the vulture, hands fast as harpyes, belly as insatiable as a wolf, feet swift to shed blood, as a lyoness robbed of her whelps. Ahab will have Naboth's vineyard or he will have his blood. Judas was both covetous and a murtherer, and therefore a murtherer, because covetous."(Trapp, Matt. vi. 24.) the speaker as well as for his doctrine. It was quite in character with a people who spat him in the face. But he threatened not, and remarked, "Ye are they which justify yourselves before men," (that was their sole object the cry of their covetous souls was,-"Tush, God doth not see it,") "but God," said he who knoweth the thoughts and intents of the heart, "knoweth your hearts; for that which is highly esteemed among men, is abomination (a Greek word which signifies what was unclean in the Jewish sense, and especially of impure idol worship, hence idolatry; hence also Mammon, the Plutus of the heathen) "in the sight of God." (Ver. 13-15.) Greed of gain is an abomination in the sight of God! How very opposite to the conduct of the world! The man who has been successful in this world's affairs is courted by the world, and is elected to its chiefest seats, and choicest offices. The chief man in the parish is the richest parishioner, and yet one of the poorest may be the best man: not only one of nature's noblemen, but one of that class which has been designated "God's gentlemen." For a Christian is and must be "God's gentleman." I often think in my parochial wanderings, if an angel were to come among us poor mortals to invite home the most devoted servant of God, it would very likely be some poor enfeebled creature; or, perhaps, as Newton says, some poor bed-ridden old woman in the parish workhouse, whom the parish officials would be very glad to get shut of,-certainly not "the squire," or "chief man," for, say the officials, "we could not get on without them." The man "greedy of gain" is essentially a covetous man, and as the old Latin proverb runs: Amor nummi crescit, &c., The love of money increases as money itself increases;" I fear whenever it gains possession of the heart it holds it to death. A Christian friend once told me that on the dying bed men and women have been humbled before God, freely confessing their sins, negligences and ignorances, but that a covetous person has never been known to confess his sin in that respect, or felt that it was a sin. It is not a degrading vice to look at as some are; it does not roll in the gutter like a drunkard; it keeps outside all the gross looking sins which degrade our common nature; and shuts up in a cold selfish heart all that it can scrape up for self, and shuts out Christ and his precepts of love. The covetous man prides himself on his bank account, and his large respectable will in prospect; and so far his friends will speak well of him but that which is highly esteemed amongst men, is an abomination in the sight of God. In fact, the covetous man is abhorred by God. (Psa. x. 3.) Indeed covetousness and Christianity cannot reside in the same soul. They are so utterly antagonistic that one must slay the other. Notwithstanding,-the greed of gain so largely and increasingly sways mankind, that we look upon it as a sign of the perilous times noted by St. Paul, when "Men shall be lovers of their ownselves, covetous," &c. (2 Tim. iii. 2.) The command of the Spirit of God is very plain to all Christians; "Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have, for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee." (Heb. xiii. 5.) To those who minister in the things of God, special commands are addressed: "Not greedy of filthy lucre,-not covetous." (1 Tim. iii. 3, 8.) And a solemn warning: "They that will be rich, fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is the root of all evil; which, while some coveted, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. But thou, O man of God, flee these things." (1 Tim. vi. 9-11.) The Apostle Peter also, in his exhortation to the elders, says :-"Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind; neither as being lords over God's heritage, but being ensamples to the flock. And when the Chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away." (1 Pet. v. 2-4.) Our command is, meanwhile, to be separate from the covetous and extortioners ;-" with such a one, no, not to eat," for neither the "covetous," nor" extortioners" shall "inherit the kingdom of God." NEMO. THE TEARS OF JESUS. "He beheld the city, and wept over it."-LUKE xix. 41. HE close of that triumphal day, While yet the palm-branch strewed the way, Before the glorious sun had set Or loud Hosannas scarce had died He knew the sorrow, sin, and shame That, darkening round the fane of God, Would drench her towers and streets with blood. And Zion's daughter doubly curs'd, |