After this godly woman and manly martyr of Christ was condemned by the wretched chancellor above-named, Dr. Whittington for the faithful profession of the truth, which the Papists then called heresy, and the time being now come when she should be brought to the place and pains of her martyrdom, a great concourse of all the multitude, both in the town and country about (as the manner is at such time), was gathered to behold her end; among whom was also the aforesaid Dr. Whittington, the chancellor, there present to see the execution done. Thus this faithful woman, and true servant of God, constantly persisting in the testimony of the truth, committing her cause to the Lord, gave over her life to the fire, refusing no pains nor torments to keep her conscience clear and unreprovable in the day of the Lord. The sacrifice being ended, the people began to return homeward, coming from the burning of this blessed martyr. It came to pass in the meantime, that as the Catholic executioners were busy in slaying this silly lamb at the town's end, a certain butcher was as busy within the town, slaying a bull; which bull he had fast bound in ropes, ready to knock him on the head. But the butcher (beliking not so skilful in his art of killing beasts as the Papists be in murdering Christians), as he was lifting his axe to strike the bull, failed in his stroke, and smote a little too low, or else how he smote, I know not; this is certain, that the bull, although somewhat, grieved at the stroke, but yet not stricken down, put his strength to the ropes, and brake loose from the butcher into the street, the very same time that he people were coming in great press from the burning, who, seeing the bull coming towards them, and supposing him to be wild (as it was no other like), gave way for the beast, every man shifting for himself as well as he might. Thus the people giving back, and making a lane for the bull, he passed through the throng of them, touching neither man nor child till he came where the chancellor was, against whom the bull, as pricked with sudden vehemency, ran full butt with his horns, and taking him upon the haunch, gored him through and through, and so killed him immediately, carrying his guts, and trailing them with his horns, all the street over, to the great admiration and wonder of all them that saw it.

Although the carnal sense of man be blind in considering the works of the Lord, imputing, many times, to blind chance the things which properly pertain to God's only praise and providence; yet in this so strange and so evident example, what man can be so dull and ignorant which seeth not herein a plain miracle of God's mighty power and judgment, both in the punishment of this wretched chancellor, and also in admonishing all other like persecutors, by his example, to fear the Lord, and to abstain from the like cruelty?

[We have to chide ourselves that the foregoing account should have been overlooked till the present time. It was laid aside among other papers, unread, since the date of its arrival; but may the Lord overrule the inadvertence of his short-coming servant to the glory of his own

great name by causing so sweet and soul-comforting a display of his own wisdom, love, power, and just retribution, to come opportunely to the case the distressed mind-of some poor agitated child of his, who being in trouble, or cast down from the apprehension of trouble, may be looking to himself, and to his own weakness and vileness, rather than to the Lord, whose "arm is not shortened that it cannot save, nor his ear heavy that it cannot hear," any more now than it was when the dear martyrs cheerfully shed their blood in so great and glorious a cause. We have said lately-and we stand by the truth of it—that we believe the presence of Jesus was so sweet-so blessed-so overwhelming, that neither the three Hebrews in the burning fiery furnace, nor the many martyrs who have since yielded up their lives at the stake, ever felt any pain; nay, we believe, that if in the upper world they have any remembrance of the passage of the wilderness, and we could be privileged to inquire of them which were the happiest the most favoured-moments they spent on earth, they would say, when in the fire. This, beloved, is our opinion of martyrdom; and whilst we would say in reference to the inflictors of it, "Who can stretch forth his hand against the Lord's anointed, and be guiltless?" (1 Sam. xxvi. 9), we would say to any who may apprehend severe trial, deprivation, and sorrow, fear not, "for greater is He that is for you, than all they which are against you." The Lord's hand shall be clearly seen concerning his servants; his ear shall be-is-open to their cry; and the greatest trials shall, through his wise management, redound to the glory of his great name to the endearing of a precious Christ-and the permanent well-being of every so-tried vessel of mercy.-ED.]

THE GLORIOUS GOSPEL.

JOHN says, "I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire, and them that had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his mark, and over the number of his name, stand on (or rather by) the sea of glass having the harps of God." Here are three things that claim our attention: 1st, the sea; 2nd, its position; and 3rd, those who stand by.

1st. The sea. We find the first type thereof was called a laver; but both its use and position show it to be the same as the sea which Solomon afterwards made on a larger scale. And this original one by Moses was made of the looking-glasses of the women of the congregation. These glasses were made of bright brass, so that when polished they were like unto glass mingled with fire; so that the sea made of these possessed the same transparency. This sea was made more capacious by Solomon, and placed on twelve oxen, whose hinder parts were inward. This being polished might be said to be glorious, or shining. Thus much for the shadow, but what is the substance?

I answer, it is "the glorious gospel of the grace of God;" for this gospel is so full of the matters of life and of salvation, that it may well be called a sea. Ever full, it is ever able to wash with "the washing of the word," and "the washing of regeneration," all those who being ordained priests, must draw nigh unto God in full assurance of faith to worship him in spirit and in truth. And if at any time these find themselves impure by walking after the flesh, ablutions from this sea purge away all filthiness of flesh and of spirit, and perfect holiness in the fear of the Lord. It cleanseth not only the feet, but the hands and the head, and that so as to leave neither spot, nor wrinkle, nor any such thing.

Likewise this glorious gospel sea is composed of truth "precious as gold;" and this shines like unto polished brass glowing in a furnace; and that because this truth is mingled with the fire o tecly Ghost. The word of God in this Gospel is a pure word, tried seven times in a furnace of earth; and moreover, it is made up of the looking-glasses or the honourable women of the great congregation. There is the lookingglass of Sarah, the mother of us all; there is her experience, in which her children may see their own faces, and behold some of the features of their great parent. There are those of Rebekah, Rachel, Leah, Miriam, Deborah, Ruth, Abigail, Esther, Anna, the woman of Samaria, Mary, Martha, Lydia, and other elect ladies. All these, with the many more which might be named, make the Gospel shine with such radient lustre, that therein we may see a beautiful image; and while looking with the eye of pure faith be changed into the same image, from glory to glory, as by the Spirit of the Lord.

The glorious gospel, too, stands upon twelve oxen, the apostles of the Lamb; aud though each of these have their hinder parts, yet are they inward, and not exposed to public view. But it seems to me that some of the good oxen of our day are either so self-willed or ignorant that they glory in standing the wrong way. Do not some of them glory in their shame, rather than in the finished work of our Lord Jesus Christ? And do these, then, properly bear the glorious Gospel? Paul said he would glory in his infirmities, that the power of Christ in the Gospel might rest upon him; but surely he could not glory in the corruptions of the flesh, and set them forth as evidences of grace; and that too, to the exclusion of Christ from his discourse. No, no: the apostles did not love to exhibit that which was disparaging, but rather that which bespoke the wisdom and power, grace and mercy, of the Lord Jesus Christ, the true Solomon, who put this sea upon their

backs.

2nd. Its position. It is in the midst of Jerusalem-this is the covenant of grace. It is in the midst of Zion, and this is the heart of a covenant people. It is in the inner court, and thither none but the Lord's priests can come. The outer court indeed, comprising external ordinances, may be trodden under foot of the Gentiles, and be under the paw of the beast, the head of the Gentiles, as all will be; but the internals of Christian experience, standing in the power of a glorious gospel, can never be trodden under foot by enemies, because such can

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never come where these are. No the Gospel in its essence is the power of God; and that power cannot be trampled on by a creature. This sea also stands between the altar and the porch, so that all who wash therein must first pass the altar of burnt offering.

3rd. Those who stand by. Those have had to contend with the beast in passing through the holy city and the outer court; and contending by faith they have overcome both the beast and his image. These are the iron and clay of that dispensation of despotism and tyranny into the ten toes of whose image we are now come. And of the politic iron, and ecclesiastic clay, every child of God knows something; for from these two doth persecution arise. Civil power will oppose, and religious power will oppose; and these are often combined so as to assist each other, though there be no real union between them. But the saints get the victory; and the fear of those that can kill the body will not hinder, for they love not their lives unto the death. "And this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith." And he who overcometh is privileged to enter into the holy temple by him who is the door; to this they experimentally come, and find it a new and living way of access by grace, through faith, into the glorious liberty of the gospel, and then and there they rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory. In overcoming the beast and his image they overcome the mark, and the number of his name, whatever that number may be; and thus spiritually they stand clear of any power the beast may have.

And having passed into the inner court we come to the altar, on which we look, and there "behold the Lamb of God which taketh away the sins of the world." With sweet amazement we now look on him whom we have pierced, and mourn as one mourneth for his only son. And thus with the sacrifice of a broken heart we worship God within the solemn mystery of godliness. Mary stood here when she washed the Redeemer's feet with her tears, and wiped them with the hairs of her head. Ah! 'tis sweet sorrow-'tis joyful grief! And still finding grace we go from faith to faith, and so come to the sea of glass mingled with fire; in this we are washed from all pollution, and the guilt of sin is removed away; we are now clean every whit. And while bathing in these still and soft waters of Shiloah, we realize the truth of the "exceeding great and precious promises" of God, and so become partakers of a divine nature, and are conformed to the image of God's dear Son. This being done, we are clothed in white raiment, even "the robes of salvation," as it is written, "I will clothe her priests with salvation, and her saints shall shout aloud for joy." This done, we are given places to walk among those who stand by (Zech. iii. 7), and the harp of God is put into our hand, and with this we express the notes of praise that arise from the melody in our hearts in reflecting on the great things the Lord hath done for us. We now feel that he hath heard our prayer, delivered us out of an horrible pit, and set our feet upon a rock-the Rock in the midst of Mount Zion.

The twelfth of Isaiah is the song we sing; and with Miriam we say, "The Lord hath triumphed gloriously; the horse and his rider hath he

thrown into the sea." And now as we stand round about the sea that shines "like a molten looking-glass," we look and see our own faces shining as the face of an angel. We behold the face of "a new creature," "created in Christ Jesus unto good works;" and thus, by the grace of God, we find ourselves to be happy worshippers in the holy temple, where, like pillars, we stand, never more to go out; and being priests we are allowed to enter into the temple, into the holiest of all, and there inquire at the holy oracle, the throne of grace, and there see him who sits between the cherubims, the King, in his beauty, and feel that we have fellowship with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ. Ropley.

JAZER.

THE GOD-CHILD.

BY R. HALE, A.M.,

Vicar of Harewood.

"Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word: for mine eyes have seen thy salvation, which thou hast prepared before the face of all people; a light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel."-Luke ii. 29-32.

THE reader must be aware that these words form part of the Evening Service of the Church of England, and that they were spoken, as the context shows, by a man the name of Simeon, while he held in his arms the child Jesus.

It seems that Simeon was a good man, devout towards God, and just or righteous in his dealings with man; like Paul, he endeavoured to have a conscience void of offence towards God and man (Acts xxi. 16). Whenever you meet with a character of this sort, you may be sure it is the effect of divine grace upon his heart, and that he is under the teaching and guidance of the Holy Ghost. It seems Simeon knew not till this time that Christ, the Messiah, had come into the world, but was waiting for that great event; and it pleased God to reveal it to him by the Holy Ghost, that he should see him before he died. Simeon believed what the prophets had written of Christ, the Messiah; that he would in due time come into the world to fill the threefold office of Prophet, Priest, and King, in his Church-of Prophet, by revealing his Father's will to his people-of Priest, by atoning for their sinsand of King, by ruling them with the law of his mouth, which is better unto them than thousands of gold and silver. He believed that he

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