Therefore, I would not reproach the Pope, or malign his deluded followers. They are all led by the same enemy, blindfold, who is permitted to rule this world, until the day of the Lord Jesus. And I look for no deliverer in political christianity; no righteous administration of law and justice, under the God of this world; no Savior in the institutions of freedom, and in the equal rights of my countrymen, to go forth with excellent example, and lovely influence, softening away the prejudices of the world, reducing its exactions, and changing the yokes of iron to wood, and the yokes of wood to pliant withes; until men have learned self-government; and the wolf and the lamb dwell together; until the nations have acquired the habit of self control, and the people are delivered alike from the tyranny of the law, and from the tyranny and violence of their own passions.

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These are halcyon days of earthly hope that nobler minds are expecting and are earnestly seeking to introduce. The Lord speed the plough, speed the ship, speed the loom, speed the knowledge of his laws, and the gospel of his kingdom: and make the generous minds, who labor for a glorious day of "peace and safety" in this world, truly wise to discern between the evil and the good, between the prince of this world, and the Prince of the life of the world to come. To me it seems clear that no doctrine of reform, that no improvement of the human race, that no law of national self-control, and universal peace and happiness, can be found or invented, to equal in simplicity and force, the words which our Lord be. gan to preach and to say: "Repent ;" that is, bethink your. selves; "for the kingdom of Jesus and of heaven has come nigh unto you."-And this does not mean a glorious condition of things in "this present evil world;" but the future state of heavenly bliss, which Jesus will bring with him, from his Father's throne, and will establish in everlasting righteousness, in the new earth.

THE PARABLES OF THE MUSTARD SEED AND LEAVEN.

These have a strong hold of many excellent and sound minds, bracing their confidence in the doctrine of the kingdom of heaven already come. But, together with all parables of the Lord, illustrating the kingdom of heaven, these have their manifestation, their denouement, in the future state. In this life, the kingdom is in word only, a mustard seed sown in the ground, or leaven hidden in meal, which none would perceive by the eye, or suspect, or, for the appear. ance, would value. But the word is not the kingdom, my friend; neither is the mustard seed, nor the leaven, the kingdom. Even the gospel of the kingdom comes "not in word only; but also, in power, and in the Holy Ghost," (1 Thes. 1: 5.) and how much more is the kingdom itself not in word, but in power?

All the parables show a preparation in this life, for the kingdom of heaven, in the life to come: and so the mustard seed is a plant of heavenly growth, of which in this life, we behold only the seed. The birds of the air rest in its branches, not in this life, but in the world to come, or the kingdom of heaven. According with these simple lines:

"This little seed from heaven

"Shall soon become a tree ;; "This ever blessed leaven

"Diffused abroad must be ;

"Till God the Son shall come again,
"It must go on; amen, amen!"

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The Householder and his Vineyard.

66 THE KINGDOM OF GOD SHALL BE TAKEN FROM YOU, AND GIVEN TO A NATION BRINGING FORTH THE FRUITS THERE

OF." (Mat. 21: 43.)

"When thou, my righteous judge, shall come,
"To fetch thy ransomed people home,

"Shall I among them stand?
"Shall such a worthless worm as I,

"Who sometimes am afraid to die,

"Be found at thy right hand?"

This parable the chief priests and Pharisees took to themselves; and no one forbade them. We let them have it and their city, with hearty good will: not considering that with David in his condemnation of the robber and oppressor: "Thou art the man!" For the parable was spoken, with all the Lord's parables, to us, although they were heard by the Jews only, at his lips. The entire gospel was spoken and limited, first, it must be remembered, to the Jews only: and when it was enlarged to embrace the Gentiles, the Gentiles came not to a part in its promises alone; but to a part, also, in its warnings and its threatenings. And our part, as Gentiles, in this parable, is far from being obscure, or of little importance.

The hinge of the parable is the slaying of the Lord's messengers, who came from time to time, for his rent: and their finally seizing his Son, who came peaceably to them, and their murdering him, in hopes now to inherit the vineyard, seeing that the heir is dead."-"This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and let us seize on his inheritance ! And they caught him, and cast him out of the vineyard, and slew him."

Now, who reasoned among themselves, saying: "This is the heir come, let us kill him, that the inheritance may be

ours?" (Luke 20: 14.) It was Pilate and Herod at the instigation of the Jews. The Roman had an eye to the inheritance, even at that early day: therefore, he gave sentence against the "appointed heir of all things." Pilate would have saved Jesus alive. His conviction of the innocence of Jesus, and of the malice of the Jews against the Lord, inclined him to deliver their victim. The admonition of his wife, sent to him, while he was upon the judgment seat, say ing: "Have nothing to do with that just man: for I have suffered many things this day, in a dream concerning him," could not fail to have influenced the Roman governor, to discharge his prisoner. So when he had him whipped, like a slave, and crowned with the thorns, and the purple robe put on him, Pilate brought him forth to the Jews, thinking their vengeance must be glutted now, "Behold the man!" What a pitiable spectacle! But the Jews disappointed him. They cried out: "Crucify him; crucify him.-Pilate said take ye him and crucify him for I find no fault in him.”

Pilate evidently shrunk from the responsibility of this murder. If the Jews would have his life, let them take it in, their own way. He did not refuse them liberty, even to crucify him "Take ye him and crucify him." They however, declined the deed. They said: "We have a law; and by our law he ought to die, because he made himself the Son of God. When Pilate, therefore, heard that saying, he was the more afraid." And he went back into the judgment hall, and tried to learn of Jesus, who he was, and whence he came. But the Lord made no reply to the man, who had scourged him, knowing him to be innocent. Then Pilate recollected his power, as governor, to crucify, or to release him, as he would. "Jesus answered, thou couldst have no power against me, except it were given thee from above. Therefore, he that delivered me unto thee hath the greater sin. And from thenceforth Pilate sought to

release him." But the Jews cried out, If you let this man go, you are not Cesar's friend: whosoever maketh him. self a king speaketh treason against the emperor. When Pilate, therefore, heard that, he brought Jesus forth, and said to the Jews: Behold your king! But they cried out say ing Away with him; away with him; crucify him!Pilate said Shall I crucify your king? The chief priests answered: We have no king but Cesar.

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Then Pilate gave Jesus to be crucified, in accordance with the Roman law : having the superscription of his accusation written and placed high on the cross: "THE KING OF THE JEWS."-Behold his crime: HE IS THE HEIR!

This wonderful scene can never be enough studied. An. gels may desire to look into it: for unfathomable are its mysteries to the creature's mind. However, this view of the subject presents it in one new light to my own mind: to wit: that the Jews could not themselves put him to death, nor even the Romans, until the question arose about the inheritance of the vineyard, or the throne of this world. When the Jews raised that question, and complained of his want of fidelity to the emperor, if Pilate should let this man go, the Roman yielded for the sake of the inheritance, he gave up their king to be crucified: and for the sake of a verdict against Jesus, the chief priests confessed: "We have no king but Cesar."

So, this was what settled the crucifixion, viz. the determination on all hands, that Cesar should not have a competitor for the throne, nor the Romans meet with any obstacle to the inheritance of Jerusalem and its dependencies, together with the rest of the world. And accurately they fulfil'ed the words of the parable: "This is the heir; come, let us kill him, that the inheritance may be ours." This was the consideration, that led the Roman governor to give sentence against him. This was the argument that overcame his purpose of saving Jesus.