catch at a rope, you may guess how eagerly many people did catch at the word, when they were ready to be overwhelmed by this overflowing scourge, which was passing through the city; when death was knocking at so many doors, and God was crying aloud by his judgments. Then the people began to open the ear and the heart, which were fast shut and barred before. How did they then hearken as for their lives, as if every sermon were their last; as if Death stood at the door of the church and would seize upon them so soon as they came forth; as if the arrows which flew so thick in the city would strike them before they could get to their houses; as if they were immediately to appear before the bar of God, who, by his ministers, was now speaking to them." ARE YOU AFRAID OF THE CHOLERA ? "ARE you afraid of the cholera ?" How often this question is asked in these days! and what sayest thou, Christian reader, in reply? Canst thou be afraid, when it will not come nigh thee, except thy Father in heaven command the unseen messenger to call thee home? The present seems peculiarly a solemn time, and demands of Christians great watchfulness and prayer. God's hand is evidently abroad in the land; hundreds are rapidly passing away, and oh! how many without a hope in Jesus, or any preparation for that great event for which we should be preparing all our life long. The uncertainty of earthly things, and the instability of mortal hopes, are peculiarly brought before us. But the child of God should not be terrified the world look on and wonder to see Christians so much alarmed. It will do for them to run from place to place, and watch and talk, till they are almost frightened into what they so much dread. But where is the Christian's faith when he thus forgets his heavenly Father's protecting care, who is watching over him so closely, that even a hair of his head falls not to the ground without his notice? As lights VOL. XII.-FOURTH SERIES. of the world, as witnesses for Christ, they should be known at this time, calmly performing the duties God has assigned them, with stedfast eye fixed on their heavenly home, and their thoughts resting much on its glorious realities. Be sure, God will not call one of his children from this mortal state, till the work designed to be accomplished by each one is fully performed. And can it be desired to linger longer here ? Are not the visions of that rest on high enough to excite a desire rather to depart? It will be the best time when God calls; the great subject of thought should be, Is all in readiness to depart? It may be many loved ones will meet during the present season around God's throne parents and children, long parted friends-there to have the sweet ties of love and friendship severed no more for ever. Doubting Christian, fear not, be not over anxious how it will be with thee. Thy God, in whose hands thou art, will surely keep thee from sickness and death, till thy mission here is all accomplished; and then, perhaps by the cholera, or in some way thou little dreamest of, call thee above to receive thy crown, and strike the golden lyre with angel spirits round his throne. 4 L Or thoughtful and abstracted mien, To all whose patience shall endure, She led true pilgrims to the Mount She showed how perfect spirits in heaven Which raised them from their kindred earth, Earth's loveliest objects as their themes- To sinners! As the usual round As loss of blest Eternity. As friendly smile to feeling hearts Solacing transport quick imparts: So is Eternity a friend, Whose aspect, sweet with smiles, the end Who, rescued from the arch-deceiver, To wander and to sin no more :- THE CHRISTIAN'S WALK. From the New York Episcopal Recorder. CHRISTIAN! walk carefully-danger is near, Christian! walk humbly-exult not in pride, Christian! walk stedfastly-while it is light, Christian walk joyfully-trouble and pain CHRONOLOGICAL PAGE FOR OCTOBER, 1849. SUN RISES & SETS FAMILY BIBLE READING. MEMORANDA. Psalms. 4 54 Psalms. M 6 36 Isaiah xlix. 4 52 23 Tu 6 38 Isaiah li. 4 49 24 W 6 40 Isaiah lii., liii. 4 47 Matthew xix. 25 Th 6 42 Isaiah liv., lv. 4 45 Matthew xx. 1-28. Jonah ii., iii., iv. 2 Peter iii. 2 Chron. xxvi., Isaiah vi. Matthew ii. 2 Chron. xxviii. Matthew iii. Matthew iv. 1-22. Matthew iv. 23-25, v. 1 -20 Matthew viii. 1-27. 2 Chron. xxxi. Matt. viii. 28-34, ix. 1—13. 2 Chron. xxxii. Matthew ix. 14-38. Isaiah xxv., xxvi. 1-15. Psalms. Psalms. Isaiah xxxii., xxxv. Matthew xi. Isaiah xl. Matthew xii. Isaiah xli, xlii. 1-12. Matthew xiii. 53-58, xiv. Matthew xv. Matthew xvi. Matthew xvii. Matthew xviii. Jupiter and Venus, morning stars. 1535, Coverdale's Bible published. Sunday School Union Lessons, Sunday School Union Lessons, Sunday School Union Lessons, Moon's first quarter, 4 min. past 7, morning. 1685, Edict of Nantes revoked. 1760, George II. died, aged 77. Moon rises, 19 min. past 2, afternoon. Matthew xx.29-34, xxi.1-16. Moon rises, 47 min. past 2, afternoon. REVIEW S. The Harmony of History with Prophecy: an Exposition of the Apocalypse. By JOSIAH CONDER, Author of "The Literary History of the New Testament," &c., &c. London: Shaw, 1849. 16mo., pp. 532. Notes on the Prophecies of the Apocalypse. By HENRY FORSTER BURDER, D.D. London: Ward and Co., 1849. pp. 270. The Rise and Fall of the Papacy. By Rev. ROBERT FLEMING, Minister of the Gospel, London. With Historical Notes, Essay on Popery, Preface, and Memoir. By Rev. Ingram Cobbin, M.A. Unabridged Edition. London: Tegg and Co. 12mo. 1849. pp. xlviii., 246. The Seventh Vial; being an Exposition of the Apocalypse, and in particular of the Pouring Out of the Seventh Vial, with Special Reference to the Present Revolutions in Europe. Second Edition, Revised, Corrected, and Enlarged; with Supplementary Chapter, bringing down the Historical Exposition to December of the Present Year. London: J. Johnstone, 1848. 16mo., pp. viii., 464. Though two of these works have but recently seen the light, and the others have already passed through a public examination in forms somewhat inferior to those which they have now assumed, it may be advantageous to direct attention to them in the same article. There is among them a pleasing accordance in first principles, and they manifest an evident oneness of spirit, even when differences of judgment are perceptible. They all agree in their views of the structure of the mysterious book on which they comment, as exhibiting the developments of seven seals, the seventh of the seals comprehending a series of seven trumpets, and the seventh of the trumpets comprehending a series of seven vials. They all agree in regarding the first six seals as emblematical of a course of providential dispensations by which the empire of pagan Rome was subverted, and Christian worshippers delivered from those sufferings which they had endured from the domination of a heathen government. They all agree in regarding the trumpets as a series of calamities which befell the Roman empire in its professedly Christian state, during that gloomy period which intervened between the overthrow of paganism and the dawn of the reformation. They all agree in regarding the vials as emblematical of a series of visitations by which those powers were to be destroyed which had trampled down the green pastures of the Good Shepherd while anti-christ was in the ascendant. They all reject the theory that a second advent of Christ may be almost immediately expected, as introductory to his personal and visible reign upon the earth,-a theory which, it is remarked by Dr. Burder, appears to mislead some of our most learned and most talented expositors of the Apocalypse, so as essentially to damage and to vitiate their interpretations of the latter part of the book, and to render them, notwithstanding their high attainments and their eminent piety, unsafe guides in the study of the 'Revelation." " These authors all agree, too, in regarding the death and resurrection of the witnesses as events which have long since taken place-a chronological point of great importance. If it would not detain the reader too long in merely initiatory processes, a cursory view of the basis on which this conviction is founded might be pleasant Consternation succeeded to triumph. The murdered witnesses were standing on their fect in the presence of their foes; and pope Adrian, like Caiaphas, uttered truth which he but partially understood, when he said to the Diet at Nuremberg, "The heretics Huss and Jerome are now alive again in the person of Martin Luther." and salutary. It rests partly on a mo reclamat, nullus obstitit." Henceforth criticism, and partly on a remarkable no one gainsays, no one opposes. This chapter in ecclesiastical history. If was May 5th, 1514. Three years and a the phrase rendered in the common half afterwards precisely-on the 31st version, "When they shall have finished of October, 1517-all public testimony their testimony," be taken to signify, as against the papacy having, in the inteit has been rendered by Daubuz, Booth- rim, been suppressed-Luther proceeded royd, and others, "while they shall openly to the great church at Wittemperform their testimony," or, in the berg, and affixed to the door of the words of Woodhouse, " when they shall edifice his ninety-five theses, with a be finishing their testimony," the cor- challenge to all the learned men of respondence of the prophecy with events Germany to answer them on the day which took place at the commencement appointed. of the sixteenth century will be obvious. The extirpation of those reputed heretics who had been from the first the disturbers of the apostate church, now seemed to be effected. The hidden remnant of the faithful Taborites called Speculani from their lurking in dens and caves-sent out four men, as Comenius relates, to travel, one through Greece and the east, another to Russia and the north, a third to Thrace, Bulgaria, and the neighbouring places, and a fourth to Asia, Palestine, and Egypt; but the intelligence they brought back was, that they found no church of Christ that was free from the grossest errors, superstition, and idolatry. Two years afterwards, they sent two of their number to Italy, France, and other places, to see if there were any of the old Waldenses left alive; but they brought back tidings that one had recently been put to death; that they could not find any remaining; that some few Piemontois were said to be scatter ed and hid among the Alps, but that nobody knew where. A Lateran Council was now convened. All dissidents were formally summoned to appear before it and make their submission. The appointed day arrived. Not a sound was heard in favour of dissent or its abettors. At length the Orator of the Session mounted the pulpit, and solemnly, amidst the applause of the assembled council exclaimed, "Jam ne The first of these publications, in the order of time, is that of Mr. Fleming, a learned and studious presbyterian minister of the seventeenth century, who was successively pastor of churches at Leyden, at Rotterdam, and at Founder's Hall, London, whence death removed him in the year 1716. The edition of his work now before us is the most respectable we have seen, the industrious editor, Mr. Cobbin, having furnished it with useful accompaniments of various kinds. This book has acquired great popularity the last eighteen months, in consequence of the supposed fulfilment of remarkable anticipations contained in it respecting the French monarchy. The years 1794 and 1848 happening to be mentioned, large editions have been issued and caught up, under the apprehension that recent occurrences had proved the correctness of the author's calculations. It requires, however, greater ingenuity than we possess to reconcile the history of the facts with the chronology of the predictions. According to Fleming's scheme the French monarchy was to be |