"I tell you, nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish."Luke, c. xiii, v. 1-5.

When accidents happeneth we always find enough tale-bearing, busybodies, unprincipled and unchristanized, who hath turned the grace of God into fables, rejoice even at the chance of accident to assist them in their unholy work, not only in falsely accusing the Deity of love of mischief, if nothing more, but tormenting relatives that such a person being destroyed by God, thereby leaving no other alternative than such near or dear relative becomes sealed to everlasting torments; if the judgements of God thus came, we would fearlessly assert, that it would be to those whose lying tongues and pens published such unchristian trash, for no other purpose than ambition and gain. This is a malicious persecution and not a religious one, which had been followed by those zealous for a true and faithful obedience to the law, this sin for such we must name it, St. Paul pleads guilty and bitterly repented; the Apostles were for some time at fault upon this question, and great contentions arose; Peter who having been warned in a vision, to arise, slay, and eat, became convinced that the Gentile world, or seed of the serpent, sons of men, or lost seed, &c., &c., were the especial objects for which Christ suffered death, that those should be engrafted again upon the natural tree, or according to prophetical writings, quoted by the Apostles, the tabernacle that had fallen down, so that all men might become as one family with those who needed not a physician, Peter being so warned became a little doubtful of the salvation of the Jews, that he saith, in the 15 chapter of the Acts, from whence we shall now quote, that "But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved, even as they." as we have observed what St. Paul states, that those born under the law persecuteth those born under grace, to compel them to keep the law and commandments, even so it is now; in his time there were great disputations about the question, few even now but are weak in faith to to accept it, although it is a gift of grace from God, and not one of the Gentile world could be saved were it not so. That Paul and Barnabas was sent up to Jerusalem to hold convocation about this matter, and were assured on their way by God.

"But there rose up a certain of the sect of the Pharisees which believed, saying, That it was needful to circumcise them, and to command them to keep the law of Moses.

"And the apostles and the elders came together for to consider of this matter.

"And when there had been much disputing, Peter rose up, and said unto them, Men and brethren, ye know how that a good while ago God made choice amongst us, that the Gentiles by my mouth should hear the word of the gospel, and believe.

"And God, which knoweth the hearts, bare them witness, giving them the Holy Ghost, even as he did unto us ;

"And put no difference between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith.

"Now therefore why tempt ye God, to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear?

"But we believe that through the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved, even as they."-Acts, c. xv., v. 5-11.

Other apostles followed in discussing the matter, and the result of this holy convocation were, that letters should be written to the Gentile nations, and carried by hand, containing the laws, that such people who where thus under grace of a free dispensation were to observe, and as if contradistinction to redemption are what is not observed.

"And they wrote letters by them after this manner :—

66 THE APOSTLES AND ELDERS AND BRETHREN SEND GREETINGS UNTO THE BRETHREN WHICH ARE OF THE GENTILES IN ANTIOCH AND SYRIA AND CILICIA :

"Foreasmuch as we have heard, that certain which went out from us have troubled you with words, subverting your souls, saying, Ye must be circumcised, and keep the law: to whom we gave no such commandments: It seemed good unto us, being assembled with one accord, to send chosen men unto you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul, Men that have hazarded their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. We have sent therefore Judas and Silas, who shall also tell you the same things by mouth. For it seemed good to the Holy Ghost, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things.

"That ye abstain from meats offered to idols, and from blood, and from things strangled, and from fornication: from which if ye keep yourselves, ye shall do well. FARE YE WELL.”—Acts, c. xv., v. 23-29.

In this important letter we are possessed with a knowledge of the only things, but necessary ones for those that are redeemed from the law, to be

observed. Whether this was the opinion of St. Paul or not, we will not presume to say, because in his epistles he states, that all things are lawful for him, but he will not be under the power of any, again, be not entangled again in the yoke of bondage, from which Christ hath made you free under the law of liberty, touch not, taste not, handle not the things which perish, after the commandments of men; the apostles letter states, abstain from meats offered to idols, as this was issued from Jerusalem, we have no authority to suppose that the word idol had reference to the worship of an image set up, made with mens hands, doubtless it was more intended towards banquets given unto individuals, so that man should refrain from meats thus offered to the idol of the time being, this homage is little less than worship, and at all times offensive to a jealous God; another item being to refrain from things strangled. Poultry doubtless would come under this law more than other meats, excepting rabbits and hares, which by the law of Moses are unclean and forbidden to be touched, man who professing christianity having a knowledge of such things cannot be excused by confessing, that "we do those things which we ought not to do, and leave undone those things which we ought to do." According to the deliberation of the apostles and elders, brought with one accord to consider the matter, states in the name of the Holy Ghost, that those are the only things required to do in the way of observance, the Sabbath even were not included. The body profiteth nothing, neither the laws under which the motions of the body were made subject; the body obeys the law of sin, but the mind the law of God. He that offendeth not in word, saith the apostle James, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body. The law of sin, and the law (otherwise dispensation) of grace are two masters that no man can serve; it is condemnation or redemption.

FALLACIOUS BELIEF IN SPIRITS.

"But when they saw him walking upon the sea, they supposed it had been a spirit, and cried out :-Gos. Mark, c. vi,, v.

49.

Supposition, borne out upon bare supposition, certainly the apostles were at the time but as other men, for they had not then received the Holy Ghost; spirits would appear only to those who believe in their existance, then only by supposition and knowledge of some recent de

parted neighbour, never those who lived some thousand years gone by. What the apostles saw on the water was evidently a something, and seen by all where a spirit would not be supposed to exist, nor to complain of the want of a drop of water to quench their vaporous tongue, if such substanceless shadows were desirable fuel for Satan's fire-such logic being food for the ludicrous. Why cry out, a good spirit could not harm and maintain its character? on the contrary a bad spirit would find in Satan a kind and indulgent master in granting from torment a ticket of leave to obtain a little air and recreation; under such circumstances the bad spirit would prove an obedient loyalty in returning so punctual to torture. But whether good or bad, before or after death, they either way prove themselves maliciously disposed to thrust their knowingly unwelcome presence before near relatives that previous to death they loved so dearly, having a certain knowledge that their presence creates fear, and to cry out, proving themselves cowards in not coming at some other time than the dead hour of night. Peradventure the devil himself who is characterized for flying from holy water, cannot control spirits professed to be of divine origin, and cannot know change or become annihilated, a bad man accidentally blown to death by gunpowder, or even purposely from the cannons mouth, and the spirit not hurt, the demon-chief would not thank his friends for sending such as them in so hurried a manner, nor remember the service, if mishaps should make a personal acquaintance. As Christ was taken for a spirit before death, so we find it again after death.

"But they were terrified and affrighted, and supposed that they had seen a spirit.

And he said unto them, Why are ye troubled ? and why do thoughts arise in your hearts ?

“Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have."Luke, c. xxiv., v. 37-39.

There is doubtless some excuse for their supposition upon this occasion, they knew he was dead, but alive or dead they were ever ready to conclude it was a spirit. He rebukes them deservedly, why are ye troubled? and why do thoughts arise in your hearts ? ever ready to believe things that are not, and disbelieve things that are, handle me, and see that it is I myself; and to assure them in accordance with their supposed laws of such

chimerical nature, that a spirit hath not flesh and bone as ye see me with; this was spoken to reassure them in their trouble and fright, and not in any way to justify the existance of a spirit. •

The weakness of nerve as destroyed in childhood by the foolish threatening of parents, will too often create a diseased organ of the brain, or even the pulse when more than usual sluggish, will form in a half transical state, visions that will become apparently realities, to a mind believing such things, but as soon as such persons become startled the pulse beats quicker and the vision vanishes. A man possessed with the spirit of enlightenment will never behold such things. Saul became a king by being anointed with the holy oil, and his wisdom increased is evident, even in getting rid of witches and familiar spirits from his kingdom. God departing from him he became disinherited of enlightened life, and madly sought the aid of one to obtain the knowledge of God for the future, where was the wisdom of Saul then? it is evident that Saul was a believer, but the witch not, and became frightened at her own craft, because an object actually appearing which was a thing not done before, she knew he could be none other than the king whom God alone answered, by prophets, signs, or dreams. When asked by him who or what she saw, answered gods rising up, secondly, an old man covered with a mantle, could this be a spirit that arose up from the earth, from where no one believes a spirit goes to, could it be a prophet made to take life and endure again a death struggle? St John the Divine was rebuked by the mighty angel, when about to worship him. No spirit departed, or prophets temporally come to life, nor angels in heaven, save God alone, who dare to accept worship from man. King Saul worshiped this one, we need not to study or enquire further.

The existance of a spirit without a body is an impossibility, nor a spirit in a body in a typical resemblance cannot be; supposing such was, and the spirit thus entombed in flesh for to endure a few miserable years in existance in the present life, and by convulsive struggle of death become disentombed to exist (may be) some thousand years, as some imagine by an often expression, I hope they, he, or she is better off. Such a spirit had better so continue after acquiring such a new naturality than subject it again to resume a body dreading to endure the ordeal of transfer, knowing its former discomforted experiences. Is such happy?