intimate and available knowledge of theclogy than they would by reading seven bodies of divinity.

In 1843, Mr. Morgan published, in a series of lectures, his " Exposition of the Book of Revelations." Sir Isaac Newton has well observed that the cardinal evil in all the interpreters of the Revelations has been that, instead of contenting themselves with expounding prophecy, they turned themselves into prophets. About twice in every century, from the second to the nineteenth, there has been some millenaria mania about interpreting the Apocalypse. These interpreters, or rather prophets, have almost universally and invariably been men of but little theological discipline; and, accordingly, each interpreter, has, like one of the kine of Pharaoh, devoured his predecessor, without becoming any better favoured himself. There is no doubt that the Apocalypse, like nature itself, has its secrets, and that these secrets are great truths; but theologians should seek out these truths, as chemists seek those of nature, by modest inquiry, and not by supercilious dogmatism. Millenarianism has never yet appeared as a modest inquiry, but as a confident, pedantic, and rhapsodical empiricism.

In these Lectures, Mr. Morgan's aim is to be a sober and modest expositor of the Revelations. He says that, if the Acts and the Epistles are of importance and value to us, as exhibiting the principles of Christianity practically in the lives of the early Christians for one age, the Apocalypse is of equal importance and value, as portraying to us the same principles developed in the lives and the histories, the temptations and triumphs of Christians during many ages of the world.

As a principle of interpretation, Mr. Morgan thinks that it should never be for

gotten, that the Revelations is a "book about Christ and his church," intended to embody in emblematical facts, "the testimony of Jesus" before Pilate, viz., "My kingdom is not of this world." He thinks that by losing sight of this one principle, interpreters have done great wrong to the Apocalypse. This made them to count everything as Christianity, which unchristian powers and unchristian principles made or instituted into Christianity, i.e., whatever they found in Christendom. For example, they write and expound as if Popery could exist only under one type, and that the Italian type; but, in reality, Popery may appear under many types. It may have a type in England, France, and Germany, as well as in Italy, and have different types in different forms of church discipline; but in whatever type or form it intrudes into the church, it is an enemy of Christ.

Our space will not allow us to follow the author through these Lectures. In every lecture Mr. Morgan is sober, clear, devout, and in many instances profound and also eloquent.

This indefatigable man is now occupied on a great national work, "The History of Congregationalism in Wales." This enterprise was commenced and announced some years ago, but it proved abortive through the sheer supineness and gross neglect of the Congregational churches and pastors in Wales. If they will allow this undertaking to fail now, we hope that we shall never again hear them priding themselves on their national literature, their able divines, or their noble language. It is only by supporting able and masterly works in their own language, that they will verify the language of their bard, Taliessin

"Eu hiaith a gadwant."

MOVEMENTS FOR CHRISTIAN UNION IN

SWITZERLAND.

(From the Paris Sémeur, Dec. 11, 1844.)

The following are the declarations and resolutions agreed upon at a meeting of Christians, members of different evangelical churches, held at the city of Lausanne, on the 4th of December, 1844, in order to concert means for realizing in French Switzerland* the Voluntary Church System, or that

The Cantons of Geneva, the Vaud, Neuchatel, and portions of Berne, Bale, Soleure, Fribourg, and the Valais. They contain nearly half a million of the whole population of Switzerland, that is, about one-fifth.-ED. EVAN. MAG.

of the reciprocal independence of the Church and the State.

I. They avow their determination to act only in conformity to the word of God. Consequently, in order to render to Cæsar the things which are Cæsar's, they acknowledge it their duty to obey the magistrates in everything that is not contrary to the word of God; and, for the obtaining of the special object proposed by them, they will employ no means but such as are conformable to that word. And, for rendering to God the things which are God's, they regard themselves bound to work with their might for the advancement of his kingdom, by which they mean the triumph of

the doctrinal truths of revelation, and the purification of worship, discipline, and morals. This is the distinct and sole object of their association.

II. They believe that God forbids equally the Church and the State, under any pretence whatsoever, to interfere, as Church or State, in the concerns of the one or the other.

III. One of the especial characteristics of the Scriptures, in their view, is, that acts professing to be religious are not acceptable to God unless they flow from the free choice of the mind.

"IV. They esteem it to be at once the duty and the invaluable privilege of Christian churches to be governed by and within themselves, solely according to the word of God, under the direction of the Holy Spirit and the supreme authority of Jesus Christ, the only Head of the church."

This meeting consisted of persons from different cantons, and belonging to different religious denominations. It adjourned to the 5th of March next. If it be asked, what has been the effect of this first meeting, we answer that the doctrine of the reciprocal independence of the Church and the State, thus avowed by a body of honourable men, is brought into a decisive and practical form, an incorporation; that it is no longer a theory; that it is, in the eyes of its adherents, a coming fuct, whose actual establishment it is our duty to accelerate by all the righteous means in our power. This is the sum of the manifestation. The convictions and professions of individuals which preceded it, have received from it a confirmation, at once their effect and their reward. For sustaining any great principle, there must ever be both the insulated mental action, which consists especially in the investigation of the questions, and the collective practical efforts which are necessary for the application of the truths discovered. Upon the principle of the separation of State and Church, there has been no want in French Switzerland of the former of these requisites; and now we may hope that the latter, also, the practice, will no more be wanting.

BIBLE SOCIETY IN FRANCE.

(From M. de Pressensé.)

ABOUT a year ago one of our oldest Colporteurs met a female, far advanced in years, in a certain town, to whom he offered

a copy of the Scriptures. Although she was in very easy circumstances, her husband being the wealthiest butcher in the place, she had enjoyed no opportunity of cultivating her mind; her parents, like many others belonging to the class of tradesmen, being wholly occupied in amassing money, to the total neglect of the means of her education. In fact, she could not read. This she candidly owned to the Colporteur on his pressing her to purchase a New Testament. "There can be no doubt," said she, "that if your book contains all that you say it does, it must be an excellent book; but what am I to do, for I have never had time to learn to read?"-" What course do you pursue, then," asked the Colporteur, "when your foreman brings you a letter?" "What? why I refer to my husband, or, if he is not in the way, to my mother, for they are both more clever than myself, and they read it for me.' "Well, then, let me make a comparison. Suppose that I am the foreman, and that God has commissioned me to convey a letter to you which it is your duty to read, and the important tidings in which it is necessary to believe, in order to be saved." "Saved! saved!" interrupted the other; "what do you mean? who is it that has come to tell you what is going forward below? No, no, my friend, when we are once dead we are dead, and happily there is an end of us." The Colporteur's reply was serious, deep, and solemn, and it soon began to alarm the poor infidel. Among the rest he told her, "You are advanced in age; your health does not appear to be strong; and, therefore, be prepared; for who can guarantee you another year in this world? who can say that your soul shall not ere long be required of you?" The female shuddered on hearing this, and declared she considered him as a prophet of bad news. The Colporteur took occasion to dwell a little on her declaration; and, after further conversation, the result was, that the other agreed to purchase a New Testament, though without engaging to make any use of it. Our friend then took his leave.

After an interval of a year, the Colporteur revisited the same place in September last, having entirely forgotten the circumstances above detailed. As usual, he went from house to house, offering the New Testament to all the inmates. On coming to a butcher's shop he halted, and, making known his purpose, a young female, seated in the counting-house, arose, and, running towards him, exclaimed, "She is dead, as you predicted!" "Dead!" cried the Colporteur, in astonishment, "who is dead? and what did I predict ?" "What do you not recollect? I am speaking of my old aunt." And then she reminded the Colporteur of the conversation that had taken place between him and her relative. "True, very

true," cried the Colporteur; "I now remember it well; but I have seen so many different people since, and had so many conversations of the same tenor, that the meeting with your aunt wholly escaped my memory. But tell me," he continued, "in what state of mind did your relative quit this life?" "Ah, sir," replied the other, "there is something astonishing, marvellous, connected with her decease. Only fancy: after your departure my aunt related to us the particulars of your visit, ridiculing your object, and what she called your prophecy, and, amidst bursts of laughter, exhibited the book which you had sold her. Three months afterwards she was suddenly taken very seriously ill. One day during her sickness she called me to her, and with much emotion, addressed me thus: You see the uneasy state of mind in which I am. The conversation of the Bible-vender is perpetually recurring to me: if his words be true; if after death our souls-my own soul- oh, I am terrified at the thought! You must go and get me the book and read me something out of it.' I accordingly did so; and from that time my aunt, as well as myself, took such an interest in the perusal, that we continued it daily, and frequently more than once in the course of the day. And oh, what a wonderful change did it produce in the mind of my aunt! Often would she say to me, The Bible-vender was in the right: it is indeed the book of books; that which opens to us heaven, and which teaches us to know and love Him who has so much loved us.' 'O Jesus,' she would repeatedly exclaim, thou art my Saviour; enable me to believe with my whole heart, and to love thee as my redeemer.' My aunt," she proceeded, suffered much during her illness, nevertheless she never uttered the smallest complaint; and when those around her expressed their grief at her extreme sufferings, she would say, 'Do not pity me, for I now see that all is for my good, since I believe that Jesus endured in his body far more than I, miserable sinner, now suffer; and what He endured was for my salvation.' In this strain she continued to speak to the last.

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A short time before her death, she begged me to bring her a crucifix; and, pressing it to her heart, she exclaimed, Do not think I attach any value to this imagethis piece of wood; but though I may perhaps be in error, I love to behold the representation of Him who has revealed himself so clearly to me in His word,' Thus she quickly fell asleep."

The Colporteur was deeply moved by what he heard, saying within himself, "How important is my calling! for doubtless more than one copy that I have circulated has produced similar effects, without my knowing it." Then, turning towards the young

female with whom he had been conversing, and in order to ascertain the nature of those impressions which the above occurrence could not fail to have made upon her mind, he asked permission to see the New Testament which her deceased relative had so highly prized; and on her producing it, he begged that she would let him have it, in remembrance of her aunt. "No! no!" cried the young woman; "I would rather give you this house, and all that it contains -in short, all that I possess in the worldthan part with this inestimable treasure. It has comforted, strengthened, and given peace, and the assurance of eternal life to my dear aunt, and from it I hope to derive the same blessing." The husband of the deceased soon after entering the apartment, the nature of the Colporteur's proposal was communicated to him; but he at once declared that the book should never go out of the house, and that he himself hoped that, in his last moments, it would prove a source of joy and consolation to him also. young persons coming in, sarcastically observed, "Truly at such a time you will be doing well to read the book; it would doubtless prove of great benefit." The Colporteur, turning towards them, said, "My friends, to some extent you are right; but to-day is the proper time for reading the Sacred Volume, and its perusal ought not to be postponed to the close of life, for ye know not when the Son of Man may come.' The youths perceived with dismay that the Colporteur was speaking of death, and, in their ignorance, actually fancied that what he said was a prediction addressed to themselves personally of their approaching deaths. An explanation quickly followed, and the Colporteur has good reason to hope that it was profitable to all present.

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Oh,

Such was the effect produced by one of those New Testaments which your Society causes to be so abundantly distributed, and for which the Lord is pleased to open so wide and extensive a door in France. what an encouragement, or rather, what a glory, for your Society to be such an instrument in the hands of the Almighty for the blessing and salvation of immortal souls! As I said, at the commencement of this letter, if you had but one single fact like that above to record, all that you have hitherto done, all that you are now doing, yea, all that you may hereafter do, for disseminating the word of God in this country, ought to be highly approved and vigorously seconded by all who can for themselves estimate the infinite value of the blood of Christ, aware that the price of a single soul is of infinitely greater worth than the whole world,

Paris, Oct. 8th, 1844.