security. The viper's nest was harmless as that of the dove; for in those days of pristine innocence and happiness, they did not hurt or destroy in all God's holy mountain. May "earth be turned to paradise again." It was such in the beginning; but alas! it was soon invaded by a powerful enemy; and it was overthrown by that proud usurper about 6000 years ago. And from the first day that it was pronounced a fallen empire until now, wasting and destruction have been within its borders; and a very great proportion of its population are still in a state of awful ruin. By one man, SIN entered our otherwise holy, happy world, and that frightful monster brought death into it, and all our woes. And hence the place of that people, over whom the god of this world sways his sceptre, is known now as to name, by such designations as these; "The land of Egypt," "Spiritual Babylon," and "This present evil world." As to situation, it is far from God, the source of all good, and on the very brink of perdition, the fountain of all misery "the whole world lieth in wickedness." Its soil, because of its sterility, is now called desert: a waste howling wilderness, and a land not tilled nor sown. Hence its productions are briars, and thorns, and noxious weeds; it is filled with empty vines and barren fig trees. And in addition to this it is enveloped in darkness, thick darkness, spiritual darkness, that may be felt; its populace are said to be a people sitting in darkness, as it is written "Darkness hath covered the earth, and gross darkness the hearts of the people." It is not only a region of moral night, but, as to seasons, it is always spiritual winter; frosty in June as it is in December, and cold at Mid

:

summer as it is at Christmas. It is not until the Sun of righteousness arises upon the people that they are able to say "Lo, the winter is past, and the rain is over and gone." Until then it is dark, cold, and stormy winter. As we shall afterwards have occasion to show more at large, its atmosphere is pregnant with epidemics and manias, and every description of wasting destruction and pestilential vapour. And as to its nefarious traffic and illicit commerce, these beggar description. It has its "vanity fairs," its brutal festivities, and its notorious slave markets, which are regularly held in its great capital Babylon, mother of harlots, the city of destruction, where its doers of iniquity are sold to work evil in the sight of the Lord. Destitute of all spirituality, its people "are carnal, sold under sin." Its very nature is earthly, it tends to destruction, it hastens to ruin, "it is nigh unto cursing, whose end is to be burned." Its doom is fixed, and now for a long time its judgment lingereth not, and its damnation slumbereth not. Up then! get thee out of this place! escape for thy life!

Observe we :—

2. Its diabolic government and satanic ruler. "That old serpent, called the devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world.”—Rev. xii. 9.

Having attempted a brief historical account and geographical description of the country itself; let us now contemplate the character of the ruler of the darkness of this world, and the spiritual wickedness of its high places. It is emphatically "the kingdom of Satan," "wherein in times past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh

in the children of disobedience." "In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not; lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them." From sacred history it appears that the "prince of this world" was once a bright angel in heaven, and, perhaps, he was one of the most exalted of created intelligencies before the throne of the Eternal. But, awful to contemplate, and appalling to relate, before the probation of angels was ended, he fell from his original purity, and lost his pristine glory. Sin converted him from an holy angel into a devil. The nature of the sin that dethroned the great "light bringer"-" Lucifer, son of the morning"-is supposed to have been pride, as it is written, "Lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the devil." "How art thou fallen from heaven, who accused the brethren before our God day and night!" Saint Jude informs us that the angels that sinned, (of whom Satan is supposed to have been chief,) "kept not their first estate, but left their own habitations,” for which they are reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day!" It is generally supposed that the apostate spirit, who governs the kingdom of darkness, was cast down from the exalted station which he occupied, for sedition and high treason. It is thought that the great insurrectionist sought to revolutionize heaven; and that he was sufficiently vain to aspire to the governorship and absolute sovereignty of the universe. And not only to be as the Most High, but to usurp the throne of Jehovah, and exalt himself above all that is called God. But the Almighty, wrapped in his infinite per

fections, could laugh at all his pretensions, and hold him in derision! When he spake the word, "Bind him hand and foot!" instantly it was done; when he uttered his voice, "Cast him down!" immediately his place was not found any more in heaven. And the great dragon was cast out, and his angels were cast out with him, and they will have to take their trial at the "great assize" for conspiracy against God, and rebellion in heaven.

"Nor man alone the foe of God and man,

From his dark den, blaspheming drags his chain,
And rears his brazen front with thunder scar'd:
Receives his sentence, and begins his hell!"

Such is the ruler of the darkness of this world, who sways the hearts and lives of the children of disobedience. Sinners are his servants because they obey him, and do his drudgery. They are his soldiers, constituting his army and fighting his battles, and except they repent and cease to fight against God, and abandon the service of the Prince of this world, they will have their portion with him hereafter, and be tormented for ever with the devil and his angels. Such is the Prince of Devils, the chief ruler of the old country. And besides that old serpent which is called the Devil, because he is a fallen angel-and Satan because he is a deceiver, there are legions of subaltern fiends, who do his deeds of darkness and death among the inhabitants of the earth:

"That throng the air, and darken heaven,
And rule this lower world."

And in addition to these, there are myriads of deputies in the shape of men, who are only a few degrees

less wicked than His Satanic Majesty himself. The government of Satan is neither republican, democratical, nor aristocratical; it is more than despotical, worse than tyrannical,-it is diabolical! Can you submit to be any longer taken captive by him at his will? To be happy under such rule is impossible-it cannot be. How long have you groaned under his galling yoke! O when shall it once be that you will demand your freedom from his service, and claim your emancipation from spiritual slavery! O for an effort now! Observe we :

3. Its morally degraded and infidel population.

"The God of this world hath blinded the eyes of them which believe not."-2 Cor. iv. 4.

Having noticed the place and the Prince, let us now turn our attention to the people of this desert land. If we consider their employments, we find that they are all slaves to the man of sin-are held in a state of servility and degrading vassalage to the Son of perdition. At this hour, their number is computed at 600,000,000, and there is not a free man among them; they are entangled in the snares of the devil, and led captive by him at his will. Their miseries are of the most affecting kind, and such, of course, as are inseparably connected with a state of spiritual bondage. Destitute of all spiritual blessings in Christ Jesus, they feed upon husks, they perish with hunger, they are clothed in rags, filthy rags; they are poor, and wretched, and miserably blind; for Satan hath blinded their eyes lest they should escape from his service: lest they should see with their eyes, and be converted, and blessed with the glorious liberty of the children of God. Their spiritual afflictions are of the