When Constantine became emperor of Rome, and determined to establish Christianity, he found, in the various orders of the clergy, and in their authority, ambition, and subserviency, a machinery adapted to his views. The entire form of the apostolic Churches was now done away, and the government of the general Church, as it was called, was modeled on that of the Roman empire.

The Church, for the term is now given to the governing ecclesiastics, thus possessed worldly honours and dignities. "Splendid temples, a pompous service, imposing processions, and gorgeous Christian monuments, were the characteristics of the age; while the evil spirit of establishments appeared, even at this early period, with hateful and withering intolerance. Not only were heathen priests driven from their altars; but, even among Christians, the men of blameless life, and of high reputation for sanctity, who dared to dissent from the established religion for the sake of a purer form of Church order and doctrine, were pursued with relentless fury." Alas, how fallen! "How is the gold become dim, and the fine gold changed." The empire fell under the spiritual jurisdiction of the bishops and the sovereign, and converts were made by thousands, by force, or fear, or gain; but while a spurious form of Christianity remained, its spirit and its sanctifying power gradually disappeared. The tendency of error is ever downward. The true spirit and effect of ecclesiastical establishments were developed in the Romish hierarchy to their utmost extent. Councils were soon held, and creeds were determined by authority. The Scriptures, in time, were neglected by the priesthood, and the people were forbidden to peruse them. A fabulous tradition usurped the place of truth. Worship became an absurd and disgusting mummery. Relics, saints, and images, were made objects of adoration. The keys of heaven, and the dominion of earth, were claimed by the pope. Darkness, more palpable than heathenism, overspread the world. Vice was sanctioned under the mask of religion; every crime had its cost, and every indulgence its price. That which professed to be the Church of God, which was intended for the renovation of the world, was transformed into " Babylon the great, the mother of harlots, and of the abominations of the earth;" and to complete her awfully degraded character, she became "drunk with the blood of the saints," until their ery was heard from beneath the altar, "How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth."

Such are some of the dreadful evils that have followed a departure from the apostolic model; evils which, wherever popery prevails and is rampant, are felt at the present day. But are protestant establishments free from them? Let the British statute book reply. Let the sufferings endured by the puritans, non-conformists, and dissenters of this country, and in Scotland, in the reigns of Elizabeth, and the Stewarts, answer. As the papists persecuted, and sought to extirpate, the Novatians, Waldenses, Albigenses, and all those, in every land, that they deemed heretics, so were our forefathers persecuted by the protestant hierarchy. The "witnesses to the truth" were compelled to "prophesy in sackcloth."

The revolution of 1688 secured a partial toleration to dissenters; but this, imperfect as it was, was wrenched from the tenacious grasp of the church by a liberal sovereign. Its spirit remained, and even yet displays itself where it may. Every national ecclesiastical establishment is essentially anti-christian. It leans on the support of the secular arm. It trenches on the prerogative of Christ. It is dogmatical, intolerant, and persecuting. It

destroys the true order of Christ's Churches. It secularizes the clergy, and amusing the common people with mere forms, very often deludes them to a dependance on the power of the priests, and the efficacy of mere ceremonies for their salvation. Exceptions there are amongst the English clergy, as there have been among the Romish; but the presence and labours of those who constitute the exceptions, serve to make the darkness around them appear more visible, and to lead the intelligent observer to conclude, that an establishment, as such, while it restricts the labours of these men, and converts the Church into an engine of state, is one of the greatest obstacles that exists to the diffusion of true piety throughout the land.

Churches formed on the apostolic model are incapable of union with the state. They are spiritual communities. They admit of no sovereign but Christ-no law but his word-no members but his people-no discipline but what is spiritual-and no means of extension but the exhibition of Christian principles and virtues, and the promulgation of divine truth.

A Church is about to be formed here on this model. A number of believers in the Lord Jesus Christ are thus about voluntarily to resolve themselves into a Christian Church. May God preserve and bless them! May they "walk in the fear of the Lord and the comfort of the Holy Ghost, and be edified and multiplied." May they "love as brethren," "strive together for the faith of the Gospel," and "show forth the praises of Him who has called them from darkness into his marvellous light." May "the little one become a thousand, and the small one a strong nation. The Lord hasten it in his time." Amen. J. GOADBY.

Leicester, April 16th, 1841.

JONAH.

No. 2.-THE STORM.

MISERY is attached to sin as its inevitable consequence. Hence, daily experience furnishes abundant proof, that the way of transgressors is hard. The perfections of the divine nature absolutely preclude all hope of impunity. The inspired page, contains various instances in which guilt has been unexpectedly brought to light and severely punished. We all remember the cases of David and Gelazi. Perhaps, however, no instance can be found more striking and solemn, than the one recorded in connection with Jonah. The consequences of his disobedience were most disastrous. Having embarked at Joppa, probably congratulating himself that he had escaped an arduous and painful duty, he had not proceeded far on his voyage, before the heavens were clothed with blackness, and the ocean was agitated by an awful storm. "The Lord sent out a great wind into the sea, and there was a mighty tempest in the sea, so that the ship was like to be broken." The elements of nature are ever ready to obey the mandate of heaven. Jehovah collects the winds within his mighty grasp, he exclaims, "peace, be still," and their fury is restrained, or he sends them forth as the messengers of his wrath. The Psalmist declares, that "stormy winds fulfil his word." At this period the tempest raged with terrific violence, the mariners were overwhelmed with fear, and in the depth of anguish, every man cried unto his god.' Brought up in a state of heathen ignorance, they vainly hoped their senseless deities would aid them in the hour of extremity. Reduced to the utmost distress, they ultimately "cast forth the wares that were in the ship, into the sea ;" willing

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to relinquish all in order to save their lives. Every expedient, however, failed. They understood not the real cause of their trouble, they were not aware that they conveyed with them a criminal pursued by the just vengeance of a holy God. It is of the highest importance that we should solemnly consider, that if we forsake the author of our being, we must expect to encounter a flood of overwhelming evils. "He will visit our transgressions with the rod, and our iniquity with stripes." Providence may frown, and the path of life may be overhung with dark and portentious clouds. But while the mariners were in a state of the utmost anxiety and confusion, expecting hourly to be swallowed up in the yawning gulph, where was Jonah ? Was he covered with shame, overwhelmed with agony, in a state of deep mental prostration, bemoaning his guilt before a throne of grace, and earnestly imploring the forgiving mercy of God? Far from it; amid the awful conflict of the raging elements, the prophet was gone down "to the sides of the ship," probably into a cabin below, "and he lay and was fast asleep." Alike insensible to the noise and the danger, he dreamt of nothing but security and peace. Innocence may slumber in a storm. But this was not the delightful repose of conscious innocence. The immaculate Saviour, on one occasion, when crossing the lake of Tiberias, was overtaken by a tempest; the vessel was tossed to and fro like a feather by the impetuous waves, and he slept in peace unmoved by the noise and confusion around him. But his peaceful slumbers indicated the unruffled composure of a mind free from the slightest shade of corruption, undisturbed by the accusations of a guilty conscience and a total stranger to fear. The disobedient prophet, however, when he indulged in profound repose, exhibited that dreadful insensibility which too often displays itself after a course of sin. The grand adversary administers opiates to the deluded soul, and thus succeeds in superinducing a state of fatal lethargy.

"Sin has a thousand treach'rous arts
To practice on the mind."

The shipmaster, amazed at Jonah's insensibility, called to him in the language of stern reproof-"What meanest thou, O sleeper?" Is this a fit opportunity to sleep, when the elements are raging around us, and when the next moment may prove our last? Convinced that nothing but divine interposition could possibly save them, he earnestly besought the prophet to arise and call upon his God. The devotions of others should quicken ours; and in seasons of public calamity, our petitions should ascend to the throne of infinite mercy in behalf of the whole community. This man, although a heathen evidently believed in the superintending care of a presiding deity. This fundamental principle is indeed engraven on the human heart, and the grossest ignorance, combined with the greatest profligacy or superstition, have not been able wholly to obliterate it. We find accordingly, that the most depraved and abandoned, in seasons of extremity, implore the divine mercy; when death grasps their vital powers, they have recourse to confessions, promises, and supplications, but alas! their goodness too often proves as the morning cloud, and the early dew, which pass away. We cannot here but pause, and observe the deplorable and humiliating state to which Jonah had reduced himself. He might at this moment have been standing as the messenger of heaven, in the presence of the Assyrian monarch; but instead of occupying this lofty and honourable

position with an untarnished reputation, and shielded by Omnipotence, we behold him on the verge of ruin, and roused from his insensibility by an obscure and ignorant heathen. To what a pitiful condition the best of men may reduce themselves by sin! How solemn and important the exhortation, "Watch and pray." Jonah was greatly indebted to the shipmaster for his timely remonstrance; it aroused him from his sinful slumbers, and proved the first step towards his recovery. We should ever regard faithful reproof as an invaluable blessing; severe it may prove, and galling to human nature, but it often has been the means of awakening the soul from the stupor of sin, of impressing upon the mind the realities of the world to come, and of re-calling the wanderer home. The language of the shipmaster may with peculiar propriety be addressed to thousands in the present day. Wherever we look, we see multitudes sunk in forgetfulness and false security. They repose in imaginary safety on the brink of ruin, they spend their short and uncertain existence in delusive dreams, while the tempest is gathering around them, and the gulph of endless perdition opens wide to receive their immortal spirits. Airy phantasms are regarded as realities, and realities as the mere creations of a disturbed imagination. Not one anxious thought crosses the mind-midnight darkness envelopes the soul. "What meanest thou, O sleeper, arise, call upon thy God;" implore his pardoning mercy, flee from the wrath to come, you have slumbered too long; "Now is the accepted time, and now is the day of salvation." The mariners observing probably something peculiar in the storm and the general aspect of the heavens, felt convinced that there was some special cause which thus exposed them to the displeasure of the Deity. They therefore determined to cast lots, in order, if possible, to ascertain who the criminal was, on whose account this evil had befallen them. Casting lots was a solemn appeal to divine providence, which on various occasions received the direct sanction of heaven. "The lot is cast into the lap, but the whole disposal thereof is of the Lord." We have many instances on record in which this plan was adopted with success. The crime of Achan was thus brought to light. Saul was chosen king of Israel by lot; and under the Christian dispensation, Matthias was set apart in the same manner to complete the number of the twelve apostles. In heathen countries it was a method frequently resorted to in cases of emergency. In such instances it must doubtless be regarded as an unmeaning reference to blind, precarious chance, than a solemn and enlightened appeal to a just and discriminating providence. But whatever may have been the sentiments of the mariners at this period, it is evident that the decision marked the finger of God, for the lot fell upon Jonah, and the guilty prophet stood condemned, the sole cause of the raging storm. READER, "Be sure your sin will find you out." Circumstances, the most unexpected, may disclose it in this world; but if not, the day is coming when secret things shall be brought to light, and all be judged according to their deeds. A future paper will show the disastrous consequences of this disclosure in the case of Jonah. J. J. OWEN.

Castle Donington.

DEATH OF AARON, NUMB. XX. 2-29.—No. II.

WE have, in the April number, directed attention to the time and to the cause of Aaron's death. We now wish to notice,

III. Aaron's support in dying circumstances.

Aaron must have felt concerned and sorrowful for doing that which led Jehovah to judge him to die. It must have given him inward pain to see, that by his own practice he had displeased his heavenly friend; but he was not left to grieve without hope. Mercy was mixed with judgment. The words that contained his death warrant gave him hope. "Aaron shall be gathered to his people." We may ask, In what respect was Aaron to be gathered to his people? 1st, Not with regard to his body. Aaron was not buried with his people; and, therefore, he could not be said to be gathered to them in this respect, for where were such of them gathered as had died? Some of them were buried in Canaan, in the cave that was in the field of Machpelah ; some, no doubt, were laid in Egyptian cemeteries; and others were probably interred in different parts of the wilderpess; but Aaron died in mount Hor, and we may reasonably suppose that there he was buried, perhaps alone; and if laid in the wilderness he could not, with regard to his body, be gathered to his people in Egypt and in Canaan. We conclude, therefore,

2nd, That Aaron's being gathered to his people referred to his soul. His soul was indeed gathered to his people. Aaron's people were the true Israel of God, such as Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; and we know where these are gathered, and where they were when Aaron died. They are assembled in heaven-in heaven, a far better country than the earthly Canaan -a happy, glorious place, where there is fulness of joy, and where there are pleasures for evermore. This is the delightful home, and everlasting abode, where all the saints meet after death. And I say unto you, that many shall come from the east and from the west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven." Matt. viii. 11.

3rd. The Lord assuring Aaron that he should be gathered to his people, seems to have supported him in the prospect of death. The sacred penman gives us particular information about the circumstances of his death. We are told when he died, why he died, where he died; that Moses and Eleazar went with him on to the mount of death; that there Moses stripped him of his garments, and put them on Eleazar his son; and that they went up into the mount in the sight of all the congregation, &c.; but we are no where told that Aaron murmured at his doom, or that he was sorrowful or dejected. It would seem that he bowed with submission to the will of God. Like David on another occasion he was dumb, he opened not his mouth, because the Lord did it; yea, more, that he was inwardly supported and cheered— that he had "hope in his death." May we not, therefore, conclude, that the thought of being gathered to his people encouraged him?

IV. The peculiar circumstances of Aaron's death. In many respects, not yet noticed, the death of Aaron was singular.

1st. He was informed of the time and place of it. Moses was commanded to bring him on to Mount Hor-" he shall die there." verses 25, 26. Aaron was present with Moses when this command was given. A direct communication, then, from heaven, informed Aaron of the time and place of his death. This is what few have had. The Lord often gives premonitions to mankind, in the course of his providence, that their end is near. This he does in various ways. He does it by the decay of nature, by the the ravages of disease, and occasionally, perhaps, by producing on the mind deep impressions, so that there is a strong persuasion inwardly, that the time of departure is at hand. But whilst we are without direct informa