เ

"From this one spot I saw upwards of thirty deserted towns. Groves of fig-trees and terraced vineyards still clothe the hill-sides, but the fruit is carried off by the 'spoiler.' Fields, pastures, vineyards, houses, villages, cities-all alike are deserted and waste. 'The cities thereof,' predicts Jeremiah, shall be desolate, without any to dwell therein. The spoiler shall come upon every city, and no city shall escape: the valley also shall perish, and the plain shall be destroyed, as the Lord hath spoken. Give wings unto Moab, that it may flee and get away for the cities thereof shall be desolate, without any to dwell therein' (Jer. xlviii. 8, 9). But why should I transcribe more? Why should I continue to compare the predictions of the Bible with the state of the country? The harmony is complete. No traveller can possibly fail to see it, and no conscientious man can fail to acknowledge it. The best, the fullest, the most instructive commentary I ever saw on Jer. xlviii. was that inscribed by the finger of God on the panorama spread out around me as I stood on the battlements of the Castle of Salcah."

"But," says this distinguished traveller and student, "why should I transcribe more?" And we must ask, why should we? If men will not be convinced of the truth of Revelation by such proofs as these, "neither will they be persuaded fhough one rose from the dead."

In the daily increasing interest which the exploration of Palestine is exciting in all Christian lands, we see a cheering sign. It shows us that the darkest hour of Jewish experience is past, and that the dawning of a brighter day for the scattered people and the down-trodden land is hastening on. We see before us at one and the same moment the Papacy tottering, Mahometanism fast decaying, slavery receiving its death-blow, and a new life displaying itself in and concerning the Holy Land. These are signs of the times not to be mistaken. And in the conclusive and remarkable proofs which are multiplying every day of the exact fulfilment of prophecy in its minutest

as in its grandest utterances, there is an assured ground for the belief and expectation that whatever remains unfulfilled will likewise, in due time, every jot and tittle of it, come to pass. In spite of opposing forces, the truth will triumph everywhere. -The Religious Monthly.

GROWTH OF METHODISM IN AMERICA.

Most of our readers know the rise and progress of Methodism in England, but many may not be equally well acquainted with its origin and wonderful advancement in America. The good cause had been spreading in England and Ireland for about twenty years before it was introduced into America, and even then its rise in America was not the result of any organized effort by the parent body. Like the earnest Christianity of apostolic times, Methodism in those days was charged with a vitality that sprang up and grew wherever its disciples went. How oft were the apostles called to go to strengthen churches which had grown up ere they had time to scatter the seed of the Gospel by their personal labours! And how oft had the early Methodist Conferences to send ministers to cultivate and extend fields of labour already smiling with golden fruits! Thus it was with America. In the year 1760, a local preacher, named Philip Embury, with his wife and a few other Irish emigrants, sailed from Limerick, in Ireland, to the great continent. Some time after, Barbara Heck, herself an Irishwoman, followed as an emigrant to the same country, and finding, to her sorrow, signs of spiritual declension among the emigrant Methodists, became alarmed, and earnestly summoned Philip Embury to his duty as a preacher, declaring with impassioned energy, "You must preach to us, or we shall all go to hell together, and God will require our blood at your hands." He began, and preached to five persons as the first Methodist congregation on the American continent. About four months after this, Captain Webb, a converted soldier from England, made his appearance

Α

among the little company, and preached to them in his regimentals. Numbers were attracted by his appearance and fervid oratory. chapel was soon talked about, and almost as soon the purpose was formed to have one. Barbara Heck collected money, Captain Webb himself gave £30, ground was purchased, and Philip Embury, who was a carpenter, helped in the construction by doing much excellent work in his own line. The chapel was of moderate size, but very humble in its pretensions; its seats were forms without backs, and the galleries, having no staircase, were reached by a rude ladder outside; yet, in less than a year, a thousand hearers crowded

the chapel. Soon the good work rapidly spread to Philadelphia, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Long Island, &c., and the foundations were laid of those churches, which, at the present day, are the pride and glory of American Methodism.

It was almost coincident with the first labours of Philip Embury and the zealous efforts of Barbara Heck, that Robert Strawbridge, another Irishman, commenced similar efforts in his locality. Emigrating in 1764 or 1765, he plunged into what was then the back woods, settling at Sam's Creek, in Frederick County. Here he at once commenced preaching, at first in his own house, and soon after in a "log meeting-house," which he built. It was not until 1769, several years after Methodism had thus gained a footing by its own inherent, expansive energy, that the two brethren-Messrs. Pilmoor and Boardman-were sent by John Wesley as missionaries to America; and about three

years after this, Francis Asbury, that great apostle of American Methodism, entered upon his labours there, and for half a century toiled with unceasing energy to diffuse the quickening and saving power of the Gospel in that great continent. Never since apostolic times-nor even then, perhaps, was there a more thoroughly New Testament bishop than he. His daily preaching in chapels, courthouses, barns, private houses, or the open air, present, perhaps, the most extraordinary example of ministerial

labour in the history of the Church, ancient or modern. "His meagre journals give us few details; the biographer or historian is at a loss to sketch his course from the slight jottings of the record; the reader is bewildered with the rapidity of his movements; but through them all, the tireless, the invincible, the gigantic apostle appears, planning grandly, and as grandly executing his plans; raising up hosts of members; forming new churches, new circuits, and new Conferences; extending his denomination north, south, east, and west, till it becomes, before his death, co-extensive with the nation, and foremost in energy and success of all American religious communions."

Time would fail to do full honour to Jesse Lee, Freeborn Garretson, Devereux Jarrett, Dr. Coke, and a host of others, who exhibited the high qualities of courage, energy, and selfconsuming zeal in this great work. Under their labours the cause grew and multiplied, and daily the Lord added unto them such as were saved. The progress of Methodism in the mother country has been far outstripped by her Transatlantic daughter, and numbers several times over more than the entire aggregate of all Methodist sections in Britain. At the late Wesleyan Conference held in Birmingham, Bishop Jones gave the following statistics of one portion of the Episcopal Church. He said, "The Church which he represented comprises only a portion of the Methodist agency at work in America; for the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, and various smaller offshoots number their people by hundreds of thousands. But the Methodist Episcopal Church proper contains under its jurisdiction 928,320 communicants, 6,821 itinerant ministers, 8,205 local ministers, 10,015 churches, 2,948 parsonages, 26,883,076 dollars, or £5,376,000 worth of church and school property, 13,153 Sunday-schools, 148,475 officers and teachers, 859,700 scholars. In foreign lands there are 161 missionaries and 7,022 church members. The income of its missionary society is more than £100,000. There are

28 universities or colleges, containing 4,675 students, and endowed to the value of more than £5,600,000; 2 theological schools, having 116 students, and property worth £30,000; 76 academic institutions, with about 10,000 students, the number of males and females being about equal. The church has nine weekly, and several semi-monthly, monthly, and quarterly periodicals of an official character, besides many more which, though unofficial, are thoroughly Methodistic; and the general literature of the church is most voluminous, and contains not a few works of high character. On the whole, looking back to that hour when, at the instance of Barbara Heck, Philip Embury awoke from his spiritual lethargy, and preached to the little congregation of five persons in his own house, and then considering the gigantic proportions and admirable quality of the harvest which has already sprung from that 'handful of corn,' we can only say, with the dying founder of Methodism, What has God wrought!' It is the Lord's doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes!

The good bishop tells us that the Methodist churches he represents "comprise only a portion of the Methodist agency." "" We must add to this the Episcopal Methodist churches in the Southern States and of the Canadas, and to these we must add the numerous offshoots from the parent body in that countrythe Protestant Methodists, the Wesleyan Methodists, the Canadian Wesleyans, our own Denomination, the Primitive Methodists, the Bible Christians, and the Church Methodists, comprising altogether, according to Dr. Stevens, not less than แ seven millions, who are under Methodistic preaching and influence" in that great continent. If to these we add the Wesleyans, and the various offshoots from the parent body in England, and their missions in foreign lands, we have an aggregate of not less than 10,000,000, or 1 for every 100 human beings now living on the face of the entire globe. This is what God hath wrought by the free, spontaneous labours springing from the conversion of one man, John

66

Wesley, himself literally a brand plucked out of the fire." Oh, that the primitive flame of holy zeal were lighted up afresh! Oh, that it might begin to burn in all our own churches at the present.

"See how great a flame aspires,
Kindled by a spark of grace!
Jesu's love the nation fires,

Sets the kingdoms in a blaze:
To bring fire on earth he came;
Kindled in some hearts it is
Oh, that all might catch the flame,
All partake the glorious bliss!"

A RECTOR RICHER THAN A BISHOP ;

OR, WASTE OF PUBLIC MONEY.

He

A FEW months ago, there passed away an aged rector, whose income from his sinecures and pluralisms must have far exceeded that of an ordinary bishop. This was the Rev. Robert Moore, rector of Hunton, rector of Hollingbourn, rector of Eynesford, rector of Latchingdon, canon residentiary in Canterbury Cathedral, formerly registrar of the Will Office in the Prerogative Court of Canterbury, and at one time domestic chaplain to the Archbishop of Canterbury. This gentleman took his degree at Oxford in 1802, and at once started on his distinguished career as a holder of sinecures. had an immense advantage at starting, in the fact that his father was Archbishop of Canterbury, and a father evidently deeply sensible of his duty to provide for those of his own household. The Rev. Robert Moore had barely finished his studies when he received the sinecure living of Hollingbourn, near Maidstone, and the tithe of Hucking. The career thus promisingly begun was magnificently followed out. The rectory of Hollingbourn, with its salary of £787, was enjoyed by Mr. Moore for sixty-three years. Excluding all calculations of compound interest, and merely multiplying the annual income by the number of years for which it was held, we find that this rev. gentleman drew from the country £49,581 on this account alone.

The rectory of Hunton, with an

income of £1,057, was enjoyed for sixty-three years also, or £67,091. The rectory of Eynesford, at £600 a year for sixty-three years, amounts to £37,800.

The rectory of Latchingdon, at an income of £955 for sixty-three years, amounts to £58,255.

The canonry of Canterbury Cathedral, at £1,000 a year for sixty-one years, amounts to £61,000.

The registrarship of wills, at £8,000 a year for fifty-three years, to 1858, yields £424,000, and the compensation allowance of £7,990 for seven years, amounts to £55,930.

In all, this gentleman, according to the simplest kind of computation, has drawn £753,657 from the public of England! We can hardly conceive a case of abuse more flagrant. No wonder that many pious men are weary of the system that can allow such things to be practised under the dishonoured name of religion.

THE TEMPLES OF THE BIBLE.

The

THE correct meaning of the word temple is "a dwelling." Wherever God dwells visibly, or by his felt presence, there is the temple, dwelling, or house of God. In this extraordinary way he dwelt of old in a part only-the most holy place -of the sacred building on Mount Moriah. That part only was, strictly speaking, the temple, or naos. whole sacred building, with its outer and inner courts, was called "the hieron." Hence it is that our Lord speaks of one who was slain, "between the temple (naos) and the altar;" meaning between the most holy place and the altar of burnt offering in the court of the priests. In Scripture we read of three kinds of temples, exclusive of the prophetic temples of Ezekiel and the book of Revelation. The first kind of temple was that of a holy place, the second that of a holy person, and the third that of a holy people.

I. The first temple was a holy place, called also "the tabernacle," "the sanctuary." God commanded the Israelites (Exod. xxv. 8) to make

him "a sanctuary, that he might dwell among them," and he promised (Exod. xxix. 44, 45) to sanctify the tabernacle . . and to dwell among the children of Israel." This promise was fulfilled by God at the dedication of the tabernacle in the wilderness, for we read, Exod. xl. 34, 35, when Moses had finished the work, "then the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle, and Moses was not able to enter into the tent of the congregation, because the cloud abode thereon, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle." This movable temple, or tabernacle, was succeeded by the permanent building on Mount Moriah, where David "desired to find a tabernacle for the God of Jacob; but Solomon built him an house (Acts vii. 46, 47). At its dedication Solomon addressed God in prayer, and said (1 Kings viii. 13), "I have surely built thee a house to dwell in, a settled place for thee to abide in for ever; f and we are told (2 Chron. vii. 1, 2) that, "when Solomon had made an end of praying.. the glory of the Lord filled the house, and the priests could not enter into the house of the Lord, because the glory of the Lord had filled the house of the Lord."

II. The second temple was a holy person-viz., the Lord Jesus Christ. He himself taught the Jews this truth. In John ii. 19 he addressed them in these words, which he intended should be literally fulfilled in him: "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up." The evangelist adds the explanation in the 21st verse-" But he spake of the temple of his body." Agreeably to these words of Christ and the Evangelist John, the Apostle Paul teaches the Colossians (i. 19), "It pleased the Father that in him" (that is, in Christ) "should all fulness dwell; and (ií. 9) "in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily."

III. The third temple is a holy people-namely, all, "the saints and faithful in Christ Jesus," that "blessed company of all faithful people" which make up the universal Church of God. They are as real and literal a temple, or dwelling, or house of God, as was the magnificent house

built by Solomon. It is not merely the language of metaphor St. Paul used when he addressed the Christian believers of Corinth, and said, "Ye are the temple of the living God, as God hath said, I will dwell in them; or when he addressed the Christians of Ephesus "Ye are built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; in whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord in whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit."

It is in this light, regarding believers as 66 an habitation of God," that St. Peter, in his First Epistle, calls the "elect" strangers "lively stones, who are built up a spiritual house" (ii. 5). This spiritual house is called, in ver. 9, "a peculiar people," who, because they are such, ought "to show forth the praises of him who had called them from darkness into his marvellous light." This temple, consisting of a people, is the only one which now remains on earth. The first kind of temple the tabernacle, and the house which was exceeding magnifical, of fame and of glory throughout all countries," and the successive buildings raised in after ages, on Mount Moriah by Zerubbabel and Herod-all these buildings have passed away. The Roman ploughshare has passed over their foundations, and "left not one stone upon another." The second

แ

temple, "the temple of his body," who for a season tabernacled amongst men, has ascended up on high, leading captivity captive. And now, in this dispensation, the third and only remaining temple, that of a holy people, is ever being built.

Every sinner that repenteth," causing joy in heaven, is another "lively stone" added to this "habitation of God through the Spirit."The Religious Monthly.

A SPIRITUAL CHEAT. AN amusing affair occurred, a few weeks ago, at an exhibition of spiritual manifestations at Boston, in America, one Friday night. A shrewd person present, in order to satisfy himself as to the corporeality of a "spiritual hand" which was shown from an aperture in a cabinet used, supplied himself with a syringe filled with ink, and, watching a favourable opportunity, squirted the dark fluid over the digits and wrists of the phantom member. On emerging from the cabinet, the hand of the lady who had been previously bound inside was examined, and the inky marks liberally found upon it. The consequence was a denouncement of the affair as a humbug, a denial of the impeachment, and a grand finale made up of the indignation of the audience, and the passing of resolutions declaring the demonstrations of spiritualism a very decided physical cheat.