crib to be empty, and those who like Mary would seek for intercourse with their Lord through the means of ordinances, are led to exclaim, "they have taken away my Lord, and I kuow not where they have laid him" (John xx. 13). As in the instance of Peter and John, the linen clothes might be discovered in the flesh-pleasing and flesh-satisfying plans and schemes, with desultory sermons made up of foreign wonders, but the body af Jesus is not found; and where Jesus is not, there can be no bread dealt out unto the hungry, or a feast of fat things proclaimed, the lack of which causeth a feeling sense of the proverb, "where no oxen are the crib is clean." "But much increase is by the strength of the ox." And Solomon further informs us in those inimitable proverbs, that "a man's belly shall be satisfied with the fruit of his mouth, and with the increase of his lips shall he be filled" (Prov. xviii. 20): yea, "a wise man is strong, and a man of knowledge increaseth strength" (Prov. xxiv. 5). And the great apostle Paul, who under the Lord's blessing was favoured to see much of this increase, as if at once to stop the mouth of every freewiller and boasting Pharisee, who are for ever trumpeting their own fame, of service they render the Lord, declared to the Corinthian church, that what he was both in himself and ministry was by the grace of God; "and," says he, "his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me (1 Cor. xv. 10). The aboundings of which grace God is able to make towards us in ministering seed to the sower and bread for food, that in multiplying the seed sown there is an increase of the fruits of righteousness (2 Cor. ix. 810). Thus the preaching of the gospel hath in all ages, through the labour and strength of the spiritual oxen, been blessed of the Lord in the gathering in of his church from the uttermost parts of the earth, and which increase was prophetically viewed by the psalmist when chaunting the praises of God in the house of his pilgrimage (Psa. Ixvii. 1-7); and though there has been no age in which the Lord has not had his own witnesses upon earth, and the increase of the government of the Prince of Peace has made progress, yet it was reserved for the gospel day to more fully show forth that much increase is by the strength of the ox, for which endowment of strength the apostle tarried in Jerusalem for that Comforter who was to abide with them for ever " (Luke xxiv. 49; John xiv. 16; Acts i. 5). Being thus made strong to labour, we find what blessed results followed, when from the preaching of one sermon by Peter upon the day of Pentecost so great was the increase, that 3000 were added unto the Lord (Acts ii. 1-47). It is true much opposition was shown against these things, and the poor oxen were threatened by those in authority, yet their strength did not fail, for in the temple and in the house-yea, every house they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ. "And the word of God increased, and the number of the disciples multiplied in Jerusalem greatly, and a great company of the priests were obedient unto the faith" (Acts vi. 7). The bold and faithful Stephen is sacrificed to the malice of the enemies of the cross, persecution rages against the church, and the oxen are driven into remote regions; but their labour is not ended, "they that were scattered abroad went everywhere preaching the word." The people of Samaris gave heed with one ac cord unto Philip, and even in the desert of Gaza the increase attendant upon the strength he was endued with was manifested in the salvation of the Ethiopian Eunuch (Acts viii. 1-40). After this the ravening wolf of Benjamin (Gen. xlix. 27) is brought to dwell with the Lamb (Isa. xi. 6); and feeding together in the large pasture of spiritual life and communion, preaches in the synagogues that Christ is the Son of God, whom he had long sought to annihilate from the earth in the most cruel and determined persecution of his members. Of this man's labours the Holy Ghost has given us such ample proofs, that much increase is made manifest in the signs that followed, and those standard memoriats, the thirteen epistles which bear his name, as the honoured instrument made use of for the purpose of casting them into the gospel crib, that the much increase arising therefsom might appear to be of God and not of the creature. Nor must we overlook that there is still on record, fulfilling and yet to be fulfilled, this sweet promise of a performing God, "For the seed shall be prosperous, the vine shall give her fruit, and the ground shall give her increase, and the heavens shall give their dew; and I will cause the remnant of this people to possess all these things" (Zech. viii. 12). Yet vain men would be wise, and to the exclusion of the gospel crib would substitute something of their own, would send to the law instead of pointing to the gospel, would extol the creature rather than the Saviour, would wrap in nature's cobweb before the imputed righteousness of the law-fulfiller; and give a stone instead of bread, a scorpion instead of a fish, demanding the usual tale of bricks, although no straw be given out to make them with and this is beyond all doubt that talk of the lips which tendeth only to penury (Prov. xiv. 23). And never was the evil greater than in the present day, when men running to and fro, are boasting of the increase of knowledge, while the bleating of the flocks tend to show that the full crib is kept out of sight, and the poor among men are sent to gather from an empty one. How truly awful the state of that nation and people who love to have it so, those whom a deceived heart hath turned aside, who cannot deliver themselves, for a lie is in their right hands. Still the strength of the ox is secured by him who diggeth all hills with the mattock, and sendeth forth the oxen and ordereth the treading of the lesser cattle, "Yea the Lord shall give that which is good, and our land shall yield her increase" (Psa. lxxxxv. 12); and it will be accomplished only in his own appointed way, the preaching of his own truth in the exaltation of his own Christ as the only way of acceptance by him of the sinner, "For there is no other name given among men whereby we can be saved, but by the name of Jesus Christ:" as by the holding of the head all the body by joints and bands having nourishment ministered and knit together, increaseth with the increase of God (Col. ii. 19), while "the whole body fitly joined together, and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love" (Eph. iv. 16). In this manner Paul is said to have planted, when he reasoned in the synagogue every Sabbath, teaching the word of God (Acts xviii. 4-11); when in Christ he is said to have begotten the Corinthians through the gospel (1 Cor. iv. 9), who were his work in the Lord (1 Cor. ix. 1): inasmuch as that gospel which he declared and preached unto them, was by them received, and in it they were found to stand (1 Cor. xv. 1). Apollos watered when in fervency of spirit he spake and taught diligently the things of the Lord (Acts xviii. 25), God himself giving the increase (1 Cor. iii. 6), who had said "I will hiss for them, and gather them, for I have redeemed them, and they shall increase as they have increased " (Zech. x. 8). The good Lord still watch over and preserve his church, that in all things their strength and righteousness may be found in him; that to them may be still reserved the blessedness of having oxen strong to labour," a freedom from all those breakings in and out, the sure forerunner of all complaining-enjoying much of that divine and spiritual increase derivable from the strength of the ox. Newick. A STRIPLING. CHRISTIAN LOVE. LINES SUGGESTED AFTER VISITING A BELOVED FATHER. 'Tis sweet to meet with kindred dear, 'Tis sweet to meet while journeying here, With those we fondly love; To meet in health, and meet in peace, Which absence can't remove. If both a precious Saviour know, Alike we seem in heart; But if 'tis sweet to meet below, Their joy must be complete; There after separation long, To sing of love's redeeming grace, For Jesus wipes away all tears, And tunes their lips to sing; Dear Saviour, will their bliss be mine? And view thy lovely face? "Twill be through sovereign grace. M. A. G. A PAGE OR TWO ABOUT LUTHER. 66 As Luther was quitting the college, after having lectured, in order to return to the convent, this man offered his hand to the doctor, and desired a few minutes' conversation with him. Luther received him kindly and conducted him to his room he then said, My dear doctor, I am surprised how you can be so bold as to offer every one your hand so unsuspectingly; a man might easily carry a pistol in his sleeve and fire a ball into you, alone as I am now with you. The doctor replied, by asking, "How could any one escape who should make such an attempt? He must at any rate stake his life upon it and lose it!" The man, however, replied, "If I should kill you, and even perish in the attempt, the Pope would assuredly make me a saint, and you a heretic, whom he would deliver over to Satan. When the doctor heard this, he felt somewhat alarmed, and called his servant Wolff. The man soon left him, and made the best of his way out of town. Luther considered this man as an assassin, hired to murder him, but that God had deprived him of courage to accomplish his purpose; more than once was Luther warned of poison, which, indeed, at that time, was frequently employed. The adherents of the popedom employed all their influence to have Luther brought before the Diet, that his tenets might be condemned without examination, and himself put to death as a heretic; but his steady friend Frederic, whose subject he was, insisted upon a clear and explicit safe conduct, should it be found Luther chose to appear. He caused Spalatin to write to Luther, to know his sentiments, as to the propriety of his personally appearing. The answer was as follows: “If I am summoned I will go, even though I must needs be carried there in my bed, for I cannot doubt that the Emperor's call is likewise God's call. If they are resolved to bring the matter to a violent issue, of which there is every appearance, we have only to commend the cause to that God who still lives and reigns, who preserved the three men in the fiery furnace, if he will not preserve me, my head is but a sorry consideration, compared with Christ, who with the greatest ignominy, to the offence of all, and the ruin of many, was crucified and slain. For in this matter we must neither look at dangers nor safety, but rather take heed that we do not leave the gospel, which we have professed, to be the derision of the godless; nor afford our adversaries an opportunity of triumphing over us, as those who dare not confess what they teach, or shrink from shedding our blood for it, to our shame and their proud boast, for which may our merciful Saviour defend us! Amen. And if it must come to pass, that the kings in this land 'set themselves, and the rulers take council together, and rage with the people, and the heathen against the Lord, and against his anointed,' still the same Psalm teaches us, not only that it shall be well with those who trust in Him, but that He laughs at his opposers and holds them in derision. We indeed, cannot tell, whether more danger may accrue to the gospel and the common weal from our death or our life. You know that divine truth is a rock of offence, which has been set for the fall and rising again of many in Israel. Our only anxiety should be to implore God, that the commencement of the Emperor Charles's reign may not be stained with either my blood, or that of any other man, shed in defence of piety 1 would also, as I have often said, much rather fall by the hands of the Romanist alone, than that the Emperor and his adherents should be involved in the business. You know what calamities befel the Emperor Sigismund, after the execution of John Huss, that he never had any success, and died without heirs; his grandson Ladislaus, was likewise murdered, and thus one line of his house was extinct, whilst his spouse, Barbara, became a disgrace to the name of queen; besides others, which you doubtless know. But if it must be that I shall be delivered, not only to the high priest, but to the Gentiles, the Lord's will be done. You have now my counsel and opinion; expect anything from me, except that I will either flee or retract. Flee I will not, and much less retract, so surely as my Lord Jesus strengthens me, for I can do neither, without endangering godliness and the souls of many.' Spalatin sent Luther information that he would be summoned to Worms, only to recant certain articles; to which information Luther replied, “ I have received the articles, dear Spalatin, which I am to recant, along with others, which are prescribed to me, as rules for my conduct and behaviour. But do not imagine I will recant anything, for 1 see perfectly well, that the Papists have no other foundation on which to rest their attacks against me, than that I have written against the abuses and ceremonies, which they have invented and brought into the Church. If therefore, the Emperor Charles says, I am to appear only in order to recant, I will not come at all, for it would have the appearance as if I had been already out of the church and now wanted to come in; but I could as easily recant here if that were all. Should, on the other hand, his Imperial Majesty demand me, that I may be killed as an enemy to the empire, on account of this, my reply is, I will readily obey, for I have no intention of fleeing or leaving the world in danger, but will confess it unto death, in as far as Christ stands graciously by me! I feel however, persuaded, that the bloodhounds will not rest until they have procured my execution. Gladly would I, were it in my power, prevent any one staining themselves with my blood besides the Papists. Oh! we are become as complete heathens as before Christ's appearance, so entirely has the cunning antichrist contrived to fetter the kingdom of this world, during the centuries of his rule! The Lord's will be done! and yet advise any that will hear advice, not to participate in the impious councils of the ungodly.' However, the style of the emperor's summons, dated the 6th of March, was such as Luther had no hesitation in complying with. Itwas directed "To the honourable, beloved, devout Dr. Martin Luther, of the order of St. Augustine. On Luther agreeing to obey the summons, he was provided with a covered waggon and commenced his journey on the beginning of April, and was accompanied by his friends Iodocus, Amsdorff, and Saurenius, and his counsel Jerome Schurff. Anxious to circulate his opinions, he preached several times during his journey. A good priest of Naumburg sent him the picture of the pious christian Savanavola (who was burned as a heretic in 1498), admonishing him at the same time to sustain the truth, he acknowledged with "unshrinking foot, " for his God would again stand by and support him. When it was prophesied to him, he would be burnt to ashes like Huss, he replied, "If they were to make a fire between Wittemberg and Worms, which would reach to the heavens, I would still appear in the name of the Lord, and enter the jaws of Behemoth, and treading between his great teeth, confess Christ, and leave him to do all his pleasure." On arriving at Frankfort, he wrote to Spalatin, "I have been indisposed ever since I left Eisenach, nor am I yet recovered, The mandate of |