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a rival. Nothing remained but in subjection to Christ. Throughout the whole world no sacrifice ordained of God was offered up, save in the name of Jesus.

Arrived at Jerusalem, Symeon was once again amidst the dearest objects of his memory. The Roman fire and mattock could not remove the Mount of Olives, nor Mount Calvary, nor the Mounts Zion and Moriah, however they may have destroyed the garden of Gethsemane, and the streets through which the REDEEMER had ridden in triumph to the Temple, or carried his cross to Calvary. How indescribable was the change! Where was now the priest? where was now the scribe? where was now the pharisee, with his long robes and phylacteries? The sword had devoured them, and their utter absence made the bosom more full of the presence of the LORD who had denounced and fulfilled this judgment upon them. Thus Symeon once again re

established the Church of Jerusalem on her ancient locality. Here, seated amid the ruins of the Temple, and of the palaces of kings, amid broken monuments of past grandeur, she signified to her children and to pilgrims, in the most lively manner, the endurance of whatever is CHRIST's throughout all chances and changes of the things of earth. Amid departed friends, broken fortunes, yea, even lost country, the Christian stands erect, immovable, without essential loss. The enemy cannot destroy his temple, cannot remove his sacrifice, cannot slaughter his priest, cannot divest him of a single portion of his spiritual trappings and essential possessions 2.

And now that the centre of unity and rational use of the Jewish observances was gone with the Temple,

2 Epiphanius says, that in Adrian's time the Christians had a church erected on the site of the Upper Chamber, to which the Apostles retired after the LORD's ascension. If so, we must understand Josephus's account of the erasing of the city, (Bell. Jud. vii. 1. 1.) with some trifling exception.

we wonder at first why Symeon should still retain any part of them. A second consideration amply justifies him. We must recollect that, if the question of the circumcision of the Gentiles was not so clear, but that its solution required a solemn council of the Church with the Apostles at its head, the abandonment of its obligations by the Jew, could not appear so easy a question to Symeon as it appears to us. But, moreover, Symeon had good reasons for his retention. The fall of the Temple was likely to bring the better-minded among the Jews to their senses. It was a thundering blow which could not but startle them, and in which the LORD might call on many a Saul. But by abandoning the law at this moment, Symeon would have shut the door in the face of the converts, who were not prepared to forego what they esteemed, at the least, a national mark impressed by God Himself. He left the change for time, the safest innovator, to accomplish. And he was justified by the event. The hold of the law, gradually becoming more feeble, was soon at the mercy of the first accident, and in little more than twenty years after his death, his flock willingly forewent every badge of Judaism for the sake of the privilege of dwelling in Ælia, or the new Jerusalem which Adrian built, and made forbidden ground to every Jew3.

Symeon had now attained the age of Moses, having seen a hundred and twenty years of prodigious events, as far exceeding in wonder and sublimity all that the former beheld, as fulfilment is more excellent than preparation. He had seen the prophet arise whom Moses had foretold; he had seen the Lamb slain which Moses had prefigured; he had seen the dreadful judgment descend which Moses had threatened; he had seen the covenant dissolved amid fearful prodigies and horrible ruin on Mount

3 Epiphanius, ib. Sulpic. Sever. ii. 45. Euseb. H. E. iv. 6.

Sion, which Moses had made amid the thunder and lightning, and quaking of Mount Sinai. Thus he had been vouchsafed a view of the land, and now was ready to depart. The continual rebellions of the Jews, in which they engaged under the expectation of the coming of the MESSIAH, the Son of David, naturally provoked the Roman Emperors to seek out this family for extirpation. Domitian had begun the experiment, and the policy approved itself also to Trajan. The malice of the Jews turned against the Christians that which was intended against themselves, and Trajan's treatment of the Church gave them a double handle against Symeon. They charged him at the tribunal of Atticus, the governor of Syria, both with being of the seed of David and a Christian. In consequence of this, he was put to severe torture for many days, and bore the long and sharp agony with such fortitude, as to excite the surprise of the governor and spectators, who wondered how an old man of a hundred and twenty could endure it. Unable to wring from him a denial of his Master, they ended with nailing his mangled body to the cross. On this painful seat, which was now the only throne of the house of David, and on which he succeeded his REDEEMER, he expired. With his death a thick veil descends upon the history of the Church of Jerusalem for many successions o.Abridged, with a few alterations, from Mr. Evans's "Biography of the Ancient Church."

REVERENCE DUE TO GOD'S WORD.

WHENSOEVER you take the Bible into your hands, remember Whose word it is: it is the Word of God Himself; and, therefore, beg of Him to open your eyes, that you may see the wondrous things that are 4 Euseb. H. E. iii. 32. 6 Ibid. iv. 5..

5 Ibid.

there written. And then read it, not as you do other books, but with that reverence and godly fear, as if you heard what you read at that very moment uttered by a voice from Heaven, from whence it came at first. And, therefore, "laying aside all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls." And whether you read, or hear it read, "receive it, not as the word of men, but, as it is in truth, the Word of GOD, which effectually worketh also in you that believe."— Upon those who do not believe, it hath no effect at all; but it works effectually upon all that do. Which therefore that it may do upon you, you must be sure to mix every thing you read with faith, with such faith as is due to the Word of Him who cannot lie; and then you cannot fail of profiting by it.-For by this means, whilst other people are led only by their outward senses, minding little or nothing but what they see, or hear, or touch, or smell, or taste, you will have another kind of sense in your souls, a sense of those spiritual things that are revealed in GoD's Holy Word, so as to be touched to the quick by them, and affected more sensibly, than with any thing you meet with in this world. The Articles of the Christian Faith will not seem strange to you, but as evident as any thing that is so of itself: your senses will be exercised to discern both good and evil. You will "taste the good Word of God, and the powers of the world to come. You will "look at those things which are not seen. You will not only know, but feel, that God is always present with you, that His eye is upon you, that His hand upholds you; that His only-begotten Son became man, and died for you; that "He was delivered for your offences, and raised again for your justification;" that He is now sitting at the right hand of the Father;" that He is your Advocate there, making intercession for you; that "in Him you have redemption through His

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blood, even the forgiveness of sins;" that in Him ALMIGHTY GOD is your Father and your God; that whenever you meet together in His Name, He is in the midst of you; that whatsoever good thing you ask in His Name shall be granted you; that His HOLY SPIRIT is alway ready to direct, assist, and comfort you; that His Holy Angels minister unto you; that all things work together for your good. For these and many such like things you have the Word of God Himself in the Holy Scripture. Bp. Beveridge, Serm. 60.

AND SITTETH ON THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD THE FATHER ALMIGHTY.

(Creed.)

THE High Priest, once a year,
Went in the Holy place,
With garments white and clear;
It was the day of grace.

Without the people stood,
While, unseen and alone,
With incense and with blood,
He did for them atone.

So we without abide,

A few short passing years;
While CHRIST, who for us died,
Before our GOD appears.

Before His Father there
His sacrifice he pleads;
And with unceasing prayer
For us He intercedes.

Hymns on the Catechism.

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