which some religionists view their brethren, trying to save themselves by joining this or that sect. Never mock at any form of religion, whereby any poor brother is trying to save his soul however grotesque that form may be. -April 1841. 2 Sam. xv.-David sent back Zadok and Abiathar and Hushai to testify for him in the usurper's court. He had need of faithful ones there to withstand Ahithophel, as well as of an Abishai and Joab to attend his person. Thus in the great tribulation, Christ will have witnesses in the very fire of Antichrist in the very belly of hell. Poetry. HORA NOVISSIMA. FAR down the ages now, Her journey well-nigh done, The story of the past Comes up before her view; How well it seems to suit her still, Old, and yet ever new. 'Tis the same story still, Of sin and weariness, Of grace and love still flowing down "Tis the old sorrow still,— The brier and the thorn, And 'tis the same old solace yet,~ No wider is the gate, No broader is the way, No smoother is the ancient path That leads to light and day. No lighter is the load Beneath whose weight we cry, No sweeter is the cup, No greener are the rocks, Still dark the sky above, And sharp the desert air; Dawn lingers on yon cliff; But, oh, how slow to spring! No slacker grows the fight, No less the need of armour tried, Nor less we feel the blank Of earth's still absent King; Thus onward still we press, Through evil, and through good, Still faithful to our God, And to our Captain true; We follow where he leads the way, NOTICE. All readers of this Journal are most earnestly besought to give it room in their prayers; that by means of it God may be honoured and His truth advanced; also, that it may be conducted in faith and love, with sobriety of judgment and discernment of the truth, in nothing carried away into error, or hasty speech, or sharp unbrotherly disputation. BALLANTYNE AND CO., PRINTERS, EDINBURGH. THE QUARTERLY JOURNAL OF PROPHECY. JULY 1856. ART. I.-THE END OF THE WAR. WAR is a fearful word. The things represented by it are terrible beyond description or imagination. War is one of God's sore judgments, the worst display of human passions, the most terrible proof that Satan is the god and prince of this world, and a complete demonstration that the earth is yet governed by "those great beasts" which Daniel saw, ages ago, rise out of the troubled sea of humanity (Dan. vii. 1-8). Yet war may be a solemn necessity, and so justifiable; it is always an instrument of chastisement in the hands of a righteous God, and frequently has been overruled by the wise and loving Sovereign of the universe for the destruction of evil, and the triumph of truth. Looking at it under all these aspects, the existence of war calls for penitence and deep humiliation before God, calls to earnest prayer, and should endear to us the name of Jehovah as our refuge and hope. War has again, like a desolating whirlwind, swept over the earth; hundreds of thousands of men have been slain, cities destroyed, fortresses levelled, homes made desolate, hearts out of number saddened, every foul and angry passion called into exercise. But now once more there is a stillness, and the welcome sound of peace passes from lip to lip, from kingdom to kingdom. All are thankful for this, but many feel doubtful as regards its continuance. They fear that what we have seen is only one act of the great tragedy; there may be pleasant music and smiling greetings between, but "the end is not yet." -as Man has spoken peace; but hath God ratified it? Man greets his fellow, and again, as in times past, prophesies smooth things; but will God say "AMEN" thereto? Is it peace?" is asked by many; as if the thing were indeed doubtfulif they could scarcely believe the testimony. And does not the answer, as of old, come from the muttering thunder-clouds of God's threatenings, "What peace, so long as earth's spiritual harlotries and rebellions are so many?" Surely there can be no lasting peace to such a world as this. As there is "no peace to a wicked man," so is there no peace for a wicked world. "Mire and dirt will be still cast up." Conferences and treaties, protocols, material guarantees, will all be in vain; the demoniac passions of man will not be bound by these. Man will still rave, cut himself, and be a terror to his fellow, until He comes who shall exorcise all raging lusts (James iv. 1), and bring Humanity as a little child to sit at His feet, there to learn the great lesson of love. Yet most thankful would we be for the return of peace, and earnestly would we seek its continuance. May grace be given rightly to improve the present prolonged opportunity, by faithful, earnest testimony; but let us not be seduced into unholy exultation or unwarrantable expectations. As children of the day, as citizens of the heavenly Jerusalem, "let us not sleep, as do others;" but "be sober, and hope to the end, for the grace that shall be brought unto us, at the revelation of Jesus Christ." A war hath come to an end; but “the end of THE war of which the prophet Daniel (ix. 26), "and all other prophets," write, has not arrived. In fact, THE war has not yet begun. There have been many wars, which, however terrible and destructive, will be found to be only faint types and feeble precursors of this last great conflict. We read of the wars of Canaan,-the wars of David,-the wars of the Maccabees, -the wars of the Jews, the Roman wars,—the Thirty Years' war, the wars of the Roses; and, in our own time, the Peninsular, Continental, and Russian wars; but none of these are THE WAR." It is yet to come, and may soon arrive. Statesmen have had direful forebodings respecting it; one of them, great among his fellows, once said- The next universal European war will be a war of principles." It will be a great and destructive war. There are vast preparations for it, and terrible appliances for carrying it on. Who that looks over the world, and considers the state of parties, the moral condition of the nations, the workings of superstition, infidelity, and wickedness,-the ambition of leaders,-the long 66 66 cherished ideas of nations, can indulge in confident dreams of security and social progress, even without reference to God's Word? That book of warning tells us that there will be " wars, and rumours of wars," even unto the end. War," says one, "in perfection, is yet to come;-war instigated by the deadliest motives of which fallen humanity, energised by Satan, is capable, and waged on the most scientific principles which human ingenuity, sharpened by the same supernatural power, can originate. Science has yet to do its part in the work of human destruction,-yet to be virtually among the great executioners of the human race. But men dream and tell of peace, even universal peace!-peace, too, as the result of science; for science, say they, is the parent of civilisation, and civilisation the handmaid, yea, the destined author, of universal peace. Wondrous delusion! as all who read and believe the Bible must know full well." A few years ago, the impression was very general among professing Christians, that the millennium was gradually dawning; and expectations were cherished that soon the day of light, liberty, and holiness would come in its perfection. No dark night, or even partial eclipse, was expected; no judgments were looked for; "science, education, and religion," we were told, "would leaven the world." But for some time past, different views have been held-whether in consequence of disappointed expectations, or as the result of the testimony of students of prophecy, or both combined, we do not say; but so it is. Many now look for political convulsions, and talk of a coming crisis, who once spoke very differently. But still there is a great unwillingness to listen to all that God says upon this subject, and to believe that the current of human affairs will ever be interfered with by any personal manifestation of the rejected King, or by the introduction of any miraculous agency, before the history of earth is finished. Let us therefore listen to what God's Word says respecting this war, and the end thereof. Only a small portion of the divine testimony concerning this fearful conflict can be given; while no attempt will be made to place coming events in chro nological order, or to fix dates respecting their occurrence. There may be other wars to take place as preparatory to this, or the evil spirits who gather the hosts together may do their work quickly and surely. We may have other Waterloos, before Armageddon; Europe may be shaken to its centre, and its kingdoms remodelled, and all may be quiet again for a time, the stillness before the storm; or, in a very little while, the last war may break out, One thing we do well to |