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selling a pamphlet, containing a history of his own life. This person had been known frequently to foretell, that York minster would be destroyed by fire; and, like many other prophets, was, it seems, determined to fulfil his own predictions. A shoemaker, with whom he lodged, identified as his property, a pair of pincers, which had been found on the ledge of the window, from whence the incendiary made his exit. It was further ascertained, that the individual on whom suspicion rested so strongly, had been twice in a lunatic asylum, and was at the present time believed to be insane. Police officers were immediately despatched in search of this wretched being. On Friday the 6th, this person, whose name is Martin, was apprehended near Hexham, Northumberland, the place of his nativity, by a sheriff's officer of Hexham, named Stainthorpe, who lodged him in the House of Correction. Information of his capture being sent to York, a party set out shortly after in a post-chaise, to bring him thither. He arrived in York soon after three on Monday morning, and was taken to Peter prison. The magistrates shortly afterwards assembled, the witnesses were called out of bed, and about five o'clock the examination commenced, which continued till seven. Property belonging to the cathedral, worth several pounds, was found on him at the time of his apprehension. After the depositions of the witnesses had been taken, he made the following confession, in the coolest and most collected manner possible:

"I set fire to the minster in consequence of two remarkable dreams. I dreamed, that one stood by me with a bow and sheaf of arrows, and he shot one through the minster door. I said I wanted to try to shoot, and he presented me the bow. I took an arrow from the sheaf, and shot, but the arrow hit the flags, and I lost it. I also dreamed that a large thick cloud came down over the minster, and extended to my lodgings; and from these things I thought that I was to set fire to the minster. I took these things away with me, for fear somebody else should be blamed; I cut off the fringe and the tassels from the pulpit and the bishop's throne, or what you call it, for I do not know their names, as a witness against me, to shew that I had done it myself."-After signing this, and declaring it to be the truth, he was fully committed to the city gaol for trial, at the next assizes. Being conducted thither, he partook of some refreshment, went to bed, and slept soundly. About a fortnight before his apprehension, it appears, Martin left York, stating that he

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was going to reside at Leeds. On Saturday, (Jan. 31st.) he again arrived at York, and spent the day at the shoemaker's, in whose house he had before resided. On Sunday he went out about eleven o'clock, and was not seen in York any more up to the time of the fire. Martin was formerly a sailor, but has lived in Lincoln some few years as a journeyman tanner. He is well known among the religious sects an an enthusiast of extraordinary pretensions. The history he published of his life is full of visionary matter; in it he calls himself brother to the great painter of the Deluge, &c. He has a brother who lectures on the properties of the philosopher's stone. He has himself always been very furious against the established church, and lately he stuck up placards on Lincoln cathedral, with denunciations of the wrath to come.

To the sheriff's officer who apprehended him, Martin made the following disclosure:-" At four o'clock on Sunday afternoon I entered the minster, and stood against the prayer-house, (in the north aisle,) watching an opportunity of getting over the gate. I got over, and concealed myself till after service, and then looked for the best place to begin the fire. I watched the ringers out of the church; and some time after struck my first light in the bell chamber. I had no dark lantern, but carried the naked candle about with me. I broke the window, and tied a knotted bell-rope to some wooden steps that were standing near it. I put out my light, and lay for some time singing hymns. After getting over the choir door, I made two heaps of books, &c. at the throne and the organ; but before setting fire to them, I cut off a quantity of gold lace and velvet from these places."

Among the rumours in circulation respecting this wretched man, it has been insinuated, that his animosity towards the establishment and its clergy was acquired from his connexion with the Wesleyan Methodists. The fact, however, is, that he was expelled their society for his enthusiasm and insanity.

We esteem ourselves very fortunate in being able to procure a limited number of copies, from an exquisitely engraved view of York Cathedral; one of a splendid series that has been got up to illustrate a complete History of York, by T. Allen, Esq. a work of considerable erudition, and of great worth to those who delight in monastic records. With this beautiful view of the West Front of the Cathedral before him, the reader will be enabled to form an idea of the general grandeur and sublime magnificence of the edifice.

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JOTHAM'S FABLE,

(Concluded from col. 112)

THE answer of the bramble was, "If in truth ye anoint me king over you, then come and put your trust in my shadow: and if not, let fire come out of the bramble and devour the cedars of Lebanon." This answer identifies the bramble with the crooked policy of terrestrial thrones, and forms a fine contrast to the meek answers of the sacred trees. Place your heads, it cries, beneath my shadows, bow down to me; and, if not, bickering flames shall ascend in instant fury from my seat, and consuming your exalted foliage, stretch your scorched trunks at my feet. The answers of the trees of righteousness were, We serve Jehovah, and in serving him, minister to men; serve ye him, and him alone; to him bow down, and hail him Lord of all; while the ambitious bramble cries, Bow down to me, and names not the Lord Jehovah, who alone was and is King of Israel.

He

We proceed now to treat of the exalted scope of this sublime fable. Jotham was of the seed of Abraham, over which seed Jehovah then reigned sole Monarch, upon the mercy-seat in Shiloh, and by oracular responses governed Israel. A vile usurpation of his sovereignty was then attempted by Jotham's brother, Abimelech, who became sovereign upon the murder of seventy persons, the sons of that great and holy man Gideon, then recently deceased, who were all the brethren of Abimelech. waded, therefore, through a sea of bloodhis brethren's blood, to the throne: while he occupied the throne, his sole occupation appears to have been to shed blood-the blood of his own countrymen; and while thus impiously engaged, a woman, in retributive justice, shed his blood. The flames of discord, thus proceeding from the bramble, agreeable to its recorded answer, consumed the lofty cedars and the creeping bramble together-one common ruin swallowed up all.

Israel was selected from the nations, as we have already noted, to become a people, in the midst of whom Jehovah was to reign in perpetuity in person; his name was, therefore, put upon this people, and a state, in midst of the states of the earth, was erected, and became a beacon to all nations. While this people obeyed him, he exalted them; they were formidable to the surrounding nations, and dwelt in the midst of the land of promise in perfect security; but when they revolted from him,

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they were shorn of their strength, and became a prey to their neighbours, who oppressed them sore; until, in humble contrition, they returned to him against whom they had revolted, and put away the strange gods which they had adopted, from among them: then did Jehovah return to them, and in his power they had peace and security.

A departure from the sovereignty of Jehovah took place in Israel, not only in the days of Jotham, but again in the days of Samuel; and on that occasion the Lord comforted Samuel in these memorable words, "The people have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them." The disasters of Israel were heavier under the reign of Saul than under the viceroyalty of Samuel, and although beneath the reign of David, who was named " a man after God's own heart," and in the first days of Solomon, they flourished, it is evident, from the subsequent history of this people, that the rejection of Jehovah was the ruin of Israel. Bramble succeeded bramble, each swayed in blood and rioted in the flames of discord and distraction, worshipping they knew not what, and casting the ordinances of Jehovah behind their backs, afflicting and being afflicted, until the wrath of God, which had for ages burnt against them, swept tribes from their land: because of their crimes, the famine, the pestilence, and the sword consumed them. A small remnant, indeed, were carried into captivity, and of these, age after age inquires, Where are these? But there is no voice, none to answer.

ten

Of the two remaining tribes, the records of that people dwell with notes of wo, if not equal to the ten tribes, so similar that a mere shade of difference exists between them. Now a bramble and now a cedar swayed; the altars of Jehovah flamed with sacrifices, and the altar of demons, in awful alternations; innocent blood was shed by princes, and parents gave their innocents to Moloch; and wars, awful wars, were waged with their brethren. Often as a prince arose to purge the land, a tyrant followed at his heels, to recreate the loathsome filth of idolatry and blood. Jehovah was not in all their thoughts, and eventually his. sovereignty was banished from Canaan. Then did his wrath arise, and he banished Israel from their land. The two remaining tribes, consumed by famine, the pestilence, and the sword, ceased to be a nation; and the miserable remnant of this people were cast out of the promised land, and became captives in Babylon. Alas, for Israel! How

awfully did he prove that "It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God," rather than to abide beneath "the shadow of his wings."

The Lord, mindful of his promises to the seed of Abraham, after a doleful captivity of seventy years, released the captives of the two tribes from Babylon, and restored them to the promised land. There they rebuilt Jerusalem, erected a second temple, restored the services of the sanctuary, and became again a nation. Amidst turbulent wars, internal as well as external, and sore oppressions from within and from without, now persecuted and now persecuting, faithful to Jehovah at one time, and apostate at another, they continued a nation in Canaan, possessed a temple, and enjoyed a priesthood, until He came of whom all the prophets witnessed, "Jesus, the Son of the Highest; unto whom the Lord God gave the throne of his father David. And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end."

But if the influence of impious rulers led astray the mass of the people, we have, during these periods, instances of individual piety and devotion almost innumerable. The host of prophets, who, in succession, arose through a period of eleven hundred years, testifying of and for God in the very teeth of idolatrous impiety, and at the hazard of their lives, the sublime effusions, which are recorded from their lips, and the exalted devotion of their individual characters, amidst multitudes who hated God, and worshipped the works of men's hands, before and during the captivity; and afterwards the hosts of martyrs who bled for the truth, and bare righteous witness for God beneath the domination of idolatry, when clothed with imperial power, bring out the character of the seed of Abraham, and shew it forth, worthy of His choice who searcheth the hearts of men, and errs not in his providential dealings with the works of his hands. These are they that "had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings; yea, moreover, of bonds and imprisonments. They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword; they wandered about in sheep-skins and goat-skins, being destitute, afflicted, tormented, (of whom the world was not worthy;) they wandered in deserts, and in mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth. And these all having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise, God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect."

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Previous to the appearance of Emanuel→→ God with us, he who is called Jesus, be. cause he saves his people from their sins, and at the moment of his coming to atone for man, high expectations were rife throughout the world, that a great Personage would arise in the east, who was destined to reign over all the earth; and at this moment the highest expectations reigned amongst the seed of Abraham, that this great Personage would be of themselves, the Son of David; and that he would restore the kingdom to Israel. This great Personage came; he was of the seed of Abraham, and the Son of David; and he came to restore the kingdom to Israel. But his was a spiritual kingdom; such a kingdom as Israel enjoyed when Jotham composed this fable; Jehovah himself, in the person of his Son, being Sovereign Lord. Although the multitude were ready to receive this kingdom, the rulers of Israel saw, that instead of leading them through conquests to universal dominion, it thwarted their carnal views, and that it would diminish, if not destroy, their power; they, therefore, did every thing they possibly could to harass and overthrow this spiritual kingdom: and to effect this, they slew this great Personage, and persecuted his followers even unto death. Once more, they preferred a murderer to the Prince of Life ; and they chose almost every bramble, every false Messiah, that offered, (and many there did offer,) to be their king, to their utter ruin.

Emanuel, the son and heir of David, received back again that sovereignty which, during many ages, had been delegated to David and his seed; and being God and man, reigned over Israel. He therefore chose all his ministers from that people, perambulated and took possession of Canaan, declared, “I am not sent but to the lost sheep of the house of Israel," and in the commission given to his ministers to set up the kingdom of heaven upon earth, commands them to begin at Jerusalem. Accordingly, at Jerusalem the Holy Ghost was miraculously poured out upon these ministers, there they opened their commission, and from the seed of Abraham, devout men, of every nation under heaven, assembled there to keep the feast of Pentecost, were the first subjects of this kingdom gathered. Alas, then did the rulers in Israel rage against the Lord's anointed, against his ministers and his people, and having slain their Lord, they filled up the measure of their iniquities by persecuting, and slaying his ministers and people. "Then did the Lord send forth his ar

mies, and destroyed those murderers, and burnt up their city." The remnant that escaped these slaughters were dispersed throughout all the earth, waiting until "the Redeemer shall come again to Zion, and unto them that turn from transgression in Jacob." Isa. lix.

It appears, therefore, that Abraham and his seed were the portion of Jehovah during the patriarchal dispensation, that of the law and also of the gospel; that they were fitly designated by the fig-tree, the olive, and the vine, in Jotham's fable; that they were, throughout all their generations, intended to be under the immediate sovereignty of Jehovah; and that their lust for dominion and terrestrial royalty has been their ruin, age after age, from the moment they yielded to its sway. Thus far my portfolio has yielded matter for these essays, and I beg now to add a few particulars of more recent occurrence.

Our elder brethren in Jehovah, "who are Israelites; to whom pertaineth the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service of God, and the promises; whose are the fathers, and of whom, as concerning the flesh, Christ came, who is over all, God blessed for ever, Amen," Rom. ix. are yet dispersed, without an altar and without a teaching priest; having no city of habitations, no land of fruitfulness, no concentration of strength, nor one to lead them, since they rejected the Lord of Life, who came unto them. Alas, they are yet dreaming of power, conquest, and dominion, as a nation, rather than turning to the Strong for strength, and individually laying hold on the hope set before them. As they stumbled originally at Christ crucified, they yet stumble; looking for a splendid deliverer, who shall lead them to Canaan, instead of calling upon the name of the Lord, and enjoying his salvation. Hence, when individuals of their nation are impressed with the evidences of Christianity, and begin to cry, "What must I do to be saved?" the whole Israelitish community take the alarm, and, like one man, set themselves in array against them. The way of the inquiring Israelite is thus instantly blocked up, and his means of sustenance destroyed: he is immediately in want of all things; and it must be through tribulation, which few Christians are aware of, that he enters the kingdom of heaven, if he enters it at all.

The Gentiles have received from the seed of Abraham blessings inestimable; and those blessings they permanently enjoy, in the possession of the sacred volume, the ordinances of the Redeemer, and the hope

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they have in Him of eternal life; it is a small thing, therefore, with them to minister carnal things to these, their elder brethren, seeing they have ministered spiritual things to them.

Impressed with these truths, the two principal societies in London, which are exclusively employed in diffusing divine truth amongst the seed of Abraham, at home and abroad, are at this moment occupied in raising the means for formning asylums for the protection and instruction of inquiring and believing Hebrews. There all of these may be protected during a limited time, acquire a trade, whereby they may be enabled to obtain in future their own maintenance, and during their abode therein may receive Christian instruction and consolation, in the regular means of grace, without becoming proselytes to any sect or party bearing the Christian name; and of these inquirers there are numbers at this moment,

The asylum forming by the London Society is at Warsaw, the capital of Poland; and the asylum forming by the PhiloJudean Society is in London; an extract from whose address I subjoin :— 66 Relying on the mercies of a covenant God, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, who has declared, that if his covenant of day and night should fail, then should the seed of Israel cease to be a nation before him for ever; and confident in the benevolent consideration of those who partake of the mercies of that covenant, as the children of promise; and in the full conviction, that the fig-tree of Judah is now putting forth its blossoms, and shewing signs that summer is nigh at hand,' the Philo-Judean Society, deeply impressed with a sense of the obligations they owe to the once despised and persecuted people of Israel, earnestly invite the sanction and co-operation of every believer in the Lord of glorythe compassionate Saviour of perishing and polluted sinners-and entreat that prayer may be unceasingly offered to the Most High, that he will "set his hand a second time to recover the remnant of his people-to assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth.' Small as such beginnings may be, the hope is indulged, that a little one may become a thousand, and a small one a strong nation.' May the Lord accomplish it; yea, may he hasten the time. Return, O Lord, unto the ten thousand thousands of Israel."

W. COLDWELL.

King-Square, London, Dec. 1, 1828.