of God will eventually compensate those who suffer from his malignity, yet his guilt remains the same, and he is "reserved unto judgment." (2 Peter ii. 4.) Well, we have said he selects his tools. Through the glass of imagination, the reader may see him at work. A minister of adequate and suitable qualifications is put down for a proper place. Away goes the fiend to Matthew Moneybag, Esq., the great and successful remonstrator; he finds him in his counting-house, (and as the child's-book says) "a counting out his money." He whispers into his ear, "I say, old friend Matthew, this fellow put down for us will never do. He is so abominably eccentric, that the other day he had the impudence to say, in a large congregation, they that will be rich, fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition.' (1 Tim. vi. 9.) Now, you know very well that this is very rude, course, and unpoliteyea, it is low lived and vulgar, and not at all suited to the taste of many rich Metropolitans." O, its no go-" Write off against him immediately." Mr. Moneybags hesitates a little, not much-he cannot see the being from whom the suggestion comes, or he might discover a misty form like a man whose body seems made of blue flame, whose clothing resembles steel armour, whose eyes are so piercing and malignant that they seem to pierce through your body and soul. A cloven foot-an entire aspect, betokening

the presence of one who comes as a deputy from the regions of "outer darkness."

But he does not see him; he, therefore, tries to think all is right-he pens and posts his letter, it takes effect, and the citizens are saved from the terrible mortification of having a Timothy or a Titus, who would give them such preaching, as whether relished or not, all need and ought to have.

Beelzebub returns to Pandemonium and reports success; he is surrounded by an army of subaltern fiends, who hotly congratulate him. "Brother Devils," says he, "I was determined to keep that fellow from our numerous cousins in the city; he has been there occasionally, and we know that he hindered hundreds from coming to this hot place, by giving us intelligent and respectable devils a dreadful bad character-he is a sly deceitful knave. By his eccentricities, you would think he had no religion; but he is not to be trusted. In the parlour, he works up his very oddities, which make people laugh into instruments of shaming them out of bad practices, while in the pulpit he is so sedate and impressive that you would fancy the sly rogue never uttered a droll thing in his life. No matter where he is, or what he says or does, he seems to love Emmanuel, and the souls of men after all. We thought to have secured for him a snug place among us-we thought he was advocating our interests; but, strange to say, his eccentricities over the fire-side, and in his books and lectures, send many folk to hear him preach, and not a few of

them become thoughtful and exemplary Christians. Fellow apostates, hear me! If we want to strengthen our well-concerted rebellion against the Most High, we must not expect support from the eccentrics. Pharisees are our people; they have already rendered us much service; their ancestors, in the days of the primitive Christians, did valiantly. And the present race of their descendants, though few as to number, are powerful enough to plague laborious and efficient preachers, who do not suit their taste. It is not always the case that we, and they together, can get rid of certain Evangelists. But whenever we find a case—a fix-a man wanted- -a man qualified-strongly desired by a great multitude of good people, but having some characteristic peculiarity, which to our great joy is falsely deemed wrong, then is our time to work; then is the auspicious moment, when by getting the fraternity and sisterhood of Addlepates, to make a terrible noise about eccentricity, our victory is complete. I may just add, that for the honour of Pandemonium, and the maintenance of our established principles, I told one capital lie, which decided the question with Moneybags at once-I said very solemnly, you may be sure, this eccentric man is a buffoon, he will make the people burst out into loud laughter in the middle of his sermons. ""*

*This falsehood was once deliberately asserted-and with this supplement:-" Well, if he should come, we can kick his backs- -e out of the c- -t, at the end of the first

A vote of thanks was given to Beelzebub for his eloquent and powerful address. The vast and horrible conclave, lighted up for the occasion with fire and brimstone, reverberated with tremendous acclamation from a million of fiends. There was then silence for five minutes-after which a fallen spirit of superior order, thus addressed his compeers:"Principalities and powers-rulers of the darkness of this world-ye all know the sentiments of our great potentate, Beelzebub. No trust can we repose in the whims of eccentrics; they may seem to be for us, but are decidedly against us; they may defame our august fraternity, by prating against the wiles of the devil, while it is manifest they have wiles of their own. Perceive ye not, brother devils, great and small, how the eccentrics get people to laugh themselves into good humour, which we hate? How they tickle their fancies, that for the time they can neither be angry, nor sullen, nor revengeful; qualities which we know belong to hell's cardinal virtues? And have ye never observed, how in the midst of all that humour, which we had fondly imagined would, at some time or other, have booked them for Pandemonium, they contrive to insert some moral, chastise some shining vice, or wedge in some

year." The words were spoken by a Reverend Divine, and a man of learning. Tell me, reader, what spirit prompted this speech? Was it the spirit of Christ? You say, no. Was it the spirit of brotherly-love? You say, no. Then it must have been the spirit of Satan.

point of practical divinity? Do ye not know also, how these incurable wits can luxuriate in Bible reading and devotion? Verily, these fellows are not for us! If we want to catch them, we must get the Pharisees to insult them, to exasperate them, to degrade them, to half starve their families, by dooming them in perpetuity to inefficient salaries, and, if possible, drive them mad.".

"Aye, that's it!" vociferated a thousand voices.

"TRY it, then," said Beelzebub, in a voice so tremendously loud, that it seemed to shake the universe-and the council broke up.