Page:Spiritual Reflections for Every Day in the Year - Vol 2.pdf/183

 tion throughout that moral earth, which was created to become the garden of God, and to be a rich scene of fertility and beauty. She is therefore properly named in Scripture, the mysterious Babylon—"the mother of harlots, and the abomination of the earth."

If ever the pure religion of Christ is to become a living principle in our minds, we must take no refuge within the walls of Babylon—place no confidence in this destroying mountain, nor think our standing secure while surrounded by its rocks or strongholds. Its very name is confusion, its mountain is self-love, and its rocks are the fabricated bricks—the false persuasions of the natural mind. With these the pure truths of Revelation have nothing in common. Against these the hand of Jehovah is stretched forth, and the fall of Babylon is certain. "Come out of her, my people, and be ye not partakers of her sins," saith the Lord.

If the love of goodness and truth be in us, if the kingdom of God be our real object, we have a better mountain than a destroying one—better rocks than those of Babylon! The supreme love of God, whence spring all the charities of life, is Mount Zion; of this we read that it is the Mount of God, beautiful for situation, and the joy of the whole earth! Those who live on this mountain, breathe the very atmosphere of heaven, and they are surrounded with the everlasting truths of Revelation—these are their rocks of security and defence! Of such a one it is said, "He shall dwell on high: his place of defence shall be the munition of rocks; his bread shall be given him; his water shall be sure." (Isa. xxxiii. 16.) Here in peace and security he enjoys the good of