who yesterday renewed, in the presence of God, their vows and promises made for them at their baptism. Guard them, we beseech thee, O God, against all temptations; and so order their wills and affections, that, amidst the sundry and manifold changes of the world, their hearts may there be safely fixed where alone true joys are to be found, through Jesus Christ our Lord.

* This sermon was preached on the Sunday after a confirmation.

NATHAN'S MISSION OF LOVE*. NATHAN first read the New Testament under the most unfavourable circumstances: he had been falsely accused, and imprisoned, by professing Christians; but the Holy Spirit so blessed the reading of the sacred volume to his soul, that he was converted from the error of his ways, and a few weeks after his release from imprisonment on suspicion of having committed a murder-we find him in the church in the town of where he made a public avowal of his faith in Jesus as the Messiah. He was then dedicated by the sacred rite of baptism to the service of the Lord in whom he believed, took the name of Christopher, and, afterwards, with heartfelt emotion received the holy communion of the body and blood of

Christ.

himself more and more by his innumerable contradictions. Eleazer's ring, of which he had robbed him on the fatal night, and which he thoughtlessly wore, was taken from him, and entertained against him. But the now awakened tended to increase the just suspicion which was voice of conscience of the not yet wholly obdurate criminal troubled him far more than the presence of his human judges. Despair and horrible anguish were depicted on his countenance: his look was restless and disturbed: his high spirit was broken.

One of the magistrates said plainly to his face, "Villain! dost thou venture to set at defiance the Omniscient and the Holy One, whose eyes are of a fearful abyss. Examine thyself, and confess as a flame of fire? Thou art standing on the brink the truth to thy God."

he cried out, "Yes, I am the man!" All his Greatly agitated, and trembling in every limb, refuges of lies were now broken down, and he murder, but the wicked action by which he had confessed all, not only the circumstances of the endeavoured to shift his guilt upon the innocent

Nathan.

His sentence was, that he should be whipped for eight days in the public marketplace, and suffer six years' imprisonment in the fortress at C—, with hard labour.

Christopher attended the examination of the young man, with the deepest sympathy; and when he heard the sentence, his heart was far who sought to ruin me, now receives his just from suggesting the malicious idea: "This man, doom, and even less than he deserves." He, on the contrary, felt the sincerest compassion for the unhappy man who had suffered himself to be so all others filled the heart of Christopher: it was deluded and infatuated by sin. One wish above the salvation of the soul of that man, who had been made the unwitting instrument of leading him to attain the greatest bliss and the highest good-the knowledge of God, and peace with him cherished as a mere idle wish in the breast of through our Lord Jesus Christ. This was not Christopher; but, filled with the love of God, he stedfastly resolved to try all that in him lay to further the eternal welfare of this unhappy man,

While Nathan lay in prison, the murderer of Eleazer lived under a feigned name, as a partner in the inn kept by his father-in-law, at P ; and none suspected that the lively young host was a criminal. Sometimes, persons who frequented the house spoke of the murder; and some incidental words, which excited suspicion, escaped from the lips of the assassin; yet no one had the slightest idea of charging him with the crime. One day, two travellers turned in the inn, and in the presence of a member of the senate of the town of P-discussed the circumstances of the murder, the imprisonment of Nathan, and the suspicion which was attached to the son of the innkeeper at M- who had disappeared on the same night. At this moment the object of their conversation entered the room, and waited on and induce him to seek reconciliation with his offended God. some other guests. One of the strangers said, in a He requested permission of the joking tone of voice, but loudly and distinctly, governor of the fortress to live there for six years, "Our worthy young host exactly answers the in order that he might be near the prisoner, and description of the young man on whom the sushave daily communication with him. His petipicion of the murder rests." At these words he tion was granted. Christopher hired an apartturned deadly pale, trembled, and was about to ment in the fortress, visited his enemy—whom, speak, but faltered. All this was carefully noticed for him better fare than was generally allowed to however, he regarded as his benefactor-procured by the observant magistrate. He soon withdrew, and informed his colleagues of what had passed. the prisoners, and took every opportunity of leadThey resolved to watch the young man, unob-ing him to God. Long time had he to wait beserved, till the evening, and then to put him under fore he saw any fruit of his labour of Christian arrest. This was accordingly done.

Not so quickly, however, did the accused confess his crime. For a long time every attempt to elicit the truth was in vain. In the course of his examination, however, the defendant entangled

From "Seligman and Nathan: two authentic narratives." Wertheim: London. 1845. These narratives are living examples of the power of eternal truth, and well calculated to allay the prejudice which exists against the perseverance of the Israelite after his conversion to Christ. It is not the least of the merits of their translation from the German, that it is given in pure and attractive English.

love. The object of his solicitude became ill. Christopher tended him with the utmost assiduity. He cared not only for the mortal body; no, the recovery of the deeply-diseased soul was his chief of which he was grievously ignorant: he repreconcern. He instructed him in the word of God, sented to him the holiness and the justice of God: he prayed for him, and with him for his everlasting salvation. He told him that penitence did not consist in self-inflicted penances; that no man by his own good resolutions, or his own good

works, could merit salvation; that God required a broken and a contrite heart, and that man should accept of the mercy offered to him in the gospel. He set before him the unspeakable compassion of the Saviour, who casts out none who come to him weary and heavy laden, yea, who even pardons them freely; who had again received into favour the deeply-fallen Peter, and had pardoned the penitent thief on the cross. The blessing of God accompanied the testimony which flowed from Christopher's believing, affectionate breast. The stony heart gradually melted: the prodigal began to weep, and at length to pray, and to supplicate earnestly for mercy and grace. He fell on his kness with his benefactor, and, with a broken and contrite heart, confessed before God the sins of his youth, all his follies, his transgressions, and his crimes. The Lord, who "willeth not the death of a sinner, but rather that he should turn from his ways and live," heard the supplications of this penitent, and gave him his peace, even the peace which he himself had purchased by his own precious blood-shedding on the cross, the peace which passeth all understanding. When God had fulfilled his purpose of love to the diseased soul, he gave him also recovery from bodily sickness, that his faith might be confirmed, and the new life upon which he had entered be strengthened and quickened. The countenance of the pardoned sinner testified of the entire change of his heart his whole demeanour was altered: his quiet, diligent, and tractable conduct showed the genuineness and sincerity of his conversion. This favourable change was observed not only by his fellow-prisoners, but it also attracted the notice of the governor of the fortress, who became much attached to the prisoner, and did all that lay in his power to lighten his miserable condition.

dying breath, "Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace; for mine eyes have seen thy salvation (Luke xi. 29, 30).

And now he beholds, face to face, the Saviour whom he loved, in whom he believed with all his heart, and whom he had followed faithfully to the end.

"When Israel's seed, by unbelief and sin,

Fell from their bright and once exalted place,
God did not cast them off, but hedged them in,
And chose a remnant that should seek his face.
'Blindness,' indeed he said, in part should fall
Upon this erring race, but only till
The gospel of the cross be preached to all,

And Gentile times their days of grace fulfil.'
And further yet the word of promise stands :
That, when again, graft in their olive tree,
Israel shall be the heralds, to all lands,

Of that salvation which has set them free,'
Yes, in that day, that long-expected day,
The tide of gospel truth shall visit all:
Gentile and Jew shall own Messiah's sway,
And, fill'd with love and awe, before his footstool fall."

SABBATH MEDITATIONS.

No. XLVIII.

MAY 25.-FIRST SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY.

Morning Lessons: Josh. x.; Matt. xxiii.
Evening Lessons: Josh. xxiii.; 1 Cor. viii.

MORNING.

"I am old and stricken in age."-Josн. XXIII. 2. Meditation.

"Jesus, refuge of my soul,

Let me to thy bosom fly,
While the troubled waters roll,
While the tempest still is high.
Hide me, O my Saviour, hide,
Till the storm of life is past:
Safe into the haven guide:

O, receive my soul at last."

"Redeem the time,' that ' ye may win Christ, and

*

believer's search on earth to know more, to obey more, to love more, the Lord Jesus Christ, the Alpha and Omega, the Author and the Finisher, the beginning and the end, the first and the last. * Christ Truth: let us believe the truth. Christ is the Way: is the Light: let us receive the light. Christ is the let us follow the way. And, since time is passing and eternity approaching, let us redeem the time because the days are evil. Let us receive Christ, not for a time, but for ever: let us believe his word, not for a time, but for ever: let us become his servants, not for a time, but for ever, in consideration that he hath redeemed and saved us, not for a time, but for ever, and will receive us into his heavenly kingdom, there to reign with him, not for a time, but for ever' " (H. Blunt).

At the expiration of the term of his confinement, Christopher took his friend to his own lodg-be found in him. This is the one great object of the ing, where they spent a few months together in retirement, in order that they might strengthen and fortify themselves by the study of the holy scriptures, before they again entered into a world abounding with temptations. After they had publicly testified their faith and sealed their friendship, by partaking together of the Lord's supper, Christopher brought his friend's wife to him, accompanied by his only son, to whom she had given birth at the time of the trial. As Christopher had the satisfaction of learning that his friend would be well received by his own family, he took an affectionate leave of him, and retired to his own neighbourhood. It was not long before this devoted and self-denying young Israelite became seriously ill; but he was resigned, and full of peace and comfort. While lying on his sick bed, he was frequently heard to pronounce the name of his friend, and to pray earnestly that the Lord would keep him stedfast in the faith, and grant that he might let his light shine before men, and especially before the members of his own family, whom he had so deeply wounded; yea, that the Lord would even make him the blessed instrument of bringing them also to a knowledge

of his salvation.

Filled with gratitude to God, who had brought him out of darkness into his marvellous light, and had "crowned him with loving-kindness and tender mercies," Christopher exclaimed, with his

Prayer.-O, Lord Jehovah, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, the God of my Fathers! Be thou my Lord and my God, when I am old and stricken in age. Thou hast graciously promised to fight for them that are courageous, and keep and do shall I do thy will, or how shall I keep thy law, unwhat is written in the book of thy law. But how less thy wisdom and thy grace prevent me? Have pity upon my weakness and mine infirmities, most merciful Father. Let the bright light of the Sun of righteousness shine upon me with its justifying radiance, and illumine my feeble and straying pil grimage through the valley of the shadow of death.

By faith in Jesu's name, strengthen me, that I may cleave unto thee, O Lord, and love thee. By the might and power of thy good Spirit, may I be strong to withstand every snare and throe, and every hindrance and temptation, which thou shalt think meet

for me.

O blessed Trinity, my Creator, my Redeemer, and my Sanctifier, have mercy, have mercy upon me! Let the love of Christ constrain me, lest I go back and cease from thy service, and fail of inheriting all the good things which thou hast promised, and thou bringest upon me all evil things, even the worm that never dieth, and the fire that is not quenched. Grant, that, as my outward man decayeth and perisheth, thy grace may more and more quicken and stablish me in the inner man. Grant that, as I go on from weakness to weakness, thy arm may more and more uphold and strengthen me to fight a good fight with every spiritual adversary, with the allurements of sin, the terrors of despair, and the dread of thy day of wrath and judgment.

O, Lord Jesus, to thee who was sent and raised up to bless them that turn from their iniquities, to thee do I stretch out my hands. O, do thou by thy good Spirit convince me of sin, yea, of my exceeding sinfulness before thee. Let thy precious blood cleanse and wash my soul of its pollution, and thy

saving grace convert me by repentence unto newness

of life. O thou, the Life, let me live unto holiness, and not die unto death eternal. O thou, the Way, lead me by thy straight and narrow path, when my froward feet would turn into the broad way of destruction. O thou, the Truth, put away from me all ignorance, hardness of heart, and contempt of thy commandments; and give me to know thee, and thee only, as the Truth, the Way, and the Life. Thou art the Light of light. I meekly beseech thee, bring my soul out of the thick darkness, and so make thy way clear before me, that I may walk as the children of light, in all goodness and righteousness and truth. Thou art the Resurrection, O Christ. When the hour cometh, that I must depart hence, vouchsafe, I implore thee, to receive my spirit into thy hands, and to raise me up from this corruptible state, and clothe me with incorruption. Yea, vouchsafe to keep my soul until the joyful day of the general resurrection, and to bless it with the glorious fellowship of thy holy angels and glorified saints. O, through thine almighty power so knit my soul and body together again at thy second coming, that I may be presented in the number of those to whom thou wilt say," Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the beginning of the world."

Even so, Lord Jesus, let my years come to an end : even so let me die the death of the righteous, and be gathered unto thy kingdom. Amen and amen.

S. K. C.

The Cabinet.

PREACHING THE OFFICE OF THE MINISTER.

In her daily ministrations, a Christian church preaches plainly, without any figure or symbol or type, all that

the tabernacle foreshadowed. The object of her

ministry is not to sacrifice, but to preach. Their com

mission is that of ambassadors for Christ, and their

instructions to preach the gospel to every creature, and to beseech men to be reconciled to God. The

administration of the sacraments is an important part of their duty, as public prayer and praise and thanksgiving are the indispensable elements in the constitution of public worship. But, inasmuch as sinners are justified by faith and faith only, and faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God, and men cannot hear without a preacher, it inevitably follows that the preaching of Christ crucified is the great and characteristic duty of the Christian church and her ministry. And, therefore, St. Paul describing his office, says: "The ministry which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God" (Acts xx. 24). Yea, he does not scruple to say of his commission, "Christ sent me not to baptize,

but to preach the gospel ;" in which declaration he does not mean to contravene the command of Christ to the apostles to make disciples of all nations by baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost, nor to deny what he teries of God; but to point out the great characterissoon after asserts, that he was a steward of the mystic duty of the Christian minister, and to express the deep feeling which he entertained of the overwhelming importance of the preaching of the unsearchable riches of Christ, a feeling to which he gives vent frequently and in strong language, as in the second chapter of the first Corinthians, where he says, Jesus Christ, and him crucified.—Dr. M'Caul."

66

I determined not to know any thing among you, save

Poetry.
TEARS*.

THANK God, bless God, all ye who suffer not
More grief than ye can weep for. That is well-
That is light grieving! lighter none befel
Since Adam forfeited the primal lot.
Tears! what are tears? The babe weeps in its cot,
The mother singing: at her marriage-bell
The bride weeps; and, before the oracle
Of high-faned hills, the poet hath forgot

From "Poems, by Elizabeth B. Barrett." 2 vols. 1844. Moxon: London. We cordially recommend these volumes to all lovers of the muse. There is the true spirit of poetry in them-deep and original thought embodied in energetic language. Miss Barrett is endowed with great talents may she ever lay them at the foot of the cross, and deem it her highest privilege to sound her harp to the praise of Jehovah. Redeeming love, shining in the face of Jesus Christ, will be a noble theme for her. And will she allow us to hint that, if she would adopt a simpler diction her works would be more extensively read and be more widely useful? For we confess we have not found it always easy to catch her meaning, partly from the involved structure of the sentences, and partly from the frequent use of strange and fresh-coined words. And there are some pieces which we regret to see in Miss B.'s volumes. We would gladly cancel the two sounets, pages 147-8 of vol. i. Our limits prevent us from adding more; but our readers will see how high a place among our poets we assign to Miss Barrett; and we shall hereafter cull another flower or two from her garland.-ED.

That moisture on his cheeks. Commend the grace,
Mourners, who weep! Albeit, as some have done,
Ye grope, tear-blinded, in a desert place,

And touch but tombs-look up! Those tears will

run

Soon, in long rivers, down the lifted face,

And leave the vision clear for stars and sun.

Miscellaneous.

gleamed over god and warrior and cavern and shrine, and we returned to our boat.-The Crescent and the Cross.

HELIOPOLIS*.-About six miles distant from the northern gates of the metropolis, towards the northeast, is the site of Heliopolis, the city of the sun, called by the Egyptians, "On," and by the Arabs, "Eyn-Shems," or "the fountain of the sun;" though, to bear this signification, the name should, I am told, be written "Eyn-esh-Shems," which may GUERF HASSAN.-Ill as I was, I determined to visit this stupendous temple; and I was well repaid The route from Cairo to the site of Heliopolis lies also be interpreted, "the rays, or light of the sun." for the exertion. It is the strangest, most unearthly along the desert, but near the limits of the culsight I ever beheld. It was dark when we arrived in tivable soil. This part of the desert is a sandy flat, its neighbourhood; but this did not signify, as its mys- strewed with pebbles, and with petrified wood, terious recesses were only visible to torchlight in the pudding-stone, red sandstone, &c. A small mounbrightest noon. Covered with a sheet, I was carried tain of red sandstone, called "El-Gebel el-Ahmar" on a bier by four Arabs of our crew, who relieved each (or "the red mountain"), lies at a short distance to other in their turn: four more carried torches; and the right, or east. On approaching within a mile of my friend R. and Mahmoud brought up the rear. It the site of Heliopolis, the traveller passes by the vilmust have appeared rather a curious procession to the lage of El-Matareeyeh, where are pointed out an old Nubian village that we passed through. Hundreds of sycamore, under the shade of which (according to inhabitants, half or wholly naked, poured out to see us pass; and some of the men remonstrated anxiously afforded them drink. The balsam tree was formerly tradition) the holy family reposed, and a well which in favour of extinguishing the torches until we had cultivated in the neighbourhing fields: it thrived passed through the cornfields: these were all so dry, nowhere else in Egypt; and it was believed that it that a general conflagration would have been the conflourished in this part because it was watered from sequence of a spark falling on a single straw. We the neighbouring well. The name given by the Arabs passed through these fields: then came a strip of to Heliopolis was perhaps derived from this well. desert, then a tall cliff, and the enormous propylæa In a space above half a mile square, surrounded by of the temple stood before us. This is built by human walls of crude brick, which now appear like ridges hands, but stands out from the face of the mountain, of earth, were situated the sacred edifices of Helioas if it had formed part of it from creation. Four giant polis. The only remaining monument appearing above the soil is a fine obelisk, standing in the midst statues leaning against square pillars support a masof the enclosure. The Arabs call it "the obelisk of sive entablature. The vista of this colossal portico Pharaoh." It is formed of a single block of red leads to a portal in the living rock, some twenty feet granite, about sixty-two feet in height, and six feet in height; and this is the entrance to the temple. square at the lower part. The soil has risen four or The coup d'œil as we entered was very imposing: a five feet above its base; for, in the season of the ingroup of our swarthy Arabs were waving blazing by a branch of the canal of Cairo. Upon each of its undation, the water of the Nile enters the enclosure torches, and looked like officiating demon priests to the sides is sculptured the same hieroglyphic inscription, calm, awful, gigantic idols that towered above us. bearing the name of Osirtesen the First, who reigned The temples seemed full of these grim statues, though not very long after the age when the pyramids were there are only two rows, containing four in each. The constructed. There are a few other monuments of his time the obelisk of the Feryoo'm is one of them. massive pedestals on which they stand are but ten 'Abd El-Lateef, in speaking of Eyn-Shems, says that feet apart; which adds considerably to the effect of he saw there (about the end of the twelfth century of their enormous size. Hence we passed into a lesser the Christian era) the remains of several colossal hall, and then into the adytum. Numerous torches statues, and two great obelisks, one of which had here gleamed upon walls, shadowily giving out pic-fallen, and was broken in two pieces. These statues tured battles and kneeling priests and stern deities; accumulated soil. Such are and the broken obelisk probably now lie beneath the the poor remains of and in the centre of the shrine was a rude altar, Heliopolis, that celebrated seat of learning, where within which sat four gigantic idols, with strange- Eudoxus and Plato studied thirteen years, and where looking crowns upon their heads, and mysterious emHerodotus derived much of his information respectblems in their hands. It would have been either a ing Egypt. In the time of Strabo the city was altogether deserted; but the famous temple of the very strong or a very indifferent mind that could resun still remained, though much injured by Cammain without some sense of awe in such a scene, or byses. The bull Mevis was worshipped at Helideny that it was well calculated to inspire such re- opolis, as Apis was at Memphis. It is probable that ligious feeling as the eye alone can communicate to the land of Goshen" was immediately adjacent to the soul. There were many other chambers; but we the province of Heliopolis, on the north-north-east. soon returned to the outer hall, and again reverently traversed its solemn aisles and galleries. Everywhere pillar and entablature were thickly encrusted with reliefs; and many a day might be passed in this sculptured library before its vast volumes were exhausted of their interest and meaning. Once more the torches

• From Mrs. Poole's "Englishwoman in Egypt."

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