despair. It offers him pardon and cleansing. It tells him that God does "not despise the broken and contrite heart." It tells him that he may be a new man yet, that he may begin to live a new and higher life. It tells him that, although he may have to suffer some of the consequences of sin even till his dying day, yet he may endure these as the discipline of a Father who has forgiven him, and who is seeking to prepare him for a place among the redeemed in heaven. Here is, indeed, "bread" for the hungrythis "good news" of "grace grace" to the sinful, guilty, wretched soul. Well might the apostle exclaim, in the presence of Roman power and Greek philosophy, and well may we exclaim, in presence of "the religion of humanity"-"I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ; for it is the power of God unto salvation."

Take as our last test a case in which "the shadow of death" is creeping over a happy home. Here we shall suppose is a young man of brilliant powers and brilliant promise-"the only son of his mother, and she is a widow." He was standing on the threshold of his chosen life-work: he was looking forward to the time when he should be able to help his mother and sisters in the struggle of life, and to found a new home with her whom he loves. But now, without any blame whatever on his part, he is stricken down by disease, and both he and his friends know how it must terminate. What has the "new religion" to say to him and to them at this terrible crisis? Will it speak of "the grandeur of the human intellect"? Alas! this young man feels that his mental power, in which he formerly rejoiced, is already lessened by his illness; and is it any comfort to know that the

brain, which has won him college honours and prizes, will soon have gone into atoms in the churchyard? Or will you speak of "the supreme value of human love"? Is it not a kind of mockery to remind him now of the preciousness of that which he is about to lose for ever? Or will you speak of "the supreme importance of the present life"? What! speak thus to this young man who is about to be torn away from it all? Or will you tell him of the duty of serving humanity," and try to comfort him with the thought that, though he himself is to perish, his influence will live? Ah! but this is one of his sorest trials: he has done so little for the world: he has all along been preparing for his life-work, and now he is dragged away from it for ever! Or will you tell him to brace himself up and face the inevitable "like a man"? Ah! 'like a man": yes; but what if he is too thoroughly human to play the stoic thus-too much of a man to be untrue to the deepest instincts and feelings of his nature? What shall we think of a "religion" which thus fails so utterly in the hour of sorest need? But the gospel of Christ does not thus fail. It does not indeed deny either the awfulness or the mystery of the crisis. It does not profess to remove the natural sorrow which the separation of death brings to loving hearts. But, at least, it darts some rays of light into the darkness-it speaks some words of comfort and hope. It tells this young man that he is in the hands of a 'Father who does many things that are mysterious, but not one thing that is cruel. It speaks to him of "the Father's house of many mansions"; it tells him that his powers of thinking and loving cannot be destroyed by death. It tells him that his

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work is not done-that God can be served in other worlds than this. It holds up before his eye the Cross of Christ as the revelation and pledge of infinite mercy, and as the example of faith and resignation. It may indeed be still a hard thing to die; but, at any rate, there is here an offer of "bread" and not of a "stone" to the hungry soul. And when the eyes are closed at last, and the sorrowing friends are weeping at the grave, the gospel comes to them, and speaks of Him who is "the Resurrection and the Life ❞—who, in His own person, has conquered death, and who can yet re-unite them to the loved one who is gone.

This is the religion which we are told is destined to pass away before the new "religion of humanity!"

-a religion without God and heaven! No; never. Never, so long as throbbing human hearts remain true to their deepest instincts, their noblest yearnings, and their purest love!

TRANSLATIONS FROM HEINE.

Auf Flügeln des Gesanges.

My darling, I will bear thee
Away on the wings of song,
To the lovely plains of the Ganges,
To the spot I have known so long.

There lies a blossoming garden
In the moonlight quiet and clear;
The lotos-flowers are awaiting
Their little sister dear.

The violets twitter and titter,

And look up to the stars above;
And the roses whisper each other
Their fragrant tales of love.

The shy gazelles are leaping,
Or in shady coverts lie;

And the waves of the sacred river
In the distance are rushing by.

There we'll lie down together,
Beneath the palm-tree's crest,
And dream our dream of gladness,
And drink of love and rest.

Die Lotosblume ängstigt.

THE lotos-flower retireth
Before the Sun's fierce light,
And with drooping head awaiteth
In dreams the coming night.

The Moon, who is her lover,
Awakes her with his rays,
And sweetly she unveileth
Her modest, lovely face.

She blooms, and glows, and brightens, And shyly stands up again;

In her fragrance she weeps and trembles With love and love's sweet pain.

Es stehen unbeweglich.

THE stars above, all motionless

For centuries in the skies,

Stand gazing on each other

With loving, yearning eyes.

They utter all a language

So beautiful and grand!

Yet none of the philologists

Can this language understand.

But 'tis long since I have learnt it,
And it ne'er forgot can be ;
The face of my best beloved

Was a Grammar unto me!