wish to be buried at Harold's Cross is it not a bright place? Choose some sunny spot for me; and will you (her husband) come and visit my grave. I formerly had a great horror of the grave-now I do not care for it." She said to him, "Be much with Mr. E., no one, I think, comforts you so much-remember me to him, and ask him, from me, to read the burial service." She sent her remembrances to Mr. B., another dear clerical friend; and to Mrs. M.who had been a fond companion of her earlier days; and when asked for a message to her, she said, "to be steady, and not to be fond of admiration;" she also said, "talk much to B will you-and to M-—,” (her maids then absent in the country.) For her children she said her only desire was, that they should be children of God; and that before each was born, her prayer had been, that if they were not to be children of God, they might not be born alive. About this time she sent a message to one of her aunts, and begged of her to watch over the youngest girl, her god-child. She made a similar request of her sister-in-law, as respects her third little girl; hoping, too, that her children would be brought up for God.

وو

When it was said to her, "you are going where there will be no famine"

-"nor thirst," she added, from which she had previously suffered so much-indeed she was still calling from time to time, for something to drink. Towards the close of the day, when expecting her dissolution, she said, with an almost angelic expression of countenance, "Oh! mamma, what a night I shall have!" She meant in heaven.

At one time when much exhausted, and hearing one repeat "thanks be to God, who giveth us the victory," she clasped her hands, and looking up to heaven, ejaculated-"The victory, oh, the victory!" When all had been removed from her except her husband, she said very impressively“One thing, and one only, I regret, in leaving the world, that I did not live more entirely to God-tell them this

tell them this-and tell them to live to Jesus-not to live for any

thing else and not to lose time." Soon after she said, as if inwardly meditating upon the unfathomable depth of the words, "To be saved; oh, what it is to be saved!"

We shortly afterwards had the happiness of uniting with her in partaking of the Lord's Supper; and the energy with which she followed the words of the service-the emphaIsis with which she dwelt on 66 earnestly repent"-"heartily sorry," even anticipating the reader, as when we came to that beautiful doxology, Glory be to God in the highest," &c., was, indeed, remarkable.

sometimes

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Upon being advised to try and sleep, she said, she "would rather meet God awake;" but though much fatigued, she submitted to the desire of her friends, and promised to remain quiet, if they continued repeating hymns, and verses from Scrip

ture.

Dr. C, of whose kindness she had spoken repeatedly with great gratitude, afterwards coming in, she looked up at him with a serene and even smiling countenance, and said, Doctor, I did not think we should have parted this way”—meaning that she had not expected to die. He found to his surprise, that her pulse had become stronger; and the other physicians subsequently pronounced her to be in a somewhat improved state, with no present symptoms of approaching dissolution. On hearing one of them say she was better, she replied, "Is that a good thing?" On their leaving her, she said, "Is it not unpleasant to have one's mind unsettled in this way, after I was ready to go?" But being reminded that she was in the hands of Jesus, whether for life or death, she remained for a minute silent, and then said, "to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain." Indeed at a subsequent time, when permitted to exchange a very few words with one of her friends, she referred again to that feeling of disappointment, and blamed herself for having given way to it. And now bidding adieu to her cousin, who was with her after the others had left the room, she said, pray for me during the night-do not forget to pray for me, that I may

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a talisman to disarm the frowning magistrate, or a charm to counteract the efficacy of a pagan sacrifice.

When heathenism was overturned, the symbol still continued with even additional vain imaginings attached to it, and the various superstitions are upheld in the unreformed churches to an incredible extent; the sign remains, but where is the reality of Scriptural truth in the Romish and Greek communions?

A work published last year, called "The Church in the Catacombs,"* throws much light upon the reasons for the adoption of symbols, and distinctly shows that the primitive Church at Rome neither reverenced images nor pictures, much less "bowed down" to them, and that the introduction of such appendages to Christian worship was of a much later date than Romanists are willing to allow; and that, upon examining the most ancient places of sepulture, and where also the first Christians met for divine service, and to administer the Sacraments, neither altars, pictures, nor images, are ever found.

We shall make some extracts from this interesting volume, as corroborative in some degree of the opinions expressed in a paper entitled "Mariolatry," which appeared in the pages of the Christian Guardian, and which confirms the remark that the images of Christ as dying or dead, and the constant representations of the Virgin and Child, did not appear until the Church had become deeply corrupted by error.

"Perhaps the cause which most powerfully contributed to the adoption of Christian symbols, was the ignorance of reading and writing then prevalent. Books and even inscriptions were for the learned; unlettered survivors were in no way enlightened by the epitaph of the deceased, or by the figures expressing his age, &c. For such persons another mode of interpretation was required, and the symbols, though they imperfectly supplied the deficiency, were the only substitutes known; this view is forced upon us by the existence of phonetic

*By C. Maitland, M.D. Longmans.

signs, such as the ass on the tomb of Onager, and the lion on that of Leo: an idea so strange, and, to our taste, so bordering upon caricature, that it can only be explained by the necessity for some characteristic mark of the deceased, intelligible to his unlettered friends. When those who sought the grave of their departed friend saw the lion, the ass, the pig, the lark, they at once discovered the tomb they sought."

"The symbols employed in the Catacombs, exclusive of those supposed to belong to martyrdom, are of three kinds; the larger number refer to the profession of Christianity, its doctrines, and its graces-a second class of a purely secular description, only indicating the trade of the deceased; and the remainder represent proper names. Of the first class of symbols, the cross is the most generally met with, and claims the earliest attention. How soon the cross began to be used as a symbol of Christianity it is difficult to say. A bas-relief now in the Vatican, shows that in the fourth or fifth centuries such an emblem was sculptured by the artists of that time. This fragment is a cross surmounted by a garland of flowers, enclosing the monogram of the Saviour's name, and upon it sits the dove, symbolical of the peace purchased by the Redeemer's death." The Fathers, whose love of mystery perpetually involved them in the most childish and absurd fancies, discovered the cross in every part of the universe; thus they made out that it was intended by a bird flying, a man swimming, a ship sailing, &c., &c. "The gradual change from the plain cross to the crucifix can be traced step by step in the downward road of superstition, and, in undergoing this alteration, the original intention of the symbol was entirely lost; from being a token of joy, and an object worthy of being crowned with flowers, a sign in which to conquer, it became a thing of tears and agony, a stock subject with artists anxious to display the power of representing anguish. The alteration of the simple symbol can be distinctly traced: first, as the plain cross; afterwards appears a lamb at the foot of it; by and bye,

there is Christ clothed, on the cross, with hands uplifted in prayer, but not nailed to the wood; again, Christ fastened to the cross with four nails, still living, and with open eyes; it was not till the 10th or 11th century that he was represented as dead, in which state he is always depicted on the crucifix."

Thus the tendency of the Romish Church, whether by word or deed, prayer or painting, all tend to the same end-the transformation of Christianity from the Gospel of Christ, which is that of love, to the mere fear of the Lord, and changing the peace and good will, which the first advent proclaimed, into hatred of all who worship the Father in spirit and truth.

In the middle ages these opinions had gained their height, and the darkness which might be felt, was not only seen in the utter ignorance and impiety of these times, but was also manifested in the paintings and rude sculpture, each as bad as the other, which portrayed religion in every mode that was humiliating and painful to both God and man.

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"The Byzantine paintings contained in the Vatican Library forcibly display the mistaken opinions of the dark ages. In that small museum, deserving of much more attention than it receives, may be perceived the harsh tone of feeling that would ever connect religion with terror and disgust. The subjects of these paintings are nearly always distressing; the divine infant is represented with a heavy contracted countenance, destitute of youthful expression, and the "Man of sorrows" is usually covered with triangular splashes of blood, with a face indicative of hopeless anguish, intense in expression, and not deficient in execution, illustrating less the Redeemer's life, than the dark page in the history of Christendom. In this school of art, which comes down to the 11th century, the western world added sculpture, forbidden by the iconoclastic zeal of the East; but both divisions of Christendom underwent the same fate; the sky of sacred art darkened like the Saviour's countenance its proper sun, and shed a disastrous light, till the last glimmer

ings of divine majesty were totally eclipsed in the display of agonized humanity."

Although the Church of Rome is always anxious to trace back the worship of the Virgin to the earliest times, any one really acquainted with ecclesiastical history, knows that "Mary the mother of Jesus" was scarcely noticed in writings, paintings, or sculptures, till late in the 4th century. "The entire silence of the heathen regarding her worship, is a strong argument against its existence; they readily adopted any calumnies against her, yet with all their abuse of the Christians for worshipping a man, there is never found any accusation made that they worshipped his mother. The impossibility of such an omission on the part of the pagans, if such worship had been practised, will be more evident when their constant descriptions of monasticism, and the adoration paid to martyrs, relics, &c., is constantly brought up against them. In the earliest pictures of the Virgin, she appears holding the infant Jesus in her arms, or watching him in his cradle-she is almost always veiled. Few paintings or sculptures of her were before 431, and probably but one before 300. From the later period her effigies have been common," and her worship at length became so general, as to be in itself a religion which has been most aptly denominated “Mariolatry.”

The Church, whose favourite ornament, the rosary, tells off upon its string of beads ten ave-Marys for one paternoster, can furnish no excuse from Scripture or primitive usage for such heathenism, nor can she pretend that her chief devotions are paid to the Almighty, when one of his dead creatures receives ten times the amount of reverence and prayer than what is offered to himself.

From the simplest sources may arise the greatest mischief, and that which was originally innocent may become injurious and sinful, when there is priestcraft on the one side, and ignorance on the other. Such is Romanism: her people are untaught, and "do err, not knowing the Scriptures;" and it ever has been,

THAT which is of inherent value, though small in quantity, is capable of effecting great ends. It may be placed in disadvantageous positions, or be exposed to great danger and hazard; or it may, for a time, be so engulphed in strata of uncongenial and withering influences, that it may appear to be lost-irrecoverably lost. But that cannot be. It may, for a long time, be unproductive, and present only a dimmed and cheerless aspect; but it is possessed of qualities which are indestructible, and though it may not appear in plumes, and gay inviting colours, it must propagate its own qualities-its very nature is to spread. And what can be said to be of inherent value-to be possessed of an incorruptible principle of vitality-but TRUTHDIVINE TRUTH?

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This truth was prophetically spoken of by David as a handful of corn," or the message of Divine love and mercy in Christ Jesus, entrusted to his few chosen followers in the promulgation and in the completion of the new covenant. It was to shake like Lebanon-like those natural forests which, springing from the self-sown seed, continue to propagate and to extend themselves. Thus was this "handful of corn" on the top of the mountains, to spread itself, till the Church of Christ every where had an existence, and its members abounded as the "grass of the earth." It was by the labours and fidelity of these few humble men, in whom the Spirit of God dwelt, and which gave them their value, that these great things were to be accomplished. The pro

phecy is not yet fulfilled in all its extent. The carrying on of the work is now left to the successors of this handful of men. But it is the same work. They are ambassadors of the same Prince-bear the same message

are charged with the same commands-and must work by the same Spirit. Then, their success is not less certain.

A few years ago there lived a minister of Christ, who was observed to be remarkably successful in preaching the Gospel. The Word came with power to the hearts of the people, so that they were affected to contrition and conversion. He was a man to whom literary fame and the plaudits of eloquence were the last point of consideration, but a man of respectable advance in every attainment which his office required. That the Lord worked with him could not be doubted, and therein consisted his glory and his success. Another, whose work lay in the same vineyard, but whose labour bore not equal fruit, came to him, hoping to remedy his own inefficiency, by becoming acquainted with the other's fort of strength.

"My dear brother," said the first named, "God has been very graciously pleased to impress my mind with a deep sense of my responsibility to him in the charge of immortal souls. He has shown me the rock on which his Church is built-his immaculate Son; and the price of its purchase-his blood; further, He has shewn me that it is only by the Holy Spirit that the truth can be so engrafted in the heart as to lead to