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THE ANGEL'S FAREWELL TO THE BEATIFIED SOUL.

"Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation ?"

Heb. i. 14.

THOU'RT Come, thou art come to thy rest!
Fair spirit, we welcome thee now,

To this peaceful abode of the happy and blest,
The land of the unbroken vow.

Here rest thee, belov'd, for awhile,

Till earth shall her mission fulfil;

O, how will those "loved" ones rejoice,
Whom thou as thy "lost" hast deplored,

To join, in their songs of thanksgiving, thy voice,
In hymning the praise of their Lord!

Behold! even now they appear,

Like a cloud of white doves see them come,

And they who are numbered have ceased from To greet thee with anthems of gratitude here,

their toil,

Obedient to Heaven's high will.

The sign of thy faith on thy brow,

In the waters of baptism traced,

Beams forth o'er thy soul with a radiance now That shall never by sin be effaced.

How often have we in past days

Protected and watched thee unseen,

Rejoiced when the power of the Spirit could raise Thy hopes above pleasures terrene.

Through perils thou couldst not discern

'Twas ours thy weak footsteps to guide,

And the soul piercing shafts of the Tempter to turn, Who sorely thy feebleness tried.

Now art thou not glad that thy soul
Resisted those temptings to sin,

When Satan desired to destroy and control
The heart that he never shall win?

Though oft as "an angel of light,"

He seemed to thy wondering view,

No more shall he dazzle thy purified sight With colors so strangely untrue.

O. joy for thee! now from his snares Thou'rt safe and forever secure,

In safety arrived at their home.

O, spirit, how valueless seem

The pomps and the pleasures of time, How brightly upon thy rapt vision will gleam Eternity's glories sublime!

Here search thou the fullness of grace,

Reflect on that Wonder of Love,

Who suffered on earth that thy sin-fallen race Might dwell in His mansions above.

Here learn thou that rapturous song
Prepared for the ransomed alone,
Which thou wilt repeat with the glorified throng
Around thy Deliverer's throne.

Here wait thou in patience and hope,

The day-the great day of the Lord,

When death and the grave shall their prey render

up,

And thou to new life be restored.

Farewell, blessed spirit, no more

Thou needest our ministering aid,

Thy sorrows, thy pains and temptations are o'er, And nothing shall make thee afraid.

Farewell, happy spirit,—we go Again on our errand of love,

Praise Him whose great mercy thy manifold cares To wait on the heirs of salvation below,

Has given thee strength to endure.

And guard them wherever they rove.

'WHAT SHALL I DO TO BE SAVED ?"

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We have said, that they who asked the question, "What shall I do to be saved?" in the Apostolic days, were, before, unbe

HERE was a time, in the days of Apostolic simplicity, when this question was readily answered.-lievers in Christianity. The Church of Christ They who then asked it has not changed her dealings with man. She had been unbelievers in Christianity. holds up the conditional promise of salvation The first requisite for them, therefore, yet to all the world. Sometimes they who was to believe on the Lord Jesus never before heard of Christ at all, in foreign Christ." (Acts, xvi., 31.) If they and distant lands, present themselves to the believed that Jesus Christ is the minister of the gospel-tidings, with the great, Son of God," (Acts, viii., 37,) they were question which heads this article. Somebaptized; because our Saviour has promised times unbelievers, who have lived in the salvation only to him that believeth and is light of gospel truth, but who have regarded baptized." (Mark, xvi., 16.) In this ordi- its story as a chimera, or a figment of hunance, renouncing the wickedness of their man imagination, present themselves with past lives, they received the "remission of the same interrogatory. The Church of sins" that was promised in it, (Acts, ii., 38.) Christ has not changed her answer. To all By this initiatory rite they were said to "put who do not believe in her Lord and Master, on Christ."-(Gal. iii., 27.) They then she still exclaims, "Believe on the Lord "went on their way rejoicing."-(Acts, viii., Jesus Christ." Whenever any one acknow39.) Soon after baptism, the Apostles were ledges that "Jesus Christ is the Son of God," wont to "lay their hands on them," and in she ceases this cry, and offers to him the wathis confirmatory rite, "they received the ters of baptism. In a land like ours, the Holy Ghost."-(Acts, viii., 17.) Ever after-number is comparatively small, of those who wards, if faithful to their calling," they continued steadfastly in the Apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers."-(Acts, ii., 42.) The doctrine was chiefly repentance: that is, "to forsake sin;" and faith that is, "to believe the promises of God," made to them in his sacraments. The fellowship was, of course, the holding fast to a co-membership with all those initiated into the Church by baptism. The breaking of bread was the "communion of the body of Christ;" and the bread was received with wine, which was the "communion of the blood of Christ."-(1 Cor., x., 16.) The prayers were the humble resort of needy children to a new-reconciled and affectionate Father. They were then to continue "faithful unto death," (Rev. ii., 10,) and, at last, through the atoning blood of the Lamb of God alone, who had purchased for them all these channels of grace and salvation, they were entitled to the "crown of life."-(Rev. ii., 10.)

do not admit the truth of Christianity. To such an one as admits it, it were a waste of breath to cry believe, believe, when be is already willing to admit the truth of what you say to him. His course is obviously to be baptized; renouncing his sins, and supplicating forgiveness for the past, and the assistance of the Holy Spirit for the future; then, to receive the "laying on of hands," or confirmation; and to go steadfastly on in his Christian path, in breaking of bread, in prayers, and in every duty of the Christian life. But there are many in our land, as in every Christian country, who have been baptized in their infancy, and who have not this portion of their work yet to do. They believe, and have ever believed, that "Jesus Christ is the Son of God." They received the adoption of " children of God," and "heirs according to the promise," (Gal., iii., 29,) when they as babes " put on Christ" by Holy Baptism.-(Gal., iii., 27.) To them, if they propound this vital question, the

only refuge of the sinner; but it is by complying with the appointments and ordinances of our LORD, with a renunciation of every sin, and a sole reliance on assistance from on high, that he is to go to his SAVIOUR. The SAVIOUR of the world must be reached in his own appointed way. But how many are there, professedly instructors in the ways of holiness, who do not teach in their Gospel simplicity, these plain and ancient truths of our religion; and yet, they cry out to the sinner, who would inquire the way to eternal life: "Go to Jesus; go to Him; go, cling to His cross; throw yourself at His feet; cast yourself at the foot of His cross; cling to Him, till you have found rest for your soul." As we have already remarked, this is all very well, if a right interpretation be given to these words. But if otherwise, and we would ask it with all re

voice of the Church is, receive the "laying has promised to meet and bless the returning on of hands," and go "on your way rejoic-wanderer. To "go to JESUs" is indeed the ing." And if, perchance, this ordinance hath ever been complied with, she holds forth the sacred emblems of a Saviour's dying love, and entreats, while she commands, in her Master's name : • Take, eat." "Drink ye all of this." And if ye have received the initiatory rite of baptism, or the confirmatory rite of the laying on of hands; or if ye have partaken with your fellow Christians of the elements of the bread and wine, which outwardly shadow forth the inward "strengthening and refreshing" of the soul; if any one of these holy ordinances, or if all the three, have been ever received by you, and ye have yet come far short of the sacred requirements of your Lord, or have strayed far away from the "good paths" in which ye ought to walk, your duty is most plain: Return; renounce with prayer and fasting your transgressions. Stay not, to wait sinfully for feeling. Stay not, to wait sinfullyverence, what is the import of this language? for conversion or penitence to come to you. The houses of worship, in which such things Stay not, because you are unfit to come. But are uttered, are not adorned with visible and proceed at once, to the full compliance with substantial images of CHRIST; there are no your Master's will, and there confess your crosses there erected, towards which to point sins in humbleness, and receive supplies of the penitent offender; no pictures or similimercy and forgiveness from on high. Through tudes are there, of a waiting SAVIOUR, or a the atoning merits of Christ alone, your sup-bleeding cross, at whose feet the relenting plications will be answered, and your im-suppliant may cast his body in humility and perfect obedience accepted.

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adoration. Our LORD himself most surely does not descend in a visible and tangible shape, at the sinner's cry; and to obtain His cross is now an utter impossibility. Is it that the pleader for Heavenly mercy must form a mental image of these objects of devotion ? Is it but a self-created picture of his fancy, toward which the anxious soul is endeavoring to bend his gaze? Might it be but some impalpable and unreal vision, like Macbeth's dagger of the mind,"

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We have stated the Apostolic mode of procedure, when the great and vital question, What shall I do to be saved?" was propounded by any of their fellow-beings who were desirous of learning the way to eternal life. We have endeavored to show that the Church has not changed her reply, or her dealings with men in like cases. But in the answers which are given to this question, by many who are called ministers of the word of God, there has oftentimes appeared to us something extremely vague and undefined. The course which the inquiring sinner is di- If this SAVIOUR, and this cross, to an ignorant rected to take, appears involved in a mys-listener, are but images produced upon the reterious uncertainty, if not, as we have often feared, an unreality. "Go to JESUS," say thousands of preachers, without informing their listeners where our LORD most surely may be found of the suppliant; where He

"Proceeding from the heat-oppressed brain?"

tina of the mental vision, why then may not such a Protestant, like the Romanist whom he so much dreads' and hates, make to himself Saviours and crosses, and other sacred emblems, of wood, or of wax, or of ivory, or

of some other material which has visibility was their teaching, how very different their and substance? And why before these may conduct, from this. Whether such a notion he not bow down and worship? What mat-be the offspring of ministerial labors misditers it then, or rather, why is it not prefer-rected, and ministerial inculcation of such able to have the sacred vision,

gross perversion of the truth; or whether it result from the vagueness and indefiniteness of instruction to which we have above referred; it is not our present purpose to inquire. It is sufficient to observe that our God is everywhere present; that His calls are to all, and from the times of old, to repent; not by

"Sensible to feeling as to sight ?" We ask it in docility and reverence. In our ignorance, we cannot yet understand what is this mental and internal process, by which souls thirsting after righteousness may come to CHRIST, before they have complied, in child-waiting for the grace of God, as mere suscilike submission and humility, with his out-pients of his goodness in His own good time; ward rites and ordinances. If it be true. but by arousing from lethargy and indolence that while a portion of the Christian world is and apathy; by renouncing and forever abanbowing before visible representations and si-doning the sins that have defiled our life, and militudes of sacred and holy realities, another cast contempt on his grace, by going forward is but agonizing and praying for support and with prayer and supplication and fasting to succour to some self-erected images and vi- the means of grace; and judging of our consions of their own crude fancy; then this is one dition before God, not by the uncertain and of the many thousand ways in which, in this delusive criterion of feeling or imagination, world of mysteries and marvels, "extremes" but by its effect on our daily walk and conapparently the most antagonistic, do often-versation. The genuine fruits of the Spirit times most strangely "meet." Truth lies, immovably based, at a circle's centre; while every form and shade of error is floating restrained around the circumference.

can germinate alone in a soul in which He hath taken up His abode; and will manifest un-themselves in sincerity of motive, in kindness and forgiveness, in humility and integrity and charity, and all the blending and beautifying graces that adorn regenerate humanity.While the atoning sacrifice of the only Mediator between God and man is our sole refuge and hope of salvation, we must employ those divinely instituted means and channels for the communication of the Blessed Spirit, which are offered in the Church of Christ; waiting for no further calls and invitations than have been vouchsafed to fallen man for ages; and which the holy Church hath been proclaiming, and doth still proclaim, to all who will come up to her sacred courts; who will come and " drink of the water of life freely;" who will come up, and “buy wine and milk without money and without price."

In conclusion, we have one insuperable objection to the manner of teaching which obtains with many bodies of Christians, and among some ill-advised members of our own communion, and which is especially the case with those who take part in, and consent unto, what are called revivals, protracted meetings, and the like. Whether designedly or undesignedly on the part of those who teach and preach, an impression does seem to go abroad and prevail, to the destruction, perhaps, of many precious souls for whom Christ died, that a man must wait until he feel some special moving of the Spirit of God-some more than ordinary call from Heaven to his soul, before he can turn from his ways of sin and wickedness, and acceptably serve his Creator; that he must be endued with more than ordinary power from the Holy Ghost to re-create his soul, before he can presume to wait upon God in His sacraments and ordinances. We have seen by an examination of the Apostles' rule and practice, how different

Our covenanted relation with the Father of our spirits is such, that we have but to fulfil, with earnestness and faith, our part in the sacred contract; for that which is God's to do," He for his part will most surely keep and perform." B. B. G.

Cambridge, Maryland.

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SELECT ORATIONS Or M. TULLIUS CICERO, (a translation of the work, and use it secretly, WITH NOTES FOR THE USE OF SCHOOLS AND which was often done. A few pupils of indoCOLLEGES, by E. A. JOHNSON, Professor of La- mitable perseverance became good scholars; the tin in the University of the City of New-York. Appleton & Company, 200 Broadway, New-rest became discouraged, and abandoned the study of the classics altogether.

York. 1850.

This book, comprising some 450 pages, is more Other teachers, to save themselves the trouble than two-thirds of it occupied with critical and of being frequently consulted, did not hesitate to explanatory notes, both original and selected. No allow their pupils the free use of translations in where is the march of improvement more clearly getting their lessons. This was the other exseen than in the later editions of the Greek and treme, and a very superficial knowledge of the Latin Classics, prepared for the use of Schools.classics was the consequence, which the pupils, It was once the practice to give a boy the bare in after life, found to be of little or no use to text, and let him worry at it till his patience was them, and hence came to place a low estimate well nigh exhausted, when he was allowed to ap-upon their value. ply to his teacher for help. The teacher gave Professor Johnson's Notes upon this edition of him what little insight he thought prudent, and Cicero's Select Orations we consider of inestimasent him to his form to make another trial. It ble value, as they appear to be exactly calculated would not do for the teacher to explain too much, to remedy the difficulties which exist between as that would make the pupil indolent. This the use of the bare text, which discourages apwas a strong temptation for the latter to procureplication; and of literal t aus'ations, which en

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