ment of their work and prospects! Mr. Abercrombie sustains the honor of the name he bears, and by his faithfulness and success, rewards his Bishop for the paternal care and attention he has bestowed upon him.

among false brethren; in weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and naked

that be which would embrace an account of all his Episcopal acts, and the number of miles he has traveled since he was set apart and consecrated for the Apostolic office! His labors, like those of St. Paul, have been It was noon before we reached the village "abundant ;" and like that first and greatest of of Delafield, about a mile from Nashotah. Missionary Bishops, he has been "in jourIt is here, in a retired, quiet, and essentially neyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of rural spot, and in the plainest of country edi-robbers, in perils by his own countrymen, in fices, that good Bishop Kemper, the first Mis-perils by the heathen, [or Indians,] in perils sionary Bishop of our Church, resides. He in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in pewas not at home when I arrived, but returnedrils in the sea, [or in the lake,] in perils within an hour or two. In the meantime, I was gracefully and hospitably received by his family. I was not the less pleased, or, perhaps, he was not the less warm in his greet-ness. ing, when he returned, because he had been temporarily absent on Missionary duty, in behalf of a people some twenty miles off, who would have had no services on the preceding Lord's Day had it not been for his self-denial. He returned from his labors with a glowing heart, and I had the benefit of his pleasant and remunerating excitement. As I looked at his happy countenance, I could not but think how appropriate it was that he who, years ago, made the first survey of Western Pennsylvania, with a view of planting the Church in the then new settlements of that region, should have been sent out as the Missionary Apostle

to the remote states and districts now consigned to his spiritual oversight and care! And how powerfully active must still be the missionary zeal imbibed in his youth, when, notwithstanding the accumulation of years, he is ready at an hour's warning to proceed in any direction, and to almost any distance, to proclaim" the unsearchable riches of CHRIST," as evidenced by the Gospel in the Church! What an important summary would

"Having "beside those things that are without, that which cometh upon him daily, the care of all the Churches." It is remarkable, that notwithstanding these things-such arduous labors, such immense responsibilities, and such constant exposure-he who a score of years since was the valued friend and counsellor of the venerable Bishop White, is yet prompt and energetic enough to be an example to the most active and zealous of his clergy, and youthful enough in feeling to be the happy companion of the youngest of his deacons. It is his delight to labor, and it is his privilege to be loved. He lives in a simplicity which it would be well for clergymen everywhere to emulate, and constantly makes pecuniary sacrifices for the Church large enough to enable him to be bold and earnest in demanding of others that they give liberally to the good cause to which his life is devoted, according "as God hath prospered

them."

The particulars of my visit to Nashotah I will give you in my next. Ever yours,

R. C.

A GOD-A MOMENT-AN ETERNITY. How sad it is that an eternity, solemn, and ever near, should impress us so slightly as it does, and be so much forgotten! A Christian traveler tells us that he saw the following religious admonition on the subject of eternity printed on a folio sheet, and hanging in a public room of an inn in Savoy; and it was placed, he understood, in every house in the

parish:-" Understand well the force of the words-a God, a Moment, an Eternity; a God who sees thee, a moment which flies from thee, an eternity which awaits thee; a } God whom you serve so ill, a moment of which you so little profit, an eternity which you hazard so rashly."

THE INDIAN CONVERT.

WORLDLY AMUSEMENTS.

Do they lead you to neglect your duties to man or indulgence in pleasure becomes criminal. Each one God; to violate the laws of your Almighty Sovereign? must determine for himself. The limits of lawful into neglect his worship and service? Do they corrupt dulgence are exceeded the moment worldly pleasure your hearts, and withdraw your thoughts from the (begins to assume that place in our hearts which is due eternity to which you are hastening? These are in- to God, to his laws, and to the work of our salvation. quiries which each one of you must answer for him-He that thus "liveth in pleasure is dead while he livself. No limit can be prescribed for all persons; beeth." Innocent to a certain distance as may be the yond which indulgence in pleasure is sinful. The variety in the constitution of the human character, and house is the way to hell, going down to the chambers course in which she leads us, beyond that point, her the difference of strength in the passions of different of death.—Bishop Hobart's Sermons. individuals, place at different degrees the point where

Letters

FROM

ADINA, AT JERUSALEM, TO HER FATHER AT ALEXANDRIA,

BY PROFESSOR J. H. INGRAHAM.

Second Series.-Letter Fourth.

Y DEAR FATHER, -I will commence this letter by asking your dispassionate perusal of my preceding epistle, and entreating you not to let any prejudice unworthy of the wisdom and liberality by which you are distinguished among men, lead you to reject, without examination, belief of the events which have formed the subject of my recent letters to you, and to close your mind to the convictions to which they may give rise. Please, my honored and beloved father, please to consider impartially the things of which I have written, the preaching of John, and his baptism of Jesus, whom, before ten thousand people he declared to be MESSIAS, to whom he bore witness, and how the voice of God, as audible in the ears of all as that which shook Horeb, proclaimed from heaven that he was "His beloved Son !" Think of all this, and ask yourself seriously, "Is not this the Christ?"

This question need not pass far on its way ere it finds a response from my lips, and heart, "Yes, it is the Christ, and I will believe in him!"

Jerusalem.

zareth to be the Messias of God, I do not make myself less a Jewess, but without believing it, my dear father, I could not be completely a Jewess. Has not the Messias of our nation been the burden of Judah's prayer, and of Israel's hope, for ages? Does not the belief that Messias cometh, constitute one of the great characteristics of the Jewish race? Do the Gentiles look for the Christ? If not, then, and we alone look for him, and every mother in Israel hopes tremblingly, with joy and doubt, that he may be found in her firstborn son, is it that I am less a Jewess, but rather am only a true Jewess, when I believe Jesus to be the Messias, seeing in him all that a Messias could bring, even the voice of God in testimony of his Mission? But I sincerely trust, my dear father, that I am defending my belief unnecessarily, and that when you come to read and compare, and examine well, you will rejoice with me that God hath remembered Israel, and that he is about to take away her reproach among the nations.

I shall wait for your next parcel of letters with the deepest solicitude, in order that I may know what your decision is in reference to these extraordinary things which are coming to pass. You will not hear them only from my letters, dear father, for the report of these wonders is broad-cast over the land, and men who witnessed the baptism of Jesus, will no doubt report in Egypt what then took place, especially the voice of God rolling like articulate thunder along the cloudless sky, and the descent of the fiery dove upon the

I can see your face, my dear father, change its expression of mild benignity, as you read this confession from my pen! I can see you look both displeased and grieved. But you have no reason to fear that I shall do or believe aught that will bring shame on your grey hairs, or your name. If thou art a Jew, and proud of being descended from the line-head of the new Prophet. Merchants of age of the Patriarchs who walked with Je- Damascus and of Cairo were present, leaving hovah, I am also equally proud of my nation their trains of camels a little way off; and and of my faith. In believing Jesus of Na- Arab horsemen sat in their saddles on the

his hands clasped together and uplifted, gazed heavenward, as if satisfied, with the thousands around him, that he had been received up into Heaven.

outside of the crowd; while Roman soldiers, and sorcery; and others, who were doubtless strangers from Persia and Edom, and even filled with their own wickedness, mocked, merchants from Media, with numerous peo- and said the voice was thunder, and the light ple, Gentiles as well as Jews, were seen lightning. But here they were disputed mingled with the multitude. This thing, against, for said hundreds, "There is no cloud therefore, was not done in a corner. The voice in the sky, then whence could come thunder I plainly heard, and understood every word! and lightning ?" But the majority believed and It seemed to me to come from the far blue greatly rejoiced at what they had seen and depths of Heaven at an immeasurable dis- heard. The Prophet John, of Jordan, aptance, but with the clearness of a trumpet,peared to me to be more surprised at what and the sonorous majesty of thunder. But had taken place than any others. He looked the light which descended was the most daz-constantly around for Jesus, and then, with zling human eyes ever encountered; and though when descending with the velocity of lightning, it seemed like a lance of fire, yet, upon reaching the bared head of Jesus as he came forth out of the water, it assumed, The excitement which the sudden disapas I before stated, the shape of a dove; and pearance of Jesus produced, led to a univerresting upon him, overshadowed him with sal separation of the multitude, who dispersed its wings of light, and cast over his whole in all directions, some to seek for him, some person a glittering splendor, like the sun. to spread the news of what they had seen, This lasted for full a minute, so that all eyes and all forgetting John, whom they had hitherbeheld it, and then came the voice from hea- to followed, in the greater splendor of the ven! The brilliancy of the light from the new Prophet, whose advent had been so redove was so resplendent that I could not be-markably accompanied by fire and a voice ho'd it; and when I looked again it had disappeared; but a halo of softened lustre shone still around the head of Jesus, and his face, like that of Moses, emitted rays of glory. While thousands either stood stupefied or fell upon their faces in adoration and fear, he withdrew himself from the multitude, no one knew how, save two persons, who did not keep their eyes off from him. These were the cousin of Mary, John, and Lazarus, the brother of Mary and Martha.

from the sky.

Rabbi Amos and our party remained standing near the water, for he did not wish us to be lost in the retiring throngs, and he desired to speak with John, who stood alone in the midst of the water, precisely where he had baptized Jesus. Not one of his disciples remained with him. Rabbi Amos drew near and said to him:

'Holy Prophet, knowest thou what man, if man he may be called, was just baptized by thee?'

The people, after recovering a little from their amazement and awe, were looking for him, and inquiring whither he went, some gazing into the water, some towards the wil-plaintively and touchingly: derness, some even gazing upward into heaven, of which I was one, as if they expected to behold him ascending upon a chariot of dazzling clouds towards the throne of his God and Father, who had acknowledged him to be his Son. The general impression was, that he was taken up into Heaven; and some wept that a Prophet was sent to be taken so soon; while others rejoiced that Jehovah had not forgotten to be gracious unto the House of Israel; some doubted, and called it magic

The Prophet, whose eyes had been steadfastly raised all the while, bent his looks with tearful tenderness upon Rabbi Amos, and said

"This is he of whom I said, After me cometh a man which is preferred before me, for he was before me. And I knew him not, but He that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizes with the Holy Ghost. And I saw the Spirit descending like a dove, and I saw and bear record this is the Son of God!"

“And whither, oh, holy Prophet of Jordan,"

asked Rabbi Amos, with deep and sacred in- his sandal in the wet sand of the shore; and terest, "whither has he departed?"

"That I know not! He must increase and I must decrease, whether he remaineth on earth, or be taken up into heaven! My mission is now drawing to its close: for he to whom I have borne witness is come."

"And is he come to depart so soon forever?" I asked with deep interest; "shall we behold him no more?"

"The hidden things belong to God. I know not whence he came, for I knew him not until the Spirit descended and abode upon him, nor whither he goeth. Ye have heard my testimony that this is Messias, the Christ, the Son of God!”

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at length came in view of him, as he was leaving the river bank, and going towards the desert, between two hills, which hid him from their eyes. But one of the young men said to the other, while both were hurning with wonder and love:

"Let us not fail to overtake him, and follow him whithersoever he goeth; for with him must be the well of life, as he is the highly favored of God.”

So they went on; but though they moved on rapidly, they next saw him far distant crossing the arid plain that stretches south towards Jericho and the desert. They ran very swiftly, and at length overtook him, calling" Master, good master, stay for us, for we would follow and learn of thee !"

He stopped, and turned upon them a look so pale and marred with sadness and anguish, that they both stood still and gazed on him with amazement at such a change. The

beaming splendor which shone from his countenance was wholly gone. The expression of unutterable sorrow that remained, pierced them to the heart. Lazarus, who had been so long his bosom friend, wept aloud. "Weep not! thou shalt see me another day, my friends," he said. "I go now to the wilderness in obedience to the Spirit which guideth

Thus speaking, he turned and walked out of the water on the side towards Bethabara, and disappeared among the trees that fringed the bank. I now looked in the face of Rabbi Amos, upon whose arm Mary was tearfully leaning, still under the influence of the terror which the scenes she had been a specta-glory of his beauty had passed away, and the tor of, had produced in her soul. His face was grave and thoughtful. I said, "Uncle, dost thou believe all that thou hast seen and heard?" "I know not what to say," he answered, only that which I have beheld this day are evidences that God has not forgotten his people Israel!" He said no more. We left the banks of the Jordan in silence and awe, and remounting our mules, which the two Gibeon-me thither. Thou shalt, after a time, behold ite slaves held for us in waiting, under a palm me again. It is expedient that I go whither tree not far off, we returned towards my un- I go." cle's house at Gilgal. On the way we constantly passed crowds of people who were riding and walking; and all were in high talk about what had taken place at the river. The impression seemed to be that Jesus had gone up into heaven.

But, my dear father, it is with deep joy that I am able to tell you that this wonderful person is still on the earth, and doubtless permitted to remain for some great purpose. I stated that my cousin John, and Lazarus, the Secretary of the Scribes, had kept their eyes upon him from the first, and that they had seen him pass down the river where some projecting and overhanging trees hid him at once from view. They followed him, though they often lost sight of him, by the print of

"Nay, but we will go with thee," said Lazarus, earnestly. "If thou art to endure evil, we will be with thee."

"There must be none to help. There must be none to uphold," he said firmly, but sadly. "I must tread the wine press of temptation alone!"

He then left them, waving his hand for them to go back, which they did sorrowfully, wondering what his words meant, and wherefore it was needful for him to go into the desert, where certain mysterious trials seemed to await him; and they wondered most of all at the change in his countenance, which from being lustrous with celestial light, was now, said Lazarus, "marred more than the sons of men." From time to time the two young