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3. F, DAtJG, Editor,
VOL m.-\ew Series, Vol. 19.
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■Jama T. Blain.
JOHN CALVIN, GENEVA, &c.
Messrs. Erlito's.—Soow after reaching
the Swiss capital, I set out one morning lo
visit the spot where dwelt the great Refor
mer, while in mortal flesh'. Alas, how
changed are tlie times! Tlie cradle of
Calvinism lias almost forgotten Calvin!—
Supposing that every one must know where
so distinguished a person had lived, I was ‘
pot a little surprised to fiud how few could
give me any direction whatever to the in
teresting spot. How different in Edinburgh
—there every old woman and child could
tell me of John Knox’s house in High street.
But tlie Christian traveler will look in
vain for the Geneva of the sixteenth in the
Geneva of tlie nineteenth century. Under
the influence of Sociuian and Rationalistic
views, the doctrine, reputation, and almost
the name of Calvin have been swept away. I
Geneva owes more to Calvin than any
other mortal—her history, her fame, is Cal- !
vinistic. Not only in the sixteenth century
did that immortal man render the city of
his adoption illustrious throughout Europe,
but at every subsequent period the interest
felt by enlightened men in Geneva, is more j
the consequence of its association with the 1
name of Calvin, than any other cause.
Calvin was a scholar, a philosopher, and
an accomplished writer, liis was the great
genius stamping itself ori the institutions j
of the age. His fame and his influence *
could not be confined to a Swiss Canton;
they were felt throughout Europe. Lite
rary men and scholars cannot withhold
‘Ttie.ir respect anil admiration from the man j
and liis memory, however they may differ
from his opinions. Few men of reflection
visit Geneva, without seeking out some
memorial of the great Reformer, whom
SeaSger, always sparing of praise, declares
4o have been “the most exalted character
that had appeared si ace the days of the
Apostles, and the mast learned man ill
.Europe.”
After considerable search and inquiry, j
the house of Calvin was found in an old
crowded part of the town, among narrow
crooked streets, and tall, quaint looking
buildings. It is just below the Cathedral j
of St. Peter in Ruc.du Petit Perron, at the.
point where the narrow street branches o!f
into two others. Here may be seen, stand
ing a little back from the street, a five story ,
building, quite narrow, and very remarka-
We for a little semi-circular romn, project
ing from the second story. This is the \
itouse of Calvin, and that singular little
-room projecting out from the building some j
tfivc feet by six perhaps, what is that ? An
umbrella maker opposite, noticing my per
plexity, politely came l'n'wa.d with the ne
cessary explanation. That little room was
la petite chapel/e, said my polite informer.
Here, then, in tins contracted spot the great
Reformer had held converse with God;
here he had wrestled in prayer, and had
prevailed. From this little spot he went
forth as did Elisha of old; from liis “link:
chamber on the wall,” strong in the wis
dom and power of God, to execute that
great work in which he was so long and so
successfully eiigagcJ.
Since the memorable period of Calvin’s
labors,Geneva has experienced many moral
as well as political vicissitude's. The beau
tiful city of orthodoxy, as it was in the
sixteenth century, has suffered front the in
fluence of French infidelity and German
rationalism, not a little. Here Calvin and
Beza “reasoned of righteousness and a
judgment to comeand here, also, Vol
taire and Rousseau reasoned out the mon
strous propositions of a liceulious philoso-
Just without the walls of the city, on the
beautiful eminence of St. Jean, may be seen
if,s Delices, the villa once inhabited by the
prince of infidels. Like a general posted
mu an eminence, overlooking a stronghold
the much desired to reduce, so Voltaire,
from liis retreat on the heights of St. Jean,
could point the guns of his infidel battery, ;
ihis ingenious ridicule, against the hated
“Calvinism of Geneva, and the Protestant
ism of Europe. _
5t speaks not well for Geneva, that she
who has not a marble or monument to
Calvin, should have honored with a statue
in bronze the elegant and fascinating, but
infamous J. J. Rousseau. Such, however,
is the ease, and the author of “The Confes
sions” stands in colossal size on the He des
IBarques , one of the loveliest spots in Ge
neva, if not in all Europe.
Beautiful Geneva, reposing in Italian
sunlight at the foot of the snowy Alps, sur
rounded by the grand and beautiful in
nature, is destined to recover from the dark
mess which has swept over her, and resume
her ancient and honorable place inCliristian
propagation. Nat immediately, perhaps,
but ultimately, we hope and believe. The
Work of restoration is rarely rapid ; but
under evangelical influences, such us now
i Geneva, if it please God to continue
®lje (Djristiitn Me*
them, Wllf'fce Realized tha fondest hopes of
the Christian wtrld. an eminent degree
the wisdom and piety of Europe are col
lected in tlie shore of Lake Lemon. D’Au-
I bigue, A3alun, Gansscn, and M. Pilet, arc
men not to be forgotten; their lights can
i no more be hidden under a bushel, than
the everlasting glaciers of Mount Blanc
which hang above them. Those men, bv
their learning and genius, command the
respect of Europe, while they combine
with their learning the life and vigor of
sincere piety. We must not suppose that
the influence of these men is limited to the
college of evangelical theology, or is shut
up within the walls of Geneva; it is mis-
I sionary and aggressive.
Situated on the borders of France, Italy, ,
and Germany, this “city on a hill” affords
the most favorable position for dissemina- j
ling the light of its evangelical literature
tippn the darkness around and b low it. i
Aware of this happy position, tlie active j
and enterprising spirits occupying it, neglect
j not their Opportunity.
Recently some alarm has been felt for
Geneva, and a fear indulged that she was
j returning to Catholicism, because her Pro- 1
testant political institutions were undergo
ing change. But this change is not to suit j
her institutions to Rome, but to the progress
of the age. The Genevese Government
maybe liberalizing, but not Romanizing, j
j Hereafter, very likely, she will be more tol
erant to Rome, and at the same time less
Remon than ever. The Genevese arc too
enlightened, are too well educated, and
have seen too much of Rome ever to return
to her. Their danger lies in the opposite
quarter. It is from the errors of specula
tion, not of tradition, that we have most
reason to fear for this people.— For. Cor.
Presbyterian.
‘ THE KING SHALL HAVE IIISOWN
AGAIN.”
hi the first chapter of the Revelation, our
Saviour is entitled “the Prince of tlie kings
of the earth.” To him belongs the prima
cy over all monarchs in point of dignity
and power. He is King of kingsand Lord
of lords. The whole dominion is liis terri
tory, and to him pertains absolute dominion
overall persons and things therein contain
ed. “The earth is the Lord’s, and the ful
ness thereof.” * - —■ .. , -
It is true, that, for the present, and lor a :
long time past, he lias been excluded from
his just sovereignty over the greater part of
lids wide dominion, and his authority is
hut imperfectly obeyed in any part of it.
Yet lie is truly King and Lord of all in
point of right, it not in point of fact; and it
is also true, that, in tlie fulness of time lie
will recover entire possession ofhis liglilful
empire, and receive the heathen for liis in- \
licritance, and the uttermost parts of tlie
earth far !.is possession. However ills- j
cooragiug the present aspect of his kingdom
and alia its may be. to human view, every
loyal subject of liis divine crown is bound i
to believe most fully in the promised resto
ration of his spiritual power over the whole
earth; and also to pray without ceasing,
and toil without fainting, to hasten that
day of glory.
When Oliver Cromwell was in posses
sion of the supreme power in Great Bri
tain, and its dependences, the vigilance
and energy of liis rule so effectually put
down all the resources of the royalist party,
that it would seem that they must have
utterly despaired of the restoration of the
Stuarts. And yet, with boundless devo
tion to the fortunes of that house of worth
less tyrants, the cavaliers, whether sup
pressed at home, or wandering in exile
abroad, still cherished the confident assur
ance of the return of their idolized mou
arclis to power. Wherever they dared,
they sang an enthusiastic song, of which
the oft-repeated burden was, —“The king
shall have liis own again!” This conli- ;
deuce of their, thus hoping against hope,
greatly helped to bring about the event for
which they s'ghcd; and the bank-died Stu
arts at last, for a while, resumed tlie ances
tral throne they were so unworthy and in
capable of filling.
i Oli, that among the followers of Jesus,
the Great King, there were a little enthusi
astic feeling, in this case most worthily and
desirably excited, that “the King shall have
his own again !”—that lie must have it, —-
that lie will have it, —until every knee shall
bow in homage to him, and every tongue
shall own him Lord, and pronounce the
{ solemn oath of allegiance, sealed at thesa- ;
cramental board, —until lie shall be King
of saints and of nations; and shall sit su- !
j picnic, with disputed saw upon bis holy
hill of Zioil. What a blessed anticipation !
“Our King shall have his own again.”
We see, on a review of the history of the
world, that the great event draws nigh.
As Coleridge has nobly said, —“ The whole
march of nature and history, from the first
impregnation of Chaos by the Spirit, con
| verges toward this kingdom as the final
cause of the world.” It was for the sotting
up of this kingdom oil this Western hemis
phere, that our Pilgrim Fathers crossed the
| deap so terrible to them. It is for this their
descendants arc planting the banner of liis
cross all the way from llie Atlantic to the
Pacific shores. It is for this, that so many
of their sons and daughters, inheriting their
loyalty, and faith, and zeal, are going forth
as missionaries to proclaim him King among
all the Gentile nations, and to say unto
Zion everywhere, “Thy God reigneth!” I
PenfieM, Georgia, Thursday,week 27, 1851.
Yes, Jesus shall reign. The King shall
receive his own again. — Puritan Recorder.
| SOME DIRECTIONS” TcT BACKSLI
DERS.
1. Set apart special times lo humble your
self before God by fasting and prayer. Ex
traordinary cases requite the use ol extrnor
din#ry means. When a great army was
| corning against Jehosophnt, it is said, “he
feared, and set himself to seek the Lord, and
proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah.”—
But ihe loss of tlie soul isol more account to j
you than the temporal overthrow of a coun
try was to him. When Judah fin - his buck
sliding was under the -frowas of God in Ba
bylon, and had been so for about seventy ;
years, Daniel says, “I set my face unto the
Lord God, to seek by prayer and suppliea- }
tion, with fasting and sackcloth an3 ashes.” 1
The apostle Paul plainly intimates that there !
1 are times wherein we are required to give I
ourselves to fasting and prayer. And sure
ly there can lie no times in which those !
means are more necessary than when vve
have got out of the way, and desire to re- i
cover it. There is much meaning in the ■
words, “He set himself to seek the Lord,” ,
and “1 set my lace unto the Lord God."— j
They denote something more than the ex
traordinary exercises ol prayer; even a
special fixedness of the thoughts, purposes .
ami desires to particular objects: arid God
lias usually honored these extraordinary
approaches to hint, when influenced by a
pure motive, with su< cess. It is true, we
may attend to duty in a superstitious and
sell-righteous spirit; resting in it as an end, i
instead of using it as a means; but this is
not “setting our face unto the Lord,” or
“seeking him;” A day devoted to God in
humiliation, fasting and prayer, occasional
ly occupied with reading suitable parts of
the Holy Scriptures, may, bv the blessing of
the Holy Spirit, contribute more to the sub
duing of sin, and the recovery of a right
mind; than years spent in a sort of half
hearted exorcise.
-. To prayer, it is necessary to add
watchfulness. Our Lord unites these to- i
getherns an antidote against temptation.—
It has sometimes been one ot the devices of
Satan, after a backslider hns been drawing
near to God, and strongly soliciting for
mercy, yea, alter a time lias been set apart
for this purpose, to ply him afresh w ith some
; powerful temptation; and wliild Ids mind
i has been unsuspicious, and it nay he flunk
ing itself to be somewhat secure on account .
of having so lately been engaged in earnest
devotion, he has been surprised and over
come! ‘l'lie consequence, as might be ex
pected, has been a future neglect of prayer,
under the idea that it must have been mere
hypocrisy before, and would now be adding ,
sn to sin. Instead of depending upon spi- ;
ritual frames for preservation, olid especial- !
Iv when they are over, perhaps we ought :o
expect that our comforts should be succeed- ;
od by conflicts. Wo know it was so in sc- !
viral cases recorded in the Scriptures. Im
mediately after drinking at the smitten rock
at Rephidim, Israel was called to fight with i
Amalek. Paul's thorn in the flesh succeed
ed to extraordinary revelations. Our Lud j
himself went up from Jordan in.o the \vil- I
del ness to be tempted of the dtvll.
a. In your approaches to the Savior, let it |
be under the. character in which you first ap- j
plied to him for msr&y, that of a sinner. II
you attempt to approach the thronaol grace
as a good man who has backslidden from i
God, you may find it impossible lo support
that character. The reality of your con
version may be doubtful, not only in your
apprehension, but in itself. Your approach,
therefore, must not be as one that is wash- i
at, and needeth not, save to wash his feet: but
as one who is defiled throughout whose !
hands and head, and every part needs to he ‘
cleansed. Do not employ yourself in raking
over the rubbish of your past hie iri search
ofcvidence thatyou areaCln istian. You will
not he able in your present state ol mind to
decide that question; nor would it be of any
service to you if you could decide it. One
thing is certain, you are a sinner, a poor,
miserable, perishing sinner; the door of mer
cy is open,and you are welcome to enter it.
Let your past character then have been
wluu it may, and let your conversion lie
ever to doubtful, if you can from this time
relinquish all for Christ eternal life is be
fore you.
The Laodiceans, who though composing
a Christian church, were doubtful cliarac- 1
ters, are counselled to deal with Christ in
the same manner as sinners deal with him,
for riches, for righteousness, and for hea
; venly wisdom.
4. In all your supplications , he contented
with nothing short of a complete recovery.
It is possible you may obtain so much as
: Cendancvover your evil propensities, that
they may seem to be slain before you; or at
least that you are in no particular danger of 1
! yielding to them any more; and yet you 1
may not have recovered that holy rest in
God, that sweet peace which arises from
confessing our sins upon the head of the
Gospel Sacrifice. But while this is the
case tliese is no security against their revi
val. The first temptation by which'you
are assaulted may afford lamentable proof
that they are vet alive. Nothing will serve
as a preservative against the rising of evil
propensities short of walking with God. — [
There is much important truth in that dc- j
duration of the apostle, This I say then,
walk in the spirit, and yc shall not fulfil the
lusts of the Jlesh. Sin is not to bo opposed !
i so much directly as indirectly; not by mere !
THE TRUTH IN L#^E.
j resiSran ef by opposing other principles
to it. It is d<it by contending with the fire,
i espdciaflj’Jh'ith combustible materials about
us, that i|t’ fhoutfl be able to quench it; but
by with the opposite ele
ment. Tjjr .pleasure of sense wilt not he
effectually Subdued by foregoing all enjoy,
ment; but By imbibing other pleasures, tlie
: relish of wivli shall deaden the heart to
what is opfcsiie. It was thus that the apos
tle hec&mglfcru? to the world by the cross of
Chris}, <Jfe jwl therefore reckon thyself
restored, tiw Thou hast recovered commu
nion with ®od. David though tlie subject
of deep CMnlion, yet was not contented
without gafiing this important point. Till
then the prison would still at times be rank
ling in bis Imagination Hence arose the
following petitions: “Create in me a dean
! heart. O and tenew a right spirit with
in me. Ciift me not away from thy pre
sence; nndjlake not thv Holy Spirit from
me. llestafe unto me the joy of thy salva
lien: aqij uphold me with thy free Spirit.”—
Make theseppetitions thine own; and if God
grant tlie t®ng that thine heart desireth, go
and sin no More, lest a worse thing come
upon thedJ-.lwrfmi’ Fuller.
CHRIST WANTS.
Christ came into the world to meet the
great want* of mail’s nature and condition; j
and in proiution as wc realize our wants
do wc rcalSc his worth and appreciate liis
work, ‘litved, we can never fully’ compre
hend the claraeter and the work of Christ !
till we vi®v them subjectively, in their ‘
adaptatioulo ourselves.
Our firsHgreut want as spiritual beings
arises froiisaur ignorance—a want ol know
ledge both ol God and of our own duty and
destiny, .•thou these points philosophy has
vainly atlqaipicd to shed light. “The world I
by wisdqr Uinew riot God.” Pitiable, in- j
deed, were the endeavors ol the sages and
moralists otantiquily to solve the problems
of man’s existence and bis relations to a i
higher powfi; arid no less pitiable have been I
the attempt# of modern infidel philosophers I
—though #iey have conducted their inqui
ries under me reflected light of Revelation
to solve tliiesd same problems without the
recognition*)}man’s fall and redemption, of
God’s moml government, and the way of
salvation tjjaChrist. Once throw the mind
out of the sofiere ißunruated by the Gospel,
j and it upp-nipl- in the blackness of darkness
; forever. There is no such thing as coming
to a knowledge ot the truth,to a satisfacto
ry solution! of questions over wh cli the
mind wearies and the heart aches. But in
Christ are i)|d all the treasures of wisdom
and knowledge. He has revealed all lie- j
ccssary mural truth; lie has procured for us j
the inward teaching of the Holy Spirit; ho !
is at all flaws the guide <>f those that put 1
their trust in him. Christ is made to us
ll’isdoru, f
Our tie & real want ai iscs from our state |
of condemrtitioii. As transgressors of the 1
law, guilty and condemned, we need justi
fication, cqjxi - righteousness, by virtue of:
which weSpy stand before the Judge of ;
all. the earth as if we Had not sinned. For
this lepentt&icc cannot avni'; this no voiuii- |
lary sacrifice* on our part can procure; this
no works dleupercrogation by ourselves or !
others, evgfc.il these were possible, could
ever demailjth . We must be delivered from
cuiideimiutipli by a power extraneous to
ourselves; fctr righteousness, the ground of
j list ificatioiit Upon vvh cli we stand, must be
provided b§one capable of making or of
enduring a expression of God’s regard for
liis violate! law, which shall be equivalent,
lbr all mor: purposes, to the infliction of
the penalty upon each transgressor. This
Christ has irovided; his merits atone for
oilr sins. eis made to us Righteousness.
Our ncx great want arises from the cor
ruption of i ur nature; the want of sanctifi
cation. T 1 is want is real, it is ff.lt, it is
universal; is test fled lo by thousands of
smoking ul jrs, and by millions of bleeding,
aching hea ts. We are deprave! beings!
We know ‘, we feel it, we arc wretched j
because of t; and we cannot be made truly
happy till p: are sanctified. Education,
social refit fment, outward improvement,
tliese will i it meet this deepest want of the
soul. iteration alone can meet it; the
communici ion ol a h glior life, commensu
rate with tl b soul’s powers and capacities, i
and with i I immortal being. This, too,
must be aci bmpiislied, at least in part,from
without, aiv by a Higher Power; yet not
mechanical y, but through the truth. And
of this wor ! Christ, by his word and by his
spirit, is tlii author. In communion with
him wo foil nu impulse toward a higher
lift;; by the communication of his grace our !
souls are pi rifled. He is made to us Sunc
tificutign. *
There is tyet another great want, arising
fiom our p< iition in this world as a state ot
probation; I is the want of spiritual help
of au assure 1 deliverance under the trials of
life, in the lour of death, and for eternity. !
This,notlut g within ourselves can furnish;
this, no am of flesh can bring us; this, no
thing in the world can give. But this, in
its fullest xteiit, Christ affords. He is
made to us ‘'Redemption, complete and eter
nal. j
Since, then, Christ is so wonderfully
adapted to our every want, as spiritual and
j immortal brings, how should we accustom
; ourselves to go to Him, and to confide in
Him? AMmow should each new contem
plation ofCjn ist ju his word and ordinances
renew towards Him our gratUii(l§ and love.
. —ln depend ht.’
From the New York Sunday Time*.
THRONE AND TREASURES OF
SARDANAPALUS.
Mr. Layard, the great Orientalist, is now
in Assyria, illustrating the prophecies and
establishing the truth of Sacred History by
the most remarkable discoveries that have
ever resulted from antiquarian research.
His last letters to his sc entitle friends in
England announce the exhumation of the
throne of Sard ana pa I us, the last of tlie As
syrian Kings, from the ruins of Iris palace
at Nimrond or Nineveh. The principal
material of the throne, Mr. Layard says, is
ivory, the ornaments of gold. Traces of
the cloth with which it was draped remain,
and the gold thread with which the cloth
was sewn and embroidered is still in a good
state of preservation, although full three
thousand years must have elapsed since the
work was executed !
In the same ruin in which the throne was
discovered, a miscellaneous collection of
rich armor, antique vessels, cosily apparel
and other treasures were found, and ail En
glish paper says that their perplexing con
fusion is perfectly unaccountable. We do
not think soai all. The rulers of a besieged
city, preparing to escape from its walls,
! would naturally heap their treasures to
! gether in this way for the purpose of bear
ing them off, an object which could hardly
bo accomplished, however, if the irruption i
of the enemy was as sudden and overwhel
ming as the prophecy of Nahum against j
Nineveh would lead us to suppose. There j
is yes-another solution of the difficulty sug
gested by a young Orientalist, and founded
on a passage of Diodorus Siculus. Sar
danapalus, when the Medcs under Arbaces
had entered Nineveh, through a breach in
its walls caused by a sudden rise of the
Euphrates, collected all liis valuables, his
vestments, bis armor, liis gold and silver
vessels, &c., into one vast funeral pile, on
j the summit of which ho seated himself and
j his wives, concubines, servants, and cu
! noclis, and causing the torch to be applied,
the wtiole was consumed. Byron’s mag
i nificent drama of “Sardanapulus,” it will
’ be recollected, terminates with this grand
| coup dr theatre —the poet, however, for ihe
sake of dramatic effect, representing tlie
only companion of the monarch to have
been a favorite concubine. The passage
from the Roman Historian is given in the
1 following condensed form bv an Knelish
| paper:
‘•J Uodortis relates that one of the cunoehs,
not yet tired oflife, oral least having an in- j
j surmountable objection to so fiery a mode j
i of going out of it, made liis escape and gave
j information to a Babylonian priest that |
under the itiius of the king’s palace might I
be found enormous treasures. The priest
went straight to Arbaces, who, in the midst 1
ofhis triumphs, was distributing rewards to :
his satraps, and, reminding tlie monarch I
that lie ,liad predicted the fall of Nineveh, 1
said that in the midst of tlie battle he had
vowed a vow to Balus, that if the Babylo
nians were victorious, lie would convey j
the ruins of the palace to Babylon, and j
erect there a temple to that god, which
should he at once a monument of the des- j
(ruction ot Nineveh, and serve us a land
mark to those who navigated the river that
ran through that great city. The Median
king, who was described by Diodorus as
possessing a noble and generous disposition,
granted him all the ruins of Ihe ruyul pal
ace for this purpose. The priest then, with
flic help of the eutioch, removed the great
er part of tlie treasure, but the fraud was dis
covered, mid lie was condemned to death.”
The proceedings of flic priest were of
course secret, and therefore the ijivestiga- j
tion of the ruins could not have been so !
complete as if it had been open. This c ; r- |
cumstatice may account for tlie incongruous
heap of valuables exhumed by Mr. Layard. j
Assuming the hypothesis to be correct, it J
will be seen that if the eunuch had not had ;
so strong a dislike to the roasting process, i
Mr. Layard might l>v this time have been
in possession of all the treasures of Sardan- |
apalus.
It appears that the throne and the arti
cles found by Mr. Layard bore no traces of
(ire, a fact which seems to contrad ct the
above theory. The palace, in the runs of
! which they wore discovered, was, howev
er, ascertained, beyond all doubt, by the in
scriptions and other indicia, to have been
one of the palaces of flic luxurious Assyri
an, although it may not have been (lie one
in which flic royal auto-da fc took place.
A startling discovery, confirmatory of the
truth of the book ol Jonah, has been made
by Mr. Layard. In excavating the city of
Nineveh, he discovered the name of Jonah
inscribed upon the ruins. That prophet, as
our readers know, was scut lo announce to j
i the people of Nineveh the destruction of
the city. His eloquence converted many
of them, and “God repented him” of the
! doom He had pronounced, and spared the
| city for that time. Jonah then became the
j prophet of Nineveh, and was reverenced
by the inhabitants. As was the Oriental
| custom, they doubtless inscribed liis name
in conspicuous places on tlie walls of the
public edifices, and the inscriptions engrnv- :
| edby Assyrian hands a thousand years be
! fore tha Christian era, havo been iouiid by |
Mr. Layard. This I s 0,10 l h° most ex
traordinary demonstrations of flip accuracy
of Biblical history vve have ever hpapd of.
As yet we have paly seen the beginning
I of the end. The city of Nineveh has scarcer j
j !y yet been entered; ?,p|d whep the
J. T. BLAIN, Printer.
| tions shall have been completed, if Maho
metan jealousy should ever permit that COOc
summation, we may expect illustration* of
the prophecies that will strike the worRI
i with awe and wonder.
Great credit is due to the British govern
ment for the munificent spirit they have ex
hibited in aiding the labors of Mr. Layard
—placing at his command vessels for the
navigation of the Euphrates, conveying to
England the magnificent sculptures which
he has disentombed, and affording him ev
ery facility which money or British author
ity could secure.
From the Watchman and Reflector.
THE INVISIBLE WORLD.—THE MINIS.
TRY OF ANGELS.
bt old Jacob.
I love to indulge in speculations Upon tht
things of another world, when I have ahy
foundation on which to build them. I be
lieve, that when based upon the facts which
j nature exhibits, or which the Scriptures re
veal, they may exert a good influence ov#r
us; especially, by familiarizing our mindb
; somewhat with that state on which wear*
; soon to enter. One of these speculations f
take the liberty of presenting to the reader,
and hope that it may not be without some
interest for him.
j I used frequently when a boy, to amusft
myself, by taking a certain species of worm
from its abode without, placing it upon tnf
| shelf, furnishing it with food from day tj
; day, and watching the changes through
which it passed, till at length it came forth
from its tomb of shell, and entered upon lip
new state of existence, a beautiful butterfly.
I recollect on one occasion especially, when
I assisted the struggling creature to free it
self from what seemed to have been its
; grave,and ministered to it a passage into
the new world appointed for its reception.
Away it flew like a winged spirit, as I aid
ed it in breaking the fetters of its former
state, and commenced feeding on the flow
ers of the field, roaming from one to anoth
er at its will.
I have often reflected upon this matter,
and thus have 1 thought. Here is a worm,
for which a future is appointed. It passes
through, in order to reach that future, what
! if perhaps, is death. It seems to have 4
burial. It comes forth from its grave, fur
uished with new powers, into a world aW
/ prepared for, and adapted to, its new capac-
I ilies—a world in which it has a far wider
range than in the state which it left, and in
which new sources of pleasure are opened
jto it. It could not have known any thing
!of all this. What it would be, it could not
: have told, but a place was prepared for it.
The beneficent Creator had made abundant
provision for its future state. What may
have been its sensations, as it entered the
new world made ready for it? - Was there
any recognition of its former self—any
memories of the past?
Here, two, was I, whose position in the
scale of being was such, that I could take
cognizance of both the states of this poof
worm—what was its present, and its fu
ture. My existence reached through both.
I saw it die—l saw it rise again. What it
passed through, may have been as much.
death to it, as death will be to me. Did I,
think of dpcay, of destruction, of death,
when I saw it passing through its change
from one world to another? No—l thought
only of change. To me, there did not seerii
even a suspension of life, but simply a birth
into anew state. It all seemed perfectly
natural. Its death was but one of the
laws of nature, whose operation was w&teh
ed by me with a curious eye.
Nay more—l was a ministering spirit to,
this poor worm, though it may not have
known me as such. To it I was in a cer
tain sens? invisible, so tar did my sphere
transcend bis own. But I helped it to live
| —I was with it in the hour of its death—f
helped it to rise from death—l stood ready
to welcome it into its new world. I was in
; both its worlds.
• Thus may it be with me. lam a worm
|— 1 100 must die. It may seem terrible to
me. Yet why should it? I know thht there
arc angels of God. who are ministering spir
its— whose existence reaches through tb
world in which I am, and into that in which
lam to go. They may help me to live.—
They may minister, unseen, in a thousand
ways to my wants, here. They can see mo
when J enter the realms of death. Perhaps
they will then regard me with some such
feeling and interest, only far deeper and
warmer, as I did the worm in its Chang*.
Perhaps they no more associate the idea <Sf
decay or destruction with death,than 1 did
when I looked upon the worm.
Perhaps there may not seem ’t'd'them
even a suspension of life. Perhaps they
1 regard death, just as I do the. operation of
i any natural law whose workings 1 can
trace. Perhaps, too, they will aid me in
my death struggles. Perhaps they will
help my spirit, as it seeks to free itself from
all that is mortal, and will assist iu minis
tering to me an entrance into my new staid
of existence. Perhaps they stauid ready to
welcome me therein. 7'hejf are in it al
ready. They perhaps wish me there abo.<
There may be more meaning in that:
passage of the Apostle, about “ministering
spirits.” than 1 have ever dreamed of.—
Viewed in this light, death seems divested
; of its terrors, and more as it is represetit&d
:in the Spriptures—as a sleep—a reposfc,
i over which beneficent spirits watch, Wfifr’
! ing for and assisting us to oar wakin|.
Number 13.