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of teeth, without hope and without end-awful change!-beyond conception awful-to all who shall then be found to have lived without God and without Christ in the world. "O that they were wise, that they understood this, that they would consider their latter end."

But unspeakably joyous and glorious will be this change, to all the people of God. Faith will then be changed into vision, and they will behold their Saviour, face to face. They will change all the sufferings of time for all the ecstacy of eternity. They will change a state of infirmity for one where no inhabitant shall ever say I am sick; but where all shall possess eternal health, activity, and vigour. They shall change the scoffs and reproaches of wicked men for the approbation and applause of God and angels. They shall change a state of labour for a state of rest and reward. They shall change all their doubts and fears, their languor, coldness and sluggishness, in the divine life, for a perfect and enduring assurance of God's love, and the most delightful freedom in his service. They shall change, in a word, a state of sin and imperfection, for a state of immaculate holiness and resemblance to the blessed God-where no enemy or temptation shall ever again assail them; where the body of this death shall no more oppress them; where they shall have no more contentions and conflicts with any of their corruptions; but where the soul shall be completely purified, and shall drink without interruption, and with ever increasing delight, of the rivers of pleasure which flow at God's right hand. Thrice blessed and desirable change! Come the happy hour that shall bring it near!" Come quickly; even so, come Lord Jesus."

In closing the subject, fidelity to my Master, and to their own souls demands, that I solemnly call on those whose consciences inform them that they are yet in their sins, to accept the offered grace of God to-day. To-day you enter on a new year; and after all the days and years you have passed, the whole business of life, as you have heard, is still before you-it is still all on your hands. Is it not time to set about it in earnest? May not "the time past of your life suffice you to have wrought the will of the flesh?" When do you propose to be wise for eternity?-O beware, I conjure you, that you be not surprised into remediless misery! Resolve, in the strength of an Almighty Saviour, that this year, this day, yea, from this good hour, you will be for God-that the care of the soul shall be to you the "one thing needful," till its salvation is ensured, by a vital union with the Lord Jesus Christ. If my earnest wishes, and prayers, and entreaties, under the blessing of God, shall induce you thus to resolve and act, you will look back to this year, this day, this hour, as one ineffably happy-the one when happiness inconceivable and endless began, and was made assuredly yours.

Let those who are yet in painful doubt on the subject of their spiritual state, be reminded by this day and this discourse, that their time for ascertaining their true standing as candidates for the weal or woe of eternity, is fast stealing away, and that they know not how soon, whether doubting or resolved, their decisive change will come. "How long halt ye between two opinions?" Be exhorted to aim at a higher standard of piety than you have yet proposed to yourselves; and if you reach it, your doubts and fears will be likely to vanish with the attainment. Instead of poring over your past experience, go right to the foot of the cross, and as perishing sinners embrace a crucified Saviour, who is as freely offered to you now, as he ever was. If your faith, invigorated by the Spirit of all grace, shall give you sensible freedom to

trust yourselves simply and solely on the righteousness of Christ, and shall shed abroad his love in your hearts, quickening you in all duty, and giving you a hatred of all sin, you ought to be comforted and established-If you are not, your fears and doubts will then be infirmities, which if they follow you to your great change, will, after it is past, leave you entirely and for ever. Christians who possess C6 a good hope through grace,' ""the full assurance of hope," "a hope full of immortality"-this surely must be a joyful day to you. The recurrence of every such day, is a way-mark to travellers on the journey of human life; and this day you see another of these significant monitors, that your pilgrimage is rapidly approaching its happy termination; that you are one marked portion of time nearer, than on the last occurrence of a new year, to the great change which will carry you from earth to heaven. "Rejoice always, and again I say rejoice;" but be not impatient. Say, with the holy man who spoke our text,-" all the days of my appointed time will I wait, till my change come." And while you wait, be active and exemplary in every duty. "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven." Keep in mind that all the trials of this mortal state, only "work out for you a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; while you look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen." Yes, dear brethren, often look across this vale of tears, and the valley of the shadow of death, to the region of light and life eternal that lies beyond. There every sorrow will be turned into joy, in the immediate presence and vision of that precious Redeemer to whom you now look by the eye of faith-There

"His own soft hand shall wipe the tears,

From every weeping eye;

And pains, and groans, and griefs and fears,
And death itself shall die.

"How long, dear Saviour, O how long!

Shall this bright hour delay;

Fly swifter round, ye wheels of time,

And bring the welcome day."

From the Christian Observer for October ult.

THE THEBAN LEGION.

The vale of the Rhone, in the environs of St. Maurice and Martigny, is one of the interesting spots so frequently visited in Switzerland. The snowy pinnacles of the Dent de Midi; the various other Alpine elevations; the beautiful water-fall, rushing down the rocks like a liquid avalanche; the extensive forests mantling the mountains; the rolling and impetuous Rhone-these, and a thousand nameless beauties, give an impression to the scene which none who have a heart to feel the beauties of nature can fail to experience. But of the many Christian travellers who have gazed on these works of the Creator, few, comparatively, appear to have recalled to memory that it was amidst these scenes that is said to have occurred one of the most remarkable examples of martyrdom with which ecclesiastical history has made us acquainted. It was here that the Theban Legion, consisting of more than six thousand Christian soldiers, died voluntarily for Christ their Master. The Roman army, under Maximian, was on its march for Ch. Adv.-VOL. XII.

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Gaul. At Octodurum (Martigny) the emperor commanded a festival celebration in honour of the gods, and the Christian soldiers were called on to participate. Far was it from Christian firmness in those days to yield to the most distant appearance of idolatrous worship. The Theban Legion retired to a strong position, under the command of Mauritius, its chieftain, in order to avoid the sacrifice to idols. Maximian, in consequence, inflicted a decimation of the whole legion. Gladly, calmly, triumphantly, did each tenth soldier present his breast to the sword. The survivors remaining faithful to their Saviour, a second decimation was ordered; and this second band of martyrs showed themselves as unshaken in their fidelity to their Redeemer as their deceased brethren. In this second execution, Mauritius their leader was sacrificed. At length, Maximian, seeing that their constancy was invincible, ordered the execution of the whole of the remainder of the legion; all of whom, unresistingly, calmly, firmly, patiently, died in their ranks, faithful martyrs to Him who had died for them on Calvary.

The feelings excited by recently visiting the scene of this deed of Christian chivalry suggested the following lines.

THE THEBAN LEGION.

Days of the Alps return!
Ye meaner thoughts, retire!
Burn, rock and mountain-valley, burn,
As once with martyr fire!

'Tis not thy torrent force,
Old Rhone, I gaze along:

Rush, white and deep, thou cascade hoarse,
To win another's song.

Let others laud the plain
Where vines entwine the bower,

The forest's clime, the snow's domain,
Or Mont Blanc's thunder tower.

But, thousands of the brave,
Where, where your Alpine bed?
I seek, I sing, your mountain grave;
I hymn the martyr dead.

"Twas not the crimson flow,

Of battle round you poured:
Your sovereign laid your legion low;
In peace your eagles soared.

'Twas not the rebel shout

Which rolled through all your host: Those lightning spears the panic rout Of Roman foes might boast.

For Christ, the Martyr King,
Here flowed the blood-red tide;
A trophy to his cross to bring
Here soldier-like ye died.

Twice thro' each tenth heart ploughed
The fatal sword its path;

And last, the whole bright phalanx bowed
Its legion strength in death.

No cry along your line,

No coward shriek was there:
St. Maurice gave the martyr sign,
"For Christ to die we dare."

Soldiers your fight is done-
Long past your victor day.
The crown of life immortal's won-
Ne'er past your victor lay.

Christian, maintain thy field;
Thy contest, too, will cease:

With Christ to lead, with Christ to shield,
Soon Victory! triumph! peace!

What, though a fiercer foe

Than Rome, tyrannic frown!

Heaven's power shall lay that foeman low:
On! onward to thy crown!

As the history of the Theban Legion is questioned by some authors, perhaps some of your readers, who have leisure for such inquiries, will favour us with their opinion of its authenticity.

ANGLICANUS.

FOR THE CHRISTIAN ADVOCATE.

THE TRIUMPHANT DEATH OF A CHRISTIAN NO CAUSE OF WONDER. The subjoined piece was written after reading the two following

verses, reprinted in the Nov. number of your Advocate, from “The London Christian Observer."

"Angels, as you wing your way,
From the realms of endless day,
Deign to grace our lower sky:
Come, and wonder;

Come and see a Christian die.

"Ye who tempt the heirs of glory,
Ye who hate redemption's story,
See your leader vanquish'd lie:
Come and wonder;

Come and see a Christian die."

Why should angels bend their flight,
From realms of uncreated light?
Why forsake their native sky?
Can they wonder

Christians should triumphant die?
Know they not the happy land
By the breeze of heaven fanned,
Where the saint at God's right hand,
Boundless blessings shall enjoy?
Can they wonder,

When they see a Christian die?
Come they?-Yes-but 'tis to wait
"Till the good man meets his fate;"
Then to heaven's glorious gate
Bear his soul triumphantly,
Not to wonder,

That the saint should calmly die!
Why should fiends from hell below,
In wonder to his death-bed go?
They may envy-for they know,
Easton, Pa. Dec. 1833.

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Should the Christian love to die?
They who once from heaven fell,
Down into the deepest hell;
Whose tortured tongues alone can tell
An angel's wo—an angel's joy:
Can they wonder,

Ransomed Christians long to die?
Christian, bought by priceless blood,
Welcome to the throne of God,
Tho' your head beneath the sod,
In corruption mouldering lie!
Happy Christian,

'Tis your privilege to die!
Will the weary wanderer weep,
When his couch is spread for sleep?
Will the runner slack his speed,
When he sees the glittering meed?
Will the warrior trembling fly,
When the shout is victory?
Child of earthly misery!
Heir of heaven's unwithering joy!
Oh the wonder,

Should the Christian shun to die!

I. L. G.

In poetry or in prose, we shall always welcome to our pages communications from the author of the above beautiful verses. We feared he had forgotten us.

Miscellaneous.

Translated for the Christian Advocate, from the Archives of Christianity, of the 26th of October ult.

A PARTICULAR KIND OF HYPOCRISY.

Hypocrisy is the daughter of pride; it is found in all ranks of society, and under all forms; and it is, moreover, never entirely extirpated from the human heart.

In order to class all sorts and kinds of hypocrisy, it would be necessary to have a nomenclature more complicated than that of Linnæus or of Berzelius. We have known hypocrites of philanthropy, who have lived and enriched themselves from their generosity to the poor; hypocrites of humility, who were never so much displeased as when they were taken at their word; hypocrites of virtue, who had attained perfection in concealing or in varnishing their vices; hypocrites of liberty, who clamoured for new privileges for the people, which they were the first to crush, if they mounted into power. Among these numerous

kinds of hypocrisy, the greatest disgrace attaches to religious hypocrites. This is just: the more sacred the subject of abuse, the greater is the shame and the crime of the abuser. He who was the TRUTH itself, combatted with all the energy of his divine words the hypocrites of religion-the doctors of the law and the Pharisees. He never refused his compassion or his benefits to the female sinner, to the publican, or to the Samaritan; but to that vile and odious hypocrisy which feared not to profane things the most sacred, which covered itself under the impostor's mask, which dishonoured God himself, according to the expression of Scripture, by the appearance of a piety which all its conduct falsified-religious hypocrisy Jesus Christ always reproached, in expressions of the most lively indignation.

There is, nevertheless, a particular kind of religious hypocrisy which has not been sufficiently noticed, and of which even those who are guilty of it cannot perhaps well render an account. We will charac

terize it in a few words.

If you have been engaged in labours and instructions for the promotion of Christian piety, and have reiterated, as often as you could, your conversations with your friends on the great truths of revelation, have you not frequently met with persons who have said to you very seriously -Faith in Christ is a most precious treasure; most happy are they who possess it! it sweetens the ills of the present life, and affords consolations under all its pains; it prompts to acts of devotedness which no other means are capable of producing; it helps to vanquish the most impetuous passions; it helps, above all things, to die with a sweet peace; it promises, in fine, to open to the believer the portals of eternity. Yes, blessed they who believe! I wish to believe the gospel as they do. But I cannot have that sincere and persevering piety which yields so many blessings in this world, and presents still greater in eternity.

Here is the language (if not the very words, at least the sense) which you have heard a score of times in the conversations of the world, and from persons worthy of the highest esteem. What are we to think of it? And what inference would naturally be made from it, by a stranger not acquainted with our manners? He would believe, most certainly, that these persons would neglect nothing to obtain a religious faith, the absence of which caused them such great regret, and which they professed to regard as the most precious of all treasures. He would think, without doubt, that they would seek, with a care the most indefatigable, that which they had declared to be "the pearl of great price" -that they would read the Bible as often as possible, that they would implore frequently of God to enlighten their minds and touch their hearts, that they would earnestly seek to enjoy the society of pious men -in a word, that they would employ the various means which might encourage the hope that they would at last obtain the Christian's faithFor the stranger of whom we are speaking would say I think thus, because when an object which I exceedingly desire to obtain is before me, I regard neither labour nor fatigue. If I am ambitious to get a post of honour from the state, nothing hinders me-no journeys, solicitations, petitions, nor even humiliations; if I seek to be rich, I retrench something from my hours of sleep, that I may devote it to any enterprise I may have in hand; I also observe a strict economy in my family, and sometimes deprive myself of things of real necessity. If then I have an earnest wish, as these persons in conversation declare they have if I have an ardent thirst to obtain faith in the truths of revela

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