Images de page
PDF
ePub

corrected himself, and the officer, no doubt

THE DAY OF DEATH. amazed, passed on. But the words he Thou inevitable day, spoke had rung through the gallery, and When a voice to me shall say, entered the ears of his fellow-soldier at the “Thou must rise and come away; other end, like a message from heaven. It “ All thine other journeys past, seemed as if an angel had spoken, or rather

Gird thee, and make ready fast as if God himself had proclaimed the good

For thy longest and thy last." news in that still hour. "The precious blood of Christ !”

Day deep-hidden from our sight, Yes; that was peace! His troubled soul was now at rest. That

In impenetrable night,

Who may guess of thee aright? midnight voice had spoken the good news to him, and God had carried home the

Art thou distant ? art thou near? message. “ The precious blood of Christ!"

Wilt thou seem more dark or clear-Strange but blessed watchword; never to

Day with more of hope or fear ? be forgotten.' For many a day and year,

Wilt thou come-not seen before no doubt, it would be the joy and rejoicing

Thou art standing at the door, of his heart.

Saying, “Light and life are o'er" ? We have entered on another year. We Or with such a gradual pace are mounting guard for another of the As shall leave me largest space watches of the world's night. Let us fur To regard thee, face to face ? nish ourselves with a heavenly watchword. Shall I lay my drooping head Can we have a better than “The Precious

On some loved lap? round my bed Blood of Christ” ?- Dr. Guthrie.

Prayer be made, and tears be shed ?
Or at a distance from my own,
Name and kin alike unknown,

Make my solitary moan?
ABSENCE FROM GOD.

Will there yet be things to leave,

Hearts to which this heart must cleave, IF I delight but in some garden, or

From which, parting, it must grieve ? walk, or gallery, I would be much in it; if I love my books, I am much with

Or shall life's best ties be o'er, them, and almost unweariedly poring on

And all loved ones gone before, them. The food which I love I would

To that other, happier shore ? often feed on; the clothes that I love, Shall I gently fall on sleepI would often wear; the recreations which

Death, like slumber, o'er me creep I love, I would often use them ; the

Like a slumber, sweet and deep ? business which I love, I would be much Or the soul long strive in vain employed in. And can I love God, and To get free, with toil and pain, that above all these, and yet have no desires From its half-divided chain ? to be with him ? Is it not a far likelier Little skills it where or how, sign of hatred than of love, when the If thou comest then or now, thoughts of our appearing before God are With a smooth or angry brow; our most grievous thoughts, and when we

Come thou must, and we must die; take ourselves as undone because we must

Jesus, Saviour, stand thou by, die and come unto him ?-Baxter.

When that last sleep seals our eye!

-R. C. Trench.

Our Missions.

THE BUDDHISM OF CEYLON.

| gorgeous hues of its flowere, and its rich

fruits. As he traverses its roads, he is SITUATED in the direct route to Calcutta shaded from the brilliant sun by innumelies the beautiful island of Ceylon. The rable groves of cocoa-nut trees, while here voyager over the weary waste of waters of l and there the noble banian-tree stretches, the Indian Ocean hails its mountain peaks in multitudinous branches, arch-like, across with joy, and on landing revels in the the way. exquisite greenness of the vegetation, the Its people are strange to him. His first

impulse is to ask, are they all women that , desert, and for six years he lived a hermit's inhabit this beautiful land ? Is it the life, feeding on the fruits of the trees, and paradise of the houris, of whom Mohammed occasionally on the bounty of a neighbourspeaks in the Koran? For if the people ing hamlet. whom he meets are not women, what are I His first discovery was that every present they? All alike are petticoated : a slight thing is in linked succession to that which jacket covers the upper part of the person, has gone before. Trained in the faith of the and the heads of all are adorned with Brahmins, he was already acquainted with huge combs of tortoiseshell. By-and-bye the doctrine of the transmigration of souls. he finds that these sleek, combed and petti And now he thought that pain and sorrow coated people are men, and handsome ones must have come as the consequence of some too, and that the women are to be known evil committed in a previous life. Trouble chiefly by the absence of the comb, the now was therefore nothing more than the want of whiskers, and a difference in the punishment of sin done in a previous birth. material of their dress.

Would not all sin cease then, and its conThe traveller has probably heard that in sequent punishment, if the soul could any the East the women of a country are way manage not to be born again? Cerusually secluded. But in Ceylon he finds | tainly. Hence his next discovery, that we them mingling freely in all companies, tak- have only to cease to be, to bring to an ing part in the business of life, and pro everlasting end all sorrow, affliction, pain, bably the chief managers of the shops." In and death. This state of blissful nonno more striking way does the genius of existence, of loss of life, thought, feeling, Buddhism, the religion of the country, he called “ Nirvana." He set this before show itself, than in the position it accords himself as the one great object of life-to to women, and the perfect equality in which die, so as never to revive again. it places them. In the eye of the Budd How was “Nirvana," or annihilation to hist shastre, men and women are alike be obtained? Clearly as what men now do on worthy of respect and of the salvation it earth constitutes the law and cause of their offers them.

future existence, they must so live as not to Naturally the missionary's next question need to be re-born. And what sort of life is, what is the nature of this religion? And is that? It is one of self-mortification and he is astonished to find that here is a peo self-denial ; it is one of poverty and resigna. ple, professedly a very religious people, yet tion; it is one of moral purity and excelone whose religion does not embrace the lence. So it has come to pass that this existence of a God or gods. He sees that system, which has no God, possesses a images, representations of Buddha, are wor moral code the purest and best the world shipped ; that they are innumerable, occu has ever seen, except that of the Gospel. pying niches in the temples, or standing on According to the Bible, the good man, isolated rocks, in the attitude of repose or the child of God, becomes immortal ; acinstruction. He comes upon dark caverns cording to Buddha, the most righteous as well as gorgeous sanctuaries, in which man at death ceases to be. It is true he the reclining idol stretches itself to a length gets rid of all earthly pain ; he will never of thirty or forty feet, and sees before it again enter some low form of matter, and offerings of rice and flowers, which consti live on earth as a stone, a tree, a beast, or a tute the homage the people render to their man; he shall know no trouble, nor shall deity. Yet Buddha neither is, nor was, a | disease ever again afflict him ; but at what god, and Buddhism is one great system of a cost he purchases this immunity from atheism. How is this ?

the sorrows to which man is heir! He Buddha was the son of an Indian king, purchases it at the cost of existence! By who lived about six hundred years before the sacrifice of human friendship, by reChrist. All wealth was at his command; tirement from men, by a life devoted to beautiful in person, and noble in character, purity and goodness, he gains — what ? he won the affections of his father's court, Nothing. Death ends the strifes and sorand nothing that earth could supply was rows of time, and that for ever and ever. wanting to his happiness. Yet the sorrows Thus Buddhism writes on its portals, of humanity afflicted him. He saw that “ There is no God," and plunges its disease and death made victims of all men votaries into annihilation. À faith so —and there was no remedy. Might he not cheerless as this one might think would find the remedy ? He withdrew to the I gather to it no disciples. Yet has it an

overwhelming attraction for the myriads of The daily duties of a priest are as the Chinese empire, covers Thibet and follow :-He ought to rise before day, Tartary with its monasteries, fills Nepaul and his first care should be to clean his and Burmah with pagodas, and has won teeth. Then he sweeps the court of the the hearts of the Singhalese.

monastery, and beneath the sacred bo-tree. Ceylon received the religion of Buddha The bo-tree is a kind of peepul or fig-tree, two or three hundred years after Buddha under one of which Buddha is said to have entered Nirvana. And although his reli obtained the full knowledge of the truth. gion was expelled from India twelve hun. The priest next fetches from the well or dred years after its origin by the system of river the water he will drink during the the Brahmins, it has continued to maintain day, filters it, to be sure that no insect its hold of Ceylon to the present day. The exists in it, and deposits it in a place safe ancient cities of the country have fallen from pollution. He then meditates for an into decay, and their ruins are only fre hour on the obligations he has already fulquented by the wild elephants of the filled, and on those he has to obey. jungle. Many sacred spots have lost their As the gong sounds the hour of worship, repute, and the worshippers of Buddha no he approaches the pagoda in which the longer visit them. But their glory is only relics of Buddha are enshrined, or the botransferred to other localities. Kandy, the tree, and offers the sweet-scented lotus capital city of the ancient kings of Ceylon, 1 flower, as if Buddha was in person before is still a holy place, for its far-famed temple him. Here he ought to meditate on the

- the Malagawa - contains a tooth of | marvellous virtues of Buddha, and to pray Buddha. Ač Kalany, near Colombo, the the relics to grant him absolution of his faithful throng to pay their homage before own faults. He adores the image prostrate, the pagoda; for under the weighty mass of his brow, elbows, and knees touching the brickwork it is presumed that a hair from ground. Again he meditates on the adthe head of the venerable sage lies buried. vantages of the priest's robe which he And the traveller may often come upon wears, which must always be yellow in some graceful tabernacle, formed of the | colour. Then taking his pot, or vase, he elegant areca-palm and cocoa-nut tree, traverses the streets and roads, stopping adorned with the rich-coloured fruits of silently at each house, making no sign, but the country, in which the people gather to confiding in the piety of the inhabitants to hear read the sacred words of him they fill his pot with his day's food. He is a reverence and obey.

beggar, devoted to taciturnity. He hides The disciples of Buddha may be divided his face with a fan, casts his eyes on the into two classes—the common people and ground, lest looking on vanity, or seeing a the priesthood. The common people can- | woman's smile, or even an elephant on the not hope to enter Nirvana at death ; many march, his virtue should be defiled. births await them in order to destroy the Returned to his monastery, he makes his influence of the evil they perpetrate. It is meal, which must be accomplished before more particularly the privilege of the mid-day, and then devotes his hours to priesthood to reach that supposed blessed meditation, reading the sacred books, copystate; for its members are withdrawn from ing them on palm-leaves, or in consulting the world, and in the solitude of their his more learned brethren on difficult pasmonasteries they spend their lives in sages. As evening draws on, he lights the prayer and works of righteousness. Their lamps, and closes the day by again sweeping office among the people is nothing more than the courtyard of his dwelling. that of instructors. They teach them a In this monotonous life the priest's days portion of the commands of Buddha, but wear away, occasionally varied by some themselves observe a stricter law. The festival, until he is ripe for Nirvana, and ranks of the priesthood are very accessible, death comes to remove him from existence. and can as easily be forsaken. Many people Alas! how sorrowful is such a life, truly enter the priestly ranks for a time, in order “ without God and without hope in the to secure the great amount of merit which world." accrues, and then return to secular life. We have left ourselves no space to speak Others are devoted to the service of Buddha of the entrance of the Gospel into Ceylon, from childhood, and remain in it till Nir or to tell how far its light has removed the vana enshrouds them in its mist and gross darkness of the people. This theme darkness.

we will take up in a succeeding paper.

Intelligence.

GENERAL.

should pledge the church to renewed and more deAs all our readers have heard long since, the 1 voted labour. affair of the Trent has been amicably settled. An interesting letter has been received from Messrs. Mason and Slidell, the Confederate Com some of the most devoted of the native Christians missioners, are expected hourly on English soil. The of Madagascar. In the name of Radama the news of the settlement arrived on Wednesday the Second, they invite the visits of the missionaries to 8th'ult. The bells did not ring, nor were guns fired, the capital." We tell you," they say, addressing but on Thursday morning the markets for all kinds their veteran friend and adviser, Mr. Ellis, “ that of investments testified to the universal feeling; whosoever of our brethren and sisters wish to come every one seemed to breathe more freely ; private up to Antananarivo, there is no obstacle in the way thanksgivingg ascended to heaven from many -all is free, for Radama II. said to us, "Write to hearts, and in places of worship where prayer is our friends in London, and say that Radama II. not fettered by a Parliamentary Liturgy, public reigns, and say that whosoever wishes to come up. tbanksgivings were offered also. The dreaded war can come. And bring all the Bibles and tracts could not possibly have occurred without great 1 with you, for we long to see your face, if it be the sin on one side or on both, and we may well be will of God." Details are also given respecting thankful to Him who holds all bearts in his hands, the death of the queen and the accession of the that he disposed them in this case to counsels of new king, which corroborate those previously pubmutual forbearance. The effect of the decision in lished. “ God bas heard,” they write, the America was so immediate on trade, stocks, and prayers which we have offered to him, and Madasecurities, that we read of nothing but approba- į gascar is wide open for the word of God. Those tion there.

that were in bonds are all now released from their The death of the Prince Consort bas continued 1 chains, and are come to Antananarivo. The pilto call forth many expressions of condolenee with grims that were in hiding places are now to be her Majesty and the Royal Family. In London a

seen, and these are now new things with us. . . statue is to be erected to the Prince, and similar

On the 29th of August we that were in conceal. honour is to be paid to bis memory in several of the

ment appeared: tben all the people were astonprovincial towns. We are glad to know that the

ished when they saw us that we were alive, and Queen continues to bear ber loss with calmness. not yet buried or eaten by the dogs, and there were The Prince of Wales is about to leave for a tour in a great many of the people desiring to see us, for the Holy Land, and the other historical localitiesthey considered us as dead, and this is what astonof the East.

ished them. On the 9th of September those that vaku.

were in fetters came to Antananarivo, but they could Parliament will be opened in a few days. The

pot walk on account of the weight of their heavy session will be anticipated with far less interest

fetters and their weak and feeble bodies.” The than it would have been if a war had had to be pro

directors of the London Missionary Society appeal vided for. However, with such a Parliament as the

to the churches for men to take advantage of this present, perhaps the least done is the best. We

long desired opportunity. Two well qualified can certainly look for no reform of any conse

agents have already offered themselves for the quence from our present House of Commons. We

work. expect little of interest will occur this year, except, of course, the usual faction fights between those

We regret to hear that persecution for con. who are in power and those who are out.

science sake still continues in Spain. The secre

tary of the Protestant Alliance has received From China we bave intelligence of disastrous information from Spain that Matamoras and events. A band of rebels-whether of local origin

Albama, wbose names have been so often mere or associated with the revolutionary government of tioned, have been sentenced to seven years of the Nankin is not known-advanced upon Cbefoo, galleys, and Trigo to four years of the same. burping, murdering, and plundering, as they came. Tbere will be an appeal from the sentence, but it The town was defended by the French, who hold is feared it will be in vain. They had been prepossession by virtue of the late treaty till the in

viously tried and acquitted of alleged political demnity imposed at the close of the war be paid. offences, so that the present sentences are solely To prevent an attack, two missionaries - Dr.

for reading the Word of God. We are sure our Parker, of the American Episcopal Board, and poor persecuted brethren will have all the sympathy Mr. Holmes, of the American Southern Baptist and prayers of Christians in this country. Convention-went out to seek an interview with

We are sorry to state that our Independent the insurgent chief. They never returned ; and

brethren have declined to join in the united move when, after the lapse of some days, an armed party

ment for the celebration of the Bi-centenary of set out in search of them, they were discovered to

1662. We have no doubt they have come to this have been rutblessly killed. Their lifeless bodies

decision on grounds which appear to them to be were found forty-five miles from Chefoo, covered

sufficient, but the decision itself is none the less with fearful wounds; the rebel leader, exasperated

to be regretted. We must, however, do our duty in by their remonstrances, had ordered them to bo

reference to this matter; and perhaps it will be put to death, which it is conjectured was done by

done all the more earnestly through the greater numerous persons rushing upon them at once, and

responsibility that is thrown upon us. hacking or stabbing them in a frenzy of cruelty and anger. The rebels did not venture an assault on the town; their spear-heads and banners

We wish in this place to direct the attention Vanished over the brow of the bill as the first shells of our readers to a book on tbe West Indies, which broke in their midst. But missionary operations our friend Mr. Underhill has just published. It is at this advanced outpost have received a check, not our custom to review books in these pages, and and the work that consecration of blood which we do nct intend to depart from our usual plan.

[ocr errors]

even in the present instance; but we cannot help, and Vr. Henry Angus introduced the subject of expressing the hope that Mr. Underhill's valuable the debt on the chapel, which, by a long pull, a book will find its way into the hands of a large strong pull, and a pull altogether, was extinguished, number of our readers. Those who cannot afford and ils. 6d. over- nearly £700 having been raised to purchase the volume for themselves might unite during the last two months: this, in addition to with three or four others to do so. Of course it £800 raised twelve montbs ago, in all about £1,500, should be added to all our congregational libraries. chiefly by the church and congregation, is credit. It is a most interesting account of the visit of the able to all concerned. Additional interest was author, and of Mr. Brown, of Northampton, to the given to the meeting by the attendance of Dr. West Indies, a year and a half ago. It furnishes Angus, of Regent'g-park College, who delivered an also a complete refutation of the statements of effective and impressive address. During the those who have of late been trying to persuade us year sixty-three have been added to this church by that“ Emancipation had proved a failure." No baptism. volume that has been published of late years is

FRIAR-LANE, LEICESTER.--A deeply interesting better caloulated to sustain and increase the

service in connection with the recognition of the interest of Christians in this country in the pro

Rev. J. C. Pike, as pastor of the church meeting in gress of Christianity in the Islands of the West.

the above place, was held on Thursday evening, December 26th. At half past four a large com. pany of friends sat duwn to tea in the school

rooms, preparatory to the more public service in DOMESTIC.

the chapel at six ; at which the newly-elected PONTYPEIDD, GLAMORGANSHIRE.--The Baptist pastor read the Scriptures and prayed, and admirchurch in this town has laboured for years under

able addresses were delivered by the following great disadvantages, in consequence of the small gentlemen, on subjects appropriate to the occaness of the old chapel, and the inconvenience of sion :-The Rev. J. P. Murself, on the “Relation its situation. It stands on a hill on one side of the and duties of the pastor to the church”; the Rev. town, and will not hold many more than 400 people. Thos. Stevenson, on the “Relation and duties of The church baving had an accession of 150 during the church to the pastor”; the Rev. R. W. Moal, the last three years, numbers now nearly 300 on the “Relation and duties of the churcb memmembers. Many additional pews could be let, and bers to one another"; Revs. J.C. Pike, and J. F. mapy hearers, having come to the chapel and find. Winks, on “The Jubilee of the senior deacon," it ing it full, have had to turn away on several occa being fifty years since Mr. S. Wright became a sions for want of room. These considerations member of the church. Tokens of the respect and convinced the church that it was its duty to build affection cherished for him were presented in the a new chapel in a suitable locality in the town. A shape of a handsome easy-chair and a teapot, the very central site was selected, and a commodious latter from the teachers of the Sabbath-school. chapel, which will seat between 950 and 1,000 The Rev. E. C. Pike, B.A., of Rochdale, followed, people, with a large school.room, vestries, and on “The Working Church," and the Rev. E. other conveniences underneath, was erected, at the Stevenson, of Loughborough, on “The Young, the cost of £2,100. The opening services commenced hope of the church.” Special prayer for the on Wednesday evening, the 18th of December, Divine blessing to rest upon the pastor and the when the Revs. R. Ellis, of Sirhowy, and E. church, was offered after the second address by Thomas, of Newport, Mon., preached two power the Rev. W. Underwood. ful sermons. On the ensuing Thursday, services MORICE-SQUARE, DEVONPORT.-The congregawere held at ten a.m., two, and six p.m., the Revs. tion and friends of this place of worship held a teaT. Thomas, D.D., of Pontypool College, and J. R. meeting in the large hall of the Mechanics' Morgan, of Llanelly, officiating, in addition to the

Institute on Thursday evening, January 2nd, the brethren above named. On the following Lord's

principal object of which was to commemorate the day, the Revs. J. Richards, of Caerpbilly, a former repair and improvement of the chapel building. minister of the church, D. Morgan, of Blaenavon,

and the erection of three additional school-rooms for and J. Owen, of Aberdare, gave very excellent

the Sunday schools, during the past year. After the discourses. The services throughout were most tea, a public meeting was held, over which the Rev. impressive and interesting. The collections

J. Stock presided. Mr. Stock read the report of the amounted to £60 Os. 11d., which, added to the

committee, which stated that the entire cost of contributions previously made by the church and what had been done during the last few months congregation, exceeds £350.

was £389 28. 6.; of which £299 6s. 10d, had been BEWICK-STREET, NEWCASTLE-ON-TYNE. — On

expended on tho chapel, and £89 15s. 8d. on the Christmas-day, the children of the Sunday-schools

school premises. The whole of the £389 2s. 6d. connected with this place, including Garden-street,

expended had been raised. Of this sum, £206 Gateshead, had their periodical assembly. Those

Os. 5d. had been contributed by the people of (195) in the Benefit Society, founded in 1816 by

Morice-square. The remaining £183 29. Od. had the Rer. Richard Pengilly, received dividends in

been collected principally by the pastor, in various the ratio of 3s. 9d. for 4s. 4d. paid. The deposit

places. The report concluded with a devout exors of the Savings' Bank, in connection with the

pression of thankfulness and hope. Speeches were Gateshead school, were paid their investments by

then delivered by Mr. Peter Adams; the Rev. H. Mr. James Potts, some of them having as much as

Heyward, Plymouth; Shindler, Kent; C. Wilson, £4 08. 5d. to take. On Thursday, the 26th, the

M.A., Plymouth ; J. Parker, Hampshire; and the anniversary soirée of the church and congregation

Revs. Mr. Welch, of Stonehouse, and T. C. Page, was held, the Rev. William Walters presiding.

of Plymouth, also took part in the proceedings. Mr. H. A. Wilkinson reported for the past year TRINITY-ROAD CHAPEL, HALIFAX.-On Tuesday the state and prosperity of the Gateshead school, evening, January 7th, a public meeting was held Mr. John Bradburn those of Bewick-street school. in this chapel, under the presidency of John CrossMr. Henry Murton also reported the operations of ley. Esq., mayor of Halifax. For some years past the Christian Instruction Society in the distribu strenuous efforts have been made to remove the tion of tracts, founded in 1838 by the late Mr. heavy debt upon this place of worship, and, aided Mark Moore, of New Park-street Church, London, in a very liberal manner by the Messrs. Crossley, ben on & visit to Newcastle. Mr, T. C. Angus | the friends have at length been completely success

[ocr errors]

and serviceare, cu

« PrécédentContinuer »