communications are these that ye have one to another as ye walk and are sad?" Luke xxiv. 13, 17. "And go quickly (tachu poreutheisai) and tell his disciples," &c. Matt. xxviii. 7. "And Mary arose in those days, and went (eporeuthe) into the hill country with haste, into a city of Judah" Luke i. 39. "I will arise and go (poreusomai) to my father......And he arose and came to his father: but when he was a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him :" Luke xv. 18, 20. In this last passage, the tardy steps of the prodigal form a striking contrast with the hasty steps of the loving and compassionate father. The first return from the sepulchre was made in obedience to the command of the angel, "Go quickly and tell his disciples," &c.; but the second return was made in obedience to the command of the Saviour, as addressed to Mary Magdalene......" Go (poreuou) to my disciples, and tell them that I ascend to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God." It is worthy of remark that the Saviour does not say, go quickly, but simply "go." In perfect accordance with this, Matthew says, "And as they were going to tell his disciples." What they? The women, doubtless, whom he mentions in the beginning of the chapter, viz., Mary Magdalene and the other Mary, who were accompanied by Joanna, Salome, and others. It follows, therefore, that these women must have met Mary Magdalene somewhere in the neighbourhood of the sepulchre after her interview with the risen Saviour, when they were on their way back again to the sepulchre, after they had delivered the angelic message. Mary, of course, communicated to them the cheering intelligence that she had seen the Lord, and that he had given her instructions to go and tell his disciples that he was risen. Feeling the command that had been addressed to Mary as binding also on them, and desiring also to share with her in the privilege and honour of conveying such glad tidings, they turned with her; and it was "when they were going to tell his disciples" that Jesus appeared to them all,

the second time to Mary Magdalene, and the first time to the other women.

2. Not only is a different verb of motion employed in each verse, but the tense is different. In the former verse the verb is in the aorist, which denotes a single definite action which took place at a certain time, and was then completed; whereas in the latter the verb is in the imperfect tense, which represents an action as still going on at a specified time. Accordingly, in the one verse the women are represented as having delivered their first message, and in the other as proceeding on their way to deliver the second.

Other arguments might be advanced in support of our view, but we forbear. We would now conclude our imperfect remarks by giving an outline of the narrative of this great event according to the order suggested by the course of reason we have above pursued.

About day-break on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, Joanna, Salome, and others repaired to the tomb to do honour to the body of Jesus. Having arrived there, they entered, and saw a vision of angels, who told them that Jesus was risen. They then hastened to the city to inform the disciples. Upon their arrival there, Mary Magdalene parted with her companions, and went and told Peter and John, while they (i. e. the other women) went and told the other disciples. Peter and John then immediately ran to the tomb, followed by Mary Magdalene; and when they had examined it without finding the body of Jesus, they returned home, leaving Mary behind. Then Jesus appeared to her, being alone. The other women, who were now on their way back to the tomb, came up to Mary either at the tomb, or in the immediate neighbourhood of it, just after her interview with the Lord; and on being informed by her that she had seen Him, and that he had given her instructions to tell his disciples, they accompanied her to Jerusalem, and when they were on their way Jesus appeared to them, &c. R, JOHNSTON.

THE INFIDEL AND HIS DAUGHTER. Suggested by reading a recent paragraph, describing the scene between the brave old Ethan Allen and his daughter, on the eve of her death, when she asked the stern infidel in whose faith he would have her to die-his or her mother's.

"The damps of death are coming fast,
My father, o'er my brow;

The past with all its scenes has fled,
And I must turn me now
To that dim future, which in vain
My eyes seek to descry:
Tell me, my father, in this hour,

In whose belief to die.

"In thine? I've watched thy scornful smile,

And heard thy withering tone,
Whene'er the Christian's humble hope
Was placed above thine own.

I've heard thee speak of coming death
Without a shade of gloom,
And laugh at all the childish fears
That cluster round the tomb.

"Or is it in my mother's faith?
How fondly do I trace

Through many a weary year long past
That calm and saintly face!

How often do I call to mind,

Now she's beneath the sod,
The place, the hour, in which she drew
My early thoughts to God!

""Twas then she took this sacred book,
And from its burning page

Read how its truths support the soul
In youth and failing age;
And bade me in its precepts live,
And by its precepts die,

That I might share a home of love
In worlds beyond the sky.

"My father, shall I look above,
Amid this gathering gloom,
To Him whose promises of love
Extend beyond the tomb?

Or curse the Being who hath blessed
This chequered path of mine?
Must I embrace my mother's faith,
Or die, my sire, in thine ?"

The frown upon that warrior's brow
Passed like a cloud away,

And tears coursed down the rugged cheek,
That flowed not till that day.

"Not, not in mine!" with choking voice
The sceptic made reply ;—

"But in thy mother's holy faith,
My daughter, mayest thou die !"

A Series of Pastoral Letters, &c., on the Leading Doctrines of the Gospel. By GEORGE WYARD, Deptford. London: J. Briscoe, Banner-street; Houlston and Wright, Paternoster-row. Pp. 156.

It is a healthy sign of the times, and a clear symptom of an improved taste in religious circles, that works such as the above are receiving an increasing amount of public acceptance. The little volume now be fore us has already gone through two considerable editions, this being the third, and several of its pieces, in a detached form, have been still more honoured by a circulation of many thousands in various and distant parts of the world. These, we repeat, are indications of a growing taste for more solid reading than the puerile productions of the past twenty-five years have supplied. When such excellent works as those of Mr. Wyard and Mr. Bloomfield are received with so hearty a welcome, it may well be taken as a proof that we are on the eve of a better age.

And it is high time that we were; for, with few exceptions, it may be said of the the foregoing period, that any productions greater number of religious works during more jejune and shallow, more stilted and meagre, have not appeared in any age since the Reformation. The constant straining after effect in mere style-the paltry love of display in a not over profound scholarship, with a pitiful cringing to the diluted and defective theology of the passing day, deprived those works of everything manly and vigorous in both doctrine and expression, and presented the sickly condiments of infancy where they should have supplied the strong meat, for men of mature age. The consequences were, the spread of Arminianism in doctrine, and light reading in religious literature, on every side. The old standard theology of the British churches was at a fearful discount, and nothing sold, because nothing was bought, that did not pander to the vulgar and degenerate taste of an age of childish compromises. All

"wise." And are these all? we ask. Or are these so superior to all other ministerial qualifications, that they merited to be specially considered to the exclusion of the rest? Where is experimental religion? Where a saving acquaintance with Holy Scripture? Where the life of prayer? Where the presence of faith, without which no mortal should presume to preach the gospel? Where deadness to the world-the love of Christ, and solemn dedication to his exclusive glory? Where these, and others like them? Was it enough to imply their presence? Without intending anything offensive, we must in all honesty declare of this address in these particulars, that it has left undone the things it ought to have done. Alas for our colleges, when the mint, anise, and cummin are allowed to exclude the weightier matters of the ministry! The Family Treasury for July, August, and September, 1859. London: Thomas Nelson and Sons, Paternoster-row. These are excellent specimens of a work of increasing interest. The amount of valuable information which these numbers

contain is very great, and the Editor has evinced unusual industry in collecting and arranging so much important matter. Yet, excellent as the work undoubtedly is, we long to see a little more of the old divinity in it, as a counterpoise of what may otherwise prove to be too much light reading. Tales of the Martyrs of the first two centuries. By Rev. B. H. COWPER. London: Book Society, Paternoster-row. Pp. 107. This beautiful little book contains an interesting, but brief account of the martyrs for the Christian faith down to those of Scillita in Africa, about the year 200 A. D. It is a work adapted for young persons chiefly, and we would urge our friends to employ it as a reward book among the higher classes of their Sunday-schools. It deserves a wide circulation.

effect.

Narratives of Remarkable Conversions. No. 1. -St. Augustine. London: Morgan and Chase, Tichbourne-court. Pp. 36.

Why call Augustine a saint? Why so distinguish any man? All true Christians are saints (Rom. i. 7, &c.); but no one among them is so in distinction from the rest. This, however, in passing.

The narrative is that of a remarkable man. Augustine, as a Christian, was the child of many a prayer by his pious mother, Monica, who also appears to have been in other respects a superior woman. His conversion was a singular one, and finely illustrates the sovereignty of the eternal Spirit. This narrative is full of instruction, and will, we hope, be read by thousands in the land.

A

Brief Memoir of Mr. Benjamin Wilkins, and a Sketch of the Baptist Church, North Bradley. Pp. 50.

The Gathered Lily; or, the Death of Ellen Tylcoat, who died at Brighton, June 29, 1859, aged seventeen years. Pp. 8. Brighton : C. E. Verrall, “Pulpit” Office, Mr. Wilkins was a preacher forty years, twenty-one of which he was pastor of the above church. The memoir and sketch, both of which are exceedingly well written, are deeply interesting. On all accounts, but particularly as Baptists, we intreat our readers to examine these pages with care. It is seldom so much interesting and profitable reading is comprised in so small a It is the complete history of an compass. The Gaeminently good and useful man. thered Lily is a sweet little account of a youthful child of God, whose end was

Foreign.

SWEDEN.

attend church regularly on Sundays and holidays, under pain of severe punishment. Some time back, a soldier named Larsson, of the company of Orsa, regiment of Dalecarlia, in garrison at Fahlun, represented to his captain that he had ceased to be a Lutheran, and had become an Ana