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would let his light shine before men to the glory of God the Father. This, I repeat, is the aim of true Christians; and it is to their habit of mind that our apostle evidently designs to refer, when he speaks of those that keep Christ's word."

But, while believers in Jesus realize such desires after a complete conformity to the image of their Lord, they are by no means found presenting such a faultless resemblance to Christ as we have described. Alas! while the "spirit is willing the flesh is weak"; nay, not only weak, it is likewise corrupt, and is not subject to the law of God. Thus, when they would do good, evil is present with them; at least, so far as to prevent them from doing such things as they would. They are not, they cannot be, entirely freed from the incursions of evil: the flesh ever and anon lusteth against the Spirit: the old Adam rises up in rebelLon against the empire of the Lord from heaven; and their walk before God is chargeable with frequent defects and inconsistencies. On the other hand, they are, in the main, consistent followers of Christ. They are his living epistles, known and read of all men; and all who see them may take knowledge of them that they have been with Jesus; for they evidently differ from the rest of the world: their conversation is in heaven; and they do not walk in the vanity of their minds, but as becometh those who "look for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God". We may add, in illustration of the manner in which they that are Christ's keep his word, that 1st. They manifest a subjection to his authority as King. They never dispute or cavil at any of his injunctions. His will with them is law. It suffices them to know that he has said it, to make them inclined to set about any duty, although it may involve not a little sacrifice of present ease, and may run counter to their natural tastes and wishes. They act as dutiful subjects to a benevolent monarch, and show that they do indeed account Christ's service perfect freedom. They wish him to rule over them; they have no desire to be their own masters. Their cry continually is, "Lord, what wouldest thou have me to do?" "Speak, for thy servant heareth." Their natural will is subjected to the divine will. They are desirous that he should occupy the throne in more than name, and grudge him not the honour which is his due. Knowing him to have a name given him, which is above every name; knowing him as the Prince of the kings of the earth, yea, King of kings and Lord of lords, they gladly act towards him as if he were thus highly exalted, and bow before his throne in implicit subjection, and submit themselves entirely to his government and ordinances; and thus may they be said to be such as keep Christ's word.

2ndly. Christ's people are attentive to his instructions as the Prophet. In this character he was foretold in ancient times. It was the prediction of Moses to the people of Israel, "A prophet shall the Lord thy God raise up unto thee of thy brethren, like unto me. Him shall ye hear." Jesus is the great Teacher. By his Spirit he guides us into all truth, instructs us concerning all that it is our interest to know, and enlightens us as to his will. Nor do his chosen fail to lend an ear to his counsels. Of them himself says: "They hear my voice, and they follow

me." And, while the world are busily occupied in pursuing their favourite schemes, and pay no heed to the words of the Son of God, they who are his by faith, beholding in him the Prophet that should come into the world, renounce other inferior objects, that with Mary they may sit at Jesus' feet and hear his words. They observe and treasure up his counsels, and esteem his sayings better than thousands of gold and silver.

3rdly. We may add that they who keep Christ's word are found depending on his merit and this is a main part of his law, that we receive him righteousness as the great High Priest. For as the one Mediator between God and men. This is the great character in which he presents himself as the Saviour of a ruined world; and, so long as we fail to accept him in this relation, it were a for we should in a main point be transgressors of positive absurdity to speak of keeping his word; be ye saved;" and we should practically reply, it. Christ would say to us, " Look unto me, and "We will not believe." He would propose himself to us as the all in all; and we should virtually account him nothing. Therefore it is an indispensable feature in those who keep Christ's word that they esteem him their righteousness; that they rely implicitly upon his atoning sacrifice; that they commit themselves entirely to his keeping, and look to him for all. They honour him by believing that he is indeed able to save unto the uttermost; and, since he invites them to make themselves they have nothing and can do nothing, trial of his love, and they are conscious that of therefore do they put their whole trust and confidence in his mercy, and take shelter under the shadow of his wings.

This, then, it is to keep Christ's word. We would now briefly remark its sufficiency as a test of vital godliness, and of the soul's union with the Saviour. The apostle affirms that "Hereby know we that we are in Christ, when we are found keeping his word." And he subjoins as a reason for the statement, that " in such an one one verily is the love of God perfected". This phrase may perhaps seem somewhat obscure: at any rate, it will not be out of place to illustrate it a little; and the words themselves may be rendered (and perhaps more accurately, or at least more clearly to the general reader) in this way: "But whoso observes his word, in him love towards God has truly been made perfect, and as it were brought to its full growth by this we know that we are in him." The metaphor seems to be identical with that employed by St. Paul in his epistle to the Ephesians, where he speaks of their coming "unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ". In both places the idea is that of full growth, or maturity. Love in the abstract, i. e., the simple principle of affection towards Christ, implanted in the soul by the Spirit, is as the bud, which first expands into the blossom, and then ripens into the fruit. In the beginning it is as the little germ, which, while it gives promise of better things to come, is scarcely visible to the eye: but, as in the natural world, the bud makes progress until it is matured into the full-grown produce, so in the spiritual world the love of God in the soul advances and ripens into the peaceable fruits of

righteousness. And again: as the fruit of the tree may properly be spoken of as its blossoms perfected, so may the fruit of the Spirit be termed the perfecting of love. For the love of God in a man is properly developed, and then only, when it leads to actions accordant with God's will. In any other case it would resemble those buds which, nipped by the frost, are imperfectly formed, drop off and die away, rather than such as have in them the principle of life. And, so long as the love of God in a man's heart consists only in expressions of attachment, it is not perfected by any means; nay, it has made no advance towards perfection. In fact, the idea of perfect love necessarily involves that of perfect obedience; and the man who is not perfectly obedient is not made perfect in love. The love of God, therefore, according to the apostle's statement, is made perfect, i. e., carried out and brought to maturity, in the man who keepeth Christ's word, and hears his voice, and follows his steps, and does his will.

Now, when there are these evidences of the perfect love of God in the soul, we have a sufficient test of our union with Christ. For how were we brought to this mind? Was it our natural condition? Did we enter the world imbued with love towards God? Nay: for the scripture saith, "The carnal mind is enmity against God," and "the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit." As the offspring of fallen Adam, we are alienated from God by wicked works; and as "that which is born of the flesh is flesh," we are all included under one general description. We must all by nature be numbered amongst the enemies of God. And so we continue until grace arrests us. We only cease our rebellions when the Lord takes away the heart of stone, and gives us a heart of flesh. We are first willing to serve him in the day of his power; and the unregenerate sinner can no more go forth and manifest a dutiful obedience to the Father of lights, than the dead can arise and enter upon the functions of the living. Hence Christ must be formed within us ere we can manifest love towards God. Christ's blood must purge our conscience from dead works ere we can serve the Lord indeed. We must be made acquainted with the Saviour, and have a personal apprehension of his character and work, ere we can keep his word; and our obedience must be the direct result of a communication of grace out of the fulness which resides in Jesus. Therefore, when we really do keep Christ's precepts, and find his service our delight, we may be quite sure it is because he has manifested his grace to us; we may regard it as a moral certainty that we have had a share in the benefits of the Redeemer, and that he has imparted of his gifts to our souls. For that state of mind is so opposed to the natural tendencies of men, so unlike the type of fallen and depraved humanity, that it can only be attributed to the exercise of Almighty power; and, beholding it, we must needs confess, "This is the finger of God": "it is the Lord's doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes." Therefore it is a sufficient test of our interest in Christ to discover the marks

of genuine obedience to his word for "whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him."

Poetry.

CHRISTIAN LIBERTY.

BY THE REV. C. RAWLINGS, B.A.
(For the Church of England Magazine.)

MEN talk of liberty: the theme inspires,

And lends to eloquence its kindling fires:
That mocks us still with fond delusive gleam.
No phantom liberty, no airy dream,
We talk of liberty in lofty strain,
And scorn with indignation every chain:
We spurn oppression, and the oppressor's might,
Prepar'd to die for justice and for right.
But there's a liberty not often sung
By poet's lips, nor prais'd by statesman's tongue-
There is a liberty of heart and mind:
The first is chang'd, the last no longer blind.
He is a free man, whom the Lord makes free :
Where others sink enslav'd, triumphant he.
From earth and vanity affections won,
Grace in the soul, and heav'n itself begun;
A love that warms the breast with holiest flame;

A

joy, a glory in Jehovah's name;

A faith that trusts in him who cannot lie;
A hope that looks to brighter worlds on high-
These are the blest realities that prove
A life, a liberty from God above.

THOUGHTS.

(For the Church of England Magazine.)

THE MOON, AND LIFE'S CHANGES.
THY crescent, sweet moon, like a silver thread,
Hangs low in the clear, blue sky:

An emblem of days too swiftly sped-
The days of our infancy.

And now, fast filling thy horn so bright,
More splendidly bursts forth thy ray:
Youth shines as fair as the beautiful night,
And as swiftly it fades away.

Full soon we behold thy orb mature,

And welcome thy ripened grace;
But the mist and the cloud interposing, obscure
And tarnish thy glorious face.

So manhood's at best but a fitful reign,
A conflict of hopes and of fears-
Short gleams of pleasure o'erclouded by pain;
And mirth, chased by cares and by fears.

Sweet moon! thou art waning; thy lessening ray
Tells sadly of life's near decline;
But kindled anew at the bright font of day,
Thy glory, replenished, shall shine.

And man, too, when low in the dust his form lies,
And the light of his life is withdrawn,

But waits till the Sun of his righteousness rise
To unfold a more glorious dawn;

When fairer than infancy, brighter than youth,
Unsullied by earthly alloy,

He shall quaff at the font of his God's living truth
Immortality, holiness, joy.

HUGHES, 12, Ave-Maria Lane, St. Paul's; and to be London: Published for the Proprietors, by JOHN procured, by order, of all Booksellers in Town and Country.

PRINTED BY ROGERSON AND CO.,
246, STRAND, LONDON.

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DEATHS OF EMINENT CHRISTIANS.

No. XI.

BERNARD GILPINY.

(Died 1583, aged 65.)

(Bernard Gilpin.)

A CLERGYMAN exemplary for his piety, useful labours, and great benevolence. On account of his great piety and zeal, he was styled "the great apostle of the north."

When sensible that his end was approaching, he told his friends of his apprehensions, and spoke of his death with great composure. He was soon after this confined to his chamber, but retained his senses to the last. A few days before his death, he desired that his friends, acquaintance, and dependents, might be called into his chamber; and, being raised on his bed, addressed himself to them on matters of eternal concern. To his scholars, called in by his request, he said, "that this was their time, if they had any desire to qualify themselves for being of use in the world; that learning was well worth their attention, but virtue much more so." He also sent for several persons who had hitherto made no good use of his advice, and upon whom he imagined his dying words

From "Last Hours of Christian Men; or an Account of the Deaths of some eminent Members of the Church of England;" by the rev. H. Clissold, M.A. London: Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge.

No. 925.

might have a better effect; but his speech began to falter before he had finished his exhortations. The remaining hours of his life he spent in prayer and broken conversation with some select friends, mentioning often the consolations of the gospel; declaring they were the only true ones, and that nothing else could bring a man peace at the last*. Reflection: When once the Christian has shaken off his fears of death, when he is able to look through the grave and see beyond, he discovers a glorious eternity opening itself more and more, and he thenceforward longs to dwell with Christ, and to join the spirits of just men made perfect.

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THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND MAGAZINE.

of Tiflis. The mode of travelling resembles that adopted in Turkey. Post-houses are established along the line of road, at each of which fresh horses may be obtained; and, until very lately, all journeys were performed on horseback. Since the occupation by the Russians, however, cars have been made use of; but, as the horses of the country have not been trained to harness, and are perfectly unaccustomed to it, this mode of conveyance is neither safe nor agreeable.

After having passed the boundaries of Georgia we enter a hilly plain, which conducts us into the valley of the Araxes, in which is situated the monastery of Echmiadzin, the seat of the great Armenian patriarch, who is considered as the spiritual head of the Armenian church. The title of patriarch, however, is not confined to him alone, since it is assumed by the bishops at Jerusalem and Constantinople, the former claiming it on account of the dignity of his see, as being that of the first Christian church, and the latter because he is the representative of the Armenian nation at the Ottoman Porte. The latter func-a tionary is, in fact, the creature of the wealthy bankers residing in the capital, who make no scruple of deposing him and electing a successor, if they feel themselves dissatisfied with his conduct.

The word Echmiadzin signifies "the descent of the only-begotten Son," and derives its origin from a legend which states that here our Saviour appeared to St. Gregory the Wonder-worker, and directed him to erect a church on this spot; he himself tracing out the foundations by rays of light. The Tartars, however, call the place Utch Kilissa, "the three churches"; which title seems to convey an allusion to the Trinity, as distinguished from the Mohammedan ideas of the Unity.

The monastery is surrounded by a wall about thirty feet in height, with loop-holes and towers; being about a mile in circumference. Within this enclosure are ranged the residences of the patriarch, the archbishop, and the abbots, the conventual library, schools, and church, with several lines of dwellings tenanted by the monks. The grand refectory is capable of accommodating 100 persons, and is furnished with tables and benches of stone. The great church is built of stone, in the form of a cross, and is surmounted by three towers. The following description of its interior, and of the ceremonies performed at the weekly celebration of the liturgy, is extracted from the journal of Messrs. Smith and Dwight, two American independent missionaries, who visited Echmiadzin in 1834:

"More than half of the floor from the altar to the porch is enclosed by a railing, for the special use of the clergy, and was covered with carpets, some of which surpassed description in eleganee and richness. The principal altar occupies a high elevation, on a lofty alcove or sanctuary, at the eastern extremity, and groaned under massive gold crosses, silver candlesticks, and many other not less costly ornaments. Two sanctuaries of smaller dimensions are furnished with two altars on either side of it, and one of them served this morning for a sacristy. In the middle of each of the side walls, too, is another sanctuary or chapel; and still another small one occupies an isolated

position in the middle of the floor, directly under the centre of the dome. The latter was surrounded by curtains of gold cloth of different patterns, and far surpassed every other part in the exquisite finish and superlative richness of its furniture and ornaments. It is, probably, built upon the stone respecting which Chardin reports a tradition of the Armenians-that it covers the hole where Christ, when he appeared to St. Gregory Loosavorich, thrust down to hell the evil spirits which formerly dwelt in the idol temples of Armenia. In a word, the display of wealth this morning in candlesticks, crosses, curtains, carpets, and dresses, seemed to me not surpassed even by that which is made in the celebration of high mass at the church of St. John, at Malta. The dressing of the officiating bishop was the first important part of the mass; and a distinct prayer or meditation is said for every article of dress put on. But, the ceremony being private, we wit nessed only the chanting which was performed at the same time in the church. He then entered in splendid flowing mantle of heavy gold cloth with a broad upright collar stiff with gold, and a mitre of the same rich materials, ornamented in front and behind with a sun of brilliants set in gold. Having washed his hands before all, read a summary confession of his sins, and received absolution, pronounced by an assistant, he retired again to the sacristy to prepare the wine and the bread for consecration. A little wine, not mixed with water as in the Latin church, is poured into a chalice; and a thin cake of bread, not leavened as in the Greek church, and stamped with various sacred symbols and letters, is placed on a small silver plate, nicely fitted to the top of the cup. Each part of the ceremony has its appropriate prayer, with the burning of incense; but a curtain drawn before the sacristy veiled the whole from our view. The time taken up was long, and during it a large company of deacons and clerks chanted. At length the bishop, leaving the elements behind, came forward with a pompous procession and the burning of incense, and proceeded, in a circuitous course, through the congregation to the great altar. After a series of prayers, a deacon read the lesson of the day from the gospel, and the Nicene creed, and then with the whole body of assistants went for the elements. They were brought, carefully veiled, accompanied by several pictures, followed by a procession. The bishop, whose mitre had in the mean time been removed by an assistant, took them, and prayed: Accept this offering from us, and perfect it for the mystery of the body and blood of thine only-begotten Son; grant that this bread and this cup may be the means of the remission of sin to those who taste.' The congregation being in the mean time exhorted to salute and kiss, for the appearance of Christ, a deacon, taking the salutation from the bishop, went and saluted the catholicos, and from him the ceremony passed through the whole congregation, each one bowing this way and that over the other's shoulder, as if to kiss him. The consecration followed. In performing it, the bishop blessed the bread by making over it the sign of the cross, gave thanks by looking upwards, brake it by picking out a crumb, and repeating the transubstantiating words, Take, eat, this is my body,' lifted it at the

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same time above his head for the congregation to | worship. The ceremony for the wine was similar. The whole was performed privately, with the back of the officiator towards the congregation, and not a word or sign intended for them to hear or see except the elevation of the elements. When the elements were held up formally after the consecration, the most profound adoration was exhibited by nearly all."

The Armenian church requires confession as a pre-requisite for communion; but, although the liturgy is in some cases recited nearly every day, few of the laity partake of the elements oftener than twice a year, namely, at Easter and Christmas. They generally consider it sufficient to witness as spectators the consecration by the priest, believing it to be a commemorative sacrifice or representation of Christ's passion, and of those benefits which we derive therefrom. They do not drink the wine from the cup; but the priest dips the bread into the liquid, and administers it in this way to each communicant.

The road from the monastery of Echmiadzin to the foot of Mount Ararat passes through a plain covered with grass and herbage to the banks of the Araxes, which must be forded on horseback, as there is neither bridge nor ferry in the immediate vicinity. At the place of the ford the stream is broad and shallow, the bottom being a mixed stratum of sand and stones. The opposite bank is covered with stunted bushes, resembling the jungle vegetation of India, through which several paths have been cut. From this brushwood the traveller emerges into an open plain, whose barren and sandy soil exhibits unmistakeable traces of having once been covered with water. In a short time we come to the banks of a small rivulet

called Kara Soo, from the opposite side of which is obtained the first view of Mount Ararat, with its two remarkable summits, between which, according to the general opinion, the ark of Noah rested on the subsiding of the waters of the great Delage.

At the foot of the mountain was situated until very lately the Armenian village of Arguri, noted in modern times for its genial climate and for the mildness of the temperature; which made it a summer retreat for persons of rank and wealth, who were desirous of escaping during the warm season from the sultry atmosphere of Erivan. But its chief recommendation has been the interesting character of the ancient associations connected with it. Here, according to the local tradition, was the place where Noah built an altar to the Lord after his descent from the ark, and "took of every clean beast, and of every clean fowl, and offered burnt-offerings upon the altar" (Gen. viii. 20). Here, it is said, he planted the vineyard, from the fruit of which he made that beverage which was beneficently intended to "gladden and rejoice the heart of man"; but which, like too many other gifts of Providence, has been abused and misapplied by those for whose solace and comfort it was originally designed. It is singular that the name of this village, "Arguri," or "Arghurri," is compounded of two words which signify, in the Armehe planted a,' nian language, or the vine"; an appellation which may, perhaps, refer to this act of Noah; and, if so, would corroborate the

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opinion of many, that this mountain was the identical one alluded to in scripture. It has, however, been contended that the "mountains of Ararat," or "Armenia," mentioned in Genesis, are to be sought for in the range called Jebel Judi; which is much further to the north, and nearer Mosul.

The village of Arguri was almost entirely destroyed in 1840 by the fall of a portion of Mount Ararat, which also overwhelmed the neighbouring monastery of St. James. It was accompanied by an earthquake, the shocks of which were felt even in Persia, and as far south as the shores of the lake of Van.

The name Ararat seems to have been applied to the whole region of Armenia, and to have been derived from king Arai the Fair, whose war with Semiram is and death in battle have been noticed in the chapter on Armenian history. Before his time the country was called Amasia, from king Amassis, the seventh in descent from Japheth, whose name still survives in Mount Massis, or Masius, situated more to the south. The Turks call it Agridagh, or "the mountain of Agri" (the latter being, probably, a corruption of Arai); and the Armenians know it only by the name of Massis; though the Greek and Roman geographers give the latter appellation to another range, as I have already observed. According to Parrot, the word Ararat is unknown to the people in the vicinity; a circumstance which seems to favour the opinion that this title, applied in a restrictive sense to this particular mountain, is a mere modern adaptation of a general name to one special locality.

The mountain of Ararat consists, properly speaking, of two distinct peaks, the summits of which are about seven miles distant from each other, rising at the southern extremity of an extensive plain terminated towards the north by the waters of the Araxes. The higher summit of the two is called the Great Ararat; and its elevation is calculated at about 17,210 feet above the level of the sea. For about two-thirds of a mile from the summit downwards it is covered with a thick coating of snow and ice, which never melts, and beneath which some of the relics of the ark are said to be still preserved. Sir Robert Ker Porter, however, is of opinion "that the ark rested in the valley, or depression, between the two peaks"; and alleges, in support of his view, that it is said in Genesis*, On the first day of the tenth month the tops of the mountains came forth'; but in chap. vi. 16, it is stated that the window, or aperture, of the ark was above; consequently Noah could have seen only what was higher than the ship, which was therefore at that time in a lower position than the tops of the mountains." Yet it is nowhere intimated that Noah saw the summits of this identical mountain of Ararat emerging from the deep, since he might bave known that they had appeared by the immovable state of the ark, as well as by the aspect of the surrounding hills, to which, in all proba. bility, the allusion is made; the word " tains" being used in Hebrew to express any

moun

month, on the first day of the month, were the tops of the The quotation is literally as follows: "In the tenth mountains seen" (Gen. viii. 5),

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