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Its influence is upon us, a kind and blessed influence, in our social character and condition. When hand joins hand, and hearts are linked with hearts in indissoluble ties, it is religion that hallows and sanctifies the union, and registers on high the vows that are made. Under the influence of religious feeling and principle, the Christian brings his children to the baptismal fount, and offers them up at the altar of his God, and implores upon them the blessing of his father in heaven. And when death enters our abodes, and takes away from us the long known and the much loved, the voice of religion is heard amidst the sounds of mourning and woe, and the prayer of faith is breathed forth over their lifeless remains, ere we commit them to their silent and narrow abode.

It is religion too, the principles it inculcates, the virtues it produces, the moral restraints it imposes, the influence it exerts, that constitutes the strength and support of society. Without religion, communities could hardly exist. For what is it that spreads a healthful moral influence through society? what is it that gives vigor and stability to laws and government? what is it, more than any thing and every thing else, that restrains the violent passions of man, and preserves the individual from evil habits of mind and body, and thus promotes public virtue, and public peace and happiness? Is it not those principles of religion, which are found existing in a greater or less degree, in every individual mind, and without which, as checks and restraints upon human feeling and action, penal laws and civil institutions would be in vain ?

It is religion, in fine, that carries our thoughts be

yond the grave. Without religious feeling and principle, man is a mere creature of earth, and, like the beasts of the field, and the fowls of the air, lives only for the present moment, to eat and drink and die. His desires reach not beyond objects of sense. His vision is bounded by this earthly horizon. Religion opens to him a new world. It enlarges and expands his soul, narrowed and confined by partial and worldly views and feelings. It places before him higher and nobler objects and ends. It draws him away from the gross and low desires and pursuits of earth, and points with the finger of faith to another and better country, even an heavenly. Yes, under the influences of religion, man realizes, man feels the immortality of his He is no longer the creature of time and sense. The hopes of the future mingle with the enjoyments of the present. He lives for eternity.

nature.

Let us all then realize the value and importance of religion. Let us be religious, truly religious: religious not in this or that sectarian meaning of the term; but religious as the pious and the holy in every age have been religious; religious as the patriarchs and prophets and apostles, as cur Saviour was religious; religious in the broad and scriptural sense of the word, by fearing God and working righteousness; by our virtuous habits of thought and action; by keeping ourselves unspotted from the world; by ever living under the influence of religious principle, and making it our meat and drink to do the will of our Father in heaven, as that will has reference to the various duties arising out of our intellectual, moral, religious, and social natures, in the state and condition in which God i.as seen fit to place us.

J. F.

REFLECTIONS ON THE DEATH OF CHRIST.

To every careful reader of the New Testament it will be evident that much stress is laid by the writers, upon the event of Christ's death. Frequent allusion is made to this event in the Epistles. It is mentioned in the most emphatic manner. The apostles evidently considered it as intimately connected with the main purposes, and instumental in procuring the great benefits of the Gospel. The death of Christ was manifestly regarded by the apostles as a most important point in the history of the new religion; to it they seem habitually to have referred, when desirous of summing up all the blessings they had received through the mediation of Christ; it was a theme which they always contemplated with delight. 'God forbid,' says St. Paul, 'that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.' And since we find this event spoken of so frequently and in such strong terms by the apostles, it is important we should determine what notions they entertained on the subject; what associations they connected with the event; why it effected their minds so strongly, and excited in them such rapturous emotions.

And in the first place it deserves much consideration, as a striking peculiarity of the Christian Religion, that it should attach the greatest importance to those circumstances and events, which, if judged according to mere human principles, must have been regarded as most unfortunate and disastrous. While other systems have shown a disposition to dwell upon and magnify the successess they have gained, the honors and rewards which have accrued to their founders; Chris

tianity, on the contrary, triumphantly recounts its losses and reverses; singles out for especial notice those events, which, judging by common principles, one would have pronounced most unpropitious; and instead of assuming a desponding tone when relating the sufferings and death of its author, reverts to those events with joy and exultation, as the very elements of its future growth, progress, and success. And this is not the

affected manner of one who seeks to put the best face upon unfortunate circumstances, and who pretends to rejoice at what cannot be prevented; but it is matter of historical record, and cannot be doubted, that the early success of the Christian Religion must actually be ascribed to those circumstances and events, which we should pronounce best suited to ruin any cause.

This, we repeat, is a peculiar feature in the history of the Christian Religion, and one which deserves much attention. While the founders of false systems of Religion have been most anxious to animate their followers with the hope of immediate success, and to keep out of view every chance of disappointment and failure, the author of Christianity took especial pains to warn his disciples of the gloomy scenes which were before them. Ye shall be hated of all men for my sake.' 'If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more shall they call them of his household?' 'He that loveth father or mother more than me, is not worthy of me-and he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me.' Such was the language which our Lord used to his immediate disciples. He even predicted his own death. Instead of keeping this event out of view for fear of

discouraging his followers, we find him calmly directing their attention to it, as the principal means of establishing his Religion in the world. And not only was this event, in itself so fearful, predicted with cheerfulness, but after it had taken place it was remembered with delight. The Epistles abound with triumphant allusions to it. St. Paul in his first Epistle to the Corinthians, uses such language as the following; For I determined not to know any thing among you save Jesus Christ and him crucified.' He declares to those whom he addresses in this Epistle, that in preaching the Gospel, he had not relied upon human wisdom; he had not affected the Greek philosophy or eloquence: nor had he sought to accommodate Christianity to the prejudices of the Corinthians, but had fairly represented its most unpopular features; had not feared the result of informing them that the author of Christianity had been put to death in a most ignominious manner upon a cross; on the contrary, he had uniformly represented this event as of the utmost importance, as intimately and essentially connected with the true purposes of the Gospel; he had maintained that although it was an offence to the Jews, and to the Greeks foolishness, yet to the true disciples of Christ it was the power of God and the wisdom of God.

That the success of Christianity should he, as it was, intimately connected with an event, which, humanly considered, was so gloomy and distressing the death of the founder of the system,-so intimately connected, that the event may be properly regarded as the forerunner and cause of the success;-this very fact in itself makes it highly probable that something mirac