in some measure for the evil I have done. Christ will not accept me now.”**

"Had you a thousand lives to live, Groves," said the minister, "and all of them should be spent in doing good, you could not thus atone for a single sin. You cannot merit your salvation by good works. Grace alone can save you. You have only to believe and live. To exercise saving faith, you have only to believe that God is sincere in making you the offer of salvation. Then repent of your sins, and take God at his word; comply with his terms, and he will save you. For this let us

pray."

The minister and the murderer knelt together in prayer-earnest, importunate prayer: mercy was all their plea.

In this manner they spent the greater part of the night. The morning at length dawned; but ere the sun had scattered the morning clouds, the Sun of Righteousness by its healing beams had dispersed the thick clouds of darkness that enveloped the soul of the poor prisoner. George Groves gave the clearest evidence of being a changed man; not converted simply, but regenerated and renewed by the Holy Spirit. Death to him was stripped of all its terrors. On the day of his execution the minister accompanied him to the scaf fold, and then, for the last time, they knelt together in prayer. After an affectionate parting, they separated to meet again at the judgment. He died expressing a firm reliance in Jesus Christ for salvation, and rejoicing in hope of the glory of God. Death was robbed of its sting, and the grave of its victory.

MARIA, THE MAIDEN MARTYR.

At Lisbon, in the early days of the Inquisition, a young lady, Maria de Coceicao, was seized and brought before the judges of that blood-thirsty court. Their steps took hold on death, and few who went into their presence came forth alive. The darkest chapter in the history of the world is the history of the Roman Catholic Church, and the blackest page in the annals of that church is the record of the Inquisition. Yet the half of its horrors will never be revealed till the trump of the archangel breaks the silence of its deepest dungeons.

Maria was charged with being faithless to the Church of Rome. Gifted with an enquiring mind,' and availing herself of

means to acquire a knowledge of the founda tion on which true religion is based, she was not long in learning that the Roman Catholic religion is a cheat and a lie, and her pure mind rejected it with disgust. But she was a timid girl. Gentle as she was pure, and nursed in the arms of luxury, she was not fitted for the conflict of faith and patience through which she was called to pass. When brought into the presenceof the cruel judges, she trembled from head to foot; the cold sweat stood on her pale brow, and she was ready to sink to the earth with fear. She had heard of this terrible Inquisition. In her hours of secret study and prayer, the thought of it had often come, and she had asked God to give her, strength, if the of trial which had come. to many, sh at last reach her. And now it had come, and she, alone and undefended, (alas! who could defend against such accusers ?) was standing face to face before the monsters of the rack, and fagot, and sword.

Again she prayed, and strength was given to her. She made a good confession before the bloody witnesses, and refusing to yield to their arguments or their threats, she was stretched upon the rack. Her tender limbs were extended by the slow revolving wheel, and though the spirit was willing to bear even more, the flesh was weak, and the poor girl yielded in the hour of her agony to confess the faith she abborred.

Released from her tortures, more dead than alive, she was taken to her cell and suffered there to lie till she recovered the use of her limbs, when she was again brought before the tribunal, to sign the confession she had made in the hour of her extremity. But while her own torn limbs had been recovering strength, her heart had rejoiced again in the faith that forsook her, and now she stoutly refused to deny the truth. She would die a thousand deaths before she would be false to Christ.

Brave girl now! And yet how little we know of our own weakness. Every one has said to himself, If I were called to be 'amartyr, I would shew them how to die! Maria was now firm in her refusal to confess, and again the gentle maiden was stretched upon the cruel wheel; again the cords were fastened to her feet and hands, and her joints started from their sockets by the slow, remorseless roll of that engine of despair. God help thee now, Maria! the men that have thee have no hearts, and

thou must perish or confess. She bore it longer than before. Instead of being weakened, she seemed to have gaided strength by her former suffering, and now she was resolved to be faithful unto death, and wear the crown of life. But But who knows his his own strength? The agony was inexpressible. When she had thought it had reached ts climax it was only just begunu New seats of pain were reached, and, in the wretched ness of her woe, she began once more to cry for mercy. But she cried for what those wretches never had. They offered to relax her cords if she would confess; and again, poor thing, again the racked and shrieking victim groaned a miserable assent to their demand. They took her up, and once more left her in her solitary cell to come back to life. There, in her aching misery, she had time to think of what she had done, and why. She had been faithless to the cause she loved; and though it was sweet to lie on that cold stone floor, and feel that the wheel was no longer dragging her limbs and her life away, yet she was sorry, even then, that she had purchased her deliverance from torture by a confession of what her soul abjured. Stand up to that, Maria, when they bring thee before the men-monsters again!

The day of trial was at hand. She was longer in recovering from this second torture, but she was hurried into the presence of the judges there to sign the extorted confession. Calmly, but decidedly, she told them of her weakness under suffering, how she had hoped to bear all and die rather than deny the faith she loved; but the anguish was awful, and she, a poor, weak girl, had been tempted to confess. But now she would retract all she had said in the moments of her misery. She abjured the church of Rome, and denied its power. "Twice," she added, "I have given way to the frailty of the flesh, and perhaps while I am on the rack, I may be weak enough to do it again; but depend upon it, if you torture me a hundred times, as soon as I am released from the rack, I shall deny what was extorted from me by pain."

And then the wretches racked the brave girl again. She was strong now. Her strength was made perfect in suffering. The more severe the agony, the braver was her heart, and woman-like she rose above the present, and was a hero in her martyrdom. Ob, it was grand to see her f stancy and firmness in that great trial. Even amidst the agonies of death, her

con

A PIECE FOR SUNDAY SCHOOL TEACHERS.

A lady, an old Sunday school teacher, was much struck with the strong faith and extreme patience of poor Mary M-, a young girl of eighteen years of age, whom she was induced to visit, hearing that she was in great want, and suffering from a most painful kind of scrofula.

Finding Mary could read but imperfectly, and had little knowledge of the Old Tes tament, though well versed in the promises of the New, which were to her a neverfailing source of comfort, and always applied when any one bewailed her sad staté, the lady enquired, "Mary, who taught you what you have learned ?"

Mary answered, "I had no education except two years at a Sunday school, when I was about ten years old; but I had a hasty teacher, who always said she could do nothing with me, for I learnt nothing. I was always slow at answering, 'I was so often in pain, but said nothing about it, for I was afraid teacher would tell me not to come again, if she knew how bad I was. She often praised the other children, when I would have answered just the same, if she had given me a moment's time. After a while, a kinder teacher came of a morning, then I gave up going of an afternoon. 1 did not like to be so scolded." Mary added, "When I became too ill to go to school at all, I put in my pence for a Testament; after what I had learnt at school, I was soon' able to read it, though no ose thought I could do so well!

19 Mary died in perfect peace and joy two years since. The Hasty teacher, whose name was not remembered, never knew that she had been allowed "to do any thing with Mary," and that Mary had

learned to be wise unto salvation.

Noticing the article in your last number on the use of railways on the Sabbath by christian ministers and others, I was led to reflect upon the universal practice of horse-driving by professing christians and ministers on the Sabbath day throughout the last of Go and the question, Is this right in the sight of God? demanded a definite categorical answer. Perhaps some of your talented correspondents can help me in the case. When I asked, What is the difference between going to church in my own car riage or in a railway train ? the answer was: Trains go for the sake of the money they make their owners, and those who ride partake of the sin of the owners; whereas a private carriage has no pecuniary object in view. So far so good. But then the point to be discussed is, not the motive which sets the horses to work, but the act of horse-labour. Is it right in the sight of God to set a horse to work at all on the Sabbath? The end may be to meet with God's people, but this object or end, however good, cannot make wrong mean right; the end never sanctifies the means: so it was clear that looking at the object for which the horse is made to labour, was not the way to know whether the working on the Sabbath was right or wrong. How can the public worship of God be maintained in the country, if none may ride on the Sabbath? was the next question. To this conscience would force upon attention the thought, That is not the primary consideration; it is merely secondary to the question at issue; human arrangements ought to bend to God's requirements, and not the requirements of God to human convenience. I am sure, too, that neither you nor your correspondent would sanction an idea which would deprive the poor of their seldomenjoyed and hard-earned pleasures, whilst it permits the rich to lounge in idle luxury. "No railways or omnibuses, only private carriages cannot be the spirit of either the law or the gospel. Will some of your correspondents help me in my difficulty P

ON THE PREACHING OF POLITICS.

To the Editors of "The Church."

61.6 # Your Church" finds its way into alloquarters, and many minds bow before its decisions. Hence I venture to ask for a more definite deliverance on the question of political preaching than your ap proval of Mr. Barnett's generalities furnishes..

A

None could object to a minister's improving such an event as the Great Duke's death, or that of any other prominent character in the political world. None cau ob ject to the enunciation from the pulpit of those great principles of justice, mercy, and love, which ought to lie at the base of all political action. Indeed, were morals more frequently the theme of pulpit minis. trations, we should hear less of the tricks of trade, of the breach of the most solemn engagements at the call of imaginary or real convenience, of borrowing money, if not on the eve of bankruptcy, at least without any reasonable prospect of being able to pay, and of other acts at which men of honour in the world would blush, which are now the disgrace of the christian profession.

But when the obligation of preaching politics is insisted on, something more seems to be meant than merely that which has been the common practice of all faithful ministers in all time. Let me ask, therefore,

1. May we preach the doctrines of political economy, and instruct our people in Ricardo and Adam Smith ?

These questions might be easily multiplied, but let these suffice. If you can prove to us that we ought to introduce such themes into the pulpit, you will do us a great service. The following amongst other happy results will ensue :

1. We shall be able to vary our discourses much more than we can do at present, when we confine ourselves to the subjects of revelation.

2. We shall be able to give expression to all the excitement of party feeling within us, under the guise of religious emotion.

3. We shall be able to arouse a virtuous indignation amongst our people against follies for which they are not responsible, and which, therefore, it will be very pleasant for them to condemn.

4. We shall be able to make their enmity against the Blues, or the Yellows, or whatever colour may distinguish the opposite party, quite an affair of religion.

5. We shall attract the profane vulgar, who will doubtless tolerate our religion för the sake of our politics.

6. We shall be at liberty to keep the thoughts and affections of our people still earthward, instead of taking so much trouble to try and elevate them above the things seen and temporal.

These are only a small specimen of the benefits that would ensue from political preaching.

Do, therefore, Mr. Editors, prove it consistent with our commission and apostolic precept, and you will have the thanks of all of us, with whom preaching the mere word of God is a very dull affair.

Yours, Mr. Editors,

A COUNTRY MINISTER.

[Though this letter is written in so sarcastic a tone, we have no objection to insert it, and to answer it. We hold that it is the duty of those who engage in the great work of christian teaching, to give the christian aspect, as far as they are able, of the most striking events which occur in society. We hold, too, that the christian teacher who does not do this, misses one of the best possible means of attracting the attention of his hearers to those christian lessons which it is always possible to deduce from those events. But we do not hold that it is right to desecrate the pulpit to party purposes of any sort, or to seek to aid any class, either "blue or yellow." Surely it is possible to hold up the great principles of right in their relation to public events and circumstances, without condescending to the "excitement of party feeling:" and the tendency of this ought to be to make the "life that now is" a nobler one, and not to draw affection and regard from the "life to come." The "Country Minister" has no objection, it seems, to "improving the Great Duke's death:” we wonder if he would object to a reference in the pulpit to the persecution of the Madial, though that would be "political;" or, if in America, to a condemnation of Slavery and the Fugitive Slave Law, though that would be "dreadfully political." If, however, "preaching the mere word of God is a very dull affair" to him, he had better, we think, give up preaching altogether.-EDs.]

his piety simple and fervent. He "fell asleep" exclaiming, "I will fear no evil, for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me." Such a life demanded a memorial; and that with which Mr. Cox has favoured us is brief, touching, and instructive. There is eulogy, but no flattery; excellences are portrayed, defects are hinted; while, all through, the thoughts of the reader are raised from the mortal to his Master, and directed to the cross. Every one familiar with the respected author's writings, will easily imagine the style-simple in expression, yet elevated in tone; fraught with emotion, and full of scripture-in which this labour of love is performed. The immediate topic is the life and death of Stephen. In true old Puritan style, we have six alliterative particulars, referring first to the scripture worthy, then applied, neatly and appropriately, to Mr. Fletcher. He was saved,-he served,-he suffered, he saw,- he spoke,- he slept! This manner of subdivision, by the way, is somewhat out of fashion now; but there is this much to be said for it, at least, that a sermon so arranged is far likelier to remain in the memory of the hearers than are the numberless discourses we hear, in which, if the preacher has any consecutive plan or heads of thought at all, he contrives to keep the fact a profound secret from his congregation.

THE FOUNDATION, CONSTRUCTION, AND ETERNITY OF CHARACTER. A LECTURE DELIVERED IN THE TOWN HALL, BIRMINGHAM, BEFORE THE YOUNG MEN'S CHRISTIAN ASSOCIATION. BY THE REV. J. A. JAMES. Pp. 82. London: Hamilton, Adams, & Co.

HEADS AND HEARTS. A LECTURE DELIVERED IN THE TOWN HALL, BirmingHAM, BEFORE THE YOUNG MEN'S CHRISTIAN ASSOCIATION. BY THE REV. J. C. MILLER, M. A Pp. 32. London: Hamilton, Adams, & Co.

These are both admirable lectures, which we could wish to put into the hand of every young man, and ensure their being read and studied by him. Very different in style both of thought and composition, they are both singularly judicious in advice, and impressive in appeal and remonstrance. What young man's heart' does not beat at such words as these from such lips as Mr James's:-"Oh, that I could inspire you, my young friends, at the very outset of life,

Oh,

with an enthusiasm on this subject! that I could awaken, or foster-if it be implanted already—the lofty purpose of forming a character which earth shall admire and heaven approve! Oh, that I could breathe into you the purpose, not hastily or slightly, but deliberately and determinately formed, to be and do something in this world of your dwelling, and during this short life of your continuance in it! I see the career of unlimited excellence opening before you, and only needing the mighty volition to pursue it with success. Tell me not of disheartening discouragements, or of powerful temptations; I know them, I have felt them, and, by the grace of God, I have conquered them; and what I have done, you may do. It was amidst those very temptations, and some discouragements, when, younger than most of you, that the lecturer made up his mind, not indeed to be a great man, for such an ambitious aspiration or idea never approached the horizon of his mind, but to the humbler wish, as it might be thought by some, to be a good man. It was in youth he resolved to build up a character, and commenced the effort. How far he has succeeded, he leaves others to determine. At any rate, to that resolution he owes, under God, the honour of addressing you on the present occasion."

THE PAST TEACHING THE PRESENT: A DISCOURSE DELIVERED AT NEWCASTLEUPON TYNE, BEFORE THE NORTHERN ASSOCIATION OF BAPTIST CHURCHES, AT THE BICENTENARY OF THEIR FORMATION. BY STEPHEN J. DAVIS. Pp. 24. London: Benjamin L. Green.

This discourse, published at the request of the Northern Association, will form one of the best memorials of the interesting services in connection with which it was delivered. It contains much that no one, without the advantage of Mr. Davis's age and experience, could have written; and much that, coming from him, is well worthy of thought and remembrance. The seven topics alluded to are, 1. "The planting of christian churches in this northern district, holding our distinctive tenets, is an event to be commemorated with devout and fervent gratitude." 2. "The churches, the formation of which we celebrate to-day, appear to have held at the first, and for a considerable time afterwards unimpaired, very scriptural and comprehensive views of christian truth.' "3. "The churches, the planting of