had gone out of its mind. A terrible storm was raised, not only against the book, but even against the language in which it was written. The orthodox were thankful they could not read Greek. It was a crabbed, unchristian-looking language, recently invented, and of such deadly quality, that whosoever learned it was sure to become a heretic! The work spread, however, with rapidity; the world were encouraged to study the Book of Life in its original purity, and many welcomed its light with joy. Among those who received its inspiration, were Bilney and Tyndale, and even Dean Colet, who continued to the end a devout Catholic, commenced a series of discourses on the Epistles of St. Paul, which were attended, says Tytler, by the most eminent dignitaries, and thus the Greek Testament of Desiderius Erasmus was surely preparing the way for the Reformation in England. Four years afterwards he brought out his Paraphrase, or Explanations of all the Books of the New Testament, a book which also found such favour that it was soon translated into the different languages, and in England, by royal proclamation, it was ordered that a copy should be procured for every parish, and fastened securely to the reading desk; and thus the impression produced by his Greek Testament was deepened, and widely extended amongst the laity, as he earnestly desired. No adequate estimate of the character of Erasmus and his relation to the Reformation can be attempted here. "Both Protestants and Papists agree that he had no business to die in the Communion of the Church of Rome, and yet he never left it. To many of the Reformers he was a perplexity and a provocation. With the sentiments he had openly avowed, they held that in all logical consistency he was bound to come over to their side; and as he never came, Luther, Von Hutten, and other heroic spirits, ascribed his position as a sort of Protestant within the pale of Popery to insincerity, pusillanimity, and want of moral courage." The want of moral courage must be admitted. Erasmus confessed that he had not the spirit of a martyr; but among the scholars of Europe, beyond all other men, he was the means of breaking the spell of superstition, and gave, even in papal lands, a freedom and independence to intellect which it has never since surrendered. Thus the soil was being prepared for the golden harvest which was soon to follow, and of which we have yet to speak.* G. GRUNDY. Manchester. * Erasmus fills so large a space in literature, that the works of which he is the author, editor, or subject, fill a folio volume in the mere catalogue of the British Museum Library. His industry was enormous. Besides works of his own, which fill many folios, he was the first or among the first, who gave to the world the printed works of Demosthenes, and many other Greek and Roman classics, besides fathers of the Church, such as Ambrose, Athanasius, Augustine, Cyprian, Epiphanius, Gregory Nazienzen, &c. Thus, apart from his Greek Testament and Paraphrase, he did splendid service in quickening and stimulating the intellect of his age. CHRISTMAS HYMN. Written to Arthur Sullivan's Tune in the Hymnary, No 346. Durham. ONCE at night, o'er Bethlehem's plains, Angels sang in sweetest strains, Strangely o'er a world of strife, Onward flow, sweet song of peace, Heart of man by discord riven, Hark, the song! the song of heaven, 66 'Peace on earth, goodwill to men." Angels sing, and earth reply, Christ has brought salvation nigh: Roll along, deep song of joy, Peal like thunder through the sky, THE SABBATH. W. HERBERT SMITH. THAT the Sabbath, or seventh day rest, is a Divine Institution, and one of the most ancient of which we have any knowledge, will hardly admit of a doubt. That it exhibits the wisdom and benevolence of God is equally clear. Nor have we any reason to think that he intended it as a merely local and temporary institution. So far as its original design can be carried out, it is adapted to every clime, and to all conditions of civil society; for all men, in all lands, need relaxation. Instead of losing any of its utility and value through the progress of human affairs and the flight of time, a contrary result is manifest; and we, in this day, could far less afford to dispense with it than could the ancient descendants of Abraham, or even our own countrymen in times not very remote. It is a universal benefactor, greeting all men with a smile of friendly recognition; but offering its sweetest enjoyments to "the weary and heavy-laden;" assuring them they are not forgotten by Heaven's Almighty King,—and bidding them look up for His blessing. He who appointed the Sabbath, sanctified, hallowed it. By so doing He gave it two distinctive features. He made it a day of rest for the body, and a season of spiritual repose and holy enjoyment for the mind. Thus He had respect to man's whole constitution, and provided for its entire well-being. In vain, then, shall we attempt to alter or amend the appointment of God. His will is law, and His law is wise, and just, and good. By consulting His will, and obeying it, we shall secure the greatest amount of happiness which the present state of being allows. By disregarding it, we shall expose ourselves to trouble and sorrow. The law of the Sabbath, as originally given to mankind, is recorded in the Scriptures of the Old Covenant. In those of the New, we have it explained and illustrated by the teachings and example of God's beloved Son. By a reference to both, we shall best acquire correct views on the subject; and shall be most likely to perceive how strikingly the duties and privileges of the creature are combined in the administration of the Supreme Governor. We plead for no superstitious observances-no austere ritesno fastings and gloom. But we plead for a religious, cheerful, enlightened, useful, and improving occupancy of the Sabbath's chartered hours. Let them be spent in reading, meditation, and worship, in converse with God, His works, and His word, in the enjoyment of domestic, friendly, and Christian intercourse; in visits of kindness and works of charity. Thus shall we best advance our personal interests and promote the good of others. Thus, too, shall we secure the approving testimony of conscience, the manifestations of Divine love, and a growing meekness for the incorruptible inheritance of the life to come. I love the day of holy rest, and would gladly persuade others, especially the labouring people of my fatherland, to love it also. But I would entreat them to manifest their love in a decorous, rational, enlightened, and Christian manner: not by crowding steamboats and railway carriages for the purpose of being conveyed to distant scenes of unhallowed gratification: not by visiting taverns, and tea-gardens, and political lecture-rooms: not by idle lounging, or unnecessary feasting, or noisy mirth: but by seeking such society, engaging in such occupations, and participating in such pleasures as will bear after-thought, and be a source of virtucus satisfaction in days to come. If we ask the criminal occupants of our asylums, prisons, and penitentiaries, by what courses they were reduced to their present unhappy condition, we] shall find that, in a large proportion of cases, the first downward step was Sabbath-breaking. And on the other hand, it may be easily ascertained that those who have been personally the most happy, and at the same time the greatest benefactors of their species, in either private or public walks of usefulness, were those who reverenced the Sabbath and kept it holy. HYMN FOR SABBATH MORNING. Whatever would our souls annoy. Fain would we soar, as on the wings Father of Spirits! let us feel Thy love's constraining quick'ning power: Thy choicest blessings on us shower. Fill us with holy joy and peace, Through faith in Christ our living Head: Dollar, N.B. T. BRADSHAW. LAST SIGHTS AND SOUNDS OF JESUS. IF Mary Magdalene, and the "other women were competent witnesses, the Resurrection of Jesus was fairly established early on the first day. At present we leave John and Peter out of the question, for as yet they had only seen the empty grave and its surroundings, though Jesus reappeared to Peter sometime before night. There was really very little ground to doubt the women's reports, yet for reasons which seemed good to them, the Apostles were not prepared to accept them without a large reserve. They would probably think the women excitable, over-confident, and too uncritical. True, there might be perhaps some slight excuse for hesitation in the apparently changed, and changing appearances of Jesus; this indeed might suggest their notion of an apparition. When the Apostles spoke of "idle tales," they evidently hinted at a ghost story, and perhaps up to this time, on this point, there might be some colourable pretence for such a theory. But in this nineteenth century we are rather conversant with ghosts of all ranks and sexes-with their robes, figures, characters, habits, manners-for they have been coming and going for these hundreds of years, and we find, they never come in daylight, never talk much, always look very airy, are rather timid, keep at a very respectable distance, and never can be handled, without a collapse. M. Renan is an expert in the identification or invention of ghosts, and ghost stories; but he has no case here-only suggests, and he does not show us that the frightened soldiers were ghosts, nor that the rolled-back stone, and the empty grave were ghosts, nor that the women who saw these all right thirty-six hours before, were either ghosts or ghost seers. This changeable element however, in the external appearance of Jesus, no doubt was unique, and like His resurrection, unaccountable by ordinary methods; but then, a fact is a provokingly tenacious thing; holds on so desperately; keeps being a fact, after we find out we cannot explain it; and in cases like these, we are tied to facts we can't get over without destroying or ignoring the testimony which inconveniently supports them. The body of Jesus certainly underwent some remarkable change; but there were no marks upon it, of even an initial stage of decomposition, nor of loss of substantial personal identity. It is quite true, that none of His visits now, were like His usual visits; they were different all round-less familiar, quite unexpected, mysterious, sudden, often short, more like perhaps sometimes, the visits of a spirit than of a human being, though at other times, they came very near the palpably and purely physical, as when He openly tendered conclusive physical proofs and tests of personal identity. And the disappearances were often as unexpected, sudden, and mysterious as His re-appearances. At first, perhaps, He is unrecognisable; then there is a partial revelation of Himself; sometimes slow, sometimes rapid, developing till the figure is of old, and the perception of the form, and manners are certain, and indisputable. The actual process of change, was imperceptible: but so is the motion of the small hand of a watch, and the change in a rapidly growing vegetable. This peculiarity, no doubt, helped to fix attention on the Divine side of His character, hitherto so much overlooked even by His friends. On some occasions, He reappeared at once, in His wonted aspects; but His intercourse was never of the usual intimate sort. When physically nearest His former self, it was clearly to satisfy His doubting disciples that He was the same Jesus who was nailed to the wooden cross, stabbed by the soldier's spear, and buried in Joseph's Garden. During the early morning He had only appeared to the "women,” and this condition of things remained, apparently for some hours. But as the day advanced He appeared to the "men;" first perhaps to Peter alone, though of this visit, as seems very natural, we know little. It belonged to Peter personally, and must have been a very solemn interview, the details of which, Peter chose not to make public (Luke xxiv. 34; 1 Cor. xv. 5). We do not know even where it took place-perhaps on his way back to the City, or it may have been in the Garden on a second visit to the tomb. So bewildering, however, were the early visits, that through the greater part of the day, although the news was spreading, their real significance was only half realised. All the Apostles were so confounded when the death happened, that even now with this inspiration of hope they were puzzled and utterly despondent. Jesus had actually died, and they feared His "kingdom" had died with Him, and that every man of them |