HAPPY CHRISTIANS. MR. NICHOLS, in spite of his wealth, is far from happy. It is very likely you may wish to know the reason why, and to ask what can make people happy. By way of answer to your inquiries I shall tell you about two persons whom I have known, and who were truly happy. Their circumstances, it is admitted, were not the most promising one of them, Miss Williams, was an aged woman without relatives and with small means; and the other, Mr. Garden, was also without friends, and a very helpless creature. Neither of them had more than the necessaries of life. pect. Her little circle of choice friends afforded her delight. She liked to visit those who might profit by consoling words, words of tenderness and truth, for she wished to recommend her religion, and to do good to the souls of her neighbours. To tell the truth, she seldom allowed an opportunity for usefulness to escape. Quiet, loving, and unassuming, she was well known in the village as one who studied the welfare of all. The old church stands on a hill at a little distance from the village, and unless compelled by sickness, my friend was never absent when it was open. After Yet I may call them rich, rich in the true sense of service, she would join some of the returning villagers, the word; for without speaking of the treasures of and talk with them about what they had heard. To faith and a good conscience, they always had all they her credit, it must be said that she was not a critical needed--all they wished for. Had they been million-hearer, and that in her remarks she sought uniformly aires they could have had no more. It is true that to fix attention upon the edifying features of the their wants and wishes were very limited, but this is sermon. Very seldom would an unkind word about a proof that they were wise, and a reason why they the minister be ventured upon in her presence. were happy. Let me add, that although I speak of these two together, it is only because they were so much alike in wisdom, piety, and happiness, for they did not live in the same village, nor at the same time. When I became acquainted with Miss Williams, Mr. Garden was no longer in this world. Miss Williams had lived in the city, but she was left alone, and at the death of her parents, came into the possession of about twenty pounds a year. In order to eke out this small sum, she retired to a village, where she lodged with an excellent countryman, dined at his table, and was regarded as one of the family. She had one little room in the house which she called her own; it was not well lighted, and was rather cold in winter, but it was always very tidy, and whenever possible a bouquet of wild flowers adorned the homely table, and fresh violets stood in the window. At one period of her life, Miss Williams had been a governess, an honourable position, but not without its dangers and drawbacks, because it may lead to habits which it may afterwards be difficult to indulge, and also to forget. To those who have been long accustomed to plenty, and the conveniences of a large bouse, the refined enjoyments of luxury, and the attractions of good society, it is not easy to go back cheerfully to the simple habits of infancy, especially when they have to live, like Miss Williams, upon twenty pounds a year. She, however, had foreseen all this. For fifteen years she had resided in the wealthy family of General Ross, but all that time she had cultivated those moderate and inexpensive tastes which adorn the true Christian. Hence it came to pass that when she had to fall back upon her little income, she had to make very little change in her mode of living. Earnest and sincere in her religious principles, she loved all the world, she loved and trusted in God, and was very little troubled about worldly matters. She would say, "Christ has said that we are to seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all other things shall be added to us. I sought this kingdom in my youth; my Bible led me into it, and in it I have lived. Christ is all and in all to me, and I may therefore well be happy." Not that she was indifferent to the innocent pleasures of country life. She loved a walk by the river side, or in the park near the castle. She enjoyed the bright sun, the lovely flowers, and the delicious pros Miss Williams was a favourite with the children, and they would always come round her when she made her appearance. She had kind words, and little books and other trifles for them, and so they loved her. She was old, and slow in her movements; she dressed in rather an antique style, and usually carried a large umbrella, but no one ever thought of ridiculing her. Her smiles, her words, her little gifts, and her well known character commanded even the respect of the children in the street. Besides her occasional, or rather habitual generosity, she set apart one day in the year for a special gift to the poor. This was the Monday before Easter, and then, as often as the time came round, she deposited in her pastor's hands a fixed sum which some might think but small, and yet it was as much as she could contrive to spare from her limited income during the year. She loved her Bible, and found comfort and strength as well as instruction in its venerated pages. Prayer was to her a pleasure and a delight. Her faith in Christ was simple and confiding; she looked to his precious blood alone as the ground of her hope, and she acknowledged with gratitude that all she knew of the power of religion was due to grace Divine, a subject of which she loved to speak. Thus lived Miss Williams, and she was enabled to preserve her serenity and happiness to the last. When age and sickness brought her low, her living and loving faith did not fail, and she was comforted by the kind offices of those to whom she had endeared herself. The day of her burial was indeed a day of mourning throughout the village. Not a few attended her funeral, and the voice of the minister was interrupted by their artless and sincere expressions of grief. In the evening the children forgot their play to talk about Miss Williams; the women stood at their cottage doors rehearsing her praises and good deeds; and even the men made it the theme of their conversation. Old Peter the woodcutter said, "It seemed that Miss Williams was nobody, because she neither kept a carriage nor a servant, but in my opinion, in losing her the village has lost a true friend." I need not stop to explain why Miss Williams was happy. With reference to Mr. Garden, I shall not say so much. I was little more than a child when I knew him, and I know not much of his life and death. I only remember that he walked with crutches, and that he lived in a room in a peasant's cottage, where my mother sometimes took me, and where I was always received very kindly. I remember too, that he never went to the public-house, and that he always seemed happy. he is not happy. Those of whom I have spoken were The third is health. Poor old Garden was quite a cripple, but he was always contented and happy. There are three things which can make us truly happy, and without which happiness is impossible. The first is faith: Faith in Jesus Christ and in his word. The second is hope: A good and lively hope which entereth into that within the veil, whither Christ our forerunner has entered for us. The third is love: Love to God and love to all he loves. What I know best about him is what I may call his Sunday life. Sunday was his feast day, for then he could go to a place of worship and hear a sermon. On that day, he would rise earlier than usual, and after reading his Bible and prayer, he would take great pains to dress himself nicely for church. He had been an old soldier, I believe, and hence he was so careful about his toilette. He used to set out for church an hour before other people, although the distance was less than a mile. His afflictions and his crutches made it a long way for him, and he was tired when he got there, but had a very happy look. I can almost fancy I see him now, hobbling into his place, dressed with great neatness, and looking as if he had a treat in store. When the service was over he made his way out, and while his neighbours went Dear reader, have you this peace? If you have easily on, laughing and talking, he followed in the you are indeed favoured, for you have been led by rear on his crutches. There was a ferry on the way, grace to Him whose words I have quoted, "If any and the boatman always had to make a special jour-man thirst, let him come unto me and drink. ney for old Garden. The boatman did not like this, Do you now understand why Miss Williams and but he was wise enough not to complain, as he knew Mr. Garden were so happy? it could not be helped. Although the poor old man reached home late, he would make haste with his dinner, and go to church again if possible. When he attended the afternoon service, it was indeed a day of great exertion to him, and he felt the effects of it on the Monday. But then, it was a joy to him to go to the house of God, to join in prayer, and the psalms, and to hear the sermon. The good news of salvation was very precious to him, and he was not the man to be kept away by trifies. In this respect he was truly an example to others, and we may hope that his example was not lost. As a boy, I have often met the old man trudging painfully along on his crutches after the morning service, when others, long returned, were resting or amusing themselves. Everybody knew him, and of course I knew him, and you may be sure he could be recognised at a distance. His exterior was sufficiently remarkable, but his dress and his crutches were not more noticeable than the expression of his counteHe always looked so calm and happy, that had he been a prince he could not have seemed more contented. His friendly smile and his kind words corresponded with his peaceful look. Even then, I was impressed by these things, but I confess I did not know why this poor, weary, and infirm old man enjoyed such happiness. I felt sure he was happy, and the little I have heard about him since, makes me feel so now. More than this, I have now found nance. out the cause. The case of Miss Williams and Mr. Garden reminds me of three texts, and I will tell you what they are. The first is "The kingdom of God is not meat and drink, but righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost." The second is, "O how great is thy goodness, which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee!" The third is, "If any man thirst, let him come unto me and drink." There are three things which I am also reminded are not essential to real happiness. The first is wealth. Mr. Nichols is wealthy, but Where these are found, there will be a peace which passeth understanding, such as the world can neither give nor take away; a peace which endures in life and is made perfect in death. THE ARMY OF MARTYRS. JOHN HUSS. THIS celebrated reformer and martyr was born in 1373, in a Bohemian village. His parents, though by no means rich, spared no efforts to give him a good education. After his father's death, his mother obtained for him admission to the University of Prague, where he studied with success and honour. Even in his youth he was marked by fervent piety and great enthusiasm, as well as by superior talents. On the completion of his studies he became a clergyman, and his reputation was such that he was soon heard of at Court. The Queen of Bohemia appointed him her confessor, and in that capacity he surrounded himself with many powerful friends. At that time Huss was a Roman Catholic, but it so happened that the works of John Wycliffe came under his notice. He read them at first with mistrust and dislike, but these feelings were overcome, and he became the admirer and defender of the truths they taught. Others also read these books, and at length the Archbishop of Prague obtained from the Pope a bull, condemning Wycliffe's writings. Many copies were burnt, but some men refused to give them up, and were prosecuted. Huss boldly remonstrated against the prohibition to read the books, whereupon he was accused of heresy, and summoned to answer for himself before the Pope at Rome. These Huss was not in all points enlightened, but he advocated three great principles: first, that the Word of God is our only infallible authority; secondly, that the clergy ought to be subject to control; and thirdly, that spiritual offices could be rightly filled only by men endowed with the Holy Spirit. principles were directly opposed to many of the errors and corruptions of the times. The Pope who summoned Huss to Rome was John XXIII., a character so vile as to be a scandal to the human name. dinal Colonna had the management of the affair. Huss wished to be excused from personally appearing, and his request was supported by those of the Car King, the Queen, the nobility, and the university of which he was rector. An embassy was sent with these messages, and the offer of delegates to represent the accused. All was in vain. Huss was declared contumacious, his representatives were insulted, and he was excommunicated. The city of Prague was laid under interdict, and, so long as Huss remained there, baptism was to be refused to infants, and funeral rites to the dead. This sentence threw the city into commotion and disorder. Huss appealed firmly, but humbly, to Jesus Christ-his master and his judge. He saw, however, that he had better withdraw, and retired to his native village, where he boldly preached the Gospel. About this time he wrote many letters and tracts, one of the latter being an attempt to prove that "the books of heretics should be refuted, and not burnt." From his village he went forth and preached to great multitudes in other places, with much power and success. His doctrine sank into the hearts of many; but he still professed allegiance to the Church. Meanwhile, the confusion increased, and men's minds were everywhere agitated on the subject of religion. The errors and corruptions, the domination and rapacity of popes and priests filled them with indignation. John XXIII. published two terrible bulls against his enemies, but Huss prepared a noble refutation of these bulls, founding his arguments upon the Word of God. The sensation which this refutation caused was immense, and Huss had fastened upon the doors of the churches and monasteries of Prague a public invitation to discuss the right of the Pope to organise a crusade against Ladislas of Hungary. Civil riots were occasioned by these disputes. Huss became more and more indignant with the Papal party, and thundered against them. His followers went on increasing in the face of persecution, and controversy was the order of the day. A second time he was summoned to Rome, and again he refused to go. He encouraged the people to read Wycliffe's works, denounced the worship of images, and preached boldly the true faith. The violence of the clergy once more compelled him to retire to his native village, where he laboured with his tongue and his pen to the extent of his power. The Romish Church was shaken to its centre. Apart from all other troubles, there were at once three claimants to Papal authority, who cursed and excommunicated each other and their followers. John XXIII., Gregory XII., and Benedict XIII. were the rival popes. To put an end to this dreadful state of things, a council assembled at Constance in 1414; and to this council Huss was cited. The Emperor Sigismund gave him a safe-conduct or passport, which was a pledge that he should go and return in peace. He had his doubts, but, conscious of his integrity, he went, declaring everywhere his resolution to defend his doctrines. When the time came for him to appear, he was at once made a prisoner, in spite of his safe-conduct. His friends protested in vain against this treachery, and the process against him was drawn up. In the month of June, 1415, he was examined, but bravely answered his accusers, who were resolved upon his ruin. Huss was not the only one accused. Wycliffe, who had been dead thirty years, was tried, and sentence passed upon his writings and his bones; his writings and his bones, too, were burnt. Jerome of Prague also was accused and condemned before the council, and died a martyr. John Huss was called up the third time in July, 1415. He was required to abjure his opinions, but again he defended them. They, therefore, declared him an obstinate heretic, and sentenced him to be degraded from the priesthood, his books to be burnt, and himself to be given up to the secular power. All this was done. On hearing his sentence he prayed for his enemies, and for mercy to himself. While in prison he wrote a number of excellent things, and his constancy never forsook him. His trust was in Christ. The day of his execution arrived, and he was publicly burnt to death. Never did martyr leave behind a nobler testimony. His last words were, "Jesus Christ, thou Son of the living God, have mercy on me.' His ashes were cast into the river, but his name is still precious, and his works are still read in the cottages of Bohemia. Correspondence. [WE beg to inform our readers that we only undertake to answer religious questions, and only such as appear likely to be useful to others. We solicit all who favour us with their questions to write them legibly, and as concisely as the subject will admit, with or without names, as the writers please. Questions to be addressed (marked "QUIVER") to John Cassell, Messrs. Cassell, Petter, and Galpin, La Belle Sauvage Yard, London, E.C.] No. 49.-W. S.-THE DEATH OF LAZARUS.-"This sickness is not unto death."-John xi. 4. Not as death prevails over the rest of mankind, who continue under its power unto the last day; and it was not to be a continuance in the state of death. This sickness is death in its present effects, but it is not death in its future results. No. 50.-M.-The question is useless. No. 51.-H. W. M.-JOSEPH SWEARING BY THE LIFE OF PHARAOH.-Gen. xlii. 15. This was not an oath in our sense of the word, but an Oriental form of protestation. No. 52.-S. I.-THE FALL AND THE RECOVERY OF SOLOMON. The fall is clearly stated, and of the recovery nothing is said; but if we take the book of Ecclesiastes as expressing the feelings of his soul after God had conbelieve that his repentance was deep and genuine, vinced him of his transgressions, there is reason to No. 53.-C. T. H.-CHRIST THE JUSTIFIER.-How can God be just, and yet the Justifier of the ungodly? Whatever benefit the mercy of God has led him to promise, the justice of God leads him to perform. Men cease to be ungodly in God's sight when they seek for pardon in the way which God himself has appointed. "Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man (the God-man Christ Jesus) is preached unto you forgiveness of sins; and by Him all that believe are justified from all things;" and "being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ," and "rejoice in hope of the glory of God;" "for when we were without strength, Christ died for the ungodly.”—Rom. v. No. 54.-W. P. M. Our reply is, study the Scriptures in a prayerful spirit, and also in a practical spirit, looking daily to God for Divine teaching; and shun, and carefully shun, all religious controversies. No. 55.-L. W.-THE SHADOW RETURNING TEN DEGREES BACKWARD ON THE SUN DIAL OF AHAZ.How are we to understand this wonderful act ?2 Kings xx. 8. As our sun dials were not then invented, the learned have supposed that this was a kind of ascent to the gate of the palace, marked with figures showing the divisions of the day, and that there were ten divisions of time on this dial. The going backward of the shadow is thought to have been produced by an extraordinary refraction of the sun's rays, which would be effected by an increased density of the air. The text does not say that the sun went backward, or the shadow of objects in general, but the shadow of Ahaz's dial only. In the wonderful works of God there is always what may be termed an economy of power. All is done that is needful, and no more is done. "The words, therefore, may be," says a learned writer, "naturally rendered, 'The beams of the sun, being miraculously inflected, caused the shadow to go back over ten of the degrees, or steps which it had passed upon the dial, or flight of steps, of Ahaz. The business was not to lengthen the day, but to cause the shadow to move backward an appointed space.”” No. 56.-A. M.-WAS THE DELUGE IN THE TIME OF NOAH UNIVERSAL OR ONLY PARTIAL ? not been removed, therefore it abideth on you, exposing you to God's eternal displeasure; for God, out of Christ, is a consuming fire; consequently, "if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain, ye are yet in your sins." No. 58.-H. P. M. (Aberdeen).-THE PARABLE OF THE HIDDEN TREASURE.-Matt. xiii. 44. In what point of view are we to regard the morality of the transaction here recorded ? filled with money, which might have been carried away No. 59.-C.-WHAT PUNISHMENTS ARE RECORDED That the Deluge was universal appears, first, from the express declaration of Scripture, that "all the high bills that were under the whole heavens were covered." As some of these hills are nearly five miles in height, we are at a loss to understand how they could all be submerged, had not the flood of waters been universal. If the Deluge were not universal, why build the ark to preserve men and animals that might have been preserved by emigration? Secondly, from the records and traditions of this great event, which are to be found in most parts of the known world; and thirdly, from the present appearance of the earth, which, from its chasms and mountains, indicate that some mighty convulsions For have occurred, and that vast changes have resulted. Fourthly, the fossil remains of the bones of animals found in spots remote from their original location, though often to be explained by the modern discoveries of the geologist, still leave so many instances unexplained, that we are compelled to believe in the universality of the Deluge. This we do at the same time that we admit, as confirmatory of Holy Writ, all the just claims to antiquity which geology demands, and which the Scriptures do not gainsay. No. 57.-K. J.-"IF CHRIST BE NOT RAISED, YOUR FAITH IS VAIN; YE ARE YET IN YOUR SINS."-1 Cor. XV. 17. The resurrection of Christ from the dead is the proof of the truth of the Gospel, and an evidence the atonement has been made and accepted; and that as the grave could not retain the Redeemer, it will not be able to retain his followers. On the other hand, if it were true that Christ still continues in the state of the dead, your faith in him is useless, and it is the height of folly to expect any benefit from his crucifixion; for unless Christ has not only satisfied Divine Justice for your sins, but risen again for your justification, you must remain for ever under the guilt and power of your sins, and as such are already condemned, because in this condemned state the wrath of God has Abithophel, 2 Samuel xvii. 23. Tyre, Isaiah xxiii. 9. Babylon, Jeremiah 1. 29-32. falsehood, to read of Cain, Genesis iv. 9. Jacob, Genesis xxvii. 19. Joseph's brethren, Genesis xxxvii. 31. Samson, Judges xvi. 10. Saul, 1 Samuel xv. 13, The Prophet of Bethel, 1 Kings xiii. 18. Peter, Matthew xxvi. 72. No. 60.-S.-WHAT LESSONS MAY WE LEARN FROM THE HISTORY OF BALAAM? More than we have space to enumerate. Among them are these: 1. The awful influence of avarice. 2. The uselessness of pious wishes unaccompanied by pious deeds. 3. That devout language does not prove a man to be a Christian. 4. In Balaam we have a representation of that class of men who sin against knowledge," who see the good and yet the ill pursue." 5. That the ordinary gifts of the Holy Spirit are more to be desired than the extraordinary, as exemplified in the history of Balaam, who drew the children of Israel into fearful sins; and in the case of Judas, who betrayed his Divine Master. SUPPLICATION. OH! help me in my deepest need, My business and my pleasure, Lord, For His dear sake who left thy side To take the fearful sting from death, THE GREAT REMEDY. ever been proposed which is at all worthy of the respect of men. All others have proved entirely inadequate to the exigencies of man's sinning and sorrowing state. God will provide no other system of renovation. If that which he has already so mercifully devised and presented be rejected, man must drift downward, hopelessly, to everlasting perdition. Christianity, viewed as a restorative scheme, is marked by signal power. Its ability to elevate and sanctify has been displayed in multitudes of cases. Thousands have by it been lifted to a high moral standing. Thousands have been, by virtue of its influence, transformed in character and transfigured in life. In every walk of life, great numbers can be found whom it has made holy, happy, and useful. It has produced good men, good women, and good children; good fathers and mothers; good husbands and wives; good brothers and sisters; good friends, good neighbours, and good citizens. It has raised the tone of public sentiment and public morals; it has elevated the character, augmented the privileges, and widened the sphere of woman; it has produced a wide-spread refinement among all classes; it has mitigated the atrocities of war; it has humanised the spirit of legislation; it has contributed largely to foster and diffuse an interest in education; it has vivified those amenities and courtesies which form the charm of domestic and social life; it has cheered the every human soul, and by holding up before them the prospect of a nobler, purer, and happier life beyond the grave. It has, in these ways, and in many others, added to the sum of human happiness, and lessened the sum of human misery. It has lighted up the human countenance with many a smile; it has dried many a tear. Of what other moral system can so much be said? No one possessed of ordinary intelligence and sensibility can take a calm survey of the past and present condition of the human race without being deeply affected. Whithersoever we may turn our eyes, sin and sorrow force themselves upon our attention. No region, no condition, is free from their baneful influence. Although they have been at work for so many centuries, their destructive and desolating operation is still dreadfully vigorous, and seems not likely soon to terminate. The legitimate effect of such a state of things is to produce sadness in every well-poor and lowly, by teaching them the untold value of constituted mind. To the Christian, especially-with an intellect fully alive to the actual condition of mankind, and a heart rendered sensitive and sympathetic in relation to the evils which weigh so heavily upon our humanity-the contemplation of the great facts of human depravity and suffering must be saddening in the highest degree. But he does not merely weep, does not shed such tears as fall from sentimental eyes upon the page of a distressing fiction. He springs to the rescue; he stretches out the hand of deliverance. Christianity is offered to the world as a remedy for the moral ills which every one must to some extent feel and deplore. It tends likewise to secure the abolition of the intellectual and physical maladies to which human nature is subject. It is God's cure for sin and its effects-his antidote for the poison of iniquity. It is God's plan of extracting the sting of death. It is his method of despoiling the grave of its victory. He holds this remedy forth in his word, and through his Church. The latter is an organisation, one of whose grand objects is to aid in the healing of a sin-sick race. It points the attention of all to the Bible for a description of the Divine remedy, and to its own members for incontrovertible evidence of the power which that remedy possesses. It shows them men and women to whom the mighty panacea is being applied, and who are undergoing visibly a process of moral restoration. As God's remedy, Christianity is perfect. It is in itself without defect or flaw, for it emanates from perfect power and goodness, from perfect wisdom and knowledge. All the imperfections which it may appear to possess are chargeable upon the errors and frailties of its human agents, and upon a wicked and misjudging world. It challenges the tests of the severest investigation and the most thorough and protracted trial. It has never failed in a single instance in which the directions of its Divine author have been carefully followed. It cannot fail. It is not only a perfect remedy; it is the sole remedy. No other has The Christian system is one of gradual operation. It does not produce all its powerful and benign effects instantaneously. Like leaven, it permeates the human soul, coming into contact with one molecule and fibril after another of the diseased mass, until eventually the whole structure shall be found to be leavened. The consummation of man's holiness and felicity cannot take place until his spirit leaves its tenement of clay. So inveterate and malignant is his moral malady, that it would seem impossible for any system to make him morally healthy at once. At the same time he is bound to bring his nature as much as possible under the sanative influence of Christianity, and to make the process of his moral restoration as thorough and rapid as possible. Let him beware of resting satisfied with a partial and imperfect action of the great remedy, lest peradventure it be found at the last that he was mistaken in supposing himself to have been under the influence of the remedy at all. What is the great Physician doing for our souls? Have we come to him and implored him to heal them? Are we under the influence of that remedy which he has provided? Are we manifestly undergoing a process of cure? It will be a happy thing for us if we can answer these questions in the affirmative. If we are doing all these things, we are falling in with the wise and merciful designs of God, so far as we ourselves are concerned. But our duty goes beyond this. We must persuade others to come to the mighty Healer, and avail themselves of the unfailing medicine which he proffers to all diseased souls without money and without price. We must point our fellow-men, |