labor among the Muhammedans, at least, in the department of instruction. Capt. Todd, an English officer, states, that applications for Persian New Testaments on the part of the Muhammedans in Teheran are not unfrequent. Mr. P. remarks, that "multitudes in Persia are turning with abhorrence from the religion of the prophet, and are ready to give a hearing to any system that is offered in its stead. And many of the youthful followers of the false prophet are ready and desirous to put themselves immediately under our instruction." Mr. Haas, the German missionary, had a flourishing Muhammedan school; and his labors had arrested the attention and elicited the approbation of multitudes of the higher classes. A small geography which he prepared, reached the king, who studied it attentively, manifested a deep interest in it, and directed his Meerza to request Mr. Haas to come and open a school at Teheran. And as a farther token of the royal approbation of his efforts in healing the sick, as well as in giving instruction, the king conferred on Mr. H. an order of Persian knighthood. The zeal of the Persians, in regard to their places of worship, is waning; and our author remarks, "There are many indications, and not the least their [the Persians'] own prediction and universal apprehension,-that the whole fabric of Muhammedism is destined, ere-long, to fall."

There are several interesting topics connected with the subject of this work, of which we had designed to speak. But our space forbids.

Mr. P., in his visit to his native land, was accompanied by Mar Yohannan, the Nestorian bishop, who has greatly assisted him in his labors at Oroomiah, and who has become known in many of the cities and principal villages in this country. We are gratified with this memorial of a visit which, we trust, will be productive of extensive benefit to the cause of missions. The work has impressed us with the conviction, that the author is possessed of eminent qualifications for the interesting and self-denying enterprise to which he has devoted his life.

We have a few remarks in reference to the book itself. It is finely printed, on excellent paper, and illustrated with twenty-seven engravings. The best are, Mar Yohannan and the king of Persia. Most of the others are colored lithographs, designed to illustrate Nestorian, Koordish and

Persian costume and appearance. While the work lies open to criticism, in respect to its structure, the circumstances under which it was prepared are sufficient to mitigate severity, and lead us to praise what is excellent, rather than to complain of what is faulty. We may, however, be permitted to say, that while the work is entitled a "Residence in Persia, among the Nestorians," etc., the author does not reach his destination as a resident among the Nestorians, till he has brought us to page 228, and he leaves it fifty-two pages before the close; so that less than half the volume corresponds to its title. Though the preparatory portions of the book are interesting,-many of them valuable and instructive, we have felt, that there is a disproportionate space devoted to them. Much of what is contained in the history of the journey from Boston to Oroomiah would serve as an interesting and useful guide-book to travellers; but the information embraced in it requires to be collected and arranged for the use of the student of geography, history or missions. Friendship loves to hear of every incident, however minute, and to note the time and place of its occurrence. Though the incident has been described a thousand times before, love craves a fresh description; because it has now become invested with new interest. The public culls out what is new, or what can be made to conduce to the general good, and passes over the rest. Portions of the work of Mr. P. are the fruits of diligent toil and careful investigation. But other portions are a simple statement of the events of successive days, apparently just as they were, from time to time, recorded. This method gives, indeed, the most liveliness to a narration; but it imposes likewise a heavy task on the reader, who would retain a distinct view of the history or progress of the mission. Mr. P. writes in a straight-forward, graphic, not inelegant style, neither attracting notice by an effort to be beautiful, nor at any time offending by inaccuracies of taste, or defects in the use of language. We feel that his heart is in the work. We hail the volume as a valuable addition to the missionary literature of Christendom; a fresh trophy of pious enterprise, set up in the church for the glory of God. EDITOR.

ARTICLE IX.

STRENGTH OF PIETY.

"Strong in the Lord."

Be

We

We

THAT which the church, most needs at the present crisis, is a stronger piety. We have many members, but too little grace. We have the forms of life; but an observer, in many instances, could scarcely decide whether our life itself were not death. Our religion is the same, in name, with that of the early Christians; but it lacks the radiant beauty, the firm purpose, the high endeavor, the vigilant activity, which gave to them and to the early church their character. lievers at present need, as it were, a fresh conversion. need to be espoused again, as a chaste virgin, to Christ. need a renewed baptism of the Holy Ghost. The heavenly unction of apostolic men, which, we sometimes fear, has almost died out from the church, needs to be communicated again, by a fresh anointing from on high. We forget not the honorable exceptions which move about among us, to use the language of Brainerd, "like flames of fire;" but we speak of the multitude of those who have put on Christ by an open profession. An influence and power is evidently ascribed to piety in the New Testament, which modern piety, except in a few rare instances, does not seem to possess. We profess to live in Christ, and we trust that Christ lives in us. But though we be branches of the living vine, how little are we conscious of the life that flows from the root, pouring its thrilling life into branch, and twig, and foliage! If our bodies are temples of the Holy Ghost, and we have entered into that near union with Christ which his words to his disciples imply,"Ye in me, and I in you,"-there should not be such diversity between the container and the contained,-between the sanctity of the temple, and the infinite tenant who is enshrined in it. Such mutual distance, such separate living, as if we were two, and not one, should not be suffered to exist. We should be as if Christ were the very principle of our spiritual being, as if that infinite, efficient agent were the moving spring of our souls; as if his were the breath breathing in us; his the life that animates us; his the soul that feels in us;

his the fervor that pleads in us; his the holiness that is reflected from us. If we have connection with a living fountain, as there is life in the source, so there should be life in the streams. That which flows out from a living source should be imbued with the life of its origin,-light answering to light, strength responding to strength, life to life, grace to grace, holiness to holiness.

We believe the piety enjoined and described in the New Testament, and exemplified by the noble men whose biography is there recorded, was of a stronger stamp, than that which is seen day by day in the walks of common life. We think we see in it an elevation above that which prevails even in the ranks of those, in whom piety ought to shine forth in its pure, bright reality, as the patterns of their fellow-men; as those whose place calls upon them to be ensamples to the saints. Neither forms, nor eloquence, nor a sound creed, nor an intellectual conviction of truth stood in them, or can stand in us, as a substitute for this hidden, yet most visible life. The piety which the apostles and early saints had is that which modern believers need. The gospel, proclaimed and exemplified by us, lacks the overwhelming efficiency which it enjoyed in its primitive history, in part, at least, because the piety of professors is so much weaker now than it was then. The principles of the Christian faith must grasp us with a strong hold. The renovating power of the gospel must be felt, working mightily at the seat of life, and exerting its efficient, pervasive, constraining energy on every habit, and on the minutest development of the life.

To what purpose is it that we are Christians, so far as the honor of Christ is concerned, if our Christianity is not of this living, energetic character? To what purpose is it that we are alive from the dead, if our life is but death? Why should we be epistles, known and read of all men, if we be not living epistles-epistles, breathing life-epistles, concerning the life of godliness?

It is because our piety is not of this strong stamp, that we are so inefficient at the throne of grace. Were the individual members of the sacramental host mighty in holiness, heaven would seem to gather its influences and its unction around us, as soon as we should kneel down or stand up to pray. We should be like Moses on the mount, as it were alone with God; and whether in secret or with others, so strong and VOL. VIII.NO. XXIX.

20

successful would be our pleas, that God would condescend to say to us, as to him, "I have pardoned according to thy word." We complain of the deficiency of our faith. But the deficiency under which we are withered, is often of a larger extent. It is the deficiency of a strong and living piety. There is a life and power of godliness. And it is that life and power, which our prayers demand, to make them the holy breathings of a devout soul,-to associate with them a divine helper,-to teach us to pray, as men who are full of faith and of the Holy Ghost. How necessary it is, that we, who have so much need of prayer, should know how to pray! How important, that we should be such persons that we can bow down, assured of success, at the altar of prayer!

Piety of this stronger stamp would yield us the true divine enjoyment which religion promises. We seem to have more to do with the negative view of religion, than with the positive. We hope on account of what we are not, more than on account of what we are. We have but a small measure of that thrilling joy, which religion is capable of yielding. We talk and think of freedom from condemnation, more than of exultation in Christ. The fruit of the apostolical aspiration,—“ That ye may be able to comprehend with all saints what is the length, and breadth, and depth, and height of the love of God, and may know that love which passeth knowledge, and be filled with all the fulness of God,"-does not enter, at the present day, into the system of Christian experiences. It treads on ground too high. It moves in an atmosphere too rare for our gross, earthward organs. We admire it, but we do not attain to it. We scarcely deem it attainable. The soul soars, as with a broken pinion. The eagle has lost the power of gazing on the sun. The dark earth is more congenial with the weak eye, than the intense glow of the solar brightness. It is man that acts in us,-it is man that looks upward or downward. We feel not the motions of an indwelling Christ. But "the fruit of the Spirit is joy.' A weak religion may not bring joy. But a strong piety will do it. A weak, sickly child may be the victim of interminable melancholy. But let its life have buoyancy and strength, and the exuberant joy of the young heart will overflow. What a lesson to our faint and weak religion is the apostle's expression," Strong in the Lord and in the power of his might!"