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The same custom subsists throughout Asia, varied by slight modifications in different countries. It is even extended to camels and to horses. In Persia, for instance, many of the king's horses are given out into the keeping and custody of certain persons. If one of them dies, the man who has charge of it cuts out the piece of skin that bears the royal mark, with a portion of the flesh adhering thereto, and takes it to the proper officer, who thereupon erases the horse from the royal register. The man, moreover, is sworn as to the fact that the animal died a natural death, and not from any want of care. And it is said that the experienced officers of the king's stable can tell from the state of the piece of flesh, after it has been steeped some time in water, whether the horse died of hunger, hard work, or violence. The mention of "the ear" may direct our thoughts to the very long pendulous ears of one species of Syrian goat, which is in fact still the domestic species in that country. Even a piece of one of these remarkable ears might very well serve as evidence of what had befallen the animal,— and, indeed, all the more proper from being so portable, and more easily preserved from corruption than more fleshy parts.— Kitto.

THE MARTYR'S DEATH-PLACE.

MANY are the spots throughout our favored land which have been consecrated by the dying prayers and earnest wrestling of those who, in the days of persecution, endured the fiery trial, and in the strength of the Lord triumphed gloriously.

The place to which I more particularly allude, is not far from my home. It is an old and almost deserted burial-ground, overgrown with grass, and surrounded with beautiful trees.

Here and there part of an ancient monument peeps out from beneath its verdant covering, showing us that once the tomb of the great man of a former age was white and new.

Just in the centre of the enclosure, is the place where, in the fearful reign of Queen Mary, a Martyr gained his crown.

When they led him forth to execution the people expected him to hold a purse, as malefactors usually did, and receive money for masses for his soul. But he refused their charity,

and told them that "he required no masses, that his debt was paid by Christ, and his soul would soon be safe in glory."

They fastened him to the stake, and in the dying agony he breathed out one last prayer-"Father of Heaven have mercy on me!" and departed. Happy-happy, man! Coming out of "great tribulation," and entering into peace-leaving the few hoar hairs which had been his crown of glory, strewed upon the battle-field, and gaining in exchange a crown bright as the noon-day sun and imperishable as eternity itself!

The flame consumed his garments, but the "white robe" succeeded them.

The last sounds that fell upon his dying ear would be the crackling of the fire, the taunt of the scorner, and the hum of the pitying multitude; and the next-the swell of the angels' song-the endless "Hallelujah!"

Often have I tried to follow him in his flight as I passed by the scene of his conflict. We must wait awhile, and then we shall see the martyr and his Lord. How different are our times to those long past ages to which our sketch leads us back. What reason have we to be thankful for our great and precious privileges. Yet we, too, have trials, and for our own sakes it is well to compare them with those of the children of God in other days.

They, like ourselves, wept over the graves of the tender relatives, and mourned the loss of kind and loving friends. All the sorrows to which we are subject were experienced by them, and oh! how many more. Cruel mockings and scourgings, imprisonment and death, in their most awful forms! We have often cause to weep, 'tis true, but surely tears of sorrow may well be mingled with tears of joy, that we are spared the terrors which continually threatened them. And then we have the same Divine support in time of trouble-the same everlasting arm to rest upon as they-the same sweet assurance," I will never leave thee nor forsake thee,"-" as one whom his mother comforteth, so will I comfort you."

Do you need any more than this beloved friends? If you are in sorrow, these precious promises are the heritage of every one that loves the Saviour.

But perhaps you will reply that you do not profess to love

Him-that you are none of his. Alas, dear reader! Do you intend to continue thus? Will you go forth into the fight without a weapon and without a shield? Will you let the bitter storms of life howl around you, and break against you their raging billows, and never seek a place of refuge? And more than all, will you venture down into the dark valley of the shadow of death without "His rod and his staff to comfort you," without his presence to cheer, and the arm of his love to sustain you?

Stop! stop! I beseech you, and think for a moment before you decide upon your future course. You have doubtless been tried in various ways, and you are now perhaps almost ready to exclaim with one of old-" My burden is greater than I can bear."

Jesus speaks to you,-" Cast thy burden on the Lord and he shall sustain thee." "Come unto me all ye that are weary, and heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”

It is rest you want. Will you not come? Oh! do not slight the gracious invitation. Do not push away the gentle hand which would fain wipe away your tears for ever. Call upon Him as did the holy martyr of whom you have been reading. "Father of Heaven, have mercy on me!" and He will have mercy, for He casts out none that come, and He has promised-"Call upon me in the day of trouble and I will deliver thee." Then by the merits of Him who died that we might live for ever, we shall join the glorious band of the redeemed. We shall see the white-robed throng of those who came out of great tribulation, who like their master "endured the cross, despising the shame, and are set down at the right hand of God, even the Father." Washed in the same precious blood, our robes will be white like theirs; the harp, the palm, the glistening crown, will be ours by our Saviour's purchase, and we shall listen to the Heavenly song, and swell the pealing chorus of its "Hallelujah!" The martyr will be there, dear readers, for mine is no fictitious story. And will he see you there? God grant he may ?

Chester.

MARY ISABELLA.

THE NEW CREATION.

GOD's creating power drew the world out of nothing, but his converting power frames the new creature out of something worse than nothing. What power must that be which can stop the tide of the sea, and make it suddenly recoil back! What a vast power must that be that can change a black cloud into a glorious sun? This and more doth GOD do in conversion; he doth not only take smooth pieces of the softest matter, but the ruggedest timber, full of knots, to plane, and shew his strength and art upon. It is not so great a work to raise many thousands killed in battle, as to gospelize one dead soul.— Charnock.

THE COURSE CHANGED.

By nature a man loadeth himself with a world of vanities; he is shipped for this world; and that is it which his eye aimeth at, to make himself happy in the world in something or other. Now, my brethren, GOD meets him in the way, takes him off from all the ends that were for himself, putteth in a new pilot, setteth up a new lode star, giveth him a new compass; sendeth his blessed Spirit into his heart, that, as a wind, bloweth him clean another way: all the lading he hath by nature, he throweth them all clean overboard. Thus GOD dealeth with a man when he turneth him.

Paul was a ship richly laden. "I was a scholar," saith he, "and profited in the Jewish language more than all my teachers: I had much to boast of." God comes, and he throws them all overboard. "I count all things but as dross and dung in comparison of the knowledge of Christ." What made Paul do this? God had touched his heart with this loadstone, to the direction of which all must be conformed; and now, saith he, I must needs aim at God's glory in all things: herein lieth the work of conversion. Now, to work such a work as this in a man, to touch a man's heart thus, is as much as to throw the earth off its centre.

If you should see the earth go off its centre, and fix itself in the same sphere with the sun, and go along with the same pace and with the same motion, you would think an almighty power

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must go to do all this. This God doth. If a man moveth himself, though it be to God, as self-love will sometimes do, yet still he is upon his own centre; all is for himself. God cometh and turneth him off his own hinges, takes him off from his own bottom, placeth him in the same sphere with himself, makes him aim at him in all things. This is holiness: and to put this principle into a man's heart, nothing but the almighty power of God can do it: it is above all the creation.-Dr. Goodwin.

PRAYER.

OUR prayer should run parallel to promises; we should ask nothing of God but what we have an intimation he will do for us: our needs and necessities would not be sufficient arguments; but the principal argument is the word of God. Finding a promise in the word, faith fixes there, and presseth God from ît; and a believer so praying cannot be denied, unless God deny himself. The word of God is himself; it is his will: so the soul may go with a holy boldness unto God; for the thing that is promised is half done. God may keep us in suspense a while; but he expects we should live upon the word, and hang on it till the time of the promise comes. All that faith labors for, is to work the soul to assurance that God will deal with us according to his word. And if I can make it out that such a promise belongs to me, I have enough to live on.- -Cole.

SELF.

Every man blameth the devil for his sins; but the great devil, the house-devil of every man, that eateth and lyeth in every man's bosom, that idol that killeth all, is-himself. 0 blessed are they that can deny themselves, and put Christ in the room of themselves! O would to the Lord I had not a myself, but Christ; not a my lust, but Christ; not a my ease, but Christ; not a my honor, but Christ! O sweet word! (Gal. ii. 20.) "I live no more, but Christ liveth in me!" O if every one would put away himself, his own self, his own ease, his own pleasure, his own credit, and is own twenty things, his own hundred things, that he setteth up as idols above Christ.— Rutherfoord.

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