resting child had been removed by the hand? of death, and the bereaved parents desiring to preserve some memorial of their little one, before committing it finally to the tomb, had sent for this lady, whose skill in drawing and painting enabled her to preserve an accurate likeness of it and after the burial of the child, she yielded to the entreaties of the family to remain for a while connected with it.

It could not be otherwise than that, in such constant intercourse with those who were entirely devoted to the Church, she should begin to acquire some notions of the true principles of the body. They did not, indeed, appear anxious to obtrude officiously their opinions upon her; yet she observed that whenever occasion seemed to "require that they should speak, they did it fearlessly, yet with a quietness and dignity of demeanor which could not but add force to their words. And she was not long in becoming convinced

might contain, it was not one of cold hypocrisy, as it had been frequently represented; that if it delighted in forms, there was yet un

And here, for the first time, she had an opportunity of witnessing the practical effects of that religious system which she had known only by its being everywhere spoken against..that, how much soever of error their system The members of this household had been thoroughly instructed in the principles of the Christian faith, and they were deeply impressed with the absolute necessity of carry-derneath them a pervading spirit, whose depth ing out those principles in their lives, if they and earnestness she felt herself incompetent would in the end attain everlasting life. to fathom. They accordingly endeavored to measure all their words and actions by the strict rule of the gospel. In all their intercourse with each other at home, or with their neighbors when they met with them, the same unerring rule was submitted to. Each morning, around the domestic hearth, they with one voice, offered the sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving to their Heavenly Father for His watchful preservation of them, with a supplication for a continuance of His favor in protecting them from sin and danger; and each evening they again committed them-been accustomed to, feel an awkwardness selves to His holy care and keeping.

She began by this time to feel an ardent desire to know more of a people whom she could not but regard as extremely singular; and when, on the following Sunday, she readily accepted an invitation to accompany her friends to their parish church, I trust that something more than an idle curiosity prompted her to do so-even an earnest desire of arriving at the truth.

Most dissenters, when for the first time they attend church, in a place where every thing is so different from what they have

'which in too many instances seems to confirm the prejudices which they have before acquired. It results from an entire ignorance of the services which are performed, and can only be prevented by a patient and stearly attention to them. In the present instance, this difficulty was in a measure avoided

the head of the family in which she was an inmate, who furnished her with a 'Prayer Book, and was careful to keep her attention upon the right place.

And yet their piety was of a very different cast from that to which our Methodist friend had been heretofore accustomed. They were not bold in speaking of their religious feelings to others, as if piety consisted principally in making an ostentatious display of it to the world; they rather chose to let it ap-through the polite attentions of her friend, pear in the silent influence of their conduct, which could not but be known and read of all men. Nor, on the other hand, did they manifest any reserve in speaking upon the subject of religion; but their conversation The services were always performed in was directed to the truths of Christianity, this church with decency and propriety, and rather than to their own particular experi- all the directions of the rubrics were carefully ences. Notwithstanding the marked differ-attended to, not merely by the minister, but ence which appeared between this family and her Methodist friends, she was very favorably impressed with the appearance of the former.

also by the people; for great pains had been taken by the worthy rector to instruct his parishioners respecting the proper manner of

and all were engaged in the single business which had called them together.

Nor could she believe, in spite of the prejudices which had almost become a part of herself, so deeply had they been rooted into

an outside show, having nothing but hypocrisy for its basis at the heart.

It could not be expected that one wholly unused to liturgical forms, and therefore incapable of joining in them, should be able fully to appreciate their value, or even to perceive all the beauties which they contained. Every

of mind which are formed in childhood. With my friend, the idea of worship was associated with extemporaneous performances, and though she admired the appearance of this congregation, and even indulged the charitable hope that the people were profited by the use of liturgical forms, she never dreamed that she could bring her own mind to conform to their use-that the time would come when the Book of Common Prayer would be the book of her understanding and her heart.

performing the public worship of God in His sanctuary. He did not do it to the neglect of the weightier matters of the law, for no one ever set forth more frequently or more forcibly the cardinal doctrines of repentance and faith than he did; but he had never per-her, that all this seeming devotion was merely ceived the force of that reasoning which declares that a due observance of forms destroys the life of the spirit. On the contrary, he imagined that forms, properly attended to, were an important assistance in enabling the earth-bound spirit to rise to the contemplation of heavenly things. Perhaps he was one of those weak minds which a great mod-body knows the difficulty of changing habits ern genius has said are peculiarly fitted to embrace the Church mode of worship. Certain it is, that though he set great value upon modern discoveries in science, he deemed the ancient things of religion far preferable to any of the schemes of the present day. And he was unspeakably happy in witnessing the good effects of the sound catholic principles he was endeavoring to inculcate, in the growing piety of his large and increasing congration. A favorable impression was therefore made upon my friend's mind when she first entered the church. Not only was the place itself fitted, by its appearance and arrangements, to awaken in her mind devout contemplation, but the appearance of each family group, or each individual worshipper, as they severally entered the holy house and proceeded to their accustomed places, when first on bended knees they offered up their silent prayer to Heaven, and then, instead of rudely gazing about to see what might be going on, employed themselves in looking over the appointed services, that they might be the better prepared to enjoy them, was such as to stir up still further her devotional feeling, and lead her to feel that this was indeed none other than the house of God and the gate of Heaven.

That she was in

Not so with the sermon. a measure able to appreciate. The preacher felt the importance of his mission as an ambassador for Christ, and did not waste his time in speaking to them words of no profit; but he reasoned upon topics connected with the subject of man's salvation in a way which forced the attention of those present to that momentous question. There was no labored effort to produce rhetorical flourishes to delight the fancy of his hearers, but there were in him "thoughts that breathe," and they failed not to speak in "words that burn." Some of the speaker's allusions she did not fully comprehend, for her mind was untaught in many of the great truths with which his was inspired; but, on the whole, she was satisfied that she had never heard the gospel preached in so plain terms before, and went away resolved that whatever she might think of the mode of worship, she should again hear the truth from one whom she regarded as peculiarly fitted to bear to perish

And as the service proceeded, the entire congregation seemed with one accord to enter into its spirit. Whether in the solemn confession of sins, and the consequent absolution, or in the joyous hymns of praise to our Almighty Father, or in the reading of the Holy Scriptures, or in offering up the peti-ing men the message of salvation. tions of our soul-inspiring Litany, they one).

(To be continued.)

changed the galling bondage of sin and Satan, for " the glorious liberty of the children of

God."

"A liberty unsung

By poets, and by senators unpraised-
E'en liberty of heart, derived from heaven;
Bought with his blood who gave it to mankind,
And seal'd with the same token."

During Polycarp's continuance with this pious mistress, he was not only carefully instructed by her in the rudiments of Christianity, but enjoyed also the privilege of attending the ministry of Bucolus, the vigilant and holy bishop of the place.

have ground to believe that he here ex-invaluable blessing to the Church of Christ, by regulating, during many years, a numerous flock with apostolical simplicity, and training up a succession of pious men for the sacred work of the ministry. And how was he brought into so important a situation, and qualified to discharge the duties of it? "I will bring the blind by a way they know not; I will lead them in paths that they have not known; I will make darkness light before them, and crooked things straight. These things will I do unto them and not forsake them." In consequence of his being placed, while a child, in a state of servitude, an event which he then probably considered as a great calamity, he was early trained in the ways of God, brought under the ministry of a Christian bishop, and, at length, made the immediate disciple of an apostle, who appears more than any of his brethren to have imbibed the spirit of his Divine Master. "O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!" It is truly profitable to trace the hand of God in the accomplishment of his own purposes. Such an exercise, when entered upon with a Christian spirit, and regulated by Christian prudence, will increase the piety and humility of a believer, and excite his gratitude and admiration.

On the death of his kind benefactress, which happened while he was still a youth, Polycarp appears immediately to have become a stated disciple of the apostle John, and an inmate in his family; an event which he never after referred to without the most lively gratitude. The society of such a man must, indeed, have proved to every real Christian an unspeakable advantage; but more particularly to a well disposed youth like Polycarp, who had thereby an opportunity not merely of obtaining information on the most important subjects, but also of modelling his yet unformed character by that of an eminently pious, amiable and inspired apostle.

The vicinity of his apostolical friend was, doubtless, considered by Polycarp as an invaluable blessing. On every emergency, he would have an inspired teacher to consult; and would also frequently be honored by his company, when he paid his pastoral visits to the Asiatic churches.

During the former part of Domitian's reign, the Christians appear to have been unmolest

How long Polycarp resided with St. John is not ascertained. But it appears he was yet very young when appointed deacon under Bucolus, the bishop of Smyrna, which office he discharged with great labor and success. At length, on the decease of his worthy diocesan, he was, notwithstanding his youth, appointed his successor, by the apostle John, and those of his brethren who were yet alive. Thus this venerable minister of Christ re-ed; but towards the conclusion of it, this ceived the government of the Church at Smyrna from those who had been eye-witnesses and ministers of our Lord; and, for the long period of seventy-four successive years, was spared to inculcate those allimportant doctrines, which he had himself learned from the mouth of an apostle.

emperor increased in cruelty, and, at length, renewed the horrors of Nero's persecution. Although Polycarp appears himself to have escaped the fury of the storm, this season must have been a peculiarly afflictive one to him, in consequence of the banishment and subsequent sufferings of his venerable friend, the apostle John.

Let us here pause for a moment to admire the wonderful operations of a superintending Providence. Polycarp at length becomes an { long duration.

This dreadful persecution was not of very
On the accession of Nerva to

the throne, the laws against the Christians (standing than thou hast at present. Watch, appear to have been repealed; the chains of and possess a spirit ever attentive. Speak many worthy persons confined in the prisons to each individually, as God shall enable thee. were struck off, and the captives permitted Bear with the infirmities of all, as a perfect to revisit their native country. On this combatant: the more labor the more reoccasion, John returned from Patmos, and ward." again superintended the Asiatic churches.

{