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either party knew to appreciate at its just value. He visited Ulm likewise with Blaurer and Bucer, and united his counsel with theirs in settling the doctrine and discipline of the church in that city.

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When the Landgrave of Hesse, in consequence of the sacramentarian disputes among the Reformers, invited Zuinglius and Luther to an amicable conference on the subject at Marpurg, in October 1529, the two principals were assisted by their friends on either side. But we are principally concerned to notice the conversation which occurred between the great Saxon Reformer and the enlightened pastor of Basle, respecting the corporeal The latter maintained that "the flesh profiteth nothing;" that "the true body was only in heaven, and could not be in two places at once;" and that "the best fathers had understood the words of Christ as relating to spiritual participation." To the first observation Luther replied, that Christ, in saying, the flesh profiteth nothing,' did not allude to the sacrament;" to the second, that "the Lord might so dispose of his body, that locality might not be affirmed of it;" and to the third, that he would only reply that our Lord's words were, This is my body,' which he would inscribe on the table, and by these abide." The Basilian on this memorable occasion repeated the arguments which he had used in 1525. At that period he published a work on the true meaning of our Lord's words, "This is my body," in which he discussed the theological difficulties in a manner more conciliating to the Lutherans than either Carlostadt or Zuinglius. He was decidedly of opinion, however, that consubstantiation was an error; and that the great aim of a communicant should be to receive the elements with repentance and faith, in remembrance of the death of Christ. He asserted that the bread

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was called the body by a figure. Having dedicated his work to the Suabian divines, fourteen of them met at Hall, and joined in a reply. One named Brentius had the chief hand in the composition. They said, that as the declaration of God, " Every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live," conveyed healing efficacy to the brazen serpent; so the words of consecration caused the body of Christ to be united to the bread. Ecolampadius rejoined by showing that such illustrations would never confute his position; for that the serpent was only a type of the Saviour, and a mean of healing specially provided of God, but having no efficacy in itself. He had had occasion to defend his sentiments also at Baden in 1527, and at Berne in 1528. In one of his epistles he drew up his confession on this subject. "I have no hesitation to own that the body of Christ is present with the bread, in the same manner in which it is present with the word itself, by which the bread becomes a sacrament, and the word becomes visible. Those speak correctly and piously, who declare that they come to the Lord's supper, even to eat the body of Christ. Those speak unadvisedly and slightingly, who say that they obtain nothing there except bread and a sign of their Christianity : for such persons do hereby demonstrate their want of faith. A believer considers himself as treated like a traitor, if he is represented as having eaten the sacrament alone, and not the thing itself which the sacrament implies; although it be true that he receives the former with the mouth, and the latter with the mind by faith." This passage shows some confusion of ideas; but it shows at the same time that he could speak on the subject in a manner different from Zuinglius, with whom he agreed in the main. It is surprising, however, that he should have been so

much attached to the maxim, "the flesh profiteth nothing," which in reality has nothing to do with the argument. He exposed himself to the ridicule of Luther by calling it "his iron wall."-" I should rather call it," said the Saxon, " wall of mere paper, though perhaps the paper is a little tinged with an iron colour. Christ did not say, flesh profiteth nothing, but, the flesh. So our friend's iron wall falis to the ground!"

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In 1530, he was waited on by two ministers from the Waldenses of Provence, who gave him an interesting account of their faith and discipline. They told him they believed the sacraments to be visible signs of an invisible grace. The year following the senate desired his judgment on the production of Servetus concerning Trinitarian error, on which he condemned it in a public oration, and wrote to the author in confutation of his tenets, beseeching him to renounce them.

The death of his friend Zuinglius affected him very sensibly, for his infirm state of body could ill support the melancholy news of the fall of one to whom he had been so tenderly attached. He struggled hard against the shock, till it pleased God, that a painful ulcer breaking out on the os sacrum confined him to his bed, and soon proved mortal. Great anxiety prevailed among his friends; but he was himself in a peaceful and happy frame. Sending for his brotherministers, he exhorted them to be faithful followers of Christ, to be pure in doctrine, and to be holy in life. "My brethren, the Lord is come; he calls me away: but for you, a storm may threaten; be not however discouraged; the Lord will protect his church! I have had many aspersions cast upon me; but I shall stand clear before the judgment-seat of Christ, of the eharge of seducing his church; and JANUARY 1823.

I request you to bear witness that such is my dying declaration!" The ministers, standing round his bed, gave each other the right hand, and engaged to take care of the church.

On the fifteenth day of his illness he called for his young children, of whom the eldest was but three years of age. He took each by the right hand with great affection, and then gently stroking their heads said, "My little dears! you, Eusebius-and you, Irene-and you, Alethea-see that you love God, and he will be your father!" His weeping wife bowed obedience for the children, when, turning to her, his father-in-law, and some other relations, he charged them, “ All you who have heard my desire, I consider bound by this promise to see my children brought up to be pious, peaceful, and true!” this concise charge was a seasonable allusion to their respective names, it was likely to be remembered by the guardians.

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Some ministers continued with him that night, to whom he spoke briefly. But an intimate friend coming in, he asked, "What news?" "None." But I," said he, have news for you! In a short time I shall be with Christ my Lord!" A little after some one inquired of him, "Whether he could bear a light to be brought to him?" to which he replied, laying his hand on his breast, "Here is abundance of light!" The morning now began to dawn, when he grew worse, but with gasping breath repeated the 51st Psalm. He then paused a little, and after recovering himself, added, "Save me, O Christ Jesus!" These were his last words. The ministers knelt down round the bed, and lifting up their hands, commended his soul to God. In this act of piety they had been engaged but a few minutes, when the sun rose full on the interesting group, and the object of

their solicitude, with a gentle sigh, resigned his spirit into the hands of his Redeemer.

Such was the edifying departure of this amiable saint, on the 1st of December 1531, in the fifty-first year of his age: a man of piety, integrity, and self-denial; of meek behaviour, mild in disputation, and polished in manner; of great gravity and circumspection; deliberate in business; and much attached to study. His writings were numerous, and are divided into exegetical, hortatory, and apologetical. As his parents, somewhat hastily, parted with all their substance, in contemplation of his taking orders, and leading a single life, he had nothing to leave his wife and family. As a reformed divine, however, he thought proper

to marry in 1528 the pious widow of his friend Cellarius. She had no fortune, but was of good descent. After his decease she united herself to Capito, and surviving him, took for her fourth husband Martin Bucer.

The citizens honoured his memory with a public funeral: and while the patriotic feelings of their descendants were cherished by viewing the statue in their townhall of Manutius Plancus, the founder of their ancient state, and a Roman general; their bosoms might glow with fresh piety, as they contemplated in their cathedral the tomb that covered the remains of Ecolampadius, the reformer of their faith, and defender of their infant Protestantism.

THE SECOND ADVENT.
BEYOND the dark and stormy bound
That guards our dull horizon round,
A lovelier vale extends;
MESSIAH rules in mercy there,
And o'er his altar, bright in air,
The morning star ascends.

For HIM, the early patriarch sigh'd,
His distant glory faint descried,
And hail'd the blest abode :

A stranger here, he sought a home,
Fix'd in a city yet to come,
The city of his GOD.

Yet, yet, a few short hours must run,
And, GOD's unchanging purpose done,
Th' immortal day shall dawn;
Even now on yonder mountains gray,
Methinks I see a wandering ray
Proclaim th' approaching morn.

Come, SAVIOUR, come, CREATOR LORD,
Substantial Light, Eternal Word,
Thy chosen seed redeem;
Awake, as in the elder time,
And marshal all thy hosts sublime,

And bid thy banner stream.

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And oh! while yet we linger here,

With promis'd grace descend and cheer

Our doubtful path below;

That strong in faith, and warm with love,`
With steady aim our feet may move,

Our grateful bosoms glow.

BOWDLER.

THE VILLAGE PASTOR, No. VI.

THE difficulties that a few years ago presented themselves in imparting instruction to our poor children, and the fears and prejudices that prevailed in many minds as to the duty and expediency of educating the lower orders of the community, threw such impediments in the way of most of our village pastors, as greatly checked and vastly confined their usefulness. These difficulties, and fears, and prejudices, have now, in a great measure, vanished, because they have been lived down; and facts and experience have proved to the candid part of mankind, that the cultivation of the poor villager's mind in moral, religious, and useful subjects, is at once to rescue a being from a sort of half-savage nature, and to transform it into a social and conscientious character, to make it a useful member of society in this world, and to fit it for the company of saints and angels in the next. Well do we know, that in many instances the labour seems to be bestowed in vain. Sometimes our anxiety and admonitions receive little else than ingratitude and rebellion in return. Yet, if we go to the Scriptures for a rule of duty, our path is plain, and our duty is no matter of vain speculation, or of wavering choice. In the morning we are commanded to sow the seed, and in the evening we are forbidden to withhold our hand. We are to do unto others as we would have others do unto

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The poor we have always with us; and when we will we may do them good. In our labours to benefit the poor children of our villages, we should never forget that much good may arise to others, and especially to their parents, through this channel; and that much of an encouraging nature may appear at a future day, al

though for the present the bread thrown on the waters seem carried down the stream, and lost for ever. The few anecdotes which I purpose to give in illustration of these remarks, are what passed under my own eyes in my former parish, or are now passing before me in my present.

Little Sarah

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was not more

than eight years of age when I quitted the village in which she had attended our Sunday school. Her mother was brought to feel herself a sinner, and to desire that salvation which is made known in the Gospel; but she could not read, and her numerous family of young children confined her much to her cottage. This was a source of no small sorrow of heart: yet these sorrows were often mitigated by little Sarah's coming home in the evening, and relating much of what had been said to her at the school, and often, to use the mother's own words, 'telling her the meaning of passages of Scripture, which she did not understand before thus explained by her child." At a time when the typhus fever laid several of my people in their graves, and many more on beds of sickness, little Sarah took this complaint, and for many days her life was despaired of. For a while deafness and delirium prevented my conversing with her; but when intervals of recollection occurred, I was often cheered by her simple, pious conversation. Shortly after the symptomatic deafness left her, and she became capable of hearing what I said. I one day found her quite free of delirium, with her little school-books lying on the pillow. For some time after I entered the cottage, I was quite alone with the child: the mother being out at work, and the old grandmother gone for water to a well in the

neighbourhood. Approaching the bedside, I inquired of the child

how she felt herself.

"A little better, but very badly yet, Sir."

"Sarah, you know how this fever has carried off several people: some of them seemed to be getting better; and then, all at once, they got worse and worse again, and soon died. Now I hope you try to think about your soul, because we don't know but you may yet die. Do you think about these things?"

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Yes, Sir; but I can't think much, my head is so bad; I can only read a little, and then it makes my eyes pain me, and then I'm obliged to put down the book again."

"Do you think about Jesus Christ, and how he died for poor sinners, and loves to see little girls coming to him? Do you pray to him, Sarah, to pardon your sins, and make you fit for heaven?"

"Yes, Sir, I do; but then I get it out of my head again, and don't know what I say."

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Well, my dear, when you come to yourself again, you must then try to think about your blessed Saviour, and pray to him as before. He will not be angry with you for being out of your head, or for what you then say. But, Sarah, do you ever talk to your mother and grandmother, and the rest of the family, about these things?"

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Yes, Sir; but they cry so." "What makes them cry, my dear?"

"I don't know, Sir, but my mother says she can't bear it." "Surely, Sarah, your mother is not angry with you, is she?"

"O no, Sir, she is not angry, but she does cry so, and says she can't bear it."

The grandmother now came in, and somewhat interrupted us.

"Bless her little heart," exclaimed the old woman, "she does

talk so pretty to us, that it is very moving. I hope she'll get well again.'

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That," I replied, "we must leave with Him in whose hands are our lives, and all that is connected with our term of days. Let us endeavour to be found in Christ, and then, living or dying, all will be well."

A few days after, I had an opportunity of chatting with the mother, and learning from her that the child frequently talked to her and to her father on the subjects of death and another world in such a manner as astonished and affected them, so as to throw them both into a flood of tears.

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"O Sir," said the mother, " I hope the Lord will enable me to pray, Thy will be done;' but how shall I be able to bear up, if my dear girl is taken away? O how many times has she come home from your room, Sir, and told me so much about what was explained to the girls, that it seemed to make up for my not being able to get out to church in the afternoon! If she dies, I shall then have no one to tell me about these things."

In short, this child was in no small degree the instructor and comforter of the mother; and these instructions and comforts which the parent derived from her child would, humanly speaking, never have been communicated, had not the child been in the way of hearing from time to time little explanations of Scripture, and short familiar addresses on the various subjects of man's fall and misery through sin, and his rise and happy prospects through our Lord Jesus Christ. Sarah recovered from the typhus fever, and is now living out at service. May the Lord continue to impress her mind, and influence all her conduct, by that which she profitably learnt out of his holy word, that so she may fulfil the same to his honour and glory!

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