utterly ceased to exist, the soul as well as the body being dead, God's relation to them must have ceased also; he could no longer be their God, for he is not the God of the dead. But it is evident he calls himself their God several hundred years after their bodies had lain in the sepulchre. Since, then, he cannot be the God of one who has no existence at all, and yet declares himself to be the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, what is the necessary inference? Why, that those patriarchs were still alive; that though their bodies had been long dead, their souls were still living, and that God sustained the same relation to those holy men then as he did when they were on the earth-that is, he was still their God. He is not the God of the dead but of the living; therefore, if he be Abraham's God still, Abraham must still be alive. Thus our Lord shows that even an inference drawn from Holy Scripture is stronger than all the arguments drawn from infidel philosophy. Moreover, it should be remarked that the Sadducees rejected all the Scriptures except the first five books of Moses, namely, Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy; and, therefore, our Lord confounds them by quoting a passage from one of those books which they professed to acknowledge and believe. He defeated them by their own weapons. QUERY 3.-ON THE ETERNAL STATE OF JUDAS.

WE think the solemn words of our Lord plainly decide the fate of this wicked man. "Woe unto that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed. It had been good for that man if he had not

been born." (Matthew xxvi. 24.) Now, if Judas had been finally saved, it would be infinitely better for him that he had been born than if he had not been born. But if it had been better for Judas never to have been born, it is, alas! too evident that his poor guilty soul was eternally lost. The passage quoted by our correspondent from Acts i. 25, which speaks of Judas going to his own place, only confirms this view; for what is his own place? What is the place of the wretched soul that dies unpardoned but the abyss of everlasting woe? Great God, help us to take heed lest we betray thee like Judas, and finally perish like him! Many in the present day sell the Redeemer for silver or pleasure, for filthy lucre or carnal gratifications. Reader, beware!

QUERY 4.-ON JEPTHAH'S VOW.

(Judges xi. 30, 31.)

THERE is no certain evidence that Jepthah did put his daughter to death as a sacrifice. We think the passage will bear the interpretation that he devoted her as a virgin to the service of the sanc tuary. But if even he did put her to death, it does not follow that God approved of it. Most certainly he could not accept the offering up of human blood, even if a rude and ignorant captain, such as Jepthah, should have performed that fanatical deed.

QUERY 5.-ON THE MEANING OF THE PASSAGE IN LUKE XXIV. 25.

WE suppose our correspondent feels uncertain as to the meaning of this passage from the ambiguous form of expression employed therein. The context, however, makes the meaning quite clear. Our Lord is reproving the

Sabbath-school connected with our cause in this place; and her attachment to the school and her love for the teachers, was evident from the regularity of her attendance at school, never being absent except when unavoidably prevented from attending.

During the ministry of the Rev. Thos. Boycott in this Circuit, and while he was preaching on

one

occasion at Bucknall, the word came with power to Martha's heart; and at the prayer-meeting afterwards, the Lord manifested his gracious presence to her soul, and filled her with joy and peace through believing on his name. This blessing she retained to the last. It is true she did not become a member of the Church, but she frequently held intercourse with her God in private devotion, and also in social meetings for prayer; and not unfrequently has she been observed to be overwhelmed with joy while singing a hymn composed by the Rev. P. J. Wright, commencing with, "Jesus, our dear Lord, rejoices," &c.; but the chorus, "I love Jesus, Hallelujah," seemed always to fill her with an extasy of joy. Her father's testimony is, that she

ever, after her conversion to God, exhibited in her character and conduct unmistakable marks of a child of God.

In the beginning of the present year Martha's health began to decline; still nothing of a serious

nature was apprehended by her friends, and it was hoped as the spring and summer advanced, with the benefit of fresh air and exercise, that she would improve. But it appears the Lord had ordained otherwise; for she kept gradually sinking, until her parents became alarmed, and called in medical aid, when she was pronounced to be in a critical state-consumption having set in, and threatening her with approaching dissolution.

The 18th of July, 1852, being the anniversary of the Sundayschool, Martha was too ill to accompany the scholars and teachers in procession through the village (according to annual custom); but she was particularly anxious to be present at the Chapel to attend at least one of the services. She was accordingly assisted thither to the afternoon service, and heard the Rev. W. Mills preach from these words: "Mary hath chosen that good part," &c. And it was the last sermon she was permitted to hear, and she enjoyed the privilege much, often afterwards referring to the occasion with feelings of pleasure and delight.

In the early part of Martha's affliction her father took occasion to put the following trying question to her: "Tell me, my dear, whether you would rather die and go to heaven, or continue here." She meekly replied, "I would

you all I can; but if it should be the will of God, I am quite willing to die." On another occasion, while listening at the door of her father's class-meeting (which was held in their own house), she said, "I felt it good to be there." To which her father replied, "If you wish it, you shall go in and join us, my dear." "Thank you, father," she said, "I will." But she attended only twice, before she became so weak as not to be able to sit; and the following Sabbath she took to her bed.

It now became apparent that Martha's end was drawing near, for so rapid was the progress of her complaint, that in the course of a few days she was in an almost helpless condition. But in patience she possessed her soul; and it was a pleasure to attend upon her, for she always manifested such a spirit of gratitude for what was done for her, that she invariably (while able to speak) feebly uttered the words "Thank you."

About five days previous to her death, she was at times evidently delirious; but in one of her lacid moments she said, "It will not be long." At another time, when asked if she had any fear of death, she answered, "No, no ;" and not long afterwards she said to her father, who was anxiously watching over her, "Oh, father, I wish

Nothing remarkable occurred after this until a short time before she died, when she called for the various members of the family, from her father and mother downwards; and as they presented themselves before her, she took an affectionate leave of each of them, and meekly fell asleep in Jesus, on Wednesday, the 11th day of August, 1852, aged fourteen years and ten months.

The event was improved on the 30th of August, in our chapel at Bucknall, in an excellent sermon by our highly-esteemed minister, the Rev. W. Mills, on the advantages of early piety; and it is hoped good will be the result.

The writer of this brief memoir, after many years of anxious toil in the work of Sabbath-school tuition, while thankful of the opportunity, feels no hesitation in recommending the example of the dear departed to the especial notice of your juvenile readers, and hopes they will seek to imitate her virtues, as faintly set forth in this hasty sketch of her character and conduct, not doubting, if they do so, that they will ere long share the bliss of that heaven, which she in her affliction so emphatically called her "home."

JOSEPH HAWLEY.