bodily nourishment from what his privileged servants brought him in the wilderness; but it is too giddy a depth to look down into, where the Lord of heaven and earth, lying prostrate in the crimson dews of his own bloody sweat, and sorrowful unto death, in agony indescribable, was strengthened by an angel. And was this for me? And shall I not love that angel who brought comfort to my Lord? Indeed I will.

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Again, there is a reference of overpowering grandeur-an hypothesis that almost makes my heart tremble. "Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels?" I know that Jesus was seen of angels," throughout his mysterious sojourn here; and I cannot read those words without beholding, as it were, those legions of mighty spirits, so terrible in delegated wrath, resting on the outspread wing, waiting but a word to unfetter their loyal will, and prepared to rush down with a rescue, Oh, ruin, everlasting, irremediable ruin to every soul of man had that rescue been permitted !

And they saw him on the cross. Much has been written and said on the shading of the sun, the rending of the rocks, as though inanimate nature sympathized while man looked on and scoffed. But why do we not consider what must have been felt by the angels of God, clustering about the cruel cross? Were not they, probably, the immediate agents in darkening the sun, breaking the rocks, rending the veil, and opening the graves? We know not, we cannot know; but it was an awful spectacle for them! And happy was that individual of the countless host, whose office it was to roll away the stone

to break the prison bars of the grave-to act a conspicuous part in the mighty scene that sealed our justification. I often think that no created being ever enjoyed such a glorious privilege as that angel did. The very attitude of triumphantly sitting down upon the stone which had shut the Lord of glory into the dark chambers of death, is eloquent. The keepers saw him, and became as dead men. Well might his countenance shine as lightning, with the consciousness of such an office.

And when all was fulfilled, when the heavens were about to receive their returning King, and all its inhabitants, in one stupendous chorus, called the everlasting doors to lift up their heads, that the Lord of Hosts might once more enter in, then, willing even to endure a temporary absence from that consummation of celestial joy, two were left, standing beside the bereaved and astonished disciples, to comfort their drooping hearts with the assurance that in like manner they had seen Him go, so should their Lord return. First and last, those blessed creatures were found, alike to announce his incarnation to joyous expectants, and to soften his departure to the trembling mourners. And for all this their tender sympathy, what return do we make? We rarely think, and more rarely speak of them; and when we do, it is generally with such shyness and hesitation, as though we trod on forbidden ground, instead of cheerfully walking in a safe and pleasant track marked out by the Lord for us. This is not right. This subject is not half exhausted, even in the very slight view that I proposed to take. It must be reserved for one more paper. Meanwhile, let my readers try the effect produced on their minds by

prayerfully investigating the subject in their bibles, and seeking to realize the fact of being constantly surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses, warmly interested in their heavenly race, and also by a numerous throng of unseen, subtle foes, hourly watching to set a stumbling-block in their way, and so to burden them that they may sink beneath the weight. Bound to the world of spirits, we journey through a world that is now their battle-field, and we are the prize for which they contend. May that consideration be blessed, as a quickening inducement to hold on our way, looking unto Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our faith!

R. H. F.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE CHRISTIAN
LADY'S MAGAZINE.

MADAM,

I CANNOT doubt that much and valuable reflection has been challenged, in the minds of many persons, by some recent letters published in the Record' newspaper, on the subject of Servants. When you have space in your Magazine, perhaps you will give insertion to a few remarks, suggested by their perusal, which I now beg to present. Never, perhaps, was there an evil more generally felt or canvassed than the one now publicly adverted to. Never, perhaps, was a more inert state of moral feeling developed than that which has attended the general acknowledgment, particularly in that portion of society most directly affected by the evil deplored. In the columns of the Record for November 10th, is a very valuable letter signed Clericus D.' which has the following remark: We have societies innumerable for the glory of God and the good of our fellow-creaturesour foreign missionaries, our home missionaries; but of that large and important class of our fellow-creatures called Servants, it may truly be said, few men care for their souls." And yet if we consider the bearing of this class of persons, on society at large, the great influence they possess in families, the vast power they have of good or evil, it will appear that no class of persons are more deserving of our most

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anxious care and attention.'

The voice of the com

munity makes it almost needless to establish the fact of the demoralized state of servants; the far more important question is, What can be done to remedy the evil?

I had not read the journal to which I have alluded many hours, before I found myself within the circle of a clergyman's family, assembled for evening worship, to whom was read the sixth chapter of St. Paul's first epistle to Timothy. The opening verses singularly accorded with the train of my previous reflections, and I involuntarily thought, When and where is this apostolic injunction fulfilled by the ministers of the Church of England? I did not confine the inquiry within her pale from any invidious motive, but simply because, reared within her bosom, and increasingly attached to her scriptural communion, I was not personally qualified to carry the inquiry into other divisions of the professing church of Christ. St. Paul was evidently guided by the Spirit of God, to make direct provision in the passage referred to, for the benefit of one class of the community, that servants in every succeeding age, should have their peculiar, and, doubtless, needful share of ministerial instruction. My busy memory travelled back through many a year, and into many a widely severed house of God, in quest of one instance where it could fix this seal of obedient fidelity to the proclamations of divine truth: it was compelled at last-like the unrested dove to return, but alas! with far less contentment, to the point from whence it started. Is there then anything approaching to cause and effect discoverable here? If the God of all grace had not known such exhortations to be needed, would he