All Saints' Day.

THE MULTITUDE OF GOD'S SAINTS.

REVELATION vii. 9.

Lo, a great multitude, which no man coula number!

WE have reached the last of those twenty Saints' Days, which are observed by the Church of England. The names of upwards of sixty other persons are wisely retained in the Calendar, -persons memorable for their learning, or sufferings, or piety; and often, for all three together; but we appoint special services for only twentyfour fixed days in the year, of which, four are observed in honour of our SAVIOUR CHRIST; and the other twenty are almost exclusively dedicated to the memory of Apostles or Apostolic men. Very wisely has the Church gathered up the memory of all other Saints on this day, under one general commemoration: neither taxing her children unduly, (as, until she reformed herself, she had done,) by multiplied solemnities; nor yet suffering them to forget how greatly, from time to time, GOD has been glorified in the chiefest of His Saints.

It seems impossible to review the nineteen

H.D.

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Festival Days through which we have already passed, without being struck by their immense variety. Thus, five of the Festivals we speak of, are observed in honour of single Apostles who were not Evangelists; two, in honour of Apostles who were Evangelists; two, in honour of Evangelists who were not Apostles; and two, in honour of pairs of Apostles. One, belongs to an Apostle who was not originally one of the Twelve, but who was afterwards added to that number: one, to an Apostle, (St. Barnabas,) who was never one of the Twelve. The Festival of St. Paul, unlike all the rest, celebrates his Conversion. Each of the five which remain clearly forms a class apart for a Deacon and Martyr is remembered on St. Stephen's Day; Babes, on the Feast of the Holy Innocents; the greatest of female Saints on the Feast of the Annunciation; the precursor of all, yea, of CHRIST Himself, on St. John Baptist's Day; while the Feast of St. Michael and all Angels is perforce to be reckoned with no other. And must not the same thing be said of to-day, the Feast of All Saints?

For, on this day, we gather up the memory of all the other Saints mentioned in Holy Scripture, who are not included under any one of the

St. Andrew, St. Thomas, St. Peter, St. James, St. Bartholomew.

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nineteen commemorations which precede. What shall we say of Saints of the elder Covenant? Abel, and Enoch, and Noah; Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob; and the twelve patriarchs,the heads of those spiritual tribes which mystically represent, under the number of them that were sealed,'—(' an hundred and forty and four thousand,')—the whole number of the redeemed? Job also, and Moses, and Joshua, and Gideon Samuel, and David, and Ezra: Elijah and Elisha the greater and the lesser Prophets: what a long and illustrious line of Worthies! And of all who might be mentioned of either sex, we have mentioned how few! This reminds us, perforce, of the striking portion of Scripture appointed for this day's Epistle, with its recurring cadence, its unearthly allusions, and its mysterious omission of the Tribe of Dan. Or rather, it is impossible to hear that portion of Scripture read, without being reminded of the largeness of the present Festival,-which enfolds the Saints of either Covenant in its most loving embrace, as well as most mighty span. It is a day on which St. Paul's solemn words seem to be addressed to us, not in a figure, but with strict historical truth;- Ye are come unto Mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the

heavenly Jerusalem; and to an innumerable company of Angels; to the general assembly and Church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven; and to GOD the Judge of all; and to the spirits of just men made perfect.'

But how much more obvious is it to call to mind those many illustrious names which obtain notice in the Gospels, and in the early records of the Christian Church! Joseph of Nazareth, and his namesake of Arimathæa; Simeon and Anna; Nicodemus; Lazarus and his sisters; Zacchæus, and Simon of Cyrene: Cornelius also, and Silas, and Apollos, and Timothy, and Titus. Mary Magdalene, and Joanna, and Salome, and the other Mary. Then again, how many persons there are concerning whom we seem to know everything of importance, except the name! the Centurion of Capernaum; and he that had an infirmity thirty and eight years; and the man born blind: the woman with the issue of blood; and the Syrophoenician; and the munificent widow. Shall we not add those other mysterious nameless ones, (so unspeakably blest!) one of whom supplied the guest-chamber in which our SAVIOUR partook of the Last Passover, and instituted His Divine Supper? while another yielded the ass whereon He rode in triumph into His Capital?

And then, if we turn from the inspired narra tive to the human records of the Church of CHRIST, how mighty an array of illustrious names at once meets us! What a 'glorious company' of Apostolic men, -as Augustine, who lighted afresh the extinct lamp of the Gospel in these realms;—what a 'goodly fellowship' of Doctors, as Athanasius and the rest, who spent their lives in one long conflict for the Truth, and now wear crowns in Paradise ;-what a 'noble army' of Martyrs,—as Polycarp, and Ignatius, and those who suffered at Vienne; all of whom sealed their pure faith with their blood, and the death of each of whom brought life to thousands :what a prodigious host are we glancing at! We know the names of many tens of thousands; yea, of many myriads, who deserve the title of Saints. But on All Saints' Day,' we commemorate those nameless ones as well, who led saintly lives, and have since gone to their reward. Think only of the many holy men and women and children, who had a name once on Earth,but now, in Heaven only,-to whom we allude. without allusion, when we speak of 'All Saints!' ... Where are all those believers whom St. Paul accosted as his dearly beloved,' and whom he acknowledged for his crown and joy?' whom

b Phil. iv. 1.

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