EXCELLENCES OF THE BIBLE, ALPHABETICALLY ARRANGED. (Continued from Vol. II. p. 44.) DAINTY FOOD.-Does dainty mean precious? How precious is the word of God! "It is more precious than rubies." Does dainty mean rare? The Bible is in one sense rare. For among the millions of books on the face of the earth, there is only one word of God. Does dainty mean pleasant or delicious to the taste? Oh, how sweet, how delicious is the Bible to the spiritual taste of the pious child. "It is sweeter than honey; yea, even than the honeycomb." Ps. xix. 10. That is a blessed, happy child, who can say with the heart, "The Bible is the dainty food, the savoury meat, which my soul loves." "Not honey to the taste Nor gold that has the furnace pass'd EPISTLE.-The Bible is indeed an Epistle, or Letter. God is the Writer of the Epistle. 2 Tim. iii. 16, "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God." What an useful Epistle it is; it "is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, and for instruction in righteousness." May it be profitable to you and to me. The Bible is a loving Epistle. It is written by love, and it makes known the wonderful love of God to sinful men. It is full of love. And it makes known the wonderful truth, "God is love." It is a Father's letter to his sons and daughters. In every part of the Epistle we see a Father's wisdom, a Father's love, a Father's care. May we find this Epistle addressed by the Holy Spirit to our hearts; then we will sing : "Thy word is everlasting truth; That holy book shall guide our youth, None EVERGREEN.-What a wonderful tree is the Bible. The verses of the Bible may be considered as the leaves of the tree. of them have ever fallen off. None of them have been withered. Neither the winds, nor the storms, nor the furious flames have ever been able to blast, to injure, or consume those green, those lovely fragrant leaves. For many, many hundreds of years this tree has stood, and it is as verdant as ever, and as fruitful as ever. Oh, what delight pious children enjoy, sitting under the wide-spreading branches of this noble Evergreen, the planting of God's right hand! They can say with thankfulness and joy:- "We sat down under its shadow with great delight, and its fruit was sweet to our taste." (To be continued.) MARTYROLOGY. ENGLISH MARTYRS. REV. JOHN ROGERS. MARY, daughter of Henry VIII. and sister of Queen Elizabeth, filled the throne of England after her brother's death, namely, Edward VI. She was a Roman Catholic of the most bigoted description. She believed that all Protestants were heretics, and therefore considered that she pleased, and did God service, when she delivered up godly ministers to be consumed at the stake. Such numbers were destroyed in her reign, that she has received ever since the merited name of Bloody Mary, which will be handed down to the remotest posterity, accompanied with execration and horror. The Rev. John Rogers, Vicar of St. Sepulchre's, and Reader of St. Paul's in London, was the first martyr for the truth during the execrable reign of Mary, the English Jezebel, the merciless destroyer of the Lord's prophets and saints. This good and blessed man was educated at Cambridge, and was some time Chaplain to the English merchants in Antwerp. There he met and formed an acquaintance with William Tindal, and with Miles Coverdale, the celebrated translators of the Scriptures into the English language. When Edward VI. was raised to the throne, he returned to London. Bishop Ridley gave him a prebend in the Cathedral Church of St. Paul's. When Mary ascended the throne, she brought in, with a high hand, all the idolatry and superstitions of Popery. So faithful was the preaching of this eminent minister of Christ, that he was soon silenced. For some time he was a prisoner in his own house. By the cruelty of Bishop Bonner, he was afterwards removed to Newgate, where he was lodged for a great while with thieves and murderers. He was tried, and sentence of death and degradation was pronounced upon him. On the 4th day of February, 1555, being Monday morning, he was suddenly warned by the wife of the Governor of Newgate to prepare himself for the fire. He was so sound asleep, that he could with difficulty be awaked. He was brought before Bishop Bonner with all haste, and degraded. He requested of the Bishop to speak a few words to his beloved wife before going to the flames. This favour was cruelly refused. He was then brought into Smithfield by the Sheriffs of London to be burnt. He manifested great patience, and exhorted the people to remain constant to the faith he had taught, and for the confirmation of which he was willingly laying down his life. One of the Sheriffs asked him if he would revoke his doctrine. He replied, "That which I have preached, I will seal with my blood.' The Sheriff said, "Thou art an heretic." He answered, "That will be known at the judgment-day." A little before his burning, his pardon was offered if he would recant; but he firmly refused. The fagots were kindled around him. He washed his hands in the flames. In a few minutes he was relieved by death from the hand of his persecutors, and his happy spirit received the martyr's crown. REV. LAWRENCE SAUNDERS. Mr. Saunders was one of an highly respectable family. He was educated in the school of Eton, of ancient as well as modern celebrity. He was chosen to be a scholar of King's College, in Cambridge, where he continued three years. For some time, at the earnest entreaty of his rich relatives, he followed a mercantile employment, which he afterwards abandoned for the holy ministry, which he loved above all other professions. He began to preach in the beginning of the reign of the good and youthful King Edward VI. He continued preaching the pure Gospel in opposition to Popish errors, until he was made prisoner according to the command of the notorious and cruel Bishop Bonner. After he was degraded by this Bishop, he was conveyed to Coventry by the Queen's guard, to be burned. On reaching that city he was thrust into the common gaol among other prisoners. He slept but little. He spent the night in prayer, and in the instructing of his fellow-prisoners. The next day, Feb. 8, 1555, he was led to the place of execution, to a park without the city, as his dear Saviour was led without the gate. He went in an old gown and a shirt, barefooted, and often fell flat on the ground and prayed. When he came to the fatal spot, the officer appointed to preside at the execution, poured out on the good man the most bitter and acrimonious reproaches, charging him with false doctrines and heresies. He meekly replied, "I hold nothing but the doctrine of God, and the Gospel of Christ." The officer, imitating Christ's murderers, said, "Away with him!" Mr. Saunders went with courage to the devouring flames, which were prepared as a fiery chariot to convey his soul to heaven. He fell on the ground and prayed. TWELVE MAXIMS, BY THE REV. T. WALLACE. 77 He rose up, took the stake in his arms, kissed it, and said, "Welcome the cross of Christ! welcome everlasting life!" He was then fastened to the stake. The fagots were kindled, and he fell sweetly asleep in Jesus! My young friends, you and I may never be called to suffer martyrdom, but may God graciously give us martyrs' hearts! QUESTION. "What happy men, or angels, these, That all their robes are spotless white? ANSWER. "From torturing racks and burning fires, TWELVE MAXIMS FOR THE YOUNG, BY THE REV. T. WALLACE. 1. VALUE and revere your parents most highly. You cannot love them too warmly-serve them too vigorously-obey them too cheerfully or implicitly, when you consider what they have done for you. 2. Cultivate your minds with the utmost care. Nothing will be a greater blessing to you than sound and superior intellectual culture. It will embellish, enrich, recommend, elevate, and animate you. Let him 3. In carly life, give your hearts to the Saviour. have the best of your days-your talents-your energies. Let him have all the warmth and purity of your early affections. 4. While young, never be indifferent to prayer; it will prepare for every duty--guide in every difficulty-sustain under every trial-fit you for every change. There is no safety without early attention to closet prayer; and, sure we are, there is no happiness. 5. Consecrate the Sabbath to God. Do it freely, heartily, uniformly. If young persons neglect or dishonour the Sabbath, they have nothing but a moral blight, a withering curse, as they advance in life. 6. Love the ministers of Christ. We never knew a youth who realized a blessing, if he disesteemed, or despised them. Honour God's servants, and he will honour you. 7. Be very wary in choosing your companions. Make character the main thing-the fear of God; else, you may be ruined for ever. 8. Do not plunge into the dissipations and pleasures of the world. They are as degrading as empty; as sinful as associated, sooner or later, with misery. 9. Secure the blessing of God when young; and remember, that the way to gain that blessing is, to be earnest in its solicitation. Ask it in this manner, and it will not be withheld. 10. Make the most of your time. It is very short, and evanescent. Your early years will glide away very rapidly, and the few remaining years will seem to pass more swiftly than those which preceded. 11. Beware of indecision. Nothing is more unwise, more pernicious, more ruinous. Halt not between two opinions. Be decided to serve God now, and serve him for ever. 12. Prepare for Eternity; always be thinking of it. You may soon be called to die, and enter eternity. Let, then, the question be most seriously proposed by every young person: "Am I ready to go into Eternity?" THE JEWS: GOOD HOPES OF THEM. THE Great King, and Head of the Church, is crowning with success the efforts of the Missionaries of the British Society for Promoting Christianity among the descendants of Jacob, the Children of Israel. The operations abroad are encouraging. In JAFFA, anciently called Joppa, the Missionary is kindly received and eagerly listened to by Jewish families. Here, a young Jew, a native of the island of Cyprus, who can speak fluently many languages, is under the training of Mr. Manning the missionary, who thus writes: "I have been reading, every day since he came here, the Scriptures with him, of which he has but a very partial acquaintance; but his increasing interest in them is daily manifesting itself. I scarcely pass his room, when he is alone, but I find him reading an Italian Bible that I gave him.” GIBRALTAR.-Mr. Ben Oliel, the missionary at Gibraltar, and converted Jew, said in his valedictory address in the Centenary Hall, London, 19th July, 1848: "The desire to carry the good tidings of salvation to my benighted brethren was first awakened within me twelve months ago, by reading the conversation of our Lord with the woman of Samaria. On reading the words of the woman, Come, see a man who told me all things that ever I did; is not this the Christ?' I could not but put to myself |