they entreated their companions to impart to them some of their oil, telling them that their lamps were gone out. To these entreaties the prudent answered-that they had only provided a sufficient quantity for their own use, and therefore advised them to go and purchase oil of those who sold it. They departed accordingly: but while absent on this errand, the bridegroom came, and the prudent virgins, being prepared for his reception, went along with him to the nuptial entertainment, and the door was shut. After some time the others returned, and, knocking loud, supplicated earnestly admission. But the bridegroom repulsed them-telling them: ye pretended to be my friends, and to do me honour on this occasion: but ye have not acted as friends, for which reason I know you not : I do not acknowledge you as my friends, and will not admit strangers.

CUBIT.

A MEASURE used among the ancients, and which the Hebrews call amma-the mother of other measures. A cubit was originally the distance from the elbow to the extremity of the middle finger; which is the fourth part of a well-proportioned man's stature. The Hebrew cubit, according to Bishop Cumberland, and M. Pelletier, is twenty-one inches; but others fix it at eighteen. The Talmudists observe, that the Hebrew cubit was larger, by one quarter, than the Roman. It is thought that there were two sorts of cubits among the Hebrews, one sacred, the other common; the sacred containing three feet, the common a foot and a half. Moses (Num. xxxv. 4.) assigns to the Levites 1000 sacred cubits of land round about their cities; and in the next verse he gives them 2000 common ones. The two columns of brass, in Solomon's temple, are reckoned eighteen cubits high, in 1 Kings vii. 15, and in 2 Chron. iii. 15, thirty-five cubits. Other writers, however, allow the sacred cubit to exceed the common cubit by only a hand's-breadth. They suppose Moses to speak of the common cubit, when he describes it as the measure of a man's arm folded inward; (Deut. iii. 11.) and that the 'sacred cubit was a hand'sbreath longer than this, as Ezek. xliii. 13. The very learned and ingenious Dr. Arbuthnot says, that to him it seems plain, that the Jews used two sorts of cubits, a sacred one, and a profane or common one for in Deut. iii. 11, the bed of Og is said to have been nine cubits long, and four cubits broad, after the cubit of a man. But (Ezek. xl. 5.) Ezekiel's reed is said to be six cubits long, by

the cubit and a hand-breadth; whence it appears, that the larger cubit, by which the reed was measured, was longer than the common one by a hand-breadth, or three inches. But, notwithstanding these reasons, Calmet believes that there was but one cubit among the Hebrews, from the Exodus to the Babylonish captivity; and that this was the Egyptian cubit, the measure of which was taken some years ago, from the old standards extant at Grand Cairo: and, that only after the captivity, Scripture notices two sorts of measures to distinguish the ancient Hebrew cubit from that of Babylon, which the captives had used during their abode in that city. On this, he thinks, is grounded the precaution of Ezekiel in observing, that the cubit he is speaking of is the true ancient cubit, larger by a hand'sbreadth, than the common cubit.

CHURCH SERVICE.

THE TE DEUM.

BETWEEN the two lessons comes the Te Deum, so called because the Latin hymn, from which it is translated, begins with those two words. Of this most noble Christian song of praise I hardly dare speak; for I feel how unable I am to set forth its excellencies worthily. It opens with a grand chorus, in which heaven and earth, the apostles, the prophets, the martyrs, the holy Church throughout the world, join in worshipping God, in glorifying, and in praising him. This is to shew us that our God is not the God of this earth merely, and of those who are now living upon it, but that he is the God whom it has been the joy of the faithful in all former ages to acknowledge and adore,-that he is the God of the heavens, yea of the heaven of heavens, just as much as of the earth, that he is the God to whom the cherubim and seraphim, that is, all the various orders of angels, are for ever lifting up their songs and praises,—that he is the holy, holy, holy, Lord God of Sabaoth. But what, you may ask, is the meaning of the Lord of Sabaoth? These words amount to just the same thing with the Lord of Hosts: as you may see by turning to the 9th chapter of St Paul's Epistle to the Romans, where the apostle tells us that "Esaias said, Except the Lord of Sabaoth had left us a seed, we had been as Sodoma, and been made like to Gomorrha." For these words which are taken from the 1st chapter of Isaiah, stand in our translation as follows: "Except the Lord of Hosts had left us a very small remnant, we should

have been as Sodom, and we should have been like to Gomorrha.” The Lord God of Sabaoth then is the Lord of Hosts. And who is the Lord of Hosts? Who is this God, whom all created things bow down to, and all the blessed spirits worship and obey? The next verses tell us: "He is the Father of an infinite majesty:" He is "his honourable, true, and only Son:" He is "the Holy Ghost, the Comforter." He is the one eternal God, who is revealed to us in holy Scripture under the mystery of three persons, as the Father that made us, the Son that has redeemed us, and the Holy Ghost that sanctifies us, if we are inwardly, as we are outwardly, the chosen people of God.

After this tribute of praise and worship to the ever-blessed Trinity, the Te Deum addresses itself more especially to that person of the Trinity to whom we, poor sinful men, are so particularly bound for all he has done and suffered for us,-that is, to our Lord Jesus Christ. To him it speaks as follows: "Thou art the King of Glory, O Christ! Thou art the everlasting Son of the Father. When thou tookest upon thee to deliver man, thou didst not abhor the Virgin's womb. When thou hadst overcome the sharpness of death, thou didst open the kingdom of heaven to all believers. Thou sittest at the right hand of God, in the glory of the Father. We believe that thou shalt come to be our Judge." In these words we are reminded of the chief proofs and instances of Christ's goodness toward us. We are told that he is the King of Glory, and the everlasting Son of the Father, that is to say, that he was begotten of the Father before all worlds. Before the earth and the sun and the heavens, before the angels were created, before anything that is had life or being, the everlasting Son dwelt in the bosom of the Father, sharing in all his glory, and full of his wisdom and power. Yet, though he was so high above all beings, he humbled himself, and, in order that he might deliver us, did not abhor the Virgin's womb, but became man for our sakes, being made in all things like as we are, sin alone excepted: and having lived a life of pain on earth, after overcoming the sharpness of death on the cross, he opened the gates of heaven for his people, and now sits at the right hand of God, continually making intercession for them, as he will do, until he returns in great glory, to judge both the quick and the dead. At that awful day we shall have to appear before him as our Judge. Well then does it behove us to consider how we are to fit ourselves for that day of terrour. The Te Deum shews us this too. The thought of that day should awaken us to fervent prayer. No sooner has it confessed its belief in Christ as our Judge, than it changes its tone from praise to prayer, and goes on: "We

therefore pray thee, help thy servants, whom thou hast redeemed with thy most precious blood." For thine own sake help us. Let not thy sufferings have been endured, let not thy blood have been shed in vain; let not all that thou hast done for us be of no avail to us: but as thou hast done so much, even to the shedding of thy precious blood, for our sakes, assist us that we may obtain the benefits purchased for us by thy cross and passion, and make us to be numbered among thy saints in glory everlasting. To that end continue to preserve thy people, continue to bless thy heritage. Be thou our Governor, our only Master and Lord; and, forasmuch as without thee we are unable to stand, do thou lift us up and uphold us. So may we magnify thee day by day, and worship thy name ever world without end. In order, however, that we may attain to all these blessed privileges, it is necessary that we should be pure and holy. But pure and holy we cannot be of ourselves: we cannot keep ourselves without sin. Even for this one day we cannot keep ourselves without sin. Do thou therefore vouchsafe to keep us this one day without sin. Of thy free mercy keep us: we have no claim upon thee, but thy mercy. Let thy mercy lighten upon us: for that is our only trust. And inasmuch as we place our whole and sole trust in thee, O Lord, let us never be confounded.-Augustus Hare.

MISSIONARY INTELLIGENCE.

THE POOR LEPER OF CEYLON.

ON the return of the late Rev. R. Mayor from the Island of Ceylon, where he had been a Missionary for ten years, he related the following anecdote :

A poor Native had been in the habit of coming from some distance, every day, to attend the Service at the Mission House. He appeared to be very attentive, and it was hoped a good impres sion was made upon his mind. After some time, he was missed from his usual place; and on Mr. Mayor's inquiring after him, hẹ found he was ill. He accordingly went to visit him, and found him on a miserable bed, in a wretched hut, with nothing to afford him any comfort as far as this world was concerned. Moreover, his disease was of the most loathsome kind-the leprosy, which renders those who are afflicted with it a distress to themselves and to all around them. But though thus afflicted in body, his mind was in a very happy state. He had been led, through the instructions he had received, to feel his sinful state by nature, and his need of a Saviour; and having come to the Lord Jesus Christ, he had found pardon and peace, so that, in the midst of all his outward wretchedness, he was enabled to rejoice in the hope of the Gospel. The last time Mr. Mayor visited him, he was accompanied by another native, of whom he had much hope. Having conversed

with the poor leper-who was now in a deplorable state as to his body, but filled with holy joy and peace of mind-on leaving the hut, the native said, with much emphasis, "O Sir! that man is going to heaven." "What makes you think so?" replied Mr. Mayor: "could not you say the same things?" "Ah, Sir! I KNOW it," said he; "but that man FEELS it."

Does not the reply of this poor man contain an important lesson for us? Is not this the difference between real and nominal religion? between that which influences the heart, and brings forth abundant fruit in the life, to the glory of God and the comfort of the soul, and that with which, alas! too many are content, the mere head knowledge, which will stand us in no stead when the tempests of disease and death rage around us?

Perhaps, if there is one class which needs more than another to be guarded against such an evil as resting in the form of godliness, which will not save the soul, it is that of the children of pious parents -brought up in the knowledge of what is right, but being content without having the Gospel applied to their own hearts. My dear young friends, learn a lesson from this poor man, and earnestly seek of God that He would make you FEEL, as well as KNOW, the real value of true religion as applied to your own case, and never be content to rest in any thing short of this living faith in Christ, which can alone save the soul.-Church Miss. Juvenile Instructor.

EDITOR'S PORTFOLIO.

ON A DYING CHILD,

Of two and a half years old, who wiped away the tears shed by his father on account of his anticipated removal.

PALE was the little polished brow

That lately bloomed so fair,
And speechless lay the baby boy,

His parent's pride and care.

The struggles and the fever pang

That shook his frame were past,

And there, with fixed and wishful glance,
He lay to breathe his last.

Upon his sorrowing father's face

He gazed with dying eye,

Then raised a cold and feeble hand,

The starting tear to dry;

And as he wiped those weeping eyes,

F'en with his parting breath,

Oh, tender deed of infant love,

How beautiful in death!

Yes, as that gentle soul forsook
The fainting, trembling clay,
It caught the spirit of that world,
Where tears are wiped away.

And still its cherished image gleams
Upon the parent's eye,

A guiding cherub to that home

Where every tear is dry.

MRS. SIGOURNEY.