good things, and her questions were frequently of a nature to astonish. In the night she would ask her sister to hear her say her prayers; and when told, "You did say them when you came to bed," she would answer, "But I wish to pray to God again, for He can hear me now." On one occasion-it was Sunday-she was observed several times kneeling with her face to the wall; and on being asked by her mother what she was doing, she answered, "Why, I made a paper doll, and I have been playing with it, and forgot it was God's day, so I have been asking Him to forgive me; do you think He will?" When about five years old, she was seized with croup, and, from the first, great fears were entertained for her life. She saw the anguish of her mother, and submitted to bleeding, blistering, &c. &c., with the greatest patience; and when her father asked her how she was, she told him, "Very ill, but do not tell my mother." The little cradle which contained the dear child, was never without one or more weeping attendants; and often was the poor mouth put up to kiss those who administered to her wants, when pain prevented any other expression of gratitude for their attention. She would cling most lovingly to her father, and tell him all her pain, always concluding with these remarkable words, "Do not tell my mother, she cannot bear it; pray do not tell my mother." On the second day of her illness, she walked into the garden to pluck a flower for her father, and on her return to the house, took her seat upon her nurse's knee. Her father came to ask how she was, and her mother mentioned her having walked into the garden. After some time, her mother was called from the room, and the child immediately said to her father, "Do not go, father, for I shall not be here todo not tell my mother I am going." Her father said, "Where are you going, my darling?" looked upward, and said, "There!" A smile of more than mortal beauty illumined her countenance; and, continuing her upward gaze, she said, "Father, look how bright it is." Again he said, "Where?" And again the child answered, pointing upward, "There." calls me, nurse, let me go; I am coming. See, He calls

morrow;

She

"He

me so," and then she beckoned with her fingers, to show her nurse her meaning. She smiled, and said, "You do not see it; never mind." Both parent and nurse sat in mute astonishment. The child's voice was strong; and excepting the extreme brightness of the eye, and the smile, there was no alteration. The smile passed; a look of deep solemnity succeeded; and joining her little hands, she said, "I do believe in God the Father Almighty, and in Jesus Christ." The little head bowed; it sunk still lower; and in that act of faith, the spirit escaped. Thus died Ellen H., aged five years and a few months. There were none in the family at that time who could understand this (to them) mysterious dispensation; but still they had pleasure in thinking and speaking of dear Ellen; and in after-years, when brought to a knowledge of salvation through the teaching of the same Spirit, and a diligent attendance upon the means of grace, they rejoiced that the first breach in their family circle gave so good a hope of a joyful re-union. Dear reader, may God give you this child-like faith, that, in a dying hour, you may with a hope full of immortality say, "I do believe in God the Father Almighty, and in Jesus Christ." M. B.

BUDDHISM.

THIS word may be new to some who now read it; but it is the name of the most prevalent religion upon earth. It has been so for many hundreds of years: it is so at the present moment. Yet a great many persons in England do not know any thing about it; although the greatest number of their fellow creatures hold it as true, the only true religion in the world. It is time, then, we did know something about it; and we will try to give a short account of its strange doctrines, which would be called incredible, if they were not believed by millions of men.

First, to prove the truth of our first statement, that Buddhism is the most prevalent religion upon earth, let us recount the nations which observe and hold it. "Half the population of China, Lao, Cochin China, and Ceylon; all that of Burmah, Siam, Thibet, Tartary, Cambodia,

Loochoo, and a great part of Japan, and most of the other islands of southern Asia, are of this faith."

These nations of Asia are well known to be the most populous in the whole world. Our own country is called a thickly peopled one; but it is nothing to China, to these Asiatic lands. The rich and fertile land and the beautiful climate are so favourable to the production of food, that a much greater number can live in the same space than in our land. The number of human beings in China alone is between two and three hundred millions. Half of these would be much above one hundred millions. The other countries make an immense addition to this vast number; so that it cannot be too much to say, that a very much greater number of immortal souls believe in Buddhism than in Christianity, Mahometanism, Brahminism, or any other religion. But now let us see what Buddhism is, that we may know what so many of our fellow creatures hold to be the truth, and by which they guide their lives. Boodh, or Buddha, is a general name for Divinity, and not the name of any particular god or idol. The followers of this false religion assert that there have been successively four Boodhs in the world, and that one more is yet to come. The one worshipped at present in Burmah, is called Gaudama.

They say that he was born into this world 626 years before Christ; that he had lived before in four hundred millions of worlds, and passed through innumerable conditions in each: and in this world he had been almost every sort of fly, worm, fowl, fish, and animal, and had passed through every condition of human life. Having, they say, in these states acquired immense merit, he was at length born the son of a king, in Hindostan. When grown up, his height was nine cubits; his ears were so beautifully long they could hang upon his shoulders; his hands reached to his knees, his fingers were of equal length, and with his tongue he could touch the end of his nose; all which, they affirm, were certain proofs of his divinity! He remembered his former conditions of existence, and related them to his followers. Five hundred and fifty of these narratives have been preserved, and form great part of their " Bedagat," or sacred

books. One relates his life and adventures as a deer; another as a monkey, elephant, fowl, &c. He became Boodh at thirty-five, remained so forty-five years longer; at the end of which time, having performed innumerable acts of merit and made many good laws, he obtained nic-ban, that is, entered into annihilation, or no existence at all! This last is considered by them as the supreme good. He left orders that he was to be worshipped till the next Boodh should appear. This is strictly obeyed by hundreds of millions in the East, although they themselves acknowledge that their god does not exist anywhere, that his life has come entirely to an end. These things will show that Buddhism is very different from all other heathen religions. In fact, there is no God whatever in this system, there is no Creator, nor overruling Providence. From the end of the life of one Boodh to the coming of another there is literally no GOD! Intervening generations must worship his image, relics, bow to priests, and keep his sayings. The degree of merit they can obtain by avoiding sins and performing virtues, is the sole hope of the Buddhist; of the pardon of sins they know nothing whatever. Another way of obtaining merit is the frequent repetition of these remarkable words, which are quite a text of the poor heathen, a complete description of their misery and ignorance of real happiness. Let them be remembered by every Christian, that he may be stirred up to do his part in sending them the knowledge of the Lord. The words are these, when translated from their language: "I am subject to outward evil; I am subject to mental evil; I cannot possibly get away from evil." What a true confession of man's natural state; what an evident proof of his urgent need of a Saviour! And what an appeal is this to those who know the way of escape from the worst of evils, at least, to send them the knowledge of the blessed secret which delivers us from evil; to make the words of Christian thanksgiving fly across the ocean to these benighted regions, "Thanks be to God, which giveth ust the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." temples of these people are very numerous and handsome. They are generally of great size at the bottom,

The

but terminate in a point at the top, and are frequently gilded. It seems difficult to say of what use they are, for they are not built for places of worship, but merely in honour of their false god. Altogether, this form of heathenism is very different from almost all others; very much so from Brahminism, the religion of the Hindoos. In some things it is not so horrible: for they have no bloody or impure observances, no ferocious duties or selfinflicted tortures. Their precepts are also much better; and if they were obeyed, would make the country much more happy and well-regulated than it is. But the highest good known to the Buddhist is annihilation, which is to perish altogether, to have no further existence, to return, in fact, to nothing. Against this our very soul revolts; and happy is that faith which gives us a sure hope of life and immortality beyond the grave, when all the troubles of this mortal state shall be at an end for ever!

A SHORT COMMENT ON 1 COR. xi. 31, 32.

E.

"For if we would judge ourselves we should not be judged. But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world."

* * * * We ought to consider every thing that befals us in the light in which He sets it before us who sends these events. No one but He can teach us. We are naturally anxious to know why we are at any time afflicted; and whence and wherefore came this calamity, is often the anxious and painful inquiry of the afflicted soul. But we are reluctant to admit that it is a judgment: this name sounds dreadful and harsh to the ear. But it should not be so. We should remember that judgments on earth are widely different from eternal judgments: as much different as possible; as far as love differs from wrath, as far as the care of a tender parent differs from the stern justice of a judge. Judgments here on earth are sent to chasten and save. Why, then, should we deny them, or call them by other names? When sickness comes, I do not say it always must be in judgment for sins; it may be for trial only, like the sickness of Job,