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into it at its first formation, must return unto God who gave it. The falling of the leaf then will not only remind us of the mortality of the body, but it will also lead us to think upon the immortality of the soul. And if it do not effect this, what painful and unsatisfactory feelings would not the contemplation generate in our minds! The works of nature are, indeed, what God Almighty pronounced them to be at the creation"very good." What a beautiful variety and order do they present to us, and how are they calculated in innumerable instances, when properly applied, to add to our comfort, and cheer us on the way in our journey through life! But "if in this life only we have hope," we are," as St. Paul emphatically expresses it, "of all men the most miserable." What regret must dwell in the mind of that man, who never extends his thoughts beyond the present state of his existence, when he reflects that all those things which now constitute the chief delight and joy of his heart, must come to an end; that the perishableness of their nature, like his own, must one day effect this, and that the changes he observes to take place in the world around him, as well as the increasing infirmities of his own frame, forcibly convince him of the approaching termination of all his happiness. But shall such a regret as this occupy the heart of the Christian, when, in the "fall of the leaf" into the lap of earth, he is reminded of his own decay, which must so shortly take place? Certainly not! It will not be matter of painful consideration to him, what becomes of the casket, if the precious gem which it contains be preserved from injury. It will not afflict him, that his body, like the leaf, should wither and decay, while he feels assured, by faith in the Son of God, that his spiritual part, his immortal soul, will not suffer by the change, but rather enjoy that blessedness which will be connected with an emancipation from its present earthly tabernacle of flesh.

Another similitude may be remarked between this season of the year and real life. If we observe the trees of the forest, we shall perceive some of the leaves already fallen, and rotting under our feet, whilst others hang over our heads, trembling in the blast, ready to join their fellows lying prostrate beneath them. So is it with us; we walk through the depositories of the dead-we see daily the mourners going about the streets, for those who have already departed; and we see others, our fellow-creatures, tottering on the brink of the grave. Sometimes, too, we see the leaves withered and blown from the parent tree, before they have reached the autumn, or even completed the summer of their year. Thus also it is with us, my brethren. How often do we behold the heart-rending scene of youth and beauty stretched upon the bed of sickness, held in bondage to the slow and lingering consumption; and the eye which brightly beamed upon us, at last, deprived of its lustre by the sad chilling touch of death. But enough has been said to show that, from a due meditation upon the falling of the leaf,—an indication of the approach of winter, we should be warned, that a termination of our earthly pilgrimage must also arrive, and that we should endeavour to be prepared to meet it, come when it may. And this, although it first sight appear to some a most gloomy subject, will, when justly considered, assume a far different character.

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To the young and ardent, indeed, to those who are just entering into life, and have a world of delights before them, in prospect at least, it may appear irksome-appear like clouding those visions of happiness which they hope to see realized in the present life. But the experience of all mankind, from Adam to the present generation, affords ample proof that every station of life has its appointed trials, and that those persons have ever borne them best whose minds have been impressed with correct ideas respecting their real condition— I mean with correct ideas respecting the perishableness and mortality of the body, and the imperishableness and immortality of the soul. For it should ever be remembered, that when we speak of the trials of the Christian, it is not meant exclusively, distress of body or mind, loss of wealth, power, friends, or relations. The trials of the Christian extend farther than this. For instance, are you blessed with ample means of supplying the wishes and desires of your hearts, as far as wealth can procure them? This is your trial. Are you blessed with fond parents, affectionate relations, and dutiful children? This is your trial. Are you blessed with kind friends, who do all in their power to make you happy, who beguile your hearts of thoughts which would make them break, and thus, at times, make even this life a foretaste of the paradise which awaits you above? This is your trial. And I will tell you why it is your trial, my brethren; because, if in the enjoyment of all, or any of these blessings, you forget the real source from whence alone you derive them-from the mercy of a good and all-wise God, from whence cometh every good and perfect gift, they will become to you an occasion of falling. The height of prosperity, and the lowest ebb of adversity, are more nearly allied in their character to each other, than may perhaps be generally supposed; both these situations have their peculiar difficulties connected with them; and no one, unless fortified in his mind and heart by the principles of vital religion, and the accompanying grace of God, can ever sustain either of them as becometh those who profess to believe so pure a revelation as the Gospel of Christ. And does not this put us in mind of the sound wisdom displayed in the prayer of Agur, "Give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with food convenient for me, lest I be full, and deny thee, and say, Who is the Lord? Or, lest I be poor, and steal, and take the name of my God in vain?" They who have an abundance of worldly prosperity, have an appropriate account to render for it; and they who are tried in the school of adversity, are no less required to display the virtues of Christian resignation. So that you will perceive, my brethren, that as every situation of life has its joys and sorrows, its sweets and bitters, it is quite essential that all, both young as well as old, should be well stored with those religious sentiments, that may enable them to bear the one, without being lifted up with worldly pride; and the other, without any further depression than that of the humility becoming the Christian. And surely it will not be deemed injudicious to give our attention to any circumstance connected with the passing moments which may conduce to so happy a result. Our blessed Redeemer himself has authorized the custom to us, by an adaptation of it to many of his own sublime discourses.

When the disciples had forgotten to take bread, he told them to beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees. It was at the well of Samaria that he made that beautiful allusion to his own divine doctrines, in comparing them to living waters—a well of water within us springing up into everlasting life. And let us hope that our present reflection, at this suitable period of the year,- that " our mortal part" must also fade, as we see the leaves now fading, may not be entirely without its use. And we may fairly maintain, that this reflection will not be a melancholy one to him who entertains it in its proper light. If, indeed, as I have before observed, death should terminate the existence both of body and spirit, then the case would be widely different; and there might be some show of argument in the exclamation used by St. Paul; "Let us eat and drink, for to-morrow we die." But death is not annihilation; it is the gate of that which may really be termed life; it is the ordeal which all the sons of Adam must undergo, preparatory to that spiritual state of our existence, which will then begin, but never end. And to the Christian, this may be a wonderful, and indeed it is an awful change, but it is not one which ought to make him sad. He knows that there is a rest appointed "for the people of God." He knows that every hour brings him nearer to it, and believing in the promises of Him who in all things is steadfast and sure, his joy will increase in the prospect of so glorious a termination of his earthly career.

So far from any reflections upon our mortality producing sadness in the soul of the Christian, he will be filled with all holy joy and peace in believing; a joy with which the stranger intermeddleth not-a joy which the world cannot give nor take away-a peace of God which passeth all understanding. And, my brethren, from whence does this joy arise? It arises from that conviction which flashed on the soul of the Roman centurion, who conducted the crucifixion of our blessed Redeemer-that conviction which forced him to exclaim, "Truly this was the Son of God." If we wish to derive solid and lasting comfort from the profession of religion-that profession must be sincere, it must rest on firm grounds, it must not be a sound, but a substance which may be felt; felt in the real satisfaction it will always be ready to administer to the soul of that man who entertains it in sincerity and truth. And how can this conviction be substantially fixed in our minds, unless we frequently peruse those sacred oracles which contain the last revelation of a holy God to sinful man-unless we give serious attention to those who expound it for the confirmation and strengthening of faith; and pray for the grace of God, the dew of his blessing, without which the seed sown cannot bring forth fruit to perfection? Prayer, indeed, is one of the means pointed out by our blessed Saviour, by which we may not only obtain the things necessary for the support of the body, but also a supply of spiritual nutriment for the sustenance of the soul; but here we must be on our guard-we must pray with the heart as well as with the lips, for with the heart it is that man believeth unto salvation. We should recollect, that saying our prayers, and praying, may be made two very distinct things;-saying our prayers is one thing, praying is another. If while the lips are uttering

addresses to the Majesty on high, the King of kings, and Lord of lords, the heart be far from him, what is this but mockery, deserving the punishment of heaven? Is it not the height of ingratitude to Him" from whom all blessings flow;" to Him "in whom we live, and move, and have our being?" For in the language of the Psalmist, "Thou, O God, openest thine hand, and fillest all things living with plenteousness; but when thou hidest thy face, we are troubled; when thou takest away our breath, we die and return to our dust." How truly does this language represent our continual and entire dependence upon God, not only for the comforts and conveniences of life, but for that life itself, which is held by so frail a tenure, that even in the midst of it we are said to be in death. If we stand in need of earthly aid, common prudence dictates to us that we should apply for it to those who are able and willing to afford it. We then, as professing Christians, cannot be at a loss where to apply for that strength, which will enable us to contemplate, with calmness, and finally to sustain, nature's last conflict. Where shall we seek for it, and to whom shall we pray for it? Let us answer in the words of Simon Peter: "Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life, and we believe, and are sure, that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God." It is this persuasion alone, the firm and steadfast belief that Jesus, who died and rose again, is the Son of God, that supports the Christian through all the changes and chances of this mortal life, and will conduct him to an immortality of bliss. It is the conviction, that he who "speaks in righteousness" (Isaiah Ixiii. 1.) in his holy Gospel, is indeed “mighty to save," that will prevent that agonizing sensation of suspense and doubt, which wrings the hearts of the sceptical and incredulous, in the solemn hour of dissolution.

Let us then, my brethren, ever cherish these holy thoughts-let us nourish this pious faith in Christ our Saviour, as we wish for happiness hereafter; for how can we, as sinful creatures, expect to escape from the punishment due to our sins, if we neglect so great salvation, so freely offered to us through the atonement of the cross. Let us bind the Gospel to our hearts, as a treasure which neither the "rust or moth can corrupt, nor thieves" steal away from us. Let us, in this our day, have a constant regard to the things which belong unto our everlasting peace, before they be hid from our eyes, that when the kingdoms of this world shall have become the kingdoms of our God and of his Christ; we, not having denied him before men, may not be denied of him at that awful hour, but acknowledged as HIS people before the assembled nations of the universe, and enjoy for ever and ever that "kingdom" prepared by his Father "for_the righteous, from the foundation of the world." J. T. B.

LUTHER'S CONFESSION BEFORE THE DIET OF WORMS.* It is scarcely necessary to remind the reader, that Dr. Martin Luther, an Augustine monk and professor of divinity at Wittenberg, having inveighed against the malpractices which were resorted to in the sale of indulgences, embroiled himself by this means in a violent controversy, during which his bold assertions were productive of results which were not only far from being contemplated at its commencement, but excited so much alarm on the part of the Roman conclave, that he was summoned to appear before it. His sovereign, Frederic the Wise, found means, however, to elude this proceeding, and convert the hazard of a personal investigation before the conclave, into discussions before a native tribunal, where Luther underwent interrogatories and examinations, conducted by papal representatives. These failed of their object; and the accused party seeking to have his errors laid open, his priestly adversaries, instead of breaking ground in such a field, insisted that he should retract his words, or, at least, abstain from all further controversy.

The struggle soon assumed a more ominous aspect; Luther urged his attacks upon the groundless dogmas and pretensions of the Church with still greater effect, particularly in his treatise "On the Liberty of a Christian;" and the apprehensions of his opponents at Rome now impelled them to obtain a bull of excommunication against him. This is the document which he had the courage publicly to commit to the flames, at Wittenberg, on the 10th of December, 1520: thus affording a precedent for that renunciation of undivided allegiance to the Roman See, which afterwards shook its authority to its foundations.

The dispute had lasted above three years: a host of publications had been exchanged between the combatants, and great interest was excited as to the issue throughout Christendom, as well as Germany itself. As far back as the year 1518, Miltitz, the pope's chamberlain, whilst travelling through Germany, had had the mortification to observe, that there existed, in almost every quarter, three advocates of the new order of things for one who was attached to the cause of his master. If it be asked, why the court of Rome did not adopt more efficacious measures to crush this inroad in its earliest stage, it may be answered, that its arm was arrested by the political state of Europe. The emperor Maximilian had just quitted the stage, and the election of his successor engaged the attention of every cabinet. So important an event as this, threw the squabble with an isolated monk into the back-ground; all parties courted the powerful influence of Frederic the Wise; and there was no other temporal sword which could be unsheathed with effect.

Such was the state of things when Maximilian's grandson, Charles, the youthful sovereign of Spain and the Netherlands, was raised to

*The original of the above translation is one of a host of publications and reprints which have issued from the German press, on occasion of the general celebration of the Third Centenary of the Confession of Augsburg, to which we alluded in our last Number.