suddenly there was a pause in the music, for did he Melita, and the preservation of the crew and pasnot hear a voice calling his name?

But e'en, poor wanderer, there
Is no glad home for thee,
Thou takest what others spare
From the hand of charity.

Yet her childish faith fails not,

Ne'er murmurs she at the rod;
The wind in that pitiless spot,

She knows is the "breath of God."

What a lesson for us all,

In our calm and easy lives!

Whatever may befall,

She neither cries nor strives.

Never in life or death,

Though our way we wearily plod,
Are we out of range of the breath-
The spirit of Christ and God.
Now, like a zephyr fair,

We feel it gently blow;
Anon like the wintry air,

Laden with frost and snow.

But wherever, however it come,
Our earthly lot to leaven,
"Tis a breath from our distant home,
Sent down by our Father in heaven.

JOVINIAN; OR, THE EARLY DAYS OF PAPAL ROME.
BY W. H. G. KINGSTON, AUTHOR OF "THE IDIOT OF DIXMUYDE."

CHAPTER V.-THE YOUNG CAPTIVE. the principles delivered to him by his beloved OVINIAN was treated with much con- mother. Henceforth the book was his constant sideration by his uncle Gaius. He en- study, and from its page he drew consolation and joyed the privilege of a room to himself, instruction. One morning Eros entering his chamin which he could read without inter- ber inquired whether he was disposed to go out ruption, and to which his meals were and enjoy the air. He thankfully agreed to the generally carried. When, however, he went to the door, proposal, and having concealed his precious volume he found the Numidian, or another slave who acted beneath his dress, he accompanied the Numidian. as his assistant, stretched on a mat at the entrance, It was a day on which one of the numerous festivals or seated on a stool close at hand. He had thus held in honour of the gods was being celebrated in evidence that he was treated as a captive, and sus- the city. The streets were thronged by persons of pected of being desirous of making his escape. He all ranks and ages, the shrines as usual lighted up was abundantly supplied with books Horace, and decorated with flowers, the lower order of priests Virgil, and Ovid for lighter reading, and transla- were going about collecting contributions for their tions of the works of Plato and his disciples for his temples, and holding up the small images of their more serious studies. But beautiful as was the gods. They were passing the temple of Bellona, language, he turned from them with disgust, so full the Isis of the Egyptians, when Eros, grasping of sophistries did they appear. There was one book Jovinian's arm, pulled him in. which he took up with greater satisfaction than all the others. He had obtained it when out walking one day with Eros, and the Numidian's watchful eye was for a short period averted from him. While gazing at a spectacle exhibited in one of the temples, Jovinian had recognised his friend the presbyter Amulius, who was coming quickly towards him. Before Eros had looked round, Amulius had slipped into his hand a roll of parchment; he immediately concealed it in his bosom. He was on the point of whispering, "Oh, take me with you!" and stretching out his hand to his relative, when Eros turned round. The Numidian seemed to have suspected his design, for he immediately grasped him by the arm, and took care for the remainder of the walk not to withdraw his eye from him.

On reaching home, Jovinian eagerly examined the roll. He discovered, to his delight, that it was the Gospel written by the apostle St. John. The roll contained another small piece of vellum, on which were written some lines from Amulius, urging him to practise the gift of patience, and to remain firm to

"Here is a scene worth witnessing," he observed; I see how devoted are the worshippers of the great goddess."

Unlike most of the other temples, it was enclosed by walls to exclude the light of day. Following the windings of a narrow passage, the Numidian and the reluctant youth found themselves in a gallery within the temple, which appeared shrouded in gloom, except at the further end, where, above the altar, was seen, surrounded by pale lights, the statue of the goddess standing on a crescent moo, holding a globe in her hand; while before her were several closelyshorn, barefooted priests, habited in linen garments, now bending low before her, now lifting up their hands in the attitude of prayer, while the whole area was filled with a multitude of persons in rapid motion, from whom issued cries and groans, above which could be distinguished the sound of the whips echoing through the edifice.

For some minutes, Jovinian's eye, unaccustomed to the darkness, could not see what was taking place; but at length he perceived that all the persons below

JOVINIAN.

him were armed with whips, with which they were
unmercifully flagellating, not each other, but their
own bodies stripped naked to the waist. Some,
from their dark skins, were apparently Egyptians,
but many among them were evidently Romans. Now
some of the priests, throwing off their robes, and
seizing whips, which lay beside the altar, joined the
mad throng, shouting and encouraging them to per-
severance in the extraordinary performance. While
this scene
was enacting, several other persons
appeared, issuing from doors on either side of the
altar. Among them, Jovinian, to his surprise, dis-
tinguished his uncle Gaius, with Cocus and other
pontiffs, who stood by, while a flamen, with his back
to the people, lifted up his hands above his head, as
if offering sacrifice to the goddess.

"What can induce those people thus to torment themselves?" asked Jovinian. "It appears to me as if they had all gone mad together!"

163

"Yours seems a very simple faith, and if I thought that the one great and all-powerful God of whom you speak would hear my prayers and grant them, I would cease to worship all the gods and goddesses, whose very names I have a difficulty in remembering, and would trust only to Him," answered Eros.

"You would act most wisely and happily for yourself," said Jovinian. "Come with me into yonder building; I see several persons entering who, by their dress and demeanour, I know to be Christians." Eros made no objection. The edifice was enclosed by a wall, which shut out those within from public gaze. Passing through a door, they entered a spacious hall capable of containing some hundred persons. No statues nor pictures were to be seen; at the further end was a raised desk, at which stood a lector or reader, while a higher desk at the same part of the building, formed like a rostrum, served for the preacher who was to address the congregation. In the centre stood a long table, with seats round it, while the remainder of the area was filled with benches in rows, so arranged that their occupants could look towards the lector and preacher. The building was filling fast; in a few minutes all the seats were occupied. Shortly afterwards an aged "Can it be possible that people are so ignorant man, habited in a toga, entering, took his seat on a as to suppose that any being of a divine nature can chair close to the rostrum; then, standing up, after take pleasure in mortal suffering?" asked Jovinian. a minute of silent prayer, gave out a hymn, in which "How different must she be to the true God! so the whole of the congregation joined. Portions of full of mercy and lovingkindness, who delights in the Gospel and Epistles were read; a prayer was showering blessings on his worshippers! Let us go then offered up, in which all the congregation joined, hence; I can no longer stay to witness such egre- and, after another hymn, the presbyter ascended the gious folly and wickedness." rostrum, and delivered an address. It explained simply the principles of the Christian faith, and the plan of salvation offered by God to sinful man. Eros listened attentively, and drank in every word. He sighed when it terminated. Another hymn having been sung, the congregation began to separate.

"Know you not that we stand in the temple of the Queen of Heaven, the most ancient goddess known to mortals?" exclaimed the Numidian. These, her votaries, are thus inflicting pain on their bodies to purify themselves from sin, and be able to approach her shrine and merit her approval and affection."

Still the Numidian seemed inclined to linger; but Jovinian, breaking from him, made his way towards the passage by which they had entered, and Eros was compelled to follow for fear of losing sight of his charge. Jovinian breathed more freely when he got into the open air. He was too much lost in thought to make any further remark to his companion. As they proceeded on their walk they passed numerous shrines, before each of which Eros stopped, and lifting up his hands, invoked the idol, seeming to care very little which of the gods or goddesses it represented. "Can those marble figures render you any service, think you?" asked Jovinian, as they walked on.

"I know not, but my betters say so, and it is as well to be on the safe side," answered the Numidian, with a shrug of his shoulders.

"But suppose they represent demons instead of divine beings, if you invoke them they are more likely to do you harm than good; and knowing, as I do, that there is but one true, all-powerful God, I am sure that He does not allow any inferior creatures to interfere between Him and man," replied Jovinian. "We, who are His children through faith in His Son, can go direct to Him in prayer, requiring no other intercessor but our Lord and Master, nor any symbol to aid us in worshipping Him."

"Would that I could hear more of it," the slave observed to Jovinian; "after this I can never again pray to the stocks and stones which I have hitherto called my gods.”

"You can come as often as you like, and there are several other places in Rome where assemblies of the faithful are wont to be held, thanks to the liberality of the emperor, who allows the Christians to meet everywhere as they desire," said Jovinian; "but I would urge you to speak forthwith to the presbyter who delivered the discourse, or to the venerable overseer who presided; or, if you would prefer it, I would take you to the house of my relative Amulius. He is always ready to give instruction; and there are some who, I fear, hold false doctrines, who would mislead you as to the principles of our holy faith."

"What, do you Christians differ from each other in your belief?" asked the Numidian, in a tone of surprise.

"Alas! I am told that there are many who call themselves Christians, but who hold opinions con

trary to those taught by the Holy Scriptures," said Jovinian: "but they differ greatly one from the other. Such was the case even in the time of the apostles, and we cannot expect it to be otherwise at present, when men in their pride of reason refuse to submit themselves to the plain teaching of Christ." "You appear to have thought much on these subjects for one so young," observed the Numidian.

"I have been well instructed by those who know the truth, and have ever sought guidance from God's Holy Spirit," answered Jovinian. Eros was silent; he was pondering deeply on what he had heard. Jovinian, on his return to the college, retired to his room. The pontiff Gaius was still absent; he was too much engaged, fortunately for Jovinian, to question him as to where he had been during his walk. The pontiff was acute enough to discover that he was not likely to win his nephew over to a belief in idolatry, but he hoped, by giving him the writings of the Greek philosophers, and of their numerous disciples and imitators of the present time, so to draw his mind away from the truth that he might be willing to enter into his schemes, and to become in reality a sceptic in all religious matters, as he was himself, with one exception; if, indeed, he had any belief, it was in the great goddess of Babylon, Astarte or Ashtaroth, the Queen of Heaven, whose worship, having spread through Asia into Egypt, had, with that of her son Horos, long been established in Italy under different names. In Egypt she was known as Isis, in Rome as Bellona. He, as was the case with the other pontiffs, had long been initiated into her mysteries, and he trusted that in time his nephew

BY

would be qualified to become one of her votaries.
Her worship had, indeed, ever been the most
popular, and provided that could be maintained, he
felt sure that it would successfully oppose the two
principles of the Christian faith, which he understood
to consist in the belief of one God, and one mediator
between God and man. He was not aware of the
power of simple faith when he thus entertained hopes
of winning over his nephew, or that Jovinian went
daily to the fountain-head to seek for that strength
he so much needed in order to resist the temptations
presented to him. Jovinian soon discovered the ten-
dency of the works his uncle gave him, and as he
read he sought for grace to refute their sophistries;
nor did he seek in vain. He found, however, that it
was wise not to enter into discussions with Gaius, who
fully believed that ere long his nephew's faith would
be completely overcome. The pontiff now began to
open his views to Jovinian, and to excite his ambition
with the prospect, should he follow his advice, of be-
coming great and powerful, and ruling his fellow-
creatures through their superstition. He frequently
invited him out, taking the precaution to have a slave
following close at hand to stop him should he attempt
to escape, though he believed that there was now little
probability of his doing so. At length, so complete
was the confidence he placed in him, that he allowed
him to be present at the councils of the pontiffs,
where seated, his book in hand, at the further end of
the hall, his presence was not observed. Jovinian,
very naturally, did not object to this, nor could he fail
to be interested in the discussions he frequently heard.
(To be continued.)

REST.-I.

THE REV. HENRY ALLON, D.D., ISLINGTON.
"Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him."-Ps. xxxvii. 7.

HE truest philosophy of life comes out of its deepest feelings. The religious instincts of the greatly-moved heart are truer guides of life than processes of reason. These psalms of devout religious feeling contain more true wisdom of life, penetrate more deeply the mysteries of things, come more closely to true spiritual principles, than any theological or ethical disquisition could do.

What a profound philosophy of life is contained in these opening verses of the thirty-seventh psalm! What is the true course of a man who is perplexed by the great problems of life, who stands in the presence of its exacting duties, who is assailed by its fierce and perilous temptations, and overwhelmed by its great disappointments and sorrows?

Shall he reject all belief in a divine providence of life, obliterate its divine lines, dissolve its spiritual visions, extinguish its eternal lights, reduce

it to a mere machinery of blind sinister forces that are without loving purpose, that inspire no religious faith?

Shall he resent its perverse anomalies, rebel against its stern order and sorrowful issues, beat the weary wings of his soul against the bars of his imprisoning cage, kick against the goad that relentlessly coerces him?

Neither, is the solution of the Psalmist. Neither in theoretic nor practical atheism is there either deliverance or comfort. The only possibility of these is some interpretation of the problems of life that shall inspire religious feeling, enable religious acquiescence and trust.

The answer to his questionings which the devout soul of the Psalmist hears is an injunction of religious trust, of the calm patient rest of religious faith. All other methods of solution are rejected, all other feelings are reprobated. We may not "fret " because of these mysteries of life, we may