by prayer and adjuration. They had not succeeded in delivering this poor man, but they both assured me that the power of the spirit was much weakened. They gave up their efforts soon after five o'clock, the independent minister having an engagement to preach at six o'clock at a village nearly two miles off. During the day the patient scribbled upon the wall with his thumb nail, "The doctor says you are a fanatic." The minister saw the doctor at the time of his first interview with the patient at the asylum, and told him his opinion, which only excited the contempt of the medical gentleman, who avowed the opinion that the cases of possession recorded in the New Testament were those of a peculiar type of disease, attributable to purely physical causes. Our Lord and his apostles spoke of those cases as being caused by the devil, and as cases of real possession. They addressed the foul spirits as personal intelligences, and were addressed by them as such. They expelled them from the persons of those they possessed, and commanded them to enter no more into them. The spirits confessed Christ, both to himself, to his apostles, and to others, and were adjured and expelled in his name. Whoever believes the gospels to be divinely inspired books must believe the cases therein recorded to be real, not fictitious, nor imaginary, nor delusive. If there were such then, may there not be now? The belief that there are certainly involves no absurdity. A man may believe that there are, as rationally as he may believe any fact in physics, providing he find sufficiently credible testimony, or meet with sufficiently conclusive phenomena to sustain such belief. But are the facts of this case sufficient to sustain the belief that it is a case of demoniacal possession? I cannot determine that question. Many of the facts wear a diabolical aspect truly. But, it must be recollected that the patient is familiar with the gospel narrative, so as to be familiar with its recorded cases of possession and expulsion, with the name Legion," and with the form of adjuration used by our Lord and his apostles. Then he may have been told about the transaction mentioned by the independent minister, as one which resulted in the expulsion of an evil spirit, which would account for his having exclaimed, “You cast me out before," &c. One circumstance seems rather strange. At the first interview of our friend with the patient he addressed him in Latin, “Deus regit mundum." He instantly replied, "Is it to Him you appeal?" Whether this poor working mechanic has ever had the opportunity of acquiring any knowledge whatever of Latin, I know not. If he has not, his reply is remarkable; if he has, there is no mystery about it. "He that committeth sin is of the devil, for the devil sinneth from the beginning." And he, unquestionably, is the originator of "all manner of sin and blasphemy" committed by man. But is this man a voluntary or an involuntary agent of the devil? That is the question. Mr. Wesley laid great stress upon such cases, as evidences of Satanic influence and of the reality of the spiritual world. I wait for more light, and shall be glad to receive it from any of my brethren. LIGHTS OF OTHER DAYS. THE last half of the ninth century of the Christian Era, opened with a gloomy prospect for Young England, just then struggling into existence among the nations of the Earth, and preparing for her onward course to future glory. The annual incursions of the warlike Danes sp ead consternation among her people; and chiefly from the absence of a leading master mind to conduct her national affairs, the country was exposed to the imminent danger of being overrun by hordes of marauders who, settling in various provinces, kept the kingdom in a state of perpetual disquietude. Intestine commotion added to her perilous condition, and the existence of rival interests and contending parties among the leading noble families of the day, did more to ensure success for her oppressors, than even their own bravery and skill. As a necessary result of this state of confusion, learning was at its lowest ebb. Here and there might be found an educated monk, but for the most part even the clergy were uneducated and unlettered men, whose round of duties consisted in chanting prayers they did not understand, the infliction of personal penance, and some occasional work of mercy, or, perhaps, of intrigue. The honour devolved upon a woman, to break in upon this darkness and degradation. Prompted by a desire to improve the mind of her son-in-law, she kindled up the latent fire which lay smouldering in his bosom, and under God, produced results which it is not too much to admit, make our condition, even at this day, the happier, although the interval of a thousand years has passed since the time of which we write. Ethelwolf, the son of Egbert, the first king of England, ascended the throne of his father, a widower with four sons; and although his kingdom was n situation of imminent danger, he was not deterred from undertaking a pilgrimage to Rome, in order to offer presents and pay homage to the Pope. This prince appears to have been of a quiet and amiable disposition, far more fitted for an ecclesiastical course of life than to enter upon the more active engagements of a monarch in days like those ;-and having been called from the seclusion of a monastery to take possession of the Crown, he found himself incapable of undertaking the severe and onerous duties of his office, which, in consequence, were left to the management of a restless and enterprising prelate who, the very opposite of his master, was more fitted for this turbulent employment, than for the quiet duties of a Christian pastor. On his journey to Rome, the king was accompanied by his youngest son, the Benjamin of his family, a child of six years of age. Whether the mind of the young prince received any impression on his visit to the Eternal City, then the chief seat of learning, is not certain; but, fortunately for him and for posterity, his father, on returning to his own dominions, married the daughter of the king of France, a woman, doubtless, of refined taste, and distinguished, even in those days, as possessing a cultivated and piously directed mind, which yearned over her husband's children, and longed to turn its knowledge to account in their behalf. See her, with a book of Saxon poetry in her hand, endeavouring to induce those careless striplings to listen as she reads, and ever and anon displays the attractions of the illuminated page before their eyes! But what care they for such a monkish pursuit? They like the songs, it may be,-for they tell of war and warriors, and the warm Saxon blood of the elder boys quickens as they listen to the deeds of Odin and of Thor; and their flashing eyes evince their full resolve, to pursue the same career of mis-called glory, as a life employment. Not so that fair-haired boy, the younger of the group; he kindly, yet inquiringly, looks upward to his mother's face; watches her eyes as they scan the page, and wonders how she makes such soul music from such rude characters as are there depicted; until at length she sees the inquiring glance, and prompts to exertion by promising, as a reward, the possession of the treasured volume to the first who learns to read it. New life opens before the eager scholar, and with persevering effort he toils until at last he accomplishes the task, and receives the reward. It was a very humble beginning, but it produced right glorious results. It was the seed-sowing of which future generations were to reap the fruits; and England's grandeur may be dated from the day a judicious mother cultivated the mind of her inquiring son, and made a successful effort to teach him to read. The boy became a man, was schooled in adversity, and purged in the furnace of affliction. His father and his brethren had passed away, and left him alone to struggle for a kingdom which was but a wreck. For a time he stood out manfully in defence of his right, but the contest was too unequal, his foes were numerous and powerful; his nobles were broken spirited and tributary; his subjects were crushed beneath the iron hand of their oppressor; and all, save one great mind, had sullenly yielded in despair; but he, like a stately oak, bent his head to the storm while it was passing by, but only to raise it again when opportunity served, and then to convince his subjects that he at least was worthy their confidence and love. He left the throne on which he was powerless, and, flying far away into the privacy of a distant scene, he took his books, well stored his mind, meditated, watched, prayed, and waited for better times. In the house of a faithful follower he found refuge; there he performed domestic offices, and submitted even to be scolded by his hostess for his careless cooking; meanwhile hoping almost against hope, for a fortuitous change in his circumstances. When did such self-denying sacrifice fail of its object? The dawning sun of prosperity entered the chinks of the mud-walled cot, and the royal fugitive understood that it was the time for action. His faithful friends found out his retreat, and his subjects felt that they well might risk a rallying for one so worthy of their love. The enemy lay encamped in security; but it was dangerous even to risk a defeat; and, as the monarch knew that his would be the benefit, he resolved that his also should be the task of finding out the weakest point in the opposing camp, and cheerily he entered within its precincts with the harp which had solaced him in exile strung upon his arm. As his fingers ran over its strings in lively airs, he watched and gained the knowledge ne required: then hastening back to his devoted band, he led them on to victory, and to freedom. A Christian prince, he sought no higher end than the extension of his religion, and offered terms of peace to his foes, on condition that they should become Christian too. The light he possessed was dim; but with it he served his God, and his devotion was accepted; for from this hour his course was distinguished by usefulness and true glory. On rules of justice he established law; sought out means, and founded seminaries for the instruction of his people; laid the foundation of his nation's future greatness, and earned, as he deserved, the title of the Father of his People. Like one of Judah's kings, he sought the Lord; and like him, "God made him to prosper." It is related that he possessed a copy of the Psalms bound up with a book of prayer, which he so filled in every vacant space with annotations of his own, that, when on one occasion he would record a remark he thought worth preservation, he had no space left whereon to write. So conscientious was he, that men styled him "The Truth Teller;" and so careful of his time, that he devised a scheme by which to measure the day in equal portions, so that one portion might not trench upon the duties of another. Of small moment circumstances like these appear to us in the present state of scientific knowledge, but they were of great value and importance then. Thus he lived to bless his generation, and to leave a legacy to posterity of good. "When I took the kingdom," says he, "very few on this side the Humber, very few beyond, not one that I recollect south of the Thames, could understand the prayers in English, or could translate a letter from Latin into English." To remedy this, he either founded or restored the university of Oxford; and lived to bless God "that those who sat in the chair of the instructor were capable of teaching." We have said that he was a pious as well as a useful man. Hear him on the uses of adversity. "No man," says he, "should desire a soft life, if on earth, for any virtue or any worship (i.e. respect) here, from this world, or any eternal life after this world." His religious experience was as follows:-"I know nothing that is better than to love thee, the Heavenly and the Spiritual One, above all earthly things; this I also do, good Father, because I know of nothing better than thyself." His was active piety; he was confessedly the best Saxon writer of his day, was the translator of several histories, as also of Esop's fables from the Greek. In order to show his subjects how to avoid the danger of fire, he built his palaces of brick instead of wood, as heretofore. He navigated the sea with his infant navy in every direction; corresponded with Russia; and sent a missionary to India; and dying, left in his will as a legacy to his partially enslaved people, the following sentiment, "That it is just the English should for ever remain as free as their own thoughts." Thus he lived, and thus he died. While he lived men called him the wise, the virtuous, the good; but his memory is embalmed in the affections of posterity, and when men speak of him, they designate him, and ricny he merits the distinguished appellation-" ALFRED THE GREAT." CHRIST'S SORROW THE SOURCE OF THE BELIEVER'S JOY.-Christ was weary, that we might rest; he hungered, that we might eat the bread, and thirsted, that we might drink the water of life. He grieved, that we might rejoice, and became miserable to make us happy. He was apprehended, that we might escape, accused, that we might be acquitted; and condemned, that we might be absolved. He died, that we might live, and was crucified by men, that we might be justified before God. In brief, "He was made sin for us, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him."-BEVERIDGE. SCRAPS FROM A TRAVELLER'S NOTE-BOOK.-No. III. SYMPATHY IN DISTRESS AMONG THE FEATHERED TRIBE. WALKING recently on the Pier at Ramsgate, my attention was drawn to a singular commotion on the surface of the water in the harbour, which I perceived to be caused by a number of Sea-birds or Gulls hovering round,-now rising slightly, now diving, now flitting round in evident confusion; and what seemed most surprising, although boats with men in them were being rowed among them they did not rise on the wing or attempt to fly away. On observing more closely, I saw that one of their number was in distress, it had been caught by a baited hook placed there, I presume, for this purpose, and was prevented flying by the line attached, while its companions continued to hover round it in evident concern, doing all they could to help it, but in vain. The boat approached, and the poor bleeding prisoner was secured, not without some difficulty. It was then taken to the shore, and carried off by its captors. It was a noble bird, of an unusual species in these parts, splendidly marked, and of majestic size and great strength. I shall not soon forget its struggles in the water, or its strange look when taken to the land. With what terror and surprise, it seemed to survey the men, and other objects by which it was surrounded. I turned to see what had become of its companions still at liberty, and I found they had all disappeared. They had hovered round their captive friend, as long as it was on the water, following the boat close to the shore, and manifesting all a bird's sorrow and sympathy: but so soon as the men had landed they rose in the air, and wisely sought for safety out at sea; nor did they return again while I remained. These birds are caught, it seems, occasionally by the boatmen here, and sold, either to be placed alive in gardens, to clear them of slugs, &c., or to be killed, skinned, and stuffed, being altogether unfit for food, though extremely pretty and interesting creatures to the eye. No. IV. GRATUITOUS LABOURERS IN THE VINEYARD OF THE LORD. WE are often told of the labours of those holy men of God who from fifty to a hundred years ago were the pioneers of Methodism; who shrunk not from their duty on account of wet, cold, dirt, or distance, but with warm hearts and full souls, sabbath after sabbath, journeyed forth to proclaim the glad tidings of a "full, a free, and a present salvation," according to their respective appointments. In those days "circuits" were not limited to a few square miles, but often extended from the centre point to twenty or even thirty miles, and involved an amount of labour to supply which, in these more easy days of Methodist arrangements, would startle not only the itinerant, but most of the local brethren. It is no uncommon circumstance for dissenting ministers to point to the Wesleyan preachers of our day as possessing almost a sinecure, as regards that part of their duties called sermonising; their public services being divided among various congregations is supposed to render the work of preparation one of ease and comparative idleness; and I have often heard it remarked that "after leaving their first circuit, their studies and compilations might virtually cease for the rest of their lives;" while the man who is set over a single church finds his work provided for him from week to week, and from year to year. There is probably more apparent, than real truth in this view of Methodism, as contrasted with other churches, even as regards the "travelling preachers;" and as respects the men who have been called the "backbone" of Methodism, "the local preachers," it is certainly erroneous. Not only is their sphere of labour a very circumscribed one, but it is often long continued among the same people. Scores of these self-denying men have occupied the same pulpits over and over again for twenty, thirty, forty, or even fifty years successively. Often have they, even in this day, to be prepared on the sabbath with three sermons to deliver to the same people in addition to the toil of walking four, five, or six miles to the appointment, and the same to return after their religious engagements are over, besides leading a class, addressing a Sabbath-school, holding a prayermeeting, or visiting the sick. I was recently in company with a holy aged man of God of this class, who informed me that he had preached nearly one thousand and forty sermons in one chapel in one town, all from different texts of Scripture! besides some hundreds delivered in another chapel in the same town, and some thousands in villages around. It must not be forgotten, too, by our dissenting friends, that for the most part these men (and the brother referred to, is an instance) have to labour during the week for a maintenance for themselves and dependants. Again, although happily the walking part of a local preacher's labours is not generally so excessive as in former years, yet even now it often forms no small part of his duty. The writer of this has gone out fourteen miles on the Sabbath on foot, and after preaching twice returned the same distance in the same way. Scores of times late at night, exposed to the pelting of the pitiless storm, in the darkness he has had almost to grope his way along crooked and dirty lanes, or across lonely and almost pathless fields or commons; and his is by no means an extreme case. A few Sabbaths since he was at a place in Kent, and not far from the metropolis either, where the preacher had come through incessant heavy rain ten miles to address a few villagers, and after the day's duties were over, he had again to return in the same way, and again to face the storm. And the preceding Sabbath this same brother had gone twelve miles out, preached three times to the same people, and returned the same distance at night. I give these instances, out of hundreds that might be referred to, to show that even now the local preacher's path is not all strewed with flowers. That selfdenial and courage as well as zeal, and piety, are requisite to make up a real Methodist local preacher even of the present day. J. H. G. THE CRYSTAL PALACE AND THE CHRISTIAN SABBATH; OR, HUMAN LAWS OMNIPOTENT, DIVINE COMMANDS OBSOLETE. Righteousness exalteth a nation; but sin is a reproach to any people." THE ANCIENT BOOK. A SHORT time since I was privileged to address a few words to an interesting assembly of working men, kindly convened by a benevolent gentleman, and freely treated to a cheerful cup of tea and accompaniments, succeeded by the feast of reason in the shape of sundry practical speeches, designed to promote their wellbeing both for time and eternity. The meeting happened to be held in a place not far from the site of the Crystal Palace at Sydenham, and this circumstance naturally gave a turn to some of the speeches relative to the contemplated opening of this palace of art and beauty on the Lord's day, and subsequently prompted me to pen a few reflections thereon for the LOCAL PREACHERS' MAGAZINE. In my own mind, this is the GREAT QUESTION OF THE DAY. Much-very much-is involved therein. How much, short-sighted reasoning man is unable to foresee. We may, however, argue from the past to the future. We may happily consult our Bibles for light and information; and hence it is not surprising that many good men have been stirred up to exertion and prayer that this danger may be averted: neither is it any wonder that these efforts of the pious and devout should be met as they have been. Worldly-minded men care nothing for the Lord or his day; his honour is not sought, nor are his commands respected by them. To amass wealth-to secure patronage to establish themselves in power-these are too frequently the actuating motives-the leading considerations of those in authority. That a great portion of the newspaper press should take side with the Palace Company, all things considered, was to be expected. Two great principles are actively at work in our day-Popish aggression C |