crown which you ought not to lose. Secondly, Upon this subject, you have received the clearest warnings from God. Thirdly, You have but one time, a short time, a time which will not twice return; the time of this life, uncertain and rapidly passing away. Fourthly and finally, You must hold firmly to Jesus Christ, out of whom there is no salvation, and who says to us all to-day, "Behold I come quickly; hold fast that which thou hast, that no man take thy crown."

But let us end as Christians should do, by raising our hearts and our prayers to God!

Although the catastrophe which has shaken a neighboring empire, has been placed before us, it has only been that the subject might fill us with spiritual reflections; but as this event, in whatever manner it may be viewed, has caused much misery, and may be the occasion of much more, let us raise our hands toward the mercy-seat, "with prayers and supplications, and thanksgivings," as ordained by St. Paul.

And, at first, let us never look upon the commotions of the nations which surround us, without recalling to our minds, that the God, by whom kings reign and republics subsist, has deigned to grant, that the little state in which we live should be the freest, the best governed, perhaps, and above all, the most united and happy, that exists upon the earth, without the cost of a tear, or a drop of blood, or a hair of the head. Let our thanks, then, be rendered to God, and may he, according to his own good pleasure, grant to us a long national peace, and especially grant that greater progress be made in the possession of his gospel, and in the love of his Son, Jesus Christ, whose knowledge gives life to nations as well as to souls.

son.

After these thanksgivings, my brethren, let us call to mind, also, that the word of God exhorts us to pray for all men, even for princes who do not rule over us. And, since to-day we have received a lesson from the sudden fall of this great king, let us not forget that the unhappy prince is among the living-that he is an old man-that he knows not where to turn his steps-that he sheds tears-and that, having witnessed the fate of the most honest of kings-his respectable brother-the most virtuous of princesses—his sweet and pious sister, who perished upon the scaffold -he has the grief to behold, with his own fall, that of his son and grandLet us then pray for this unfortunate man, whose conscience was, without doubt, further led astray than his head. Let us pray, that renouncing all the false traditions of men, he may now attach himself with his whole heart to the holy Bible, and that, by the grace of God, our Saviour, he may exchange the crown which he has lost, and which after all, is but dust, for the unfading crown of glory which is found in Jesus Christ. Let us pray that God may confound the deplorable deceptions of those men, who, for three hundred years, have led astray the consciences of the kings of France, and have maintained, contrary to the word, in the name of the priesthood and of human traditions, a war as fatal to the happiness as to the morality of this great people!

DISCOURSE XII.

CÆSAR MALAN, D.D.

THIS pious and venerable divine was born at Geneva, Switzerland, where he still resides. His father was Professor of Ancient Languages at Geneva, and a fine classical scholar. The Malans are of an ancient Albigensian noble family, from Merindol, south of France, where the ruins of their castle may still be seen. They were driven out by terrible persecution. One of the ancestors of Dr. Malan was buried alive, with Bible in hand, refusing to renounce the true faith. He often pleasantly remarks: "We are not of the reformed Christians; we have always been evangelical-a true church of Christ before the Reformation." He was educated in the celebrated college of Geneva, where he stood remarkably high, and afterward became a Regent of the Institution. His ordination was received

in the State church of Geneva, where he preached, according to custom, in rotation, in the various churches of the city, often officiating in St. Pierre, the cathedral; and being considered one of the most gifted orators of Geneva. He preached a number of years before his conversion.

But yet it was to Cæsar Malan that the grace and the glory were to be given, first to raise from the ground the tarnished banner of the church of Geneva, and, from the pulpit of Calvin, boldly to proclaim that gospel whose echoes scarcely lingered within his temple. He was led fully to embrace that gospel, by means of Mr. Robert Haldane, of Scotland, then residing in Geneva. Before the coming of Mr. Haldane he had been roused from a state of death, to some sense of spiritual destitution. But the change was not complete until about the year 1816. To use his own words, in his letter to Mr. Bickersteth: "At the time I was awakened to life everlasting, I was still in darkness and great feebleness in almost all points; and I know how useful, how efficacious, under God's blessing, to my mind, to my soul, to my humble heart, were the teaching and fatherly guidance of Mr. Haldane, whom, in the bonds of love, I honor as a father sent to me by God, and who, before he left Geneva, had seen not only in myself, but in numerous other instances, that the word of truth, and not 'tracts or addresses,' had been blessed—yes, sir, wonderfully blessed from above--for the present, and the eternal happiness of many souls. The glory be to the Lord, but the joy to that servant of Jesus, and his spiritual brethren, and brethren in our precious faith."

No sooner had the eloquent preacher and Regent himself embraced the truth, than he proclaimed it to others. On a particular occasion, he preached a sermon in the cathedral, in proof of the doctrine of justification by faith. His words dropped on the leaden slumbers of his audience, like bolts of fire shot from heaven. Pastors, professors, syndics and private citizens, were cut to the heart, and almost

gnashed on him with their teeth, as Dr. Malan descended from the pulpit and passed through their opening ranks unrecognized, an avoided and rejected man. It was not in his loving heart and tender sensibilities to disregard the insult and derision to which he was thus publicly exposed. His own relatives turned away from him with mingled emotions of disappointment, vexation, and shame. His attached wife, not then, as afterward, a partaker of the same glorious faith, beheld him with a grieved and wounded heart, and, by her looks, reproached him with the shipwreck of all the cherished dreams of their young ambition. He walked in his robes from the ancient temple of Calvin to his own house, dejected and overwhelmed, about to hide himself in his secret chamber. But, on entering his door, the manly form and benignant countenance of Robert Haldane met his eye, and his sinking spirits were revived, as by a cordial, when his hand was grasped, and the words were heard, "Thank God! The gospel has been once more preached

in Geneva."

As the result of this, however, he was deprived of the use of the pulpits. This was in 1817. The severity with which he was treated, being expelled from all employments in the college and the church, together with the boldness and firmness of his bearing, the fervor of his feelings, and the power of his discourses, drew crowds after him. Men were converted by the grace of God, and, in 1818, an Independent church was formed, and a chapel built, called the Eglise Temoinage, in a lovely spot just beyond the walls of the city, in his own garden or park. And here the bold confessor of the faith has since continued to officiate. He has often made preaching tours in Germany, France, aud Switzerland, which are delightfully detailed in his "Eighty Days of Missionary Labor."

In the bosom of his own family, Dr. Malan shines as the man of God. "I shall never forget," says Dr. Cheever, "the sweet Sabbath evenings passed there. A charm rested upon the conversation, an atmosphere as sacred as the Sabbath day's twilight. At tea, a text of Scripture had been written for each member of the family, as well as for the Christian friends who might be present, and placed underneath the plate, to be read by each in his turn, eliciting some appropriate remark from the venerable pastor and father. The evening worship was performed with hymns, which Dr. Malan had written to melodies which he had himself composed, sung by the voices of his daughters, with the accompaniment of instrumental music. It would have been difficult to witness anywhere a lovelier picture of a Christian family. The household seemed to me like some of the peaceful shining vales among his native mountains, where one might sit upon the hill-side he is climbing, and gaze down upon the green grass and the running, murmuring stream, and say within himself, If there be happiness undisturbed in the wide world, it must be here."

Were you to be introduced to Dr. Malan, adds Dr. C., you might think at once of John Bunyan, if you chanced to have got an impression of the Dreamer, as I did, from an old picture of a countenance full of grace, with silvery locks flowing down upon the shoulders. This peculiarity makes Dr. Malan's appearance most venerable and delightful. His eye is remarkably quick and piercing; his countenance expressive and changeful with emotion.

Dr. Malan has published a great number of tracts, stories for children, and narrative volumes; also, several books of music and poetry, all from his own head. He has written and published a book of church music-every note and every verse -the best ever composed in the French, entitled "Chants de Sion." His tracts are

remarkable for pointedness, simplicity, and interest. They have been printed in nearly every language. Some of his tracts are like the Dairyman's Daughter of Legh Richmond, for simple truth and beauty. They present the living realities of the gospel in a manner most impressive and affecting to the mind, in narratives, in dialogues, in familiar parables, and illustrations.

As a preacher, Dr. Malan is eminently spiritual and instructive. The cardinal doctrines of salvation are the staple of his discourses, and he loves to dwell upon the bright and persuasive side of truth divine, leading his flock in green pastures beside the still waters. The sermon which follows, though not as bold and imposing in its eloquence as some of the author's productions, is a fine example of his unction and vivacity of style, as well as his peculiar facility in simplifying the greatest and most important truths, and evolving them from seemingly the slightest incidents.

THE PIETY OF YOUNG DANIEL.

"But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king's meat, nor with the wine which he drank; therefore he requested the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself."

"And at the end of ten days their countenances appeared fairer and fatter in flesh than all the children which did eat the portion of the king's meat."-DANIEL, i. 8, 15.

We have before us, Christians, one of those noble witnesses, who compose that cloud of which the Apostle Paul speaks, and who surround the church while she is militant upon earth. He is but a man, it is true, but he is a faithful man; and we behold him placed in such circumstances as at once to engage our lively attention, and afford us the most important lessons.

Daniel is a young man, distinguished in every way, and surrounded by all the charms and all the attractions of the world. He is in the flower of his age, accomplished in person, of high birth, and cultivated mind. The path to dazzling glory, in the court of a powerful monarch, is open before him. It is under these circumstances that a mighty temptation approaches him. Infidelity, clad in sublime array, knocks at the door of his heart. Daniel is a Hebrew: his law forbids him to touch impure meats; and it is upon such as an idolatrous king offers to his false gods that Daniel is required to feed.

What will he do? Will he, like the greater number of young Hebrews who are brought up with him, make necessity his pretext? Will he make his faith bend to his circumstances, and eat of these meats? You who, like Daniel, fear the Lord, and trust in him, can answer the question. "Daniel," you will reply, "is a believer; the Spirit of Christ is with him; and, strengthened by this Spirit, he will be rendered more than conqueror."

Yes, my brethren, more than conqueror; nor is he alone in the victory.

With him, three of his companions, sprung like himself from the tribe of Judah, and like him obedient to the Son of God, come to the resolution not to defile themselves with the meat and the wine of the king. They strengthen themselves in their God, and then make known their requests to the prince of the eunuchs, who, secretly influenced by Daniel's God, consents to permit the trial which the young Hebrews desire, whatever may be the consequence.

It is, then, neither by the dainties, nor upon the wine of the king, that these four faithful men are supported. It is by their determination alone; first, during ten days, and, subsequently, during the three years of their preparation for their reception at court; and the eye of Jehovah meanwhile rests upon them.

How I delight to contemplate these young men thus honoring their religion! It excites our interest, it commands our respect. Daniel, knowing himself to be a child of God, and ardently loving his Father, earnestly repulses the charm which the temptation presents, gives no place to sin in his heart, and thus manifests the devotedness of a disciple who is filled with the love of Jesus, and led by his Spirit.

Christians, and above all, young Christians, is this a model that we desire to imitate? Would we place this firmness, this sincerity, this perseverance, before ourselves, as the example which we would follow? Do we desire that blessing of the Lord which he causes to rest upon those who fear his name? Are we willing, acting on the same principle as Daniel, to make his resolution our own, and look to heaven for the same result?

His principle was faith. His resolution was to yield an unshaken fidelity. And the result was the favor of his God, which he estimated far above all besides. Happy was Daniel to take this course! Happy every disciple who shall follow him in it!

I. Observe, first, DANIEL'S PRINCIPLE.

"I am the child of God. As such, my whole being is his. I am consecrated to him. I am a vessel to his honor." Such was Daniel's principle. It was faith in the testimony of God; the certainty of being one of his elect and it was by this that he triumphed.

And it is here, at this first point, this starting point, that the religion of Daniel, of a soul sealed by the Holy Spirit, essentially differs from that of those fearful and double-minded disciples, who, believing only the half of God's testimony, scarcely dare to hope for salvation, and make the attainment of certainty respecting it, consequent upon, and subsequent to, a long course of labors and of sacrifices. "How can I believe?" cries such a disciple, " that I am already a subject of grace, and that God has made me his child? Ah! I must see in myself other feelings, other works, before I dare to repose on the promise which is in Christ! I must be more holy, more withdrawn from the world, before I dare to believe that I belong to him, and to confide in his pardon."