measure how the Holy Ghost can operate upon the minds and hearts of men, clarifying the vision and opening up to the humble and obedient Christian soul an appreciation of spiritual things, doctrines, affections, desires, so that it shall be able to see the kingdom of God, and enter therein indeed and in truth. But because we are not able thus to explain the operation of the Holy Spirit in the new birth, we have no right to reject either the fact or the necessity for the fact as "a dogma too subtle to be in our Confession of Faith," or in our Christian experience. Those who are "masters in Israel" ought not to be in doubt as to what these things mean or how they can be. What are the fruits and assurances of this "new birth?” They are the same. They are that one begins to see the kingdom of God, that he enters therein in the higher and spiritual sense as well as in the lower and external. We can see how a man can be baptized, join the Church, keep its rules and ordinances, observe the Ten Commandments strictly and with anxious concern," with fear and trembling," and yet the whole matter of his obedience be dead, blind, mechanical, the obedience of a servant and not of a friend. On the contrary let

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us suppose a man "born of the Spirit." The whole thing becomes changed to him, his obedience is full of life and light, not mechanical, but filled with interest and affection. Whereas he was once blind he now sees." Whereas he once thought only of outward obedience he now seeks the inward harmonization of his own soul with the divine will. This does not lead him to be less scrupulous in his outward obedience; but the motive and mainspring of his action are changed. He is become a new man in Christ Jesus," Christ's servant still, slave even, but the bonds that bind him are the bands of love. To such a man "old things are indeed passed away," "all things are become new." He has the kingdom of heaven within, the Church within. He is indeed a member of the Christian Church now with all which that implies, "born of water and of the Spirit." Those who are not born both of are somewhat lacking as to full membership. They may be sympathizers, but not members.

They need one more step. One when first born

is not full-grown. Through food and exercise and growth must the full stature of the Christian soul be attained. If not the flame of the new life will go out and need to be generated again.

upon

What effect has all this upon our happiness here and hereafter? The condition of true Christian life, -"eternal life," as it is called, of the Church in its high sense, is the true perfect life for man, in harmony with the divine will,—the life that he was designed and built for, and therefore, when genuine brings the greatest satisfaction which it is possible for the soul to enjoy. It is a life of progress towards blamelessness and sinless perfection, and nothing can surpass it. Neither time nor storm nor sickness nor death have any effect it except to increase and deepen it. "It is the path of the just, as the shining light that shineth more and more unto the perfect day" (Proverbs iv. 18). As it is the highest joy here, so in the other life it will constitute the highest joy and blessedness in an increased and ever increasing degree. This kingdom of God is the kingdom of heaven. They are one on earth and in heaven. "The saints above and saints below but one communion make," a communion that is sweet and spiritual beyond our conception. "For eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man the things which God hath prepared for them that love Him" (1 Corinthians ii. 9.) This is the relation it bears to our happiness and welfare here and hereafter.

What can we do to bring about so desirable a result? We can faithfully make use of all the means within our reach for instruction. We can faithfully endeavor to follow our highest light. We can obey the requirements of the gospel so far as we understand them. We can pray for the divine help and blessing; pray for the Holy Spirit, and continue so doing and He will come at last, if we do not give up our endeavor; for saith the Saviour, "Seek, and ye shall find; knock and it shall be opened unto you; for every one that seeketh findeth, and to him that knocketh it shall be opened." "If ye being evil know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall

your heavenly Father give His Holy Spirit to them that ask Him." "Him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out." Is not this reasonable and plain, and does it not set before all who desire right and happiness an object well worth striving for?

The Church that can grasp these great truths concerning the New Birth and wield them with earnestness, has before it a triumphant and glorious future. Without this, whatever other truth she may possess, her desires for great and glorious triumphs will be largely in vain.

Edgar Leavitt.

ARTICLE XVIII.

The Parsees, or Fire-Worshippers.

PART II.

III. According to a recent official census there were in all India on the night of February 17, 1881, 85,397 Parsees. How insignificant this number appears when compared with the total population of Hindoos and Mohammedans, which on the same night amounted to 254,000,000! Since then the number of

Parsees has increased to nearly 100,000. They have many children, and are skilful in rearing them, losing by death scarcely one-half the proportion of those lost by the Hindoos and Mohammedans. In Bombay alone they number 50,000 6,000 live in Surat, the rest being divided between Bairuth and the different cities of the Guzerat. The city of Navasari, one of their ancient colonies, is the papal city of their priests, and is outside of the British jurisdiction. At Bombay in 1881, the year of the census, 885 Parsees were priests or guardians of the sacred fire-temples; 141 were schoolmasters, 33 engineers, and 14 women were professional teachers. The number in mercantile and mechanical pursuits reached 7,000. Another curious fact is that a Parsee laborer, groom, hair-dresser or barber is never seen. And to the infinite, undying honor of

the sect, M. Karaka declares that there is absolutely no instance of a Parsee woman having taken to infamous courses. Agriculture is little in favor among them, they, like the Hebrews, preferring speculation and trade. They abhor the profession of arms, and never voluntarily enter the Indian army, to which the Hindoos are so devoted. Whatever may be the true reason of this their priests assert that he who uses fire-arms desecrates the holiest emblem known to their religion.

The Parsee women dress far more elegantly than the Hindoo or Mohammedan women; but among the men the splendid costumes of former times are no longer seen, except in the one luxury of rings, with which on gala occasions their fingers are loaded, and which gleam with the fires of magnificent gems. The Parsee women are finely formed, have beautiful complexions and a sweet and gentle expression. They would be strikingly lovely if they were permitted to wear their hair uncovered, which. according to M. Karaka, is almost always magnificent; but alas! night and day this rare beauty is condemed to concealment under a white turban. Like the men, the women dress in a white caftan, wear silk trousers, and a loose jacket, confined at the waist by a brilliant sash, and over all throw the sair, or long robe of gorgeous silk or satin, bordered by a heavy band of gold. The Parsee ladies are given to luxuriance in jewelry, few of them possessing less than thousands of dollars' worth.

While many of the customs acquired by long contact with the Hindoos still linger among the Parsees, they are rapidly adopting the fashions of the English, whom they aspire to imitate in many ways. Knowing that the English had built palaces in Calcutta, they soon began to construct in Bombay both city and country residences of great beauty and splendor. Their interiors are handsomely furnished and richly decorated with pictures and costly bric-a-brac. But the most conspicuous articles in all the dwellings are the innumerable chandeliers, candelabra, candlesticks of every form and device, whose thousands of candles are a perpetual offering to the genius of Fire a reverent homage to Light.

It may be well to say here that according to M. Dosabhai Karaka, the Parsees do not absolutely worship the Fire, they only venerate it. Yet in the following extracts from M. Edmond Plauchet's "Les Descendans des Mages a Bombay," it will be seen that this veneration falls little short of adoration.

"In a voyage from Ceylon to Canton," he writes, "it was my good fortune to have for fellow-passengers several distinguished Parsees. They ate apart from the other passengers, which did not prevent them from inviting me to their table to share their repast. Their hands were enveloped in delicate linen napkins, thus avoiding all contact with the meats they served us. If by accident the slightest soil appeared upon their fingers they were immediately bathed in a silver basin filled with perfumed water. At the dessert I was invited to smoke my cheroot, but my hosts refrained altogether from following my example, which would have been to profane by contact with the lips the sacred element of Fire. For cheroots they substituted sweet-scented pastilles, which they slowly sucked. I embraced the occasion to speak of their religion and the temples which they build to the Fire, and this is what they told me.

"God, according to our faith is the emblem of glory, of light, and of splendor, and it is because a flame emits light that the Parsee in prayer contemplates the Sacred Fire, or turns his face to the sun. He believes both to be the most perfect image of the All-Powerful. For the Parsee Fire is the purest, the most radiant element, and in a practical point of view, the most necessary to man. It is the agent, concealed or visible, of innumerable phenomena as well in the bosom of the earth as upon its surface. The Aryans revered it; the Romans built temples and appointed vestals to keep alive the sacred flame. The lamp which burns night and day in Catholic churches is not simply a light, but a symbol. You must not suppose we venerate all fires. That which is the object of our worship must be reproduced nine times before it can be burned upon the altar. There is one fire which comes in a direct line from heaven, the lightning, and this is the purest - the Fire par excellence. When the fire has reproduced itself nine times by the successive combustion of sandal-wood, it is the brand of the ninth combustion which becomes the Sacred Fire. That which we venerate today in Bombay in the Atash Adarems and the Atash Behrams, or temples, was received three leagues from Calcutta during a thunder-storm. The lightning had struck a tree, and it was consumed. Our priests took from it coals still burning, and