with which the Easterns people subterranean vaults and caverns, and who were thus welcoming him to their region of perpetual darkness. Overpowering was the joy, when all of a sudden one of the company was seen issuing out from one of the passages, with a lighted candle in one hand, and a string that would safely conduct him out of his sepulchral habitation, in the other. If there ever had been a time when he realized the words of the psalmist, 'Thou hast set my feet in a large room,' more than another, it was when he found himself fairly out of the strait and narrow intricate passages into the comparatively wide and open chamber whence he first started."-Jewish Intelligencer. CHURCH SERVICE. THE EVENING SERVICE.* Q. How far is the Evening Service the same as that for the morning? A. As far as the first lesson, except the omission of the 95th Psalm before the psalms of the day. Q. What follows the first lesson? A. Either the Magnificat, or the Cantate Domino, whichever the minister chooses. MAGNIFICAT. Q. What is the Magnificat? A. The hymn of the Virgin Mary, when her cousin Elizabeth saluted her as the mother of the future Saviour. Q. Where is it to be found? A. In the first chapter of St. Luke, beginning at the 46th verse. Q. How does it begin? A. "My soul doth magnify the Lord, and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour." Q. What is worthy of remark concerning this hymn? A. It is the first recorded in the New Testament. CANTATE DOMINO. Q. What is the Cantate Domino? A. The 98th Psalm; prophetic of the glory of Christ's salvation. Q. What distinguishes the appointment of the second lesson of the Evening Service from that of the Morning? A. That it is always taken from the Epistles, as that of the morning is from the Gospels, or Acts of the Apostles. Q. What follows the second lesson? A. The Nunc Dimittis, or Song of Simeon. NUNC DIMITTIS, OR SONG OF SIMEON. Q. Where is the Nunc Dimittis found, and how does it begin? A. It is in St. Luke ii. 29. Simeon took the child Jesus in his *From "The Liturgy Explained," published by Whittaker and Co., London. arms, and said, "Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace according to thy word, for mine eyes hath seen thy salvation." Q. What promise does Simeon refer to in the expression "according to thy word"? A. Simeon was a devout man, waiting for the consolation of Israel; and it had been revealed to him that he should not see death, before he had seen the Lord's Christ. Q. What do you mean by "the consolation of Israel" ? A. The appearance of the promised Messiah. DEUS MISEREATUR. Q. What may be read instead of the Song of Simeon, if the minister thinks proper? A. The 67th Psalm-Deus Misereatur. Q. What is its subject? A. It expresses our earnest desire that all nations may know and rejoice in God's salvation. Q. How does the service proceed? A. With the collect for the day, and then the second and third collects. THE SECOND COLLECT. Q. What do we pray for in the second collect? A. For inward peace and tranquillity-that peace which God alone can give. THE THIRD COLLECT. Q. What is the subject of the third collect? A. We beseech the Lord to lighten our darkness, and defend us from the perils of the night. Q. What do we mean by "lighten our darkness"? A. We pray that we may see the light of another day but perhaps these words are also intended to put us in mind of our spiritual darkness, and the need of prayer, that Christ may enlighten the darkness of our hearts. Q. What follows the third collect? A. A prayer for the Queen's majesty; and then a prayer for the royal family. A FRAYER FOR THE QUEEN'S MAJESTY. Q. Is the duty of praying for kings enforced in Scripture? A. Yes: St. Paul exhorts (1 Tim. ii. 1, 2.) that, "first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings, and for all that are in authority." A PRAYER FOR THE ROYAL FAMILY. Q. Can you mention any authority for praying for the king's family also? A. It is related in Ezra vi. 10, that Darius desired the Jewish priests to pray for "kings' sons; ;" and we know the first Christians prayed for the imperial family of their days. Q. What prayer follows next? A. A prayer for the clergy and people. A PRAYER FOR THE CLERGY AND PEOPLE. Q. Explain more fully what we pray for. A. We pray for the healthful spirit of God's grace upon the clergy and their congregations; and the continual dew of his blessing, that they may please him. Q. What should be the mutual feeling of the clergy and their parishioners? A. Their parishioners should regard the clergy as the peculiar ministers of God, divinely commissioned; and the clergy should ever remember the awful responsibility of the sacred charge committed to them as ambassadors for Christ. Q. What do you mean by ambassadors for Christ? Q. Is the expression taken from Scripture? A. Yes: St. Paul, speaking of himself and others in the ministry, says, "we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us; we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God." (2 Col. v. 20.) Q. What follows this prayer? A. The prayer for the high court of Parliament, if it happens to be then assembled. Q. What is the next prayer? A. A prayer for all conditions of men. A PRAYER FOR ALL CONDITIONS OF MEN. Q. Why is this prayer read in the Evening Service, and not in the Morning? A. Because the Rubric directs that it is to be used when the Litany is not appointed to be said. Q. You say it is for "all conditions of men"-does Scripture direct us to pray for all men? A. St. Paul exhorts (1 Tim. ii. 1.) that "supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men;" for "this," he says, "is good and acceptable in the sight of God." Q. Can you mention from Scripture any instance of the actual practice of this duty. A. Solomon, at the consecration of the temple, prayed not only for Israel, but for the stranger, that his prayer should be heard. (2 Chron. vi. 32.) Q. In what order do we offer up our petitions in this prayer? A. 1st. For all mankind and all nations: 2nd. for the Catholic Church more especially: and, 3rd. for the afflicted in mind, body, or estate. Q. What is the nature of the first petition? A. That the Gospel may be preached to all nations. Q. What do you mean by the Catholic Church, in the second petition? A. The whole Church of Christ; that is, all Christians throughout the earth. Q. Does Scripture warrant the third petition, for the afflicted and sick? A. St. James says, (v. 14.) "Is any sick among you? let bim call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him;" and "the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up. Q. How does the Evening Service conclude? A. As in the Morning Service, with the General Thanksgiving, the prayer of St. Chrysostom, and the Apostolic Benediction. MISSIONARY INTELLIGENCE. RAMA, THE HINDOO SEEKER FOR TRUTH. I was born in a small village called Mandvay, near Peythan; and according to the usual custom of my country, when about twelve years of age I was sent to school, where I learned to read and write. After this I was for a considerable time under the instruction of a Sadhoo (Saint), a worshipper of Vishnoo, who taught me in the Hindoo Shasters (sacred books.) At that time I worshipped an image of Vittoba; but my mind not being at peace, I inquired of the Sadhoo if by that means I could obtain salvation. He answered, that it did not appear that salvation could be obtained by this means. Upon hearing this I was much grieved, and dissolved my connexion with him. Some time after this, however, I became acquainted with a Sunyasee (Hindoo Devotee), who instructed me from the Hindoo Shasters, and advised me to keep the fast of Yekadashee. I asked him what Yekadashee was; when he told me that it had proceeded from the mouth of Brahma. I inquired of him what benefits were to be derived from observing the fast of Yekadashee. He told me that my sins would be forgiven; and I foolishly fasted at the stated times for a period of twelve years; but to no purpose. I then asked him if by this means I could be saved. He replied, "Far from it: by this means you cannot obtain salvation." My labour was in vain, and, my mind being greatly oppressed, I associated no longer with him. After this I became acquainted with a Jungum Gooroo (spiritual guide), whom I besought to teach me the way in which they sought salvation. This he consented to do on condition of my becoming his disciple, to which I consented. I then inquired of him what god he worshipped. He desired me to worship Suddasew. For a long time I continued to worship this supposed deity, and to read the Shasters which my teacher had given me. Among these was one called Poumaya, from which I discovered that Saddasew was unable to save me. Upon this I inquired of my Gooroo, why, if Suddasew were a god, he was unable to save men? He told me that he was the creator and destroyer; but had no power to save. I earnestly entreated him to tell me how salvation could be obtained; but he informed me that that knowledge was not given to any one. I was greatly distressed to hear that there was no way of salvation revealed in the Shasters, and immediately left this Gooroo. After this I went to Aurungabad, where I met a Jutee (a mendicant of the Jain Sect), with a piece of cloth bound over his mouth. I asked him why he had bound up his mouth, but received no answer: consequently I went to his hut, and learned from him that it was the custom of their sect so to bind their faces; upon which I told him that I wished to obtain some knowledge of his sect from him. Before engaging to instruct me, he insisted that I should become a follower of his. To this I consented, and became his disciple that day. He then asked me if I wanted an image to wor ship; and upon my asking what image, he shewed me a golden image. I asked its name, when he told me its name was Parusnath, and that I should have to worship it. I told him I had no gold to get an image made like that; but he said that was of no conse quence: I could get one made either of silver or copper. Upon this he gave me an image of copper, which I worshipped for two years. One day a Brahmin came to my house, and, seeing the image, interrogated me as follows-"Ramjee, what is that image?" I told him that it was given to me by my Gooroo, by whose direction I worshipped it. The Brahmin then asked the name of the image. I told him it was God. He said it was not God. I then asked him where God was. He answered, that God was in their Shasters; but although I requested him to give me these Shasters, he was unwilling to do so. This filled me with sorrow. within myself, "O God! have I laboured so much in vain ?" I said One day, in my own village, Mandvay, I met a Manbhow. Thinking that he might tell me something respecting the way of salvation, I inquired of him why he was counting his beads. He replied, with indignation, "Why, what is that to you?" I told him that I should take it as a great favour if he would tell me why he did this. He replied, that if I wished to know I must become his disciple: he would then teach me. I afterward became his disciple, and he presented me with a string of beads and an idol; at the same time strictly enjoining me to worship Krishna only, and not to bow down to the images daubed with red paint. After having followed his directions for many days, I became convinced that salvation was not to be obtained by such means. I had now roamed from sect to sect. I had read with diligence the Hindoo Shasters, but was utterly unable to discover how my sins could be forgiven, and how my eternal salvation might be secured. In this state of uncertainty and inquiry I came, in 1846, to Astagaum, where I met Mr. White, a Christian Teacher in this village. He read to me a portion of the Christian Scriptures, and explained them to me. I was deeply impressed with the instructions which I received, and my heart rejoiced, for I was convinced that the true way of salvation was revealed only in the Christian Scriptures. I felt assured, that by embracing the Christian religion, and becoming a true disciple of Jesus Christ, my sins would be forgiven. He alone is without sin, and able to save the sinner who trusts in him. He has made a propitiation for the sins of all men by giving his life as a ransom for them: therefore I am persuaded that through him I shall be eternally saved. I then determined to wander no more; for I had now found the way of the truth which I had before so earnestly and diligently sought for in vain. I weighed these things deliberately, and was convinced of the truth of them. I then returned to my family; and related all that I had heard to my mother, whose heart was also turned to the Lord. I again returned to Mr. White, who instructed me still further in the truths of the Christian religion, by which means my heart was more inclined to the Lord, and was enabled to believe that Jesus Christ, and he alone, was able to save me. I earnestly requested Mr. White to admit me into the church soon by baptism, as I felt myself to be a great sinner, and, moreover, the life of man is very uncertain. He wished me to bring my mother to Astagaum, which I accordingly did. We were with Mr. White for a period of six months, during which time my mother and myself attended prayers at his house, and found that our hearts were drawn to the Lord more and more by hearing the Scriptures read and expounded to us. I left Mr. White again for about six months, and returned to my village, |