upon his goodness, especially that highest instance of it in the sufferings and death of Jesus Christ his Son, for the pardon of our offences; have we not forsaken him as respects studying his word, keeping his laws, praying for him in our necessities, praising him for his benefits, and living to his glory? Let us further consider the extreme folly, as well as the guilt and ingratitude of so doing. For we are wandering from Him who alone can make us truly happy. We are weak, and we refuse to repair to the infinite source of strength for help and protection. We are sinful and justly exposed to the displeasure of God: yet we slight his invitation to return to Him for pardon; we reject the salvation freely offered to us by his infinite mercy. Let us be convinced, and may the Holy Spirit convince us, before it be too late, of the greatness of our loss, the aggravation of our guilt, and the awful risk we incur by this sinful

and unhappy course. Who but that gracious Being whom we thus ungratefully neglect, can support us in the hour of severe trial, bestow on us a hope full of immortality and glory when we walk through the valley of the shadow of death, and be our exceeding great reward in the eternal world? All other things may, and must disappoint our hopes; but God can never fail us. If we make him our portion, he will supply whatever is necessary or beneficial for us, for the body and the soul, for time and for eternity. Let then the rich count his favour their most valuable possession; let the poor seek it as that which can infinitely compensate for all their short-lived troubles let the young return to him in youth; let the aged cleave to him in age; for to all persons, and under all circumstances, to walk humbly with God, and to enjoy his fatherly approbation in Christ Jesus, is the highest honour, the most splendid reward.

Tothe Editorofthe Christian Observer. Ar this period of widely diffused Christian charity, when the minds of all who "wish well to Zion," and would desire yet to see her fallen bulwarks again built up, are more than usually excited in behalf of the wandering sheep of the house of Israel; at a period when, if we adopt the opinion of a late writer, we are arrived at that point in prophetic development, when Michael is standing up for the children of his people; I have thought that the relation of a visit to that portion of the scattered tribes dwelling in Rome, during a late residence in that city, might not be uninteresting to some at least of your untravelled readers. My chief desire in send ing you this leaf from my sketchbook, is to excite a further interest CHRIST. OBSERV. No. 286.

for the Jewish people, whose wants call as loudly to us, as did the man of Macedonia to the Apostle in his vision, "Come over and help us." I am, &c.

CHRISTIAN COSMOPOLITE.

I had with natural interest, on a first visit to the "city of the seven hills," wandered immediately on my arrival to the Forum. The aspect of nature gave no indication of the severity of winter, although it was still February. The atmosphere was clear, and glowed with the warm rays of a very cheering sun, shining forth from a cloudless sky. This brightness of nature was strikingly contrasted with the ruins around me. A falling portico rose on my sight, the melancholy remains of a temple once dedicated to Fortune, whose fabled smiles have been long

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withdrawn from this her seat, and from the descendants of her ancient adorers. Further on stood the still beautiful columns which once adorned the temple of Jupiter the Thunderer; and close to me the ruins of the Comitium, where once from the rostrum had been heard the eloquence of a Tully, and other socalled " great men," whose name and deeds history has handed down to the world's admiring gaze. But now all was silent; the voice of man scarcely met my ear, or his image crossed my path. It was a scene to speak to a Christian mind sermons very different from the speculative emotions which the mere moralizing sentimentalist delights to indulge in, and fondly calls elevating his soul to nature's God. I never felt more powerfully than at that moment the truth and the strength of the Psalmist's words, "Man is as grass; as a flower of the field, so he flourisheth. For the wind passeth over it, and it is gone, and the place thereof shall know it no more.' Over the once fair scene before me had fearfully passed the shafts of war and famine and pestilence, and every blast of the storm came fraught with a curse: the place where the boasted glory of man once reigned supreme now "knows it no more."

Nor were my feelings less excited when, turning from this scene of ruin and devastation, a few steps brought me to the triumphal arch of Titus, the conqueror of the anciently favoured people of God; a ruined monument of ruin. First fell Jerusalem to the very dust, and then fell her haughty conquerors. The idea that this trophy was erected in the pride of victory, on his return from that scene of " mourning, lamentations, and woe," which brought the daughter of Jerusalem to the ground, and made all that passed by her say, "Is this the city that men call the perfection of beauty, the joy of the whole earth?" cannot but deeply affect the mind of a Christian visitant. I approach

ed to take a nearer survey of the bas-reliefs of the interior, on which are sculptured the trophies taken from the temple. The six-branched candlestick, which Moses was commanded to make of pure gold, that its lamps might burn before the Lord continually, is still distinctly to be traced. On the other side, I saw the spot where the ark of the covenant had been traced; but the sculpture is completely effaced: the arch itself was rapidly sinking into decay, and seemed to echo the monitory memento

That all of man must fade and die : Passing his pride; his glory but a dream."

But not to delineate further a monument so familiarly known from the numerous descriptions and prints of it, I shall only add, that it could not fail to bring vividly before me the picture of the captive Israelites bowed down by every species of sorrow, the unwilling spectators of the triumphs of their conqueror, contemplating the spoils of their magnificent temple profanely carried in his

pagan procession. Who that has read the account of the horrors of the siege of Jerusalem, the sufferings which entered her very palaces, but has felt some respondent emotion to that which caused the afflicted Prophet to exclaim, "Oh that my head were waters, and mine eyes a fountain of tears, that I might weep day and night for the slain of the daughter of my people!"

In the distance rose on my view the magnificent amphitheatre erected for the entertainment of the Roman populace, by the hands of these captives of Israel; and I felt a strong desire to visit the dwelling place of those of their descendants, who are now inhabitants of this proud city. Turning from the silent and deserted forum, I bent my steps to the more frequented part of the city, hoping to meet with some person to shew me the way to their dwellings. A crowd filled every

avenue to the capitol on the side of the city. Inquiring of a group of idle monks, whom I first encountered, what was the occasion of this unusual circumstance; I was reminded that this was the first day of the carnival, the festivities of which open by a senatorial procession to the capitol, where the principal senator (the present father of the senate, a shadow of what that office was,) receives the homage of the Jewish rabbi, and lays his foot on his neck, in token of superiority over him and his people. The scene was humiliating in the extreme for the unhappy Jew. My newly made acquaintances, the monks, who had left their convent to see the show, added to this information, that the prizes given at the carnival horseraces were all paid by the Jews, as a species of tribute-money; but they could not answer my further inquiries, being too good and too ignorant Catholics to know any thing more respecting the heretic Jews, though they had indeed some slight association floating in their minds between the arch of Titus and the inhabitants of the "Ghetto," as the quarter of the town they inhabit is called; for they know this much, that no Jew will pass under that arch. Finding them too much amused with the masks who began to parade the streets in senseless disguises, to wish to be diverted from the object of their attention, and being myself more than usually disposed to be disgusted with waxen faces, and chattering harlequins, I quickly bade them a good day, and returned to my lodging questioning the meaning or object of such a" farewell to the flesh" as this "carne-vale" of Rome.

I deferred my visit to the Jews to another day, not doubting that they too, as well as their enemies the monks, had found their way to the one street where all Rome seemed anxious to assemble. On the following Saturday I set forth on my journey; and those who know this renowned city will recal to

mind that it is a real journey to penetrate through the streets, the filthiest perhaps in the world, to the "Ghetto degli Ebree." To arrive at the Jews' quarter, the traveller must cross the very filthiest of those filthy streets, approach the precincts of the fish-market, which sufficiently warn the passenger to stear clear of it by a most sensibly affecting appeal to his olfactory perceptions. As I entered the Ghetto, the air seemed to me almost infected with unfragrant odours. The gate under which I passed at its entrance was guarded by a soldier, whose business it is to close it upon the inhabitants every night at dusk; when, by the closing of a second gate at the opposite extremity of the long narrow street assigned them, they are shut out from all communication with the rest of the city.

I have said that it was Saturday -the Hebrew Sabbath. The Jews, as I passed their doors, were standing or sitting in crowded groups: their shops were shut, and an air of idleness rather than of rest seemed diffused over the whole scene. These were the only circumstances to remind me of this being their holy-day, that Sabbath, which they were to observe "throughout all their generations, for a perpetual covenant;" which was to be " a sign between the Lord and the children of Israel for ever." They appeared indeed to keep within their gates, and to carry no burdens; but no observance of dress, no neatness of appearance, marked the day. I traced my way through these groups, amongst which many a fine and expressive countenance might be distinguished. They all saluted me as I passed, and directed me with humble civility to the synagogue, where they were about to repair themselves. The building was plain, and dirty in the extreme on the outside; but how much were my feelings shocked, when, on entering, I found the rabbi reading the Law at one end to a large

congregation, and, at the other, stalls laid out with goods of various descriptions for sale, where the buyers and venders carried on their bargains during the time of service. How truly was I reminded of our Lord's remonstrance, "My house shall be called a house of prayer, but ye have made it a den of thieves!" I could almost have felt disposed to turn out "those who bought and sold, and to have overthrown their seats and tables." I left the synagogue; and as I turned my steps from the door, and wandered out of the Ghetto, absorbed in melancholy and commiserating reflections, I found myself before a church, built at its very gate; on which the inscription in Hebrew and Latin arrested my attention; "All day long have I stretched forth my hands unto a disobedient and gainsaying people." A woman sitting on the steps, with a distaff in her hand, rose, and imagining I wished to see the edifice, of which she acted as the keeper and show-woman, came forward to tell me that this was the church where the annual sermon for the conversion of the Jews is preached by a Catholic priest, at which the inhabitants of the Ghetto are all obliged to attend: she further added, that converts are baptized every Easter eve, at the baptistory of Constantine; respecting which, by the way, the exhibitor says, that some drops of the water in which that imperial convert was baptized still remain in the fount. The supposed converts are very usually represented by an old man and woman, reproduced every year in order to support the power of the Church over the souls of the poor Jews, who in truth are seldom or never really converted to Catholicism, which is certainly not a matter for astonishment, when we view the nature of that religion as professed by those around them. Would that some really affectionate and scriptural instruction could be afforded to these wanderers from the fold! That the neglected habitations of

the Ghetto might resound with the grateful intelligence that "Messiah is indeed come ;" and that many voices might join in declaring, "Now we believe; for we have heard him ourselves, and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Son of God, the Saviour of the world."

Passing strangers have but little opportunity of doing much for the spiritual welfare of any class of persons in this land of gross darkness. Superstition and ignorance rise as thick mists to prevent the bright rays of the unsophisticated Gospel beaming forth to gladden her sons and daughters. But if the hands are bound, and the lips often sealed, as it regards spiritual subjects, the heart may still be open; the benevolent solicitude of Christian charity may prepare the way for more direct religious ministrations; and at least, and with humble confidence, the visitant may "pray with all prayer and supplication," for those whom he sees" sitting in darkness and the valley of the shadow of death."

Tothe Editorofthe Christian Observer. I BEG leave to call the serious attention of your readers to a practice which does not appear to have been noticed with the reprehension which it deserves: I allude to the gross profanation of the Sabbath by country feasts, or wakes; and especially to a custom which obtains, in some parts of England, of holding the feast in the church-yard, and on the Lord's day. I had lately an opportunity of witnessing the celebration of such a parish feast in a country village. While advancing towards the church-yard, individuals and groups, comprising persons of every age, from the imbecility of infancy to the imbecility of second childhood, were seen moving along to the scene of festivity, decked out in holiday style; the females with a profusion of trifling decorations, common on such occasions.

Occasionally were seen persons carrying baskets full of various wares, to sell in the common mart of profanation and impiety. In the churchyard itself the scene was most incongruous. Divine service had been celebrated in the morning at an early hour, followed by the administration of the Holy Communion; as if it was advisable to give a practical exhibition, on the same ground, and in the same day, of the readiness with which human nature can blend the extremes of vice and of religious formalities; having first, by familiarity with both, contrived to remove from vice the mask which it generally wears, and unnaturally disguised with it the fair features of religion. Two parties against different sides of the church-tower were, with full eagerness and activity, playing at balls; around were stands of various commodities exposed for sale, chiefly heaps of fruit, pastry, and confectionary, and a few toys: gambling tables were scattered in different situations, and various games of hazard were displayed upon the ground; while the unhallowed breath of those miscreants who gain a debasing living by practising upon the simplicity of ignorance, and the inexperience of youth, was ployed in vociferating yells of invitation to "try the luck," where, by long practice, imposture had become dexterous and chicanery adroit. To a visitant from a more moral or less heathenish portion of the empire, such a display must be most painful and offensive. A heart, not hardened by accustomed familiarity with it, must recoil at such a glaring defiance of all authority, human and divine; but in the instance to which I allude, on almost every countenance there sat a perfect and most pleasant tranquillity, almost as if the people had felt themselves safe in disobedience to God, because in the very precincts of his temple, and had walked with confidence in hostility to him upon consecrated ground, and skipped with impunity

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over the graves of their ancestors, relatives, and friends, and fellowvillagers, from whose tombs, on this privileged occasion, issued no voice, such as generally in the solemn abode of death, strikes upon the startled conscience, to warn the sinner from those evil deeds which will assuredly make him, at last, "to lie down in sorrow."

If any thing additional were wanted to make such a scene still more painfully affecting, it is supplied in the consideration, that it takes place at regular periods, in a country which acknowledges Christianity as part of the law of the land, under the eyes of Christian ministers and magistrates, and upon ground devoted by the solemnities of religious consecration, and secured by the strong mounds and fences of legal sanction, to the worship and service of God. With what indignation must that just and holy Being, who says, "Vengeance is mine I will repay," look on while such insults are offered to his despised authority! and how great must be his anger against those whose capabilities and influence, if not employed to encourage such mal-practices, are not exerted to prevent them!

THEOGNIS.

Tothe Editor of the Christian Observer.

I AM very anxious to obtain the matured opinions of some of your senior correspondents, on a subject which has of late called forth much of the serious feeling of myself and others, who are earnestly seeking after that consistency of conduct which becomes the Christian character. I allude to the subject of Oratorios performed in behalf of charitable institutions, which have now become prevalent in various parts of the kingdom, and which seem to engage a large attendance from the religious world. In order to maintain the testimony of a good conscience, the Christian must not only be assured that he has a right object in