burnt by fire, then the ashes were gathered together, placed in an urn, and deposited in a place set apart for that purpose. I should like you to remember, however, that cremation had not been the only way of disposing of the dead. For the first four centuries of Rome, the practise was to bury the dead very much as we do, laying the whole body underground. With the fifth century of the city, a change was introduced; the bodies of the dead were burned, and nothing preserved but the ashes. This was the prevailing method of disposing of the dead at the time Christianity was introduced into Rome. And it was this mode which the gospel superseded by one which was felt to be more in keeping with its new views and hopes. My first day in Rome was devoted to the city of the dead. Not far out in the Appian Way we visited two places that illustrated respectively the heathen and the Christian method of interment. In the midst of a vineyard we came to a place called a Columbarium. It was underground like a well, only very much wider and deeper. We went down into this welllike chamber by a stair. Twenty big steps brought us to the bottom, and now we had time to look round and see where we were. The walls all round were pierced by what seemed to be pigeon-holes, one row rising above the other. Each pigeon-hole contained a little urn, not unlike an ornamental flower-pot. This urn contained the ashes of some deceased person, whose body had been burned after death. Above the niche within which the urn stood, there was a little marble tablet, on which the name of the departed was inserted. Immediately under, there was a little shelf, in which the surviving mourner might place a flower or other little token of affection. Each of the four walls had eleven urns in the breadth, and nine rows, from top to bottom. In this way the Columbarium held a vast amount of cinerary deposit. Usually a Columbarium was built by some noble for the interment of his slaves. For the nobles themselves, grander tombs were prepared further out on the Appian Way. For the slaves, a pigeon-hole was reckoned good enough. They were placed together after death in one common dove cot;' for this is what Columbarium means in the original. One felt very cold looking up all round this well of urns. The ashes of the urn' sounds very well in poetry. But there was no poetry called forth, no pathos, no holy feeling, by all that we saw. There was no hope of resurrection on any of the little slabs, no allusion to death as a sleep, yet to be followed by a blessed waking time. The only thing approaching to an epitaph, is full of the darkness of heathenism. We give it here, with translation. NE TANGITE O MORTALES 'Do not touch, O mortals; reverence the departed as divine.' Not very far from this is another vineyard which we entered, and prepared to make our descent into the Catacomb of St. Calixtus. Descending a very long stair, we were met at the foot by the guide with little wax tapers called cerini. Each traveller took a taper in his hand, and followed one behind another, the guide going on in advance. For a short distance the entrance to the Catacomb was lighted partially by the light that came down the stair-way. In a very few seconds you were in a narrow tunnel, with not a particle of light, save what came from the taper. You were walking through a passage of an average breadth of about three or four feet,- -an average height of about seven. The passage is tunnelled through the tufarock. Although very deep underground, it is not cold. Neither is the atmosphere bad. You are quite comfortable in these respects in your visit to the Catacombs; but in another respect you feel sometimes a little queer. What if the lights were all to go out! What if the guide were to have no matches in his pocket! What if the guide himself was to lose the way, or to grow suddenly unwell! At all events, if you happen to be the last of the party, as I was, you turn the corners pretty rapidly, and keep as near the wax taper before you as you can. A. G. F. 6 IND NDIA forms such an important part of the British empire, that our Queen has now got the title of Empress of India.' We need not wonder at this when we think of the vast size and numerous population of that great country. Its surface is as large as all Europe, Russia excepted, and it has a population of 240,000,000. Figures give us little idea of such great numbers, but the following illustration may help us to realise the fact. Supposing one of these 240,000,000 persons were to cross a bridge every moment, it would require eight years for the whole number to cross. What a multitude! you say, and how sad to think that they are chiefly idolaters; of different sects indeed, but all strangers to the true God and His Son Jesus Christ. That they have sprung from the same stock as ourselves, and have strayed from the Truth once delivered to the Fathers, seems evident to those who have studied their language and customs. They seem to have had some knowledge of the early history of mankind, for one of their chief gods is called Baber Adam, or Father Adam, and his wife is represented as Matir (Mother); whilst mixed up with much superstition are traces of the Creation, Serpent, Temptation, Sacrifice, and something, too, of a promised Messiah. Body and soul, they say, will find peace when God reveals Himself as the Gourdam, 'Divine Teacher.' Their second god, Vishnu, seems taken from Noah, and the story of the flood, with the saving of eight souls, is connected with him; but they have made these characters objects of worship. Another of their chief gods, Bramah, seems to have sprung from Abraham, so that they have once had the light, which has since become darkened. Paul, when he visited Athens, had his spirit moved within him, to see that ancient city wholly given to idolatry; and the terms which he applied to them as being 'too superstitious,' or 'very religious,' might be applied to India in our own day. Religion mingles with all their affairs; and in the city of Jeypore, Rajpootana, alone, there are 6000 temples, or one to every sixth house. In that district a mission was commenced by the United Presbyterian Church about sixteen years ago, and they have now a staff of twelve missionaries, medical and ordained; but when we consider that the population of Rajpootana alone amounts to 24,000,000, we are ready to exclaim, what are these amongst so many!' They are only in about the same proportion as one minister would be to the whole of Scotland. The ignorance of the women and girls especially is very great, as in China; they are not permitted to learn to read, nor indeed taught anything beyond the most debasing superstition. In many senses they are little better than the beasts that perish. As an instance of the manner in which the priests impose upon the credulity of the people, by attributing miraculous power to their idols, a missionary once travelled a long distance to visit a temple dedicated to the Matir (Mother), of whom he had heard a great deal. He was told that when the devotees offered her wine or spirits in a glass she drank them; so he resolved to see for himself. Preaching on the way, he arrived at the place and desired admittance. This was refused at first on the ground that his shoes, being made of cow leather, would pollute the building. Not wishing to honour the idol by taking off his shoes, and yet desirous of seeing the inside, he offered money to a native to carry him through the place. This was agreed to; but as soon as they had got inside the priest permitted him to walk, since they were out of sight of the people. It was a very fine old building, with rich carved pillars, but every thing was very black from the continuous smoke of numerous lamps. Getting on good terms with the priest, he asked to see the goddess, and was shewn into an inner place, wherc he found her dressed like a woman, in the fashion of the country, and with numerous ornaments about her neck. He observed that the nostrils were unusually large, and going round to the back discovered how the wonder was performed. The idol being placed in a cavity, something like a bell turned downwards, there was room for a man to stand inside, ready with a syringe, when the drink was presented to draw it up and pour it into a bottle at his feet; and thus, when the poor ignorant people were gone, the priests made merry with the contents. From a census taken of all the known converts to Christianity throughout the whole mission field for the space of ten years, it was calculated that, at the same rate of progress, the whole of Hindostan would be converted in the course of one hundred and twenty-five years. It is more than probable that as light increases the work may be brought about in much less time. What encouragement is here to all who are concerned in the work of God! Should it not stir us up to more earnest effort and persevering prayer for the hastening of that blessed time, when incense and a pure offering shall ascend from India's choral strand, and throughout the world? BABY. LITTLE downy lids, PRIZE BIBLE QUESTIONS. 119 Silver-tipped and bright, Say not that light shade, That the baby soul, Which in its sweet might Keepeth fast the scroll Of its own delight. Yielding secret none Which the angels tell, In a brighter sun Doth not surely dwell. Little baby, yet Scarce awake to will, Keep thy cornet, Smile and dream thy fill. H. W. H W. Boys' and Girls' Corner ONE For their own contributions. WAYWARD WILL. NE stormy Sabbath evening Mr and Mrs Roy, with their family, sat round the kitchen fire of their large farm-house in the Highlands of Scotland. Will, the eldest of the family, was not there. He had run away, no one knew where, about five years before. That was why the farmer and his wife often looked sad. The Family worship was going on. father was reading out of the big Bible about the prodigal son. Everyone felt sad, as they thought of their own wayward Will. After the chapter was read, they all joined together in singing a Psalm; but they were interrupted by a feeble knocking at the outside door. They all stopped singing, and the father went to the door, closely followed by his family; for it was an unusual thing for anyone to come in on Sabbath night. As the door opened, a human being fell across the step. The pale emaciated face could scarcely be recognised as that of Will Roy, the laughing boy of fifteen (which was his age when he left home). But it was Will. He had grown into a man, but looked more like a shadow than anything else. Poor Will was carefully nursed, and after three months was able to sit with the rest of the family in the farm-house kitchen. He had experienced many hardships at sea. Once during a great storm, when all were in danger of perishing, he vowed that, if spared, he would return to his country and friends. So the prodigal son arose and went to his father, and his father freely forgave him. Better still, he went to his heavenly Father, who forgave all his sins. Little fellow-reader, the heavenly Father will forgive all your sins, if you but go to Him and ask Him to do so for the sake of Jesus Christ. GEORGE. PRIZE SCRIPTURE ALBUMS THREE Prizes, of the value of £2, £1 10/, and £1, for the best Album of Pictures and Scripture Texts. The pictures may be either drawn or cut out, and an appropriate text or texts neatly written beneath. Each Album must contain not less than twenty pages, and be sent to REV. JOHN KAY, Coatbridge, not later than 1st November, 1877, accompanied by a note from the parent or guardian of the competitor, certifying that it is his or her own unaided work. Competitors not to be above 18 years of age. Unsuccessful competitors will have their Albums returned. PRIZE BIBLE QUESTIONS. SENIOR DIVISION. 28 What is the first instance of a foreigner holding a position of trust under the Hebrew monarchy? 29 What poem, written in memory of a departed friend, received its name from the weapon in whose use that friend excelled? 30 A fugitive availed himself of the fact that one of his ancestors had been a Gentile, in order to secure an asylum for his parents. Give the name of the fugitive, and of his ancestor? JUNIOR DIVISION. 28 What verse in the books of Moses tells us that God watches over the fields at every season of the year? 29 In which verse of the prophets is the true God distinguished from heathen idols, by His power to send rain? 30 In which verse of the prophets are the beasts of the field represented as crying to God for water? And when Thou wast arrayed in scorn, O Saviour dear! With purple robe and crown of thorn, 'Mid scoff and jeer; When sinners, vile, did crucify And all this love for us was shewn, To raise us to a glorious throne [London: HOULSTON AND SONS. |