dedly and explicitly against marriage of one who has already become a christian with one that is an unbeliever." "The wife is bound by the law as long as her husband liveth; but if her husband be dead she is at liberty to be married to whom she will: only in the Lord." And again: "Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God." The early church fathers also strongly insisted on this; because they saw by what fearful discordances such marriage relations were characterized. Still such marriages were very early constituted; and there are instances in which the gentle conduct and chaste lives of christian women were the means of winning such heathen husbands to the christian religion. God mercifully forgave their error in forming the relation; and honored their piety afterwards with good fruits; which evidences the consistency of their piety. By their plainness and simplicity, christian women wrought powerfully against the luxury and extravagance of the times. For they followed the apostolic direction: "I will that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety; not with broidered hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array; but as becometh women professing godliness, with good works." (See also 1 Peter iii. 1—5.) Their dress was in the highest degree simple and plain, even when the stuff out of which they were made was, among the rich, often of a costly kind. They wore veils on their heads, a string of beads around the neck, and a ring on the finger, on which some christian emblem was engraved. In cases where youths, who were not christians, married christian damsels, it must be expected that these, or their parents for them, were required to give assurance not only that the wife should be allowed undisturbed to enjoy the privileges of her religion, but also that the children, at least part of them, should be educated in the christian religion; and since the care of the daughters was wholly left to the mother, it is natural to suppose that christian mothers early instructed them in their own religion, introduced them to the public services of the church, and sought to establish them in the christian faith. In how many cases, then, must a christian woman have been the instrument by which the seeds of the gospel were scattered among heathen families! SOWING AND REAPING. "Whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap." WHO are sowing? Those just leaving THOMAS A. KEMPIS. AMONG the novelites of the season among the Parisian publishers, are no less than five different editions of The "Imitation of Christ," by Thomas A. Kempis. The Tribune says that the call for handsome copies of this very book, written four centuries ago, by a nameless monk, in the obscurity of his cloister for its anthorship is matter of doubt was quite remarkable in New York during the late holiday sea son. This book had an important influence on the mind of John Wesley and on the origin of Methodism. Wesley published a translation of it, entitled "The Christian's Pattern." It was one of the earliest volumes issued by the Methodist Book Concern, and is still on our catalogue. It should be in the hands of every Methodist. A curious literary history has this little volume had; during centuries it has been a favorite with devout minds whether Papal or Protestant. Perhaps no book save the Bible has gone through more editious and translations. Its real author is yet not certainly known; a Kempis is a doubtful character. Many volumes have been written to determine its authorship and give its bibliography. Few books have had more influence upon distinguished literary men of peculiar character. The instance of La Harpe, Michelet, Lamartine, etc., are well known. It was written by a monk, evidently; but it is singular how little it is tinged with monastic ideas, and excepting the latter part, relating mostly to the Lord's Supper, it has a few passages which are discordant with Protestant ideas. It has come down to us a beautiful pencil of divine light from out the superstitions of the Dark Ages, and shows how holy souls can walk with God in Simplicity and charity under the most adverse circumstances. It is difficult to define exactly what the peculiar, and long enduring charm of the work is. We think, however, it arises mostly from the profound knowledge it shows of those subtler experiences of the human heart, and those deep, but often minute variations of religious feeling which devoted minds so often have, but so seldom find expressed by others. Such minds discover that the "Imitation" enables them to utter in their meditations and devotions what they could hardly express themselves. It presents correspondences with their own shades of feeling which most other religious writers have failed to give. The appositeness of single sentences to almost every state of the soul, especially in seasons of trial, is a striking peculiarity of the book.-N. Y. Christian Advocate. FORETASTES OF HEAVEN. IF such the sweetness of the stream, Where saints and angels draw their bliss, PIOUS LIES. BY THE EDITOR. "PIOUS lies!" What kind of lies are those, you ask. You never heard of such lies. You have always believed that all lies are wicked; and you are surprised over much to hear the Guardian speak of "pious lies." We will explain. We do not mean by "pious lies," that lies can be pious, but we wish to speak of certain kind of lies that are told by professedly pious persons, for professedly pious ends. What we mean will be best presented by the aid of an incident, a fact, which lately came under our notice. It was our lot lately to spend a few days in a town in mid-Pennsylvania where there was at the time in session a conference of ministers-no difference of what demonstration. At a meeting held one evening, which we attended, the anniversary of a benevolent society, connected with that body was celebrated; various addresses were made with a view of setting forth the nature of the society, and of laying its claims of pecuniary support on the congregation. After the third brief address had been delivered, and shortly before the "effort" for pecuniary aid was to be made, a minister rose on the platform, and holding up in his hand a slip of paper about three by six inches, spoke as follows: "A brother in the congregation has just handed us a despatch which announces cheering news; and as it is too good to keep we think it proper to communicate it immediately to this congregation." He then read the despatch. It announced that in a certain village which was mentioned in the despatch, a man whose name was given had just died bequeathing $500 to the Society which was just then celebrating its anniversary. This produced a profound sensation in the congregation. "Died and gone to heaven surely," exclaimed one. "Thanks be to God," exclaimed another. And in general the congregation seemed awed, and deeply impressed by the remarkable providence which was thus so opportunely smiling on the Society, and rendering such singular encouragement to its friends. In the moments of pause, of glad surprise, of praise to the donor, which ensued the announcement, as if the announcement were not enough of praise to the liberality of the departed, a minister arose and added that, besides the $500 to that Society, he had also bequeathed $500 to another, and $500 to still another benevolent enterprise. This was hailed with a like gush of thanks to God, and gratitude to the donor. Now we do not profess to be sharper in our wits than others, but it happened in this case to turn out in this way to the credit of our sagacity. For to our mind this last announcement revealed more than the speaker intended. We reasoned thus: If the bequest of the two additional sums of $500 each had been contained in the despatch they would have been read out by the one who just read it; for he read it full and round as a despatch whole in itself. Hence, we thought, those two facts at least must have been known before, and consequently were received independent of the despatch, and in some other way. Thusit may have been wicked in us to doubt the words of a minister—we firmly doubted whether in reality a despatch had been received at all! The next day it was our privilege to dine with two ministers of that body. At the table we remarked on what seemed such a remarkable and timely favor of Providence to the society celebrating its anniversary the night before; and asked at the same time whether the donor had just died at the time, and whether the two sums bequeathed and not read out at first had been communicated in the same despatch? In the simplicity of his heart, and without seeming to have any consciousness of the enormous immorality of the fact he was acknowledging, he informed us that the donor had died some time ago, and that the news of the bequest had been brought a week ago to the meeting of their body by the minister in charge where the donor had died, and that what was read was not a despatch at all, but that "it was merely announced in that way to make it more impressive!" For a time we were struck almost dumb with surprise, not only that such a wicked thing could be done in the name of religion, but that it could be calmly acknowledged without the least sense of sin or shame! As clear, plain, deliberate a lie as has ever been fabricated, was here, in the temple of God, from the pulpit, by a minister of Christ, to a Christian congregation, spoken, read, confirmed, rejoiced in and prayed over, in the name of the Lord, and in the holy service of Christian benevolence! "Tell it not in Gath, publish it not in the streets of Askelon; lest the daughters of the Philistines rejoice, lest the daughters of the uncircumcised triumph?" From the same pulpit, on the very next evening we heard the Jesuits -who it is said, justify the doing of evil when a good end is to be secured-denounced, jndged, sentenced, and doomed to the lowest hell. What other thoughts could enter our minds but the sayings of the holy Bible : Physician heal thyself-take the beam out of thine own eyethou that teachest another not to lie, dost thou lie thyself? We have not given this incident to desparage any religious denomin ation, and hence we have avoided names, but merely to illustrate that worst kind of lying which is done in the name of piety. All tricks of this kind deserve to be reprobated in the severest manner; we earnestly call upon our readers to scorn them as they would a viper, wherever, and under whatever auspices they may present themselves. It is not only sinful, but shameful, and in the highest degree cruel, thus to tamper with the honest hearts of a Christian congregation. Christian people need no such stratagems to induce them to give to good objects; neither can the blessing of God rest on a cause, however good, thus advanced. When a benevolent object needs support, let its claims be presented in a correct manner, let the scriptural teachings and motives to benevolence be announced, and He who has all hearts in His hands and turns them as the streams in the south, will see that they are opened in its favor; and let all lying forever belong to him who is "the father of lies," and whose province and work it is to advance his cause by their aid. In conclusion we will only yet present a problem, which we hope the sharpest of our readers will endeavor to solve. It is this: "Did the one who announced the false despatch utter only one lie, or is he guilty of as many lies, as there were persons in that congregation who were belied by his false announcement ?" The next number of the Guardian shall be open for an article of any of our readers who shall desire to discuss that point. THE DOME. FROM THE GERMAN OF PROF. LANGE-BY THE EDITOR. Once I sighed and inly grieved That I ne'er should visit Rome- But, before my pensive gazing, What a temple grand and spacious! In this temple high and holy, All my wonder turned to prayer; Then no more I inly grieved That I ne'er should visit Rome- Stand we in thy house, O Father, In it seems St. Peter's Dome. THE STARRY HEAVENS. THE spacious firmament on high, |