V. 7. Not in every man this knowledge. Whilst they have been taught it, yet it has not fully penetrated their hearts and minds. They still have a conscience of the idol-used to it until now, their scruples still linger.

of His disciples. (Matt. 18: 6). Paul said he became all things to all men, that he might gain disciples. He circumcised Timothy, a half-Jew, for the sake of the Jews; but refused to circumcise Titus, who was a Grecian. 8-9. Since there are weak disciples," Whenever a thing is right or wrong we must not cause them to stumble, by according to circumstances, every man always doing as we know we have a must have the right to judge according right to do. They have been used to to those circumstances."-Hodge. the idol, and have but recently been converted. Let us set them an example af abstinence from every appearance of evil. Meat commendeth us not. Our eating makes us no better; and neither does our abstinence. Nevertheless the exercise of this liberty of ours may do evil to others. Therefore take heed about exercising your rights and liberties.

10. You are strong in the faith and in knowledge, and could even go into an idol's house and eat, without defiling your own conscience; but you would embolden a weak brother to do likewise, and cause him to sin against his conscience. And thus through your superior knowledge, the weak brother would perish. In vain for him would be Christ's death, through your lack of charitable deference to his scruples.

11-12. This is sin against the brethren, and against Christ; for He and His members are one.

It is equally true that "these weaker brethren should seek to grow strong in knowledge, faith and true temperance, that they may reduce the sacrifices made by others on their account. Does not duty belong to the weak as well as to the strong?"

KNOWLEDGE AND LOVE must go together. Unloving knowledge may despise inferiorly-educated people; but true culture includes a loving regard of all men, and seeks their welfare.

RIGHTS AND DUTIES also belong together. We must not only insist upon our own rights, but perform our duties to society. In the temperance reform these truths hold good. Strong drink may be comparatively harmless to some persons, at least for a time; but such persons, out of regard for weak neighbors, may well abstain as an example to those who cannot exercise self control. Such love edifieth.

13. Offend-rather, stumble, fall into sin. Thus Paul argues the case: and then states his principle of conduct, A CENTURY ago an infidel German forcibly and clearly: "I will eat no Countess dying ordered that her grave flesh, lest I make my brother to stumble." be covered with a solid granite slab; I will not please myself but exercise self- that around it should be placed solid denial, that I may win others for Christ. blocks of stone, and the whole be fas"Let your motto be forbearance, not tened together by strong iron clamps, privilege, and your watchword charity, and that on the stone be cut these not knowledge. In a weak brother's words: "This burial place purchased presence abstain from questionable to all eternity, must never be opened." food; for to him, a dullard in moral Thus she defied the Almighty. But a truths, thou art a know-something, a little seed sprouted under the covering, luminary in the Church; beware lest and the tiny shoot found its way through he, like a moth dazed by a candle, between two of the slabs, and grew there circle round thy perilous example and slowly and surely until it burst the perish in its light." clamps asunder and lifting the immense blocks the structure ere long became a confused mass of rock, among which in verdure and beauty grew the great oak which had caused the destruction. Thus truth dislodges error; thus her branches spread in splendor above the ruins of the false, and thus "he that exalteth himself shall be abased."

"That man has very little of the spirit of the Redeemer, who had rather his brother should perish, than himself be abridged, in any respect, of his liberty."

Christ declares that we would better have a millstone about our neck and be cast into the sea, than to offend the least

The Guardian.

VOL. XXXV.

MAY, 1884.

SONG OF THE ROMAN LEGIONS.

BY THE EDITOR.

NO. 5.

long been wished for and desired. The frosts of autumn, and the snows of winter, have made its approach an

Through German snow, through Parthian object of earnest desire and deep inter

sand,

With step that never falters, We bear with us our Fatherland, Rome's sacred laws and altars.

The battle won, the plow we speed
From Tiber to Euphrates,

The soil where Roman warriors bleed
Belongs to Rome's Penates.

And where our leader halts at night,
Is home, and land, and nation;
We follow our proud eagles' flight,
And ours is all creation.

The marsh is drained, the forests yield
Before the coming lictor;
And oil and wine adorn the field
To bless the Roman victor.

From farthest East to Danube's foam
The Lares' praise arises;
And everywhere a lesser Rome
Barbarian tribes surprises.

Then build ye roads of granite strong,
That in far distant ages,
The cohorts' throng may march along
When Rome her foes engages.

We know the precious words of fate,
The oracle has sounded:
"In all the world the Roman State
Firm as the Rocks is founded.

So long her legion's march shall tell
From pole to pole her story,
As on the Capitol shall dwell
Her gods enthroned in glory."

From the German of Felix Dahn.

THE BEAUTY OF SPRING.

BY REV. J. HASSLER.

Spring-this lovely season of the year, is now before us in all its grandeur and inviting beauty. Its coming has

est. Bursting upon us from the lap of winter; warmed into life by the genial warmth of approaching summer, rocked in the cradle of stormy March; Spring now goes forth a beautiful cherub, awaiting to be washed and refreshed by April showers; and then to complete her toilet of beauty and love by May roses, and the sweet perfume of June flowers!

This cheering advent is heralded to the world, in the beautiful language of inspired song

"Lo! the winter is past;

The rain is over and gone;

The flowers appear on the earth,

The time of the singing of birds is come,
The voice of the turtle is heard in the land."

This is a most beautiful description of this lovely season. It comes from the pen of one who was not only the "wisest of men," but spake also as he was moved by the Holy Ghost. King Solomon in his inspired description of beautiful Spring, gives expression to a most interesting truth, and to a most important fact, viz: The God of the Bible is also the God of nature. He who spake the word, also created the world. The sun, moon and stars; the earth, trees and flowers; have God for their author, as well as the Bible and redeeming love. The pencil marks of the same hand-the footprints of the same power are alike indelibly stamped upon the works of nature, as well as on the page of inspired truth!

In writing on Spring, it is quite usual for the student of nature to pass from a contemplation of the works of nature around him; and reason from this point as a basis, up to the idea of

but one God. They come from the same power, the gift of the same hand, and the offspring of the same infinite love and mercy. This is the beautiful lesson that comes to us from the expanding beauties of the opening Spring. The Bible and Nature have but one God.

Another Lesson to the Christian student, from the expanding beauties of this cheering season, is, that the same law is observed in the creation of the world, as we find revealed in the book of Grace-Unity in diversity.

and days, summer and winter, wet and -to awaken the Church and man to dry, heat and cold, seed time and spiritual life and activity. Because of harvest; these are all so many marked the return of Spring-because the periods and essential characteristics of winter is past and gone-because the earth and things earthly; and yet with rain is over-because of the cheering all this rich variety, and diversity of beauties of the natural world-flowers being, they all centre in one point-end appearing, birds singing, roses bloomin one object; God's glory in man's hap-ing, grass growing, balmy air, and the piness! In man, the whole universe voice of the turtle being heard in the finds its centre, and through him all land-"therefore my love, my fair one, nature awakes to a consciousness of (meaning the Church), rise up and come spring beauty, or autumn decay. For away;" accompany thy glorious husband, man the seasons walk their splendid Jesus Christ, the Son of God, out into round; for him, day and night visit the new fields of living power and moral earth; for him the heavens smile with activity for God's glory and man's beneficence, and the earth teems with good! All nature is awake; awake riches. All in one law of universal then, oh! Christian man, to new joys, benefaction, unity in diversity ! new zeal, and new life, for God and eternity! This is the voice of Spring. This is the import of all the beauty in nature around. The death and dull torpidity of winter is over-spring birds and spring flowers are here so awake thou to a new resurrection life in Jesus Christ; and then you will be prepared finally for the "Eternal Spring" of beauty and love, at the right hand of God in heaven! Then and there only can you sing this song of Solomon, and its true heavenly import

But lovely Spring, teaches man the great duty of spiritual life and moral activity.

Now, everything in nature, upon which the eye can rest, is full of life and activity. The sun shines, the bud expands, the seed sprouts, the grass grows, the water ripples, the flowers bloom, the birds sing, and all nature throws aside the dead torpidity of winter, and seeks to adorn herself with the lovely freshness of Spring beauty. It is indeed refreshing at this season of the year to witness the rapid strides and hurried steps of nature's progress, in seeking to clothe herself with the beautiful habiliments of flowery Spring: speedily to be adorned with the roses of May, and then to breathe forth the rich perfume of June glory. The budding oak and the grassy plain; the green foliage and the flowery meadow; the verdant fields and the laughing streams, as well as the merry song of joyous birds, and the playful pranks of the skipping lamb; all, all loudly proclaim the full realization of the words of Solomon"Lo! the winter is past, the rain is over and gone; the flowers appear on the earth; the time of the singing of birds is come; the voice of the turtle is heard in the laud." All nature is thus full of life and activity; and man certainly should not be idle; but up and doing; and zealously fulfil the end of his being, which is to do Gds will; and enjoy His presence for ever!

This indeed is the chief object in view, why the "wise man " thus tunes his royal harp to the beauties of Spring

GERMAN MISSIONARY HYMNS.

BY THE EDITOR.

In primitive ages the Christian Church was full of missionary enthusiasm, and from every altar there rose constant prayers for the conversion of the Gentile world. These prayers, at an early date, assumed the form of rude litanies, in which the names of heathen lands

were mentioned one by one. It was a beautiful thought thus to bring these countries to the Throne of Grace, and to pray for them separately as we do for our dearest friends. It was probably on the ground of one of these ancient litanies that Prudentius composed his celebrated Epiphany hymn:

"Gaudete quicquid gentium est, Judaea, Roma et Graecia, Ægypte, Thrax, Persa, Scytha:

Rex unus omnes po sidet.”

The glorious spring-tide of the Church did not long continue. During the latter part of the Middle Ages no one seems to have thought of sending missionaries to the heathen. Epiphany hymns continued to be written and sung; but the idea had gained ground that in due time the imposing grandeur of the Roman church would make itself felt in all the nations, and thus attract them to her communion.

of his beautiful hymn. We give several
stanzas, as translated by Miss Wink-
worth:

"O Christ, our true and only Light,
Illumine those who sit in night,
Let those afar now hear Thy voice,
And in Thy fold with us rejoice.

O make the deaf to hear Thy word,
And teach the dumb to speak, dear Lord,
Who dare not yet the faith avow,
Though se.retly they hold it now."

The carliest undoubted missionary hymn was written by Michael Weisse, the psalmist of the Bohemian Brethren. It closely resembles the hymn just quoted, which is, however, of much later origin. In fact both hymns were founded on a Latin original. Weisse's hymn, which was published in 1531, begins: "O Jesu Christ der Heiden Licht."

Several other ministers of the Bohemian Brethren composed missionary hymns at an early period. This remarkable people must therefore be recognized as pioneers in this branch of German hymnology. The fact is interesting from the fact that the Moravian church is historically connected with this ancient body of Christians. We see, therefore, how the missionary zeal of the early Moravians was anticipated by the devotion of their ancestors.

of his associates among the authors of hymns that have special reference to the conversion of the Gentile world. A few years later, in the midst of the darkness of the Thirty Years' War, when it sometimes seemed as though religion had taken her flight from earth, we find Paul Gerhard, the prince of German hymnologists praying:

Modern German literature can hardly be said to have begun before the days Even the age of the Reformation was of Martin Opitz, the celebrated poet not properly a period of missions. The who flourished at the beginning of the Reformers frequently insisted on the im-eventeenth century. It is pleasant to portance of preaching the Gospel to the find this distinguished man and several Jews and heathen, but they were so fully occupied in other directions that this discussion of the subject led to no practical results. Luther wrote several hymns which have special reference to the conversion of those who "sit in darkness," but are supposed to refer primarily to those who still lingered in the darkness of the papacy. The same idea is supposed to pervade the celebrated hymn, "O Jesu Christe wahres Licht," which is now frequently sung at missionary festivals. It was composed in 1630, in the midst of the horrors of the Thirty Years' War, by J. Heerman, who had suffered many persecutions from the papal party. He was for some time entirely blind, and his restoration to sight may have suggested the first lines

"We come to Thee, O blessed Lord,

And humbly now implore Thee,
That all the earth may learn Thy word,

And bend the knee before Thee."

It must, however, be confessed that it is not until the days of Pietism, as represented by Spener and Lodenstein, that the work of missions becomes a frequent theme of sacred poetry. "As far as the Reformed church is con