s which bound their hearts to God, to Christ,
and to one another--it seemed as if such words and so uttered could not
but draw a blessing down. As the hymn drew to a close and the sounds
died away, deep silence again fell upon the assembly. The heart had been
relieved by the service; the soul had been rapt and borne quite away;
and by a common feeling an interval of rest ensued, which by each seemed
to be devoted to meditation and prayer. This, when it had lasted till
the wants of each had been satisfied, was broken by the voice of Probus.

What he said was wonderfully adapted to infuse fresh courage into every
heart, and especially to cheer and support the desponding and the timid.
He held up before them the great examples of those who, in the earlier
ages of the church, had offered themselves as sacrifices upon the same
altar upon which the great head of the Christians had laid down his
life. He made it apparent how it had ever been through suffering of some
kind on the part of some, that great benefits had been conferred upon
mankind; that they who would be benefactors of their race must be
willing cheerfully to bear the evil and suffering that in so great part
constitutes that office; and was it not a small thing to suffer, and
that in the body only, and but for a moment, if by such means great and
permanent blessings to the souls of men might be secured, and remotest
ages of the world made to rejoice and flourish through the effects of
their labors? Every day of their worship they were accustomed to hear
sung or recited the praises of those who had died for Christ and truth;
men of whom the world was not worthy, and who, beautiful with the crown
of martyrdom, were now of that glorious company who, in the presence of
God, were chanting the praises of God and the Lamb. Who was not ready to
die, if it were so ordained, if by such death truth could be transmitted
to other ages? What was it to die to-day rather than to-morrow--for that
was all--or this year rather than the next, if one's death could be made
subservient to the great cause of Christ and his gospel? What was it to
die by the sword of a Roman executioner, or even to be torn by wild
beasts, if by suffering so the soul became allied to reformers and
benefactors of all ages? And besides, what evil after all was it in the
power of their enemies to inflict? They could do no more than torment
and destroy the body. They could not touch nor harm the soul. By the
inf