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"I made no reply to this. My feelings were touched, but I still resisted their influence. My sister called me, but I would not answer. I heard her footsteps slowly retreating, and again I flung myself on the bed, to pass another wretched and fearful night, O God, how wretched! how fearful I did not know.

"Another footstep, slower and feebler than my sister's, disturbed me. A voice called me by name: it was my mother's. "Alfred, my son, shall I come in? Are you sorry for what you have done?" she asked.

"I cannot tell what influence, operating at that time, made me speak adverse to my feelings. The gentle voice of my mother that thrilled through me melted the ice from my obdurate heart, and I longed to throw myself on her neck, but I did not. No, my boy, I did not. But my words gave the lie to my heart, when I said I was not sorry." I heard her withdraw, I heard her groan. I longed to call her back, but I did not.

"I was awakened from an uneasy slumber by hearing my name called loudly, and my sister stood by my bedside.

"Get up, Alfred! Oh! don't wait a moment! Get up, and come with me. Mother is dying!'

"I thought I was dreaming; but I got up melancholy, and followed my sister. On the bed, pale and cold as marble, lay my mother. She had not undressed. She had thrown herself on the bed to rest; arising to go again to me, she was seized with a palpitation of the heart, and borne senseless to her room.

"I cannot tell you my agony as I looked upon her; my remorse was tenfold more bitter from the thought that she would never know it. I believed myself to be a murderer. I fell on the bed beside her. I could not weep. My heart burned in my bosom; my brain was all on fire. My sister threw her arms around me and wept in silence. Suddenly we saw a slight motion of mother's hand,-her eyes unclosed. She had recovered consciousness but not speech. She looked at me and moved her lips. I could not understand her words. 'Mother! mother!' I shrieked, 'say only that you forgive me.' She could not say it with her lips, but her hands pressed mine. She smiled upon me; and lifting her thin white hands, clasped my own within them, and cast her eyes upward. She moved her lips in prayer, and thus she died. I remained still kneeling beside that dear form, till my gentle sister removed me. She comforted me, for she knew the heavy load of sorrow at my heart; heavier than grief at the loss of a mother, for it was a load of sorrow for sin. The joy of youth had left me for ever.

"My son, the sufferings such memories wake must continue as long as life. God is merciful, but remorse for past misdeeds is a canker-worm in the heart that preys upon it for ever."

My father ceased speaking, and buried his face in his hands. He saw and felt the bearing his narrative had upon my character and conduct. I have never forgotten it. Boys who spurn a mother's control, who are ashamed to own that they are wrong, who think it manly to resist her authority, to yield to her influence, beware! Lay not up for yourselves bitter memories for your future years.-P. M.

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a lion, and an eagle-with four wings, and the feet of a calf. We observed that the various forms were emblematical of the attributes of the angels, or exalted intelligent beings, who live in the immediate presence of God. Amongst us it is not usual in modern times thus to represent the attributes and properties of spiritual beings, but with the ancients it was, especially with the Assyrians and Chaldeans. Now it is worthy of remark that, when Ezekiel prophesied he lived in Chaldea, for many ages a province of the Assyrian empire. It was, therefore, likely that his prophecies and writings would abound with such symbols as were usual in that country, because by this means his prophecies would be more easily understood. It is not a little remarkable that the discoveries which have lately been made by Mr. Layard, in the ruins of ancient Nineveh, are throwing great light upon this subject; for the very same symbols employed by Ezekiel, above two thousand years ago, are now presented before us in the monuments which have been brought from Nineveh. We have a representation of one now before us in our engraving; and we are glad to find that Mr. Blackburn, who has written on this subject, so nearly corresponds in his sentiments with our own views. He remarks:

"Those forms, I think, the Assyrians must have borrowed from the Jews, or rather from the earlier patriarchs; the doctrine they embodied, it may be, was lost in superstitious traditions, but the form and symbol remained, as we see them in the present day. The sacred hall at Nimroud, which I have already described, had four entrances; one, the grand western entrance, two on the north, and one on the south side. These approaches were all guarded by pairs of colossal figures, one on each corner, which formed a most imposing and magnificent entrance. Those at the western, or chief entrance, were human-headed winged lions, the human shape being continued down to the waist, and furnished with arms. They were about twelve feet in height, and the same in length. Expanded wings spring from the shoulders, and spread over the back. The appearance of these mysterious emblems even as seen in our national museum is most impressive. The single entrance on the south was guarded by winged human-headed bulls, whilst the two doorways on the north were both guarded by winged lions, with the heads of men, and with human arms; in one case having the hands crossed in front, and in the other carrying a stag or ram on one arm, and holding a branch, with three flowers, in the other hand. Now the figures the prophet Ezekiel saw in vision were like winged oxen, with the faces of a man, a lion, an ox, and an eagle. They had human

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hands beneath their wings, and their legs were straight, like the fore-legs of an ox, and the feet also were cloven like those of that animal. 'It will be observed,' says Mr. Layard, 'that the four forms (and those only) chosen by Ezekiel to illustrate his description-the man, the lion, the bull, and the eagle-are precisely those which are constantly found on Assyrian monuments as religious types. These coincidences are too marked not to deserve notice, and do certainly lead to the inference, that the symbols chosen by the prophet were derived from, or rather identical with these Assyrian sculptures.' Their typical significance must now be glanced at. It has been supposed that the zoological rank of the animals embodied in these strange forms, would afford a clue to their symbolical meaning. They are the chiefs of their respective classes—the lion, chief amongst wild beasts, and the ox, first among the tame ones; the eagle, head of the birds; and man, "who has dominion over all the works of God," and by whom every kind of beasts, and of birds, and of serpents, and of things in the sea, is tamed-the head of them all. Expressive as this illustration undoubtedly is, of the pre-eminent dignity and superhuman power of the blessed angels, yet I do not think it developes the true idea of these symbols. I rather adopt the opinion which has most generally prevailed amongst theologians that these forms were employed to represent the attributes and endowments of the blessed angels, namely "the understanding and beauty of a man, the obedience and labour of an ox, the courage and strength of a lion, together with the sharp sight and swiftness of an eagle.' Their wings, too, were emblematic of the promptitude of their obedience, and of their readiness to fly, as upon the wings of the wind,' to fulfil errands of righteous vengeance or of heavenly goodness. That the prophet Ezekiel viewed these cherubim as guardian powers employed to defend the objects of Jehovah's care, is plain from the fact that he applies the title of 'a covering cherub' to the King of Tyre. The fleet of that potent sovereign guarded the coasts of Palestine from the invasion of foreign enemies, just as the wings of the cherubim protected those who sought a refuge beneath their shade. We have seen how those symbolic figures stretched forth their gigantic pinions across the most sacred chamber of the Jewish Temple to overshadow and defend those who might enter within its walls. The ministering high priest must have felt assured that they would cover him with their feathers, and that under their wings he might trust. Such an anointed cherub that covereth' was the King of Tyre to the dependent states around him, and *Nineveh and its Remains, vol. ii. 465. Ezekiel xxviii. 14-16.

such celestial warders were these compound figures that guarded the avenues of the Assyrian palaces, the symbols though it may be of a forgotten truth that the angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them.'* We gaze, then, with sacred interest upon these Assyrian hieroglyphics, embodying, as we prssume they do, the traditions of the oldest families of our race, concerning those kind' ministering spirits,' who, in every age, have been 'sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation.' Thus we have seen the exact agreement which exists between the representations supplied by the graphic pen of the prophet Ezekiel, and by the sculptured designs of Assyrian artists. They reciprocally explain each other's meaning, and bear unconscious testimony to each other's truth. For two thousand four hundred years they existed apart. The faith of the church preserved in her ancient coffers the rolls of the prophet from mouldering damps and sure decay and the providence of God protected the chiselled records of the Assyrian empire beneath the hoary mounds on the banks of the Tigris, both from the influence of a slow, corroding atmosphere, and the sudden, capricious violence of ignorant and barbarous tribes. At length the time came when courage, skill, and enterprise should bring forth to the light of day these witnesses that had so long dwelt in the dust: and interrogated by inquiry, and deciphered by learning, they have yielded us most conclusive and delightful evidence of the historical truthfulness and ministerial fidelity of the Jewish prophets."

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We entreat our young friends to read carefully the first chapter of Ezekiel and the fourth chapter of Revelations, and compare the same carefully with the explanation offered in this article, and in our JUVENILE INSTRUCTOR for November.

THREE TEXTS ABOUT THE TONGUE.

A COMMAND, A PROMISE, AND A PRAYER.
A Command.

"Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile."
Psalm xxxiv. 13.

ST. JAMES tells us that the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity; that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature, and is set on fire of hell. What attention, therefore, ought we to pay to the admonition given us in the text! How ought we to watch over our words, and to

* Psalm xxxiv. 7.

M. Saurin's Dissertations, No. liv. Watts' Works, vol. iv. p. 638. 4to.

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