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heaven; and when he spoke of the incarnation of our Blessed Lord, he paused, and seemed to meditate within himself-on coming to the word "crucified," he humbly bowed himself and made great reverence. His address being ended, he put off his gown, and knelt down upon a little ledge projecting from the stake, which had been made that he might stand upon it to be better seen of the assembled multitude.

Thus he offered up his prayers in silence, but with an earnest upturned gaze, often raising his hands also in the fervency of his supplication. His private prayers being ended, he exclaimed aloud, in the words of the hundred and fourteenth Psalm, "Hear my prayer, O Lord, consider my desire;" and the next verse he thrice repeated as one in deep meditation, " and enter not into judgment with thy servant, for in Thy sight shall no man living be justified."

He then turned to the officers of justice, and asked if they were ready. On receiving their reply, he put off his jacket and doublet, and stood in his hose and shirt, and went to the stake and took his place upon the ledge, and they fastened the chain around him. His beloved friend Dr. Warner, the parson of Winterton, whom he had chosen to attend upon him in his last moments, and who had accompanied him to the place of execution, now came forward to bid him farewell, but spake but few words for weeping, upon whom, adds Foxe, the said Thomas Bilney did most gently smile, and inclined his body to speak to him a few words of thanks, and the last were these, Master Doctor, Feed your flock, Feed your flock, that when the Lord cometh, He may find you so doing, and farewell good Master Doctor, and pray for me.' And so Warner departed without any answer, sobbing and weeping. The sweetness of Bilney's disposition even towards his enemies, shewed itself at this trying hour; for when a party of friars, who had been maliciously present at his examination and degradation said to him, O Master Bilney the people be persuaded that we be the causers of your death, and have procured the same, and they will withdraw their charitable alms of us all except you declare your charity towards us and discharge of the matter. The gentle saint turned to the people and said with a loud voice, I pray you good people, be never the worse to these men, for my sake, as though they were the authors of my death-it was not they!'

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The faggots and reeds were now heaped around him, and the reeds were set on fire, and a fierce flame burst forth; but though it disfigured his face, the flame was blown away from him by the violence of the wind which was during that day and two or three days before unusually strong. For a short time he stood scorched but unburnt by the fire, at times knocking at his breast or lifting up his hands and saying sometimes Jesus and sometimes Credo (I believe). Thrice the flame departed and returned. At length the faggots burnt fiercely, and then he gave up the ghost, and his body being withered bowed downward upon the chain. Upon this, one of the officers with his halberd smote out the staple in the stake behind him and the body fell into the midst of the fire.

And thus was Bilney faithful unto death.

St. Peter's, Chester,
September, 1844.

CHARLES B. TAYLER.

THE SEVEN CHURCHES OF ASIA.

No. V.

THE CHURCH OF SARDIS.-REV. III. 1-6.

MR. Lindsay, after visiting Alah-Shehr, the ancient Philadelphia, gives this account of Sardis :

I quitted Alah-Shehr, deeply disappointed at the statement which I received there of the church of Sardis. I trusted that, in its utmost trials, it would not have been suffered to perish utterly; and I heard, with surprise, that not a vestige of it remained. With what satisfaction then did I find, on the plains of Sardis, a small church establishment! The few Christians who dwell around modern Sart, were anxious to settle there, and erect a church, as they were in the habit of meeting at each other's houses, for the exercise of religion. From this design they were prohibited, by Kar Osman Oglu, the Turkish Governor of the district; and, in consequence, about five years ago, they built a church upon the plain, within view of ancient Sardis, and there they maintain a Priest. The place has gradually risen into a little village, now called Tatar-keuy. Thither the few Christians of Sart, who amount to seven, and those in its immediate vicinity, resort for public worship, and form together a congregation of about forty. There appears, then, still a remnant-" a few names even in Sardis," which have been preserved. I cannot repeat the expressions of gratitude with which they received a copy of the New Testament, in a language with which they were familiar. Several crowded about the priest, to hear it on the spot; and I left them thus engaged.'

Mr. Hartley thus speaks of his visit to Sardis :

April 25, 1826. We left Philadelphia at half after ten; and in seven hours arrived at a coffee-house, an hour's distance from Sardis. We have the famous Acropolis of the city in full view. To the left of our route, we observed numerous hills, thrown into such singular forms, as to leave no doubt that earthquakes have often here performed their work of destruction. Our day's journey was along the route of the younger Cyrus, when he commenced his expedition against his brother. We are informed, that there are as many as sixty Greek houses and one church within a circuit of moderate extent.

April 26.—This morning I have visited Sardis-once the splendid capital of Lydia, the famous residence of Croesus, the resort of Persian monarchs, and one of the most ancient and magnificent cities in the world. Now how fallen! The ruins are, with one exception, more entirely gone to decay than those of most of, the ancient cities which we have visited. No Christians reside on the spot: two Greeks only work in a mill here, and a few wretched Turkish huts are scattered the ruins. We saw the churches of St. John and the Virgin, the theatre, and the building styled the Palace of Croesus; but the most striking object at Sardis is the Temple of Cybele. I was filled with wonder and awe, at beholding the two stupendous columns of the edifice, which are still remaining: they are silent but impressive wit

among

nesses of the power and splendour of antiquity. I read, amidst these ruins, the epistle (Rev. iii. 1-6.) addressed to the church once fixed here. What an impressive warning to Christian Churches! "A name to live, while dead!" Is not the state of religion in Britain precisely such as to threaten punishment like that which has befallen Sardis? A certain portion of religion is at present popular : the world approximates a certain distance towards religion, and many persons who would pass for religious seem disposed to advance at least half-way toward the world. Does not this neglect of watchfulness end in many defiling their garments?" And if this negligence does not give place to " remembrance" and "repentance," and to a "strengthening of the things which remain and are ready to die," the consequence will be equally fatal ! May God preserve us from the fate of Sardis !'

Mr. Arundell mentions the following incident as occurring in this place:

• Previous to quitting Sardis, I was deeply affected by an instance of bad principle in one of the two Christians at Sardis. I was anxious to send a letter to Smyrna, and requested this man simply to forward it by one of the numerous caravans, which are almost hourly passing before the mill door; and, as an inducement, offered to give him a Greek Testament. I had made the same man a present last December. He flatly and surlily refused to do it; while a Turk, who accidentally came in at the moment, voluntarily offered to convey it; and he was as good as his word.'

SOME ACCOUNT OF THE CHARACTER AND HAPPY DEATH OF MISS SARAH JANE C―,

Who died at Hull, Dec. 11, 1820, in the 19th Year of her Age:

DRAWN UP BY HER SISTER, AND EDITED

BY THE LATE REV. JOHN SCOTT, M.A. OF HULL.

"And the ransomed of the Lord shall return, and come to Zion with songs, and everlasting joy upon their heads; they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away." ISAIAH XXXV. 10.

[It is scarcely necessary to observe that the ensuing narrative was first published more than twenty years ago. Though it has passed through two editions, it is probably little known to the rising generation of the christian public. As we consider it eminently calculated for usefulness— among that class in particular-we gladly avail ourselves of the permission which has been given us, to insert it in the pages of the Christian Guardian. It is seldom indeed that we meet with similar narratives, so thoroughly authenticated, and so judiciously drawn up. We remember with peculiar pleasure and thankfulness, the beneficial effects pro

duced upon our own minds by the perusal of it in early life, and we humbly trust that such may be the case with others also. The introductory remarks were first written by their revered Author, as a Preface to the little narrative. We think it best to insert them exactly as they proceeded from his pen, especially as they tend to throw a light upon his letter contained in the narrative, and upon other portions of the Memorial.-ED.]

I BELIEVE I may take upon me, without reserve, to assure the reader, that the following account was drawn up without any view to publication. Neither is it now given to the public at my suggestion. For many reasons it was my wish, that the family should decide for themselves, on the numerous applications made to them by pious friends, who had perused the narrative in manuscript, requesting that it might be printed. But, when they had determined the question of publication in the affirmative, I then offered to perform the office of editor; and must therefore avow, that it does not come abroad without my approbation.

It may be very true, that there is an undue eagerness for death-bed

histories, and stories of early conversion; and that too much of this kind is obtruded upon the world. Yet this decides nothing concerning any particular narrative; which must, after all, stand or fall by it own merits and whatever tends really to lay open the history of the human mind, especially in the great process of the soul's return to God-from whom it hath deeply revolted*—and in its evident preparation for a blissful immortality, ought to be interesting even to the philosopher, and will be so to the Christian. And such, in my opinion, are the contents of the following pages. The story is not mere common-place: and, I must add, it is related in a manner which appears to me so entirely proper, that I could with much pleasure contribute my part towards bringing it before the public.

Near the close of this little history will be found a letter, for which I feel that some apology is due. He who has read the preceding memoir, will naturally wonder to find me there collecting a number of particulars, not, he may think, the most striking that the case furnishes, from which to draw a conclusion concerning Miss C.'s good and happy state; a procedure which may appear to him quite superfluous. But such a reader must be requested to bear in mind, that most of what will be known to him, when he peruses the letter, was unknown to me, and indeed to every one but God and the conscience of the person herself concerned, at the time I wrote it. He is rather therefore to rejoice with me, in the ample confirmation subsequently given to the conclusion at which I arrived, than to censure my apparently tardy and overcautious way of arriving at it.-And the event in this instance may encourage us to believe, that, in many others, where similar evidences of humble penitence and faith are all that appears, much more of a very decisive kind, is seen by the eye of Him, "to whom all hearts are open,

and from whom no secrets are hid."

The pious Christian, I feel assured, will read this little narrative with heart-felt pleasure. It will present to him a fresh display of the great

*Isaiah xxxi. 6.

:

goodness of God; especially in his character of the God that heareth prayer. He will feel animated, and excited to thanksgiving and praise, when he sees the prayers of this young disciple, which were frequently offered amid much conflict and discouragement, so clearly answered; especially in her peaceful and even triumphant passage from time into eternity.-Oh how great is thy goodness, which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee; which thou hast wrought for them that trust in thee before the sons of men!-To such persons I commit this memoir with confidence. But there is another class of readers, to whom I wish to address a few words in connexion with the account of Miss C.: I mean young persons brought up in religious families, taking a part in our religious and benevolent institutions, and themselves the subjects of many hopes, but of some fears also, to their ministers and pious friends.-Certainly I think that the young people of our times are, in many respects, much to be congratulated on the circumstances in which they are placed. Education has pretty extensively taken a more enlightened turn than formerly; books of a more improving kind are in great abundance provided for the use of our families and in particular the institutions which have been alluded to, and which are exciting an interest, that promises the happiest results to the great mass of society, furnish young persons with a species of employment, and a field for the exertion of their powers, such as were unknown to their predecessors, and which, under proper regulation, may bring "a double blessing," both on those who labour, and on those for whose good labour is bestowed. All this is just matter of congratulation.-Yet evil is set over against the good. There are circumstances of our situation which call us to rejoice with trembling. I speak not now of the display, the bustle, the flattery, the disputations, the secularity, the loss of time, which are in some measure almost inseparable from the prosecution of public designs: * of these perils we are not unaware, and the religious public has been repeatedly cautioned against them. But what I have here especially in view is the danger to which, as it appears to me, the young persons of the present times, circumstanced as I have described, are peculiarly exposed, of sliding into a religious profession by habit, by sympathy, by imitation, by conformity to those with whom they associate, almost as a matter of course; without that powerful operation of religious principle and of divine grace upon the heart, which is necessary to form a true Christian. Certainly it is at a very different cost, that a religious profession is now assumed, than it was in the days of our fathers. Hence my apprehension is, and it has not been unconfirmed by facts, that we are in danger, in the rising generation especially, of abounding in such characters as the author of the Pilgrim's Progress has described under the name of PLIABLE: or as are exhibited to us by an authority, which we all acknowledge to be supreme, in the following explanation of the emblem of the STONY GROUND These are they which are sown on stony ground: who, when they have heard the word, IMMEDIATELY receive it with GLADNESS, and have NO ROOT in themselves, and so endure but FOR A TIME: afterwards, when affliction or persecution ariseth for the word's sake IMMEDIATELY they are offended.-See, I would say to my young friends, as

I beg to refer the reader to a very valuable paper, on our Spiritual Conflict with the world in the present times, (signed D. W.) in the Christian Observer for February 1815, p. 75.

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