FEMALE INFLUENCE. rule over thee." From that time till the present, the effects of this curse have been visible in the general condition of females. Woman's dwelling may have been the palace of an Ahasuerus-robed in purple she may have commanded the service of num. berless attendants; or her task may have been to cultivate the soil, and grind the corn for her warrior lord; under every diversity of circumstance she has been the slave of man, as frequently the object of his contempt as of his affection. She has been regarded by him as an inferior, the only end of whose existence was to minister to his gratifications and attend his pleasure; and no other education has been thought necessary for her than such as would fit her for this servile condition. In the midst of her degradation, however, she has retained and exercises a powerful influence over the condition and destiny of man. In proportion as he has abused his power over her in degrading and trampling on her, has he in turn been degraded and vitiated by that influence. As her sin terminated not in herself but extended its baleful contamination to him, so neither has her curse rested on herself alone. In the constitution of their nature, the mutual destinies of man and woman are so entwined that her degradation is his debasement. He cannot be blessed if she is cursed; he cannot remain pure, elevated, and happy, if she be vitiated, degraded, and miserable. If woman remain ignorant, man too must grope in mental darkness. If she wanders in the paths of vice, she drags him with her to destruction. It cannot be otherwise. Woman is the real teacher and guide of man-the potent moulder of human destiny. The fate of nations is in her hand. It depends her on whether peace and truth shall guide prosperous reform; or reckless revolution stamp, with its bloody characters, the annals of the next generation, 359 Woman is ever moulding the future man; however undesignedly she may exert it, her influence is around him and upon him. He comes in contact with it on all hands; nature renders its withdrawal impossible. The expression of the mother's countenance, the tones of her voice, whether addressing her child or those arround; her feelings and ideas have given a stamp before infancy is past, to his character, which after years may deepen, but seldom, if ever, obliterate. This influence does not lose its power; the boy and the youth are moulded by it. The mother, the sister, and even the servant-maid, will sympathise with the sorrows of boyhood, and listen to the day-dreams of youth, when man would disdain to lend an ear. Nor is her influence less potent when youth is past. She is with man in the hour of man's weakness; to her he flies for assistance and sympathy in the season of suffering, and her sentiments become a part of his nature. Female influence has been potent in all ages of the world, among all classes of men, as well in barbarous as in civilized nations. Too often, alas! has it been exerted in luring man from the path of duty-a fact recorded in the blackest characters on almost every page of human history. Hitherto the pregnant source of innumerable evils, it is, however, destined ere long to be one of the richest blessings to society, when, purified by piety and guided by intelligence, the influence of woman, like the early dew distilling unseen, but refreshing all nature, will renew the moral beauty of the earth. That misery, however, which has ever been attendant on the dethronement of woman from her natural position as the companion and friend of man, will never be removed till the last vestige of the long entertained idea, that the female mind is of an inferior order, fitting woman only to hold a dependent place, is wholly abandoned. Neglect of female education is the | parently the most trivial and trannatural consequence of this idea. If sient. How much more incredible the sphere nature assigns to females that such en idea should obtain among be regarded as inferior, and their Christians. Yet to what else can duties considered frivolous, their ed- we attribute the general prevalence ucation of course appears equally un- among them of systems of education important. It was to be expected for their daughters-so limited as rethat this idea should prevail in ages gards any knowledge of the principles while man yet uncultivated lived only of science, and so little calculated to for the present, while the seen and form them to useful habits of thought the sensual engrosses all his thoughts, and action? Is is to be hoped that leaving neither time nor desire to feel this idea is fast vanishing from all after the unseen and the intellectual. thinking and intelligent minds; alIt is strange, however, that it should though exploded in theory, it still have any place among us in this age exerts a powerful influence in decidof civilization, when the links, uniting ing to what studies young women causes, and consequences are unveil- shall be directed. As yet it scarcely ed; when the broad irresistable stream seems to have occurred to any that is traced to the bubbling spring, that they ought to be aquainted with may be stopped or turned aside by a physiology, medicine, or chemistry; handful of clay; when results the or, indeed, that they should be conmost momentous and lasting, are versant with any but the simplest discovered to arise from causes ap- authors on any subject. I HAVE COME TO TALK WITH YOU ABOUT MY SOUL.-One day, as we were just rising from the dinnertable, a young man knocked at the door. He had lived but a few months in the town, and my acquaintance with him was very slight indeed. I believe we had never spoken together but once, when I was making a pastoral visit to the family in which he boarded. The thing which most struck me then was his extreme diffidence. I was not aware that any particular impression had been made on his mind. Hence, it did not occur to me that his call, especially at such an hour, was connected with the state of his feelings on the subject of religion. Judge then of my surprise, as he took his seat by the fire, and looking up said, "I have come to talk with you about my soul." The words thrilled through my heart. Such a remark from a modest, retiring youth, who had never entered our door before, could not but awaken tender emotion. For a few moments I hardly knew what to say. Soon, however, I found utterance, and in a few simple sentences gave him such direction as seemed suited to his circumstances. It was a word in season. God had evidently been moving upon the mind of the diffident young man, and he was in a short time led to the knowledge of the truth as it is in Jesus. Years have since passed away, but no one has had reason to doubt that this was a genuine conversion. Is there no reader of these lines who might be benefitted by such an interview with his pastor? You can imagine what it cost a retiring, timid youth to bring his mind to make a visit like this. But had he not done so, it might have proved a fatal resistance of the Holy Ghost. The direction is, seek the Lord while he may be found; call upon him while he is near. And ministers are appointed to guide souls to the Saviour. The young man that takes such a step, is using means which God may bless to his spiritual and eternal good. THE DEATH AND BURIAL OF LUTHER. LUTHER'S death, though peaceful, and, 1. His personal hopes were never of the exhilarating kind. Of himself he was often distrustful; it was only in respect to the cause in which he was engaged that he was always undoubtingly confident. 2. He was probably, during the whole time, suffering excruciating bodily pain. Though he said but little about it, it is evident from what he did say that his sufferings were extreme. And it must have been so, for he had a mighty muscular frame to be shaken down, and such a frame could not, in so short a time, have been brought to dissolution without terrible torture. On the morning of the 19th of February the body of Luther was enclosed in a leaden coffin, and carried to St. Andrew's church in Eisleban, where Dr. Jonas preached from 1 Thess. 4. 13-18. Ten of the principal citizens watched with the corpse during the night, and early in the morning of the 20th Mr. Coelius preached from Isaiah 57 . 1.— The body was taken to Wittemburg for burial; and as the mournful procession began to move, the whole city and all the surrounding country was emptied of its inhabitants, who crowded after the hearse, and by their tears and sobs and loud weeping testified how deeply they felt their loss. At five in the evening the train arrived before the walls of Halle, and here the crowd became so dense, that they were two hours in forcing the hearse along from the gate to St. Mary's church, a distance of about fifteen or twenty rods. As the hearse was slowly making its way along through the mass of human beings, a voice in the crowd began to sing the first hymn which Luther published: Aus tiefer Noth schrei ich zu dir, Mein Gott, erhor mein Rufen. From deep distress I call to thee, My God, regard my crying. And the whole multitude joined in the singing, but could scarcely complete a single line before their voices were choked by their sobs, and they all wept aloud. Then they began to sing again; and thus alternately singing and weeping, they at length deposited the body in St. Mary's church; and even then they could not be persuaded to disperse, but stood around the church the whole night. At six o'clock in the morning of the 21st, the hearse started again, followed by the same weeping throng, and meeting every where on the way the same demonstrations of grief; and at mid-day of the 22nd, it arrived before the outer gate at Wittenberg, where it was met with all the honours which could be conferred on a sovereign prince, The mayor's carriage stood just outside the gate, and in it was the bereaved wife and her younger children, awaiting the arrival of her elder sons with the dead body of their father. There were many affecting scenes connected with Luther's death, but none more thrilling, more heart rending than the meeting of that mother and her sons. After some interruption, the procession went on to the Castle church which was immediately crowded in every part, every door and window was filled, and every street and avenue leading to it was thronged with mourn ers intently weeping. Bugenhagen and Melancthon were in the pulpit. The first arose and with tolerable composure pronounced his text--1 Thess. iv. 14, 15; but the moment he attempted to commence his sermon, he broke out into an uncontrollable fit of weeping, in which all the congregation joined, and the infection spreading to the streets and avenues without, the whole city resounded, with one loud and bitter wail. Atlength they were hushed to silence, and the sermon was resumed. After the sermon by Bugenhagen, Melanchthon addressed the members of the University in Latin, and the coffin was lowered into the vault, under the broad aisle not far from the pulpit. The vast assembly broke up, and each man returned to his home, pondering within himself and intently wondering whether it could be really so, that they should never see Luther's noble form in their streets, and never again hear his thrilling voice in their churches. He had lived and taught and preached in Wittenberg thirty-eight years, and, from the time of his first arrival, had been the central point of interest to all who inhabited or visited the city, and is so to this day. After the lapse of three centuries, the city of Wittenberg, though one of the strongest fortresses and most important military stations in Europe, and though it has been the scene of battles and sieges which might have immortalized any other town, is seldom thought of or visited except as the place where Luther laboured and where his bones are buried. -Even Wallenstein, and Peter of Russia, and the great Frederic, and Napoleon, whose names may now be seen written with their own hands on the walls of Luther's study, were always small men at Wittenberg, and objects of subordinate interest: and feeling it to be so, though some of their most important movements were made in and around the city, they seldom staid there long at a time, and generally hastened away as soon as they could. The grave of Luther is secured by an iron grating, and covered with a thick, heavy plate of bronze, on which is the following simple inscription: Martini Lutheri S. Theologiæ doctoris corpus h. 1. s. e. qui anno Christi MDL VI, XII. Cal. Martii Eyslebii in patria S. M. O. C. V. ann. LXIII. MIIDX. The emperor Charles V., in his wars with the Protestants, some years after Luther's death, besieged and took Wittenberg. The first place he inquired for, was the grave of Luther. He read the inscription, folded his arms across his bosom, and stood looking down, absorbed in thought. An officer stepped up to him and said, "Let me break open the grave and scatter the ashes of the heretic to the winds." Charles's fine eyes and noble features flashed with indignation at the mean proposal. "I have not come to war upon the dead (said he):-I have enough to do with the living,"-and he hurried from the spot. Ever after the famous diet at Worms, Charles and Luther had uniformly manifested the most profound respect for each other. BENEVOLENCE IN THE MINISTRY. THE Memoir of Dr. Duncan, author of "Sacred Philosophy of the seasons,' brings to view some fine traits of religious character. The benevolence so characteristic of all "who have the mind of Christ," is well illustrated in the sketch that follows. Who will not say that such benevolence is not most befitting the ministers of the Gospel and all believers ? One of his parishioners remembers how he used to visit the poor, carrying to them, unobserved, supplies of medicine, or wine. Another recalls how earnestly, some forty years ago, he became the advocate of the poor salters of his parish, whose ancient charter, permitting them to manufacture salt, free of duty, some one had threatened to take from them. A third recalls the zeal with which he defended several of his people, who, when pursuing their calling as fishermen, had discovered, and in their ignorance of Admiralty rights, had appropriated a lordly whale, stranded in the shallows of the Solway. A fourth, who had once fallen into arrears in the payment of his rent, and was likely to be ruined, gratefully relates how his minister came to him in the hour of need, and, like an angel of comfort, devised effectual means for his relief. A fifth recalls the time of alarm when almost all were soldiers, and tells of a poor young Carlisle Quaker, who, in a fit of folly, had enlisted and then deserted, and who, after wandering for months to escape the lash, found his way stealthily at last to the Manse of Ruthwell, and by the intercession of their minister obtained, as a reply to his application. facetiously expressed it, "relief from apprehension both of mind and body.' A sixth informs us how he would tear from the shirt he wore, its linen sleeves, when needed, to dress the wounds of a sufferer. A seventh remembers how often he drove his phaton from Dumfries, laden with flax, to be spun by SCOURGING IN THE MEXICAN ROMISH CHURCHES. 363 the unemployed women of the parish; Yet it is to the closing period of his and how thoughtfully, at the period of history that we delight especially to the potato failure, when seed was dear turn. He will doubtless be gratefully and beyond the reach of his poor remembered as a philanthropist his neighbours, he procured for them, by people are not likely soon to forget sea, a supply of "earlies," so as to him as a pastor-science will not dissecure a return nearly two months own his merit as a discoverer, nor the sooner than could have been otherwise antiquary fail to record the services he obtained. And an eighth reminds us has rendered to his favourite subjecthow, a few years ago, he converted his literature will recognize his hand in garden-house into "a hermitage," rude- the works of which he was the author; ly furnished with table, and stool, and and patriotism will acknowledge his bed, for the accommodation of poor far-seeing benevolence and public spirit. Arthur Reidez, giving him at the In these various departments, justice, same time free quarters on the produce no doubt, will be done to his memory; both of garden and kitchen. Arthur but it is as a Christian minister that was a wounded seaman, wandering in we see his chief dignity and honour. search of bread, whose natural genius, Devoted to the cause of Christ and of shining through his rags, had attracted souls, his labours were indefatigable, his attention, and whose story had and only bounded by the powers of excited his compassion. Nor is it for- his feeble body, which frequently gave gotten by many poor families how way ere the salient promptings of his kindly, efficiently, and promptly, he zeal had been half satisfied. "O! that once proposed and carried into effect I were now to begin my life again, measures for their relief when threat with youth and health upon my side," ened with wholesale ejectment. The was his exclamation, in reply to one occasion referred to was indeed a dis- who was too querulously regretting tressing one. On the system which the disquiet of the church's condition, has been so unmercifully followed in "how I should rejoice in this noble some parts of the Highlands, it became struggle! How gladly should I hail the wish of a proprietor to diminish the prospect of spending my life in the population on his estate. An labours and trials for a cause so well order was issued to warn a whole vil- worth any sacrifice!" Thus did the lage to remove. A bitter cry arose aged veteran long to throw himself among the people. Their consultations into a contest on behalf of truth and with the minister were innumerable, of immortal souls, the value of which and his share in their grief was deep he felt that till now he had never and sincere. After taking counsel with sufficiently appreciated. some of the grey fathers of the place he called together the heads of houses. He began by telling them that he was not hopeless, because he did not despair of seeing the landlord convinced of the impolicy of the course on which he had entered. He then made some strong observations on the degree of alarm manifested by some at the possibility of losing their temporal abodes, in contrast with their torpor regarding a heavenly inheritance, and concluded by calling on them to join in prayer for the blessing of Him who alone could turn the heart of man, who in His providence, had the power to relieve their anxieties. Before parting, they entered into consultation as to the course they ought to follow, and at his suggestion, measures were adopted, which ended in satisfactory and glad success. SCOURGING IN MEXICAN ROMISH CHURCHES. THE private journal of the lady of the Spanish minister who resided in Mexico in 1839 and '40, says the N. Y. Observer, was subsequently published in Boston. It contains a great mass of curious detail relating to the conduct of the Romish priests, the inmates of the nunneries, and the ceremonies of the church in that city. She relates the following case of scourging, which she witnessed, not with the permission of any ecclesiastical dignitary, but as she gently intimates, through the power of money, and from curiosity. The scene was one of horror, but it is only characteristic of the way in which Romanism works upon popular supersti |