enabled to believe that "the blood of Jesus Chnst cleanseth from all sin." After this he was appointed preacher to the town of Wittembergh, where his eloquent and burning words attracted many hearers. Luther, about this time, was sent to Rome on a mission, and set out with delight, thinking there he should meet with some of the best of men, and hear more of the truck than he had ever heard. But, oh! how disappointed was he, for he found Rome a hot-bed of vice, superstition, and evil. Luther, with many others, visited Plate's staircase, up which they had to go on their knees, hoping thereby to gain two hundred and fifty year's indigence from the flames of Purgatory. As Luther was thas engaged, he heard a voice within speaking this text, The just shall live by faith." This was a turning point in Luther's life, for he argued thus: If the way of life is by faith, then is it no more by works; then what is the use of doing penances, or mounting staircases, or doing anything else to merit eternal life, as set forth by the Church of Rome? He returned home a sadder and yet wiser man, and soon his voice was to be heard following in the wake of Wickliffe, Huss, and Tindal, denouncing the errors of Rome, and pointing to Christ as the only way of salvation.

One day, a man named Tetzel came into the neighbourhood of Wittembergh, selling indulgences to the people, so that any persons who had been guilty of any crime were told they could be pardoned by buying one of these indulgences; in fact, they could be had for sins past, present, or to come. After selling all he could for people's individual sins, Tetzel would call out to the people: "Perhaps some of your friends are in Purga. tory. Priest, noble, merchant, wife, girls, men, hear your friends crying at the bottom of the abyss. At the very instant your piece of money clinks at the bottom of my strong box, the soul comes out of Purgatory and flies straight to heaven."

When Luther heard of these proceedings his spirit was stirred within him, like Pauls was at the idolatry

of Athens, and he at once drew up and nailed to the church door his ninty-five Theses or Propositions against the evils of Popery. These were eagerly read, copied, and spread far and wide, opening people's eyes to the way they had been imposed upon, and causing the Pope and his clergy to writhe with anger. Several disputations were held, hoping thereby to subvert Luther from the truth, but all in vain; therefore the Pope sent a bull of excommunication, sentencing him to the wrath of God and eternal fire. Luther, by this time, was wise enough to know that the Pope had neither power to condemn nor acquit him, therefore he cared not for his bull, but publicly burnt it in a bonfire. War was now proclaimed. The news ran like wildfire, and reached even Rome itself. The Diet of Worms being held soon after, Luther was cited to appear before it, and received a safe conduct. Some of his friends advised him not to go, assuring him they would burn him as they had done Huss a century before, but they forgot that this was the swan that Huss said they should neither roast nor boil. Luther's reply was noble: "Though they should make a fire from Worms to Wittembergh, and reaching to the sky, I would pass through it in the name of the Lord;" and to others he said, "Were there as many devils in Worms as tiles on the housetop, I would enter." Luther reached his destination in safety. So anxious were the populace to catch a glimpse of him, that the streets were thronged and houses filled with spectators to the roof, and it was only with great difficulty that a passage could be made for him. When he appeared before the Diet the scene was very grand. There sat princes, dukes, counts, barons, bishops, and ambassadors on one side, and on the other, one poor monk; but he could say as Elisha did to his servant many ages before : " More be those with us than with them," for was not the Lord on his side? When asked to recant, Luther replied, "If I am not disproved by one passage of Scripture, I neither will can retract anything. Here I am; I can do no otherwise. God help me! Amen."

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Luther was permitted to depart in safety, and twenty days were allowed him to get home, but on his way five horsemen, masked and armed from head to foot, suddenly appeared and seized Luther, placing him on a horse and leading him off. In the dead of night they reached a lonely fortress. The doors were unbarred and Luther conducted in, where he was kept in secrecy for ten months; but this had been done by his friends lest he should have been killed by his enemies. But whilst here he was not idle, for he set about translating the Bible into the German language, so that the people might read it for themselves; and so hard did he work that, in six months after his liberation, it was ready for the press, and in twelve years sixty editions were spread through Germany. Thus Luther, till his death, continued to help on this glorious reformation in Germany, and ably was he helped by noble co-workers both in his own and other countries. But, lest we swell our narra. tive to a too great extent, we had better return to England, and see what was passing there.

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Henry VIII. was king, and it was to him Tindal re ferred at the stake when he prayed, Lord, open the King of England's eyes.” Henry, although a professed Romanist, hated the Pope's temporal power, and, there fore, did all he could to overthrow it, no doubt his ow selfish propensities being the moving cause; but the Lord meant to bring good out of it, although Henry acted from wrong motives. He passed Act after Act throwing off the Papal yoke, and allowed the Bible to be published, ordering one to be put in every church; ye he died a Romanist, and left money that masses might be said for his soul.

Henry was succeeded by his own son, Edward VI. a godly youth, who caused more Acts to be passed in favour of the Protestants; but, after à brief reign, h life was cut short by death, greatly to the grief of the Protestants and joy of the Papacy, and for a few years the work of the Reformation in England was carried on under ch a cloud of suffering as almost fails description.

(To be continued.)

TTER TO A YOUTH ON HIS LEAVING HOME.

Y DEAR BROTHER,-I was glad to find, in going to T--, that the Lord of heaven and earth, who giveth to all breath and being, and who governeth and controlleth all ngs by the Word of His power, had in His kind vidence appeared for you in providing you with comfortable situation, and removing your footsteps T- to London. My Bible tells me that it is in man that walketh to direct his own steps, but that n's goings are of the Lord. How, then, can he undernd his own way? May He be the God and Guide of r youth, and may after days (if you are spared) prove t this removal was of the Lord, that it may prove as id in the case of your unworthy brother in his reval to T-. I little thought when I first came re, that was to be the place where I was to be met h, and stopped in my mad career. My heart's desire 1 prayer to God is, that it may be so in your case, d then you will not only have cause to bless the Lord a God of unerring providence, but as the God of all ce, through the countless ages of eternity. I feel strained, however, from an affectionate regard for ur welfare, both in soul and body, to give you a word advice and counsel, which, I have no doubt, you will e kindly. You have, my dear brother, in coming to ndon, entered upon new scenes. You are exposed as youth to many bewitching snares and temptations. ere is much without to take the eye, and to take away e heart, too. Oh, that you may be brought to know e importance, and feel the need of that prayer, “ Lord, n away mine eyes from beholding vanity." I am ry thankful to see you steady and moral in your nduct. It is a comfort to your parents, and it must a comfort to you, for well I know, on the contrary, The way of transgressors is hard." Yes, the devil indeed a hard master; and the wages of sin at last

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's eternal death. By your misconduct you might bring down your parents' grey hairs with sorrow to the grave; but, by your upright walk and conduct, you may be the means of smoothing their pathway thither, and comforting them in their declining days. May it be even SO. Let me caution you, above all things, against bad company. Many a youth, steady and respectable, has been corrupted here-led from step to step, and from evil to evill till he at last has ended his days in a prison, or been transported, and some have come to the gallows.

Remember, the way of sin is down hill, so, to avoid the greatest evil, oh, beware of the least. Do not forget to read your Bible. May God open your eyes to understand it. There you will find more caution, reproof, and instruction than I can possibly give you. Especially suitable is the Book of Proverbs. "Search the Scriptures. There you may read your true character as a lost. rained, guilty sinner set forth. There you may read you were born in sin and shapen in iniquity; that all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God And amongst the all, remember, is J. B——. There you will read, as a sinner by nature and practice, you are under the curse of the law of God, as it is written. Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things written in the book of the law to do them." There you will read that the holy law of God demands full payment, or perfect obedience in word, thought, and deed. There you will read." There is none righteous, no, * me that all creature righteousness is as filthy rags in the sight of a holy God; and there you will read of a perfect righteousness, wrought out by another, even Jesus Christ, who, you may read, is the mighty God, the everlasting Father, the Creator of all things, and yet a creature. God and Man in one wondrous Person, so that His righteousness is the righteousness of God, and His blood which He shed also infinitely precious; that He stood as a Substitute in the place of His people. There you will read of justification through His imputed righteousness; of pardon only through His atoning blood; and