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poor scholars, by singing songs at the doors. After remaining here a year, he was placed at a school of great repute at the town of Eisenach, whence he repaired to the university at Erfurt, where he studied the classics, the Aristotelian philosophy, and the civil law, with the intent of advancing himself at the bar. But this intention was frustrated by a singular and awful providence. Walking with a friend one day in the fields, he was struck by lightning, and his companion killed at his side. This incident raised in Luther's mind a succession of serious meditations, and he vowed upon the spot, that if God were pleased to deliver him from the danger of his situation, he would enter a monastery, and spend the remainder of his life sequestered from the world and its temptations.

It has been well observed, that those who have an eye for providences, will never want a providence to eye. On this susceptibility of Luther, a sensitiveness which many would have feared to avow, lest they should be charged with superstition, the whole of his subsequent career appears to have hinged. And yet we fear there are many who, in the chastisements of God's hand scarcely "hear the rod," or ask who has appointed it. The fire, the whirlwind, and the great and strong wind, may certainly bear no special message to us; but, whilst we know that God is sometimes in the still small voice, we cannot be too watchful of his movements, or, too impressible by the visitations, either of his mercies or judgments.

Under the influence of this impression, Luther, in 1505, entered the monastery of Augustine friars, at Erfurt, where, in 1507, he took orders and celebrated mass. The same year he found a copy of the Holy Scriptures in Latin. He eagerly and attentively read it; and it is most likely that this completed his determination not to follow the study of the law. His attention seemed to be fixed upon the history of Hannah and her son Samuel, and he cherished the hope that one day God would permit him to call the Scriptures his own.

In this circumstance we see how beautifully one providence often expounds another. Luther had studied the classics either without any definite object, or with one very different from that which now brought his attainments into exercise. No book was so little noticed, even by the priests themselves, as this Sacred

volume; and when Luther, found this identical copy, it was almost buried in dust. But now, that very knowledge of the Latin tongue, which had been used hitherto only to disguise or conceal the Truth, was to be the instrument of explaining it to others, as well as of carrying home its holy lessons more forcibly to the mind of Luther. Let us hence learn these important principles, that in the right use of means, more than in the nature of those means itself, lies their true value; and that all knowledge, profitless as it may at one time appear, will, in a rightly constituted mind, sooner or later, come into beneficial operation.

The nations of even the civilized world were groaning under the chains of darkness, and Luther found in the Holy Scriptures something that would loosen those chains. He fell upon his knees, his heart pouring forth deep gratitude to the Giver of every good and perfect gift. He had obtained a light to guide his footsteps amongst the rubbish and corruptions of ages, and now commenced his work in earnest. Though unacquainted with Hebrew and Greek, and unable to consult the originals, he soon found that the prevailing theology had little foundation in the Scriptures. This brought on gloom and dejection of spirits, so that often, when reading of the wrath of God, his soul was overwhelmed with despair. The terrors of divine wrath and the awfulness of everlasting punishment, with the penances prescribed by the regulations of the order, brought on an illness which had nearly proved fatal; he was, however, comforted by the conversation of an aged brother upon the article of the creed, in which forgiveness of sins is mentioned. The monk endeavored to turn his attention from penances, by which he was striving to atone for his sins, and in which he found no relief, to Christ the only propitiation for sin. This appears to have been the commencement of Luther's knowledge of the doctrine which he afterwards so ably and uniformly maintained, and which he justly styled the doctrine by which the church would either stand or fall—that a sinner is acquitted of guilt, and accepted as righteous before God, on account only of the righteousness of Christ received by faith.

The great difficulty in the way of our apprehending the truths of the gospel, lies not in the abstruse or mysterious character of those truths, so much as in our own prejudices. We can learn

Hence it is that those

much more easily than we can unlearn. amongst whom Christ has not before been named, come over to the full reception of the doctrines of the gospel, more readily than those educated in partial or mistaken views of Christianity. Let us, therefore, be careful to "prove all things."

The university of Wittemberg had been founded and liberally endowed by Frederic, Elector of Saxony, surnamed the Sage, in the year 1502, and Luther was chosen to an academical chair in the year 1508. The department of physics and moral philosophy to which he was called, seemed not the most congenial to his mind, already pre-occupied with theology. In 1509 he thus writes: "By the good mercy of God, I am quite well, except that my present studies, especially philosophy, go rather against the grain, which, from the very first, I would much rather have exchanged for theology-that theology, I mean, which penetrates to the kernel of the nut, to the germ of the wheat, to the spinal marrow."

It is not to be wondered at, that a mind like Luther's should have found rest in nothing short of that vital, spiritual theology, which he here so well describes. To one whose perception of the things of God has been quickened by the Spirit of truth, every other pursuit must appear, not only flat and unprofitable, but so ill-adapted to the genius and temper of the individual condemned to follow it, as to preclude the prospect of success. And yet, it is a common error amongst parents to force their children into callings to which they are manifestly not “called of God;" though His hands having made and fashioned them, He is certainly the best arbiter of their destinies

He was called upon by the senate, not long after his residence at the university, to fill the office of preacher. He first made trial of his abilities in the monastery, then in the private chapel of the castle, and publicly in the parish church, and pleased the audience by his rich and affectionate style, supported by copious passages of Scripture.

Not long after this commencement of his public preaching, Luther acquired the dignity of Bachelor of Theology, and at the same time the right to give theological lectures. Now he felt himself in his proper sphere, and devoted to his sacred calling all the faculties of his soul. Now, before his enthusiastic admirers,

he poured forth all the stores of a mind chastened by numerous afflictions, and enriched by the treasures of learned research. It was to Luther, that the university was indebted for its early celebrity. His activity at this time was almost incredible, and he is thus spoken of by Dr. Mellerstadt, "This monk will confound all doctors and introduce new doctrines, and reform the whole Romish Church, for he studies the writings of the apostles and prophets, and lays his foundation on the words of Jesus Christ which no one can, either by philosophy or sophistry, overthrow or gainsay."

In 1510, having occasion to go to Rome, he saw in all their naked hideousness the manifold abominations of popery. To a mind like his, knowledge was, indeed, power; and he subsequently declared "that he would not for the value of one thousand florins, have missed the instruction afforded him by this journey." It furnished him with weapons for his great encounter with antichrist, that he might have sought elsewhere in vain.

In 1512, the degree of Doctor of Theology, was conferred on him with great solemnity. On this occasion, he was required to swear that he would study and preach the truths of the Scriptures, during the remainder of his life; and this solemn obligation, at that time imposed and accepted both according to the authentic accounts of others and his own statement, often afforded him support and comfort in the struggle and difficulties of his eventful life, when Satan and the world united to terrify him, by enquiring who had given him authority; and how he could be able to justify the confusion he had caused in the christian world. He never pleaded that he had sworn in a non-natural sense; and was therefore at liberty to disregard his obligations. Nor does he appear to have at any time, claimed the privilege of holding a lie, whilst he preached the truth. (To be concluded next month.)

ACTIVITY.

LIFE is a short day, but it is a working day; activity may lead into evil, but inactivity cannot lead to good.-HANNAH MORE.

HISTORY OF TRANSUBSTANTIATION.

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Some of the chaplains of the Bishop of Durham getting about Mr. Gilpin in their accustomed manner, one of them asked him his opinion of the writings of Luther. He answered, that he had never read them that his method had always been to study the Scriptures, and the expositions of the fathers upon them; but for the writings of modern divines, he was not so well acquainted with them."

One of the chaplains, in a sneering manner, commended that as a right way of proceeding; and added, “that if all men were of Mr. Gilpin's opinion, and had the same veneration for antiquity, the peace of the church would no longer be disturbed with any of these novel teachers."

"But suppose," said Mr. Gilpin, "these novel teachers have the sense of antiquity on their side; what shall we say then ? Shall the ancient doctrine be rejected, because of the novel teacher?"

This not satisfying them, they began to urge him farther.

"Do you believe transubstantiation?"

"I believe every thing contained in the word of God."

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But do you believe as the church believes?"

“Pray,” said Mr. Gilpin, "is the catholic faith unchangeable ?” "Undoubtedly it is."

"But the church did not always hold transubstantiation as an article of faith."

"When did it not hold it so?"

"Before the time of Peter Lombard, who first introduced it; and even since his time it hath undergone an alteration. Pray, tell me; is not the bread in the sacrament converted into both the body and blood of Christ?"

"Undoubtedly it is."

"But," said Mr. Gilpin, "Peter Lombard himself did not believe that for in the eleventh chapter of his fourth book, I very well remember, he saith expressly, 'There is no transubstantiation but of bread into flesh, and wine into blood.' And now, I beg you will tell me how you reconcile these things with the unchangeableness of the catholic faith?"

The chaplains had nothing to answer: for the words of Lombard indeed plainly denied, that in the transubstantiated bread

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