inscribed his victories, and which he intended as the pillars of his fame, have combined and exhibited all that is sublime in conception, and all that is graceful in execution, Could he have attached durability to these, his triumph would have been completehe would have bound time to his chariot-wheels, and rendered the monuments of his greatness coeval with the existence of the heavenly bodies. But that irresistible power has dissolved all the associations which he formed, and overthrown all the structures which he raised. He touched the seats of empire with his commanding sceptre, and the thrones of the earth crumbled into dust. Scarcely was the head of the monarch laid beneath the sod, before his dominion perished. Scarcely the active hand of the warrior stiffened in death, ere the provinces which he had won revolted, and another hero arose to run the same career of danger and oppression, to mark out the globe for himself, and to resign, in his turn, a crown so hardly achieved. Of Nineveh-of Babylon-we have no remains: Of Egypt we have only characters of degradation of Rome there exist but the melancholy fragments of ruined grandeur. With the respective empires, the monuments of their power have been defaced or destroyed. Time has wasted the Gardens-extinguished the Paros― prostrated the Colossus-dilapidated the Templeunravelled the Labyrinth-broken down the Mausoleum upon its dead-and left the Pyramids to mark the progress of his effacing hand passing

over them, and to deride the folly of human ambition, when its works outlive the name of their projectors.

When these exhibitions of human ability are swept away from the earth, or so much of them only remains as to awaken sentiments of pity more lively than those of admiratión, history restores the empire, and science rears the fallen cities anew. Again Palmyra rises from among her ruined temples and tottering pillars: again Rome assumes the sceptre of the world, and binds distant nations to her throne. The work of the destroyer is but half effected, while the record of former times remains. The heroes of antiquity live over again; and the great monarchies burst forth afresh in all their primeval splendour. Letters seem to promise that immortality which neither arms could command, nor arts acquire. The blaze of war is quickly extinguished:-it is indeed a devouring fire; but it is short lived, in proportion to its fierceness. Like the beacon which is kindled to affright the nations, it burned for a night, and expired upon its own ashes. But the inspiration of the poet is a lambent flame, playing around the imagination from age to age, and shedding its mild and brilliant light upon distant lands and times, when the consuming element of discord is forgotten. The magic pen of the historian raises from their resting place the departed shades of princes and warriors, and embodying them in their proper forms, brings them again to act their part upon the stage of time, fills

the world with new agents, and enables us to judge of their characters with ease and accuracy; while we feel ourselves sheltered from the miseries at the same time that we ascertain the extent of their policy and achievements. Yet this mausoleum of former greatness rears its majestic head only for a season. In vain the poet and the historian promise themselves, or the subjects of their eulogy, immortality: in vain they flatter themselves that they have erected a monument more durable than brass, loftier than the royal elevation of the pyramids; which neither the wearing shower, the unavailing tempest, the innumerable succession of years, nor the flight of seasons, shall be able to demolish: they dream but of a fame that shall move round the circle of time. Many such a fond enthusiast has floated down the stream, without leaving even the wreck of his name as a memorial. And of those who have stood highest on the records of renown, a part of their works has perished. Time has not spared even science. The precious fragments of ancient writings resemble the ruins of some great empire: enough remains to delight, to impress, to instruct; but these remuants cause us to lament the more bitterly that which is lost to us, as an evil irreparable, and afford a lesson more ample of human vanity than of human distinction.

CHRIST.-A TEACHER.

In confirmation of the judgment repeatedly passed upon the matchless character of our Lord's teaching, the evangelists have sometimes detailed its features according to their apprehension; and remarked, “He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes." This authority could not intend severity of manner; for this would have been to teach "as the scribes," who laid much stress upon the weight and dignity of their office, and manifested but little condescension "to men of low estate." How harshly, how arrogantly, they censured the followers of Jesus! "This people, who knoweth not the law, are cursed." How swift to judge! how slow to reclaim! how destitute of holy sympathy! even had their accusation been well founded. Not with such authority did Jesus teach his authority was power, impression, effect-arising from the sublimity of the truths which he preached, the wisdom with which he unfolded them, and the clearness with which he applied them. Conviction followed his words, for demonstration accompanied them: they were spirit, they were life. He could appeal to the rulers as well as to the multitude, and say, "We speak that we do know, and testify that we have seen." His instructions had weight, both from the importance of their matter, and the earnest, affectionate, energetic manner in which they were addressed to a perishing and long neglected people. The nega

tive, he taught them "not as the scribes," leaves us much to supply. He reversed all the haughty, censorious,obscure, and careless habits of that degenerate class of teachers. His condescension was manifest, in addressing the multitude, whom they treated with contempt, and left to be destroyed by vice and ignorance. He sympathized in their privations, shared their poverty, elevated their hopes, imparted to them knowledge, and soothed their afflictions. He listened to their inquiries, resolved their doubts, bore with their infirmities, and was unwearied in his communications. He spake a language which they understood, and chose subjects which they felt; thus leading them from one degree of knowledge to another. He did not disdain to walk with them, to eat with them; to enforce his public instructions by permitting private audiences. His gentleness was apparent in all his addresses. He did not scatter curses with a lavish and indiscriminate hand; but, although all judgment was committed to him, chose rather to exercise his delightful commission-to seek and to save that which was lost. Yes; and he felt it to be a delightful commission, although its execution entailed upon him numberless privations and persecutions, and an ignominious death. The Shepherd of Israel gathered the lambs with his arm, and carried them in his bosom; he collected that flock which his servants had scattered, and the unfaithful pastors devoured. He entreated, persuaded, wept-quenching the lightning of his eyes in tears