When the emperor Charles heard of the missionary's undaunted zeal for the propagation of the gospel, he sent for him, and assigned him his post in the district which afterward formed the diocese of Bremen. He was at first to labor as a priest among the Frieslanders and Saxons, and to perform every part of the pastoral office till a bishopric could be founded. After a while, his successful ministry was interrupted by a fresh revolt of the heathen population.

He believed that it was his duty to follow his Lord's command, and not needlessly to risk his life. In order to preserve his life for preaching the gospel still longer, he availed himself of the opportunity offered to him for flight.

He afterward found a quiet place of refuge in a convent founded by Willebrord, at Eptemach, which also became a rendezvous for his scholars, who had been dispersed by persecutions and wars. He spent two years at this place, occupied with teaching, reading the Scriptures, and the multiplication of transcripts of them.

At last, after peace had been restored among the conquered Saxons, the bishopric intended by the emperor Charles was founded at Bremen, and Willehad was installed in it. While on one of his visitation journeys, which he was obliged to take frequently on account of the peculiar character of his new diocese, he fell ill of a violent fever, in the year 789, at Blexem-on-the-Weser, not far from the Wegesak, so that there were apprehensions of his speedy death. His scholars stood weeping round his bed. One of them, who was on very intimate terms with the bishop, broke silence, and with tears expressed the pain they would feel if their spiritual father were taken from them, and their anxiety for the bereaved congregations, which were scarcely won over to christianity. "Oh! venerable father," he said, " do not leave those so soon whom you have but lately gained for the Lord. Leave not the congregations and the clergy destitute, who by your zeal have been brought together, that the weak flocks may not be given up to the attacks of the wolves. Do not withdraw your presence from us, your poor scholars, that we may not wander about, like sheep without a shepherd."

Willehad replied, with deep emotion, "Oh! do not wish, my son, that I should be any longer detained from the presence of my Lord. Do not force me to remain any longer in this wearisome earthly life. I do not desire to live here any longer, and I am not afraid to die. I will only beseech my God, whom I have always loved with my whole heart, whom I have always served with my whole soul, that he would grant me such a reward of my labor as it may please him. But the sheep which he committed to my care, I trust in him to preserve them; for, if I have been able to do any good, I have accomplished it by his power. The grace of him, with whose mercy the whole earth is full, will not be wanting for you."

Thus does the pious soul confidently trust in the promises of God, when the receding things of time are dim to his vision, and the brighter realities of a coming world beam in upon his mind.

It is then earthly instrumentalities assume their appropriate insignificance, things of time and sense appear in their true light, and God alone worthy of supreme exaltation.

Then, like Willehad, the christian feels, " If I have done any good, it is through the power of Christ."

CHAPTER XXVI.

Early days of Martyrdom.

CHARACTER OF THE DIFFERENT PERSECUTIONS; THEIR CAUSE AND EFFECTS; TRUTH OF HEAVENLY ORIGIN, AND DESTINED TO STAND.

T HAS often been said, that "the blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church.” When some

young monks who had been converted, were put to death in 1523, in the Low Countries, Luther composed a hymn commemorative of these first martyrs of the Reformation, who thus laid down their lives. for the gospel.

It at once became immensely popular, and was every where to be heard in the towns and villages, sung with the deepest enthusiasm by the people.

We give an extract from it, as it so well illustrates the sentiment above quoted:

"Flung to the heedless winds,

Or on the waters cast,
Their ashes shall be watched,
And gathered at the last.

And from that scattered dust,
Around us and abroad,

Shall spring a plenteous seed,
Of witnesses for God.

Jesus hath now received,
Their latest living breath,
Yet vain is Satan's boast,

Of victory in their death.

Still, still, though dead, they speak,
And trumpet-tongued, proclaim,

To many a wakened land,

The One availing name."

It indeed seems that the malicious designs of wicked men were defeated by the very ends which they employed to further them. Proud emperors intent upon banishing even the very name of christian from their realms, devised every possible method,-used every imaginable threat, to smother, and root out the holy principle of godliness in the hearts of their subjects.

When they saw the bold and fearless soldiers of Jesus Christ triumphing over every foe, and rejoicing, notwithstanding their menaces, the only alternative that was given them was recantation of a cruel death. Animated with the glorious prospect that awaited them in the future,- cheered by the hope of a blessed immortality beyond the grave; and more than all, influenced by a solemn sense of obligation to Him who had died for their salvation, they cheerfully preferred the latter to the base denial involved in the former.

Others, beholding the fortitude and patient endurance of those who suffered, were constrained to acknowledge that nothing short of a Divine power, could sustain the soul under

such accumulated weights of sorrow as some were compelled to bear.

Many were thus led to admire the principle, and from that to embrace it, till finally persecution seemed destined to increase the number of the godly, instead of diminishing them.

So true is it that the kingdom of Christ will stand firm against the assaults of the adversary.

The emissaries of Satan were faithful in effort to retard the progress of the church, and we who live under the peaceful shadow of the gospel in these days of comparative illumination, can scarcely form a faint idea of the sufferingthe inconceivable tortures, which those endured in the early ages of christianity, who had the boldness to profess themselves followers of the ascended Jesus.

With our freedom of speech and liberty of conscience, we can hardly appreciate the feelings of those who expected to be apprehended for treason or heresy, if they dared to signify either by word or deed, their preference for the spiritual worship of the blessed Redeemer.

In contemplating the lives of the martyrs, we forbear to dwell upon those who suffered in the earliest persecutions, on account of the extreme cruelty-the revolting, inhuman treatment that every where meets our gaze. We can scarcely deem it possible that the most abandoned and wicked of men, could have the hardihood to inflict such cruel wrongs on their innocent victims as we find they did. That any can be so dead to all the feelings of humanity seems incredible.

The first ten great persecutions under the Roman emperors, were replete with scenes of cruelty, that strike the mind with horror. The first was commenced in the year 67, in the reign of Nero, emperor of Rome. For the space of five years, he reigned with tolerable credit to himself, but at the expiration of that time he gave way to the greatest extravagancies of temper, and the most atrocious barbarities. Among other things, he took it into his head to order that the city of Rome should be set on fire, which was accordingly done by his officers, guards and servants.

While the imperial city was in flames, he went up to the tower of Macenas, played upon his harp, sung the song of the burning of Troy, and openly declared, "That he wished the ruin of all things before his death."

The dreadful conflagration continued nine days; when Nero, finding that his conduct was greatly blamed, and severe odium cast upon him, determined to lay the whole upon the christians; at once to excuse himself, and have an opportunity to feast his sight with new cruelties.

This was the occasion of the first persecution; and the barbarities exercised upon the christians were such as even excited the commiseration of the Romans themselves.

Domitian, a person of naturally cruel disposition, succeeded Nero, and carried on the fearful work his predecessor had commenced. Thus for various pretended reasons ten different persecutions were raised, conducted by men who seemed to vie with each other in devising new methods of cruel punishment.

Many reasons have been assigned as the occasion of the last, particularly the great increase of the christians, whose numbers rendered them formidable; and the hatred of Galerius, the adopted son of Dioclesian, who being stimulated by his mother, a bigoted pagan, never ceased persuading the emperor to enter upon the persecution, till he had accomplished his purpose. The fatal day fixed upon to commence this bloody work was the 23d of February, 303, and on which, as the pagans boasted, they hoped to put a termination to christianity. Alas! vain man, to think of overturning the counsels of heaven, the decrees of the Almighty.

They were indeed suffered to do a dreadful work. The name of christian was so obnoxious to them, that all fell indiscriminately sacrifices to their opinions, without distinction of age or sex. This persecution lasted ten years, during which time an almost incredible number suffered martyrdom. We give one instance only, that of Romanus. He was a native of Palestine, deacon of the church of Cæsarea, at the time of the commencement of Dioclesian's persecution. Being at Antioch when the imperial order arrived for sacrificing to