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the Lord's Supper, were the real body and blood of Jesus, and that after the priest had blessed them there was no bread or wine left; and they also tried to make him acknowledge the Pope and all his errors; but Palmer had now received the grace of God in his heart, and so he would not believe their falsehoods.

"After a while they condemned him to death; and just before he went to the place of execution he comforted his fellow-sufferers with these words,' Brethren, be of good cheer in the Lord, and faint not. Remember the words of our Saviour Christ, where he saith, Fear not them that kill the body, and be not able to touch the soul.' When they came to the place, two popish priests began to ask him to recant, that is, to deny the truth; but he answered, 'Away! away! tempt me no longer! Away, I say, from me all ye that work iniquity, for the Lord my tears.' And

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when he was bound to the stake, Palmer said, 'Good people, pray for me, that I may persevere to the end. And, for Christ's sake, beware of popish teachers, for they deceive you.' As he spake this, a man threw a fagot at his face, so that the blood gushed out in many places; for which the sheriff rebuked the man, and called him a cruel tormentor.

"When the fire was lighted, and began to burn his body, he lifted up his hands towards heaven, and quietly and cheerily, as if he had felt no smart, said, 'Lord Jesus, strengthen me; Lord Jesus, assist me; Lord Jesus, receive my soul.' Just as Palmer was dying, he, as waked out of sleep, moved his tongue, and was heard to say this word, 'Jesus!' and then yielded his soul to God.

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"And now, Martin," said Mr. Benson, "that you have heard what a martyr is, and how God gives him strength to die amid the scorching flames, you will not

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wonder why the Church says, in the hymn of praise to God, 'The noble army of martyrs praise thee!' If you turn to the 7th chapter of the Revelation, at the 13th verse, you will read that one of the elders said to St. John, What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they? And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said unto me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple: and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them.' And at the 15th chapter and the 2d verse,' And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire: and them that had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name, stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of God.

And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints.'

"When my little Martin, by the help of the Holy Spirit, is able to understand this part of the word of God, he will know that all the errors and cruelties of Rome, and all false Christians, were foretold by God; and that although he suffered his faithful servants to be slain as witnesses for Jesus, yet that he makes their immortal souls rejoice for ever in glory, and that they shall never cease day or night in praising and blessing him who made them more than conquerors over the burning fire and fagot."

Little Martin thanked his kind father for this explanation, and said, that the next time he went to church he should rejoice to say and understand, a little

better than he did before, the beautiful sentence, "The noble army of martyrs praise thee."

DISOBEYING.

THREE brothers, Abel, Matthew, and Robert, were one day throwing clubs against the branches of a large chestnut tree which stood near their father's house. The tree was one of the original tenants of the soil, and Mr. Merwin had sense enough not to cut it down when he cleared a spot in the forest and erected his dwelling. The chestnuts were ripe. The burs were opening, so that a blow on the branches of the tree would cause the chestnuts to fall out. The boys were obliged to have recourse to clubs, as the tree was very high, and its trunk so large that no one could climb it.

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