IDOLS OF THE SAXONS.

THIS Idol, from whose name the word Thursday was derived, was, with the exception of his parents Odin (or Woden) and Frea, the most celebrated of all

the ancient Saxon divinities. They believed that he reigned over all the aerial regions, which composed his immense palace, consisting of 540 halls; that he launched the thunder, pointed the lightning, and directed the meteors, winds, and storms. To him was attributed power both over heaven and earth, so that as he was pleased or otherwise he could send plagues and tempests, or prosperity and seasonable weather. They represented him as sitting on a throne canopied over, with a crown of gold on his head, and a circle of stars surrounding it, and a sceptre in his right hand. Incense was continually burning before him. Human sacrifices were considered by his deluded worshippers as the most acceptable offerings which they could present at his bloody shrine. Such were the sacrifices which we read of in Scripture as offered to Moloch, and such as are at the present day offered up in some parts of the heathen world, whose inhabitants are "sitting in darkness and in the shadow of death," and upon whom the glorious light of the gospel has never shined.

The considerations of these woful and degrading superstitions should make us thankful that we live in a Christian and a Protestant land, where we may worship the only true God after the manner which he has revealed to us in his holy word; and lead us to look forward with bright anticipation to that promised time, when the heathen shall throw their idols "to the moles and to the bats," and "the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea."

LECTURES ON THE CHURCH SERVICE.
No. XIV.

"We shall be satisfied with the goodness of thy house." PSALM LXV. 4

AND IN JESUS CHRIST OUR LORD.'-We here pro fess our faith in the Second Person of the Trinity; and that, first, by his name "Jesus," the name given him at his circumcision, according to the revelation made to the Virgin Mary-a name marking the character he was to sustain, and the business he was to accomplish," for he shall save his people from their sins." The first that bore this name was the son of Nun, "And Moses called Oshea the son of Nun Jehoshua.” His original name, n, signifying a Saviour,' and the additional Hebrew letter (or as Bishop Pearson thinks letters) added to his name by God on the remarkable occasion of their first viewing the promised land, y, signifying, he shall save, as marking out the son of Nun to be the instrument by whom JEHOVAH would save the Israelites, and conduct them into Canaan. Hence we see the remarkable fitness of the name in its application to him whom our faith acknowledges to be the person by whom JEHOVAH shall save his true Israel from their sins, and land them safe in the heavenly Canaan.

The name CHRIST is the name of office, signifying anointed, "We have found the Messias, (Hebrew,) which is, being interpreted, (into Greek,) the CHRIST." As under the government of God over his ancient people, Prophets, Priests, and Kings, were all anointed with oil, to signify to man that they were set apart by him for their peculiar offices; so under this.

title was our Saviour expected as one who was to fulfil the solemn office of Prophet, Priest, and King, set apart from eternity, promised in the Scriptures of the Old Testament, and at length manifested in the flesh to be such by his fulfilment of these characters. The next title by which our faith acknowledges Jesus Christ is His only Son.' These two titles, 'Christ,' and the Son of God,' seem by the Jews themselves to have been considered inseparable;--" I adjure thee by the living God that thou tell us whether thou be the Christ, the Son of God," which seems an acknowledgment that if he were the Christ, no doubt remained of his being the Son of God. Angels and men are styled 'the sons of God,' these are so by creation; believers are styled the sons of God,' these are so by adoption; but Jesus Christ the only Son of God by eternal generation. For whilst we read that "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God," and therefore acknowledge him as equal with the Father as touching his Godhead;' so when he tells us "that as the Father hath life in himself, SO hath he given to the Son to have life in himself," we acknowledge him to be begotten of the Father before all worlds, very God of very God.'

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Lastly, we acknowledge him to be our Lord:' as he is the only begotten Son, so is he the "heir of all things," and in all things to "have the preeminence." To him every knee must bow; but he is specially the "Head over all things to the Church," the Lord of that body, which he hath purchased for himself with his own blood. Now the title, "The Lord," constantly given to our Saviour in the New

Testament, answers in the Greek language to JEHO. VAH, the incommunicable name of God in the Hebrew language, and commonly translated 'LORD,' applied especially to the Messiah, as in other places, so in the remarkable one in Isaiah xxiii. 5, 6. We confess him our Lord,' being him by whom the worlds were made, and all that is therein; and as being him by whom the Church is redeemed for his own service, honour, and glory.

Happy then they from whose lips this confession of the mouth does indeed speak the faith of the heart -who feel the value of the name of Jesus, as the name that brings with it the sound of salvation from their sins who practically own him as the "Christ,” the anointed Prophet, Priest, and King, and willingly obey him as the rightful "Lord of all."

To the Editor of Light from the West.' MR. EDITOR,-Having been lately much interested in the perusal of a Latin work on Ecclesiastical History, (of which, I believe, there is no English translation,) published at Paddenburg in 1747, by Professor Lampe, who seems to be intimately acquainted with the subject on which he treats, it has struck me that a few extracts from it would not be uninteresting to your readers. Should you deem them worthy of insertion in your valuable Periodical, you will give much pleasure to A CONSTANT Reader.

SKETCHES OF CHURCH HISTORY.

CHURCH History is that science which is conversant with those affairs that relate to the condition