A voice was heard; a voice was heard;
The spirit its summons obeyed;
And to sorrowing Friendship still echoes the word
While she weeps o’er the mouldering dead.
Not a tear can e’er start from those eyelids again;
Not a sigh can e’er heave from that breast:—
But reposing awhile on a pillow of clay,
It will waken renew’d, and then, bounding away,
Will ascend to the realms of the blest.
A voice was heard; a voice was heard;
A whisper,—a whisper from God;
And the soul caught with rapture the welcoming word
As it enter’d its blissful abode.
That voice that awoke from the death-sleep of sin,
And whisper’d, “Thou too art forgiven,”
Stole again on the ear in the accents of love,
Reassur’d of a home with its Father above,
And then wafted the spirit to heaven.
Θωμας
REVIEWS.
Russia: or Miscellaneous Observations on the Past and Present State of that Country and its Inhabitants. Compiled from Notes made on the Spot, during Travels at different times in the Service of the Bible Society, and a Residence of many Years in that Country. By Robert Pinkerton, D.D., Author of “The Present State of the Greek Church in Russia,” and Foreign Agent to the British and Foreign Bible Society.—Seeley and Sons; Hatchard and Son.
A traveller, like a witness in court, should be competent and unexceptionable. Both these qualifications are indispensable to secure the confidence of his reader, and the success of his work.
Dr. Pinkerton has very strong claims on the attention of the British public. He resided in Russia many years. He lived in Moscow “the greater part of the years 1810 and 1811, and left that city only forty-eight hours before the French entered it in 1812.” He is the author of “The Present State of the Greek Church in Russia.” His travels in the service of the British and Foreign Bible Society have been extensive at different times. His being Foreign Agent to that Society, has given him facilities of intercourse with the higher as well as the lower orders of the inhabitants. He is personally well known to many of the clergy and of the nobility, and his intimate acquaintance with the language has enabled him to converse with people of all ranks. The work before us has been compiled from notes made on the spot. Of his competency, therefore, no one can entertain a doubt; and his high Christian character renders him an unexceptionable witness. We anticipate for this volume a cordial welcome, especially among the friends of the Bible Society. The information Dr. P. has given is clear, copious, and important. We shall transcribe a few extracts which cannot fail to gratify our readers.
The territory of this vast empire has increased within the last 364 years nearly twenty-fold. According to the last statistical accounts, the population is upwards of fifty-four millions, of whom about thirty-six millions are native Russians, speaking the same language, and belonging to the national or oriental church. The military forces have also increased nearly ten-fold within the last hundred years; and at the present time are estimated at about 900,000.
The spiritual academies and seminaries contain upwards of 30,000 young men preparing for the sacred profession. Dr. P. says:—