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that of the confessions. After describing the church, which is in the form of a cross, and noticing the gaudily dressed waxen images of saints, as large as life, placed in niches and protected by large glass cases, about the walls on the inside, the writer proceeds;

'It was still dark when I entered the church, and I passed a devotee near the door, the only one arrived. He was contemplating a painting of the Saviour, I think as baptized of John; and stood crossing himself, with much appearance of mental prayer. Soon after, he advanced to a picture of the Virgin, and his devotions were renewed, and near that spot, he sunk on his knees. An attendant came in, and from a lamp burning in the centre of the church, lighted two wax tapers, and set them on the front altar. Worshippers began to come in, and I recognised the faces of most whom I had seen there before, which led me to think that they were nearly the same individuals, who always attend. The old men were the same, and some of the women. Three negro boys, well dressed, came in and kneeled on their handkerchiefs; after a while, they rose, and went near a side altar, and kneeled again, and in the most solemn part of the service, they advanced beyond all others, and kneeled on the step leading towards the front altar, where the priest was officiating. A black woman decently dressed, advanced far, and kneeled; rose and kneeled again close to a side altar, and after service, if I was not mistaken in the individual, she was full ten minutes kneeling and confessing to a priest. Several ladies came in and kneeled on rugs, spread by a servant, who kneeled behind them. Some of them had prayer books in which they read; and then, closing them, clasped their hands, looking to the altar and cross, as if in mental prayer. The countenances of several, which I had seen in church before, were those of sincere and intense devotion. I saw none that came in without crossing themselves, and most of them, after touching the holy water; the first that I mentioned, who was alone in the church when I entered, made sundry applications to the font, and then to his crown, and face and breast. The service was the same as mentioned in a former letter; short and inaudible; full of genuflections, bending of the body, osculation of the altar, elevation of the host, and parting of the hands, as the priest turned and looked at the people.

'After the service was closed, the officiating priest retired into the vestry and returned in a black gown and sat in one of the confessionaries. The negro, just mentioned, was the first to confess, and was long and earnest, resting her hand against the side of the confessionary, holding a shawl up, as if to prevent being seen and heard. She applied her mouth to a tin plate full of

small holes or perforations, as of a grater, on one side, and the priest his ear on the other. When she retired, several were in waiting, kneeling near by, and one or two of them reading in their prayer book. But the priest beckoned an infirm old man, and he approached and kneeled on his footstool in front. The priest rested his hand on the penitent's shoulder, and their heads being near together, a short confession was made, and I presume, absolution given, as he was one of two only, who kneeled a little while after, at the side altar, and received the wafer. As soon as he retired, an elderly woman kneeled at the side of the confessionary, and was soon dismissed. A young lady then kneeled, with her face turned to the wall; but the priest for the present, neglecting his office, beckoned to an officer in partial uniform, several times. He, however, not understanding his intention, or perhaps, wishing to decline confession, kept his place in the floor. The priest then descended from the confessionary and reached out his hand to him, for a pinch of snuff, which was readily granted, and he returned to listen to the youthful and beautiful sinner, still patiently kneeling.' pp. 70-72.

We quote still another account of a service at the church in Matanzas, which will strike the American Protestant reader, as still more remarkable.

'On the morning of the sabbath, I attended the earliest service of the church. The tapers were soon lighted at the left hand of the altar, and the attendant drew up the curtain, and revealed the crucifixion in wooden or wax figures, as large as life. The sufferer had bowed his head, and given up the ghost. The countenance of death-the nails through his hands, knees, and feet-the blood gushing over his limbs, and down his side, presented an affecting, an awful object, which seemed to excite a strong emotion on those around me, as like the real spectators of the crucifixion, they smote on their breasts. Three women, the virgin mother distinguished from the rest, stood and kneeled around the cross.

'Before this scene, an aged priest, his hair as white as snow, performed mass. Whether it was that the crucifixion is here more affectingly displayed, than at the other altars, or that the aged form of the priest, and his tremulous, yet louder voice, his longer pauses and prostrations, giving time for the feelings to rise and strengthen, and the greater appearance of his being himself moved, produced the effect, I know not, but the assembly was more generally affected than I had witnessed at any other performance of mass, and it was also, a larger assembly that attended. How lasting, how holy, how sanctifying were

the impressions made, and the emotions kindled by this strong appeal to the senses, the great Searcher of hearts can tell. But I believe it is ever found, that passionate feelings subside quickly, whether produced by strong pictures addressed to the eye, vehement tones to the ear, or strong images to the imagination; and that, to affect a man lastingly, his understanding must be distinctly convinced and enlightened, and his conscience subjected to truth and principle.

My friend, the padre, who had invited me to the church, had not yet appeared. I waited, therefore, through the interval of service, as did forty or fifty others, it may have been twenty minutes. The bell was again tolled, and at the same time, the distant note of the bugle was heard, alternating with the drum and fife, and a company of soldiers in uniform, with a quick step, and animated air, marched into the centre of the church, and stood ranged in a solid square. At the same time, my friend appeared at the front altar, in canonicals, attended by a cadet with his broadsword suspended from his shoulder behind him; and as the priest kneeled, the drum and fife rang a shrill salute. The service was as usual, and at every signal of the little bell, the drum and fife cheered, and the church resounded with martial notes, in the most solemn crises of the service; the soldiers kneeling, crossing themselves, and striking upon the breast. The band seemed to go through the duty with the same precision, and with the same feelings, as through the drill on parade. 'My untrained feelings were somewhat shocked with the pomp and circumstance of war, thus mingled with the most awful rites of our religion-the clangor of arms with the holy communion, in which the soul wishes to muse in grateful and awful silence, and to dissolve in tears of love and contrition.-pp. 76, 77.

With this extract we close our very brief and imperfect notice of these letters, which we recommend to our readers as highly entertaining, supplying a great deal of useful information respecting a country very interesting, on many accounts, to to the people of the United States; and which very advantageously display the sound sense, goodness of heart, and intellectual activity and accomplishments of the author.

THE CHRISTIAN EXAMINER.

NO. XXXIII.

NEW SERIES-NO. III.

JULY, 1829.

ART. I.-1. Eighteen Sermons and a Charge. Printed, 1829, 12mo. pp. 276.

2. Sermons by the late Rev. John Emery Abbot, of Salem, Mass. With a Memoir of his Life by HENRY WARE, Jun. Boston. Wait, Greene, & Co. 1829. 12mo. pp. 329.

WE welcome these volumes as we should welcome the appearance of honored and cherished friends. They come to us as our kind companions and guides, speaking to us with the tenderness and solicitude which religion inspires, on the most interesting of all subjects, and securing our confidence by the wisdom and gentleness of their instructions. Books of this class are particularly valuable; and notwithstanding the mass of publications, with which the press groans and is burdened, it is surprising how much we are still in need of works upon practical piety and morals. More especially at this period, amidst the din of controversy, and the mournful contentions of struggling or of zealous sects, it is refreshing to turn to the plain and simple, but unchanging and everlasting truths, which these volumes present to us in all their beauty and freshness and sanctifying power. We never realize more the value of such instructions, than after mingling in the passion and tempest of controversy. They restore our souls; they lead us, as by the side of still waters; they gladden us as with the stream that flows fast by the oracle of God.

VOL. VIN, S. VOL. I. NO. HII.

35

We have also a sensible satisfaction in connecting these volumes together; and most of our readers will readily understand us, when we say, that it is the pleasure of bringing together and comparing the rich and mellow fruits of a green old age, still flourishing and bearing yet more fruit, with early blossoms, which so pleased God, that he hasted to gather them for himself.

We repeat, that by most of our readers the allusion will probably be understood. There may, however, be others, who will only wonder at what we mean by our youth and age.' Nor could we refrain from wondering in our turn, if they were not utterly at a loss to comprehend us. For of all the titlepages for which our memory serves us, we cannot think of one half so sparing of intelligence as is that of the first of the volumes before us. We ask of it in vain as to the author, the place of its birth, and other circumstances of its existence, generally told plainly enough in a titlepage. But this, with a sullen obstinacy, strangely in contrast with the fulness, richness, and sweetness of the pages that follow, will tell us nothing of either. Now we cannot commend, we rather wonder at all this; and we deem it, moreover, somewhat unjust, that when a book is so able and willing to do honor to a name, the name should not be given to grace the book. To withhold it, is as if a good father should refuse his recommendation to a good child. So much are we impressed by these grave considerations, that we take it for our bounden duty, before we enter upon any notice of the work, to introduce it fully, as it needs, to our readers. And though it may be hazarding the displeasure of a friend, whom we would not willingly displease, we shall make bold to say plainly, that the first of these works, whose titlepage of a single line stands at the head of this article, is the work of the senior minister of King's Chapel, Boston, the author also of 'Occasional Sermons,' with the last neat and beautiful edition of which, the present volume exactly corresponds; and the scantiness of the titlepage may the more easily be excused, when it is also stated, that the book was not designed for publication, but was merely printed by the venerable author, for the use of a beloved and affectionate flock, to whom, amidst continued infirmities, detaining him from more public service, he was desirous of offering, what to them we are certain will prove a most welcome and cherished token of his pastoral and paternal regards,

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