regret, that little or no stress had been laid upon promoting Christ's honor in the world, by a class of students who had brought in dissertations, or had been debating, upon the perpetuity of the ordinances of our Master.

Many are the privileges and the benefits which the communicant enjoys. He makes more real and positive his Christian position in the world; and, though many eyes may be upon him, his own conscience has discovered his failings quicker than they. He feels the restraining power of his committal to Christ. It helps him say no to sinful propensities, and it secures him the companionship of the good. Especially does he enjoy the communion-season, when he feels the nearness of the perfect Master, and the sympathy of brothers and sisters by his side. But of these and other enjoyments we wish not now to speak; we are addressing those who belong to Christ, but do not belong to the church; and we would humbly ask if some of them are not committing the life-long weakness of shrinking from joining the church for fear of what people will say or think of them? Simon Peter was a glorious apostle of Christ, and a sincerely devoted man; but he exhibited the weakness of which we have just spoken. Need we allude to that lamentable occasion when Peter denied his Master for fear of losing caste or receiving taunts from those around him? When Peter thought thereon, he wept bitterly, that he, who had been so much interested in the conversations and companionship of his Master, and who was still with him in heart, should fear to say so in the moment of trial, when it would have been so gratifying to Jesus to see him true, firm, and faithful! Are there not many in our congregations who are with Christ in spirit and truth, who are with their pastors in prayers that the good work of the ministry may be prospered, and yet who are not quite firm and considerate enough to follow their Master in heaven, and strengthen their pastors on earth, besides reaping many personal benefits by joining the visible church and sitting at the table of communion? Is it unkind to say, that they err in thus regarding the speeches that others may make of them as of more consequence than their own feeling that they ought to join the church, or that they would love to join the church? Is it unkind to say that their weakness, in thus yielding their convictions to their fears, resembles the error at the thought of which Simon Peter wept?

W. G. B.

THE PICTURE OF HUMAN LIFE.

TRANSLATED FROM THE GREEK OF CEBES.

WE were walking, by chance, in the temple of Saturn; and we noticed there, besides many other consecrated gifts, a tablet hung up before the shrine, on which was painted a picture foreign in manner and representing strange legends, so that we could not conjecture what it meant; for it seemed to represent neither a city nor a camp, but an inclosure containing two other inclosures, -the one large, and the other small. There was a gate to the first inclosure, and by the gate a great crowd of people were standing, while within a number of women were seen; and an old man, standing by the portal of the first inclosure, seemed to be giving directions to the entering multitude.

When we had for a long time discussed with each other the meaning of the picture, an old man standing by addressed us thus:

Old Man. It is not surprising, strangers, that you do not understand this picture, since few of our own citizens know its purpose; for it was not dedicated by a native, but by a foreigner who came here long since, a man of great shrewdness and wisdom, and both in theory and practice a follower of Pythagoras

Cebes was a Grecian philosopher, a disciple and intimate friend of Socrates, and was born about B.C. 400. The only work of his extant is here translated. It consists of a philosophical explanation of a painting, in which the whole of human life, with its dangers and temptations, was symbolically represented, and which had been dedicated in the temple of Saturn at Athens or Thebes. Its design is to show, that proper mental culture and the possession of real virtues are the only means of happiness. It has always been extremely popular, and has been translated into most modern languages, even into Russian and Arabic; but, as we know of no English translation which can be easily obtained, and as the original has long ceased to be read in the course of preparation for college, we suppose a new translation may not be unacceptable to the readers of this Magazine. We commend it to their attention as one of the best specimens of the ethics which the unassisted human reason has arrived at, and, as Jeremy Collier, a century and a half ago, called it, "a serviceable emblem for the acquiring of prudence, and the direction of human life." In translating, we have followed the text of Schweighaevser, whose name we hope none of our readers will attempt to pronounce. - TRAnslator.

and Parmenides.* He dedicated both this temple and the picture to Saturn.

Stranger. Did you see and know this man?

O. M. Yes, for a long time, and, as I was younger, greatly admired him, for his words were serious and weighty; and I have often heard him explain this painting.

S. Unless it will be a great inconvenience, I beg you to explain it to us; for we are very eager to understand it.

O. M. Willingly: but you must first know that the explanation is somewhat dangerous; because, if you attend to and understand its meaning, you will be wise and happy; but, if otherwise, you will live wretchedly in folly and misery and ignorance. The explanation is like the enigma proposed to men by the Sphinx; for whoever understood that was saved, and whoever did not understand it was destroyed. It is the same with this explanation; for folly is a Sphinx to men. The picture darkly teaches what is good and what is bad, and what is neither good nor bad in life. If you do not understand these things, you will be destroyed by it, not all at once, as men were by the Sphinx, but little by little through your whole life, as by slow torture. But, if you understand it, your folly will perish, and you be saved, and be happy and prosperous all your life. Attend, therefore, and do not be listless.

S. We will be as ready to hear as you to speak, since so great a penalty is held up before us.

O. M. (Taking a staff, and pointing to the picture.) You see this inclosure. In the first place, you must know that this place is called LIFE; and the great multitude standing by the gate are those who are about to enter into life. The old man standing near, with a paper in one hand and seemingly pointing out something with the other, is called a Genius; and he instructs them what they ought to do, as they enter into life, and what way they must walk, if they would be safe in it.

S. And what road does he bid them go?

O. M. Do you see a seat by the gate near this inclosure, where the multitude goes in, on which sits a woman with a com

* These philosophers insisted chiefly on the duty of subduing the passions, and of attaining the perfect virtue which consists in likeness to the Deity. - TR.

posed expression and winning manners, with a drinking cup in her hand?

S. I see her: who is she?

O. M. She is called Deceit, the misleader of all men.
S. What is she doing there?

O. M. She makes those entering into life drink as much as she can of her cup, which contains error and ignorance; and, having drank this, they enter into life. All drink, but some more, and some less. And do you not see farther within the gate a great many women of different forms and fashions? These are called Opinions, Desires, and Pleasures; who, as the multitude enter, start up and embrace every one of them, and then lead them away, some leading to safety, others to destruction through deceit. And they all profess to lead them to blessedness, and to a happy and useful life. But the new comers, on account of the error and ignorance which they drank from the cup of Deceit, do not find the true way of life, but wander heedlessly about; as you see those who went in first going round where chance leads them.

S. But who is that woman who appears to be blind and mad, and stands on a round stone?

O. M. Her name is Fortune; and she is not only blind and mad, but deaf too. She flies about everywhere, and takes from some every thing that belongs to them, and gives it to others; and again she takes away what she has given to those very ones, and gives it to others, in a heedless and fickle manner: so that the device aptly betrays her nature; for she stands upon a round stone, which signifies that a gift from her is not sure or safe, since whoever trusts to her gets great and hard falls.

S. But what do all the men standing near her wish for? and what are their names?

O. M. They are the Imprudent, and they are begging the things she throws around.

S. And why do they appear so differently; some seeming glad, and others stretching out their hands in distress?

O. M. They who seem glad and laughing have received something from Fortune, and call her Good Fortune: those who appear to weep and stretch out their hands are those from whom she has taken away what she first gave them; and they call her Bad Fortune.

S. What does she give them, that the former are so glad to get, and the latter so distressed to lose?

O. M. Those things which most men think good, — wealth, fame, high birth, children, power, kingdoms, and very many similar things.

S. And are not these things really good?

O. M. We will discuss that point by and by; but now let us mind the picture. You see, after you pass this portal, another higher inclosure, and women standing before it. This one of them is Intemperance, that one Luxury, that one Avarice, and the other one Flattery: they are watching for those who have received any thing from Fortune; they start up and embrace them, and fawn on them, and beseech them to stay with them, promising that their life shall be merry and toilless and sorrowless. If one is persuaded by them to give himself up to pleasant living, its pastime seems joyous so long as it beguiles him, but no longer; for, when he comes to his senses, he perceives that he did not enjoy it, but was devoured and insulted by it. And so, when he has lost every thing which he received from Fortune, he is forced to become the women's slave, and to endure every thing, and to do for them all sorts of villainy, such as theft, sacrilege, perjury, treachery, and robbery; and, when all these fail them, he is handed over to Punishment.

S. And what sort of a person is that?

O. M. You see behind them a little door, and a narrow, dark cavern, where you perceive some women in filth and rags. The one with a scourge is Punishment; the one with her head bent down to her knees is Grief; and the one tearing her hair is Anguish.

S. And who is that man near them, so deformed and lean and half-naked? and that wretched woman that is so like him?

O. M. They are Lamentation, and his sister Despair. To all these the slave of the other women is given up, and he lives with them in tortures; till at last he is cast into the house of Unhappiness, and passes the rest of his life in all misery, unless Repentance should happen to meet him; for she rescues him from his evils, and introduces to him other Opinions and Desires, -one that leads to True Science, and another that leads to False Science. If he receives the first, he is cleansed and saved by it, and is happy all his life; otherwise, he is led astray by False Science.