Year: 1860

THE RELIGION OF THE JAPANEsE.-The Or
thodox religion of Japan is Sintoo-all wor-
ship the sun Their belief is that the world
was regenerated through the instrumentality
and appearance on earth of a female, and after
having performed this great and good work,
for which by God she was ordained, she ascen-
ded to Heaven and became embodied in the
sun. Their national flag is emblematic of
their religion, displaying as it does the sun in
all its purity upon the white field. There are
other sects, and among them the most numer-
Gus would appear to be the followers of Budd-
la. Many suppose that Buddhism is the
principal creed from the fact that its follow
ers number three hundred and twenty mil.
lions this and the Mahommedan religion be-
ing the principal creed or religion of the ma
tons of the East The founder of the Budd.
ish religion was man named Sakya Sinha,
who was born, as we suppose, 2,420yea be-
fore the Christian era. 1t is not known for
certainty when Buddhaism was first INTRODUCED
into Japan. The statement so often made
that Christianity is not at present in any way
tolerated is a mistake, for the government is
far from being intolerant in religious matters.
The people of Japan attend very little to reli-
gous matters. Religion is a matter of bust
ness, which is attended to altogether by the
Mokado aud his priests. Some of the Japan
ess attached to the Embassy at present in this
country, worship Buddha, some Sntoo, some
Mahomet, and some worship nothing. The
two ambassadors and one of the Interpreters
are Buddhists; the Censor has no particular
religion; the Vice Governor is partly Sintoo
and partly Buddhist


A WEEKS LABOR AND Duty OF REv G.. II
SPURGEON.-In letter to the Boston Watch
man and REFLECTOR Mr.. Spurgeon gives an
account of week. work We make an ex-
tract


SUNDAY, March lS-Preaehed in Exeter
Hall to the usual packed and crowded house.
upon the subject Of death While preaching
spent all my strength, aud seemed at the end
to be thoroughly reused up The Holy Spirit
had wrought in me such an agony for the
souls of dying men, that was borne beyond
myself, and at the conclusion was as much
spent and worn as if had been laboring in
the sun for whole day


MONDAY, l9-Had three hours reading
with the most advanced of my students, and
then repaired to the chapel to meet deputa-
tons, preside at committees, and conduct the
prayer meeting. Our meetings for prayer are
daily in the morning at seven, and ON Monday
evening at seven the main body of the people
come up to supplicate the Lord We have
district meeting for prayer, presided over by
the elders of the church in their own locality,
the number of which would continually aver
age twelve per week, and that every week in
the year As far as | can gather there are
about twenty-five prayer meetings weekly,
officially recognized in connection with the
church over which preside, besides very
considerable number Of meetings in private
houses among the members After prayer
meeting, saw several members and inqurers,
and reached home soon after | p NJ
TUESDAY 20-Leit home at 7:30 in the
morning, and was on my way TO Diss, in Nor
folk, little journey of about one hundred
miles Arrived at my destination at a few
minutes after one, and found that rural town
all alive with the people from every neighbor
ing village No chapel could hold half the
crowd who had gathered together, and the tent
which had been erected had been dismanted
by a high wind During this service was
much troubled to know what to do with people
in the dark, in the evening. AT last hit up
on the following expedient which answered
admirably gave out that should preach
| in both the chapels of the town, but did not
tell a soul in which pulpit / should first ap-
pear Both houses were full TO the skylights


went to one and preached at once, and
then requested brother minister to read, pray
and sing, and so conducted the services which
ought to have been preliminary at the end in
stead of the beginning. This was changing
the order but it prevented disorder Rushing
away TO the second house, where they had
been proceeding with the usual service, ] ar
rived at the last verse Of tie second hymn and
took up the sermon at once.


After service, rode a few miles so as 20


lessen the length of the next days journey
and retired to rest in quiet farm house, just


as midnight had arrived