putting on affections which are divine. What mortifies
the {417} senses and the flesh gives life to the spirit, and what
weakens and subdues the body strengthens the soul. Hence the divine love
infuses a spirit of mortification, patience, obedience, humility, and
meekness, with a love of sufferings and contempt, in which consists the
sweetness of the cross. The more we share in the suffering life of
Christ, the greater share we inherit in his spirit, and in the fruit of
his death. To souls mortified to their senses and disengaged from
earthly things, God gives frequent foretastes of the sweetness of
eternal life, and the most ardent desire of possessing him in his glory.
This is the spirit of martyrdom, which entitles a Christian to a happy
resurrection and to the bliss of the life to come.

Footnotes:
1. See Tillemont, t. 2, p. 249. Pagi, &c.

ST. SIGEFRIDE, OR SIGFRID,

BISHOP, APOSTLE OF SWEDES.

From Joan. Magnus, Hist. Goth. l. 17, c. 20, quoted by Bollandus, and
chiefly from a life of this saint, compiled at Wexlow about the year
1205, published from an ancient MS. by the care of Ericus Benzelius
junior, in his Monuments Historica vetera Ecclesiae Suevogothicae, printed
at Upsal in 1709, p. 1, ad p. 14, and in Prolegom. Sect. 1. The editor
was not able to discover the author's name: upon which he repeats the
remark of the learned Maussac, (in Diss. Critica ad Harpocrat.,) that
"many monkish writers endeavored to conceal their names out of
humility." On which see Mabillon, Diar. Ital. p. 36. Benzelius gives us
a considerable fragment of a second life of this holy prelate, ib. p.
21, ad 29, and some verses of bishop Brynoth the third, on St. Sigfrid
and the other bishops of this province, ib. p. 72.

Our zealous ancestors having received the light of our faith, propagated
the same throughout all the northern provinces of Europe. St. Anscarius
had planted the faith in, in 830; but it relapsed soon into idolatry.
King Olas Scobcong entreated king Edred, who died in 91{} to send him
missionaries to preach the gospel in his country. Sigefride, an eminent
priest of York, undertook that mission, and on the 21st of June, in 950,
arrived at Wexiow, in Gothland, in the territory of Smaland. He first
erected a cross, then built a church of wood, celebrated the divine
mysteries, and preached to the people. Twelve principal men of the
province were converted by him, and one who died, was buried after the
Christian manner