Oh no! for when the world was young, On forest, field, and flood, Bright Nature's God look'd down and smiled, And said His works were good. When mid their wilds we wander free, His presence still we own, And when amid the slumbering dead J. A. BEVERIDGE. The Miscellany. THE DEAD SEA. WE bathed in the Dead Sea. The water was as cool and refreshing as its clearness had looked inviting, and very pleasant it was to float upon the strangely buoyant water. The taste is quite indescribable; the first sensation is of the saltness of brine; very naturally, for whereas there is four per cent. of salt in the ocean, there is twenty-six per cent. in the water of the Dead Sea; the next is of a sickening, greasy bitter, which is most disgusting. The strangest part is the sensation on the skin afterwards. Without any touch of towel one was instantly dry all over-literally "dry as a bone" -drier than anything one could think of, and yet greasy withal-not exactly sticky, but oily-the most disagreeable feeling inside one's clothes and gloves. The salt dried on one's clothes and hair most visibly, just as it lies on all the drift wood on the shore, but a touch brushed it away. We picked up a small fish, quite dead. Chateaubriand relates that he heard a mur mur in the water, which his guides told him arose from millions of little fish rushing into the lake-I conclude he means they were singing their little death songs, for certainly all the shells that we picked up contained only dead fish. We gathered great bunches of tiny pink flowerssomething like heath-very dry and very pretty; they made the shore quite gay, and we put bowers of them on our horses' heads in the hot ride of two hours more to the bank of the Jordan, where we were very glad to undress again under the shade of a friendly tree, and wash off the uncomfortable feeling of the "bad water.' The Jordan did not look as inviting as the Dead Sea. It is muddy and of a dark leaden colour, and we found the water very cold, but it was refreshing and pleasant. THE RIVER JORDAN. Perhaps no person at home can enter into the feeling with which one bathes in the sacred Jordan. can When one has 66 come up to Jeru salem," all through the Holy Land, following each hallowed footstep, and remembering each sacred story -noting sadly the ruin and desolation that has spread over each historic site-apt illustrations of how the light has shined, and yet the people still sit in darkness-and then one comes here where the river has been passing on with the same steady, ceaseless flow, ever renewing the same lovely thickets, since the day when the ark of God passed over, and since the Son of God fulfilled all righteousness-one hardly help fancying oneself no longer only a silent spectator of the distant scene, as, plunging into the river, one seems to throw oneself into the past, and to unite oneself something more than spiritually to the sacred histories of the stream. With Miss Martineau we may askAmong all the travellers who visit the Jordan, is there one, however far removed from superstition, who is willing to turn away without having bowed his head in these sacred waters?" The average breadth of the water is about 150 feet. The Jordan has one very remarkable characteristic in its being tortuous beyond all other rivers in the world; so that, in its 60 miles' course-as the crow flies-between the two lakes, it winds to the length of 200 miles; and still stranger that its fall is 660 feet, without a single descent of any very sudden depth, but all one continued downward slope. 66 MOUNT CARMEL. For quiet tranquil beauty "the excellency of Carmel " is very charming, and among the many changes in the sacred sites, it is pleasant to find this mountain still worthy of its name-a full orchard, a fruitful field, is the meaning of the word. Having crossed the town, we were soon upon the mountain, winding up its steep sides, among thick, low woods of prickly oak, laurustinus, and other shrubs, with quantities of honeysuckle, and the ground variegated with all the hues of the rainbow from the innumerable varieties of wild flowers which grew everywhere. We still looked back over the plain and the blue sea, until, reaching the brow of the mountain, we lost it on this side to find it again on the other to the south, beyond the ranges of the Judæan hills. Now came about twelve miles of undulating ground, like park-land at home; bright, grassy, flowery lawns, studded with oaks of various kinds, plane, terebinth, and caroub, with thick brushwood of lovely storax, and sometimes a wild-olive grove. Then, as we neared the south-eastern end of this long ridge, the plain of Esdraelon opened out before us, with Tabor, and Gilboa, and Little Hermon, and the Bashan mountains beyond Jordan, while, behind the hills to the north, beautiful Hermon appeared looking so close to Tabor as to realize one of the Psalmist's expressions, "Tabor and Hermon shall rejoice in thy name." About an hour and a half after passing through the Druze village of Esfiych, we reached the easternmost termination of the ridge, and seated ourselves under a spreading oak to enjoy the wide-spread view. Somewhat to our right, on a little grassy plateau, below our position, but high above the plain, we saw the traditionary site of the memorable sacrifice, which still bears the name of "el Mubrakak" (the sacrifice); it is wide enough to contain a large multitude of people, even if it was then, as now, half covered with trees and shrubsamongst which, concealed from us on the top, lies an ancient stonebuilt fountain, which probably supplied the twelve barrels of water which were poured over the altar and into the trench by Elijah's order. Meandering through the plain immediately below this was that ancient river, the river of Kishon," true to its name, twisting or winding, beside whose waters Elijah slew the 450 priests of Baal. Then, returning probably to the same spot where he had built the altar unto the Lord, the prophet "cast himself down upon the earth," in the earnestness of his supplication for the blessing of rain; and up to this highest 66 point, where we now sat, seven times over he bade his servant, "go up and look towards the sea," until at last the little little cloud rose on the horizon, foretelling the commencement of the autumnal rains; while one could fancy one saw the chariot of Ahab hastening over the great plain of Esdraelon before us, stretching out eastward from the foot of Carmel, and the prophet, with his loins girded, like any one of the Arabs now around us, running before him all the way, even till he reached the entrance of his own royal palace at Jezreel-there, on that green hill of Gilboa, at the other side of the plain. And across that plain, too, one also thought one could see the woman of that small village of Shunem, at the foot of Little Hermon yonder, riding on the ass, and in the anguish of her heart urging on her servant in driving it, that she might fall at the feet of the prophet, and entreat him to save and restore to life the son which his prayers had obtained of God for her, refusing to leave him till he arose and followed her to the little home he had often hallowed by his presence. And the Scripture narrative acquired new life and reality as we read it here on the very spot, and all the natural features, only half expressed to the reader at home, unfold themselves one by one to view.-Beaufort's Eastern Shrines. ARGUMENTS FOR THE BIBLE. UNBELIEF is rarely occasioned by intellectual doubts of the divine origin of Christianity, or of the inspiration of the Scriptures. It springs, in general, from a depraved heart, which dislikes the rigid restraints of religion, and its selfdenying duties. Let the heart once be touched by the renewing power of the Holy Spirit, and scepticism melts away like a snow-wreath before the sun. There are four grand arguments for the truth of the Bible. The first is the miracles on record; the second, the prophecies; the third, the good ness of the doctrine; the fourth, the moral character of the permen. The miracles flow from Divine power; the prophecies from Divine understanding; the excellence of the doctrine from Divine goodness; the moral character of the penman from Divine purity. Thus Christianity is built upon these four immovable pillars-the power, the understanding, the goodness, the purity of God. The Bible must be one of these things: either an invention of good men or good angels, or bad men or bad angels; or a revelation from God. But it could not be the invention of good men or angels; for they neither would nor could make a book telling lies, at the same time saying, "Thus saith the Lord," when they knew it all to be their invention. It could not be the invention of 1 wicked men or devils, for they would not make a book which commands all duty, which forbids all sin, and which condemns their souls to all eternity. The conclusion is irresistible-the Bible must be given by Divine inspiration. THE BLESSINGS OF THE BIBLE. WHAT an illustrious book is the Bible! It rises like a stream in the desert land-its source in the skies, and its fountain in the valleys of the earth. It has rolled ou, century after century, enriching every land with verdure and beauty, reflecting all the glowing sky above it, diffusing "whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are of good report," around it. It shines into the casement of the widow, like the light of the morning sun, and makes her heart sing with joy, and enables her orphan to lift her eye to the wide shore of the eternal sea, and to say. "Immensity is my home; eternity is my lifetime; the mighty God that built the universe is my father. my portion, my friend." It plants in man's heart the hope of joy, the halo of glory and of immortality. It erects in man's conscience the rule of right and wrong. It is em phatically the standard of Christianity. Wherever that standard is unrolled, there freedom finds its noblest footing. GOD NOT IN THE HOUSE. A SCOTTISH labourer went to work for a wealthy farmer. It was regarded as something of a favour to be employed by him, as he was a prompt and liberal paymaster, and had everything about his farm in order. The Scotchman remained with him only a few days. "You have left Mr. Runyan," said a neighbour. "Yes," was the reply. "Was the work too hard ?" "Wages too low ?" "Why did you leave, then?" "God was not in the house;" and he went on his way, leaving his questioner to ponder on the strange answer. Family worship was not known under Mr. Runyan's roof; nor was there a single praying member in his family. The labourer did not like to live under such a roof. He did not like to be, even for a season, a member of such a family. Of how many houses in our happy land can it be said in truth, God is not in the house! The house may be spacious, elegant, furnished with every comfort and convenience, but God is not in it. There are none in that house to thank Him for the blessings bestowed upon them. There are none there to serve and honour Him! HEAVEN. How charming is that word heaven! -where no tear will ever fall, no groan be heard, no sorrow be seen; where no sin will mar the perfect joy, no death bring it to an end. Oh, weary heart, there is rest for you. Oh, burdened heart, there is full pardon and holiness for you. Do sickness and pain make life a burden? Sickness and pain never enter there. Do sinners vex you? None but the holy are there. Do you wish perfect holiness and perfect bliss? You will find them there. Blessed Jesus! in thy name, relying on thy merits, I humbly hope for heaven. That which thou hast bought with thy blood shall be my eternal possession. Redeemed, purified, saved, I will there praise thee for ever. A SCRIPTURAL SUM. THE text for the following scriptural sum may be found in 2 Peter i. 5-7. If our young readers would get the answer, they must work out the problem. It is as follows: Add to your faith, virtue; ance; And to your temperance, patience; ness; And to brotherly kindness, charity. The Answer.-For if these things be in you and abound, they make you that ye shall be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ.-Rural Repository. PREACHING. A DEVOTEDLY pious man, who lived some six miles from the house of worship, once complained to his pastor of the distance he had to go to attend public worship, while many others had but a few steps to walk to enjoy divine ordinances. "Never mind," said the good minister, "remember that every Sabbath you have the privilege of preaching a sermon six miles long-you preach the Gospel to all the residents and people you pass." Youth and Childhood. REQUESTS FOR PRAYER, TO A PRAYER-MEETING. A NOTE was read from a young lady asking thanks to be returned for mercy bestowed. "Six weeks ago," the writer said, "she came into this meeting, bowed down under a weight of sorrow. Now the sorrow is gone, and she is happy in the blessings which have been granted." A young man said, "About three months ago I came to this meeting, a poor lost sinner, none more miserable than myself, knowing but little of the ruin which was before me. But I have reason to bless God that I came here. I cannot tell what praise and gratitude to God fills my heart for what He has done for me.' The young man shed no tears, yet he spoke with great difficulty. His emotions were too deep for tears. On some of the days of the last week, from seventy to eighty requests for prayer were read in the different rooms where the meetings were simultaneously held. Among them was read the following. It is in regard to the conversion of a man concerning which the meeting had no knowledge, until it was gathered from the paper read, which is as follows: "A few months ago, whilst receiving medical treatment in the city of New York, this young man sought also a spiritual physician. He attended the Fulton-street prayer-meeting, requested prayer, found Jesus, the great Physician of souls, who can save His people from their sins. 66 'Though at times his sufferings were severe, yet no groan nor murmur escaped his lips. Until within a few days of his death, he was able to ride and walk out. "Taken suddenly, Sabbath evening, with profuse hemorrhage of the lungs, he became convinced he must soon bid his earthly friends a last adieu. "The evening before his death, a neighbouring clergyman asked him, 'if the future all looked bright?' "He said, 'All bright, and I am glad I am going.' "The next morning, he asked his father to pray that he might retain his senses while he was passing through death. He had often requested his friends, as they hung around him, not to weep, but to sing and praise the Lord. "He said to his physician, 'If I am dying I want to know it. I do not want to be deceived.' "The doctor said, 'I fear you have but a little time to live.' "He said, 'Oh! happy-happyhappy!' "A friend came to his bedside. He looked up and said, 'they tell me that I am dying. Oh! happy, peaceful, glorious dying! Jesus can make a dying bed feel soft as downy pillows are.' "He often checked the tears of his young and beloved wife, as she sat beside his bed. "After prayer, he said, 'I am happy. I think my sins are forgiven. I trust in the Lord Jesus Christ. I give up the world, and all things here below.' He "He called his father to his bedside, and bade him a long farewell. 'Father,' he said, 'I am going.' Then he called his mother, his brother, and his dear wife. clasped each by the hand; to each he gave a parting embrace, and a farewell kiss to his wife, to whom he had been married only one short year, charging her to be on the Lord's side; then one more adieu he bade them, and said, 'Praise the Lord!' and upward his spirit took its final flight to heaven. This is one of the hundreds of cases of which we never hear, unless some circumstances like the above reveal it. So the meeting holds on its |
