coin; and there is a day coming in which the King of kings will most severely punish all who have debased his worship and service, by mixing their Romish traditions with his holy institutions:"For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book; if any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book," Rev. xxii. 18. And no wonder; for what horrible pride, presumption, and baseness of spirit is in foolish man to be so bold with the great God as to dare to mix anything of his own with his worship and service, which, according to Divine institution, is so perfect and complete? God will never bear it: to see men lay their dirt upon his gold, and to put their rags upon his royal robes. Ah, Christians, Christians! evidence your holiness by standing up for holy ordinances and pure worship, in opposition to all mixtures whatsoever. Let Baal plead for Baal; and though all the world should wander after the beast, yet do not you wander; and though every forehead should have the mark of the beast upon it, yet do you abhor his mark, and whatever else it be that does but smell and savour of the beast. It is observable that in the courts of kings and princes, children, fools, and the rude rabble are much taken with fine pictures, gaudy shows, and glistering clothes, while wise, serious, grave statesmen neither mind nor regard such poor things, but look upon them as matters much beneath the nobleness and greatness of their spirits who have honourable objects, and the great and weighty affairs of state to busy themselves about. So, my brethren, though the children, and fools, and the rabble of the world are much affected and taken with such pollutions and mixtures as make up a glorious pompous show, remember that you have a spirit of holiness, and principles of holiness in you: and oh! how should you slight such things, and pass them by as things beneath you things not worthy of you who have a holy God, a holy Christ, a holy gospel, and a holy worship, to engage your thoughts, your minds, your heads, and your hearts about. -Brook's Beauties of Holiness.

FILIAL FEAR

Is peculiar to a soul possessed of true piety; and consists in an apprehension of

power blended with benignity. So important is "the fear of the Lord" in the estimation of the inspired writers, that the whole of true religion is represented by that phrase. Infinite greatness and Almighty power, viewed as detached from love, may well create dread, or a "fear that hath torment;" but sovereign benevolence, united with awful power and equity, and seen through the medium of revealed truth, expel the slavishness of fear, and induce filial affection. If we conceive sovereign power, in any case, capable of doing us injury, we could never be free from slavish dread; and "a horror of great darkness" might interrupt our purest enjoyments. But if, in fact, our spiritual enjoyments are interrupted, in connexion with right views of the Divine character, we may be sure that then equity, not sovereignty, is operative, and that we suffer nothing more than we deserve. This being the case, the mind is awakened to self-inquiry, the cause in ourself is diligently sought out, and ignorance is properly lamented; and not only "presumptuous sins," but also our "secret faults,' make us fear, and cry unto the Lord for deliverance.

NESTS OF ROBINS.

ROBINS especially vary the form and the materials of their nests, according to their situation. One, which had its abode on the shelf of a greenhouse, surrounded it with a quantity of oak-leaves; while another, which, for two years, built amongst the straw which covered some sea-kale in a kitchen-garden, had its nest composed of a small quantity of moss only, and lined with hair. In some instances, too, where robins have used a large hole in a bank to build in, its sides have been completely filled in with a great quantity of oak-leaves.

The late king, when residing in Bushy Park, had a part of the foremast of the Victory, against which Lord Nelson was standing when he received his death wound, placed in a small temple in his grounds, from which it was afterwards removed. Prior to its removal, a pair of robins built a nest and reared a brood of young ones, in a hole made by a shot which had passed through the mast..

THYATIRA.

THYATIRA is a city on the northern berder of Lydia, about twenty-seven miles from Sardis; but is now commonly known by its Turkish name of Ak-hissar, or "The White Castle," from the large quantities of marble found in the neighbourhood. It is situated in a magnificent plain, eighteen miles broad, which produces plentiful supplies of cotton and grain, and is bounded on every side by a range of mountains. In pagan times the inhabitants honoured Diana as the patron goddess of their hills, and their MAY, 1848.

veneration for that imaginary deity is illustrated by many inscriptions discovered on mouldering stones and columns in the town and neighbourhood,- -on one of which she bears the title of "Diana Montana." An ancient monument was found by Smith, which he describes as having been erected in honour of one of her priestesses, Ulpia Marcella, by the senate and people; and on a broken stone in a wall, near a fountain, he traced the remains of an inscription, "To Diana, Goddess of the Mountains." Eminences have always been selected as the strongholds both of freedom and tyranny, of

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patriotic defence and despotic rule, and as places of retreat in perilous times from external foes or intestine tumults. Pagan ignorance held them in superstitious reverence, and gave their mountains to the peculiar protection of their divinities.

Thyatira is mentioned by many historians of ancient times under a variety of titles; but little is known of its condition before the conquest of Asia by the Romans. On the defeat of Antiochus by Lucius Cornelius Scipio, at Magnesia ad Sipylum, ambassadors were sent from the town offering terms of submission; and it was finally annexed to the empire by the consul, Perpenna, at the fall of the kingdom of Pergamos.

The city was much improved by the emperor Caracalla; and it appears, by a medal which has been discovered, that under the reign of this prince it took the name of Neocoron. An inscription also shows that Adrian had a temple here; in honour of which medals were struck. Strabo states that the town was considered by some authors to be the last of the district of Mysia, and that it was a colony of Macedonians.

On approaching Thyatira, the numerous cypresses and poplars in which it is embosomed, and from which the mosques and towers appear, please the mind of the traveller.

The country around is occasionally varied by a few valonea oaks, or sheltered from the oppressive heat of the sun by the foliage of the fig-tree. But though the appearance of these trees is often magnificent, the visitor is sometimes disappointed in the anticipation of tasting the fruit; for he finds, like Mr. Arundell, that the time of figs is not yet," for, though fair to view, they are, except when ripe, often as hard as stones. But, adds that traveller, "a refreshing spring was at no great distance, and we Tested there under the shadow of a great rock,' weary and thirsty."

The town is large, and abounds in shops of every description. It is estimated to comprise three hundred Greek houses, though some say five hundred; thirty Armenian, and one thousand Turkish; nine mosques; one Armenian, and one Greek church. The latter is wretchedly situated, and is so much under the level of the churchyard as to require five steps to descend into it. The inhabitants, who have been estimated * xiii., p. 929.

by some at about five thousand, are said to be almost entirely Mohammedans. The houses are low, many of them of mud or earth; and, with one exception, there is scarcely a decent house in the place. The streets are dirty and narrow, and forcibly impress the mind with the poverty and degradation of the people. A traveller states that he had a letter of introduction to Economo, the bishop's procurator, who informed him that the Turks had destroyed all remnants of the ancient church; and its site is now even unknown. Twenty years ago there were a thousand houses, for which taxes were paid to the government. Hartley says that the Greeks occupy about three hundred houses, and the Armenians about one-tenth of that number. The common language of all classes is Turkish; but in writing it the Greeks and Armenians severally employ the characters of their own tongue. Commercial intercourse is carried on in opium and Turkish carpets.

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a

We read in Scripture of Lydia, seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, whose heart the Lord opened, that she attended to the things spoken by Paul," Acts xvi. 14. And it is worthy of record, that among the ruins of this city an inscription has been found which was originally that of the corporation of dyers, concluding with the words, oi ßapɛis— "the dyers," in honour of Antonius Claudius Alphenus, a distinguished man in the reign of Caracalla. Hence we have one evidence that the art and trade of dyeing purple was carried on in that city. A visitor states that he made many inquiries on this subject, and found that the cloths which were dyed scarlet here were considered superior to any others furnished by Asia Minor, and that large quantities were sent every week to Smyrna for commercial purposes.

The food of the people is generally inferior, and it is amusing to observe the various kinds and forms of bread with which a traveller meets. The Londoner buys his bread according to weight, the Wiltshireman by the gallon, and the Parisian by the yard; but Asia Minor presents the still stranger form of having large flat cakes, as thin as brown paper, which are eaten either folded up or several doubled together; while at Bourdour the bread is very little thicker than an English pancake, but instead of being circular, is about a yard long and four inches wide.

The method of travelling is by means

of camels, and as no other means of judging of distance is afforded, it is necessary to calculate by time. This often appears strange to the reader of oriental journeyings; but as the pace of the camel is very regular, it is not difficult to make a rough approximation to the distance which has been traversed. It has been estimated that the camel steps seventy paces in a minute-which, reckoning from eighteen inches to two feet for each pace, would be somewhat below three miles an hour.

Arundell mentions that soon after arriving at his lodgings, an immense troop of horsemen took possession of the khan. It was the new motslem of Aidin Guzelhissar, with his numerous suite, all superbly dressed, on his way from Constantinople to the government; bearing an order to depose the present motslem, the friend of Dr, Pascal. It was an interesting sight, and gave a more oriental appearance to the khan and town in general than anything he had yet seen. These were evidently Turks of the court, and strongly contrasted with those of the remoter districts. "It was amusing to see these dandy gentlemen attending with their coarse hair bags to receive the allowance of barley for their horses. We had some reason to fear the want of a lodging, but a respectable young Greek, of Therma, who said he was of French extraction, most kindly gave us his chamber, where we were extremely well accommodated."* The sleep, however, which this traveller attempted to obtain in the khan was not enjoyed, from the constant disturbance occasioned by the arrival of people at all hours; but he was much amused by observing the manners of the people. A violent knocking at the great gate of the khan was followed by a voice vociferating to be admitted, but all were fast asleep but himself: the voice becoming increasingly clamorous, was responded to by a Turk, after a long yawn, who cried out, "Baba, baba!" to the capigi or porter-who required to be called more than once, alternately, by the names baba and hadji, before he would answer: at length he awoke, and began to question the stranger who demanded admittance, and an inferior domestic was then ordered to open the door, He, too, yawned a good deal; but at last the stranger was admitted. The khan was filled on all sides of the square

* Arundell's "Visit to the Seven Churches of Asia."

under the galleries with bales of merchandise, while many persons were snoring in the open court.

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Mr. Arundell's party quitted Thyatira, and proceeded in a north-westerly course; and soon afterwards passed through the village of Medes, where they found a well, at the mouth of which was a marble, with an inscription. Shortly afterwards small stream was crossed; the land hitherto from Thyatira being fertile and inclosed. The country in all directions appeared increasingly productive, of which the people took advantage by increased pains in the cultivation; and a view was subsequently gained of a rich and wellwooded plain, surrounded by a hilly country. "We met several carts," says Mr. Arundell, "drawn by buffaloes; the body of wickerwork, and the wheels regularly English ones, with neat spokes, and a narrow rim bound with iron, squeaking, however, horribly, like a thousand wind instruments out of tune." Further on, the scenery increased in beauty; and though it was then too dark, for the moon had not then risen, to see more than the general features of the place, the travellers were impressed with the delightful situation of the country.

On the subject of the first introduction of Christianity in Thyatira, the inspired narrative is silent; but it is by no means improbable that the pious zeal of Lydia did much for its promotion. Pleasing, however, as it may be to attribute to this truly excellent woman any service in the establishment of "the truth as it is in Jesus," it is of the utmost importance to guard against allowing speculation to misguide us in our religious views. far as inspiration lends its infallible guidance we may safely proceed; but when this is once left, and we rest on the traditions of men, we too often make void the revealed word of God!

So

The words of our Lord addressed to Thyatira plainly intimate the existence and progress of truth in the minds of many, and that a church had been formed which occupied, at that period, an important position in Asia. The features of the letter are, however, varied: the fair scene of primitive excellence was strangely marred by the machinations of early heretics; and the student of Scripture, while glorying in the prosperity of Zion, grieves to see evil in its most hideous forms. The inspired narrative says; "And unto the angel of the church in Thyatira write; These things saith the

Son of God, who hath his eyes like unto a flame of fire, and his feet are like fine brass: I know thy works, and charity, and service, and faith, and thy patience, and thy works; and the last to be more than the first," Rev. ii. 18, 19. The letter thus bearing the high authority of "the Son of God," reminded the followers of the once meek and lowly Jesus, but now the exalted Redeemer-" God over all, blessed for evermore!"-that their Master contemplated with approbation their unfeigned allegiance to him, and mutual affection; and their persevering conflict for the spread of the truth, despite the utmost efforts of pagan persecution. Yet a worm was at the root of its prosperity, as was clearly shown by the church suffering "that woman Jezebel," which called herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce the servants of the Lord. Some maintain, with Grotius and Calmet, that this woman was the wife of the pastor of the church; that she had obtained great and pernicious influence over its affairs; that she pretended to prophetic gifts, and under that sanction propagated abominable principles; and though her conduct was disapproved by many, yet no proper decision was used in censuring her, or preventing the mischiefs which she occasioned. Others, however, give to the passage a figurative interpretation, and consider it to have reference to a number of persons of the spirit and character of Jezebel, within the church, under one principal deceiver; and thus purity was contaminated, and our Lord Jesus Christ denounced the severest punishments, if such evils were still allowed.

Yet his tender love to all who were his faithful servants is at once displayed: "But unto you I say," he graciously continues, "and unto the rest in Thyatira, as many as have not this doctrine, and which have not known the depths of Satan, as they speak; I will put upon you none other burden. But that which ye have already hold fast till I come. And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of my Father. And I will give him the morning star. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches," Rev. ii. 24-29.

F. S. W.

THE APPLES OF SODOM. "Ah! what is life thus spent? And what are they But frantic, who thus spend it?"-COWPER.

THE heir of a noble house grew up to manhood. His person was lofty, and his step commanding and proud. He had been nurtured in halls of learning, and all that wealth could lend to intellect was his. He dwelt in a stately mansion, and many waited for his smile.

In his ample library were gathered the wisdom of ancient sages, and the varied knowledge of modern times. Tomes enriched by the skill of the engraver, and gay in silk and gold, strewed his tables. There he sometimes lingered till the lamps grew pale, and the fire in his burnished grate faded.

But as he sat in his deep chair of velvet, with his feet upon an embroidered ottoman, he sometimes dozed over the open page,-for a wine cup was beside him there.

Once he read from a classic book of the apples of Sodom; but deep sleep came upon him, and, falling, he lay upon the rich carpet. His servants bore him to his couch; and when his head sank in the deep down pillow, he murmured something like "Apples of Sodom.'

Afterwards, when he slept long among the books, or his foot failed in the hall, and they laid him in his bed, as one without strength, they said to each other, "Our master hath eaten the Apples of Sodom." But beyond this they spake not; for they loved the heir of that honourable house where they had so long been fed.

A fair young creature was seen in the lofty rooms of that princely abode. At her word, the marble vases glowed with fresh flowers, and guests, robed in rich apparel, gathered round the costly board. At her word, the steeds moved gracefully in the proud chariot-for she bore over that house the authority of a wife.

Of this

Yet was there something at her heart that gnawed like a secret worm. she spake not. But the green leaves of hope withered, and the garlands of joy.

She lay upon a silken couch. Perfumes breathed around her. The light of the silver lamp was shaded by the heavy folds of rich curtains; and the steps, gliding around her, upon the thick and radiant carpet, gave no sound. Then the wail of a weak infant was heard: and the soul of the young mother departed.

The master of the mansion wept;-but with his tears were drops of wine: the