faced deceiver caused the simple one to smile; until in process of time the scholar perceived that as his guest waxed stronger and stronger, he himself waxed weaker and weaker.

"Now also there arose frequent contention between the demon and his dupe, and the youth smote the demon so sore that it departed for a season. Thereupon Abdallah rejoiced exceedingly, and said, 'I have triumphed over mine enemy, and when it seemeth good in my sight I shall smite him that he die.' But after not many days, lo and behold! the jinn came again, arrayed in goodly garments, and bringing a present in its hand, and with its fair speech saying, 'Is it not a little one?' it enticed this silly dove so that he again received it into his chamber.

"On the morrow, when Abdallah came not into the assembly of studious youths, the mufti said, 'Wherefore tarrieth the son of the faithful? perchance he sleepeth.' Therefore they resorted even to his chamber, and knocked, and lifted up their voice; but as he made no answer the mufti opened the door, and behold! on the divan lay the dead body of his disciple. His visage was black and swollen, and on his throat was the pressure of a finger broader than the palm of a mighty man. All the stuff belonging to the hapless one was gone, the gold and the jewels, and the parchment rolls, and the changes of raiment; and in the soft earth of the garden were discerned the footsteps of a giant. The mufti measured one of the prints, and lo! it was six cubits long.

"What means the apologue? Who can expound the riddle? Is it the bottle or the betting-book? is it the billiard-table? is it the theatre, or the tea-garden, or the music saloon ? is it laziness? is it debt? is it the wasted Sunday? But know that an evil habit is an elf constantly expanding. It may come in at the keyhole, but it will soon grow too big for the house. At first it may seem too trivial for serious attack, but it will presently prove the death of the owner."

Luke ii. 42.-"WHEN HE WAS TWELVE YEARS OLD, THEY WENT UP TO JERUSALEM, AFTER THE CUSTOM OF THE FEAST."

1613. Sons of the Law.-A Modern Jewish Ceremony.-At the age of twelve years the boys in Jewish families were called "Sons of the Law;" they were admitted to that portion of the synagogue appropriated to the men, and were considered as bound to observe

the law. We give a brief description of the initiatory ceremony, as at present practised:

66

A few days ago I attended a very interesting service in a Jewish synagogue. A boy just twelve years old was brought by his father to be admitted as a member of the synagogue; there were present the parents of the boy, his brothers and sisters, his friends, and some few strangers. After several ceremonies had been performed, the priest read a portion of the law in Hebrew; the boy then stepped forward to the desk or platform, near the centre of the building, and read from the roll of parchment, in a clear distinct voice, a short psalm. A pause ensued, and then the old man addressed the boy in a few brief sentences-telling him that as he had attained to years of discretion, and knew the difference between right and wrong, a great responsibility rested on him; that it was his duty to follow the good and shun the evil; that it became him to show that the instruction he had received had not been given in vain; that he must diligently practise that which he knew to be right; be obedient to his parents, kind and affectionate to his brothers and sisters, charitable to those who needed his help, and faithful to the religion he had been instructed in. Then, placing his hand on the boy's head, he prayed earnestly that the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob would bless the lad, would preserve him from danger and from sin, and make him a wise and good man if he should be spared to enjoy length of days; or, if his life should be short, that he might be admitted to the presence of God in heaven."-T. J. C.

Jeremiah xiii. 23.-"CAN THE ETHIOPIAN CHANGE HIS SKIN, OR THE LEOPARD HIS SPOTS? THEN MAY YE ALSO DO GOOD, THAT ARE ACCUSTOMED TO DO EVIL."

1614. Man cannot Change his Heart.-How difficult it is for an individual to change his character is well set forth in the Eastern proverb, "If any one tells you that a mountain has changed its place, believe it; but if any one says that a man has changed his character, believe it not."

Isaiah xliii. 25.-"I, EVEN I, AM HE THAT BLOTTETH OUT THY TRANSGRESSIONS FOR MINE OWN SAKE, AND WILL NOT REMEMBER THY SINS."""

1615. Confession to a Priest opposed to God's Method of Forgiveness. Suppose an eminent physician should visit an hospital once a week, and that he should require each patient to come before him with a correct catalogue and description of all his ailmentsevery "wound, and bruise, and putrefying sore" mentioned, with all the changes for the worse they have undergone during the week Suppose him to require a description also of all the internal ailments from each,-the pain, and the sinking, and the fever, and the sickness, the state, in short, of every separate organ as far as each knows, believes, or imagines. Then suppose that he probes every wound afresh, stays the incipient healing, and, on departing, leaves the injunction that every diseased man and woman-yes, and child, shall direct their attention and care more narrowly than ever to their wounds until the period of his return; and suppose that to help them in this, and in the process of recovery, he hangs a weight upon each, which he calls a medical penance, to stay the progress of corruption, and so takes his departure. A very cheerful time these poor creatures would have! Why, it would be better far for them never to see his face, and to have sent in to them instead the most ignorant man that could be found on the street, if only he had a sunny face and a happy disposition,-if only he would sit and talk to them a little of fields, and flowers, and children, and human homes.

There is really no exaggeration in this analogy. You know how to apply it. The call of a priest to his devotees to come to the confessional is a call to a spiritually sick soul to nourish and perpetuate its own disease. At best it is visiting a prisoner in the prison-house to condole with him, rather than to take him by the hand and lead him out into the light of open day. REV. A. RALEIGH, D.D.

Psalm ix. 17.-"THE WICKED SHALL BE TURNED INTO HELL." 1616. A Scoffer Rebuked." Where is hell?" was the question once asked by a scoffer. Brief, but telling, was the reply, “Anywhere outside of heaven."

Genesis vi. 14. "MAKE THEE AN ARK OF GOPHER WOOD.'

1617. Noah's Ark and the "Great Eastern" compared.-The cubit is reckoned at 20.625 English inches (Sir I. Newton), 21.88 English inches (Bishop Wilkins).

Length between perpendiculars

Breadth

Depth

Ark, Bp. W. "Gt. Eastern."

Ark, Sir I. N.
Eng. feet.

Eng. feet.

Eng. feet.

John vi. 5.-"WHEN JESUS THEN LIFTED UP HIS EYES, AND SAW A GREAT COMPANY COME UNTO HIM, HE SAITH UNTO PHILIP, WHENCE SHALL WE BUY BREAD, THAT THESE MAY EAT?"

1618. Christ's Inquiry of Philip.-Undesigned Coincidence in the Gospels. This apostle is never once named, in the first three Gospels, as having any special question put to him, or taking part in the conversation of our Lord, and only once beside in the Gospel of St. John. Why should the question now be addressed to him rather than the others? The passage itself offers no key to the incident, and we might readily suppose that it was an accidental circumstance.

Let us turn to St. Luke ix. 10, where the same miracle is recorded, and we find this further circumstance mentioned which fixes the scene of the miracle: "And he took them, and went aside privately into a desert place belonging to the city called Bethsaida." The miracle is then said to have been wrought at the close of that very day.

If now we turn once more to St. John's Gospel, we find in the first chapter this passing intimation: "Now Philip was of Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter." Two different prepositions are here used, one of which seems to denote the birthplace, and the other the usual abode. Hence the meaning seems to be, that Philip, though a native of Capernaum, was an inhabitant of Bethsaida. It is thus explained why our Lord should address the in

quiry to him rather than the others. They were in a desert place belonging to Bethsaida; and hence Philip was more likely than any of the rest to know where a supply of provisions might possibly be found.

One doubt, however, still remains. There were two Bethsaidas near the Sea of Tiberias, some have even supposed a third. For this last opinion, however, there is no evidence, and it has arisen only from a misconstruction of this very passage. Many have thought that the scene of the miracle was Bethsaida-Julias, to the north-east of the lake. If so, the coincidence would be deceptive, since Philip belonged to Bethsaida of Galilee.-(John xii. 21.)

There are conclusive reasons which forbid us to place the scene in the neighbourhood of Julias. The suburbs of one of the largest cities near the lake would be ill suited for the purpose of retirement. The course of the disciples on their return is also inconsistent with such a view of the locality. They crossed over towards Bethsaida, while the route from Julias to Capernaum would not bring them near to Bethsaida of Galilee.

One easy supposition removes all difficulty, and maintains the reality of the coincidence. Capernaum, Bethsaida, Chorazin, were fishing towns on the west of the lake, and would very likely have separate districts belonging to them on the opposite side, for the convenience of the crews in their frequent short voyages across the lake. If the miracle occurred in such a district belonging to Bethsaida of Galilee, and lying opposite to it on the further side of the lake, the whole becomes consistent and natural, and the appeal to Philip, as an inhabitant of Bethsaida, and acquainted with its localities, retains its strict propriety.-REV. T. R. BIRKS.

John i. 16.-" AND OF HIS FULNES HAVE ALL WE RECEIVED, AND GRACE FOR GRACE."

1619. Christ satisfies Man's Wants.-You have stood by the seashore, and have noticed in some parts the deep holes in the sand and rock. But when the tide has come up, it has filled up all those crevices and holes. There are wants in our hearts,-unsatisfied longings; look to Christ, in Him there is a tide of grace to fill up every hollow and crevice in your nature.-REV. THOMAS JONES.