day, and to keep off any insects that might threaten to annoy him.

It is remarkable that among all the images of eunuchs, and they are very numerous, there is not one without a double chin, and every other appearance of good living. We have carefully examined all the Assyrian monuments in the British Museum, and they all exhibit the eunuchs with the same fat and healthy appearance. They have all double chins and are fine-looking men. This fact reminds us of what is recorded in the first chapter of Daniel, respecting the luxurious mode of living provided for the eunuchs of the king of Babylon, in order that they might be full of flesh and goodlylooking. But the rich viands of the king were refused by the conscientious Daniel and his self-denying and holy companions. "And the king spake unto Ashpenaz the master of the eunuchs, that he should bring certain of the children of Israel, and of the king's seed, and of the princes; children in whom was no blemish, but well favoured and skilful in all wisdom, and cunning in knowledge, and understanding science, and such as had ability in them to stand in the king's palace, and whom they might teach the learning and the tongue of the Chaldeans. And the king appointed them a daily provision of the king's meat, and of the wine which he drank so nourishing them three years, that at the end thereof they might stand before the king. Now among these were of the children of Judah, Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah: unto whom the prince of the eunuchs gave names: for he gave unto Daniel the name of Belteshazzar; and to Hananiah, of Shadrach; and to Mishael, of Meshach; and to Azariah, of Abed-nego. But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king's meat, nor with the wine which he drank: therefore he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself. Now God had brought Daniel into favour and tender love with the prince of the eunuchs. And the prince of the eunuchs said unto Daniel, I fear my lord the king, who hath appointed your meat and your drink: for why should he see your faces worse liking than the children which are of your sort? then shall ye make me endanger my head to the king. Then said Daniel to Melzar, whom the prince of eunuchs had set over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, Prove thy servants, I beseech thee, ten days; and let them give us pulse to eat, and water to drink. Then let our countenances be looked upon before thee, and the counte nance of the children that eat of the portion of the king's meat and as thou seest, deal with thy servants. So he con

sented to them in this matter, and proved them ten days. And at the end of ten days their countenances appeared fairer and fatter in flesh than all the children which did eat the portion of the king's meat. Thus Melzar took away the portion of their meat, and the wine that they should drink; and gave them pulse."

How remarkable it is that a custom which prevailed about 3,500 years ago should receive such clear illustration and confirmation at the present day, and that from those shapeless mounds which covered the ruins of cities so long buried from human observation! It is the Lord's doing, and is marvellous in our eyes.

On each side of the eunuchs is a winged and horned figure, having a kind of reticule or basket in one hand and a cone in the other. These images are believed to represent the deities worshipped by the Assyrians. What the cone and the basket mean is not known; but the wings denote, probably, the attribute of omnipresence, and the horns denote power and dignity. It is remarkable that representations of deities are so frequent among the Assyrian sculptures; and the fact shows that those ancient people were not atheists, but a people who acknowledged the being of a God, though their worship was mingled and debased with great superstition.

SELECT VARIETIES.

THE TEMPLES OF FORMER TIMES.

IN fine weather, a walk in the fields cheers us when we are low in spirits. We feel nature is pleasing. To behold the green fields, and hear the songs of the birds in the hedge-rows, and among the trees, divert our minds. Many things which cannot be seen in towns meet our view. To read about things which once existed, but are now in ruins, or events which took place two or three thousand years ago, is like taking a journey far backward into past ages of the world's history. In the East, mankind were first gathered into nations; and when they had gone very far from God, into the paths of sin and folly, he made known himself to Abraham, the father of the Hebrews and Ishmaelites. In those early times, altars were erected for worship, and the patriarchs reared one when they settled anywhere to live. Their families and servants were taught to worship God by offering up sacrifices or joining in the sacred rite. In some instances, part

of the beasts was burnt, and the other part eaten by the worshippers. Mounds of earth were sometimes used, and in some places, altars of stone were built.

As men improved in the arts of life they paved the ground about the altars they had made. In process of time they built pillars around the sacred place set apart for divine service. For several hundred years the Israelites worshipped God in a beautiful tent, till Solomon built the Temple of God at Jerusalem. At that time there were very few temples in the world. Some of the oldest and the grandest ever known have been found in Egypt.

The Greeks built the most beautiful. The form of them was varied in different countries, but usually they were of greater length than width, with single or double rows of pillars in front or on each side. Men and animals were carved over the entrance, to keep in memory things said to have happened in very early times. In Rome there is now a Christian church which was a heathen temple, in the days when the gospel was first preached to the Romans. The Persians worshipped fire, and kept it constantly burning in some of their temples. The Druids used the unroofed temple of olden time. At the present time, there are remains of a large one on Salisbury plain. Some idolators worshipped images in high places, in thick groves or dark secret caverns. Without hope in God, their minds were filled with cruelty, and, intending to save themselves, they burnt their children to dumb idols. The temple of Diana at Ephesus was one of the most famous in the world. There was one at Rome, perhaps, more worthy of notice. This building served for two temples, one dedicated to honour, the other to virtue. So skilfully were the two joined to another that no one could get into the temple of honour without passing through that of virtue,-no doubt intending to shew the people, that whoever sought honour should practise virtue.

or

Of all temples, the second temple at Jerusalem was the most famous in all ages of the world. In it the Saviour of men instructed the Jewish doctors, when but twelve years old. In it he preached the glorious gospel, and from it he drove the worldly-minded Jews, who bought and sold goods there. There was a temple on Mount Gerizim, near Sychar Shechem, about which the woman at Jacob's well inquired, when the Saviour visited Samaria, where he taught the best of all lessons-how to worship God in spirit and in truth. Temples, or places of worship, are of use only to men. God dwells in all places at the same time, and can never be confined even to heaven itself,

When men have devoted buildings to the worship of God, they ought not to be used for meaner purposes. Good men in every age have felt it to be their duty to give a little of their goods to support the public worship of God. Whenever we have anything we can call our own, we cannot begin too soon to give something to the cause of God. In him we live and move, and ought to prove ourselves thankful to him, by giving something to the glory of his name and the spread of the gospel. Every day brings new proofs of his goodness, and increases his claims upon us. We are called upon to "seek him while he may be found, and call upon him while he is near."

1. That is the way to be happy. "I have lived," said Dr.Adam Clarke, "long enough to know that the great secret of human happiness is this: never suffer your energies to stagnate."

S. MOLLART.

a ship, having put everything to rights, called on the captain for what next should be done. "Tell them to scour the anchor," was the reply, on the principle that occupation, however needless, saves from the discontent of idleness.

4. That is the way to keep out of bad company. He will rove who has not rest for his mind in some occupation; and, roving,he will fall in with other rovers. They are birds of a feather.

And, as gathered burning brands augment the flame and heat, so do gathered rovers and idlers augment the taste and activity of each other's minds for evil doing.

5. That is the way to disappoint Satan. He comes up to the idler with assurance of a victim.

2. That is the way to accomplish a vast deal in a short life. The late William Hazlitt remarked, "There is room enough in human life to crowd almost every art and science into it. The more we do, the more we can do; the more busy we are, the more leisure we have." 6. That is the way to pay 3. That is the way to be con- due respect to counsel from the tented. The unemployed are highest of all counsellors: "Dilialways restless and uneasy. gent in business,' says the Occupation quiets the mind by divine record. Do something, giving it something to do. Idle- therefore-the right thing-do ness makes it, like an empty it-keep on doing it. Be wide stomach, uneasy. The mate of awake about it!-American.

QUERY 1.-ON THE HARDENING OF PHARAOH'S HEART. DEAR SIR,-I will thank you to explain the following passage through the medium of your invaluable miscellany:-Exodus x. 20. "But the Lord hardened Pharaoh's heart, so that he would not let the children of Israel go." If the Lord hardened Pharaoh's heart, so that he would not let the people go, was Pharaoh to be blamed for not letting them go?

With humble deference to your opinion, I subscribe myself, yours, JOHN BARNSLEY. Liverpool, May 9th, 1854.

ANSWER.-In the Scriptures God is often represented as doing that which he merely permits or suffers to be done. God did not harden Pharaoh's heart, but he left him to himself on account of his sins, and then Pharaoh's heart became as hard as a stone. If our young friend will turn to chapter ix. 34, he will there find it is said that Pharaoh hardened his own heart.-"And when Pharaoh saw that the rain and the hail, and the thunders were ceased, he sinned yet more, and hardened his heart, he and his servants." It is thus that one passage explains another, and the word of God is its own interpreter. We must take care lest we sin and cause God to abandon us to the hardness of our own evil hearts.

QUERY 2.-ON THE CREATION
OF LIGHT BEFORE the SUN.

DEAR SIR,-Since we received your highly-approved JUVENILE INSTRUCTOR into our Wesleyan Reform Sunday School, I have derived much instruction and satisfaction from the answers you have given to the various questions. prepared by your readers. I beg an elucidation of the following:-Genesis i. 3. In the first day of Creation we have light with day and night; yet on the fourth day, and not till then, is the light set in the firmament, to divide the day from the night, and to give light upon the earth.

By answering this in your next, you will much oblige your humble servant, and augment his unparalleled pleasure in reading the Holy Word.

WM. STOKER. Leghill Colliery, Blyth Circuit, May 16th, 1854.

ANSWER.-Light and the sun are two distinct bodies. This is quite plain from the fact that we have light from gas, oil, tallow, and all combustible substances. It is true that our daylight comes from the sun, or, at least, is excited by his influence; but it does not follow that light originally and essentially belongs to the sun. Indeed, from the dark spots on the sun's surface, some of which are even larger than our world, it is the opinion of philosophers that the body of the sun itself is dark and opaque,