cially figs and almonds, olives and pomegranates. The ravine in which it lies is terraced, and the terraces are covered either with fruit trees or waving grain. There are not many houses (perhaps about twenty) inhabited, but there are many marks of ancient ruins. The House of Lazarus was pointed out to us-a substantial building, probably a tower in former days, and selected to bear the name of the House of Lazarus by traditionists, who did not know how else than by his worldly eminence such a man could draw the special regard of the Lord Jesus. They did not know that Christ loveth freely. The sepulchre called the Tomb of Lazarus attracted more of our attention. We lighted our tapers, and descended twenty-six steps cut in the rock to a chamber deep in the rock, having several niches for the dead. Whether this be the very tomb where Lazarus lay four days, and which yielded up its dead at the command of Jesus, it is inpossible to say. The common objection that it is too deep seems entirely groundless, for there is nothing in the narrative to intimate that the tomb was on a level with the ground; and besides, it seems not unlikely that there was another entrance to the tomb farther down the slope. A stronger objection is, that the tomb is in the immediate vicinity of the village, or actually in it; but it is possible that the modern village occupies ground a little different from the ancient one. However this may be, there can be no doubt that this is "Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister Martha, nigh unto Jerusalem, about fifteen furlongs off." How pleasing are all the associations that cluster around it! Perhaps there was no scene in the Holy Land which afforded us more unmingled enjoyment: we even fancied that the curse that everywhere rests so visibly upon the land had fallen more lightly here. In point of situation, nothing could have come up more completely to our previous imagination of the place to which Jesus delighted to retire at evening from the bustle of the city, and the vexations of the unbelieving multitudes-sometimes traversing the road by which we had come, and perhaps oftener still coming up the face of the hill by the footpath that passes on the north of Gethsemane. What a peaceful scene! Amidst these trees, or in that grassy field, he may often have been seen in deep communion with the Father. And in sight of this verdant spot it was that he took his last farewell of the disciples, and went upward to resume the deep, unbroken fellowship of "his God and our God," uttering blessings even at the moment when he began to be parted from them. And it was here that the two angels stood by them in white apparel, and left us this glorious message: "This same Jesus which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him into heaven." go

GETHSEMANE.

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Master with a kiss. The road to Bethany passes, by the foot of the garden, and the more private footpath up the brow of the hill passes along its northern wall. Looking across the Kedron the steep brow of Moriah and sombre wall of the Haram with its battlements, and the top of the Mosque of Omar, shut in the view. At evening, when the gates of Jerusalem are closed, it must be a perfect solitude. Our blessed Master must have distinctly seen the band of men and officers sent to apprehend him, with their lanterns and torches, and glittering weapons, descending the side of Moriah, and approaching the garden. By the clear moonlight, he saw his three chosen disciples fast asleep in his hour of agony; and by the gleam of the torches, he ob served his cruel enemies coming down to seize him and carry him away to his last sufferings; yet "he was not rebellious, neither turned away back." He viewed the bitter cup that was given him to drink, and said, "Shall I not drink it ?" We read over all the passages of Scripture relating to Gethsemane, while scated together there. It seemed nothing wonderful to read of the weakness of those three disciples, when we remembered that they were sinful men like disciples now; but the compassion, the unwavering love of Jesus, appeared by the contrast to be infinitely amazing. For such souls as ours, he rent this vale with his strong crying and tears, wetted this ground with his bloody sweat, and set his face like a flint to go forward and die. "While we were yet sinners Christ died for us." Each of us occupied part of the time alone, in private meditation; and then we joined together in prayer, putting our sins into that cup which our Master drank here, and pleading for our own souls, for our far-distant friends, and for the flocks committed to our care.

It is probable that Jesus often resorted to this place, not only because of its retirement, but also because it formed a fit place of meeting, when his disciples, dispersed through the city by day, were to join his company in the evening, and go with him over the hill to Bethany. And this seems the real force of the original words, “ Πολλάκις συνήχθη ὁ Ἰησοῦς ἐκεῖ μετὰ τῶν μαθητῶν αὑτοῦ — “Jesus ofttimes rendevoused at this spot with his disciples."— Bonar and M'C', jne's Narrative.

But

Early one morning two of us set out to visit semane. The sun had newly risen; few people were upon the road, and the Valley of Jehoshaphat was lonely and still. Descending the steep of Mount Moriah, and crossing the dry bed of the brook Kedron, we soon came to the low rude wall enclosing the plot of ground which for ages has borne the name of Gethsemane, Clambering over, we examined the sacred spot and its eight olive trees. These are very large and very old, but their branches are still strong and vigorous. One of them we measured, and found to be nearly eight yards in girth round the lower part of the trunk. Some of them are hollow with age, but filled up with earth, and most have heaps of stones gathered round their roots. The enclosure seems to have been tilled at some recent period. corner some pilgrim has erected a stone, and carved upon it the Latin words, "Et hic tenuerunt eum," marking it as the spot where Judas betrayed his

At one

race.

BEGIN TO-DAY.

DO YOU GO REGULARLY TO CHURCH? In view of what trivial causes do members of our

Churches often stay away from the house of God! If they are only suffering a little fatigue or bodily indisposition, or if the weather is slightly inclement, or if the distance to the place of worship is such as to require some exertion on their part in order to get there, how readily do they endeavour to quiet their consciences, in neglecting one of the most sacred appointments of Heaven! That professed Christian is too unwell to worship God with his people; but he would not be too unwell, if it were any other day of the week, to perform his customary labour. The Sabbath is a stormy one; but you will see him on other days far more inclement driving from one part of the town to the other. The distance is considerable; but propose to him on Saturday or Monday some plan that promises to advance his temporal interest, and distance, like the state of the weather, will at once be forgotten. Are these men really serious in their profession? Do they manifest the holy sincerity, the

pious zeal, that distinguished the saints in primitive times? Can they be said to worship the Lord in truth, who plead such reasons for neglecting his worship as they would not urge in connection even with their secular affairs? Speak, Consistency; speak, Conscience; speak, Oracles of God! I would be far from intimating that circumstances may not be such as to render a person justifiable in being absent from public worship on the Lord's-day. If an individual is confined to his room by a broken limb, or to his bed by a fever, it is manifestly not his duty to go out; and the same is of course true if he is so seriously indisposed that he would be in danger of increasing or prolonging his distemper. It is evident, also, that drenching rains in summer, and drifting snows in winter, may sometimes render it hazardous for persons in health, especially females, to leave their homes on the Sabbath. Wisdom is profitable to direct; and it was never intended that one duty should interfere with another. The Sabbath was made for man; and the service of God is in all respects a "reasonable service." Still, it is not every slight complaint, it is not every threatening cloud, or fog, nor even every considerable fall of rain or snow, that can excuse us from waiting upon God in his house. If we would, week-day, and for a worldly purpose, the excuse is without hesitation, expose ourselves as much on a vain. O that men would be honest on points in regard to which, although they may indeed deceive themselves, they never can deceive their Maker! If they had that longing for the courts of the Lord of which we read in the Scriptures, they would not be detained at home by trifles; they would lose sight of not a few supposed difficulties, and overcome even many real ones, in order to be present at the sanctuary.

SIR EDWARD COKE'S OPINION OF THE
JESUITS.

THE cat having a long time preyed upon the mice, the poor creatures at last, for their safety, contained themselves within their holes; but the cat finding his prey to cease, as being known to the mice that he was indeed their enemy and a cat, deviseth this course following, namely, changeth his hue, getting on a religious habit, shaveth his crown, walks gravely by their holes, and yet perceiving that the mice kept their holes, and looking out, suspected the worst, he formally, and father-like, said unto them: Quod fueram non sum, frater, caput aspice tonsum-"0 brother, I am not as you take me for no more a cat; see my habit and shaven crown." Hereupon some of the more credulous and bold among them were again, by this deceit, snatched up; and therefore when afterwards he came, as before, to entice them forth, they would come out no more, but answered, Cor tibi rest at idem, vix tibi præsto fidem"Talk what you can, we will never believe you; you bear still a cat's heart within you." And so here the Jesuits, yea and priests too; for they are all joined in the tails, like Samson's foxes: Ephraim against Manasseh, and Manasseh against Ephraim; and both against Judah.-Speech of Sir E. Coke, Lord Chief Justice of England, in Roscoe's British Lawyer.

table is the most famous trysting-place with Christ. It is then that believers hear him

3. Observe, Christ speaks: "Open to me, my sister, my love, my dove, my undefiled." O what a meeting of tender words is here!—all applied to a poor sinner who has believed in Christ. (1.) “My sister;" for you remember how Jesus stretched his hand toward his disciples, and said: "Behold my mother and my brethren; for whosoever shall do the will of my Father, the same is my brother, and my sister, and my mother." (2.) "My love;" for you know how he loved sinners-left heaven out of love-lived, died, rose again, out of love for poor sinners; and when one believes on him, he calls him "My love." (3.) My dove; " for you know that when a sinner believes in Jesus, the holy dove-like Spirit is given him; so Jesus calls that soul" My dove." (4.) "My undefiled" -strangest name of all to give to a poor defiled sinner. But you remember how Jesus was holy, harmless, and undefiled. He was that in our stead—when a poor sinner believes in him, he is looked on as undefiled. Christ says

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My undefiled." Such are the winning words with which Christ desires to gain an entrance into the believer's heart. Oh, how strange that any heart could stand out against all this love!

4. Observe, Christ waits: "My head is filled with dew, and my locks with the drops of the night." Christ's patience with unconverted souls is very wonderful. Day after day he pleads with them: "Turn ye, turn ye, why will ye die !" Never did beggar stand longer at a rich man's gate, than Jesus, the almighty Saviour, stands at the gate of sinful worms. But his patience with his own is still more wonderful--they know his preciousness, and yet will not let him in their sin is all the greater, and yet he waits to be gracious.

5. Believers are often slothful at these trysting times, and put the Saviour away with rain excuses. (1.) The hour of daily devotion is a trysting hour with Christ, in which he seeks, and knocks, and speaks, and waits; and yet, dear believers, how often you are slothful, and make vain excuses! You have something else to attend to, or you are set upon some worldly comfort, and you do not let the Saviour in. (2.) The Lord's

"I have put off my coat; how shall I put it on?

I have washed my feet; how shall I defile them?" Doubtless, there are some children of God here, who did not find Christ last Sabbath-day at his table-who went away unrefreshed and uncomforted. See here the cause-it was your own slothfulness.

Christ was knocking; but

you would not let him in. Do not go about to blame God for it. Search your own heart, and you will find the true cause. Perhaps you came without deliberation-without self-examination and prayer-without duly stirring up faith. Perhaps you were thinking about your worldly gains and losses, and you missed the Saviour. Remember, then, the fault is yours, not Christ's. He was knocking-you would not let him in.

II. Believers in darkness cannot rest without Christ.

In the parable we find that, when the bride found her husband was gone, she did not return to her rest. Oh, no! her soul failed for his word. She listens-she seeks she calls. She receives no answer. She asks the watchmen, but they wound her, and take away her veil; still she is not broken off from seeking. She sets the daughters of Jerusalem to seek along with her.

So is it with the believer. When the slothful believer is really awakened to feel that Christ has withdrawn himself, and is gone, he is slothful no longer. Believers remain at ease only so long as they flatter themselves that all is well; but if they are made sensible, by a fall into sin, or by a fresh discovery of the wickedness of their heart, that Christ is away from them, they cannot rest. The world can rest quite well, even while they know that they are not in Christ. Satan lulls them into fatal repose. Not so the believer-he cannot rest. 1. He does all he can do himself. He listens-he seeks he calls. The Bible is searched with fresh anxiety. The soul seeks and calls by prayer; yet often all in vain. He get no answer -no sense of Christ's presence. 2. He comes to ministers-God's watchmen on the walls of Zion. They deal plainly and faithfully with his backslidden soul-take away the veil, and show him his sin. The soul is thus smitten and