Smyrna had retained in a high degree their faith and piety, and on this account they were encouraged with a gracious promise of divine support in their sufferings, and with a glorious reward for their stedfastness and fidelity; but let us read for ourselves.

And unto the angel (angel means messenger or minister) of the Church in Smyrna write. These things saith the First and the Last, which was dead and is alive: I know thy works, and tribulation, and poverty (but thou art rich), and I know the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews, and are not, but are the synagogue of Satan. Fear none of these things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life. He that hath an ear let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the Churches; he that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death.-Rev. ii. 8-11.

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Fidelity does not exempt the people of God from persecu tion, but often, indeed, their faithfulness to God becomes the occasion of their persecution by ungodly men. Thus it was with the faithful Church at Smyrna. It is here foretold by the Holy Spirit that this Church should suffer tribulation ten days." Now, in the language of prophecy, a day is put for a year, and the ten days" mean ten years' persecution. This took place under Dioclesian, the Roman Emperor, who persecuted these and other Christians for ten years; indeed, during this persecution, all the Asiatic Churches were grievously afflicted. But persecution did not extirpate Christianity. Many of the faithful were martyred; but the blood of the saints became as the seed of the Church; and though pure religion has declined, even in Smyrna, from its ancient purity and ardour, it has never been extinguished there.

It is worthy of notice, that in the Epistle sent to Smyrna there is no denunciation, no threatening to take the candlestick away from its place, as was the case with the opulent and splendid city of Ephesus. On the contrary, we find the language of consolation and of promise. Such being the case, we do not expect the total extinction of Smyrna, nor the annihilation of its Church. What, then, is the present state of this city?

It is true that Smyrna has been repeatedly overthrown by earthquakes, and often has the plague made fearful ravages among its population; but as often has the city again raised its head above these calamities, and, after eighteen centuries, Christianity is still found in Smyrna.

The present town, which is about four miles in circuit, and extends about a mile along the shore, has a very handsome

appearance when approached by sea; its domes and minarets, interspersed with cypresses, rising above the tiers of houses, and the summit of the hill crowned with a large solitary castle. On the south side, where the Armenians and Jews have extensive burying-grounds, on flats one above another, the surface of the acclivity appears as if covered with white marble.

The harbour is large and convenient, which has concurred with its central situation to make it the resort of merchants of all nations. During the hot months, a westerly wind, called the "Inbat," regularly sets in, and lasts all day; and it is generally succeeded by a land-breeze in the night. But for this the heat would be insupportable. For whenever the fresh breezes of this wind abate for any time, the inhabitants are sure to be attacked by a malignant fever little inferior to the plague. The conflux of people of various nations, differing in dress, manners, language, and religion, is considerable. The population is estimated at about one hundred thousand persons. It has in it several Greek churches, and its prosperity is said to be on the increase. It is now important as a centre of action in the efforts made to evangelize the world.

Christian schools are established here; newspapers, two of which are religious in their character, are published here, and various agencies maintained for the spread of the everlasting Gospel.

Smyrna is famous for its fruits, its vineyards, orchards, and olive-grounds. Its figs are deservedly celebrated; its grapes are often found on the stalk converted into raisins by the sun; lemons, oranges, citrons, water-melons, are abundant, and of exquisite flavour. Fine fish is taken in the bay. Game of all kinds is cheap. The olive-groves furnish doves, fieldfares, thrushes, quails, and snipes in abundance. The sheep of Smyrna are distinguished by broad tails, “hanging down like an apron," some weighing eight or ten pounds and upwards: these are eaten as a dainty, and the fat, before they they are full-grown, is accounted as delicious as marrow. The flesh of wild hogs is also in much esteem among the Franks and Greeks. The town is, in fact, amply supplied with provisions; and Pococke says, the great number of Franks who are settled here make Smyrna a very agreeable place; there is no want of good company; they live in a very sociable manner, and are particularly civil to strangers."

The export trade of Smyrna consists in raw silks, camels' hair, the beautiful goats' hair, or mohair of Angora, Turkey carpets, unwrought cotton, coloured camlets, embroidered muslins, morocco skins, wool, wax, gall-nuts, a considerable quantity of raisins and currants, a little muscadine wine, amber, lapis lazuli, musk, rhubarb, and various other drugs and gums, besides pearls, diamonds, emeralds, rubies, and other precious stones. The imports are chiefly woollen cloths, lead, tin, glass, and wrought-silks.

HONOURS AND REWARDS GRANTED TO VICTORS. "Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible." -1 Cor ix. 25.

HERE is an allusion to the rewards given to the racers and other contenders at the public games in ancient Greece. These honours and rewards were of several kinds. The acclamations of the spectators in honour of the victors were only a prelude to the prizes designed for them. These prizes were different wreaths of wild olive, pine, parsley or laurel, according to the different places where these games were celebrated. These crowns were always attended with branches of palm, that the victors carried in their right hands; which custom, according to Plutarch, arose (perhaps) from the propriety of the palm-tree, which displays new vigour the more endeavours are used to crush or bend it, and is a symbol of the

courage and resistance of the champion who had obtained the prize. As he might be victor more than once in the same games, and sometimes on the same day, he might also receive several crowns and palms.

When the victor had received the crown and palm, a herald, preceded by a trumpet, conducted him through the stadium, and proclaimed aloud the name and country of the successful champion, who passed in a kind of review before the people, whilst they redoubled their acclamations and applauses at the sight of him.

When he returned to his own country, the people came out in a body to meet him, and conducted him into the city adorned with all the marks of his victory and riding upon a

HONOURS AND REWARDS GRANTED TO VICTORS.

chariot drawn by four horses. He made his entry, not through the gates, but through a breach purposely made in the wall. Lighted torches were carried before him, and a numerous train followed to do honour to the procession.

Sculpture united with poetry to perpetuate the fame of the champions. Statues were erected to the victors, especially in the Olympic games, in the very place where they had been crowned, and sometimes in that of their birth also, which was commonly done at the expense of their country. Among the

statues which adorned Olympia were those of several children of ten or twelve years old, who had obtained the prize at that age at the Olympic games.

How vain and perishable were the rewards of these victors, compared with that of the persevering and faithful Christian! A wreath of parsley or olive, or a branch of the palm-tree, how soon they fade! The applause, too, of the multitude, or even of a whole nation, how soon it vanishes! Should it continue as long as life itself, yet how short that life! A few years, and it is gone. But the crown of the Christian is incorruptible; it never fades. The favour of God, his bright approving smile, the joys of his presence, the rich communi cations of his love, never end. They are uninterrupted and

eternal!

My young friends, will you not strive for this rich and eternal reward? Will you not lay hold on eternal life? What hinders you? Nothing but sin. Oh, give it up, and give God your heart! Do this now, just now; delay no longer! God invites you, and bids you welcome, to the richest blessings of grace in this world and a state of glory in the world to come!

SELECT VARIETIES.

THE LAKE OF ALLIGATORS.

"Here is the pool," I said to my guide, rather contemptuously, "but where are the alligators?"

ONE of my first expeditions spring across, such hideous deniafter reaching Karachi was a zens are concealed. visit to the Magar Talao, as it is called, or Lake of Alligators. This curious place is about eight miles from Karachi, and is well worth inspecting to all who are fond of the monstrous and grotesque. A moderate ride through a sandy and sterile track, varied with a few patches of jungle, brings one to a grove of tamarindtrees, hid in the bosom of which lie the grisly brood of monsters. Little would one ignorant of the place suspect that under that green wood, in that tiny pool, which an active leaper could half

At the same time I was stalking on very boldly with head erect, and rather inclined to flout the whole affair, naso adunco.* A sudden hoarse roar or bark, however, under my very feet, made me execute a spring in the air with extraordinary adroitness, and perhaps with more animation than grace. I had almost stepped on a young crocodilian imp about

* As a silly affair.