JUDGES V. 22.—"Then were the horsehoofs broken by the means of the pransings the pransings of their mighty ones." The Plain of the Kishon.-Another peculiarity of the plain is that on certain tracts of its surface there is strong adhesive mud, and this alone enables the banks of the Kishon to maintain their remarkable upright form, even when they are twenty feet high. Now when horses and mules pass over such places, they are often unable to pull out their feet. The struggles of the mules when they felt this were violent, and the loads of those that stuck fast had to be removed. One of our donkeys, falling into this clay, which is far stiffer than the loam, succumbed without an effort, lying upon his side as if hopeless, deep sunk in the mire, and patiently waiting half an hour until the other animals had been recovered, and he could be released. ८ I noticed also that the form of the mule's hoof, being sharp and pointed, allows it to sink much deeper than the flat hoof of a horse; but then the mule can, for the same reason, draw his foot out more easily. If a horse's foot is buried in the mud long enough to allow the clay to close over it from above, he finds it extremely difficult to draw his leg out again, and he instantly changes his gait to a series of plunges, with rapid, short, and jerky steps, snorting and groaning with terror, and panting and steaming in the wildest excitement. Therefore in this battle of Megiddo the war-steeds of Sisera were discomfited," flying before Israel, so that Sisera lighted down off his chariot," and Deborah could sing in her hymn of triumph, "Then were the horsehoofs broken by the means of the pransings, the pransings of their mighty ones. "The Rob Roy 66 66 99 on the Jordan." MATTHEW Xxiii. 27.-"Whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautifu outward." Adorning Sepulchres in Persia. The custom of "garnishing the sepulchres" prevails more or less throughout Persia. One singular adornment is "hair," many pillars being decked with a coronal of woman's tresses; since on the death of an important person his female relatives cut off their hair, and weaving this into wreaths, hang them upon the tomb. One peculiarity is also notable in their monuments, the character and former occupations of the deceased are not stated in words, but given in a series of pictorial designs. In the plains of Sahrai-Sirwan, Rawlinson noticed many white-washed obelisks, placed on any elevations which occurred conveniently, some rising to the height of fifteen feet, a modern example of "whitened sepulchres." Illustrative Gleanings. THE BLESSEDNESS OF THE REDEEMED, REVELATION Vii. 17.-" For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes." HEAVEN'S gates are wide enough to admit those who have been the greatest sinners, but they are too narrow for the admission of the smallest sin : "Those holy gates for ever bar Pollution, sin, and shame; None shall obtain admittance there, Here, we are like patients in an hospital; hereafter, we shall be like guests in a palace. Here we may be cured of the disease of sin by Christ's healing power; hereafter we shall be glorified by Christ's presence in the world where there is no more sickness, nor any more pain. As no dead man can secure possession of any earthly estate, so no dead soul can inherit the kingdom of God. Some persons think it is a very difficult thing to find the way to heaven; but a poor man thought otherwise, for he said, “The way is simple enough, there are only three steps, namely, these -out of sin, into Christ, up to glory." Robert Hall's conception of heaven was-perfect rest; for on earth he had for years the unrest of bodily suffering. Wilberforce's idea of heaven was— a region of perfect love; he longed for loving unity among all the people of God; both views are correct. Read the glowing description which Bunyan gives at the close of his "Pilgrim's Progress." . A Welsh minister was asked if he thought the saints would know each other in heaven? he replied, "To be sure we shall ! What! do you think we shall be greater fools than we are here?" The son and heir of Duke Hamilton died of consumption in his youth; when his minister visited him, he took his Bible from under his pillow and pointed to the words, " Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of life." This," said he, " is my comfort now." When near death, he urged his brother with much affectionate earnestness to seek Christ and prepare for heaven, closing his appeal with these remarkable words :-"Now, Douglas, in a little time you will be duke, but I shall be a king." 66 "Father, take me!" said a little afflicted girl, as she lay with her eyes upturned; her father hurried to the bed to raise her, when she gave him a sweet smile, saying, " No, I meant my heavenly Father, I want to rest in His arms.' A gentleman once asked some Sunday scholars what they thought the inhabitants of heaven would be likely to contend for? A little girl replied, "There could be no contention, they would be at rest for ever." "But," said the questioner, suppose there should be, what Iwould it be about?" She replied, "I should think it would be who should get nearest to Christ! Heaven is largely made up of little children who were as buds here, but are like full-blown flowers there. A pious little boy, whose pains prevented his bodily rest, when near his end, said, "Talk to me, mother!" "What shall I talk about ? " "About heaven, mother." Yes, to think of the heavenly rest often soothes bodily pain. "A rest remaineth for the people of God."-REV. ROBERT ROBINSON. RECONCILIATION WITH GOD. 2 CORINTHIANS v. 18, 19.-"The ministry of reconciliation; to wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.'' The Two Schoolfellows.-"Let us be friends," said George to Harry, putting out his friendly hand as he spake the words; but Harry only looked sneeringly at him, and sullenly turned away. George was head monitor in the school, and had done Harry many a kind turn; but as he was both idle and wilful he was compelled, in all faithfulness, to check and report him, so Harry hated him, scandalized him, and acted maliciously towards him; but George, who had very kind feelings towards him, longed to have these feelings awakened in the breast of Harry, and so, though he was the injured party, he offered his hand of reconciliation and it was refused. Now the conduct of George was God-like, for " God commendeth His love toward us, while we are sinners." He who had so much cause to be angry with us for ever, made His anger toward us to cease, and did, in effect, stretch out His hand toward us, saying, "Let us be friends." Jesus is that hand of divine love. He came into our world to live and die for sinners, that thus a hand of reconciliation and friendship might be within our reach, and when, with sorrow for sin, we trust in Jesus for salvation, we take the stretched-out hand, and by faith grasp it, and thus enjoy "peace with God through Jesus Christ our Lord." Thus 66 "He, Lord of all the worlds above, Stoops to converse with you, As soon as you believe in Jesus you may say, "Now I am reconciled to God; " but while you are forgetful, neglectful, un 56 ILLUSTRATIVE GLEANINGS. believing, and persisting in sin, you act in the same unlovely and despiteful way towards God that Harry acted towards George, and thus you expose yourselves to God's wrath and curse for We are not told to try and make our peace with God, but to be at peace. The great message of the gospel is, Be ye reconciled to God."-Ibid. ever! 66 THE DUTY OF THE CHILDREN OF LIGHT TO THOSE WHO ARE IN DARKNESS LUKE i. 79.-"To give light to them that sit in darkness." "I want Annie where the Light can Shine on Her."-The cloth had been removed, the lamps lighted, and around a cheerful fire a happy family had gathered to enjoy that most enjoyable of all social pleasures, a family talk. Little Freddy, the pet and plaything, nestled in his mother's arms, satisfied with her fond caresses, though his voice was not heard in the family councils. Suddenly a little sob caught the mother's ear, and folding him more closely to her heart, she whispered, "What's the matter darling? what does my little pet want?" "I don't want Annie to sit over there, where the light can't shine on her," sobbed the affectionate little fellow, whose quick eye had observed her entrance, and whose fine instinct detected the soul-loneliness of one beyond the circle-out of the light. How many such there are in this world, waiting for some keen eye and noble nature to find them out and invite them into the light, towards which their souls are turning. THE RESURRECTION OF THE BODY. 1 CORINTHIANS xv. 20.-" But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept." We have all seen fields carefully irrigated with artificial rills of water supplied perpetually from a neighbouring stream. Such fields are always green and luxuriant, and able, in the midst of a parched land, to turn a contented face towards the relentless, scorching sun. Thus they may remind us of souls in living union with Christ, who "shall never die," because they are in constant communication with the Source of Life, and who know that because He lives they shall live also in eternal fruitfulness, joy, and beauty. It is only those who come to their great change-death-with a new Christ-given life burning strongly in their souls, who can look for "the resurrection of life." A striking analogy of this is adduced by Archbishop Whately, in his Annotations on Bacon's Essays. The lava of a butterfly contains within it, in addition to its own organs, the perfect future insect. Sometimes, however, the ichneumon fly deposits its eggs in the body of the larva, and the grubs that are hatched out of these eggs feed on the contained butterfly, although the life of the larva is not injured. But when the poor caterpillar becomes a pupa-retires into that transition state of torpor which should be followed by the emancipation of the butterfly-then the damage comes to view. Day after day passes away, but no butterfly comes forth, and soon the pupa crumbles into dust. Fearful emblem this of the end of those who are alive towards the world, but, through sin living within them, are dead toward God. A beautiful emblem of the resurrection is afforded us every year in the up-springing of herbs and flowers from beneath their shroud of snow and sepulchre of frost. I have walked on a winter's night over the ringing ground, and thought of all the small, shapeless seeds and unsightly roots lying motionless beneath; and as I looked forward to the month when the voice of spring should call them all forth to light and life, and clothe them with beauty, my thoughts have turned to dwell upon the sacred dust of God's children, lying in the graveyards (which are His garden), waiting for the eternal spring-time and the voice of Christ.-E. B. LIFE IN THE SPIRIT, AND ITS INFLUENCE. ROMANS Viii. 14.-"As many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God." The Merchant's Clerk.-A merchant who had been a very worldly, godless man, was converted, and united himself with the church of Christ. On being asked what had been more especially the means of his conversion, he replied, "The example of one of my clerks." He went on to say that this young man was one "whose religion was in his life rather than in his tongue. When I uttered an oath he never reproved me, but I could see that it deeply pained him. When I fell into a passion and behaved in a violent manner, though he spoke no word to that effect, I could see how painful the scene was to him. My respect for him led me to restrain myself in his presence, and gradually to break myself of both these habits. In fact, this man, though he never spoke a word to me on the subject of religion, exercised an influence for good over me wielded by no other human being." GOD LEADS HIS 'PEOPLE. HEBREWS viii. 9.-"I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt." A Child's Confidence,-In the dead of the night I am frequently awakened by a little hand stealing out from the crib by my side with the pleading cry, "Please take my hand, papa!" Instantly the little boy's hand is grasped, his fears vanish, and |
