EVERY place mentioned in Scripture is interesting; and we are much indebted to modern travellers for the knowledge which we have of their present condition. The print which we here introduce gives us the present appearance of Bethany, with the Dead Sea in the distance. Bethany is said now to be a miserable village in the midst of a desolate country. The Turks now possess the greater part of the country which was the scene of Scripture history. In most of their towns the houses have a sort of dome at the top, which gives them an appearance very different from our own. The houses are generally low; and the chief use of the dome seems to be to give additional height to the inner apartments. The plain near Bethany is very dreary and barren, there being little or no vegetation excepting in the beds of torrents, which are, at times, well watered. In these hollows there are several sorts of shrubs growing, particularly one, called the Spina Christi, supposed to be the plant of whose branches the crown of thorns was plucked, which, in mockery, was put on the head of our Lord. It is like a young willow, and easily bends, and has thorns upon it an inch in length and very sharp. Be The Dead Sea is that great lake which occupies the space in which Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities of the plain, were situated; the river Jordan flows into it; the water of the lake is very thick and nauseous. thany was, formerly, a considerable place: it is situated about two miles east of Jerusalem. Here Martha and Mary lived, with their brother Lazarus, whom Jesus raised from the dead. PERFECT HAPPINESS NOT THE LOT OF MAN. V. THAT perfect happiness was not intended by the Allwise Disposer of events to be the lot of man during this his state of trial,-experience, reason, and reflection must convince us. We see him harassed by business, wearied by disappointment, and suffering from ingratitude or treachery. He is exposed to various infirmities of mind and body; and his feelings are torn by the sufferings or loss of those who are dear to him. All have their sorrows, real or imaginary; many of them arising from the evil of man's nature, and the indulgence of unchristian feelings. The most prosperous state is not free from troubles; and frequently those who have comparatively little cause for sorrow, raise up fancied evils and discontents to destroy their peace of mind. When the Almighty is pleased, in His wisdom, to afflict His people, His mercy supports them under their trials, and blesses their affliction to their good; for the promise is surely fulfilled to those who are really God's people. All things shall work together for their good. But in this world all have their trials. The most prosperous state is not free from calamity. Still, however, it has pleased our bountiful Creator to give much to comfort us in every condition of life. Many are the flowers which strew the stony paths of life; many the gleams of hope which break from its most stormy sky! Even the “ man of the land of Uz, (Job,) who was perfect and upright, who feared God and eschewed evil, who was greatest of all the men of the east, whose children were about him," -even he was "smitten with a sore disease, so that there was no whole part in his body;" his worldly possessions were taken from him, his sons and his daughters perished, the wife of his bosom upbraided, and his friends reviled him. Yet in the hour of his severe trial, when "his complaint was bitter, and his stroke heavier than his groaning," he was not forsaken; "The Lord turned the captivity of Job, and blessed his latter end more than his beginning." Let us not, therefore, imagine that afflictions are sent to God's faithful people in anger, for "whom the Lord loveth He chasteneth; and many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivereth them out of them all." Let us not suppose that the Almighty delights in the misery of His creatures. He has placed us in a world full of comforts and blessings: He bestows on us the blessings of health, strength, and understanding, to provide for our bodily wants, and has promised us His grace to enable us to work out our salvation. He allows us time to improve the talents for which we are accountable; 1837.] PRAYER. 27 and His gracious promise of redemption opens a bright prospect of hope and comfort under the trials which He sees fit to appoint for us. Let us recollect that He who for our sakes "took our nature upon Him," who was Himself a "man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief," has declared that "Blessed are they which mourn, for they shall be comforted." Let us implore the assistance of God to sustain us under the sorrows and trials of this life, and to enable us to bear them with patience and resignation. Let us not embitter our lives with fruitless regrets and discontented murmurs; but let us look forward with humble hope to that" crown of life which is promised to those who are faithful unto death." (Rev. ii. 10.) The Close of Sarum. PRAYER. WHEN kneeling at Thy holy shrine, Lord, chase each wand'ring thought away; And teach, oh! teach me how to pray. When in Thy sacred Book I read Thy holy, pure, and perfect way; With heavenly food my spirit feed, And teach, oh! teach me how to pray. And teach, oh! teach me how to pray. And teach, oh! teach me how to pray. By Time's rude hand are torn away; And teach, oh! teach me how to pray. Be Thou my hope, my staff, and stay; Wickham St. Paul's, Essex, E. M. A. B. BISHOP JEBB IN SICKNESS. EFFECT OF SCRIPTURE IN SOOTHING THE MIND IN THE MIDST OF PAIN. THE life of such a man was one continual preparation for meeting the divine will concerning him. But it should not pass unrecorded, that when it pleased God thus suddenly to visit His faithful servant (by an attack of paralysis) he was found, within as without, in that state of preparation which our blessed Lord Himself (St. Luke xii. 35, 36) has specially recommended and enjoined. For several days before the shock he had been engaged in the study (with him an early and favourite study) of Bishop Hall's contemplations; and on the evening of the attack the book lay open upon his study-table ready to be again taken up had he returned in health. Accordingly, when first able to collect his thoughts they flowed naturally in their usual channel. During the remainder of his continuance he gave himself wholly, at his waking hours, to hearing passages of Scripture read, suited to his present state, to meditating, or making short reflections, upon them. One night, finding himself disturbed from sleep by uneasy dreams, as is usual (at times) in sleep procured by anodynes', he desired to have something suitable on a religious subject read to him. My brother proposed a Psalm, and was about to begin the beautiful and appropriate 103rd, when the Bishop said, "Read the Psalm that has who saveth thy life from destruction,'" (that is, Ps. ciii. 4.) He listened with the deepest interest and emotion; called for Bishop Horne's Commentary, which gave him much satisfaction, and, immediately after, settled into a calm slumber, which lasted through the night. In the morning he told the physicians of his anodyne, which, they cordially agreed, was far more effectual than any thing they could have prescribed. At another time expatiating, in their presence, upon the matchless beauties of Scripture, he called for the 104th Psalm, and, pronouncing it the sublimest ode that ever had come from the mind or pen, even of inspired man, desired that it might be read aloud. The effect none, who had the happiness to be present, can easily forget: his animated eye 1 Medicines intended to sooth pain and procure sleep. |