my spirit, oh my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ; have mercy upon me, and receive my soul !" And with these words he submitted to the stroke of the executioner. Thus died the first martyr of the Swiss reformation, exhibiting in his death a spirit worthy of the first witnesses of the Gospel. ALIX. The expression of "sitting every man un. der his own vine," probably alludes to the delightful eastern arbours, which were partly composed of vines. Capt. Norden in like manner speaks of vine-arbours as common in the Egyptian gardens. There were in Palestine many excellent vineyards. Scripture celebrates the vines of Sorek, of Sebamah, of Jazer, of Abel. Pro fane authors mention the excellent wines of Gaza, Sarepta, Libanus, Saron, Ascalon, and Tyre.-Jacob, in the blessing which he gave Judah, Gen. xlix. 11, says, "Binding his foal unto the vine, and his ass's colt unto the choice vine, he washed his garments in wine, and his clothes in the blood of grapes;" to show the abundance of vines that should fall to his lot. Noah planted the vine after the deluge, and is supposed to have been the first who cultivated it; Gen. ix. 20. Many are of opinion that wine was not unknown before the deluge; and that this patriarch only continued to cultivate the vine after that event, as he had done before it: but the fathers think that he knew not the force of wine; having never used it before, nor having ever seen any one use it. He was the first that gather. ed the juice of the grape, and preserved it till by fermentation it became a liquor to drink. Before him men only ate the grapes like other fruit. The law of Moses did not allow the planters of vineyards to eat the fruit before the fifth year. Levit. xix. 24, 25. The Israelites were also required to indulge the poor, the orphan, and the stranger with the use of the grapes on the seventh year. A traveller was allowed to gather and eat the grapes in a vineyard as he passed along, but he was not permitted to carry any away. Deut. xxiii. 24. BLESSINGS OF THE MESSIAH'S REIGN. Behold! a King shall reign, In judgment he shall plead; The Son of man shall be A covert from the wind; To Him the weak shall gladly flee, As fresh'ning rivers flow, Or shady rock to which men go, The lowly then shall understand, The rich shall freely give Of their abundant store, And, like their Lord, more blest shall live, When they have bless'd the poor. J. B. C. THE YOUTHFUL SUPPLIANT. Great God! and may a child Great God, how high art thou! I'll Yes-Christ for sinners died, ELLEN. CONTENTS. of Rebecca C. of John W- Aloe (The) Page. Account of a child who died at the R- 17 Affecting event Anecdote Anecdote related by a Missionary 199 of Charles the First Anointing with oil 115 Answer of Jesus to his mother Attachment of sheep to their offspring Benefit of religious tracts Sunday Schools Brief Memoir of a clergyman's daughter 243 . 272 184 186 280 Page Extract of a letter from a Russian cor- Eye (The) Friendless Boy Foxes Good Samaritan (The) Good work among the Negroes Gratitude Jews Indian converts Jonah and his Gourd Island of St. Kilda Letter from Missionary Schwartz to a young person to a sister on prayer Liberation of an Englishman from the Inquisition Lion (The) Little M. G. L. Little school girl Mary Ann, a little Sunday scholar Memoir of Richard W- Missionary zeal Mosque (The) Negro school boy New Year's day Ostrich Palm Tree 193 252 • 213 77 70 182 5 281 .274 .256 |