man brought as a present to the prophet, 'ten talents of silver, six thousand pieces of gold, and ten changes of raiment.'

"This must have been a very large sum, father."

"It was; of some thousand pounds value. We are assured by a writer whose statements are generally admitted to be correct, that the commander of an Eastern province purchased peace of his adversary by sending him a present of seven hundred thousand drachms of silver, in ready money; four hundred loads of saffron, which that country produced in abundance; and four hundred slaves, each of whom carried a rich turban of silk in a silver basin."

"What a present, father!"

"It is said, that when the house of Charles XII. was burnt at Bender, there were presents

in it of the value of two hundred thousand crowns. The Eastern magi brought, most likely, a present of great value to the infant Saviour. Do you recollect what it was ?"

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Gold, and frankincence, and myrrh. But yet, father, He appeared only as a poor child, lying in a manger.

"But, no doubt, they had been divinely taught that He was a King, and they presented to him royal gifts. shall be many crowns.'

And on 'His head 'He shall have domi

nion also from sea to sea,

and from the river

to the ends of the earth. Yea, all kings shall fall down before Him, all nations shall serve Him. His name shall endure for ever; and men shall be blessed in Him; all nations shall call Him blessed. And blessed be His glorious name for ever; and let the whole earth be filled with His glory! Amen and amen.'”

5

CATTLE, AGRICULTURE, AND

VINEYARDS.

It appears that the Israelites devoted their IT principal attention to cattle and the cultivation of the land. Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob were all shepherds, and had large flocks and herds. The wealth of persons in the early periods of the world consisted chiefly in these, though they did not neglect the raising of corn. It is said that Isaac sowed, and the Lord blessed him, so that he received a hundred fold, Gen. xxvi. 12. Indeed, we are informed, that Cain was a tiller of the ground, and Abel was a keeper of sheep. Moses, when he left the court of Pharaoh, kept the flocks of his father-in-law on Mount Horeb. Exod. iii. 1, 2. Most of the judges and kings of