enter his room with them on. In describing a mosque, Lempriere says, "In the most conspicuous part of the mosque, fronting the east, stands a kind of pulpit, where a talb or priest occasionally preaches. The Moors always enter this place of worship barefooted, leaving their slippers at the door." Amongst the Jews, the unloosing and taking care of the shoes was the work of servants; and it was reckoned so servile, that it was thought too mean for a scholar or a disciple to do. The Jews say, "All services which a servant does for his master a disciple does for his master, except unloosing his shoes;" and yet we find that John considered it was too great an honour for him to do that for Christ, which was thought too mean for a disciple to do for a wise man.

ALABASTER.

(MATT. xxvi. 7; Mark xiv. 3).-This word occurs in the New Testament only in the notice of the "alabaster box," or rather vessel, of "ointment of spikenard, very precious," which a woman broke, and with its valuable contents anointed the head of Jesus, as he sat at supper in Bethany, in the house of Simon the leper. At Alabastron, in Egypt, there was a manufactory of small pots and vessels for holding perfumes, made from a stone found in the neighbouring mountains. The Greeks gave to these vessels the name of the city from which they came, calling them "alabastron." This name eventually extended to the stone of which they were formed; and, at length, the name of "alabastra" was applied without distinction to all perfume vessels, of whatever materials they consisted. Theocritus speaks of golden alabastra (Idyl, xv. 114); and perfume-vessels of different kinds of stone, of glass, ivory, bone, and shells, have been found in the Egyptian tombs (Wilkinson, iii. 379). It does not, therefore, by any means follow that the alabastron which the woman used at Bethany was really of alabaster; but a probability that it was such arises from the fact that vessels made of this stone were deemed peculiarly suitable for the most costly and power

C

ful perfumes (Plin. Hist. Nat. xiii. 2; xxxvi. 8, 24). The woman is said to have "broken" the vessel; which is explained by supposing that it was one of those shaped somewhat like a Florence oil-flask, with a long and narrow neck; and the mouth being curiously and firmly sealed up, the usual and easiest way of getting at the contents was to break off the upper part of the neck.

RETIREMENT AND REFLECTION.

The art of doing much, consists in giving to every duty its proper place, time, and quantity. Here much wisdom is required; yet by prayer, watchfulness, and self-denial, much practical knowledge may be attained.

When we seldom retire for holy converse with God, is there not great reason to suspect some latent, though perhaps unconscious repugnance to the more silent, unobtrusive offices of secret devotion?

Some persons grow almost melancholy if much alone. This surely betrays a defect either in the constitution or the heart. Absolute solitude is decidedly injurious; since He who made us hath declared, that "it is not good that man should be alone." But occasional retirement, for the delightful purpose of holding converse with the Saviour, greatly refreshes the spiritual faculties, just as rest from bodily labour recruits the wasted powers of our animal frame.

Some good men are so wedded to their studies, that they can scarcely force themselves from their beloved retreat; while others are so fond of active pursuits, that their minds seem averse to the sedentary employments of the closet. Like birds of passage, they live upon the wing.

Both these extremes are faulty, and consequently hurtful to each party. Every man has his circle of duty to fill up. This is larger or smaller, according to the station in which God has placed him. Let no one think that he may live for himself alone. Each individual has a sphere of usefulness to occupy; and his happiness is closely connected with the performance of his duty. Our divine

Redeemer has left us an example that we should tread in his steps. May we daily study the conduct of Him whose life was one continued exercise of unwearied benevolence "who went about doing good."

Nothing can more beautifully exemplify the duties of holy retirement and active benevolence, than the life of Jesus. In the Gospels, we read how incessant were his labours for the spiritual and temporal good of the thousands who followed him. And there we also read, how "he went up into a mountain apart to pray;" how "when the evening was come, he was there alone;" how "he continued all night in prayer with God."

This he did, not occasionally, but frequently; thus setting us an illustrious example of ardent devotion, combined with an unceasing exertion for the present and future happiness of fallen man.

Come, then, O my soul, and withdraw thyself from a thoughtless world, which is so eagerly pursuing the phantom of happiness. Look unto Jesus-place all thy affections upon him. He is the only source of spiritual felicity.

Whilst delighting thyself in the active services of a loving obedience, seek an increase of grace by daily secret converse with the Saviour.

We love the society of a dear friend. Can we then be strangers to communion with Jesus, if we indeed love him? O! that we may feel a sweeter relish for sacred retirement, when this retirement is designed to cultivate a closer acquaintance with our own hearts, and with Him who is " the chiefest among ten thousand”—“ 'the altogether lovely.'

Blessed Spirit of grace and truth, shed forth thy kindly influences on my soul. Preserve me from spiritual sloth, under the specious mask of religious retirement; and from ostentatious pride, under the imposing garb of active benevolence.

O! make me sincere in all my professions of love and obedience; simply depending on thy grace, whilst labouring to promote the welfare of my fellow-creatures; that in all things I may be willing to do and suffer thy righteous will.

1 COR. xii. 3.

"No man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost."

WHAT is the meaning of this? A heathen may "say that Jesus is the Lord," without the aid of the Divine Spirit, but not in the sense of the text. The "saying" here spoken of, implies an influential acknowledgement of Christ's Lordship. The individual who, by the Holy Ghost's influence, "says that Jesus is the Lord," has an experience of the Saviour's power, as prophet, priest, and king. Do I want to ascertain the fact, whether I am savingly taught on this point? The discovery is easily made. If I have only learnt it by man, that these three offices are undertaken by Christ, I shall remain uninfluenced by the knowledge; but if I am "taught of God," what will be the consequence?

1. To the prophetical character of Jesus, I shall be daily looking for "that wisdom, which cometh down from above. Deeply sensible of my natural ignorance as to divine things, and practically convinced that "the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God, they are foolishness unto him, neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned," (1 Cor. ii. 14.) I shall be imploring my Saviour to "open my eyes, that I may behold the wondrous things out of his law.” (Ps. cxix. 18.)

2. If taught by the Holy Ghost, that Jesus is the Priest of his Church, the evidence that I am so taught, will develope itself to my own mind, by a constant application to the "fountain opened for sin and for uncleanness." Under the conviction that "the blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth from all sin," I shall seek to prove its efficacy, by imploring the Lord to blot out from my conscience the sense of guilt, which I bring upon my soul in my daily walk. Finding peace restored within, I shall have an evidence that it is "by the Holy Ghost" that I say, Jesus is the Priest of his Church.

3. The kingly office of Christ, is to be practically acknowledged under the influence of the same Spirit. How shall I know that it is "by the Holy Ghost," that

I acknowledge Jesus as my king? Does the Holy Ghost enable me to act out this belief? Am I not only taught what is the will of my Saviour; but do I aim at bringing my will into subjection to his? This is the only safe test by which I can come to the conclusion, that it is "by the Holy Ghost" I acknowledge the kingly office of Christ. I may fail in my efforts to yield subjection to my sovereign, and such failings will not necessarily convict me of hypocrisy ; but my conscience must bear witness that I strive in all things to approve myself unto God. This is the principle imparted by the Divine Spirit to every real member of the body of Christ; and if it is not thus with me; if obedience to the readings of the Holy Ghost be not my constant object, it is by an uninfluential principle, that I proclaim "Jesus to be the Lord."

S.

MEMOIR OF A PUPIL

IN THE CLERGY DAUGHTERS' SCHOOL, AT CASTERTON.

G entered the School July 14th, 1838. She was then in her 13th year, small and delicate in appearance, mild and gentle in her manners, with an affectionate and playful disposition. She had moderate abilities, but unwavering perseverance, which rendered her acquirements more solid than shining; but owing to a distressing impediment of speech, arising from nervous weakness, in the general routine of school duties she neither sought nor attracted much observation. Her diligent application to her studies was invariable; and even in her hours of relaxation, her companions seldom saw her unemployed. She enjoyed good health the first year of her residence at the school; but there was always something in her appearance which seemed to threaten consumption. Her sweet tractable disposition won the affections of all her teachers; and in her outward conduct, and general attention to the rules of the school, there was scarcely another pupil who gave more universal satisfaction. She appeared to have pleasure in reading her Bible, nor did she neglect prayer; but though she seemed to understand the important nature of these duties, she was at this time, as she afterwards confessed, quite a stranger to heart religion. According to her own account of herself, "she had from childhood felt an inward desire to become a child of God," particularly after leaving her parents, for she felt the separation from them keenly; but it was not till she had been two years and a half in the school, that G. really experienced that change of heart, which made her so bright an ornament.

It was about this period that it pleased God to awaken several of her school-fellows to a sense of their need of real religion. G. was