It was five days after our arrival at Beirut, before arrangements could be matured for prosecuting our journey to Jerusalem. For it unfortunately so happened, that the usual regularity of the steamers was just at that time interrupted, and we were compelled either to take the land route, or remain there at heavy expenses awaiting the arrival of the next onward bound steamer, which was not expected for some weeks. We, therefore, selected that course which promised to be attended with the least delay and expenses, and starting from Beirut on horseback, on the 30th ult., we traveled along the sea coast via Sidon, Tyre, Ptolemais and Jaffa; thence by Romly and Lydda to the Holy City, where, notwithstanding rains and bad roads, we arrived in nine days, exclusive of Lord's day, which we spent in Sidon. We were treated with no little consideration and kindness by the American consulate at Beirut, and at other places where our country is represented. We are also under great obligations to Mr. Eli Smith, Mr. Whiting, Mr. Thompson, Dr. Vandyke, Dr. De Forest and Mr. Williams, Missionaries of the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions, at or near Beirut; to Dr. Kelly, who has been much persecuted by the Roman Catholics, and to many of the American and English residents at Beirut, but especially to Mr. Manning, a "Friend" indeed, long a missionary of the Jews of Palestine, who, though a Quaker, is under the patronage of the London Society for the Propagation of Christianity among the Jews. Indeed, wherever we have been, we have met with the kindest of friends, and in gratitude to the "Author and Giver of all good," I desire to record the fact. To Mr. Murad, our consular agent at Jaffa, and his excellent brother Lazarus, who happens to be spending some time in this city, we are under the deepest obligations for valuable services. After spending three days at the Latin Convent, I succeeded in renting the upper story of a house near the Damascus gate, where we are now quite comfortably situated, and assiduously studying Arabic, under the tuition of an excellent teacher, who also serves us, when occasion requires, as dragoman. We are all in good health, and highly delighted with the City of the Great King; but if I may credit what I am told on all hands, there is no worse missionary ground on all the earth than this same city; but I forbear particularizing at this time, lest the Board should be needlessly discouraged. I can assure you, however, that I am not the least disheartened, knowing, as I do, that the "truth is mighty and will prevail;" and surely, if there is a spot on earth where the Lord will be pleased to bless the means of his own appointment in answer to prayer, that place is Jerusalem! O that all the holy brethren would strive together with us in prayer, that the word of the Lord may again go forth in Jerusalem in its primitive purity and power!

I yearn over this benighted people, and ardently long for the time when I can proclaim to them, in their own language, the truth as it is in Jesus; and I cannot bring myself to believe that it will be two years, according to the unanimous opinion of the missionaries and others, before we can converse freely in their native language, confessedly difficult as it is. Could I believe that half that time would be required to speak their vernacular, I would earnestly beg the Board to furnish the means of speaking to them through a dragoman, who would also assist in the judicious distribution of the scriptures, &c. So high is the estimate put upon colporteur operations, that the Episcopalians, although they have several ordained missionaries here who speak the language fluently, have also here and in other parts of Palestine, some half dozen native colporteurs, whom they give from 150 to 200 pounds sterling per annum, simply to distribute tracts and the scriptures-a sum, however, entirely too high. But surely there is no place on earth-strange as it may seem-where the diffusion of truth is more needed, than this very spot where it first emanated. I was prepared to find all the ignorance, superstition and bigotry, which I have witnessed among the

Mohammedan portion of this people; but for the bitter hatred of every thing called Christian, on the part of the Jews, and for the groveling superstition and degraded idolatry (for what else can their Maryolatry and other saints, and demonolatry be termed?) which I am constantly pained to see among all the lapsed churches of the East, I was by no means prepared, and still less was I prepared to find such a wide departure from the simplicity and purity of the faith once delivered to the saints, on the part of those not only styling themselves Protestants, but claiming succession from the apostles! Believe it if you can-for it is even so-that there are those here whom "it grieves exceedingly that there is come a man to seek the welfare of the children of Israel!!" Now, were those persons of the same category with Sanballat, Tobiah, and Geshem or Gashmu, I could make some allowance on the ground of ignorance and prejudice; but they are "Protestants," professing the greatest regard for the welfare of the Jews-men, too, whom I told, in answer to their inquiries, that the great Protestant principle, as avowed by Chancellor Chillingworth, was our grand motto, and, strictly construed, would give them a perfectly correct view of our theology.

By another clerical friend-not a Protestant though—I have been seriously advised to join the Anglican church if I would escape persecution! But that precept which enjoins the "wisdom of the serpent and the harmlessness of the dove," admonishes me to forbear; nor would I drop these few hints, but to stimulate your prayers and efforts in behalf of this interesting and important spot, over which the blessed Saviour wept and lamented so pathetically, and where, I think, it has been so wisely determined to make our first effort for the foreign propagation of the truth. I have not had the pleasure of hearing from you since last October, and so you may well imagine I am not a little anxious to be greeted with a sight of your ever welcome autograph. The postal arrangements of this country, I fear, are neither very ample nor reliable.

A mail, I am told, will be forwarded to-morrow to Beirut, per postwalker; and it is for this mail that I am hastily addressing you to-night. Had I time and space at disposal, I have many facts and incidents to communicate, but straitened and restricted as I am at present, I must necessarily omit their relation. Dr. Bacon, of New Haven, who, together with his son, is on a tour of visitation to the Missions of the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions, has just called to see us, and expresses the opinion that the safety of Franks, (and especially missionaries,) in every part of Turkey, is much endangered by the late disturbances in the divan at Constantinople, which have necessitated the flight of the liberal minded Sultan (it is reported) from his capital to Cairo. But I hope better things, and feel every thing but fear, trusting, as I do, in him who is Ruler among the nations, and will not permit to fall unnoticed a single hair from the head of those who put their trust in him.

Please address me by way of Beirut, to the care of the American consulate of that place. By-the-way, Mr. J. Horford Smith, our estimable consul at that place, is a member of a commercial house in New York; and I was told by Dr. Vandyke, who called to see me a few days ago, that instead of making remittances through the round-about medium of the Barings, the most economical, direct, and, in every respect, best way would be to remit through that firm. It is in that way that the American Board accomplishes its remittances to its Syrian missions. I do not know the exact style of the firm, but will communicate with Mr. Smith, and let you know the result. Our articles shipped from London, per Susanna, I am happy to inform you, arrived safe at Jaffa, notwithstanding the great peril to which, I learn, the ship was exposed, and our fears, in relation to our trunks, furniture, etc., shipped from Beirut, per Arab vessel Ibrahim, are also at last happily relieved by letter from the British consul at Jaffa, stating that after consuming twenty-one days in a passage which ordinarily occupies two or

three days, they are at last safely landed at that place, and, together with the other packages, will forthwith be forwarded here by camels or mules. Great, indeed, would have been our loss, had this vessel, as was believed, been lost; for, having to bring along with us our tent, canteen, etc., in our overland journey, we were only enabled to take one small trunk, and a few carpet bags. Will you do me the favor to present to the holy brethren of Cincinnati, as well as accept for yourself, my warmest Christian salutation? My wife and children also desire to send their best greetings.

The fervent intercessions of the brethren, in behalf of our incipient labors, I must earnestly invoke, striving together with us, that "our hand may be strengthened for this good work."

With love and esteem that gather strength, rather than suffer abatement by lapse of time and space, believe me, my dear brother, JAMES T. BARCLAY.

Most sincerely yours,

THE POWER OF FAITH, WHEN FULLY TESTED.

IT has been justly said, that although perfect conformity in thought, word, and deed, to the revealed will of the Author of the Christian faith, may not be attainable in the present life, yet he who most nearly approximates this point, has the best and most satisfactory test of its truth. In the words of its Author, "He has the witness within himself." But this being true, must it not necessarily follow, that he who does not always aim at this high standard of moral perfection, betrays in his faith a defect, that may justly lead him to question its justifying and saving power?

The Author of this faith thus puts it within the power of every one who professes it, to ascertain and determine the quality and degree of his faith. The experiment which He proposes is this: Yield to my will, and see the result. The test of its truth will thus be open to all who sincerely desire to be satisfied.

To

All are invited, both friends and scoffers, to make the experiment. And it must be made. Not to make it, is to perish forever. make it, is to live forever. Now, who among the scoffers has fulfilled the conditions-made the experiments, which may qualify them to judge Christ? Have any of them worked out, in their lives and thoughts, the results of its truth and divinity in the fruits of its spirit-love, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, fidelity, meekness, temperance? There is no law against these qualities. Whoever will practice, shall know whether He is the Author of Christianity or not, for no one can practice them without living and walking in the spirit of Christianity, and then the reign of Heaven

is within him, and he can no more deny the divinity of the doctrine, than he can the reality of his own life and happiness.

The theory of divine morals is no more capable of making men pure in heart, than the theory of sounds can make them musicians. In order to excel, or even to understand excellence, we must practice what we know. The test is simple and perfect. That must be a bad religion which does not teach charity, and we must be bad at heart if we obey not that which enjoins it.

Apply this to Christianity. It, and it alone, stands the test. Its Founder demands faith in its purity, faith working only by love— love to God as the supreme good, and to man, because he is God's. Evil is to be overcome by good, cursing by blessing, malignant treatment by benevolence and prayer. In short, universal good will, exemplified in the life, is the only consistent Christianity, and that alone is Christ's spirit; and therefore, intolerance and persecution, in every form, can spring from him only who has not His spirit.

We see, then, that the rule is perfectly fair, because obedience must end in blessedness, and the only objection to the required submission, must arise from aversion to all that deserves the name of virtue, or else why not be patient, good, gentle, faithful, temperate, charitable, in the divine sense? He that would be great in soul, must endure all that seems contrary to himself, from some mighty love, which shall enable him, with its unconquerable hopes, to stand unshaken as a rock amid the billows.

True self-love, as taught by the teachings of divine love, is, with respect to its strength, just in the ratio of our hatred of error. True self-love is, therefore, but the love of truth. This is the living principle of faith. But absolute truth, is the divine will. The creature's will it cannot be; but faith, that is, spiritual strength, is given to conquer self. This strength is acquired and called into action by insight into the developments of the divine love, which causes him to hunger and thirst for conformity thereto; for he who is instructed by Heaven, sees that the happiness fit for man is completed only in fellowship with God.

The true believer always connects the moral attributes of God with his conceptions of divine power; and with him, therefore, Providence is but another name for the Creator's faithfulness to his creatures. Faith everywhere beholds the evidence that goodness regulates might; so that all her expectations are raptures, because all futurity, all eternity, can be nothing but the unfolding of love. "Hence, death is no longer the King of Terrors, with uplifted

hand, ready to strike the trembling heart; but like an angel at the bed of a slumbering innocent, fanning it to sleep with a lily plucked in Paradise, and filling the soul with visions of Heaven, by blending in brightness before its eyes the sweetest images of earthly beauty and affection. A. W. C.

AN INQUIRY INTO THE NATURE, CAUSE, AND CURE, OF SPIRITUAL DYSPEPSY-No. V.

AFTER this digression, Dr. Evangelicus returns to the narrative of James Conformitas, relative to the circumstances of his nativity and education, in order to show their influences upon his spiritual health in after life.

I was bred and born, says he, in the town of Vainshow, and in the State of Carnality, where I lived to the age of manhood. Shortly after I became of age, I entered into the service of Mr. Oldman, a near relative, with whom I spent several years as an assistant in the mercantile business. Mr. Oldman being the first settler in the State, he, with a view to the settlement and aggrandizement of his family, obtained from the Founder of the State, one Diabolos, grants of settlement so extensive as to engross its entire territory.

At the time of my entering into his service, Mr. Oldman had determined to establish, in other parts of the State, a number of mercantile houses, for the more easy, cheap, and expeditious supply of whatever the market might demand.

Mr. Oldman, being a gentleman of enlarged experience and great knowledge, considered that a correct policy should ever have in view the wealth and prosperity of the entire State. Home manufactures, home consumption, and, consequently, home trade, constituted his favorite theory and practice for the prosperity of the State. The native productions of the soil are, however, said to have been much changed from what they once were. Ancient tradition relates, that the soil itself has undergone a change for the worse, though it is still very fruitful. This change in the character of the soil, and of its present productions, is related to have been owing to an inundation of wrath which overspread the whole territory, by which were deposited over its surface the seeds from which have grown its present productions. This flood, it is said, was occasioned by an