trees, sending up its thin curling smoke into the recesses of the rocky heights. The high mountains, which towered above on both sides, seemed to help to keep off the intense heat of the sun, and to render the narrow valley fertile as it was in its gardens and orchards, in which olives, figtrees, vines; mulberry and almond trees were vigorously flourishing. This was the ancient Shechem, where the ten tribes revolted from the in

judicious Rheoboam. It was the capital of the kings of Israel, till Omri built Samaria.

We proceeded down the valley for about an hour; following the course of the stream, as it ran through a wood of olives, and meandered about from side to side of the valley, for the purpose of watering the various gardens, and turning the numerous mills. When we were out of the valley, towards the north, the view of the town on looking back was very striking. Leaving this, we now entered upon rich undulating ground, covered with flourishing crops. The wheat was springing up fast, and the barley was already in ear.

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luxuriance of the wild flowers, though it improved not the culture of the grain, greatly enriched the beauty of the country. Large patches of the deep blue lupine, and of the scarlet anemone were scattered about all over.

There was a group of women, that we passed by, at a small stream, busy washing their clothes, by the very wearing-out process of beating them on stones, without the expense or luxury of soap. The younger women seem always to have the privilege, of wearing a wreath of stringed gold and silver coins over their foreheads. I was curious to see what these were, and tried to decoy a little child who was running about, with the bait of baksheesh, but the little thing would not come near me; she finally ran off in a screaming fright from the Howajah. Many of the women in Egypt are adorned in the same way; and some of them I have seen with many pounds' worth of gold coins on their heads. The winter rains have here and there made our road very bad; and as draining is unknown in this part of

the world, we often have to cross large swamps. To-day some of our mules were in a sad predicament, up to their girths in thick mud; it was with the greatest difficulty that we got them out. It was necessary to gallop our horses through, in order to escape a similar misfortune.

About two hours and a-half from Nablous, we came to the top of a ridge, from which, looking down, we had a full view of Sebastiyeh, the ancient Samaria. It is admirably situated on a hill whose sides are steep all round. Below are rich vallies, forming excellent land either for pasture or tillage. So that both for defence and for provision, Omri well selected his position. But when we talk of the position of Samaria, we can but tell where was once its situation. Now, nothing but rank grass, and trees, interspersed with a few huts and ruins, are to be seen, And yet the hill must have been once covered with houses and strong fortifications, for Samaria was an important place, and stood many a siege. The prophecy of Micah struck us, as being wonderfully fulfilled, "I will make Samaria as an heap of the field, and as plantings of a vineyard; and I will pour down the stones thereof unto the valley, and I will discover the foundations thereof." (Chap. i. 6.) The valley all around and below it, Is literally strewed with building stones, many of them shewing evident marks of sculpture and architecture. The hill seemed all over to be a heap of rubbish; and protruding from its broken sides, were many remains of ancient walls and foundations. Amongst other of the more modern ruins, is one of the apse of a Christian church, but there is nothing worthy of mention.

From Sebastiyeh, you rise by a steep ascent, to the little village of Barka. Whilst in advance of our caravan, and resting till the camels came up, we were amused with observing the curious operations of the scarabæus, a large kind of beetle. They seem always to go to work in pairs, looking about for what they are wanting. When they have found it, (which is usually some manure lying in the road,) they detach a small piece,

and most carefully rolling it up into a perfect ball, proceed to roll it away to its place of destination. One keeps behind, and propels with its fore-feet, whilst the other in front, with his hind legs upwards against the ball, directs its progress. They seem to work uphill or downhill with equal perseverance; though in the latter case, they are frequently helped by gravitation, which often rolls them and the balls together down over and over, a long way. However this never damps their energy; immediately they have recovered themselves, they set to work again with fresh vigour. We were never able to stay long enough, to watch and see where it all was going to, but it was most probably to their nests somewhere, as a stock of provisions. We have seen these animals in many places; they abound in the valley of the Nile; in parts of the Arabian deserts; and we found them at their work at Tivoli.

From Barka we rapidly rose still higher, till at last, from the summit of a ridge of hills, we had a splendid view of the blue Mediterranean, and the open country all to the north of

us.

Jebel-esh-Sheikh was in clouds, and not visible; but we saw not very far short of him. The valley immediately below, looked like a sea of deep-green grass and crops. Then descending towards the right, we came through Fendikumyah, a pretty village on the slope of the hill, with a considerable quantity of wood about it. From this we came down into the valley, and proceeded up it in a north-easterly direction, over some very swampy ground, till we had Sanur in view. This is a moderatelysized village, very strongly situated on the top of a small conical hill, and is partly fortified. It held out seven months against Ibrahim Pacha, who was besieging it. When he had reduced it, in the usual spirit of Mohammedan conquerors, he almost levelled it entirely with the ground, placing his cannon just about where the track of the caravan passes.

Beyond this, lay a large piece of water, which filled up the whole plain, giving the appearance of an extensive lake; it is merely temporary however, and caused by the heavy

rains. It obliged us to make a considerable circuit, in order to gain the hill on the other side. On our way round, we fell in with a small party of Bedouins, who seemed disposed to be troublesome, if we might judge from their gestures and demeanour; for, of course, we were perfectly unable to understand two words of what they said. We rode on, looking very dignified, without taking the slightest notice of them; and they desisted from annoying us. In such cases,

you may generally look at your dragoman as a barometer. If he stalks along apparently undisturbed, you may be pretty sure there is not much to care about. But if he looks at all alarmed or flurried, however he may try to pass it off, you may be preparing yourself for a little piece of work. We continued to rise out of this plain, till we reached a ravine, down which we came, upon Kabatiyah, a large village. We have never experienced much annoyance on passing through the towns or villages. The people are usually quiet, and confine their incivilities to a stare, or a short exclamation against the infidels, which does not do so much harm. There is most noise made, when the mules happen to wander out of their path, on to some cultivated land; and then the women are generally the screeching remonstrants.

A long narrow defile, in which a large party of merchants and pilgrims from Damascus were encamped with their camels, led us to Jenin. This place is identified with the ancient En-gannim, mentioned Joshua xv. 34. As the place has a very bad name, we procured a guardia for the night, from the governor, whom our dragoman represented as being a very obliging and civil man. The town is beautifully situated, on the edge of the great plain of Esdraelon, and overlooks a great part of it. Mount Carmel is seen stretching out towards the west, and Mount Gilboa towards the north. A few palms were scattered about here and there among the houses the first that we have seen in Syria; and a thick cactus hedge lay between us and the town. (To be continued.)

"Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world."-JAMES i. 27. THE Apostle here opposes Christian conduct to the observance of merely external rites, or to an outward profession, unaccompanied with inward feeling; and in doing this, he shews us what Christian sympathy ought to do in a world of suffering, and Christian holiness in a world of sin. We might at first suppose that active benevolence would naturally so occupy the thoughts and feelings, that spirituality of mind must be the result. But the daily experience of God's children too often accords with that of Dr. Chalmers, when he says, "I feel thoroughly assured, that unless fortified by prayer, the fruit of my intercourse with society even for objects of Christian usefulness, will be a relapse into the ungodliness and carnality of nature."

"Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are they that mourn for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled, &c.-MATT. v. 3-10.

HERE are eight steps leading to true happiness. They have been compared to Jacob's ladder, the top whereof reacheth to heaven. We must remember that they are intended to give us a description of every true Christian under different circumstances. In the third verse we meet with the very first step in our return to God, and we find this illustrated in the Prodigal Son, at the time that he came to himself, and said, "How many hired servants of my Father's house have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger." In the fourth verse we are taught, that we must pass through the valley of tears to glory. From the fifth we may learn that trials will continually assault us, but that their amount and magnitude will be of little consequence, if we possess that

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"meekness" of spirit which allows of their passing over us, and leaves us in possession of all that is good for us upon earth. Still, however, the child of God is not satisfied with this attainment, although the wisest man has pronounced it more honourable than military conquest. (Proverbs xvi. 31.) He is therefore represented hungering and thirsting after righteousness," (verse 6.) He feels that something far beyond his own is needed to appear before God in judgment, and that before he is fit for the happiness of heaven, his increasing holiness must prove his preparation for it. Such a state of mind would in theory lead us to suppose, that universal approbation would surround it. But this never can be the case so long as light tends to shew the darkness around it. The Christian must have his bitter enemies, whose conduct towards him will prove his farther advance towards glory, and lead him to imitate his blessed Saviour when he prayed for his murderers, "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do." A spiritual knowledge of God here, as well as the knowledge of him hereafter, seems to be implied in the expression "they shall see God;" and the " purity of heart," (verse 8.) includes simplicity of design, as well as freedom from pollution.

The conduct spoken of in verse seven, must proceed from the same principle as that referred to in verse nine, but the latter extends further, beyond self, and reminds us of Joseph's vine, which was "to run over the wall." (Gen. xlix. 22.) The Christian must not live unto himself. However unthankful the office, when any good is likely to follow, he must strive to make peace between brethren, and if disappointed he must be fully satisfied with being called the "child of God," having the assurance that this is no empty title, involving expenses and responsibilities he is unable to meet; but one which secures the possession of every thing capable of making him happy for time and for eternity.

WE confess that we regard our Church Missionary Jubilee as affording no ordinary token for good in a national point of view. And this, not so much because of the ready co-operation in its celebration, which has been so largely given in high and influential quarters, or the extra sums that have been raised, but because of the pledge which is thus substantially given for an extended interest and more adequate support on behalf of the missionary work. We are evidently hastening into critical and most eventful times. If

our nation is to be preserved amidst the general wreck that surrounds us, she must rise more fully to her manifest duties, and become more adequately the salt of the earth. Gladly would we indulge the hope that our Jubilee is presenting a pledge for this. Eagerly do we catch at every symptom of promise, and while we rejoice over the spirit in which the Jubilee has been celebrated throughout the land,* we cannot fail to augur well from one of the most cheering facts that the society has ever yet presented, and to which we adverted in our last number, viz., that the college for training missionaries, at Islington, is full to overflowing, and numbers of applicants are rejected because they cannot be received, If the Lord puts it into the hearts of his servants to offer themselves for missionary work, we have faith to believe that He to whom belong the silver and the gold, will not fail to provide the means for their support. And we

* We have only heard of one exception to the excellent spirit which has prevailed, and that was in Dublin. While we deeply regret the interruption that took place by the attack on the Archbishop of Dublin, we equally regret if any adulatory and unmeasured compliments induced it. There is an immense improvement in our religious meetings in this respect; and having only the newspaper account, it may be that there was nothing objectionable in this respect.

should not hesitate to say to the committee, refuse none who are suitable for the work: increase your accommodation, or place the overplus with suitable clergymen, never doubting but that if missionaries are sent to you for your adoption, the Lord will provide their sustenance.

The spirit which has pervaded the Jubilee commemoration has been as gratifying throughout the provinces as in the metropolis. Perhaps we cannot convey a more correct idea of it than by referring our readers to the sermon preached in the Abbey Church, in Bath, by Mr. East, who was selected for that service as being the oldest clergyman in that city, and the most conversant with the early history of the society. "Sorrowful, yet always rejoicing," is truly the apt motto of Christians in their personal and individual experience; and Mr. East thought justly that what characterizes Christians individually, applies equally to the Church collectively; and consequently, he is led to represent this Jubilee season of our church as one of weeping as well as rejoicing, taking for his text Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep." (Rom. xii. 15.)

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With respect to the joy of our Jubilee, New Zealand is referred to as exhibiting the fruits that have been produced by the labours of our missionaries.

"A man of sound judgment, who knows New Zealand well, gives it as his deliberate conviction, that from that field alone has been gathered unto God a harvest of glory, which in comparison would yield to no other from the days of St. Paul. Yet it is only little more than two-andthirty years since our first humble band, not of clergymen, but of lay mechanic missionaries, settled in those lands of cannibal barbarity. It was in that same sixteenth year of