which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathers her chickens under her wings, and ye would not," Matt. xxiii. 37; Luke xiii. 34. Here Jesus speaks in his Divine character. It was he who had sent the prophets, to warn the Jews of their sins, and to call them to seek their safety in his protection. But they would not obey his calls, and soon the Roman armies, like eagles of prey, came upon them, and there was no shelter left to them from their foes. Still in this figure we see our Saviour's love to lost and perishing souls; he now calls to us to seek refuge in him, while he promises salvation and every blessing to those who attend his call. May we feel how exposed we are to our watchful and dangerous foes; and may we prove how willing and able Jesus is to save us from them all. HINTS FOR LITTLE FOLK. MY DEAR YOUNG READERS,If you look at Exod. xiv. 21, 22, the sea over which the Israelites passed, was (according to Bruce), about four leagues, or about twelve miles across, and could be crossed in one night. By the stretching out the rod and the blowing of the wind the waters were divided, and the bed of the sea was dried. Some think that in the place where the Israelites passed, the water was about fourteen fathoms deep. Dr. Clarke thinks that the wind was sent to dry up the bed of the sea, and notto divide the waters, that was done by the power of God, when Moses "stretched out his hand over the sea," verse 16. Some have supposed that the Israelites passed through, favoured by an extraordinary ebb, which happened at that time. Had this been the case, there could not have been waters standing on the right hand and on the left, much less could those waters, contrary to every law of fluids, have stood as a wall on either side while the Israelites passed over, and then closed when the Egyptians entered in. The many references to this miracle in subsequent writers, prove it to be true. Compare Num. xxxiii. 8, Ps. lxvi., lxxiv, lxxvii., cvi., cxiv. ; Is. lxiii. 13; 1 Cor. x. 1; Heb. xi. 29. Look next at Exodus xiv. 28. Josephus says that the army of Pharoah consisted of fifty thousand horse, and two hundred thousand foot, of whom not one remained to carry tidings of this most extraordinary catastrophe. Tradition says there were three motives for the Egyptians following the Israelites:-1. Revenge for the destruction of their cattle, &c. 2. The recovery of the "jewels of silver and jewels of gold," &c., and 3. That they wanted their labour, &c. "When Egypt's king God's chosen tribes | him; or, like a physician who pursued, gives preservatives to preserve health, as well as curatives to re In crystal walls th' admiring waters stood; When through the desert wild they store it, he would so temper the took their way, elements of which man is formed The rocks relented, and poured forth as to preserve them in health. a sea. What limits can Almighty goodness know, Exodus xvi. 1-35; Josiah v. 12. There is (say some), a When seas can harden and when rocks contradiction here, as the can flow?"-Pope. Israelites did not eat manna forty years, but thirty-nine years and eleven months. Forty years does not involve the necessity of their being complete ones, for the Holy Scriptures take no account of a lesser number attached to a greater when speaking in general terms. Example-the census of of the men of Israel, in the Book of Numbers, says they were 603,550; but Moses, when he declared his inability to give flesh to such a mul Many opinions have been formed by persons respecting the meaning of the 18th verse of the 13th chapter; but Dr. Clarke thinks the word "harnessed" means an orderly, or well arranged manner, or to arrange, array, or set in order, &c. Our margin has "by five in a rank;" but had they marched only five a-breast, supposing only one yard for each rank to move in, it would have required not less than sixty-titude, states them to be 600,000, eight miles for even the 600,000; Num. i. 46; ii. 32; xi 21; xiv. for 600,000 divided by five gives 34. "It may be that on the day 120,000 ranks of five each, and the manna ceased they gathered there being only 1,760 yards in a enough to last them a month, mile, the dividing 120,000 by which would complete the forty 1,760 will give the number of years." ALPHA. miles, which, will be found to be something more than sixtyeight miles. "JESUS." "His name shall be called Jesus, for he shall save his people from their sins." Earth's Maker and Upholder, he in whom all things have their being, stoops to assume humanity, to be cradled in a manger, to be denied the meanest shelter by the crea See now Exod. xv. 11, "Who is like Thee?" Psa. cxlvii. 5; Job xxxvii. 23; Exod. xv. 26; when the Lord promised Israel that they should be free from the diseases of Egypt he said he would heal them. It means God would free them from those dis-tures of his bounty,-having not eases of Egypt if they would obey where to lay his head, and no place in the common feelings of God. He came in close conand sympathies of man; -de- tact with sin: honoured humaspised and rejected of men. Hea-nity by assuming its form, its ven's voluntary exile; earth's medium of thought and action; unwelcome sojourner; "a Man passed among men as their felof sorrows, and acquainted with low-man; yet unscathed, uncongrief." His mind exquisitely taminated by their influence. fine and sensitive, His heart's The world's greatest extremity chords ever ready to answer to was God's greatest opportunity the gentlest touch, the most deli- of revealing a Father's heart; cate appeal on behalf of suffering it beat in the bosom of Jesus, humanity. expressed itself in all His actions, shone in all His life; and in His death declared the mys terious, the fathomless depths of His love. He spake as never man spake. His words were truth, without any mixture of error; His actions benevolent, untainted by selfishness; His motives, words, and actions, all beautifully harmonizing with the mind and will Surely, "He hath borne our grief and carried our sorrows." A. PAGE. AH NEVER! AH NO! A young gentleman, tenderly attached to a young lady, was obliged to take a journey. During his absence she became a follower of Jesus. He heard of the change, and wrote her a letter full of invectives against religion and its gloomy professors. Having a good voice, and playing well on the 'pianoforte, she had been accustomed to entertain him with her music, especially in performing one song to which he was very partial, the burden of which was, "Ah never! ah no!" At the first interview after his return, he tauntingly said, "I suppose you cannot sing us a song now?" She replied, "But I will;" and immediately played and sung the following verses, which she had composed to his favourite tune. The effect was that his prejudices were shaken, and in time he embraced the principles he had opposed.; As I glad bid adieu to the world's fancied pleasure, You'll surely rejoice when I say I've received I know by experience in whom I've believed,- In the gay scenes of life I was happiness wooing, Sent by But in these bright paths you call melancholy, I've found those delights which the world does not know; J. DORE. Miscellanies. lustre, betray their celestial origin. In the same way ought our hearts to be eager and open to imbibe the dew of heavenly grace, when it drops at the preaching of the word." Gotthold proceeded,— "I cannot recollect having ever heard of any pious lady, whether old or young, who, at her departure from this world, cared to have her pearls and other ornaments about her. On the contrary, we read of a princess, who, on her death bed, expressed her contempt for them, exclaiming, 'Away with such THE PEARL NECKLACE. A COSTLY pearl necklace, just purchased for a young lady, was shown to Gotthold, and led him to say,-"In these days little attention is paid to the admonition of the holy apostle, who requires 'that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety; not with broidered hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array.'-1 Tim. ii. 9. No female now abstains from wearing pearls, but she who has neither pearls to wear, nor money to buy them. And, considering the great love of the sex for ornament, this might be al-trash! and do Thou, O Christ lowed, under the condition that no lady should be entitled to wear pearls, unless she could either make, or take from them, a subject of holy meditation. For example: the pearl, as most naturalists inform us, is the product of the dew of heaven; for, when the oyster sees the weather bright and clear, it is said to open its shells at the early dawn, while the dew is falling, and greedily to drink in the silver drops, which petrify, and afterwards, by their white and snowy Jesus, adorn my soul with Thy royal robes!' Provide yourselves therefore, with such pearls as may strengthen your soul at death, and adorn it in the sight of Jesus. As pearls are strung upon a thread, and hung for ornament round the neck, so ought the Christian to string upon his memory those precious texts of Scripture which contain the kernel, sap, and strength of heavenly wisdom, that he may have them ready for use both in life and death. Above all, every time you decorate yourself with My God! my pearls shall be my these bright and glistening tears. Give me grace to shed jewels, remember that your soul ought to wear a similar ornament of virtue,-godliness and good behaviour; otherwise the pearls will be ashamed of the vile ob ject they are compelled to adorn. them for sorrow at my sin, for joy at Thy goodness, and for desire after Thy heavenly felicity, and I shall ask for no other pearls." Poetry. THE VALUE OF A LITTLE. Do thy little, do it well, Do what right and reason tell, Do thy little, though it be Do thy little, never mind Do thy little, never fear Every little God will take, Do thy little.-God hath made Sent by Smallest stars their glory bring, Do thy little, and when thou Then the little thou hast done, In their deathless memory. J. DORE. |