tainty of immediate death. But has he ever done thus? Has the Gospel ever prevailed where this was the ease? Under the pagan emperors, fiery persecutions were endured, and the Gospel still prevailed. But in these persecutions it usually was only some of the principal persons, or at least, only a part of the Christians, that were put to death. Perhaps, if a few conversions should take place, and be followed by immediate martyrdom, the blood of the martyrs would again prove the seed of the church, and the persecutors cease from their opposition. Possibly the bloody and fiery scenes of the first centuries are to be acted over again. Possibly some great political revolution is to open the door for the free preaching of the Gospel to the followers of the false. prophet.

TO MRS. WILLIAM GOODELL, MALTA.

"Acre, Nov. 4, 1823.

"I was grieved to hear of your sickness. But I hope and trust you found it good to be afflicted. We all need afflictions. We too much love present ease and comfort. But our heavenly Father knows when it is best to deprive us of them. I hope you love him more for his paternal chastisements, and entertain a more lively sense of your dependence on him, and are more than ever ready to devote yourself entirely to his service. It is a good sign, when our afflictions make us pray more, and lead us nearer to God. I have rejoiced and given thanks for your partial restoration to health, and hope that long ere this you are quite well. I am now travelling with Mr. Jowett, and we have many pleasant hours together. Last Sabbath we had service in Italian. Ten were present. Prayer and sermon extempore. In the afternoon we sat down together and read Ephesians, conversed about what we read, and prayed. Last evening we observed the Monthly

Concert of Prayer. Every morning and evening we read the Scriptures, and pray with our servant in Italian.

"Mr. Jowett and I have talked much about you all, and he has told me many things concerning you, and your various efforts to promote the cause of Christ. I hope that before the year closes, your home will be at Jerusalem; or if not there, at Beyroot or Smyrna. Let us all pray much for divine direction, and God will lead us. I hope we may all live to see good things done in the Mediterranean. But life is very uncertain. We ought therefore to be continually ready for our summons to the presence of our Judge."

"Nov. 5. At half past nine we left Acre. Mount Carmel was distinctly in view on the south. See 1 Kings xix. It runs north-west and south-east, and stretches out between the sea and the bay of Acre. 'That ancient river, the river Kishon,' empties at the head of the bay. See Judges v, 21; and still nearer to Acre is the Betus. I am told that the Kishon is a considerable stream even in summer. At half påst twelve, having crossed the plain of Acre, we came among small hills. Our muleteer not being well acquainted with the way, we went out of the direct road, and ascended a hill on which stands the village of Abilene, containing, probably five hundred inhabitants. About four o'clock, we entered a fine plain, which we were about an hour in crossing. Soon after this we passed Sephoora, a village about the same size as Abilene. Josephus says, "the greatest cities of Galilee were Sepphoris and Tiberias.' The habitations have a very mean and dirty appearance. We observed three arches together, which probably belonged to a church, or some other building, erected by the crusaders. The village stands on the side of a hill. On its summit are the walls of an old castle. In going from Sephoora we

met many women carrying pitchers of water on their heads. Others were riding, or driving asses, which carried some two and some four jars of water. We soon came to a plat of green-sward, and a fountain whence the women drew the water, and where large numbers of horses and cattle were collected to quench their thirst. We see green-sward in this country very seldom, and but little in a place.

"After a ride of nine hours arrived at Nazareth. Had our guide known the road well, we should have accomplished the journey probably in six or seven hours. Sought lodgings in the Catholic convent, and were very civilly received, though we carried a letter to the Superior from a priest at Nazareth, which informed him that we were missionaries, and were going about preaching and distributing the Scriptures.

“6. Looked at the church of the convent. It is large and splendid, hung with tapestry, and ornamented with paintings. One painting represents the marriage of Joseph and Mary. I asked the friar that explained it to us, who married them. He replied, "The bishop of Jerusalem;' as if there had been bishops before the birth of Christ. In a grotto they show you the place of the annunciation. They say that the house, in which Mary then lived, was carried by angels to Loretto, in Italy. Pilgrimages are now made to Nazareth to see the place where the house was, and to Loretto to see the house itself.

"On most of the doors in the convent is inscribed, 'Ave Maria Purissima,' 'Ave Maria Plenagratia;' sometimes with the addition in Spanish of, 'sin pecado concebida,' i. e. conceived without sin;-in conformity with the doctrine of the Franciscans, that the virgin Mary was never affected by original sin. In one place is a promise of 100 days indulgence to every one, who shall say, 'Holy, holy, holy, Lord of hosts, the earth is full of thy glory. Glory

to the Father. Glory to the Son. Glory to the Holy Spirit.' On the same paper is a promise of 300 days indulgence to every one, who says, with a humble and contrite heart, 'Jesus, Joseph, and Mary, with my heart I give you my soul. Jesus, Joseph, and Mary, assist me in my last agony. Jesus, Joseph, and Mary, let my soul depart in peace with you.' Then a form for blessing, 'the adorable name of God, for the repairing of the abuses of blasphemy.' It is as follows, 'Blessed be God.-Blessed be his name.-Blessed be Jesus true God, true man.— Blessed be the name of Jesus.-Blessed be Jesus in the most holy sacrament of the altar.-Blessed be the great mother of God, most holy Mary.-Blessed be the name of Mary, virgin, Mother.-Blessed be God in his angels and saints.' A promise is made of one whole year's indulgence to every one, that recites the above.

"The women in and around Nazareth go unveiled; and their principal ornaments are strings of money worn on their head dress. These coins differ in value from the para, which is worth only the fourth of a cent, to the mahmoodia, which is worth more than three dollars. Paras are worn in great numbers, and a string of silver coins, worth about ten or twenty cents each, is often passed over the forehead, and left to hang down on both sides of the face. Women, who wore money to considerable amount on their head dress, were seen barefoot with mean and often ragged clothing, bringing pitchers of water to town on their heads.

"8. Nazareth is situated on the side of a hill, and nearly at its foot. The hill faces east and south east. Before the town is a valley, about a mile long, and from 50 to 100 rods wide, running north and south, and by being surrounded by hills, it is made a complete basin. It is a charming spot, and I love to reflect as I walk over the plain of Nazareth, and the hills around it, that our Lord and Sa

viour used to walk over the same ground. From this valley there is a passage out to the south into the great plain of Esdraelon. From the town you walk about twenty minutes over the plain, the hills on the right and left converging till there remains only a strong, narrow ravine, about a mile in length. On the right hand of this passage, as it opens into the plain of Esdraelon, is a precipice, rough, steep, and high. This is shown you as the brow of the hill, whence the Jews wished to precipitate our Lord. See Luke iv, 29. It is indeed the brow of the hill, on which Nazareth stands, though at a considerable distance from the town."

ΤΟ HIS FATHER.

"Nazareth, Nov. 7, 1823.

"I sit down to address you from the city where Joseph and Mary lived, and where the angel Gabriel announced the great mystery of the incarnation. Here Jesus lived after his return from Egypt, being subject to his parents. Here he labored as a carpenter with his reputed father. It was here that he could do but few mighty works, 'because of their unbelief.' Mark vi, 5. It was here that his preaching so enraged the multitude, that they attempted to cast him down headlong from the brow of the hill, on which their city was built. Not far from this is Mount Tabor, where our Lord was transfigured before his disciples, and the Mount on which, it is believed he preached, when he fed the multitude with five loaves of bread. At no great distance also are Nain, Capernaum, Tiberias, and the lake of Gennesaret. To walk over the ground where our Lord used to walk, will neither make us holy, nor subdue our sins. It is only imitating his example that will do this. Here he went about doing good. May I also be an instrument of doing good, as I go about in the same places.