patriarch Noah, that God would no more destroy the earth by a deluge.

Ministers are God's ambassadors, and in the Gospel, the olive branch of peace is held forth to guilty and rebellious man. Says the Apostle Paul, "Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you, in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God," 2 Cor. v. 20.

The olive tree was remarkable for abundantly yielding an oil of healing properties, soothing and subduing the pain of a wound, and soon restoring the bruised part to a state of soundness. On this account it was an emblem of the benignity and tenderness of God, and the mollifying and healing influence of the grace of his Holy Spirit. Grace expels the poison of the old serpent, as olive oil does that of the natural serpent or viper. As an emblem of the Gospel, olive oil was largely used in the ceremonial ordinances of the Jewish law. See Exodus xxvii. 20; xxx. 24.

This

Near to Jerusalem was a place called the Mount of Olives; it was a mount famous for the growth of olive trees. was our Lord's favourite resort for private prayer. Many a night did he pass in that solitary and lovely retreat, in communion with his Heavenly Father. It is a remarkable fact, that on the same spot several old olive trees are still found; probably some of the identical trees which stood there at the time that our Lord used to visit them in the hours of devotion.

CEDARS OF LEBANON.-PROPHECY FULFILLED.

THE cedar is a large and noble | glory of Lebanon." (Isaiah lx. evergreen tree. Its lofty height, 13.) On that mountain it must in and its far extended branches, former times have flourished in afford a spacious shelter and great abundance. There are

shade. (Ezek. xxxi. 5, 6, 8.) some now growing there which The wood is very valuable; is of are prodigiously large; but traa reddish colour, of an aromatic vellers who have visited the smell, and reputed incorruptible, place within these two or three which is owing to its bitter taste, centuries, and who describe the which the worms cannot endure, trees of vast size, inform us that and its resin, which preserves it their number is diminished from the injuries of the weather. greatly. The cedars of Lebanon The ark of the covenant, and have diminished from a forest much of the temple of Solomon, to a sacred grove, guarded by a and that of Diana, at Ephesus, priest and protected by a superwere built of cedar. stition. The prophecy of Isaiah The tree is much celebrated has long since been fulfilled, and in Scripture. It is called "the" Lebanon is turned into a fruit

ANOINTING WITH OIL.

"Thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over."-PSALM Xxiii.5.

"I CONFESS (said Captain Wilson), that since my return from India I have been forcibly struck with many things which prove the Scriptures to be an Eastern book.

"For instance, the language of one of the Psalms, where David says, 'thou anointest my head with oil, my cup runneth over,' most likely alludes to a custom which continues to this day.

ful field;""the rest of the trees bears a small cone, like that of of his forest are few, that a child the pine." may write them." The cedars of Lebanon scarcely occupy a space equal to two acres of ground! But Lebanon is a fruitful field; the mulberry tree yields its luscious fruit, and its more useful leaves, with graceful luxuriance; and in its valleys the harvests wave spontaneously in autumn. Maundrell measured one of the largest size, and found it to be twelve yards and six inches in girth, and yet sound; and thirty-seven yards in the spread of its boughs. Gabriel Sionita, a very learned Syrian, a man worthy of all credit, thus "I once had this ceremony perdescribes the cedars of Mount formed on myself in the house Lebanon, which he had exa- of a rich Indian, in the presence mined on the spot. "The cedar of a large company. The gengrows on the most elevated part tleman of the house poured upon of the mountain, is taller than my hands and arms a delightful the pine, and so thick, five men perfume, put a golden cup into together could scarcely fathom my hand, and poured wine into one. It shoots out its branches it, till it ran over; assuring me, at ten or twelve feet from the at the same time, that it was a ground; they are large and dis-great pleasure to him to receive tant from each other, and are me, and that I should find a rich perpetually green. The wood supply in his house. is of a brown colour, very "I think David expressed his solid and incorruptible, if pre- sense of the divine goodness by served from wet. The tree this allusion."

SELECT VARIETIES.

BENEFIT OF READING A with German novels and other

GOOD BOOK. infidel publications. The conI HAVE a curious and not un- sequence was, that I became s interesting anecdote to tell you thorough-paced unbeliever, still about Leland's "Advantage however, continuing diligent in and Necessity of Religion." business, and to the utmost of Mr. T. H. Horne was the re- my powers, supporting by my lator of it. "In the year 1820, exertions as a scrivener and when very young," """ said he, laborious literary drudge, a fa"I unhappily had access to mily of young and helpless a circulating library, supplied orphan brothers and sisters of

mine. Forced, prematurely, to in circumference; and after break off my school studies at that the tapering of the shaft Christ Hospital, that I might was very gradual. Its height, earn a livelihood for myself as measured by Capt. H., is and them, I snatched an hour, 300 feet, but we made it but when I could, for classical read- 285. This tree is by no means ing, and one day I met, and a deformity, as most trees with took up 'Leland on the Ad- large trunks are. It is throughvantage and Necessity of Reli-out one of perfect symmetry, gion.' My object in doing so while its enormous proportions was anything but religious. I impress the beholder with emowished, in fact, merely to read tions of its grandeur. the Latin and Greek quotations "I have said that this is the scattered through the book. largest tree_yet discovered in Some passages, however, from the world. It is so. The celeone of the fathers, struck my brated tree of Fremont would eye. I read them, and sud- have to grow many centuries denly asked myself, What if before it could pretend to be Christianity were after all to anything but a younger brother. prove true? Ay, what would There is a tree in Mexico called then become of me? I was the Taxodium, which is said to thus led to examine the book, be 117 feet in circumference, and by the blessing of God, as but some have said it is formed I read myself into infidelity, so by the union of several trees. I was enabled to read myself "This giant of the woods is out of it. I then, at intervals to be flayed. The process has stolen from sleep and labour, already commenced. We unwent through a long course of derstand that the bark, which biblical study."-Bishop Jebb.

THE LARGEST TREE IN

THE WORLD.

at the base is about fourteen inches thick, is to be taken off in sections to the height of twenty feet, and sent to the World's Fair, in the city of New York."

THERE is a cedar tree growing in the mountains of Calaveras county, California, which VALUE OF TIME. a correspondent of the Senora SIR WALTER SCOTT says, "Our Herald, who recently made an time is like our money. When excursion to see it, thus de- we change a guinea, the shilscribes:lings escape as things of small "At the ground its circum-account, when we break a day ference was 92 feet; four feet by idleness in the morning the above that it was 88; and ten rest of the hours lose their imeet above that it was 61 feet portance in our eye."

will

THE OLD YEAR.-In a very short time the old year expire, but let every one ask himself-How have I spent it? What fruit have I borne? Am I better or worse for the time and opportunities that are for ever fled?

OUR CHILDREN'S PORTION.

A SHORT SERMON FOR LITTLE FOLKS. "These six things doth the Lord hate; yea, seven are an abomination

unto him; a proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood." -Prov. vi. 16, 17.

him to forgive us for the sake of his Son Jesus Christ, and beg for his grace to keep us from being naughty any more. As therefore I wish that God should see no occasion to punish any MY DEAR LITTLE FRIENDS,- of you, but love you all with his I hope you all read your Bibles, great and tender love, I entreat and all know that your Bibles you will take pains, and see if contain the word of God. God you are guilty of either of these speaks to you in your Bibles; three faults-faults to which he there tells you what he would many children are very subject: have you do, and what he would and to this end I will try to give not have you do, to obtain his you some rules by which you favour, to be regarded by him may know when you are guilty as his children. And in the of them, and instances to dissame manner as your parents suade you from committing tell you, that they will punish them. If you are proud, you you when you are naughty, and will think a great deal about love you when you are good; so yourselves; you will be for ever God declares that he will punish quarrelling with your brothers you when you disobey him, and and sisters, and your school-felon the contrary that he will love lows, because they have taken and reward you, if you keep his away this thing, and not given commandments; but with this you that other, and all this from great difference between God the idea of your own rights, and and your parents, that they only your foolish, sinful wish that. can punish you sometimes, and every one should give way to that for a few years; but God you. You will also be stubborn, can and will punish you for ever self-willed, and disobedient to in hell, if you do not believe and your parents and teachers. You obey your Bibles. So also the will not like to learn your les good you receive from your pa- sons, to do as you are bid, and rents is very little and very short above all you will not like to be in its continuance, in comparison told of your faults, and submit with that happiness your Saviour humbly and meekly to be puni Jesus Christ has procured for ished for them; by these marks you by his death and resurrec- you may soon know whether you tion, a happiness everlasting have a proud temper. And if with him in heaven, if you will you have, I entreat you, as you but love and obey him. The wish God to love and bless you. Lord says, that he hates "a to fall directly upon your knees, proud look, a lying tongue, and to beg him to forgive you, hands that shed innocent blood." take this naughty proud spirit -Proverbs vi. 17. And what from your heart, which makes the Lord hates he will punish, you the child of the devil, and to except we are truly sorry for our make you, on the contrary, meek faults, humbly and sincerely ask and humble, like your Saviour.

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