Poetry. SAFE WITH GOD. 9 chant sent pounds to the treasurer of a Benevolent Society, and said, WITH God as our God we are safe "Call for more when you want it." and happy everywhere. A gentleThe treasurer stared with surprise, man crossing a dreary moor came for it was the first time he had ever collected more than a pound from upon a cottage, and entered into conversation with its inmate, who him, and that, he thought, came was standing at his garden gate, grudgingly. When about to leave, he said, “Are you not afraid to live in this lonely place?" "O no," said he, "for faith closes the door at night, and mercy opens it in the morning." Why," said the rich merchant, afterwards, "I could never get rid of that child's words; they stuck to me like glue." Poetry. TRUE HAPPINESS. ONE day I went in full pursuit, I asked a little laughing boy He said, "O! give me toys, And let me run and play about, For these are all my joys." I asked a ruddy earnest youth- I asked a modest maiden what I asked the busy man of trade- BY DR. BURNS. I asked an anxious care-worn mother She said, "God bless my boy; If he is wise and truly good, I asked the gory warrior- Paddington, Jan., 1865. Let vict'ries wreaths adorn my head, I asked a miser rich in gold He clutched with eager hand"Be this my idol and my bliss, For this will all command." I asked the student, weak and wan- I asked a pandered epicure- Just then I heard a passing voice, And thus it spoke to me- And then the aged form drew near, He only truly happy is, Whose hopes are fixed on high. There all is bliss, unmixed, and pure, The heirs of Christ have fullest joy, General Correspondence. THE ANNUAL LETTER. MR. EDITOR Dear Sir, I fear that most of your readers must by this time be weary of the controversy concerning the Annual Letter. Certainly it appears to me that it will be scarcely to edification to pursue the discussion further. To the general principles laid down in the Letter with respect to amusement and recreation, I find no exception taken, and these I consider of chief importance. Coming to details, Mr. Hardy seems to think that dancing, as an amusement, is in itself sinful. I think otherwise; but would, nevertheless, condemn it as now commonly practised in English society. Mr. H. and I must agree to differ, and leave our friends to decide as to whose view is most in accordance with reason and scripture. spirit of controversy, but as contributing a little information which may be I hope there are many among the interesting to bible-students, of whom readers of this Magazine. The question is as to the meaning of 1 Thess. v. 22. The authorised version, as it is termed, reads thus-" Abstain from all appearance of evil." In support of this reading my friend cites the opinion of the late Mr. James, of Birmingham. But with all our veneration for the memory of the author of so many useful books, he can scarcely, I apprehend, be appealed to as an authority on a point of this kind. Considering how small were his literary advantages, Mr. James was a wonderful man, and the success with which God honoured him should be a stimulus to all of us; but he himself would have been the first to disclaim any right to the title It gives me pleasure to find, that of a profound Greek scholar. Again, notwithstanding the grave errors in Matthew Henry, and Thomas Scott, theology and morality of which Mr. H. and Albert Barnes, are very useful as spoke in his first epistle, he has dis- practical commentators. I greatly recovered, I presume on a reperusal, much in the Letter of which to ap-good sense, whilst Henry especially spect Scott for his piety and habitual prove. This encourages me to hope delights me by his quaint and racy that if, in some serene hour a few notes so full of experimental godlimonths hence, when the excitement of ness. But no one of these can be much controversy shall have passed away, thought of in a question of this kind. he will kindly look at my poor produc- Doddridge is more to the purpose, and tion once again, he may come to the Dr. Edward Burton still more so. opinion that, after all, the Association it regards Lexicons, however, I would was not guilty of very great folly in advise my friend to exchange his impressing upon it the broad seal of its Schrevelius for Liddell and Scott as august approval. Indulging in this soon as may be; or, if his Greek studies pleasant hope, and expressing sincere are now confined to the New Testaregret if anything I have written has ment, for the useful and by no means appeared to your readers unfair or unleave respectfully to close my part in Eidos does undoubtedly, at times, mean generous to my Yorkshire friend, I beg expensive Lexicon of Dr. E. Robinson. But to come to the point before us. the discussion. With best wishes for appearance;" it is a question, howa large sale of the Magazine in the ever, whether it ever means appearnew year, believe me, Mr. Editor, ance without the corresponding reality." Yours very truly, It sometimes also means 66 form;" and also "kind," or "species." The quesP.S.-By some people the postscript tion is, what is the signification here? is held to be the most important part | Now Ellicott, "the Chilwell authority," of a letter, May I employ it on this does not stand alone in his rendering occasion in adding a few last words of the passage, "abstain from every touching the question of biblical criti- form of evil." The ancient translators cism which has arisen as a kind of by- and commentators took the same view, issue in connection with this corre--among them Chrysostom and Theospondence? I wish to do it not in the phylact, who, as Greeks, may be re W. R. STEVENSON. 66 As Jerusalem. JERUSALEM. 11 garded as of some authority with re- my taste, not nearly so good as Ellicott. spect to the meaning of a word in their "These words," says he, "cannot by own language. Among scholars of the any possibility be rendered as in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries English version. For (1) eidos never who understood the passage in the signifies appearance in this sense; (2) same way may be mentioned, Ham- the two members of the sentence would mond, Buxtorf, Le Clerc, and Wettstein. thus not be logically correspondent, but The lexicographer Schleusner takes the a new idea would be introduced in the same view. Robinson, whilst mention- second which has no place in the coning the other interpretation, prefers text; for it is not against being dethe one now contended for. So also ceived by false appearance, nor against does the pious and learned German giving occasion by behaviour which Expositor Olshausen. Dr. Bloomfield, appears like evil that he is cautioning who though somewhat at a discount then, but merely to distinguish and now-a-days, was much thought of hold fast that which is good and reject twenty-five years ago, says, in his that which is evil." He translates, "Critical Annotations," that the read- therefore, "Abstain from every species ing of the common version here "is (or form) of evil." quite unsupported by the context, and is (as the best critics are agreed) scarcely permitted by the propriety of language." Conybeare and Howson, AT length another fond dream of many in their most interesting and beautiful years is fulfilled. I write from Mount work on the Life and Letters of St. Zion; my window looking out upon Paul (which the Queensbury church the Mount of Olives, which is only a ought by all means to present to their mile and a half distant. On Monday pastor if he does not already possess we left Alexandria in the steam-ship it), translate the verse thus-"Hold "Danube." Had a delightful passage yourselves aloof from every form of to Jaffa, where we landed at twelve evil," and add in a note, "eidos is not appearance (A.V.) but species under a genus." Trench (recently made an Archbishop), in his Notes on the Authorised Version, translates "form or kind," From Jaffa to Jerusalem our journey and remarks thereupon, that it is from must be performed by horses, donkeys, the reality of evil, not the appearance or camels. The first we found it diffiof it, that we are commanded to ab-cult to obtain; for a party who came stain. "There are times," says be, "when, so far from abstaining from all appearance of evil, it will be a part of Christian courage not to abstain from such. It was an appearance of evil when our Lord showed himself the friend of publicans and sinners." o'clock on Tuesday. This was my first entrance into the promised land, the long-time-ago home of Simon the Tanner, whose house was by the sea-side. upon the same vessel had sent an order some days before for twenty; and the supply was not much beyond that; and besides that party there were at least twenty more of us who were bound to Jerusalem. Camels are used here almost entirely for transportation It is fair to state that the great of freight; and so we fell back upon Calvin was in favour of the meaning the donkeys. Imagine three of us expressed in our common version, and setting out at half past four o'clock, herein he has been followed, until re-seated on our Arabian saddles-which cently, by most English expositors. are simply great straw mattresses, So also Dr. C. J. Vaughan, of Doncas- fastened by a girth, and about as easy ter, in the very latest published com- riding on as a bag of wheat-without mentary on the Thessalonians, throws any stirrups; a fourth donkey loaded the weight of his authority, which is with our carpet bags and valises, trotnot small, into the same scale. He ting along without a rider; a lymphatic translates "Every evil appearance." Arab riding a fifth, and accompanying us I will close, however, this list of cita- as our guide; and the whole party riding tions with a passage from the fashion- without any bridles only halters made able commentator of the day, Dean of such rope as we use for clothes' lines Alford, who, though learned and ele--and you will have our photographs gant and interesting, is not unfre- quite vividly enough to give you the quently too flippant and dogmatic for benefit of a hearty laugh at our expense. But do not think that in this plight-full sight of us; but shortened our more ridiculous than Don Quixote on course by not passing through it. Our his Rosinante-we were necessarily ride was now through a hilly region; the "observed of all observers." far from that, our equipments were so silicious lime-stone, which crops out So and the hills are everywhere full of a entirely according to the fashion of the over half the surface. country, that no one of the crowds tween the rocks is good. Vines and The soil bethrough which we passed seemed to olive trees might occupy all these hills take the least notice of us. abandoned. The present occupants of which are now so barren and almost Palestine have the least_agricultural skill of any class that I have met. Patches of ground among the hills were under the plough! but such a plough! and such ploughing! A simple harrow with cultivator teeth would plough as deep and in every respect as well. The ground is everywhere covered with loose stones, which generally are not even thrown into piles. More utter want of thrift can scarcely be conceived. The weather was mild and sunny; but the sun was much too low down, considering that we had at least twelve or fourteen miles to go on our slow moving animals. The donkeys here are quite inferior to those of Egypt; and our guide, instead of assisting us to hurry them along, only moved out of a walk as we ourselves applied the goad to the beast which he rode. So it was half-past eight o'clock when we reached the station convent at Ramleh, where we spent the night. This convent is the only stopping place between wheeled vehicle of any sort is said to exist A mule path is the only road. Not a Jaffa and Jerusalem; occupied by eight in all Palestine; and I can see no reaor ten monks only; and is practically son to doubt it; for even the old chariot a place of entertainment for travellers. roads about Jerusalem are now so out No charges are made, but of course of repair that no carriage could be every one pays about the usual price driven over them. It would be a diffiof a common hotel. The entertain-cult achievement to drive a coach even ment is plain, but comfortable, if you from Jerusalem to Bethany. The donexcept the breakfast, which was coffee without milk, bread without butter, and boiled eggs. The monks evidently make a good living by hotel keeping. The route to Ramleh was through a rich and level country. Only good cultivation is needed to make it a garden. The orange groves near Jaffa are the finest I have ever seen-the trees are just now loaded down with ripe fruit of the largest size. however, that the quality of the fruit We find, is not equal to its size. keys and horses in this region being accustomed to these paths, go over them very safely; but some of them frightful, that I preferred to dismount. along the edge of precipices looked so In occasionally relieving myself by walking, the mule was turned loose, and driven before me with my cane. There was not the least danger, I am sorry to say, of his running away. The average three and a half miles an hour best that we could do in riding, was, to only by a faithful and persistent belawhere the road was good; and this bouring of the donkey's hide whereever we found it most sensitive, if that term can at all be applied to that which seemed to have about as much sensibility as a piece of sole leather under the shoe-maker's hammer. Leaving Ramleh at seven o'clock on Wednesday morning, we plodded on for an hour over a similar country to that of the evening before. The first place of interest was Ludd-the ancient Lydda, where Eneas was healed of the palsy by Peter; and where Peter was stopping when he was sent for to raise Dorcas to life. Our route was by Bethhoron-upper "And forasmuch as and lower-and "El Jib," or the ancient Lydda was nigh to Joppa, and the dis- Gibeon. We sat upon our donkeysciples had heard that Peter was there, excepting as we relieved ourselves by they sent unto him two men, desiring walking-twelve hours; and accomthat he would come to them." The plished the distance of about thirty distance was not over twelve miles by miles, reaching the Damascus Gate a the direct route. Peter came and little before seven o'clock. It was very "tarried many days with one Simon a tanner." Acts ix. 32-43. We left Ludd a little to our left, in fortunate for us that it was the month otherwise we should have been com- minutes. On the top is a tower which pelled to spend the night in the open- offers a rare view of the city and its air, exposed to more perils and discom- suburbs on the one side, and on the forts than it would be pleasant to con- other of the Dead Sea in the distance, template. Ordinarily the gates are with the mountains of Moab still beshut at six o'clock, and no inducement yond. To speak of the hallowed assocan avail to open them afterward. We ciations that were awakened as I found them shut; but they were pre- walked up and down among the olive sently opened at our call. At seven trees, and through the Garden of Getho'clock we were comfortably seated by semane, is not easy. An unspeakable a good fire in one of the most home-like peace and tenderness of spirit-a subhotels which I have seen in my whole dued and quiet joy-possessed me. route the Mediterranean House, kept The place seemed pervaded with the by a Protestant German, Mr. Hauser. heavenly presence of Him who so The day had been a pleasant one; loved us that he rejoiced to endure the weather was neither too warm nor poverty and sorrow, suffering and death too cold; but grew colder as we ap- for our sakes. I saw him moving proached Jerusalem; for we are here quietly about, undisturbed by the comhalf a mile above the level of the sea, motions around him; ready to help the and the thermometer is twenty degrees weak, to comfort the sorrowing-with lower than we should find it at Cairo. a hidden life beaming in his eye and radiating from his face; a blessed man; upon whom all the beatitudes of the Sermon on the Mount rested in their fulness. My joy was complete. I looked upon the path which his weary feet had trod often, as at the close of a day's patient teaching in the city, he retired to spend the night in Bethany, just over the hill-side-away from noise and bustle. I saw him as one day he made his entry into the city by Thursday morning came with rain; that same road; when the people cast for this is the time of the latter rain, their garments and the leaves of the and we may expect at least occasion-palm-trees in the way, and cried "Hoally a shower or a wet day. It is sanna." I saw him in the Garden April weather," as we should say at skirting the foot of Olivet near the bome. For the most part we have kept within doors, the ride of the previous day making a rest by no means irksome. Four other gentlemen, who had been in company with us in Egypt, tarried over at Jaffa, and were now on their way. At seven o'clock they came in, well soaked, and suffering the additional inconvenience of having their baggage detained at the gate for Custom House inspection the next morning. Coming by the road which we tookwhich is not the usual one from Jaffawe had a view of the city a little before six o'clock, at the distance of two or three miles, and could appreciate the writing of the Psalmist, -"Beautiful for situation on the sides of the North, is Mount Zion, the city of the Great King." Our position was on the northwest, and nearly equal to that of which the sacred writer speaks. brook Kidron, as he prayed in agony— "If it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt ;" and deep waves rolled over me. In no spot have I lingered so fondly; and none has ever seemed to me so much like "the house of God and the gate of heaven." Memory will often turn to it in the future, as worn by toil, or burdened with care, I wend my way toward the great and high mountain," where the Revelator Friday was still showery; but equip-"was shewed that great city, the new ped in our India rubber coats, Dr. Jerusalem, which descended from God Thompson and myself set out for the out of heaven." Mount of Olives. My former impres- Beyond the Mount of Olives, yet not sions of the "mountains which are in sight from the top of it, is Bethany, round about Jerusalem" are consider- the home of Mary and Martha and ably modified by seeing them. They are their brother Lazarus. Here was a higher and the valleys between them spot, singularly retired; and yet within and the city are deeper than I had sup- an hour's walk from the centre of the posed. To descend to the brook Kidron city. On Saturday we took this walk, and ascend to the height of the Mount going by one road, over the Mount, of Olives is a walk of full forty and returning by another which skirts |