expand themselves on the surface of the European and Asiatic shores, interspersed with hundreds of minarets and cupolas rising from her chaste and massive mosques, among which those of St. Sophia, Achmet, Noor Osmanee, Bajazet, and Mohammed Pasha, are conspicuous. To the west are seen the elegant sacred edifices erected by Mohammed II., Soliman, and his son, the Shazadeh, or Prince; beyond which, in the plains above the capital, appear those long lines of barracks built by the present Sultan, which first led the Janissaries to perceive the fate he had prepared for them, in the establishment of a regularly disciplined army. To the south-west and south lies the sea of Marmora, with an island of the same name, the ancient Proconnesus: in the south, beyond the sea, rise the mountains of Asia Minor, backed by Olympus, who lifts his snow-capped head with hoary majesty above a breast of clouds: to the south-east, the Prince's Island forms a resting-place for the eye, in its progress towards the towns of Ismid and Isnik, the ancient Nicomedia and Nicea; while, in the foreground stands the seraglio, or palace of the Grand Sultan, with the harem, on the banks of the sea, and a grove of cypresses: to the east, separated only by the water from Seraglio-Point, are Scutari and Kadikooee, the ancient Chrysopolis and Chalcedon, on the coast of Asia: from the north, the Bosphorus brings down the waters of the Danube, the Dniester, the Dnieper, and the Don, hasting to do homage to the imperial city that commands the gate by which they escape from their icy northern prison to the more genial climate of the south, and washing, in their course, the feet of numerous forts and summer palaces, and towns and villages: to the north-east, the Golden Horn forms an elegant bay, gradually diminishing till met by two rivers, the ancient Cydaris, and Barbyses, whose banks are the holiday resort of every class, and whose picturesque beauties and festive associations have given to the stream the appellation of "Sweet Waters." In this bay the shipping, whose canvass was all hung out to dry, looked like a fleet in full sail, suddenly arrested by some magic influence, and

reposing on the bosom of the water, in silent admiration of the scene around. In various directions, suites of small domes, ranged in parallelograms, denote the site of khans, or caravanserais for travellers; while every where, forests of cypresses, above the busy haunts of men, mark the spots which, now alone unanimated, will teem with animation when the silence of vacuity shall reign over all that is at present overflowing, and active, and turbulent. One only of these cemeteries is adorned with no funereal trees. It is removed from the capital, and, standing on a distant hill, appears like a city of small white tenements; its separation, and distinctive character, point it out as belonging to a people who in death, as in life, refuse to mingle with the nations around them, and by their continual rejection of the Messiah, fulfil the prophetic declarations of that inspired record, in which the Gentiles rest their faith in Jesus of Nazareth, as the incarnate God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.-Elliott's Travels in Austria, Russia, and Turkey.

MOUNT TABOR.

RETRACING Our steps across that portion of the plain of Esdraelon which intervenes between the Little Hermon and Tabor, at an hour when the dew lay thick on the grass, we arrived again at Deboree. At the foot of the mountain some Bedouin Arabs had pitched their black and comfortless tents, near which several noble horses were tethered, presenting to the eye an apparent combination of the extreme of poverty and luxury. From this point we commenced the ascent of Tabor, which we accomplished in an hour, by a track exceedingly precipitous. Its height does not appear to exceed a thousand feet above the plain; but as its form approaches that of a hemisphere, the outline is very bluff. It is covered with low brushwood, stunted oaks, and olives; and tenanted principally by wild hogs, which are not often disturbed by the few Arabs who occasionally resort thither, to cultivate a small patch of ground on the most elevated spot.

It is generally believed that Tabor is the mountain on which our Lord was transfigured, inasmuch as it is the only one in the neighbourhood that corresponds to the description, "an high mountain apart," (Matt. xvii. 1,) and this it does exactly; for, though surrounded with chains of mountains on all sides, there is no other that stands entirely aloof from its neighbours. The view it commands is magnificent. To the north, in successive ranges, are the mountains of Galilee, backed by Lebanon; and Safet, as always, stands out in prominent relief. To the north-east is the mountain of Beatitudes, with its peculiar outline, and interesting associations; behind which rise Great Hermon, and the whole chain of Anti-Lebanon. To the east are the hills of Haouran, and the country of the Gadarenes, below which the eye catches a glimpse of the Lake of Tiberias; while on the south-east, it crosses the valley of Jordan, and rests on the high land of Bashan. Due south arise the mountains of Gilboa ; and behind them those of Samaria, stretching far to the west. On the south-south-west, the villages of Endor and Nain are seen on the Little Hermon. Mount Carmel, and the Bay of Acre, appear on the north-west; and towards them flows, through the fertile plains of Esdraelon, "that ancient river, the river Kishon," now dwindled into a little stream. Each feature in this prospect is beautiful. The eye and the mind are delighted; and by a combination of objects and associations unusual to fallen man, earthly scenes which more than satisfy the external sense, elevate the soul to heavenly contemplations.-Elliott's Travels in Austria, Russia, and Turkey.

SANCTIFIED WEEPING.

O WHAT Sweets are there in hallowed tears! How the soul delights to melt itself into such blessed showers! Because when she goeth into the lowest pitch of mourning she is then lifted up to the highest rapture of joy. You have heard of them that have wept for joy, but not so oft of them that have rejoiced for weeping: yet of all the pas

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sions the soul is owner of, she is a debtor to none more for her joys than this. This is her rich treasure in which she traffics with heaven. This is the rarest dissolved pearl with which she defrays all the passages of her captivity through the valley of tears. Feelest thou sin? Sit down and weep. There is no innocence so clear among mortal men as that which is drenched in tears. Fearest thou hell? Sit down and weep. Flames cannot burn where these drops do fall. O happy weeping, that may thus preserve from eternal woe! But lookest thou up to heaven, that last state of thy soul's glory; her country, her kingdom, her security? Sit down and weep, that thy pilgrimage is prolonged; that mortality is not swallowed up of life; that thou art yet a stranger and a sojourner, nor art thou yet joined to the innumerable company of angels, and to the first-born, whose names are written in heaven. O when shall that time come, when our souls, being delivered from the Babylon of this world, from the prison of this flesh, from the bondage of this corruption, shall be brought into the glorious liberty of the sons of God? How long, Lord, till these souls of ours, which here like streams wander from the fountain of bliss, be again admitted into that glorious source of immortality? For this we breathe; for this we groan; for this each devout heart weeps, when he recounts the miseries of this present exile. But that happiness of Zion we expect, where all tears shall be wiped from our eyes; where shall be no death, nor sorrow, nor lamentation any more, but all joy, tranquillity, and peace, even for ever and ever.-Dr. John Hewyt. (1650.)

MAN'S SUBJECTION TO THE DOMINION OF GOD.

"When He giveth quietness, who then can make trouble? and when He hideth his face, who then can behold Him? whether it be done against a nation, or against a man only."-JOB Xxxiv. 29.

THE sacred story tells us that a general deluge of water had overflown the whole earth. The remembrance of the former inundation imprinted in man a fear of the future;

and though God had passed an Act of Grace, for security, and placed his bow in the clouds, to be a sacrament to the world, that he would never destroy it so again, yet their jealousies and fears prompted them to new inventions of their own, for their own security. A building, of their own device, shall be more trusted in than the word, promise, and ordinance of God. But how justly did divine vengeance confound their tongues and hands to a division among themselves, whose impious attempts had made a division between themselves and Heaven! When the wickedness of man opposeth itself to Heaven, God's judgments upon their wickedness send among them divisions and confusions. If man be confederate against his God, God sends confusion of tongue, and division of heart. No peace so strong, no union so firm, but, upon our common breach of faith with Heaven, it may be suffered to conclude in an unnatural disaffection, and a dangerous rupture. Our peace with man is grounded upon our peace with God. "If God be for us, who can be against us?" But if we be not with God, God will not be with us: and if God be against us, he will (as past ages have found true by sad experience) send among us division and confusion, and the Babel of our sin shall remain as the testimony of our punishment.-Dr. John Hewyt. (1650.)

GOD'S ENEMY IS NOT MAN'S FRIEND.

WHAT a proof it is that the carnal heart is enmity, to find that almost all our prejudices are against others! So much so indeed that this has become an integral part of the word. Whatever is to a man's prejudice is to his hurt. Nay, I have sometimes found it hard to convince a person that it is possible to have a prejudice in favour of another. It is only Christian love that can believe all things, and hope all things, even of our fellow-creatures.

But is there not a strange contradiction here? The carnal heart which thinks so basely of its neighbours, thinks haughtily of itself: while the Christian, who knows