thoughts, mixed up with strong and apparently unwarrantable assertions, in Mr. Finney's own style.

LIVES OF THE POPES, from the Rise of the Romish Church to the Age of Gregory VII., A.D. 100 to 1046. Part I. Monthly Series. London: Religious Tract Society.

A very timous publication, and one which will go far to open young eyes to the wickedness of Popes, and the horrible doings of Popery. Let senior class teachers do their duty to the principles handed down to us from our martyred forefathers, and set the corruptions of the man of sin fully before their charge. This book will help them, and we say God speed to it.

THE CORE OF CREEDS; or, St.
Peter's Keys. By Rev. D.
THOMAS. London: Ward and
Co.

A remarkably striking book on a much misapprehended passage, The author works out his view well, and sets before his readers the important truth, that a redeeming God is the felt want of the whole human family, and the glorious provision set forth in the gospel for the hopes and joy of man. The passage treated is Matt. xvi. 13-19; and the book consists of

that the right idea of Christ is the most important element in human creeds, and that that right idea is that he is the redeeming God.

2. Of four propositions grounded on this, and showing,

That the idea of a redeeming God is an element of personal

blessedness of divine communication, fundamental to all true association, and qualifying for the highest offices in the kingdom of Christ. The work is distinguished by Mr. Thomas's peculiarly earnest and lucid style of writing, and cannot fail, we think, to do good amongst intelligent classes of persons. The fundamental truth of the gospel here brought out is the truth for the age, the only truth that can satisfy the yearnings of guilty man, and the one truth to meet

the errors of our times.

MEMORIAL OF ROBERT EDWARD

BURTON; or, the Great End of Life Answered in the Removal of a Beloved Youth in the Faith and Fear of God. London: Religious Tract Society.

A very lovely portrait of a very lovely youth; the utterance of a father's views and feelings of his now sainted child; well calculated to do good to youths, and while it warns of early death, directs to the one means for its complete conquest and the de

1. An introduction, proving struction of its sting.

Chapter of Varieties.

Miscellaneous Papers.

FLOWERS OF THE HOLY LAND.

JULY.

OUR gardens this month display all manner of gorgeous hues and showy forms in the way of flowers. Many splendid annuals are in full bloom, the roses very gay, and some of our most showy perennials are in all their glory. All these gay residents about our dwellings, however, are not flowers from Palestine. The great bulk of the annuals are from America; and of the others it is only here and there one that can claim a Syrian origin. Our readers must, therefore, pass by much that is elegant, beautiful, and attractive, and pick out the few which are adapted to illustrate the flora of the Holy Land.

The Centaureas, with flowers many of them much like thistles, are now in bloom, and several of them are natives of Palestine. Two very common flowers, formerly numbered in this genus, but now removed from it, may be found in every corn-field throughout the Levant. They are the Purple and Yellow Sultans (Amberboa moschata and Amberboa suaveolens). When first brought to England they were greatly prized, and thought rare plants; but now are to be seen in almost every cottage garden.

The beautiful Ranunculus, now decking many a florist's plot with its many hues, grows wild in Palestine, and was cultivated for many centuries by the Turks before it was known in Europe. In the Levant it is as common in many fields as our buttercup, which is a species of it; and in Persia is seen adorning every mountain side.

Some beautiful kinds of Sage, as the Salvia splendens, are now in bloom; but our collectors must pass several of them by, and take the common garden Sage (Salvia officinalis), and dry it as a Syrian flower. On the hills and over the valleys of that country it grows in great abundance, as well as through all the islands of the archipelago. On some parts of the [JULY, 1851.

BIBLE CLASS MAGAZINE.] H

coast of Syria the Salvia pomifera, with its azure blossoms, is found, and in the island of Crete is very common.

A more simple flower may be noticed, of a sage-like character, in bloom this month. It is called Clary (Salvia sclarea); is a species of sage, and grows wild through Italy, Syria, and Bithynia.

The sweet Lavender is now scenting many a cottage garden with its bloom, and should be gathered, not only for its use as a pleasant, old-fashioned perfume, but as a specimen of Syrian flowers, as there it grows wild in great abundance.

Various species of Hibiscus are in flower this month; one variety of which, called the Bladder Ketmia (Hibiscus trionum), is very common, as it is quite hardy in our gardens. It is remarkable for only opening for a few hours in the day, and is called by the old writers, in consequence, "Good-nightat-noon." Many varieties of Hibiscus are found in Palestine, where its showy blossoms and various uses make it a valuable plant.

The Oriental Bladder Senna (Colutea cruenta) is also in bloom. It is a native of the Levant, and forms a pretty shrub, with flowers of a reddish colour.

Of other garden flowers we may mention the Day Lily, the copper-coloured variety of which (Hemerocallis fulva) comes from the Levant, and grows wild in Palestine; the Cistus, or Rock Rose, which has been called by some the Rose of Sharon," from its great abundance in that valley; and many of those named last month.

66

In the open fields, woods, and moorlands many interesting objects may be found. On the latter the Heath is in full flower. It is found but sparingly in Syria; and hence many think that in the passages of scripture where it is noticed in our version, the Juniper, and not the Heath, is intended.

The Corn Cockle (Centaurea cyanus) now abounds in cornfields. It is mentioned in Job xxxi. 40; and though other plants have been suggested in preference, as the one intended in the passage, we think the reference to the cockle in the passage far more expressive than to any of the others proposed.

The Darnel (Lolium temulentum) may also be found where the cockle grows. It is supposed to be the Tare, referred to in Matt. xiii. 25-30. The Darnel is well known among

farmers as the ray or rye-grass, and is the only deleterious plant of all the grass tribe. It has all the appearance of the true corn until the corn is in the ear, and is so injurious to both men and animals, as at times to have proved fatal when mixed with other grain. It abounds in the East; and to this day men may be seen gathering it in bundles at the time of harvest, and burning it.

The Poppy is still glowing amongst the corn, and is just as gay in its season in the land of Syria.

In marshy places the Bulrush (Scirpus lacustris) is now in flower; but it is not the bulrush of the Bible, that being, without doubt, the Egyptian papyrus. On ponds, also, is seen floating the lovely Water Lily (Nymphea alba), and which some have thought to be the flower so often spoken of in the Canticles as the emblem of the church. The Egyptian Lotus, however, has better pretensions, if a water-lily be intended at all. On cliffs on the south coast, and in most good shrubberies, the Tamarisk tree (Tamarix Gallica) is now in flower. The tamarisk of the Bible is the Oriental Tamarisk (Tamarix orientalis); but that named above is sufficiently like it to give a good idea of it, and is more common in Palestine than with us. It is thought that this was the tree planted by Abraham in the grove he formed at Beersheba, and where its beautiful bright-green boughs still give their refreshing shade. Under one of the stunted bushes of Tamarisk now studding the desert in which Hagar wandered, it is probable she cast her child. Dr. Boothroyd translates the passage in 1 Sam. xxii. 6, "And Saul abode under a tamarisk tree," so pointing out this beautiful tree as being planted in his simple. court, and casting its shade about his lowly palace. The Tamarisk is one of the plants which has long been thought by some to have produced the manna on which the children of Israel fed. The Manna-bearing Tamarisk (Tamarix mannifera) is said to grow only near Mount Sinai, and the substance collected from it, called manna, appears on the branches of the tree in the form of small globules, and is caused by the puncture of an insect. It is a sweet-tasted, fragrant gum, but can never have been the manna supplied to the Israelites. Theirs was obtained all over the desert-this is only got in one part: theirs was obtained every day, and all the year round-this is only to be gathered at a certain season of the year: theirs