And as an owl in desert is, For daily in reproachful wise, Against me they have sworn. Surely with ashes, as with bread, And have mingled my drink with tears, Because of Thy displeasure, Lord, The days wherein I pass my life But Thou, O Lord, for ever dost And when, life's labour o'er, I sink In death's dark vale be Thou my trust, That so, through Him who bled and died, "The grave and gate of death" may prove Bedworth. N. STONING. THE ancient manner of putting persons to death by stoning was thus: a crier went before him who was to die, proclaiming his name, his crime, and who were the witnesses against him. When they were come within two or three yards of the place of execution, they stripped the criminal naked, except a small covering, for decency, about his middle. The place of execution from which they threw down the malefactor was above twice the height of a man, upon which he was made to ascend with his hands bound. When he was ascended, the witnesses laid their hands upon him, and then stripped off their upper garments, that they might be fitter for going through the execution. From that high place one threw down the criminal and dashed his loins against a great stone, which was laid there for that purpose. If that killed him not, then the other witnesses threw, from the same height, a great stone upon his heart as he lay on his back and was stunned with the fall. If this despatched him not, then all the people fell upon him with stones till he died. To this our Lord is supposed to allude, Matt. xxi. 44. BIBLE ENIGMA, No. 95. WE read of one who walked on earth with God, An aged one whose soul loved savoury meat; In these initials, Gleaners, young and old And write an answer clear in rhyme. L. L. ANSWER TO BIBLE ENIGMA, No. 94. READ God's own book, mark, think, and learn, And then 'tis easy to discern. Adoni-Bezek is the name, In Judges you will find the same. Read the first chapter, there you'll find Confessed e'er death God did requite, Oh, children, read, take warning here, God sees and knows whate'er you do, The Scripture thus fulfilled we find, Oh, may it sink in every mind: With that same measure that you meet you'll see The Lord will measure back to thee. M. J., aged 14 (With a little addition). That man is well rewarded for his services who has Christ for his master, and he shall discover to his joy that God is no man's debtor. THE BAD SHILLING. JAMES DICKSON had finished his day's work and his supper. He was sitting in his own chair by his fireside; for it was wintry weather. A little round oak table was drawn up before him, and on it was a candle in an iron candlestick, and his Bible. F He was an old man, but his sight was good; with the aid of spectacles, at least, he had no difficulty in reading. It may be that he would not have read any other book so easily; but he had been used to his old Bible nearly half a century. "It seems to me you could read it blindfolded, Master Dickson." The old man looked sharply round, for he did not know that while he had been reading several verses of a psalm to himself, in a low tone, the door of his cottage had been quietly opened and shut again, after admitting a young man, who, standing in the shade, had waited till his old friend and neighbour came to a pause. The intruder stepped into the light, and the old man had no difficulty in recognising him. "Ah, Robert, lad, come in and sit down; stir up the fire, and put another log on. I am glad to see you, though I did not expect you to-night." "No, Master Dickson; and I did not know I was coming either. But when I was passing by, and saw the light shining out at the window, I thought I'd just look in. But, may be, I am disturbing you." "No, no, Robert; I am always glad to see you, lad." And James Dickson took off his spectacles, laid them on the open Bible, and looked kindly and affectionately at his visitor. But There was a great contrast between them. There was a difference of at least fifty years in their ages; and out of this difference arose many more. there was a point of attraction, notwithstanding all these differences, which often drew the young man to the old man's solitary cottage. James Dickson was a kind-hearted old man. Whether or not he could have read the Bible blindfolded, as his young visitor had hinted, he bad not studied it fifty years and more |