to keep my mind from dwelling on my loss, while I see it to be his eternal gain. Sometimes I begin to be anxious about my dear baby and the future, but generally all is peace.

I had thought of returning to Ireland, but again I see such a want of teachers, and such a field of labour here, that I mean, if it seem God's will, to remain, and live in some of our Missionary families, where my dear child will still have a fatherly care over her, and I may, by God's blessing, follow that course of duty to which my dear Thomas and I had devoted ourselves, body and soul, and spirit, even unto death. The only letter either of us has had was one announcing to Thomas the death of his aged father, received the very day that my mother died. She had fever for a fortnight, and was insensible nearly all the time. The day before her death, she regained her senses, and gave us a good hope of her trust in Christ Jesus. And now, my dear friend, will you not praise the Lord with me, for all his mercies; and while we feel that in our shortsightedness we would have looked on our departed friend as one eminently qualified to extend the interest of our Redeemer's kingdom, we must know that his work will not be left undone. With Him, is the residue of the spirit, and He can send other servants to repair the breaches in His Zion. His work had been blessed beyond all our expectation, he had done much in a little time, and the people loved him as the Kilraughts people had done ;would God I knew how it fares with them! Many an anxious thought, many an earnest prayer has he offered for his beloved session and people. The very last conversation we had, on Saturday night, was about them; he said, " no doubt, some of them, most likely W. B, had been removed to their better country." How will his people bear this? How will poor Miss A and Miss M- bear this? God grant that they may be comforted with the same comfort which God hath given to me. I pray you to go to them, and as you so lately tried to reconcile their minds to his leaving them for another scene of labor, try now to improve the present to us afflictive dispensation. But tell them, also, that we never saw cause to regret our having engaged in this labor of love. Even now, I would rather praise God that such a good work was in our hearts, and look for the blessed crown of glory. My own health and Anne's have been, so far, perfectly good. How is Miss P- ? and is M with you yet? or has the Saviour called her to himself? Excuse errors in this sad letter.-Give my love and Christian remembrance to all friends who are yet spared; and pray for your bereaved friend

E. LESLIE.

UNITY.

BEHOLD how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity. Domestic friendship is most fit and right in itself, and highly conducive to the comfort of individuals and the happiness of the whole. There is something truly beauti ful and lovely in it. Who can behold a family united by the sacred bands of harmony and love, without rejoicing in this felicity? Such a society is a little heaven upon earth, and

any

makes the nearest approach to perfection of civil connection whatever. Too much cannot be said in praise of it. Now all this the psalmist illustrates by two very pleasing compari

sons.

The first is taken from the ointment poured on the head of the High Priest. It is like the precious ointment upon the head, that ran down upon the beard, even Aaron's beard, that went down to the skirts of his garments. Aaron was by divine appointment the High Priest of the Israelitish church. His duty it was, arrayed in the sacerdotal garments, to offer sacrifice, intercede, and bless. At the proper seasons he approached the altar of God and the mercy-seat as their representative, and procured for them many great national blessings. And in this character he was an eminent type of Christ, who is the great High Priest of our profession, and through whose mediation we obtain peace with God, and all the blessings of grace and glory. To his office, so beneficial to the whole Jewish commonwealth or family, Aaron was initiated by the ceremony here referred to. An ointment of exquisite richness and fragrance was prepared, and poured by Moses upon his head at the door of the tabernacle.* From his head it ran down upon his beard, even to the skirts or skirt of his garment (for the word is in the singular number:) not to the lower skirt of the sacerdotal robe, for it is not probable, nor was it convenient that the sacred oil should be poured upon him with such unnecessary profusion) but to the upper skirt of it, the mouth or collar of it, as the word signifies. The fragrance of this rich perfume instantly communicated itself to all who attended this most solemn and pleasing ceremony. They enjoyed the grateful smell, and were the more delighted with it as it was a sure omen of those peaceful and harmonious pleasures with which they were to be blessed through his mediation. Now unity among brethren, the psalmist tell us, is like the ointment thus poured upon the head of Aaron. There is a sweetness and gratefulness in it, especially when sanctified by genuine piety, that fails not to make all the members of the family happy, and to refresh and entertain those who occasionally associate with it. Oh! how the aromatic savour of this rich cordial diffuses itself through the house, just as did the precious odours with which Mary anointed the feet of the Prince of peace, at the entertainment made for him at Bethany †

* See Exod. xxx, 22-ult-Lev. viii. 12. + John xii. 3.

The next figure by which the psalmist illustrates what he 'commends, is taken from the dew. It is,' says he, 'as the dew of Hermon, and as the dew that decended upon the mountains of Zion, for there the Lord commandeth the blessing, even life for evermore."

Dew is a small thick kind of mist or rain, which sometimes falls in a gentle, imperceptible, and plentiful manner on the earth; and contributes not a little to the beauty and fragrance of the garden, and the verdure and fruitfulness of the field. It descends in great abundance in some countries, at particular seasons of the year, and is justly considered as a very great blessing. Mount Hermon, situated on the northern border of the promised land, without Jordan, was famous for it. On which account the psalmist elsewhere poetically describes Tabor and Hermon as rejoicing in God.* The dew is also said to descend on the mountains of Sion, that is, "the dew of Hermon descended on those mountains," for so the words should be strictly rendered. And if it be enquired how this could be, the answer is, that the clouds which lay on Hermon, being brought by the north winds to Jurusalem, might cause the dews to fall plentifully on that place. But some have thought that not Jerusalem, but the lower parts of mount Hermon are here intended. For it is remarkable that Hermon is actually called Sion in the book of Deuteronomy.† And so they conclude that the summit of that mountain had the particular name of Hermon, and the lower part of it that of Sion. And this being the case, they understand the psalmist as making a further comparison, between the precious ointment upon the head of Aaron that ran down unto his beard, and so to the skirts of his garment; and the dew of Hermon that descended from the summit of that hill to the parts below.‡

Psal. lxxxix. 12.

Mr. Marndrell, in his journey from Aleppo to Jerusalem, speaking of the two mounts, Tabor and Hermon, says, "We were sufficiently instructed by experience what the holy psalmist means by the dew of Hermon, our tents being as wet with it, as if it had rained all night." See p. 5. edit. 3d.

+ Deut. iv. 48.

This interpretation of the passage Dr. Pocoke gives us in his Observations on Palestine." If any one," says he, "considers this beautiful piece of eloquence of the psalmist, and that Hermon is elsewhere actually call Sion, he will doubtless he satisfied, that the most natural interpretation of the psalmist would be to suppose, though the whole might be called both Hermon and Sion, yet that the highest summit of this mountain

But I should rather suppose the Mountains of Sion, properly so called, are here intended for to these what is immediately added best and only agrees,-there the Lord commanded the blessing even life for evermore. On these mountains

Jehovah, the God of Israel, was pleased to erect his palace, therein he resided, there he from time to time met his favourite people, accepted their sacrifices, auswered their prayers, and poured both temporal and spiritual blessings upon them. And if we consider Sion as a type of the Christian Church in its present and especially its future glorious state, there is a further more striking and significant emphasis in the phrase of his commanding there the blessing, even life for evermore : for the best and noblest blessings God has bestowed on his church which he hath redeemed by the blood of his Son. Now the dew of Hermon might, as we observed before, literally speaking, fall upon mount Sion. Or if that is not the sense of the words, the dew of Hermon might be a figure of those refreshing and enlivening joys which so plentifully descended on the tribes of Israel and Judah, harmoniously assembled from time to time in the temple at Jerusalem: and it was natural enough for the psalmist to make a transition from the one to the other. And these blessings poured on the Jewish church, may be justly considered as further figurative of the superior blessings the Christian church now enjoys, and will hereafter possess in all their perfection. And so we are naturally led to run the parallel between the pleasures of domes tic friendship and those peculiar to Christian societies. The former, especially if families are religious, very much resemble the latter. What sweet peace, harmony, and love, prevail in societies, formed on the plan Christ and his apostles have laid down, and consisting of individuals actuated by the genuine spirit of the gospel! Like brethren, in the noblest sense of the expression, they dwell together in unity, bearing with one another, sympathising with one another, and labouring to promote one another's real welfare. And such is that

was in particular called Hermon, and that a lower part of it had the name of Sion, on which supposition, the dew falling from the top of it down to the lower parts, might well be compared in every respect to the precious ointment upon the head, that ran down unto the beard, even unto Aaron's beard, and went down to the skirts of his clothing; and that both of them in this sense are very proper emblems of the blessings of unity and friendship, which diffuse themselves throughout the whole society." Vol. ii. Part i. Book i. Ch. xviii.

domestic friendship we mean to recommend. The families where it is enjoyed may be compared to the mountains of Sion, to churches established in this and that place, yea I will add to the general assembly and church of the first-born whose names are written in heaven. God commands the blessing upon such families, even life for evermore. And to them our salutations should be directed as were the apostles to that of Priscilla and Aquila, Greet the church that is in their house.*. SIENNET.

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NOTICE OF BOOKS.

RHANTISM, versus BAPTISM; or, Infant Sprinkling, against Christian Immersion. By S. ELLISON, G. WIGHTMAN, London. P. p. 611. 1835.

THIS is a large work, consistent with the insulting title which it bears. Its object is to prove that none can be saved but those who are immersed in water, agreeably to the author's particular views of the mode of baptism. When will human folly end? It is enough for us to know, on the contrary, that the thief on the cross was saved, though not baptized at all. We lament the production of such a book, not merely because of the erroneous sentiments which it advocates, but because it tends to separate Christian friends, who ought to live together in harmony. It is refreshing to us to quote, in opposition to him, the language of one of the greatest divines and scholars of the day, and the ablest opponent of Infant Baptism-Mr. Carson. He writes" while I always claim for myself the privilege of openly avowing any thing which I find in the word of God, I consider it no less my privilege to show myself one with all who love our Lord Jesus Christ. I have a greater number of Christian friendships among the Ministers of the General Synod, than I had when I was a member of it. Between me and some Ministers of the Synod, even whom I have never seen, there is a real Christian friendship; I abhor a sectarian spirit that would make it other. wise. I wish God speed to all, as far as they love the doctrine of Christ Some of my most confidential friends are not of my own denomination.”

An INDEX to the PLACES MENTIONED in the BIBLE; intended as a Help to the Study of Sacred Geography, and compiled for the use of the Fisherwick-Place Sabbath-School, Belfast. By GEORGE FIELD. WILLIAM M'COMB, Belfast. P. p. 107. 1835.

L

THERE are three expressions in this title-page which proclaim the peculiarity and value of this little work-Geography, Sacred Geography, and Geography for a Sabbath-school. Of all branches of learning, Geopraphy is one of the most easy, interesting, and useful to children. They have the help of the eye, there is all the interest of history connected with it, and

* Rom. xvi. 5.