enlighten and instruct; to convince and | convert; to direct and guide; to encourage and strengthen; to comfort and build up. In short, he will find the doctrines, duties, and hopes of the Bible set forth, both by precept and example, in all those varied forms which seem best calculated to attract the attention, and suit the understanding of a mixed multitude of poor, ignorant, careless sinners, many of whom may be accessible in this way, and in no other.

Here, then, on the one hand, are millions of our fellow-creatures perishing for lack of spiritual food; and on the other hand, here is an abundant supply of the bread of life, prepared according to the unerring standard of God's own word, and made up in such portions as to suit every variety of circumstance and capacity. And can it admit of a question, whether it be our duty to employ the means thus placed within our reach; and, which, to say the least, have such an evident tendency to answer the great end in view?

The instances of failure, we grant, will be numerous, very numerous; but let the degree of success be estimated at any proportion, however small, still there may be found abundant encouragement for perseverance in such a cause. For if we never can be sure of any individual tract accomplishing the desired end, neither can we ever be sure of its failing to do so; and the very possibility which thus attaches to every single tract, that it may be the favoured one which the influence of the Holy Spirit is to render effectual for turning some poor wanderer to the Shepherd and Bishop of souls, may well excite an unceasing feeling of interest throughout the whole system of tract circulation. During the seemingly least eventful day that passes over us, if one tract has gone from our hands, it may prove the means of leading some careless sinner to a saving knowledge of the truth as it is in Jesus, and thus render that day most memorable both to him and to us throughout eternity. The celebrated exclamation, "I have lost a day!" need never, therefore, be adopted by a tract distributor.

But we can place our present argument upon a broader foundation even than this; for we shall suppose the extreme case of a person who has devoted the greater part of a lifetime to the distribution of religious tracts, without having succeeded in a single instance in doing

any good. Should it then be asked, in reference to such a case, Is not this labour in vain? we would say, in reply, Far from it: for although the eternal salvation of the human soul be an object of such unspeakable importance, it is not the whole, or the chief part of the object for which we were created. The glory of Almighty God must ever go first, and be paramount to every thing else; and if that can be in aught or in anywise promoted, the chief purpose of existence is answered.

Now it is not difficult to show, that God may be truly glorified by unceasing, although unsuccessful attempts to advance the kingdom of the Redeemer : nay, we would say that, in one respect, He is even more glorified in such a case than when success is evident and abundant; for really we scarcely thank the man for not becoming weary in welldoing, whose labours are continually cheered and rewarded by prosperous results, which ever tend so powerfully to foster our besetting sins of self-complacency and presumption. But when the faithful servant of Christ is enabled to bear up, year after year, against all the despondencies of fruitless exertion, from the conviction that it is his duty to persevere in planting or in watering, according to his means, whilst God alone may give or withhold the increase, he is much more likely to possess that temper of mind, which is suitable to a dependent and subordinate agent, and to commit his way unto the Lord, believing and trusting that He who alone knows what is best, will assuredly bring that to pass, in his own good time, and not till then; in his own good way, and in no other.

Such a person, being convinced that Divine truth is the grand instrument for the conversion of sinners; and seeing so many opportunities and facilities for employing this instrument in the form of religious tracts, has no doubt whatever, about the duty of diligently using these means, although it is the blessing of God alone that can render them in anywise effectual,

We must here explain, that the general term, "Religious Tract," which we have employed throughout, should now be taken in a more extensive sense than is commonly attached to it; for, among the publications of the RELIGIOUS TRACT SOCIETY, there will be found much interesting information, and im

portant instruction, regarding that beautiful and bountiful creation which is above us, and around us, and within us; much regarding the wonderful ways of Providence, as exemplified in the mightiest kingdoms, and the humblest individuals; and much, especially, regarding that marvellous scheme by which redeemed sinners may call the Almighty Maker and Governor of the universe their God and Father. Such are the themes treated of in the publications referred to; and of these there is now so great variety, both in size and substance, as to suit all ages, circumstances, and capacities, from the tract costing a farthing or less, to the book of considerable contents but small price.

Whilst such great and praiseworthy efforts are making for the improvement and extension of education among the industrious classes, it must surely seem of the utmost importance to provide some means for continuing and following up the intellectual and moral cultivation at that most critical period, when these young persons shall have quitted school. Many of the books now referred to are admirably adapted for this purpose, and it is one of the great advantages of the present day, that they can be furnished so cheaply, and in such variety. Sure we are, that persons who have the means, cannot better bestow a portion of them, than by keeping their respective neighbourhoods abundantly supplied with such safe and useful reading. From the Report of the Perthshire Religious Tract Society, Dec. 1837.

THE ROCK IN HOREB.

As the Israelites in the wilderness thirsted for water, and murmured because of their distress, "the Lord said unto Moses: Go on before the people, and take with thee of the elders of Israel; and thy rod wherewith thou smotest the river, take in thine hand, and go. Behold, I will stand before thee there upon the rock in Horeb; and thou shalt smite the rock, and there shall come water out of it, that the people may drink. And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel," Exod. xvii. 5, 6.

This fact reminds us that Jehovah is the God of providence, working even miracles for the accomplishment of his purposes; while the great apostle of the

| Gentiles directs us to Jehovah as the God of grace, when pointing to it, he exclaims, "That rock was. Christ!" As he was prefigured by the manna, the brazen serpent, and the paschal lamb, so here it is manifest we have a type of Jesus, the great and only Redeemer.

The rock in Horeb, for instance, was Divinely appointed as the medium of relief; and so it is written, "Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins." And hence, to conceive of the moral Governor of the universe as merely intent on taking vengeance, is exceedingly derogatory to the Divine character, since Jehovah is the possessor of infinite excellence. Nor is it less obvious that to do so is awfully injurious; for its effect is to produce despair under a sense of guilt, instead of producing hope. The gospel is a proclamation of "good-will to men;" it is intended to "draw all men" to Christ; it therefore announces the glorious truth that "God is love,' and exhibits an unparalleled display of benevolence in his "unspeakable gift."

Again, the rock in Horeb was smitten. It was only when struck by the rod of Moses, that refreshing streams issued forth; and so Jesus was "stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted," that he might bear our sins, and carry our sorrows. And what mind can conceive the agony he endured? For it is not enough to dwell on the weariness, the hunger, or the thirst of the Saviour; no, nor on the assaults of Herod's soldiery, the scourging of Pilate's hall, or on the anguish of his frame when suspended on the cross. The body of Christ was indeed smitten; but his soul-his soul unspeakably surpassing in its capacity of suffering all the sensibility of the body-" was made an offering for sin." "The spirit of a man will sustain his infirmity; but a wounded spirit who can bear ?" Yet the spirit of Christ was wounded when, while

his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground," he exclaimed, "My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death;" and the sorrow of that soul reached its utmost intensity when, as the Sun of consolation was completely eclipsed, the cry rent the air: "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" The cup, placed by the Father in the hand of Jesus, could not pass from him. It was for him to drink it even to the dregs. Had Christ failed

(These kings are calculated to have reigned from B. C. 1575 to B. c. 1289.) A fourth is in the museum at Jersey, another was purchased by Lord Prudhoe at Coptos, and is now in the museum at Alnwick castle; two others are in the possession of Mrs. Bowen; and another belongs to Mr. W. Hamilton. They are about two inches in height: one side presents a flower, and the other an inscription, containing, according to the valuable authority of Mr. Davis, in three out of the eight, the following legend: "The flower opens, and lo! another year." The quality of these bottles is very inferior, and they appear to have been made before the manufacture of porcelain had attained the same degree of perfection in China as in after times; they were probably brought to Egypt through India, with which country I believe the Egyptians to have traded at a very remote period, and contained some precious ingredient, whose value may be inferred from the size of the vase. It cannot be supposed that the Egyptians, who manufactured porcelain of far better quality, would have sought or imported these as articles of value; we can therefore only suppose they were prized for their contents and after they were exhausted, the valueless bottle was applied for the ordinary purpose of holding the kohl or collyrium used by the women for staining their eyelids."

Mr. Medhurst, on the contrary, in his valuable account of China, its state and prospects, notices these porcelain bottles in reference to the idea which has been held by some that the Chinese derived their mode of writing from Egypt, and

says:

"The notion of some connexion between China and Egypt (at a very early period) has been revived since two small porcelain bottles were brought from Egypt; on these, inscriptions have been discovered apparently in the Chinese character, and the learned have been curious to know their identity and import. A facsimile of one was seen by the author in China; and a picture of the other has appeared in 'Davis's Chinese,' but without any translation. On examination, it has been found that the inscriptions are in the Chinese running hand, and read as follows: "The returning spring brings about another year," and "The clear moon shines

latter sentence is part of a well-known couplet, composed by Wang-Gan-shih, a famous writer under the Sung dynasty, (A. D. 1068.) The original couplet ran thus: :

"The clear moon sings in the middle of the fir tree;

The royal hound sleeps in the bosom of the flower!"

Soo-tung-po, another famous writer, about fifty-years afterwards, found fault with this couplet, and altered it to the following :

"The clear moon shines through the midst of the fir-tree;

The royal hound sleeps under the shade of the flower!"

Travelling afterwards in the south of China, he heard a bird singing in the woods, and on inquiry found that they called it, "The clear moon ;" and observing a grub nestling in a beautiful flower, he ascertained its name to be “The royal hound." He now became convinced of his mistake, but too late fully to repair the evil, as the couplet thus amended by him, had already been transcribed on various vessels, and transmitted, as we find, to distant Egypt. It will easily be seen they by no means strengthen the supposition of an early intercourse between China and Egypt; and so far from the bottles being coëval with Psammeticus (B. c. 658,) as has been suggested, its date cannot be older than A. D. 1130. Since the commencement of the Christian era, Chinese history. mentions foreign merchants coming from India and Arabia by sea to trade with China. A. D. 850, two Arabian travellers came to Canton, who have published their itineraries; and A. D. 1300, Ibn Batuta visited China: so that intercourse has been kept up between China and Arabia, by which means the bottles in question may have been transmitted to the latter country, and from thence conveyed to Egypt. It does not appear that these bottles were discovered in an Egyptian tomb, which had not been opened since the days of the Pharaohs; for the travellers purchased them of a Fallah, who offered them for sale at Coptos. The inscriptions being in the running hand, which was not invented till the Sung dynasty, would lead us to conclude that the bottles are of a late date, and were, in all probability, carried to the west by Ibn Batuta."