this world!"

3rdly. Nor do my difficulties only come from within. There is one all around and about me, and deep and treacherous is it! "The course of "Wide is the gate, and broad is the way, and many there be which go in thereat." "The whole world lieth in wickedness." The rushing multitude are as a broad, full, flowing stream; all that touches it, if not held and kept by a power, superior to its own, must quickly be borne away by the current and share its fate. Many even glory in their shame, they not only float with the stream to their downward ruin, but are seen striving to hasten onward to destruction. Large and small vessels, costly and mean, are alike the sport of this mighty torrent. Hear the language of a multitude of these giddy revellers upon the brink of hell's yawning gulf. (Prov. i. 11-14.) They will by fair words and smooth speeches deceive and entangle the soul that listens to them. If flattery and soft words will not succeed to entice sinners to the pit, then will rougher language be used, ridicule, scorn and hard words with false accusations to terrify the poor pilgrim from his narrow path. But even here succour is to be found,

Though tempest tossed and half a wreck,

My Saviour through the floods I seek,
His faithful love, his constant care,

Is all that saves me from despair.

He can hold me in his hand, and keep me in the hour of temptation; and while he sits upon the water floods, I know that "the Lord on high is mightier than the noise of many waters," and none can separate His child from His arms. He bringeth me to the desired haven.

4thly. But besides all this from within and From without, my difficulties are at times added

"Thou didst hide

to by a yet sorer trial still.
thy face and I was troubled." Yes, the darken-
ing clouds and contrary winds, are an apt picture
of that which is the believer's most bitter
sorrow. "Zion said, The Lord hath forsaken me,
and my Lord hath forgotten me." The breath
of His mouth speaks only condemnation and
terror to my wounded spirit, and in the bitterness
of grief I cry out, "All these things are against
me."

Where is the blessedness I knew
When first I saw the Lord?
Where is the soul reviving view
Of Jesus and his word?

"Is his mercy clean gone for ever? hath he shut up his loving-kindness in displeasure?" What now is the poor tossed soul to do? Surely these are the seasons in which it will be found good that a 66 man should both hope and quietly wait." Here I learn my helplessness, my entire dependence. All I can do, is to spread the sail and wait. A weary wanderer far from home, Toiling, I cry, Sweet Spirit, come, But I can only spread the sail,

Thou, Thou must breathe the auspicious gale. Without this I can make no progress, I can round no projecting head-land of temptation, I can oppose no current of the flesh and of the spirit, I cannot even keep my ground, and hold that fast which I have received!

And then, if the Lord should delay to visit my soul with his loving-kindnesses, my fifth difficulty reminds me of my peril. Darkness overspreads my sky, and while slumbering and sleeping in the night how helpless am I! It would seem as if the prince of this world and the ungodly crowd around me, and the rushing stream on which I

float, must now succeed in making my poor bark their prey;

66

Lord, Why is this, I trembling cried, Wilt thou pursue thy worm to death ?" “”Tis in this way," the Lord replied,

"I answer prayer for grace and faith."

Yes, blessed be God, our extremity of helplessness, is his opportunity for manifesting the riches of his grace. "Will he plead against me with his great power? no; but he would put strength in me.' "Most gladly, therefore, will I glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For when I am weak, then am I strong." "He will not break a leaf driven to and fro." "He hateth putting away." It is in the moment of complete need when the soul can only cry, "Lord, I am oppressed, undertake for me," that then that word of rich and solid consolation is spoken with demonstration of the Spirit and power. "Who is among you that feareth the Lord, that walketh in darkness, and Let him trust in the name of

hath no light?

the Lord, and stay upon his God."

JERUSALEM.

IN a former number* we gave an account of the Jews in Jerusalem, from the journal of the Rev. F. C. Ewald. One of the most affecting circumstances recorded in it is, that the Jews in the Holy City are accustomed to rise at midnight, and, 66 wrapt in their veil, and with dust upon their foreheads, to prostrate themselves upon the ground, commencing their midnight devotions

* October, 1845.

with a confession of sins, followed by a chapter from the Lamentations of Jeremiah." After this succeed "five elegies on account of their dispersion, captivity, and the destruction of the Temple and the Holy City." In the second edition of Mr. Ewald's journal, he gives one of these elegies, of which the following is a literal translation. The original is very beautiful, and its meaning and spirit cannot well be transferred to our language,

I.

A voice is heard in the night from Ramah!
A voice of lamentation from Zion the glorious !
A voice is heard in the night from Ramah!

II.

I remember the days, when I was the Queen
In the hand of Jehovah a royal diadem;
But now I am black,

I am sunk into the pit, in deep mire.
A voice is heard in the night from Ramah !

III.

Then I was the only beloved,

I was called the glory of the most High,
But now I am cast-down-very-low,
For my friend, my beloved has left me.
A voice is heard in the night from Ramah !

IV.

My friends, my companions, my virgins

Come together to weep with me; for great is my anxiety. I have no more any one who pitches my tent, or stretches my cords,

For my friend has gone away from me, he has hidden himself.

A voice is heard in the night from Ramah!

V.

On account of pride I am cast down from my height,
He hath sent fire into my bones,

I went forth into captivity, alone like a widow,
Judah is in captivity, yea in complete captivity.

A voice is heard in the night from Ramah!

VI.

Once I was the bride in the midst of the palace, And the cloud was upon the mountain of Zion, But now I am cast out like a poor and needy one, The enemy hath taken my garment, and I am naked! A voice is heard in the night from Ramah !

VII.

The enemy has destroyed my priests and my elders,
The enemy has taken the covenant-people,

The dearly-loved children, and the young men are carried away,

And even the sucklings are in captivity.

A voice was heard in the night from Ramah!

VIII.

Is there none that takes these things to heart?

Shall the destruction never be finished, and I again lift up my head?

Shall the enemy always call me his own?

I am fallen before the children of the perverted. A voice was heard in the night from Ramah!

IX.

Father of mercies, return unto Zion,

Let every eye see the building of the palace,
And this house be again exalted,-

Then shall the redeemed break forth into shouting!
A voice is heard in the night from Ramah!

NARRATIVE OF HENRY ABRAHAMS. In the twenty-sixth number of a little work entitled "Scriptural Lectures to Juvenile Collectors for the Jewish Cause," by H. S. Hancock, we have the interesting, though brief, account of a poor Jewish lad, which we here present to our readers. The work from whence it is extracted is full of instructive matter. It consists principally of expositions of portions of the book of Genesis. In its later numbers will also be found a history of some of the early operations of the Society, and narratives of Jewish