but there could be no reasonable doubt that it was still buried beneath the rubbish, and still recoverable. 2. Another monument was the "holy sepulchre." The church in which this was shown had been the centre of pilgrimage and crusade for many a century, but latterly the feeling had very much cooled towards it. Many considerations tended to throw doubt on the present position, and the question ought to be cleared up, which it could only be by excavation of the course of the walls. 3. There were the natural features of the old Jerusalem; and here the Dean spoke of the discovery which had been already made by the Palestine Exploration Fund, by which the enormous depth of those sacred walls had been for the first time revealed, the accuracy of Josephus substantiated, and a new force given to the narrative of the temptation of Christ.

The Dean then went on to urge the importance of proceeding with the undertaking. The men were there. They were practised in their work, and alive to all the bearings of the subject. The Imperial Government of the East was favourable; everything was encouraging. Let the opportunity slip, and it might never return; or if it did, the whole trouble and cost incurred would have to be repeated. Never let it be said that in this Bible-loving country a work had been relinquished that bore so closely on that book which was called in the coronation service "the most valuable thing which the world contains." "Let us show a hundredth part of the spirit of our forefathers in this matter, and we shall possess the Holy Land in a far truer sense than they did. We are not fulfilling the mission of our age as long as we allow any hole or corner of that land or city to remain unexplored."

Matthew v. 18.-"FOR VERILY I SAY UNTO YOU, TILL HEAVEN AND EARTH PASS, ONE JOT OR ONE TITTLE SHALL IN NO WISE PASS FROM THE LAW, TILL ALL BE FULFILLED."

1895. Jot-Tittle.-The letter yod (the jot of the text) is the tenth letter in the Hebrew alphabet, and stands for the number ten; and the word translated "tittle," signifies a small particle. The sense of the passage may therefore be, Till heaven and earth pass, nct one commandment, or tenth part of the law, nor even the least part of one commandment, shall pass away till these things be fulfilled.

Titus iii. 5.-"ACCORDING TO HIS MERCY HE SAVED us."

1896. God's Method of Salvation.-The Rebellious Soldiers.-I met to-day with a picture of what we must do in order to be saved. There was a large regiment of soldiers in India who did not receive their pay for six months, getting only their rations. The men suspected the commanding officer had kept back the money, he being a notorious gambler. They met together, and determined next day, when called out, they would not obey orders, but they would all march in a body to the general's house, some six miles distant, and present a complaint against their commanding officer of having robbed them of their pay. The day came; the officer gave his orders as usual, the officers and non-commissioned officers did their duty, but the men stood still. He ordered every tenth man to be locked up; it was done, no resistance being made. The drum played, and the rest marched away in good order, and filed off to the general's house. They presented their petition, and reported against their commanding officer. The general thought, "Well, if we let them do this all discipline will be broken. We must put this down. They ought to have had their pay; but they must not disobey orders." Next morning, to their great surprise, they saw a black army of sepoys, with field pieces in front, and cavalry, all ready for action. They formed into a line and saluted the general. The black men got ready, and so did the regiment; they fixed their pieces ready for the charge, when the commanding officer said, "Twenty-third, obey me! Handle arms! Ground arms! Then he ordered the sepoys to charge them, and drive them from their weapons, and gave further command that they should be stripped of all their accoutrements. Then, having disarmed and dishonoured them, he said, "I will forgive you."

I think that is just what God would have us do. We have revolted and rebelled against Him. "Ground arms," saith He. "Put your sins away, put your drunkenness, your self-righteousness away. Ground arms." And when sin is renounced, and we are ready to perish, and we think that the law is ready to blow us in pieces, then He says, "I will forgive you."-C. H. SPURGEON.

The force of this illustration is rather increased than otherwise by the fact that while the "rebellious soldiers" had good ground of complaint against their officer, man is a rebel in spite of divine goodness and love.-ED.

Psalm lii. 8.-"I AM LIKE A GREEN OLIVE TREE IN THE HOUSE OF GOD."

1897. The Olive Tree.*-"There is something strongly indicative of health and vigour," say the authors of a "Narrative of a Mission of Inquiry to the Jews from the Church of Scotland in 1839," "in the fresh look of a flourishing olive tree; but especially when a grove of them is seen together, and the sun shining on their glossy leaves. The trunk is of a moderate height, and gnarled in a picturesque manner; the foliage is of a deep and peculiar green, and under a passing breeze the uppermost leaves turn round, and show a fine silvery hue. Hence the full meaning of the words, 'His beauty shall be as the olive tree:' and again, 'The Lord called thy name a green olive tree, fair and of goodly fruit.' It is not the evergreen verdure of the tree merely that is referred to, but its health and vigour. Where could we find a better emblem of the Church in a flourishing condition than just such a grove of olives as this, with the peaceful notes of the turtle dove poured forth from the midst, and the sun's living light over all, like the Sun of Righteousness shining over his peaceful Church."

Matthew xxi. 8.-" AND A VERY GREAT MULTITUDE SPREAD THEIR GARMENTS IN THE WAY."

1898. Spreading Garments in the Way. This custom, which was practised in the time of Jehu, king of Israel (2 Kings ix. 13), always has been, and is still prevalent in the East. Josephus tells us that Alexander was thus received, as was Agrippa, according to Philo, when he approached Jerusalem. From the East it was transferred to the West. Eschylus mentions it. Plutarch describes Cato, on leaving the government of his province, as having been thus honoured by his grateful subjects. The older travellers, as Chardin and Tavernier, mention this custom as existing in the East in their day. The most pleasing illustrations, however, of the passage above mentioned occur in more modern works. Mr. Roberts says, "The people of the East have a robe which corresponds with a lady's mantle or cloak. Its name is salvi, and it may often be seen spread on the ground where men of rank are to walk. I was not a little surprised, soon after my arrival in the East, when going to visit a.native gentleman, to find the path through the garden covered with white garments. I hesitated, but was told it

* See also Article No. 419, Vol. ii.

that I accepted Terters, gives us a

teen hundred strewed their te, I literally bathed with one of present hout the same honour. Dr. - the following habitants were

Fatran, then Sa and had

Titus iii. 5.-"ACCORDING TO HIS MERCY HE S 1896. God's Method of Salvation.-The Rebet. He says:— met to-day with a picture of what we must do in o, with tears and There was a large regiment of soldiers in India watercession on their pay for six months, getting only their ration:... pected the commanding officer had kept back the. a notorious gambler. They met together, and day, when called out, they would not obey order, all march in a body to the general's house, some and present a complaint against their commanding robbed them of their pay. The day came; the orders as usual, the officers and non-commissioned duty, but the men stood still. He ordered every locked up; it was done, no resistance being m played, and the rest marched away in good order the general's house. They presented their petiti against their commanding officer. The general th we let them do this all discipline will be broken. this down. They ought to have had their pay; bi disobey orders." Next morning, to their great su a black army of sepoys, with field pieces in front, ready for action. They formed into a line and salu The black men got ready, and so did the regiment: pieces ready for the charge, when the command. Twenty-third, obey me! Handle arms! Ground he ordered the sepoys to charge them, and drive the weapons, and gave further command that they shou of all their accoutrements. Then, having disarmed a them, he said, "I will forgive you."

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