ON THE STRUCTURE OF HOUSES IN THE EAST. 265 Luke v. 19, the Midst, where Christ and his apostles were seated. The court is frequently surrounded with a cloister, over which there is a gallery erected, having a balustrade, or parapet-wall, round it, to prevent people from falling into the court. From the cloisters and galleries we are conducted into large apartments of the same length with the court. The stairs are generally placed in the porch, or at the entrance of the court, so that we may go up or come down them, without entering into any of the apart ments; which explains Matt. xxiv. 17, "Let him that is on the house-top not come down to take any thing out of the house." The top of the house, which is always flat, is covered with a strong plaster, and is called the Terrace: this is always guarded with a wall (according to Deut. xxii. 8.) On these terraces several domestic businesses are performed, as the drying of linen and flax, preparing figs and raisins. Here also they enjoy the refreshing breezes of the evening, converse with each other, and perform their devotions, as Peter did +. It may be presumed, therefore, that our Savionr, at the heal ing of the Paralytic, was preaching in the court of such a house, which, being much crowded, did not admit of passing through the congregation; but that they took him up the stairs from the porch, carried him along the flat gallery, took down (inwards) a part of the balustrade or parapet, and with cords, fastened to the corners of his matrass, let him gently down by the wall, which was generally covered with glazed or painted tiles, into the area; where our Lord, observing their faith, was pleased to crown it with the desired success: and thus we see that there is no room for those pretended difficulties and absurdities with which the enemies of the Bible have endeavoured to encumber this miracle. A due attention to this structure of the eastern houses, will serve to elucidate many other passages of Scripture. It is possible, for instance, that the house of Dagon was constructed in this manner. The roof of the surrounding cloisters might be crowded with persons assembled to witness the strength of Sampson, who was placed in the court. The Dey's palace at Algiers is formed in this manner; and multitudes of people divert themselves on the roof. The pulling down, there fore, the two front pillars of the porch might occasion the catas trophe recorded. It was probably on the terrace of his palace that David was walking when he overlooked Uriah's garden; and Nebuchadnezzar was perhaps regaling himself in a similar situation when he surveyed his own mighty works. Peter's vision of the sheet let down from Heaven, might be commodiously viewed in the same situation. The chamber of Daniel, in which he prayed, had probably a window opening into such a court; and the in § Aclix. Josh. ii. 6. + Acts x. + Judg. xvi. M m 4 formers, who might have business at his office, might easily observe him from the porch. In a word, the reader, by recollecting this description of eastern habitations, which continue nearly in the same form to this day, will be able to conceive far more correctly of various domestic occurrences, as recorded in the Scriptures, and other writings of the antients. See Shaw's Travels, p. 373—380; — New edition of Calmet's Dictionary; Fragments, No. 201; and Scripture illustrated, and Doddridge in loc. FRAGMENT. Yes! there are pleasures in religion, though the world denies its intrinsic excellence, and despises its genuine disciples! Can the votaries of Dissipation reflect upon their engagements with the pure and unsullied delight with which the humble Christian retraces the precious hours of divine worship and sacred instruction? To enter into minute comparisons seems derogatory to that subject which connects time with eternity: let me rather indulge the holy superiority, and say to my soul, "You were solicited by the enticements of the world, but preferred the obligations of religion. You entered the sanctuary, tho' undeserving the blessed privilege, and doubting whether provision was prepared for you the feast, in its spiritual sense, proved a feast of fat things.' The subject introduced was taken from the 12th chapter of Isaiah, With joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation." The minister described the properties of water, and applied them to the influences of the Holy Spirit: - he described the wells of salvation, and showed how rich and inexhaustible are the springs of living water flowing from our blessed Saviour, thro' the Scriptures and in the promises! - he spoke of the covenant of grace, and the ordinances of God's appointment, and explained the Christian's privileges to draw out of these sacred wells: - he pursued the Christian's active duties under the emblem of drawing water; and enlarged upon the joy which accompanies the believer's engagements; and, lastly, He recommended arrangement in all the pursuits of social life, that the Christian might have leisure to pursue the sacred employment here alluded to. Persuasion flowed from his lips, encouragement and ardour mingled with elucidation, and graced the powers of eloquence. My soul, recal the hour. Let Memory become the repository of Truth, and Reason congratulate Faith, whilst henceforth Nature shall furnish another association to reanimate Devotion and revive the delightful impression! It is sweetly remarked, that "the creation of God is the school of Christians, if they use it aright." Remeraber, the disciple of the work! requires the aid of adventitious circumstances to animate his spirits and enliven his hours; - le lives dependent upon his associates for precarious joys; others must join the dance, or grace the theatre, or his enjoyment withers, and his pleasures languish; but the Christian revivesin retirement,-his happiness does not float upon a ruffled surface, but dwells in the mine of everlasting mercy: his resources are certain, his joys serene, his prospects unclouded, whilst the doctrines of li faith, upon which his heart rejoices to meditate, are attested by the whole natural world. Wherever he turns his eyes, to the heavens or to the earth, to the sea or to the land, to animals or to plants, he is reminded of them; they are recorded in a language which has never been confounded; they are written in a text which can never be corrupted *. Remember too, the votary of Dissipation, though miserable when alone, never ventures into society but he augments the ag gregate of folly, and spreads the snares of temptation; - whilst the Christian, blessed in the most concealed and retired walks of human life, when he goes into company, or mixes in the ordinary business of the world, diffuses the treasure with which his mind is stored, and spreads the fragrance of divine truth; and when he enjoys his highest delight, and mingles with the sacred congregation, he increases those ascriptions of praise which fill Heaven with holy incense; and anticipates that glorious scene, when the redeemed of the Lord shall triumph in eternal bliss, and engage in that extatic chorus, "Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto God and unto the Lamb for ever and ever!" Surry. M. G. * Jones's Lectures. ANECDOTES. DIGNIFIED CONDUCT OF A YOUNG LADY. [Translated from the German.] ELIZA EMBERT, a young Parisian, resolutely discarded gentleman to whom she was to have been married the next day, because he ridiculed religion. Having given him a gentle reproof, he replied, "That a man of the world would not be so oldfashioned as to regard God and Religion." Eliza immediately started! but soon recovering herself, said, From this moment, when I discover that you do not respect religion, I cease to be yours. He who does not love and honour God, can never love his wife constantly and sincerely.' A WICKED boy, who had been addicted to swearing, was severely reproved by his father, who told him that God heard him. The father, it seems, was himself an immoral man; but what he had said to the boy, struck him so deeply, that it was a means of his conviction; but ignorance having been his great 6 unhappiness, when he came to consider of what his father had said, he asked one of the family, Whether God could see as well as hear? When answered Yes; God is infinite, and can hear and see all things,' he replied, "I do not believe it; for," said he, << my father was drunk last night; and sure he would not he drunk, if God could see him; else, Why did he tell me I should not swear, because God could hear me?" THE CHRISTIAN'S BADGE. THE Romans had a law, that every one should, wherever he went, wear a badge of his trade in his hat, or outward vestment, that he might be known. Thus the Christian is never to lay aside the badge of his holy profession; but to let his light shine, and adorn the doctrines of God his Saviour in all things. THE CONTENTED FEMALE. A NOBLEMAN Soliciting a young country girl to abandon her rustic state, and reside in a populous city, she replied, “Ah, my Lord, the farther we remove from ourselves, the greater is our distance from happiness!" They who leave their homes, uncalled by Providence, in search of happiness, generally find they are only farther from it. THE THREE QUESTIONS. — BERNARD'S three questions are worth the asking ourselves, in any enterprize : 1. Is it lawful? May I do it, and not sin? -2. Is it becoming me as a Christian? May I do it, and not wrong my profession?-3. Is it expedient? May I do it, and not offend my weak brother? C. B. QUERIES. How may the operations of the Holy Spirit on the mind be distinguished from the mere influence of the passions? and, How may it be ascertained when the passions themselves are under the influence of Satan, especially under public ordinances? IN Gen. xvii. 12, we read, " And he that is eight days old shall be circumcised among you. Every man-child in your geHer tions, he that is born in the house, or bought with money of any stranger, which is not of thy seed." How is the latter part of this passage reconcileable with the supposition of the inhuman and unchristian nature of the Slave Trade,-a sentiment so forcibly expressed in the lines of Cowper: ** Caust thou, and honour'd with a Christian name, CATHERINE WIRE, OF BEACONSFIELD, Dbituary. WAS one of that numerous class of bearers who think it sufficient to attend public worship twice on the Sabbath, and then devote the evcaing to walking in the fields; but tho' the world and Satan had as yet the evident ascendency in her heart, the Lord did not leave himself without witness in her conscience: she felt innumerable checks, aud often dreaded to close her eyes, lest she should The first sermon awake in Ilell. that seemed to affect her with a di- At My first visit to her was on Jan. I observed to her, that 25,1805. she appeared not long for this world : "O Her reply was, "No," adding, that the Lord would release me !"— I then asked her of the ground of her hope; and her answer was, "I have a good hope; it is placed on Christ: he alone can do such helpless sinners good. Though a young creature, I am an old sinner; but, O the amazing love of Jesus, that he should do We parted with so much for me!" prayer, and a desire, on her part, for some Christian friends to speak about Christ. "All other discourse," said she, "I count vain: I am often constrained to stop my ears when wicked and profane persons pass the house, that I may not hear their dreadful language." The next time I visited her, in company with two Christian friends, she said, "I hardly know how I do: very bad; but this I know, that Christ is mine; and he is very precious to my soul! he is more to me than all other things! Oh, what a precious i enquired whether the Are you not afraid of Death?' She In repealing my visits, I perceived the work of Christ to be carried on in her heart. "I am full of pain?" she exclaimed; "but Jesus Christ is increasingly precious to my poor soul! I am astonished that he should even look on such a wretched sinner as I am; yet he hath shed abroad his love in my heart; and no words can express what I feel! His love is not only put into my heart, but My pain of all over it. Surely, angels cannot be more happy than I! body is nothing; but what a miserbrand able bed would this be to ine, had not Christ plucked me as a " from the fire!" On another occasion, she looked “} stedfastly in my face, and said," wish you had been here on Lord's Christ is a Day afternoon, to partake of my joy, it was so great! gracious Friend to me!"-aud then clasping her hands and elevating her voice, she added," None can praise Christ enough, not angels! O that I had words to tell of his love! I hope I shall soon be with him in glory! I long to see him: I do not complain of my pain, that is nothing to the comfort of my soul! What a blessed affliction is this to me! - all things are indeed become new!"-I reminded her how great a mercy it was to |