Oh, heavenly Father, teach me to have no other ambition than this, that love may be every thing to me, that it may be diffused around me that I may seek it in every thing I do. May my first desire be "Home"-the rest of Christ Jesus-that labor of love be perfected with a view to this love Divine.

all my

"Love delights in difficulties, and grows on them,” says a good old divine. Oh Lord, may I daily delight in loving thee, and grow in grace; may I please not myself but thee; and daily look towards the cross which can alone make me like unto my glorious Lord, and by every trial let me benefit, remembering the words of Him who cannot lie-" He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son." Rev. xxi. 7. Oh! let me bow to the chastening hand of Him who never causelessly afflicts his own; and while laying claim to this precious promise, may I bear in mind, that he will be also Judge, and Priest, and King for ever and ever. To him who is Lord of all, be honor, praise, and dominion, from this time forth, for evermore. ΜΙΝΑ.

THE JOURNEYINGS OF THE ISRAELITES.

(With a Map.)

The country represented in the accompanying map, is one of peculiar interest, although until the recent researches of M. M. de Laborde, and Linant, very little was known with regard to its present aspect. It is not only from its connection with the wanderings of the Israelites that it deserves attention; but from those evidences which it exhibits to the truth of some of the most striking prophecies of holy writ. We could enlarge greatly upon the subject, were we not fearful of anticipating the researches of our juvenile readers, who will do well to consult it whilst studying the books of Moses, and the writings of the prophets:

ON CHRISTIAN ZEAL.

ZEAL is passionate ardour in the pursuit of any thing. It is a most useful affection when exerted on proper objects, and kept within due bounds; but when its objects are improper or frivolous, or although proper, pursued to an inordinate extent, it gives rise to

much evil. Of the truth of this, history in every page, furnishes abundant proof. How often do we see a good cause suffering from the intemperate or misdirected, though perhaps well meant, zeal of its advocates.

St. Paul, in his epistle to the Romans, after declaring his sorrow for the ungodliness of the Jews, "his kinsmen according to the flesh," and his desire and prayer to God" that they might be saved," bears record of them that they had a "zeal for God, but not according to knowledge." His Jewish contemporaries were very zealous for the rites and ceremonies of the law; but they were, in an awful degree, ignorant of vital and personal religion. They were scrupulous adherents to the ceremonial, but too often flagrant transgressors of the moral law. The proud selfrighteous Pharisees, who strove, by every means in their power, to thwart and counteract the preaching of our Lord, who were cut to the heart" by the truth of his remonstrances, could not be accused of failing in external acts of worship, or of being wanting in bigoted zeal for the rites and ceremonies which Moses had commanded, or which had received the sanction of tradition. But this zeal was not tempered by true piety, and therefore its effects were baneful. They persecuted our Lord and his disciples, even to death; and flattered themselves that they were doing God service. Alas! how much evil and persecution in modern times, have flowed from misguided zeal.

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Genuine Christian zeal has only things truly desirable for its objects, and seeks to advance them in a proper manner. The objects at which it aims, are the advancement of pure and undefiled religion in every region of the habitable globe, and as a necessary consequence, moral enlightenment and civilization. The zealous Christian feels a warm interest in the spiritual welfare of those at home and abroad, who are yet sitting in the darkness of heathenism-on whom the sun of righteousness has never arisen with healing in his wings-to whom the glad tidings of the gospel have never been proclaimed. But he is also zealous in the maintenance of family, and above all, of personal religion. He does not consider that the efforts, which he may make for the advancement of religion abroad, preclude the necessity of regulating his conduct in the family, by the unerring standard of God's word. He knows that religion, to be sincere, must begin at VOL. IX. 3rd SERIES. A a

home-that the exercises of the closet, furnish him with strength for the performance of his duties. He will watch over the spiritual, as well as the temporal interests of his family. He will be distinguished at home and abroad, not by a noisy and flaming zeal for the points in which the portion of the church of Christ to which he belongs differs from its other divisions; but, whilst he steadfastly adheres to these, he will rather delight to dwell on the great and vital points on which they agree; and will rejoice to bear testimony to the piety and virtues of those in whom he discerns the image of their common Lord and Saviour. It is not necessary, as some imagine, that, if not bigots, we must be latitudinarians. Much as the term "Christian charity," is, in these days, abused, applied as it is to an unscriptural indifference to sects and creeds, it will be found that when rightly understood, Christian zeal and Christian charity are perfectly as one. A steady unflinching adherence to the great doctrines of Christianity, is the only sure basis of liberality in those minor matters, about which, the best and wisest have differed, and do differ.

But while the Christian is zealous for the spiritual, he is also alive to the temporal interests of his fellow-men. He delights to devote a portion of the substance, wherewith God has blessed him, to relieve the wants and mitigate the sufferings of those whom unfortunate circumstances, or even their own imprudence and vice, have reduced to temporal distress. To what but Christian zeal do we owe those various benevolent institutions which are the glory of our land? Could Greece and Rome in ancient times, and can those countries which are at present destitute of the gospel, furnish a parallel to them? What was it but Christian zeal which impelled Howard to sacrifice every other pleasure, that he might alleviate the miseries of a part of his fellow-creatures, too often deemed below notice and commiseration? Would he have done this, if he had been an unbeliever? No! much as infidels may boast of their philanthropy, it has always been found wanting in the hour of need. What but the spirit of religion was the mainspring of Wilberforce's efforts for the abolition of the slave trade, and of slavery itself. He was not animated by mere thoughts of secular expediency, but by a genuine zeal for the best interests of mankind. Christianity heightens and expands every generous feeling, to an extent which unregenerate amiability can