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purpose for beautiful Ruth, and which way out of Bethlehem came Boaz, when he met his reapers with the pious salutation, the Lord be with you. And they answered him, the Lord bless thee. We can almost imagine that this was the gate to which Boaz went up when he called aside the kinsman of Naomi, and that here rose up the elders and pronounced the touching and simple benediction, The Lord make the woman that is come into thine house, like Rachel and like Leah, which two did build the house of Israel: and do thou worthily in Ephratah, and be famous in Bethlehem!'

Standing upon a spot like this, the most common actions and events in life, offer us some image or vivid picture from the pages of our holy books, or some striking feature in the life of the ancestors of our blessed Lord. Yonder are the maidens, like Rebekah, with the pitchers upon their shoulders or heads. Who can drink even a cup of cold water near the gate of Bethlehem, without being reminded of the now aged king, harassed by the Philistines who had their garrison in Bethlehem, and oppressed by the cares and the sorrows of state? When he looked forth from the cave of Adullam, whither he had fled for refuge, he yearned for the freedom of his youth, while he yet wandered with his flocks, a happy shepherd boy upon these hills, and guarding his own sheep from harm, felt that he too was not without a protector, 'The Lord is my shepherd: I shall not want.' Those happy days were past. The boy was an old man; the free shepherd was a perplexed king. Home-sickness comes over his spirit, and he bitterly feels that kingly power had not availed to prevent a melancholy banishment from the joyous scenes of his youth. In the midst of his royalties he can pine for a cup of cold water from Bethlehem: 'And David longed, and said, Oh, that one would give me drink of the water of the well of Bethlehem which is by the gate!' How precious to the crowned king was the cool fountain which the simple shepherd-boy had once but lightly esteemed! How pathetic and sublime the conclusion! And the three mighty men brake through the host of the Philistines, and drew water out of the well of Bethlehem, that was by the gate, and took it, and brought it to David: nevertheless he would not drink thereof, but poured it out unto the Lord. And he said, be it far from me, O Lord! that I should do this: is not this the blood of the

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men that went in jeopardy of their lives?' The names of Boaz and Ruth, of Obed and Jesse, and David the king, had been sufficient to render Bethlehem illustrious, until there was added, greater than all, that one event which makes the name dear to every Christian,-the fulfilment of the prophecy, 'Unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given.' Over the same road by which we came hither and by which we returned to Jerusalem, went once a little company that made it for ever after a holy pilgrimage. Some weeks had now passed away since the advent of the wonderful stranger, and the emotions which at first were confined to humble shepherds and a mother's bosom, had now been shared by distant magi, and the harmless child had already excited the suspicions, though he had not yet aroused the wrath of the jealous king. In order to fulfil the requirements of the law of the land, which is the law of God, he must be presented in the temple, and the customary offering made by his mother. Of how little esteem in the eyes of their countrymen was the humble band which was then about to set forth from this village! It is but a small offering that they can lay upon the altar of God; for that handmaid of the Lord who was blessed among women, could bring out of the storehouse of her poverty, not a lamb, but only a pair of turtle-doves or two young pigeons.' The pomp and parade which attends the christening of earthly princes, is all absent from the presentation in the temple of the King of princes! A faithful and patient animal is their only companion and their only servant upon the devout pilgrimage. With quiet cheerfulness, but in silence and obscurity, they pass through the narrow streets of Bethlehem; emerging from the gate, and passing perhaps the very spot which we now occupy, they took this wellknown bridle-path which leads to Jerusalem. Methinks the fruitful fields should have put on new robes of gladness in His presence, and that the vine, and the olive-trees, and the fig-trees of Bethlehem, should have been glad to bring the first-offering of their wine, their fatness, and their sweetness to their Creator as He passed by! But alas! the world was unconscious of her God! In silent faithfulness they pursue their journey, his mother 'treasuring all these things in her heart.' Beyond are the mountains of Moab, and all around the beautiful hills amid which Bethlehem is seated. In scenes like these

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which we are permitted this day to look upon, and perhaps by the tomb of that beautiful mother of Israel, sits down to rest the virgin form of the mother of Him who brought spiritual blessings to the nations. For now was the great promise to Abraham fulfilled. Not to thy posterity alone shall the great benefit be confined, but thou shalt be the Father of all the faithful, and 'in thee shall all the nations of the earth be blessed.' Did such pious and elevating thoughts of Divine goodness swell with joy the bosom of that tender mother, and give new elasticity to her step as she went over the northern hills towards Jerusalem, ever onward upon her faithful way? Let us then imitate this holy example, and press forward undiscouraged by the difficulties of the journey, towards that heavenly Jerusalem whither Joseph and Mary and the young child are gone up before us !

We reached Bethlehem by a rising path over the high ground that to the south-west bounds the valley where the shepherds fed their flocks. Passing through the length of the village, we came to an extensive pile of buildings which rest upon a part of the hill jutting out towards the east. This is the Convent of the Nativity and the Church of St. Mary. The buildings are divided into three portions, assigned respectively to the Greek, Latin and Armenian Christians; who, though living in separate communities, have at appointed times, the right to worship at the holy places. The entrance to these and the Church is remarkable, and shews in a most expressive manner, the conditions upon which the Christains have retained their footing in the venerated spots of the Holy Land. The door is exceedingly thick and strong, and stands in an archway of stone so low and narrow that only one person can enter at a time, and that, by stooping and actually squeezing himself through. In fact, the whole of the immense pile, built of enormous blocks of stone, bears the appearance of a prison, or some warlike fortress, rather than a Church of Christ and a Convent of peaceful and inoffensive Monks. This narrow and jealous entrance formed for protection against the Arabs and other spoilers, leads into a spacious vestibule, which introduces you into a majestic Church, built in the shape of a Latin Cross, the nave and the side aisles being formed by forty-eight superb columns, in four rows of beautiful marble, and of the Corinthian order. Though of proportions

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men is said to

so majestic, its general aspect is otherwise plain and unadorned; but the ornamented ceiling, which in places has escaped the ravages of time and barbarism, indicates its high claims to antiquity and beauty. Near the altar of the Magi, directly over the Grotto of the Nativity, and under that point in the heavens where the celestial guide which appeared to the wise have stood still, is the figure of a star in the marble pavement. There can be no reasonable doubt that this Church is built over the place of the Nativity; for not only is this opinion supported by early, constant and universal consent, but we are informed, as a matter of history, that Adrian, in the second century, destroyed a little Church, in order to desecrate the spot by a temple and statue of Adonis. Milton, in the first book of the Paradise Lost, has alluded to this worship of Thammuz which "infected Zion's daughters." This Church, like many others throughout the Holy Land, was built by the munificence and adorned by the piety of the empress Helena, who, in the fourth century ordered the idol to be destroyed and his worship discontinued, consecrating the sacred site once more by dedicating the Church to the Mother of Jesus. Adjoining this is the smaller but more richly ornamented Church of St. Catharine, from which a narrow winding flight of marble steps leads to a succession of chapels and altars, at the birth place, the manger, and the sepulchre of the Holy Innocents. Here too are the tombs of Eusebius and the venerable Jerome. It is well known that the latter spent many years of his life in this hermit-like retirement, and here he performed that great service for the Church, the translation of the Original Scriptures into the Latin language. As the place where St. Jerome lived, in the fifth century, could scarcely be forgotten, it is certain that his cave was here. This leads us to notice the manner in which all the holy places, once in the sides of the hills,—as for example the cave of the manger,— now appear to be subterranean. The Church and the Convent have been built over them, from the level of the top of the rock, for the purpose of protection.

Upon reaching the foot of the winding stairway, you pass the altar under which you are shown the alleged burial-place of the Holy Innocents. Thence you proceed to the Chapel of the Nativity, some forty feet in length, and from nine to eleven in height and width. Shut out from the light of day, it is bril

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liantly illuminated by more than thirty beautiful silver lamps, which are hung around, and never suffered to go out. The floor is inlaid with precious marbles; at the east end is the place where the Saviour of the world was born, marked by a slab of white marble in the pavement, set around with jasper; and in the centre is a silver sun, surrounded by the following inscription,

HIC DE VIRGINE MARIA JESUS CHRISTUS NATUS EST.

Over this is a marble table, supported by two columns, which is used as an altar, and from the ceiling depend sixteen silver lamps, pouring a flood of light upon this end of the chapel.

Within a short distance is the recess of the Manger, where the new-born Saviour was laid. This is also of marble, raised about a foot above the floor, and is illuminated with equal brilliancy. The original rock, in this large recess, is covered with splendid draperies embroidered in gold and silver with roses and other flowers; and in the centre is a beautiful picture of the adoration of the shepherds.

The crowd of pilgrims in this chapel was so great and the heat so oppressive, that we could not give ourselves up to those thoughts which the sacred locality would naturally inspire. We, therefore, soon left the hallowed spot, and ascended to the top of the convent to enjoy the fresh air and the beautiful prospect around Bethlehem. Beneath us lay the fertile valley embosomed among the hills, and as we looked towards the north in the direction of Jerusalem, we had upon our right the mountains of En-gedi rising above the Dead Sea.

We now hastened our return to Jerusalem, in order that we might reach the city before the gates were closed at sunset.

Thursday, April 12th.- While at Bethlehem we had intended to visit the pools of Solomon, which are a few miles beyond, on the road to Hebron. This purpose we were to-day enabled to accomplish. Our host, Mr. Mooshallum, a converted Jew, and a person of great respectability, who has arranged a house in Jerusalem for the accommodation of travellers, offered to be our guide. The road towards Bethlehem, as far as the Greek convent of Elijah, was the same as that of yesterday. The convent is on an eminence, upon the left hand, com