to godliness, brotherly-kindness; and to brotherly- | are to watch carefully your whole conduct, in all kindness, charity;" "Beware, lest ye, being led your intercourse with others, that it may accord in away by the error of the wicked, fall from your all things with the law of God, which is holy, and own stedfastness; but grow in grace, and in the just, and good. You are to watch carefully against knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ." the various temptations to which you may be exThe season of conversion is a most important posed, and which might draw you from the path period, when a sinner is turned from darkness to which leads to heaven. You are to seek earnestly light, and from the power of Satan unto God; and constantly, that the grace of Christ may be when a person, who was formerly in a state of made sufficient for you, and that his strength may condemnation, is brought into a saving state,-who be made perfect in your weakness, and that thus formerly lay under the wrath of God, is brought you may be found without spot and blameless, at to the enjoyment of his favour. But much re- his appearing. You are to "work out your salvamains to be done after this, before the Christian tiou," by a diligent and persevering use of all these obtain the actual possession and enjoyment of means of grace, which God has appointed, and eternal life in heaven. He has, perhaps, many which he usually blesses to his people for bringing years of his pilgrimage to pass in this world, and them to heaven at last; such as reading the Word during all that period, he will find many remaining of God, hearing a preached gospel, attending the corruptions in his heart, which he has to war table of the Lord, frequent and serious meditation against, and labour to subdue; many temptations on the reality and importance of spiritual and to resist and overcome; many difficulties to sur- eternal objects, and especially, fervent and persemount; many dangers to pass through; many vering prayer and supplication. Prayer is the enemies to encounter; many graces to cultivate, great instrument for keeping the power of reliimprove and strengthen, and much advancement to gion alive in the soul, and where it is diligently make in holiness, both of heart and life, that he and fervently performed, true religion will not fail may be meet for the inheritance of the saints in to prosper; but where it is neglected, or gone light. It is a work full of difficulty, and which about with coldness and indifference, nothing good will require all possible exertion, for he has to will long be found. The true servants of God strive not only with external hindrances and diffi- being found in such a course, "shall flourish like culties, but with the perverse, evil, untoward dis- the palm-tree, and grow like a cedar in Lebanon; positions of his own heart. He is like one swim- they shall bring forth fruit even in old age, and ming against a stream, who may make progress by still be flourishing." steady and persevering exertion, but will inevitably But what are these to do, and what can they be carried down, if he indulges in relaxing his efforts. do, who are still in their sins, and under the You, then, who are already genuine Christians, wrath of God, in order to be brought into a state and in a state of favour with God, are to work of salvation? In answering this inquiry, it will out your final happiness and salvation, by unre- be found suitable to divide them into two classes, mitted labour, care, diligence, and unceasing at the first consisting of those who are void of all tention to the things which belong to your peace. thought, and care, and feeling about this matter. It It is a most glorious object you have before you, is idle to examine what such persons can do, in even eternal happiness. The attainment of it may working out their salvation, for it is certain they be difficult, but it is not impossible, for it is God will do nothing while they continue in that state who worketh in you, "both to will, and to do of of mind. To exhort them, therefore, to work his good pleasure," and having the promise of this out their salvation, is vain. The way in which aid, you may cheerfully engage in the work to they must be dealt with, when they will give us which you are called. In working out your salva- a hearing, is to set before them such truths as tion, you are to set a constant guard on your heart, may be expected, through the blessing of God, to for out of it are the issues of life, and God says to awaken and stir them up to some concern about every one of his children, " My Son, give me thy salvation. They must be reminded of the cerheart;" you are to watch it, as in the sight of an all-tainty of death; that there is a God of infinite seeing, infinitely holy God, and give all diligence, holiness and justice, whom they have all their that the love of God may habitually reign in it; life long been opposing and neglecting, before that your faith in Christ may be strong and lively; whom they must appear to be judged for every that no evil temper or disposition be indulged, and deed done in the body; that they have souls that that it never become the habitation of vain, sinful, shall never die; that the wicked, and all who earthly, corrupt, sensual imaginations, thoughts despise or neglect Christ and his salvation, shall and desires, but that it be habitually holy and be turned into hell, and that the revolving ages pure, a spiritual temple, a habitation of God of eternity shall never bring their misery to a through the Spirit. You are to set a guard on close. If such considerations as these do not your lips, and to take care that your conversation bring them to a serious concern about salvation, be always with grace, seasoned with salt; that no they must be left to their doom, to perish in their filthiness, nor foolish talking, nothing dishonour-obstinacy and impenitence, unless divine grace ing to God, nothing corrupting or injurious to mankind, nothing but that which is good to the use of edifying, proceed from your mouth. You shall interpose and awaken them to a sense of their situation, and stir up in them a desire to escape the wrath to come. The second class consists of such as feel some the perseverance of the saints be fully admitted, desire, more or less, after this object; and them it may be observed, that few, if any, are at all we would exhort to labour with all their might, times so absolutely certain of their being truly that they may be brought into a saving state. saints, as to banish all fears and apprehensions on Labour that you may obtain true faith and genuine this ground. The marks of real saintship are, in repentance, pardon of sin, a renewed nature, true many cases, attended with some degree of obscu love to God and to holiness, peace with God, arity, and they who possess these marks most cleartitle to the heavenly inheritance, and a meetness ly, have yet also many things which may be confor it. Without supposing that you are able to sidered as marks of a contrary nature, and these work yourself into a saving state by your own may be sufficient at least to excite anxiety, and powers without divine aid, yet there is still much concern, and care, and labour, lest they fall short that you can do in the use of means, and this at last. On this are grounded the Scripture exyou are bound, both from duty and interest, dili- hortations, "Let us therefore fear, lest, a progently to do; and while you are doing what you mise being left us of entering into his rest, any can in the use of appointed means, you may hope of you should seem to come short of it." Heb. that He who has brought you thus far, will periv. 1. "Let us labour, therefore, to enter into fect that which concerneth you, and not forsake that rest, lest any man fall after the same examthe work of his own hands. Supposing that ple of unbelief;" ver. 11. "Looking diligently, God alone can bring you into a state of salvation, lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any you can at least wait on him, and cry to him, root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and "Turn thou me, and I shall be turned, for thou thereby many be defiled." Heb. xii. 15. “Take art the Lord my God"-" Create in me a clean heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living me." In doing this, you have no reason to fear a God." Heb. iii. 12. "Let us have grace, wheredisappointment; for it is declared by unchange- by we may serve God acceptably with reverence able truth, “That they who wait on the Lord and godly fear: For our God is a consuming shall renew their strength; they shall mount up fire." Heb. xii. 28, 29. "Wherefore, let him with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall." weary, they shall walk and not faint." It is at 1 Cor. x. 12. once commanded and promised, "Wait on the But though there should be no fear of the final Lord be of good courage, and he shall strengthen issue, there are evils which may befal Christians thine heart; wait, I say, on the Lord." The ex- by the way, more than sufficient to cause them to perience of the Psalmist, Ps. xl. 1-3, amply con- "work out their salvation with fear and trembling." firms the truth of all this. "I waited patiently They need to fear and tremble lest they fall into for the Lord, and he inclined unto me, and heard a course of general backsliding; lest, like the my cry. He brought me up also out of an horrible Ephesian Church, as mentioned in the Revelations, pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a they lose the warmth of their first love; and lest, rock, and established my goings: And he hath put like the Church of Laodicea, they become lukea new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: warm, neither cold nor hot, an object of disgust many shall see it and fear, and shall trust in the Lord." and loathing to the Redeemer. In such a state, We now proceed to advert to the circum- they will not only be displeasing to their God and stance of "fear and trembling," with which the Saviour, but they will lose all the comforts of reapostle directs us to work out our own salvation. ligion. This, however, is not all that Christians There is a degree of "fear and trembling" which have to fear and tremble for. They need to fear incapacitates for successful exertion, but it may and tremble lest they fall into some gross sin, or be safely affirmed that it is not this which is re- foul blot, which may be very highly dishonouring to quired. There is, in fact, no reason for it; for God; bring great reproach on religion; give room however unfit we may be for working out our sal- for its enemies to triumph, and to blaspheme vation, and however awful a failure may be, the holy name by which they are called; be a cause of Christian may work courageously, knowing that bitter remorse, anguish, and degradation to them he has an almighty helper, through whose pro- while they live, and greatly destroy their usefulness mised grace and strength he is sure of success. in the world. The most distinguished saint is But there is also a degree of fear which produces exposed to this danger. Noah falling into drunkencare, and caution, and circumspection, and atten-ness, so soon after he had experienced so great a detion to every circumstance that may either endanger or ensure success. This is the fear with which we are called upon to work out our own salvation, and this fear is most salutary. This part of the exhortation is applicable both to those who are already in a state of favour with God, and to those who are only seeking to be brought into that state. They who are in a state of favour with God, need to work with "fear and trembling," lest at last they come short. For though that liverance from the waters of the flood; David falling into adultery and murder, after God had seated him on the throne; Peter denying the Lord who bought him; are proofs sufficient to carry conviction to every heart, that fear and trembling are necessary and salutary while working out our sal vation, however eminent any of us may be for religious attainments, and give abundant ground for the caution, "Let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall." As to those who are under concern about religion, but have not yet attained to what they consider as a state of acceptance with God, fear and trembling are still more necessary in them, while working out their salvation. When the hardness, deceitfulness, and desperate wickedness of the heart is considered, they have reason to fear and tremble. "Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots," is a question which may well alarm those who have been long accustomed to do evil, and their own experience of resolutions and failures will only tend to confirm the alarm. It is true, they may always be assured that God can change their hearts; but when they consider how much they have provoked him and abused his patience; how often he has called, and they have refused to hear; how long he has striven with them by his Word, and Providence, and Spirit, exciting convictions, while they have resisted, they may fear and tremble lest he swear in his wrath that he will strive no more with them. When they consider how often they have already had serious thoughts, and allowed them to vanish; how often they have made some attempts toward the attainment of salvation, and then given them up; how often they have had some promising appearances of goodness, which, "like the morning cloud and early dew," have passed away; they may tremble lest, in the just judgment of God, they should be left to go on through life in the same fruitless attempts, and die as they have lived, unconverted. When they consider how they use the means of grace, how destitute of fervour and earnestness their prayers are; what defects attend their reading and hearing, they have cause to fear that God, so far from granting his salvation to such endeavours, will be provoked to spurn with indignation those who are so little in earnest. These things, however, are set before you, not to lead any to despair, or even to excite despondency, but to rouse every one, if possible, to that anxious solicitude about this most important of all objects, which shall lead to the most strenuous and unremitted exertions. Surely there is reason for fear and trembling, considering the infinite importance of the object "salvation," and that if you die without having it secured, it is totally and for ever lost. There is reason for fear and trembling, considering your own weakness, depravity, your averseness from good, and proneness to evil, with the innumerable snares and temptations with which you are constantly surrounded. But you may take courage to labour with all your might, since you know that it is "God who worketh in you." You need not despond, since you know that the Almighty is on your side, and has promised you his aid. Go on, therefore, and labour courageously and perseveringly in this work. It is not only a work which requires labour, but persevering labour, while you are in this world. It is a race which you must continue to run while life remains. It is a warfare, in which you must continue fighting, till the last enemy, death, be destroyed. Let every day you live, therefore, bring some addition to this work, some progress in this race, some victory in this warfare, till, at the close of your days, you shall be able, through the faith of the Son of God, and the grace of his spirit, to say, with the holy apostle, "I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith; henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of glory, which God, the righteous Judge, will give me at that day." DESCRIPTION OF EASTERN HOUSES. For the following interesting account, we are indebted to Dr Shaw: "The general method of building," says he, "both in Barbary and the Levant, seems to have continued the same, from the earliest ages, without the least alteration or improvement. Large doors, spacious chambers, marble pavements, cloistered courts, with fountains sometimes playing in the midst, are certainly of these climates, where the summer heats are geneconveniences very well adapted to the circumstances rally so intense. The jealousy likewise of these people is less apt to be alarmed, whilst all the windows open into their respective courts, if we except a latticed window or balcony which sometimes looks into the street. It is during the celebration only of some Zeenah, as they call a public festival, that these houses and their latticed windows and balconies are left open. For this being a time of great liberty, revelling, and extravagance, each family is ambitious of adorning both the inside and the outside of their houses with their richest furniture: whilst crowds of both sexes, dressed out in their best apparel, and laying aside all modesty and restraint, go in and out where they please. painting her face, and tiring her head, and looking_out The account we have, 2 Kings ix. 30., of Jezebel's at a window, upon Jehu's public entrance into Jezreel, gives us a lively idea of an eastern lady at one of these Zeenahs, or solemnities. "The streets of these cities, the better to shade them from the sun, are usually narrow, with sometimes a range of shops on each side. If from these we enter into one of the principal houses, we shall first pass through a porch or gateway, with benches on each side, where the master of the family receives visits and dispatches business; few persons, not even the nearest relations, having a further admission, except upon extraordinary occasions. From hence we are received weather, is, according to the ability of the owner, into the court or quadrangle, which lying open to the paved with marble, or such materials as will immediately carry off the water into the common sewers. There is something very analogous betwixt this open_space in these buildings, and the Impluvium or Cava Edium the weather, and giving light to the house. of the Romans, both of them being alike exposed to much people are to be admitted, as upon the celebration of a marriage, the circumcising of a child, or occasions of a like nature, the company is rarely or never When received into the chambers. The court is the usual place of their reception, which is strewed accordingly with mats and carpets for their more commodious en tertainment. Now, as this part of the house is always allotted for the reception of large companies, being also called El Woost, the middle of the house, literally answering to the midst of Luke v. 19, it is probable, that the place, where our Saviour and the apostles were frequently accustomed to give their instructions, might have been in the like situation, i. e., in the area, or quadrangle of one of this kind of houses. "In the summer season, and upon all occasions when a large company is to be received, this court is commonly sheltered from the heat or inclemency of the weather by a velum umbrella, or veil, which, being expanded upon ropes from one side of the parapet wall to the other, may be folded or unfolded at pleasure. The Psalmist seems to allude either to the tents of the Bedouins, or to some covering of this kind, in that beautiful expression, of spreading out the heavens like a veil, or curtain. "The court is for the most part surrounded with a cloister, as the Cava Edium of the Romans was with a peristyllium, or colonnade; over which, when the house has one or more stories (and I have seen them with two or three) there is a gallery erected, of the same dimensions with the cloister, having a balustrade, or else a piece of carved or latticed work going round about it, to prevent people from falling from it into the court. From the cloisters and galleries, we are conducted into large spacious chambers, of the same length with the court, but seldom or never communicating with one another. One of them frequently serves a whole family, particularly when a father indulges his married children to live with him, or when several persons join in the rent of the same house. From whence it is, that the cities of these countries, which, in general, are much inferior in size to those of Europe, yet are so exceedingly populous, that great numbers of people are always swept away by the plague, or any other contagious distemper. A mixture of families of this kind seems to be spoken of by Maimonides, as he is quoted by Dr Lightfoot, upon 1 Cor. x. 16. "In houses of better fashion, these chambers are hung with velvet or damask from the middle of the wall downwards, are covered and adorned with velvet or damask hangings of white, blue, red, green, or other colours, (Esth. i. 6,) suspended on hooks, or taken down at pleasure; but the upper part is embellished with more permanent ornaments, being adorned with the most ingenious wreathings and devices, in stucco and fretwork. The ceiling is generally of wainscot, either very artfully painted, or else thrown into a variety of pannels, with gilded mouldings and scrolls of their Koran intermixed. The prophet Jeremiah, xxii. 14, exclaims against some of the eastern houses that were ceiled with cedar, and painted with vermilion. The floors are laid with painted tiles or plaster of terrace; but as these people make little or no use of chairs, (either sitting cross-legged, or lying at length upon these floors,) they always cover or spread them over with carpets, which, for the most part, are of the richest materials. Along the sides of the wall, or floor, a range of narrow beds, or mattrasses, is often placed upon these carpets; and for their further ease and convenience, several damask or velvet bolsters are placed on these carpets or mattrasses; indulgences that seem to be alluded to by the stretching themselves upon couches, and the sewing of pillows to arm holes, as we have it expressed Amos vi. 4, Ezekiel xiii. 18-20. At one end of each chamber there is a little gallery, raised three, four, or five feet above the floor, with a balustrade in the front of it, with a few steps likewise leading up to it. Here they place their beds, a situation frequently alluded to in the Holy Scriptures. "The stairs are sometimes placed in the porch, sometimes at the entrance into the court. When there is one or more stories, they are afterwards continued through one corner or other of the gallery, to the top of the house, whither they conduct us through a door, that is constantly kept shut, to prevent their domestic animals from daubing the terrace, and thereby spoiling the water which falls from thence into the cisterns below the court. This door, like most others we meet with in these countries, is hung not with hinges, but by having the jamb formed at each end into an axletree or pivot; whereof the uppermost, which is the longest, is to be received into a correspondent socket in the lintel, while the other falls into a cavity of the like fashion in the threshold. The stone door, so much admired and taken notice of by Mr Maundrell, in his description of the Royal Sepulchres at Jerusalem, is exactly of this fashion, and very common in most places. "I do not remember to have observed the staircase conducted along the outside of the house; neither, indeed, will the contiguity and relation, which these houses bear to the street, and to each other, (exclu sive of the supposed privacy of them,) admit of any such contrivance. However, we may go up or come down them, by the staircase I have described, without entering into any of the offices or apartments, and consequently without interfering with the business of the house, which will be explanatory enough of Mat. xxiv. 17, Let him that is upon the house-top not come down to take any thing out of the house,' provided the action there recorded requires any such interpretation. "The top of the house, which is always flat, is covered with a strong plaster of terrace; from whence, in the Frank language, it has attained the name of The Terrace, a word made use of likewise in several parts of these countries. It is usually surrounded by two walls; the outermost whereof is partly built over the street, partly makes the partition with the conti guous houses, being frequently so low that one may easily climb over it. The other, which I call the parapet wall, hangs immediately over the court, being always breast high, and answers to the word, Deut. xxii. 8, which we render the battlement. Instead of this parapet wall, some terraces are guarded in the same manner the galleries are, with balustrade only or latticed work; in which fashion, probably, as the name seems to import, was the net or lattice, as we render it, that Ahaziah, 2 Kings i. 2, might be carelessly leaning over, when he fell down from thene into the court; for upon these terraces several offices of the family are performed, such as the drying of line and flax, Josh. ii. 6; the preparing of figs and raisins, where likewise they enjoy the cool refreshing breeze of the evening, converse with one another, and offer u. their devotions. In the feast of tabernacles booth were erected upon them, Neh. viii. 16. When one these cities is built upon level ground, we can p from one end of it to the other, along the tops of the houses, without coming down into the street. "To most of these houses there is a smaller on annexed, which sometimes rises one storey higher tha the house; at other times it consists of one or tw rooms only, and a terrace; whilst others, that are bui, as they frequently are, over the porch or gateway, have, if we except the ground-floor, which they have not, a the conveniences that belong to the house, properly called. There is a door of communication from then. into the gallery of the house, kept open or shut at the discretion of the master of the family; besides anothe door, which opens immediately from a secret stair, down into the porch or street, without giving t least disturbance to the house. These back-house are known by the name of Alee or Oleah, (for the house, properly so called, is Daar or beet,) and them strangers are usually lodged and entertained; i them likewise the men are wont to retire, from th hurry and noise of their families, to be more at leisu for meditation or diversions; besides the use they ar at other times put to in serving for wardrobes and magazines. "The Oleah of the Holy Scriptures being literal the same appellation, is accordingly so rendered in th Arabic version. We may suppose it then to have bee a structure of the like contrivance. The little char ber, consequently, that was built by the Shunamite for Elisha, whither, as the text instructs us, he retired at his pleasure, without breaking in upon the private | affairs of the family, or being in his turn interrupted by them in his devotions; the summer chamber of Eglon, which, in the same manner with these, seems to have had privy stairs belonging to it, through which Ehud escaped after he had revenged Israel upon the king of Moab; the chamber over the gate, whither, for the greater privacy, king David withdrew himself to weep for Absalom; and that upon whose terrace Ahaz, for the same reason, erected his altars, seem to have been structures of the like nature and contrivance with these Olees. The eastern method of building may further assist us, in accounting for the particular structure of the temple or house of Dagon, Judges xvi., and the great number of people that were buried in its ruins, by We read, verse pulling down the two principal pillars. 27, that about three thousand persons were upon the Samson roof to behold while Samson made sport.' must, therefore, have been in a court or area below them; consequently, the temple will be of the same kind with the ancient temenè, or sacred inclosures, surrounded only in part, or altogether, with some plain or cloistered buildings. Several palaces and dawânas, as they call the courts of justice in those countries, are built in this fashion; where, upon their festivals and rejoicings, a great quantity of sand is strewed upon the area for the pelto-wans or wrestlers to fall upon; whilst the roofs of these cloisters are crowded with spectators of their strength and agility. I have often seen several hundreds of people diverted in this manner upon the Dey's palace at Algiers, which, like many more of the same quality and denomination, has an advanced cloister over against the gate of the palace, Esther v. 1, made in the fashion of a large penthouse, supported only by one or two contiguous pillars in the front or else in the centre. structures as these, in the midst of their guards or counsellors, are the bashas, cadis, and other great officers to distribute justice, and transact the public afHere likewise they have fairs of their provinces. their public entertainments, as the lords and others of the Philistines had in the house of Dagon. Upon a supposition, therefore, that in the house of Dagon there was a cloistered structure of this kind, the pulling down the front or centre pillars only which supported it, would be attended with the like catastrophe that happened to the Philistines." In such open JOHN STEVENSON, AN AYRSHIRE CHRISTIAN OF COMMUNICATED by the REV. DUNCAN MACFARLAN, Minister of Renfrew. In our last paper we furnished some account of the exercises of his mind, in its even conditions, in the sight of God; but it will now be necessary to extract only such portions of his narrative, as, from the variety of subject, or altered circumstances of the individual, are fitted to interest and instruct general readers: "Soon after this, and whilst at Craigdarroch, my spirit was overwhelmed within me, on account of a rising generation, and for fear of a departing God and glory. I was at this time frequently obliged to retire to solitary places, and, with an aching heart and trembling soul, have I bewailed the sad circumstances of posterity, should God be pleased to leave these lands. I saw that many faithful shepherds had been banished, some put to death, and that others were still restlessly pursued, so that the Lord's flock seemed scattered, wandering on the mountains, as on a dark and cloudy day. This caused such as knew the voice of Christ, and would not follow strangers, to wander from sea to sea, and from one part of the land to another, to hear "After it pleased Zion's God to bring back our cap- |