cause it was made the resort of a common traffic, with what aspect and voice, with what infliction but the 'rebuke with flames of fire,' would he have entered this mart of iniquity, assuming the name of his sanctuary, where the traffic was in delusions, crimes, and the souls of men? It was even as if, to use the prophet's language, the very stone cried out of the wall, and the beam out of the timber answered it,' in denunciation; for a portion of the means of building, in the case of some of these edifices, was obtained as the price of dispensations and pardons.

6

In such a hideous light would the earlier history of one of these mighty structures, pretendedly consecrated to Christianity, be presented to the reflecting Protestant; and then would recur the idea of its cost, as relative to what that expenditure might really have done for Christianity and the people. It absorbed in the construction, sums sufficient to have supplied even manuscript bibles, costly as they were, to all the families of a province; and in the revenues appropriated to its ministration of superstition, enough to have provided men to teach all those families to read those bibles.-John Foster.

THE BALSAM TREE, OR BALM OF GILEAD.

This celebrated tree is often mentioned in Scripture. Gen. 37: 25. 43: 11. Jer. 8: 22. 46: 11. 51: 8. Ezek. 27: 17. The word Balsamon or balm, may be derived from Baal-shemen; that is, lord of oil; or the most precious of perfumed oils. In Arabic it is called Abuscham; that is, father of scent,' sweet-scented. The tree is an evergreen-grows to the height of about fourteen feet, and from eight to ten inches diameter; the trunk having a smooth bark, with spreading crooked branches; small bright green leaves, growing in threes, and small white flowers on separate footstalks. The petals are four in number. The fruit is a small, egg-shaped berry, containing a smooth nut. The mode in which the balsam is obtained is described by Mr. Bruce. The bark of the tree is cut with an axe, at a time when its juices are in the strongest circulation. These, as they ooze through the wound, in single drops like tears, are received into small earthen bottles; and every day's produce is gathered, and poured into a larger bottle, which is closely corked. When the juice first issues from the wound, it is of a light yellow color, and a somewhat turbid appearance; but as it settles it becomes clear, has the color of honey, and appears more fixed and heavy than at first. Its smell, when fresh, is exquisitely fragrant; strongly pungent; not much unlike that of volatile salts, but more odoriferous. If the bottle be left uncorked, it loses this delicious aroma. The quantity of balsam yielded by one tree never exceeds sixty drops in a day. Hence its scarcity is such, that at the present time the genuine balsam, though found in several parts of Syria and Abyssinia, is seldom exported as an article of commerce

Even at Constantinople, the centre of trade of those countries, it cannot without great difficulty be procured. Its taste is bitter, acrid, aromatic, and astringent. The Turks take it in small quan tities in water, to excite the animal faculties, and fortify the stomach. It is in the highest esteem, as a medicine, as a cosmetic, and as an odoriferous unguent. It is said now to grow spontaneously and without culture, in its native country, Azab, and all along the coast to Babelmandel. But in ancient times, its most famous place of cultivation was Gilead, or Jericho in Judea. Hence the beautiful language of Jeremiah, Is there no balm in Gilead? Is there no physician there?' Jer. 8:22.

The

There were three kinds of balsam extracted from this tree. first was called opo-balsamum, and was most highly esteemed. It was that which flowed spontaneously, or by means of incision, from the trunk or branches of the tree in summer time. The second was carpo-balsamum, made by expressing the fruit when in maturity. The third, and least esteemed of all, was hylo-balsamum, made by a decoction of the buds and small young twigs. The great value set upon this drug in the East is traced to the earliest ages. The Ishmaelites, or Arabian carriers and merchants, trafficking with the. Arabian commodities into Egypt, brought with them balsam as a part of their cargo. Gen. 37: 25. 43: 11. Josephus, in the history of the antiquities of his country, says that a tree of this balsam was brought to Jerusalem by the queen of Sheba, and given among other presents to Solomon, who, as we know from Scripture, was very studious of all sorts of plants, and skilful in the description and distinction of them. And here, he adds, it seems to have been cultivated and to have thriven; so that the place of its origin, through length of time, combined with other reasons, came to be forgotten. Notwithstanding the positive authority of Josephus, and the probability thatattends it, we cannot however, put it in competition with what we have been told in Scripture, as we have just now seen that the place where it grew, and was sold to merchants, was Gilead in Judea, more than 1730 years before Christ, or 1000 before the queen of Sheba; so that in reading the verse, nothing can be plainer than that it had been transplanted into Judea, flourished, and had become an article of commerce in Gilead, long before the period he mentions. A company of Ishmaelites came from Gilead with their camels, bearing spicery, and balm, and myrrh, going to carry it down to Egypt,' Gen. 37: 25. Theophrastus, Dioscorides, Pliny, Strabo, Diodorus Siculus, Tacitus, Justin, Solinus, and Serapion, speaking of its costliness and medicinal virtues, all say that this balsam came from Judea. The words of Pliny are, But of all other odors whatever, the balsam is preferred, produced in no other part but the land of Judea, and even there in two gardens only; both of them belonging to the king, one no more than twenty acres, the other still smaller. The whole valley of Jericho was once esteemed the most fruitful in Judea; and the obstinacy with which the Jews fought here to prevent the balsam trees from falling into the possession of the Romans, attests the importance which was at

tached to them. This tree Pliny describes as peculiar to the vale of Jericho, and as 'more like a vine than a myrtle.' It was esteemed so precious a rarity, that both Pompey and Titus carried a specimen to Rome in triumph; and the balsam, owing to its scarcity, sold for double its weight in silver, till its high price led to the practice of adulteration. Justin makes it the chief source of the national wealth. He describes the country in which it grew, as a valley like a garden, environed with continual hills, and, as it were, enclosed with a wall. The space of the valley contains two hundred thousand acres, and is called Jericho. In that valley, there is wood as admirable for its fruitfulness as for its delight, for it is intermingled with palm trees and opo-balsamum. The trees of the opo-balsamum have a resemblance to fir trees; but they are lower, and are planted and husbanded after the manner of vines. On a set season of the year, they sweat balsam. The darkness of the place is besides as wonderful as the fruitfulness of it; for although the sun shines nowhere hotter in the world, there is naturally a moderate and perpetual gloominess of the air.' According to Mr. Buckingham, this description is most accurate. 'Both the heat and the gloominess,' he says, 'were observed by us, though darkness would be an improper term to apply to this gloom.-Religious Encyclopedia.

REVIEW.

MEMOIR OF JAMES BRAINERD TAYLOR, by John Holt Rice, D.D. and Benjamin Holt Rice, D. D. New York, 1833. pp. 330,

12mo.

Of the multiform religious literature of the present day, perhaps none is destined to be so extensively useful as biography. Biblical criticism attracts the notice and contributes directly to the benefit of a comparatively small portion of the community. Sermons and treatises on religious truth or Christian doctrine are rarely touched by the great mass of men. They do not think enough, to relish them. They have minds; but they lie quiescent, if not absolutely dead, to all purposes of valuable thought. They have understandings; but the deep things of God' are not of a nature to excite them. They wander up and down amid fields of wealth and banquet-halls of richest food; but their intellectual faculties, shrivelled and grovelling, are in want amid the abundance; they pine away, where we might anticipate a growth to the stature of angels. It is biography alone, which has a universal charm. This is both the strong meat and the dessert, the recreation and the rest, the pattern and the motive, adapted to the wants of all minds. The me

moirs of persons, whose memoirs ought to be written, are therefore always to be hailed as valuable additions to our religious literature.

The volume quoted at the head of this article is valuable on two accounts. First, because of the deep-toned piety, which breathes in every page. Mr. Taylor was no common Christian. His life was truly hid with Christ in God.' He had the humility, the love, the devotedness, the holy joy, the blessed assurance, which belong to the eminent saint. Removed far above our dull, dingy atmosphere of secularity and worldliness, he had meat to eat which the world knoweth not of.' He'sat under' the Redeemer's 'shadow with great delight.' His life reminds us' chiefly of the beloved disciple.' The same affectionate and childlike dependence, the same love and loveliness, the same zeal to do the will of God, which shone in the one, shone also in the other. The prayerfulness, the submission, the obedience, the living testimony in favor of holiness exhibited by Mr. Taylor, present to the pious mind an irresistible attraction.

The memoir is valuable, secondly, because it is an exemplification of piety in students. Under this head, a truly characteristic article-an extract from Mr. Taylor's correspondence-appeared in this Magazine in October last. The subject is one of so much interest and importance, that we shall here make no apology for recalling it to memory. We feel it a matter of vital concern to the church of God, that some means should be invented, by which it may be shown, that literary occupations are not necessarily the grave of piety. We would draw the attention of Christian students, whether in theology or in the earlier parts of their course, to this, their fellow-student, who, by a divine energy, and with divine success, came off victorious over all temptation. His example is a precious light, kindled up in the monotonous darkness. It is a complete solution of the question, can a student enjoy religion at college.' His own language is-These walls cannot shut out the Lord; and where he is, there is heaven. I do not find the obstacles I anticipated. The Lord has proved better than all my fears, and has given me daily bread. I have fed on angels' food. My room has been made a Bethel; and I find it is growing better and better, instead of diminishing. My cup overflows. I am on my

journey to heaven, with the desire to love God more, and serve him better.' And again, about two years after commencing his studies, he says-' Instead of declining, my march has been onward in the divine life. Were I to attempt a narration, it would be impossible for me to tell you even the half. Suffice it to say, I have had, during the last thirteen months, the witnessing of God's Spirit with mine that I am born from above, and travelling towards heaven. The fruit of the Spirit has been, from day to day, love, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.'

JAMES BRAINERD TAYLOR was born at Middle Haddam, (Con.,) April 15th, 1801. The first deep impressions of a religious character were made upon his mind, by some remarks of an elder brother

after family-worship in his father's house. These impressions, however, were gradually erased by the frivolities of life, and he returned to the world. In this state of mind, he was placed as a clerk in the store of a merchant in New York. Here he was carefully watched over by two older brothers, and thus mercifully preserved from the temptations around him. He attended the ministry of Rev. Dr. Romeyn, at the Cedar street church; and there, at the age of fifteen, he first united with the Lord's people in commemorating the dying love of Jesus Christ.'

There was nothing, so far as we know, of a marked and striking character in his religious experience. Renovated by the Holy Ghost, and gently drawn into the kingdom of Christ, we find him bringing forth with patience the fruits of the Spirit, even before we had looked for the Spirit's presence. The risen sun is pouring his warming and vivifying influence abroad, before we had supposed him above the horizon. This fact may serve to put at rest the frequent excuse of the indolent Christian- If I had had a great exexperience, I would seek for eminent devotedness.' It is not for us to choose what shall be the beginnings of grace within us-whether bright and glorious, absorbing every power and overwhelming the soul with emotions of indescribable joy, or mild as the first approaches of the morning. It is our chief and paramount concern to cherish the kindled fires of holiness, and watch over the dawnings of divine light, with intense and ceaseless care, till it increases into perfect day.

Immediately after joining the church, we find Mr. Taylor vigorously engaged in the work of Sabbath school instruction. For three years, he continued to fulfil his duties as a clerk, and, by all the means in his power, to promote the kingdom of Christ. His mind was probably led gradually to the idea of exchanging his mercantile, for a ministerial life. But there was a crowning-weight, which served to balance the scale and to determine him in his plans. In May, 1819, he witnessed the sailing from New York of Dr. Scudder, a promising and prosperous physician, who, with several other missionaries, was destined to Ceylon, under the patronage of the American Board. A letter which he wrote to a friend on the evening of the same day testifies to the deep impression made upon his mind by the scenes of the morning, and the conviction, indirectly resulting from it, that the Lord had in reserve for him another and a different situation in life. It is enough to say that he took the advice of the most judicious friends; and, with the cooperation and influence of his pastor, was placed, in the beginning of the year 1820, in the academy at Lawrenceville, N. J. Thus, in the very act of departing from his native shores, was this missionary made the means of calling out into the spiritual vineyard a young man whose subsequent labors and successes were so great. Little, probably, did he think, that his own removal from America would result, that very day, in bringing another into the ministry, who would become so brilliant a star in the firmament. Let young men be hence instructed, who fear to leave their own country, lest their places should not be filled.