of the plain quiet Scottish Kirk. A grave-looking young woman who was there, and who officiated as beadle, beckoned the stranger to the less draughty table-seat of the Dominie, which was usually empty, unless casual hearers whose appearance was approved of by this so-called " angel of the Kirk," were thus favourably disposed of. The Rev. Dr. Anderson, who was elderly, and very plain in his personal appearance, had an unmistakable expression of honest uprightness of character, and hearty good will. His morning lecture having been preceded by the 23rd Psalm and a very impressive prayer, warm from his heart, he gave forth as key note the text, in these heart-searching words " Why halt ye between two opinions?" &c. With no pretension to eloquence, the good Dominie had a singularly pithy manner of putting truth before the minds of his hearers, his sole object having been so to whet and aim the heavenly arrow that, true to the mark, it might reach the hearts of the faltering and irresolute. 'It is," he said, "nothing less than the entire surrender of our whole being that our heavenly Father demands as the test of our allegiance; nothing less will he accept as the evidence of our faith in HIS WORD. I feel sure," continued the faithful pastor, that some of my hearers have yet to make this entire surrender; and if so, the sooner they act upon their convictions of duty the better for themselves." Thus in one hour (by means of a simple man's utterance of a forcible appeal to conscience) had been effected what some six months of previous exhaustive argument had failed to achieve. Faith was now felt as a mighty power to set free the disciple from all secondary considerations. The supremacy of the Master's claims was now admitted, thus realising his own declaration to all disciples, If the truth make you free, ye shall be free indeed." the world ye shall have tribulation, in me ye shall have peace." concluding blessing was all the more consolatory to HAIM, being that used in the olden time: " JEHOVAH bless and keep thee, JEHOVAH lift the light of His countenance upon thee, Jehovah

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cause his countenance to shine upon thee and give thee peace." The Dominie, after dismissing the congregation retired to his little disrobing sanctum, where the heart-stricken stranger followed him to make known the result of his successful heartsearching ministry. He told the good old man with tears, that by his means he had been brought to an immediate decision as to the duty involved in his relation to Christ as a true disciple and witness to the truth taught and exemplified by Him. The Dominie looked kindly sympathetic, while he said in a reassuring tone, "I drew my bow at a venture, and am very thankful that the arrow sped so directly to your heart. And now, my dear young friend, you will go with me to my little bachelor dwelling on the Bompjees, and there, with the Lord's blessing, I may be enabled to mitigate the anguish of your bleeding heart. Over our cup of tea, in the true spirit of that mutual confidence with which faith in the same fundamental truth has inspired us, we will talk over the leadings of that Gracious Keeper of Israel who neither slumbers nor sleeps in his ever watchful care over the least of those endeared to him by that true Faith which works by Love."

The effect of this converse was at once strong and abiding, this simpleminded old man having from that time conceived an affection for his young friend which continued unabated to the end of his useful life. From that memorable day the fondly cherished purpose of returning home was necessarily given up. The public profession of his faith was now felt to be imperative; and for this, as for other steps in his pilgrimage, the way was in due time to be made plain.

At that very time the worthy dominie expected the arrival of an old friend, Professor Playfair, from St. ANDREWS who was then on a continental tour; and it occurred to his mind, that a term of study at that place would be advantageous in the future career of his young friend. This project he speedily communicated, with a proposition that he should remain in Rotterdam until the arrival of that gentleman; adding "I expect soon to see your well

meaning antagonist, the Rev. Lewis Way, from whom I have just received a letter stating it to be his intention to visit Rotterdam, en route to the Continent. He will be greatly surprised to find you here instead of at your former home; and still more surprised will he be, that you have desired baptism as a public avowal that you have returned to the pure faith once delivered, that which made Abraham through obedience to His Divine word, the Friend of God." These items of information, (mysteriously, as it seemed, associated with his past and future probationary state) failed not to be listened to with deep interest, as new instances of that gracious guidance upon which he had unreservedly thrown himself. There was nothing for it, therefore, but to await the order of events, in order to enter the path to be made plain before him.

The delay at Rotterdam seemed fatal to the low state of his finances, for not only had he (from motives of delicacy) never taken advantage of his father's permission to draw on his banker at Berlin for any amount of money he might require, but he had even lessened the sum originally bestowed on him for travelling and incidental expenses, by sharing it with a destitute friend; so that, after having deducted what was indispensable for his lodging, laundress, &c., he found that only one penny per diem remained for his midday meal, breakfast and supper being included in the bill for lodging.

After the first week his landlord did not know how to interpret the statement that, instead of two, one apartment would suffice, and that he would no longer dine at the table d'hôte. At first he naturally supposed that during his prolonged stay he had made new acquaintances, which would account for his dining out; but having casually learnt from Dr. ANDERSON that he knew no one, and had never dined at his house, the kind host had begun to apprehend that something amiss in the matter of finance was the true cause of the change in the frugal arrangement. Accordingly, one evening on his return from his wonted visit to Dr. ANDERSON, the Herr Van Traa, in the

most delicate manner, begged to be allowed to act as banker to his esteemed guest, should his remittance have failed to reach him at Rotterdam, which he had intended to leave for home more than ten days ago.

"You may feel sure," replied HAÏM, greatly touched by this genuine manifestation of that kindness which makes all true hearts akin, “that should I feel in immediate want of the supply you kindly offer, I should without hesitation accept it at your hand."

"I see you often reading the New Testament," continued the simple minded man, "and I should like to ask you whether I am right or wrong in spending 500 guldens yearly on a pilgrimage to the image of the blessed virgin of KAVLAARD."

To this he replied:

"As nothing in the New Testament warrants such an expedition (the blessed virgin having neither before nor after her death been a mediator), you had better cease to act in the spirit of a vain superstition, when it is clearly stated in the book that 'there is one mediator between God and man, the man Christ Jesus,' more properly, JEHOVAH'S salvation.'

"I would have you so to act in that and every other matter in which your duty and true welfare are concerned; money (like other things committed to our trust) being a stewardship hereafter to be accounted for."

Often in after years did the subject of this narrative refer to this period as one in which his experience of that inner peace which surpasses comprehension was more than compensatory for the loss of all. He described his faith as having been wonderfully strong in the conviction that the warfare he had now entered upon would be at the charge of his Lord, who had pledged his word for the supply of every need.

The few events which formed the sequel of occurrences in Rotterdam may be briefly told. The Rev. Mr.

Way greatly rejoiced to meet his former guest under circumstances so illustrative of the declaration, "Is not MY WORD as a fire, and as a hammer that breaketh the flint stone?" It

light; and to them that dwell in the land of he shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined. O Father of Lights! make me a light to mankind, as Thou hast made the sun to be a light to the earth!" "But," said an inner voice to Him,-"the sun sets in a blood-red sky, but rises again in its glory." "Be it so,"-answered He, for this cause came I into the world, that I might give my life a ransom for many." With such thoughts and words went He down again with rapid steps to the town by the lake. Those who met Him, remained long standing gazing after Him as if spell-bound by the benignity and majesty of His appearance.

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When, after leaving Nazareth, one has reached a point in front of Tabor, at the edge of the precipitous hill above Tiberias, and now has the Sea of Galilee for the first time spread out almost in its full extent before him; if the thought also strikes him that this is the very spot on the earth's surface on which the Sun of Righteousness arose, and filled the whole course of the world's history with "light from the east," he cannot but be inspired with unutterable emotion as he gazes. And yet in a picturesque point of view, it scarcely meets his expectations, at least if he arrives there (as Robinson did in 1838, on his first tour in Palestine) during the summer months. He has, indeed, before him a beautifully clear sheet of water in a deep, low-lying basin, the banks of which rise almost all round in a series of steep hills; unbroken, except where here and there they are intersected by a defile or a deep wady. But the mountains are not at all boldly formed, and are, for the most part, rounded off, and destitute of bushes or woods; so that when once the verdure of Spring has passed away, their aspect, and that of the Lake, which neither sail nor boat now enlivens, is rather sad than pleasant. "Any one," says Robinson, "who expects to see the grandeur of the Swiss lakes, or the calm loveliness of those in England and the United States, will find himself deceived."

But whoever may have looked down on the Lake of Galilee at the time when the house of the fisherman's

family at Capernaum was sheltering the most august Guest that human roof ever sheltered,-whoever may have looked down upon it then, doubtless formed a more favourable opinion of it than this, if he was viewing it, as Jesus did, on His way back to Capernaum-from the Well of Chorazin. The wall of mountains, which encircled the eastern side of the Lake, rising barren and rugged to the height of about 1,000 feet above the level of the water, had then as gloomy an appearance as now; but this only served to heighten the contrast which the western shore bore to the gently-rising ground from Capernaum to Magdala, and the mountains which from thence to Tiberias grow gradually steeper and higher; here Nature had distributed her bounties with lavish hand; and the industry and ingenuity of man too, had, where this failed, been as careful to induce fertility. The climate of this enclosed country is tropical, but was at that time tempered by the vapour rising from the land, which was thickly clothed with vegetation on all sides; and was watered not only by the sweet water of the lake, but also by the rills flowing down from the hills, and the springs in the neighbourhood of the shore. Though it has, by this time, through wars and earthquakes, the insecurity of property, and the stupidity of the people, dwindled away to a mere wreck of its former beauty, it was, at one time, a world-renowned paradise of fertility. In the books of the Old Testament, the whole of this western shore of the Sea of Galilee or Tiberias is called Chinnereth or Chinneroth; the Talmud associates this name with the instrument called a Kinnor, (a zittern or lute,) for it says; "As pleasant as the sound of the Kinnor, or the fruits of Kinneroth,"-and the highest praise that it gives to these fruits is this;-that God would not suffer them to grow in Jerusalem, for fear the people should go up thither for their sake, instead of to worship God. But a more likely intrepertation of it is this-that in the vicinity of the lake there stood an ancient fortified town of Naphtali, called Chinnereth, or according to the way

by which the names of many old towns were spelt-in the pluralChinneroth; (by which name both town and lake went;) it may have acquired its name from the fact that, when viewed from above, the form of the town resembled that of a lute. This town received, at a later period, the name of Ginnésar (Gennésar), or Ginnusar, probably from its lovely gardens, for this word signifies 'Prince's Gardens," and also the

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City of the Prince's Gardens." This place must have been still in existence in the middle ages; for Estori-haParchi, about 1320, determines, by its aid, the site of the place called Zereda, Tanchium, and Tiberias; one of the Talmudic teachers, by name Jonathan ben Charscha, is called, Isch Genesar, (or "The man of Gennesaret,") as Judas the betrayer was Isch Kerijoth (Iscariot), or "man of Kerijoth;" and though all our famous travellers are unacquainted with this site, yet there is no reason for doubting the testimony of Rabbi Joseph Schwarz, who died in February, 1865, at Jerusalem, according to whose account, a mass of ruins exists, an hour's journey to the north-west of Tiberias, which goes by the name of Gansur. From this Ginnesar the lake obtained the name which it bore in the earlier ages of Christianity; the First Book of Maccabees and Josephus call it the lake of Gennesar, but the Gospel term for the lake and country round is the feminine form of the name-Gennesaret ;with the exception of the fourth Evangelist, who calls the lake by its 'more modern name-the Sea of Tiberiaswhich is likewise its most frequent title in Talmudic literature. glorious valley which opens out as you go from Tiberias towards Magdala, is called the Plain of Gennesaret and also the Land of Gennesaret. Here," says Josephus, "is, as it were, a great effort of nature to unite all opposite things on one point:-and a beautiful rivalry of the four seasons, in which each is endeavouring to take possession of this territory. For the soil produces not only the most opposite and seemingly inconsistent kinds of fruit, each at one season of the year, but almost the

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whole year long. The royal fruits— grapes and figs-are produced without intermission for ten months in the year; and besides these, other fruits ripen all through the year by rotation, one after another." So says Josephus, and so say also other ancient witnesses to the wonderful natural productions and beauty of the shores of Gennesaret.

The active life which once prevailed around this inland sea, which is about three miles long by one and a half wide, has now given place to a stillness which, when we remember its former state, seems as solemn as that of a churchyard. When the land was divided, the lake and its western shore as far as Chinnereth, the modern Tabariyeh (Tiberias), fell to the share of the tribe of Napthali; and a tradition says that Joshua made a stipulation that all men should be allowed to fish therein with hooks and lines, but not with nets, because they would intercept the traffic by means of ships. Now-a-days, the inhabitants confine themselves lazily to fishing from the banks; travellers of the nineteenth century have either seen no boats at all on the lake, or only a single one at a time, carrying wood across from the eastern shore. But at the time of which we are writing, the lake swarmed with vessels, great and small, by means of which fishermen plied their trade by day and night, and ferried people across and back, or to places on the banks. Josephus once, when commander-in-chief in Galilee, organised a sham attack from the sea on the rebellious town of Tiberias, and got together at Tarichea, at the southwestern end of the lake, no fewer than 230 boats, with even four ships. When Vespasian and Titus had taken Tarichea a few years later, the sea was the scene of a fearful sea-fight; the fugitives who had put to sea by hundreds in vessels were pursued by the Romans on hastily constructed rafts"The whole lake could be seen," says Josephus, "tinged with blood, and filled with corpses, for not a single man's life was spared." Such determined opposition did this single town, Tarichea, offer; though, indeed, owing to the disunion which then