The Exhortations in the Prayer-book.

THE FIFTH EXHORTATION IN THE BAPTISM SERVICE.

THIS is altered but little from its first form in the book of 1549, and follows the lines of older exhortations found in the Salisbury and York Uses. That in the York Manual ran thus: "I comaunde ow godfadre and godmodre, on holy churche bihalue (behalf), that ye chargen the fadur and the modur of this child, that they kepe this child in to the age of seuen yere, that hit beo from fier and water, and from alle other mischeues and periles that mighten to him byfalle, through miskepinge, and also that ye or they techen his ryghte belieue (belief), hure pater noster, and hure Ave Maria, and hure Credo, or do him to beo taughte; and also that ye wasthe (wash) youre hondes or ye gon out of churche; and also that hit beo confermed the next tyme that the byssop cometh to contre: and al this docth in peyne of corsynge.'

Your parts and duties. The responsibilities of sponsors are meant, no doubt, chiefly to accrue in case of the death or badness of parents; but the office would cease to have even the appearance of being perfunctory if the duty of intercession for godchildren were more remembered and practised. The difficulty which presents itself to many honest or scrupulous minds-Ought I to stand for' this child when I am not likely to have any influence in its rearing, or even to live within reach of it?-would lose its main force when the power of prayer was remembered and the determination formed to become an official intercessor for the child. For in other respects, in godly households, the office of sponsors is without blame or scruple delegated to the parents. And note, that since the Canon passed by Convocation in 1865, only one sponsor is now necessary, in addition to the parents.

A godly life.-Not a religious, but a godly life, is the standard for the child. One may be many, indeed, are-religious, but only increase thereby their guilt. Those of the Pharisees whom our Lord condemned were condemned for being merely religious; other Pharisees-Lazarus, Martha, Mary, St. Paul-were godly, i.e. godlike, with Godward desires, and as such were the friends and the chosen of God. It is the spirit of godliness, and not of religion, that the child is hereafter to receive in full measure in Confirmation.

Baptism doth represent unto us our profession. These words should come home to the priest, the sponsors, and the congregation, who, while the vows are made, can hardly fail to remember that profession which has been, maybe, so faintly practised, which the baptism of the child re-presents to them, and brings back from the past that starting-point of the Christian's race which is also his goal. I, too, once made those vows: how am I keeping them? I was once in the position and state of this child, where is the dew of my youth?' Such salutary questions naturally, or rather, by grace, arise in the heart at such a time.

Continually mortifying-daily proceeding.-In many ages, and perhaps especially in our own, there have been heretical and misleading teachers, who have held that some great crisis ought to be consciously felt in the life of the soul, after which there would be no more sin, or even possibility of sinning; and this doctrine of the

Holy Places.

indefectibility of the elect' has produced terrible effects in the way of presumption, hypocrisy, or pride. We are well taught here, however, that the pilgrim's progress is not a leaping into Heaven. at one bound, but a daily proceeding from strength to strength until we come to the God of gods in Sion; and that though we indeed 'die from sin' in Baptism, or afterwards in an act of conversion slay the sin which enthralled us, yet there is need for a continual mortifying, or putting to death, of all evil and corrupt affections. Am I being converted? am I being saved?' are ordinarily more necessary and salutary questions than 'Am I converted? am I saved?"

HOLY PLACES.

JAFFA, AND THE SUPPOSED SITE OF ARIMATHÆA.

AFFA, anciently Joppa, lies on the sea-shore, in the portion of Dan, who is said in Deborah's song to remain in ships. A traveller visiting Jaffa in March says, 'Our road lay along lanes of gardens with millions of oranges, nearly ripe, on the trees, literally filling the air with their perfumes. Flowers in immense variety, even at this early period of the year, covered the plain. Perhaps the name of this town may have some connexion with Yafo, which means "Beauty." I entered the gate, which is very handsome, at five o'clock, having been rather more than ten hours in coming from Jerusalem. The Governor was seated with some attendants near the gate.' The same traveller proceeds thus: It is an abominably filthy place.' A few years ago Jaffa was terribly shattered by an earthquake, and until lately it was avoided by English ships as a hotbed of the plague. When we add the wrecks of vessels thickly strewed along the beach to this picture, it must be confessed Jaffa has its perils. Mr. Gadsby, in his Wanderings, says he offered large sums to any sailor who would carry him to Beyrout, and no one was found hardy enough to attempt it. There is no doubt the sea in the vicinity is dangerous, and the roar made by the waves on the foaming reefs to the north of the town is sometimes appalling. The place is very difficult of approach; for in front of the harbour is a ridge of rocks, with just a narrow gate in the reef, and some one says, 'Even with no sea on, it tries one's nerves to be rowed through, upon the Mediterranean swell, for the slightest carelessness on the part of your Arab seaman may dash you on the rocks.'

Joppa is, and ever has been, the port of Jerusalem. Here, they gravely assure you, Noah built his ark, and after this city he named his youngest son. Hence Jonah fled from the Lord and took his passage in a ship bound for Tarshish, probably a city in the south of Spain. Here the cedars from Lebanon were landed for Solomon's use; and here St. Peter raised Dorcas from her sleep of death. too, that Apostle had his famous dream, or vision, which taught him to consider nothing common or unclean which God has made clean.

Here,

In later times Jaffa became a nest of pirates, and was destroyed, or at least crippled, by Vespasian, as being a nuisance to the whole of the sea coast. It is still notorious as a place where fugitives and vagabonds assemble

Holy Places.

The Crusaders occupied the citadel of Jaffa in their day. Here Richard the Lion-hearted was sick, and here, in his time, St. Louis spent vast sums in order to make it a strong Christian fortress. But, though the cost was immense, Jaffa was soon a city without walls' once more. It is now in the hands of the feeble Turk. Bonaparte committed a gross act of inhumanity here. He killed four thousand men of Jaffa in cold blood. When the prisoners arrived at the French camp, the General said, 'What am I to do with them? Have I provisions to feed them? or ships to transport them to France?'

Bourienne tells us how the prisoners were made to sit down grouped together before the tents, each with his hands bound behind him by cords. A gloomy rage was depicted in every countenance. They received a little biscuit and some bread, while a council was held in the General's tent. It broke up undecided. Next day there was almost a mutiny, because the Jaffa prisoners were seen devouring the provisions of the army. Again there were anxious deliberations. Shall they be sent to Egypt ?-But where are the ships? Shall they be liberated?-Then they will harass our rear. Shall we disarm them, and incorporate them among our own troops?-How, then, are they to be provisioned? The third day came-the murmurs increased— and on the 10th of March the dreadful order was issued, "The prisoners are to be shot.' The atrocious scene makes me shudder when I think of it. All that can be imagined of fearful horror, in this day of blood, would fall short of the reality.'

After this, the plague began to show itself with severity. 'Heaven sent this scourge,' says Sir Walter Scott, to avenge the massacre at Jaffa.' Bourienne will not consent to this view; but it may be true nevertheless.

Arimathæa is a musical name in a Christian ear. It is linked for evermore with the noble devotion of him who had the honour of laying the body of our Lord in his own new tomb, wherein never man before was laid.

It cannot be positively shown where Arimathæa was. St. Luke speaks of it as a city of the Jews.' Some think this honourable counsellor lived at Ramah, the place famous long before as the home of Samuel. Ramah became Ramathaim, then Armathaim (so it is in the Septuagint), and thence it might easily assume the form, so familiar to us, of Arimathæa. Mr. Gadsby, who has wandered so much in the East, says, as he was journeying from Jerusalem to Jaffa, he arrived at Ramleh, the Arimathæa of the New Testament. Here lived Joseph who begged the body of Jesus. A mosque now stands on the site of Joseph's house, having been erected from the ruins of a Christian Church.'

LOOK ON THIS PICTURE, AND THEN ON THAT!

'I HAVE subdued the nations of the earth-is there no other world for me to conquer ?'-ALEXANDER THE GREAT.

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 righteousness.'-ST. PAUL.

VILLAGE DIALOGUES.

ONE STEP FORWARD.

T was visitors' day at Shirley Road Hospital, and punctually at two o'clock our friend, Mrs. Harris, presented herself for admission to ward No. 3, where John Brook was placed. John's case was going on well, but he needed much care and frequent attention from the doctors, who thought it best to keep him in hospital until further improvement in his health had been made. John's wife had found it necessary to take in washing, in order to provide comforts for her family more than the weekly club money could supply, and on this particular day she had asked Mrs. Harris to visit the invalid in her place.

John greeted his good neighbour with a pleased smile and a hearty grasp of the hand.

'I'm right glad to see you, Mrs. Harris,' he said. 'I've been thinking a deal of those things we were speaking of when you were nursing me and helping Sally at our house, and perhaps you won't object to give me a piece of your mind about something that it bothers me a good deal to understand.'

Mrs. H. 'What is it, John? I'll be very glad to tell you all I can of such things as we were speaking about; but I am only a learner myself, and if you begin to think much on these things you'll soon need better instruction than I can give you.'

J. B. 'No, neighbour Harris, I don't think that either. But can you tell me what use there is in praying to your God at all, for if, as you think, He is perfectly wise, and has ordered all things, and knows all things as they are to be from beginning to end, how can any prayer of yours or mine alter what He means to do by us?'

Mrs. H. Neighbour, He gives us His commands many times over to pray to Him, and that is enough for me. If you'll look through your Bible for all the places where we are taught to pray, you'll find a good many; and would such a command be given, do you think, if obedience to it was not meant to be of some use?"

J. B. 'No, I should think not: surely not by One Who is good and wise, as you say. But yet I'd like well to understand of what

use it is.'

Mrs. H. 'You'll excuse me asking it, John, for I'd like well to ask,-Have you tried to pray to Him?'

J. B. Well, neighbour, after reading that chapter you showed me, and some others that seemed to have comfort in them for one sick and troubled like I was when I came into hospital here, I have just once and again tried to say a bit of a prayer, but it seemed just like speaking out into the dark, and I don't think I got any good of it."

Mrs. H. 'Oh, John! you make me glad-more glad than I can tell you. If God has given you a mind to pray through reading of Him in His holy Word, that prayer will not long be like speaking out into darkness. Soon there will be at least a star of hope to give you belief in fuller light, and if you've the heart to persevere, such a clear, bright, blessed light will come into your mind at length, that