Judge.-Inasmuch as you are the bell-wether of a naughtie flocke and a ring-leader of evil men; and this countrey, and especially this place, are noted ffor these seditious meetings, by reason whereof the King and the Counsell are in many fears and new warres like to be hatched, and as you doe instead of repenting, aggravate your fault by your obstinate carriage, the judgement of the Court is that you be fined a hundred marks, and be in jayle till you have paid it, and given security ffor the good behaviour.

Alleine.-Glory be to God, that hath accounted me worthy to suffer ffor His Gospel! and soe he drew off the barre.

WISHES FOR A DYING HOUR. O MEET me in the valley,

When heart and flesh shall fail;
And softly, safely lead me on

Until within the veil ;
There faith shall turn to gladness,
To find myself with Thee,
And trembling hope still realize
Her full felicity.

Angels shall gather round me,

And joyous welcome give
To sinner brought from sinful earth,
With them to love and live.
But angels shall be silent,

While dearer spirits press,
To mingle with my gushing joy,
Their calmer happiness.

And gently shall they bear me,

Through that bright company,
Towards the brighter throne of Him
Who died to welcome me.
No farther guidance needing,
Together shall we bend,

And bless the grace which, loving once,
Hath loved unto the end.

O meet me in the valley,

When heart and flesh shall fail;
And softly, safely lead me on
Until within the veil ;
And, Saviour, deal as kindly

With those I leave behind,

Till all shall in their heavenly home As sweet a welcome find.

The Zoology of the Bible.

FOXES.

THERE is good reason to believe, and indeed it is now generally admitted, that where the words, "fox" and "foxes" are met with in Scripture, they refer to the animal called the jackal. It is true that the common fox, and also two other species of the same genus are found in

Syria, yet the jackal still abounds in, by

far, the largest number. And the Hebrew word shaal often translated "fox," differs but little in sound from chacul, or chical, as the Arabs call the somewhat fox-like animal, we term, in imitation of their name, the jackal.

There is every reason to believe that it was of this animal that we are told, (Judges xv. 4, 5,) "Samson went and caught three hundred foxes, and took firebrands, and turned tail to tail, and put a firebrand in the midst between two tails. And when he had set the brands on fire, he let them go into the standing corn of the Philistines, and burnt up both the shocks, and also the standing corn, with the vineyards and olives." On this point Dr. Shaw remarks: "As the jackals are creatures by far the most common and familiar, as well as the most numerous, of those countries, several of them feeding often together, so we may well perceive the great possibility there was for Samson to take, or cause to be taken, three hundred of them."

It is evidently to the jackal, that Messrs. Bonar and M'Cheyne refer in their narrative.t "We did not enter Gibeon because the sun was setting. As we crossed through the rich vineyards which skirt the hill upon which Gibeon stands, two foxes sprang out, and crossing our path, ran into the corn-fields. The thick leafy shade of the vine conceals them from view, while the fruit allures them; like the secret destroyers mentioned in the Song, (ii. 15,) "Take us the foxes, the little foxes, that spoil the vines: for our vines have tender grapes." We saw

• Travels in part of Barbary and the Levant, p. 175.

+ Narrative of a Mission of Inquiry to the Jews, p. 203,

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(Neh. iv. 3;) while Jeremiah, in his "Lamentations," giving a proof of the desolation which had come over the mountain of Zion, says, "The foxes walk upon it." (v. 18.) No one can read the narratives of Eastern travellers, from the time of old Maundrell to Dr. Robinson, or Lieutenant Van de Velde, without seeing, on almost every page, the Our appositeness of these allusions. Saviour, when addressing the Scribe who came to Him, as the most striking example and instance of His want of earthly comforts, exclaimed, "The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of Man hath not where to lay His head." (Matt. viii. 20.) And to the crafty and wicked Herod He sent the message, "Go ye, and tell that fox;" (Luke xiii. 32;) while Ezekiel, denouncing woe on "the foolish prophets, that follow their own spirit, and have seen nothing," exclaims, "O Israel, thy prophets are like the foxes in the deserts." (Ezek. xiii. 3, 4.) It is during the night that the jackal is particularly active, and at such times it prowls about in packs of from forty to one hundred individuals or more. Kotzebue remarks, that it is then much bolder than during the day. When hungry it enters churchyards, like the hyena, and digs up recently buried bodies: that traveller says, that "its howl shakes the very soul;" while Admiral Beechey, in his "Travels on the Northern Coast of Africa," compares its crying to a gigantic musical concert, The prophet Jeremiah, in the judgment pronounced upon Babylon, alludes to the "wild beasts of the desert" dwelling there, (Jer. 1. 39,) along with the "wild beasts of the islands;" the former word being tziim or ziim, and the latter ijim, or iim, in the original, both of this and other passages so rendered by our translators. Dr. Shaw, who was so familiar with the

were

carcasses

habits of the different animals of the East, concludes that the latter jackals, while the other creature was the siyah-gush, a small lynx-like cat, with black ears. That traveller has observed jackals and these animals associated together, while gnawing at which the lion is supposed to have In the fed upon the night before. East, both these animals, from being generally regarded as finders out of prey for "the king of the beasts," are often called the "lion's providers;" and by this name the jackal is often exhibited in It travelling menageries. is very unlikely, however, that there is any other foundation for such an intercourse between these two beasts than common report, any more than there is ground for believing that the vultures, associated with them sometimes on the same carcass, are also purveyors of provision for the lion. "Wheresoever the carcass is, there will the eagles be gathered together." When David was in the wilderness of Judæa, hiding from his persecutors, he prophesied that his enemies would "fall by the sword," and that their bodies would "be a portion for foxes:" (Psal. lxiii. 10:) the word here translated "foxes," is shaalim. The jackal still resorts to the very mountain-ranges where the persecuted King wandered so long, and so frequently observed the animals and scenery which surrounded him.

The Hindus of the lowest caste believe themselves to be of the same species with this animal. They are taught that through eternal transmigrations they shall never rise higher than jackals, Lord Glenelg, thus alludes to this miserable belief:

"At Brahma's stern decree, as ages roll,
New shapes of clay await the immortal soul;
Darkling condemn'd in forms obscene to prowl,
And swell the midnight, melancholy howl!"

he had gained fresh spiritual power, and was better fitted for the hallowed toils, and the abounding prosperity, which now awaited him at Kidderminster. A series of occurrences led to his acceptance of the

pastorate of that place, at a stipend of £100 a year, and a house. The resident Clergyman was said to be a drunken and irreligious man, as were many of those in the neighbouring parishes. The people, too, were ungodly and profligate. Public affairs were progressing with fearful speed; and Charles, after the battle of Oxford, escaped beyond the Tweed, and cast himself upon the loyalty of the Scots. With the events which succeeded, every reader of history is acquainted; but the execution of the King led Baxter more freely to avow his sentiments. His loyalty never forsook him. While he acted with the army of the Parliament, his soul burned with indignation at its conduct when it assumed the sovereign power, and threatened the life of the King. The death of that ill-fated monarch he regarded less as the result of his own obstinacy and stupidity,-of which all parties were furnished with indisputable proofs, or as a just retribution of these and many other evils of himself and family,-than as illustrations of the bad principles and wicked conduct of sectaries and agitators. With terrible energy did he launch his invectives against Cromwell and his party; but it is not our design to discuss their merits. The struggle which was at first for freedom on the one side, and for absolute power on the other, became at last a struggle for life on both sides. The final catastrophe, therefore, deeply as it is to be lamented, became inevitable. Charles, it is asserted, played with, and deceived, all parties; till at length he fell a sacrifice to his own insincerity.

While these tremendous scenes were transpiring, Baxter was thus removed from the turmoils of a camp to enjoy the felicity of a reformation great and glorious in the town of Kidderminster. In preaching, lecturing, and visiting; by daily, weekly, and monthly services; and by bringing various additional agencies to bear on the moral condition of the town, he effected a work as felicitous in results, as it was great in magnitude. There, where previously a tumultuous rabble had clamoured for his life; where Sabbath breaking, drunkenness, and profligacy abounded; now might be seen a full sanctuary, thousands of converted sinners, crowds anxious to receive from

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him the word of life; and everywhere order, peace, prayer, and praise, amid the war of political elements, and the loud roar of cannon.

There is sound philosophy in the account he gives of the causes which conspired to this success. It is wise in dealing with large masses of men with a view to their moral or social elevation, to consider the various circumstances likely to favour or retard the object. Baxter did this, and as the result, ultimately, occupied a position of lofty religious influence, whence he could look round upon a wide spread garden, abounding with plants of the Lord's own right hand planting, and beautiful with His own communicated graces. He felt that in coming into the midst of a moral wilderness, and preaching to men rude and debased by sin in its worst forms, the Gospel evinced more power than when proclaimed to those who have lived long amid its blessings, and are familiar with its inspiring tones. A public discussion; faithful assistants; youthful training; the distribution of medicine among the poor, and refusing to meddle with tithes, were all considered helps to his success. He studied their dispositions and fancies, and aimed so to preach that they could both understand and approve. "Yet," says he, with characteristic shrewdness, "I always aimed to have something in every sermon a little above their comprehension, that they might still see their own ignorance, and be willing to keep in a learning state."

But the grand secret of Baxter's success was in his earnest and persevering eloquence and labours in the pulpit and among the people. His was eloquence of the highest order; consisting not in elegantly finished paragraphs, and recitation of sentimental poetry; but in a vivid apprehension and energetic delivery of allimportant truth. It was the eloquence of a soul burning with intense devotion to God, and inspired with deepest compassion for man,-a soul on whom both worlds, heaven and hell, exerted their mighty influence, and spoke through his utterances everything tremendous in warning, and joyous in invitation and love. Impossible that such a man should labour in vain. Earnestness and perseverance