so. As it stood by the way side, it does not appear to have been the particular property of any one; and in the sentence passed upon it, it has been considered a striking type of the condition of the unbelieving Jews.

One of the principal fruits cultivated by the Jews was the olive. It was particularly valuable on account of the oil which it yielded when ripe; and, when cultivated with care, the fruit is much finer than on the wild trees. This is beautifully alluded to in Rom. xi. where St. Paul reminds the Gentiles of the inestimable benefits they receive from being admitted into the church of Christ.

The olives were cultivated in gardens separately; this explains what was said by Elisha, 2 Kings v. 26. Nehemiah complained of the wealthy Jews who withheld the oliveyards belonging to their poorer brethren, Neh. v. 11. also i Sam. viii. 14. But the olive-gardens are particularly to be remembered, as our Lord often went to one of them and prayed with his disciples; it was in that place he suf fered much anguish of mind for poor sinners, as is recorded by the evangelists, particularly in St. Luke's gospel, ch. xxii. Let us not forget this; let us ever remember that our Lord not only suffered a painful death upon the cross, but he also endured much while praying in the garden. He then suffered in his mind the punishment which our sins had deserved, which was so painful, although he himself had not sinned, that "being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground," Luke xxii. 44.

How much, my dear reader, our Lord suffered for our sakes. Think often of his great love, and remember what you owe him for such love and mercy : "Love, so amazing, so divine; demands my soul, my life, my all." Before ending what is said respecting the agriculture of the Jews, the reader may be reminded of the many allusions to things of that nature throughout the scrip. tures. And, as the methods of cultivating the ground are still so like what they were nearly two thousand years ago, these allusions explain to us many texts. I will only copy a few, as it will be a good exercise for my young readers to search for more texts of the same sort: “Ye

THERE is very little mention in the Bible of the trades and manufactures among the Jews. They had smiths, Isa. xliv. 12, and liv. 16. and carpenters, Isa. xli. 7. xliv. 13. Zech. i. 20. and other trades necessary in a country where the inhabitants chiefly live by tilling the soil. The enemies who invaded the land, as the Philistines, 1 Sam. xiii. 19. and the Babylonians, Jer. xxiv. 1. carried these craftsmen away as captives. They did so, both to distress, the Israelites, and because men skilled in handicraft trades were reckoned the most valuable captives or slaves, as they are at the present day. It is plain that there must be craftsmen of this description in every land which is at all civilized. We read of "the valley of craftsmen," 1 Chron. iv. 14. Here, also, we may remark, that Joseph, the reputed father of our Lord after the flesh, was a carpenter, Matt. xiii. 55. Mark vi. 3. From the texts, Luke ii. 51. Mark vi. 3. some persons have supposed that Christ himself assisted Joseph, while "subject unto him, and his mother Mary," before he went forth to do the will of his heavenly Father, and therefore he was called "the carpenter." Whether this

is correct or not, the circumstance of our Lord being willing to be considered "a carpenter," may well make

those amongst us, who are engaged in handicraft trades, content with their lot. Shall we desire to be united to Christ spiritually, and yet be unwilling to follow his example, as to our earthly actions? In whatever state we are placed, let us be therewith content, Phil. iv. 11.

There were not many regular manufactures among the Jews; in 1 Chron. iv. 21. we read of the families of the house of them that wrought fine linen, as a single instance of the sort as a trade. In ver. 23 we read of potters, and also in Jer. xviii. 2. and Lam. iv. 2.

There are several beautiful allusions to weaving, Job. vii. 6. Isa. xxxviii. 12, &c. but this, like spinning the thread, was carried on as a family employment, rather than as a regular trade. It is so now among eastern nations. The loom and the instruments for spinning, are of the plainest and simplest kind, quite as simple or even more so than the negro loom represented at page 78. In the description of the virtuous woman, Prov. xxxi. 10, to the end, we have a full and minute account of the manner in which these family employments were directed by the mistress. Nor was this only in the families of the middle and lower ranks. In the Greek and Roman histories, we read of the wives of kings and generals being thus engaged. Homer, who lived soon after the time of Solomon, describes two queens, Penelope and Helen, employed at their looms. Dr. Shaw found that the women in Barbary, at the present day, were the only persons who wove the hykes or upper garments. These were coarse articles, and they did not use shuttles, but passed the threads of the woof with their fingers.

The custom of spinning thread in families, for their own use, was very common in our own country, till within the

last fifty years. Even now, in many farm houses, par. ticularly in the dairy counties, the maids sit down to spin in the afternoon. The thread is sometimes sold to dealers, but more generally sent to weavers, who live near, and weave for the different families of the districts. But the general use of machinery has nearly put an end to this simple and desirable industry.