SCORPION.

(a) Head aud Mandible.

Luke xi. 12.-"IF A SON

SHALL ASK AN EGG, WILL HE

OFFER HIM A SCORPION?"

2003. Scorpion.—Mr. Tristrams, in his " Natural History of the Bible," remarks:-This venomous creature, common in all warm climates, is mentioned both in the Old and New Testaments. Scorpions are especially abundant in the wilderness of Sinai, where one naturalist has found five distinct species. "Who led thee through that great and terrible wilderness, wherein were fiery serpents, and scorpions, and drought" (Deut. viii. 15). Hence, and from their partiality for ruins, they are spoken of as characteristic of desolation and danger: "Be not afraid of them, neither be afraid of their words, though briers and thorns be with thee, and thou dost dwell among scorpions" (Ezek. ii. 6). Their venomous sting is several times spoken of, and the apostles were promised immunity from it: "Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and nothing shall by any means hurt you" (Luke x. 19). In the vision of St. John, the locusts

that came out of the smoke of the bottomless pit "had tails like unto scorpions, and there were stings in their tails." And, "Their torment was as the torment of a scorpion, when he striketh a man" (Rev. ix. 5, 10).

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From the fiery and penetrating nature of the scorpion's sting, the name seems to have been applied to a scourge, which was probably armed with iron points: My father hath chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions" (1 Kings xii. 11; 2 Chron. x. 14). When our Lord, offering encouragement to prayer, inquires, "If a son shall ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpion?" He adopts a Grecian proverb, "A scorpion instead of a perch," i. e., giving, instead of what is useful, that which is both dangerous and repulsive.

The scorpions belong to the class Arachnida, and have much the appearance of a small lobster, whence they were formerly classed with the Crustacea. Their palpi or claws are of the proportionate shape and size of those of the lobster, and are employed for seizing their prey, which they then despatch by striking it with the powerful curved claw at the end of their tail, and which secretes an acrid poison. The tail is jointed and of great length, and in running the animal holds it over its back in a threatening attitude, and in this position it always strikes with it, and thus in efforts to escape will sometimes strike its own head and mortally wound itself.

Scorpions are carnivorous, feeding chiefly on beetles and locusts. They swarm in every part of Palestine, and are found in houses, in chinks of walls, among ruins, and under stones, whether in dry or moist situations. It is always necessary before pitching tents to turn up every stone, however small, lest a scorpion should be secreted; as, when disturbed or roused by the warmth of the camp, these troublesome pests will strike at and sting any person or object within reach. So numerous are they, that in the warmer parts of the country every third stone is sure to conceal one. Eight species have been already described from Palestine, and we found several additional kinds, varying in colour and in size. The largest and most dangerous species is black, and about six inches long. Others are yellow, brown, white, and reddish, and others striped and banded. They lie dormant during the cold weather, but are very easily roused and excited. The young are carried for some days on the back of the female, until they are old enough to provide for themselves.

The sting of the scorpion is very painful, much more so than that of the hornet, and our muleteers were several times stung; but suction, and the application of ammonia and sweet oil, reduced the swelling and pain in two or three hours. I have known an instance of a man dying from the effects of a scorpion sting, which he had received in the throat when leaning against a wall in which the creature was secreted.

A lady who has travelled much in India sends us the following incident:-"Once, on a journey, one of the bearers of my palanquin was stung by one of these terrible insects, and it was painful to witness his sufferings, as he swayed his body backwards and forwards, and his features seemed convulsed by the agony. Fortunately, alterative remedies were at hand, and the limb was quickly bandaged above the wound; yet the poison had spread rapidly, and the leg was much swollen. As soon as the great pain a little subsided the poor fellow cried like a child. On being asked afterwards if he could describe the pain, he said it was like flames of fire burning round and round his leg."

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Ephesians iv. 27.-"NEITHER GIVE PLACE TO THE DEVIL."

2004. Satan's Power and Man's Responsibility.-The late Mr. Thomas, one of the missionary brethren of Serampore, was one day, after addressing a crowd of the natives on the banks of the Ganges, accosted by a Brahmin as follows:-"Sir, don't you say that the devil tempts men to sin?" "Yes," answered Mr. Thomas. Then," said the Brahmin, "certainly the fault is the devil's; the devil, therefore, and not man, ought to suffer punishment." While the countenances of many of the natives discovered their approbation of the Brahmin's inference, Mr. Thomas, observing a boat, with several men on board, descending the river, with that facility of instructive retort for which he was so much distinguished, replied, "Brahmin, do you see yonder boat?" "Yes." "Suppose I were to send some of my friends to destroy every person on board, and bring me all that is valuable in the boat,-who ought to suffer punishment?-I for instructing them, or they for doing this wicked act ?" 'Why," answered the Brahmin, with emotion, "you ought all to be put to death together." "Ay, Brahmin," replied Mr. T., "and if you and the devil sin together, the devil and you will be punished together."

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Joshua xv. 19.-"AND HE GAVE HER THE UPPER SPRINGS, AND THE NETHER SPRINGS."

2005. The Worldly Fountain and the Heavenly.-A Parable. -Every Christian knows two springs as sources of his supply. He gets some good at the lower fountain-the world; he gets more and better at the upper-direct from God. A parable, illustrating this thing, is given by a pious mother to her little son, in manner adapted to children, but in thought useful to readers of every age, as follows:

“There was once a man, Mark, who had two springs of water near his dwelling. And the farthest was always full, but the near one sometimes ran dry. He could always fetch as much as he wanted from the farther one, and the water was by far the sweetest; moreover, he could, if he chose, draw out the water of the upper spring in such abundance that the dryness of the lower should not be noticed."

"Were they pretty springs? said Mark.

"The lower one was very pretty," replied his mother; "only the sunbeams sometimes made it too warm, and sometimes an evildisposed person would step in and muddy it, or a cloudy sky make it look very dark. Also the flowers which grew by its side could not bear the frost. But when the sun shone just right upon it, it

was beautiful.”

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I don't wonder he was sorry to have it dry up, then," said Mark.

"No, it was very natural; though if one drank too much of the water, it was apt to make him sick. But the other spring--” and the widow paused while her cheek flushed, and on her lips, weeping and rejoicing were strangely mingled.

"There was a great Rock,' and from this the cold flowing waters' came in a bright stream that you could rather hear than see; yet was the cup always filled to the very brim if it was held there in patient trust, and no one ever knew that spring to fail; yea, in the great droughts it was fullest. giving.

And the water was life

lower spring, and would and if forced to seek the for his cup to fill, and so

"But this man often preferred the neglect the other when this was full; Rock, he was often weary of waiting drew it away with but a few drops. And he never learned to love the upper springs as he ought, until one year, when the very grass by the lower spring was parched, and he fled for his life to the

other. And then it happened, Mark," said his mother, looking down at him with her eyes full of tears, "that when the water at last began slowly to run into the lower spring, though it was very lovely and sweet and pleasant, it never could be loved best again.” Mother," said Mark, "I don't know exactly what you mean, and I do know a little, too."

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Why, my dear," said his mother, "I mean that when we lack anything this world can give, we must fetch the more from heaven."

"THUS HAVE YE MADE THE COMMANDMENTS OF GOD OF NONE EFFECT BY YOUR TRADITION."

2006. Traditions of the Talmud.-The following is one among the many absurd fables of the Talmud:-" On approaching Egypt, Abraham locked Sarah in a chest that none might behold her dangerous beauty. But when he was come to the place of paying custom, the collector said, 'Pay us the custom.' And he said, ‘I will pay the custom.' They said to him, 'Thou carriest clothes; and he said, 'I will pay for clothes.' Then they said, 'Thou carriest gold;' and he answered them, 'I will pay for gold.' On this they further said to him, 'Surely thou bearest the finest silk;' he replied, "I will pay custom for the finest silk.' Then said they, 'Surely it must be pearls that thou takest with thee;" and he only answered, I will pay for pearls.' Seeing they could name nothing of value for which the patriarch was not willing to pay custom, they said, 'It cannot be; but thou open the box, and let us see what is within.' So they opened the box, and the whole land of Egypt was illumined by the lustre of Sarah's beauty-far exceeding even that of pearls!"-D'Israeli's “ Curiosities of Literature.”

Acts xxvii. 6.- AND THERE THE CENTURION FOUND A SHIP OF ALEXANDRIA SAILING INTO ITALY; AND HE PUT US THEREIN.

2007. Ship of Alexandria.-On the arrival of the apostle Paul at Myra, on the coast of Lycia, on his way to Rome, an Alexandrian ship was in the harbour there, having the same destination; and this ship, as we learn from Acts xxvii. 38, was a wheat ship. The season of the year when this vessel was there we know from Acts xxvii. 9; it was near the close of summer, or early in September. That an Alexandrian wheat ship now should have been at Myra, just at this season of the year, offers a probable coincidence which