The word rendered “green bay-tree,” in this text, appears, however, to have a more general application, and to mean “flourishing, beautiful, green;" the word tree being understood.

So in the first Psalm, in describing the righteous man, it is simply, “He shall be like a tree planted hy the rivers of water."

The sweet-bay is a native of the East; and though not often met with in Judea, it is plentiful in the old gardens of Tyre and Sidon, and in Palestine itself is found by some forgotten tower, or deserted winepress.

About a century ago, a pious and eager traveller was struck with the sight of a valley in Judea, where, by the side of a stream, thickets of various shrubs, especially the rose-bay, were in full blossom. The splendour of the bay immediately recalled to his memory the tree planted by the rivers of water by the Psalmist, and the spreading bay-tree, to which the wicked man is likened in his prosperity. The rose-bay is certainly one of the most ornamental shrubs of Palestine. We find it enlivening the banks of the Jordan, mixed with the willow and the tamarisk. This and myrtle in blossom perfume the air around the Lake of Tiberias, and almost fill up the entrance to the valley ; while the flaunting bramble, loaded with clusters of blackberries, hangs from every pinnacle of the carved rock. Thus are the prophecies concerning Edom accomplished. The brier springs up among her palaces.-Lady Calcott.

THE LITTLE THEOLOGIAN.

OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.

(Continued from page 176.) WHEREVER the Spirit of God is spoken of, it is in such a way, and by the use of such terms, as would be sure to produce the impression that a

person was intended, and not a mere energy, or influence, or attribute. Words which express pera sonality are used of him; affections which require per sonality are affirmed to exist in him ; and actions which only a person could perform are said to be done by him. Read, in proof, John xiv. 16, 17,4" And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him; but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.” If these words, “he” and “him," do not point out a person, they give an uncertain sound, and there is no telling what they mean. What correct speaker would say of an energy, “He shall be in you?" or of an attribute, " The world seeth him not ?" Affections such as are felt by persons belong to the Spirit. See Eph. iv. 30,—“Grieve not the Holy Spirit of God." I he can be grieved, he is a person ; for an energy, influence, or attribute is incapable of grief. Take an example of his acting, his doing personal works: “ The Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.” (Gen. i. 2.) “The Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance whatsoever I have said unto you.” (John xiv. 26.) “If I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you. And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment.” (John xvi. 7, 8.) He testifies of Christ, bears witness to the adoption of believers, regenerates and sanctifies the soul ; ind if these are not personal acts, it is impossible to say what are.

We may now ask, what sort of a person the Holy Spirit is; and our answer will necessarily be brief. He is God. As the same line of argument proves he divinity of the Holy Spirit as proved that of Jesus, we shall only refer to those arguments, and give the passages in proof.

Names of God are given to the Holy Spirit. “Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land ? Whiles it remained, was it not thine own? and after it was sold, was it not in thine own power? why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart? thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God.” (Acts y, 3, 4.)

ATTRIBUTES of Deity belong to him. “For the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.” (1 Cor. ii. 10.) “For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man; but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost." (2 Pet. i. 21.) The above show this Spirit to be possessed of infinite knowledge, one of the essential attributes of God. “Whither shall I go from thy Spirit?” (Psal. cxxxix. 7.) The impossibility of going away from the Spirit, shows him to be everywhere; and therefore to be God.

Divine WORKS are done by the Spirit. “The Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.” (Gen. i. 2.) “By his Spirit be hath garnished the heavens.” (Job xxvi. 13.) “The Spirit of God hath made me.” (Job xxxiii. 4.) Now, as creation is properly the work of God, if that is performed by the Holy Spirit, then that Spirit is God. The passage in 2 Cor. xiii. 14, “ The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all,” has been thought to favour the opinion that we should worship the Holy Ghost : but if this should be denied, and if even it were said there is not a solitary passage in which such worship is commanded, yet divine worship would be his due; for we have already proved him to be God.

This, then, is the result of our investigation here. The Holy Spirit is a divine person, the third person in the adorable and glorious Trinity; who, with the Father and the Son, is ever to be worshipped. Thus have we seen that Father, Son, and Holy Ghost are one God. Let us bow to the teachings of God's word, and adore. The word “Trinity” is not found in the Bible; but what matters that? the doctrine is there. The phrase," three divine persons in the unity of the divine nature,” is not in the Scriptures; but the sentiment, the doctrine, is; and these words and phrases are used as being the best we have for expressing the doctrines.

THE LORD'S PRAYER.

PART V. “GIVE US THIS DAY OUR DAILY BREAD.". Each portion of this prayer is designed to teach you some great, some important, lesson; and as, in