At Valetta, in the island of Malta, he wrote:  “My heart beats a little to-day, but another sail will do me good.  One thing I know, that I am in the hands of my Father in heaven, who is all love to me,—­not for what I am in myself, but for the beauty He sees in Immanuel.”

The classic shores of Italy and Greece are invested with a peculiar interest, such as may raise deep emotions even in a sanctified soul.  “We tried to recollect many of the studies of our boyhood.  But what is classic learning to us now?  I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord.  And yet these recollections tinged every object, and afforded us a most lawful pleasure.”

During our voyage, it was his delight to search into the Scriptures, just as at home.  And so much did he calculate on an unceasing study of the word during all our journey, that he took with him some notes I had written on each chapter of the book of Leviticus, observing it would be suitable meditation for us while busy with Jewish minds.  At home and abroad he had an insatiable appetite for all the word,—­both for the types of the Old Testament and the plain text of the New.  On one occasion, before leaving home, in studying Numbers 4., he fixed the different duties assigned to the priests on his memory, by means of the following lines:—­

The Kohathites upon their shoulder bear The holy vessels, covered with all care, The Gershonites receive an easier charge, Two waggons full of cords and curtains large; Merari’s sons four ponderous waggons load With boards and pillars of the house of God.

He acted on the principle, that whatever God has revealed must deserve our study and prayerful investigation.

Arrived at Alexandria in Egypt, and thence proceeding onward to Palestine by the way of the desert, we found ourselves set down on a new stage of experience.  Mr. M’Cheyne observed on the silence of the desert places:  “It is a remarkable feeling to be quite alone in a desert place; it gives similar feelings to fasting; it brings God near.  Living in tents, and moving among such lonely scenes for many days, awake many new ideas.  It is a strange life we lead in the wilderness.  Round and round there is a complete circle of sand and wilderness shrubs; above, a blue sky without a cloud, and a scorching sun which often made the thermometer stand at 96 deg. in our tents.  When evening came, the sun went down as it does in the ocean, and the stars came riding forth in their glory; and we used to pitch all alone, with none but our poor ignorant Bedouins, and their camels, and our all-knowing, all-loving God beside us.  When morning began to dawn, our habitations were taken down.  Often we have found ourselves shelterless before being fully dressed.  What a type of the tent of our body!  Ah! how often taken down before the soul is made meet for the inheritance of the saints in light.”  To Mr. Bonar of