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we need hardly repeat, is pure silica; mica consists of silica, alumina, potash and magnesia; felspar of silica, alumina and potash; and hornbleude, of silica, alumina and lime. In fact, if we even set aside the pure quartz and sand rocks, this widespread mineral is found, in one form of combination or other, in every part of the world.

To return to our present department; jasper differs from common quartz only in its partial mixture with earthy or clayey matter, and is generally stained red or yellow by oxyde of iron. Chalcedony, so called from Chalcedon, where it was formerly found in great abundance, is opaque and bubbly in its appearance, often of a bluish white, but sometimes of a pale buff or lilac hue, and is purer from mixture than jasper. Onyx is distinguished by its bands or stripes of different colours; and amethyst by its purple tint, though white, yellow or green ones are found, the amethystine nature of the gem depending on a peculiar arrangement of its particles, discoverable when broken. Perhaps some of my younger readers may smile at the reason of its name. The ancients called it amethustos, from the Greek amethusos, (not drunken), as it was supposed that he who carried one of these stones about with him would never be intoxicated, however largely he might drink. Thus have the beauties of God's creation been ever made to minister to the vices of

man.

Brazil pebbles, heath diamonds, Cairngorum, prase, hornstone, Lydian stone, cat's eye, floatstone, chrysoprase, bloodstone, and plasma, all belong to this species, being merely quartz, coloured or otherwise distinguished by extraneous matters.

Quartz has a peculiar aptitude for deception; not content with its own native form of crystal, (a sixsided prism, pointed at each end, when perfect), it assumes the shapes of other minerals. Sometimes it is found in the form of lime spar, sometimes of gypsum, or. of sphene. This dishonest property of quartz has puzzled mineralogists greatly, and has occasioned controversies of considerable length and heat, like various species of dishonesty in the moral and intellectual world. I have a small yellow crystal of Haytorite, which assumes a completely different form to that of its proper class; it is by some writers considered to be that of datolite, and by others that of sphene. A few other pieces, in the drawer devoted to silicon, deserve notice, but want of time and space (those two essentials to all human operations), compels me to reserve them for our next number.

X. Q.

JEWS AND GENTILES..

DEAR MADAM,

WILL you allow me to call your attention to a subject which has painfully impressed my mind; it is this-the view which appears to be so frequently brought forward, as the reason of the present dispersion and unhappy state of our poor Jewish brethren. It is stated by valuable and enlightened men, that they are cast off for their sin of crucifying the Lord of glory, and are receiving the fulfilment of their awful imprecation-" His blood be on us and on our children." This view appears to me to militate against the full atonement which Christ hath effected for the sins of a guilty world; and also to interpose a barrier to their restoration; for if the atonement hath not extended to this their sin of ignorance, (Luke xxiii. 34. Acts iii. 17.) St. Paul assures us there is no other. The atonement hath been effected "once for all," Jew and Gentile.

I find in Acts ii. 23, Peter charging the Jews then dwelling at Jerusalem, with the guilt of this atrocious deed; he repeats the charge in verse 36, and we find the grace of our Lord so abundant toward them, that when they heard, they were pricked to the heart, and the same day were converted of that untoward generation, three thousand souls.

The same charge of guilt to another audience of Jews in the porch of Solomon's temple, (Aets iii.

13-17; and in Acts iv. 17.), we find the Jews were not charged alone-“ For of a truth, against thy holy child Jesus, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel were gathered together."

In Acts xxi. 20, we learn that there were many thousands of the Jews who believed, and therefore we may well look farther into God's word, and we shall find written as with a sunbeam, in the Epistle to the Romans, (chap. ix. 30-33; x. 3, 8, 11-13,) that salvation by Jesus is full and free to all, "For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him." Still Israel as a nation is dispersed, broken off from its parent olive-tree, and the Gentiles are grafted in. Well, because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not high-minded, but fear." " And they, if they abide not in unbelief, shall be grafted in again, for God is able to graft them in."

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They are dispersed, cast out, a proverb and a byeword among the nations, not because of their load of guilt in crucifying the Saviour, but because they rejected the atonement effected by that crucified Saviour. "They stumbled at that stumbling stone." "They knew not the scriptures" which foretold his humiliation previous to his glory, yet in their blindness, with the veil upon their hearts, they have been, and are still, fulfilling those scriptures. Let us rejoice in the assurance, that when "they shall turn to the Lord the veil shall be taken away," and let us pray earnestly, continually that the time may be hastened when "the spirit of grace and of supplications shall be poured upon Israel, and they shall

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look upon me whom they have pierced and they shall mourn for him," each one with a broken and contrite spirit. Blessed be God! "Even now is there a remnant according to the election of grace,” who are brought by the teaching of the Holy Spirit to renounce every other hope, and submit themselves to be saved in God's appointed way. May the Christian Church diligently use all scriptural means to convince Israel, that "thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead, as foreshewn in the law of Moses, in the Prophets, and in the Psalms." May many be thus brought to receive him as their Saviour, who shall hereafter share his glory.

Allow me to remain, one who now mourns with Jerusalem, and hopes hereafter to rejoice in her joy.

THE foregoing, anonymous, communication, came to hand, singularly enough, after we had been devoting some hours to the consideration of the subject; forming one of those coincidences that often cheer our way. Most heartily do we concur in the view taken by our correspondent, and would gladly add a few remarks on the practical working of the mistake referred to.

A day or two since, we took up a pack of "Missionary cards " published by the Religious Tract Society, which pleased us greatly, until, looking

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