e Lord of his great goodness grant that my soul may reap a
full harvest from these reflections, and determine not only in words
to know nothing but Jesus Christ and him crucified, as the subject of
preaching, but as the object on which my soul constantly dwells, so
that growing up into his fulness in understanding and love, may be the
business of my future life, and much, yea, very much more, the simple
purpose of my heart than it has ever yet been. Nothing can be to me
clearer than that the work of the Lord will really prosper in the
hands of his servants, in proportion as these servants prosper in
their nearness to him. May his love, his life, his words, his wishes
be the abiding incentives in my soul to simply living to him and for
him, and for his creatures through him. How easy it is for one person
to make one class of sacrifices, and another, another; but how hard to
slay the darling idol, and to tear away the cherished indulgence:--how
easy it is to exercise those graces which accord with our natural
constitutions, how difficult those which mortify and run counter to
them.

May it be the labour and delight of my future life to see each
cherished idol one by one fall prostrate, slain before my Lord's love.

_July 1._--There has just been a transaction passing which
illustrates, in a striking manner, the very loose connections which
bind the parts of this empire together. I have already mentioned the
death of the Pashas of Mosul and Merdin. Ali Pasha, in support of whom
they had professedly marched against Bagdad, sent his treasurer to
Saleh Beg, to commend him for what he had done in thus preserving the
city by killing these two Pashas, requiring at the same time for
himself, the payment of his expenses, as well as a sum of money for
the Sultan, and promising that if this were given him he would return
to Aleppo. Thus, after nearly two years confusion, all parties will be
worse off than they were before. My reason for thinking it probable
this will be the case is, that the Khaznadar or treasurer of Daoud
Pasha, has accompanied the Khaznadar of Ali Pasha to his camp, who
evidently doubts the result of his attempt. Indeed, it seems very
doubtful if in any case he can succeed; for if he obtains the
Pashalic, I think it very probable from the history of former Pashas,
who, as strangers to the Pashalic, have been forced into it, that he
will not be allowed to retain it. The fact is, that almost all his
opposing force