We must step into it and down to its mysterious end. The text suggests two remarks concerning this way

I. Death is a way SOON TO BE ENTERED. "When a few are come." "The number of years assigned to me, then I shall go the way," &c. Those who are the most remote from this way are only divided by a few years. "The days of our years are threescore years and ten." Millions on this earth may say, when a few months, a few weeks, a few days may come. The way is not far off, it is very near.

II. Death is a way NEVER TO BE RE-TRAVELLED. "I shall not return,"—not return (1) to my business, (2) to my family, (3) to my church. No more return, then let us do all that is necessary to be done on this earth before we enter the grave.

SKETCHES FROM GENESIS. (XI.) 66 ABRAHAM'S INTERCESSION FOR SODOM."

"And Abraham drew near, and said, Wilt thou also destroy the righteous with the wicked?" &c.Gen. xviii. 23-33.

WE shall offer three remarks.

I. The basis of his intercession. First: The value of purity. "Wilt thou also destroy the righteous with the wicked ?" In whatever way the righteous were treated on the earth, Abraham knew, they were heaven's favourites, and

that they were valuable in God's sight; of this he had an instance in the life of Noah who was too precious to be lost in the deluge. The amount of true purity in the heart is the right criterion to estimate a man's value. Our greatness consists not in external wealth, but in a soul filled with peace, obtained from the consciousness of endeavouring to live a

pure life. If pure, our privilege great. "Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God." Secondly God's justice. "Shall not the Judge. of all the earth do right?" The sense of right within rejected the idea that the righteous would have to perish with the wicked, and no distinction made between those who serve God and the reprobate and ungodly. If there would be no manifestation of His love to the righteous the glory of the Divine government would be clouded. It required great moral courage to appeal to justice this can be done under the Gospel dispensation, because the plan of salvation has been perfectly accomplished.

Se

No

is our duty to labour for our own safety and the safety of others as well, and to intercede for them in our prayers. Is this responsibility felt so as to make us earnest in our petitions on behalf of the unconverted? condly: In the depraved characters for whom intercession was made. Evidently Abraham had some knowledge of their moral condition previous to the arrival of the angels; now he was informed that their wickedness could no longer be tolerated; nevertheless, he intercedes on their behalf. This shows the intensity of his love for man, and pleads that the whole city should be spared for the sake of ten righteous persons. character is too depraved to be the subject of prayer to God; as long as a particle of humanity remains in man he is worth saving. Thirdly: In his repeated attempts. Humanly speaking, the first mark was low enough. "Peradventure there be fifty righteous within the city." From this he gradually descended to ten. In these repeated efforts he seems as if unwilling to leave the case as hopeless; and the greatest humility is manifested throughout. In this he is an example to us; in our prayers the greatest earnestness and humility ought to be felt. The mercy seat is not to be left without repeated efforts made to obtain the blessing.

III. The failure of his intercession. First: From his igno

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rance of sin in all its aspects. Sin was the cause of this judgment; to Abraham some of its aspects were known, but he had no conception of all its painful results: so his intercession ceaseth after descending to 'ten righteous.” If he understood sin better, he would have pleaded for one's sake, and even if there were none righteous in the city. Secondly: From an inadequate conception of God's mercy. He rapidly and successfully descended forty steps on the ladderfrom fifty to ten-to find the depth of God's mercy; but there were steps beyond these which Abraham could now descend. God's mercy is deeper than the deepest pollution of man. Infinite as God himself.

CONCLUSION. The mind, when reading this history, naturally runs to another Intercessor. First: Whose intercession availeth. Secondly: Who ever liveth to intercede. Uckfield. CYMRO.

SOLOMON'S DOMINION.

"So king Solomon was king over all Israel. And these were the princes which he had," &c.-1 Kings iv. 1 - 28.

THIS chapter consists for the most part of a list of Solomon's servants, and a detail of their duties. Solomon is to be regarded as a type of Christ, and his peaceful and prosperous reign was symbolical of the

perfect and peaceful reign of Christ.

I. Note the fact, that his dominion was PERFECT AND COMPLETE. "So Solomon was king over all Israel." See also verse 21. "The river," i.e., Euphrates, in the north and east. "They brought presents." It was from these countries of the east that the wise men brought offerings to the infant Saviour. (Matt. ii. 11.) "All the days of his life." Those who become subjects of Christ's kingdom are to be such for ever: "to his kingdom there shall be no end."

PEACE.

"He had peace on all sides round about bim." (Verse 24.) See Ps. lxxii. 7. Christ came to bring peace; He is called "the Prince of Peace." At His birth the angels proclaimed "Peace on earth."

IV. It was characterised by PERFECT SAFETY. (See verse 25.) The government of the king was so wise and judicious that violence and theft were comparatively unknown. All neighbouring kingdoms being subject to his sway, his subjects were in no fear of attacks from them.

V. THE SUBJECTS OF SOLO

MON'S KINGDOM WERE NUMEROUS AND HAPPY. (Verse 20.) See Gen. xxii. 17.

:

Firstly The multitude of the redeemed at last. (Rev. vii. 9.)

Secondly: The privilege of the Christian is to be happy. "The kingdom of God is not meat and drink," &e. (Rom. xiv. 17.)

VI. THE AFFAIRS OF SOLOMON'S KINGDOM WERE MANAGED BY SUBORDINATE SERVANTS. Diversity of labourers in Christ's kingdom. (See Eph. iv. 11.) All can help, but only by working in the sphere which God appoints.

VII. It was the duty of all

HIS SUBJECTS TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE SUPPORT OF HIS KINGDOM. Each of the twelve officers mentioned in verse 7 had a district under his charge, from which in his turn he supplied the table of the king.

VIII. ALL WHO CAME ΤΟ SOLOMON'S TABLE WERE FED. "They lacked nothing." (Verse 27.) Dawlish.

F. WAGSTAFF.

NO TEMPLE IN HEAVEN.

"I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and_the Lamb are the temple of it."-Rev. xxi. 22.

I. The IMPORT of this. What does this import? First: That there are no special SACRED PLACES in heaven. Temples here are places set apart for worship. All heaven.

(No. CCXLIV.)

First: This is an undoubted fact. (1.) A priori reasoning renders this obvious. The God of infinite wisdom must have a purpose to answer in relation to the existence and history of the human race. He has a purpose not only in the rise and fall of empires, but in all the events that happen in the individual history of the obscure as well as the illustrious. But unless He has a control over the workings of the human heart and the volitions of the human soul, how could this purpose be realized? If he controls not the thoughts and the impulses of the human mind, He has no control over the human race, and His purposes have no guarantee for their fulfilment. But God says, "My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure;" and hence He must be the Master of the human soul, turning all its

rills of thought and feeling at His pleasure. (2.) History demonstrates the truth. Abimelech's heart was in the hand of the Lord for good. (Gen. xx. 6.) Pharoah's heart was turned towards Joseph. The heart of the Babylonish despot was turned towards Daniel and his captive brethren. The hearts of the Jews in relation to Christ were under Divine control. Secondly: This fuct interferes not with human responsibility. Though the Creator has an absolute control over all the workings of our minds, yet we are conscious that we are free in all our volitions and actions. Though the reconciliation of these two facts transcends our philosophy, they involve no absurdity. Suppose a man of great insight into character and great experience as to how certain circumstances affect certain organizations, predicted that if a certain person whom he thoroughly understood was placed in certain conditions, a certain course of conduct on his part would be the inevitable result: that person, without knowing the prediction, falls into those circumstances and pursues the course of conduct identical with that foretold. Did the knowledge of the prophet exercise any coercion at all upon the mind of this individual? Certainly not. It is therefore not impossible to conceive of Him who knows all men's organizations, and all the circumstances through which they are to pass, carrying on His purposes and yet leaving them in perfect pussession of their freedom and their accountability.

In these verses we have God unfolded to us

II. As the JUDGE OF HUMAN

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CHARACTER. Every way of a man is right in his own eyes: but the Lord pondereth the hearts." The sentiment expressed in these words we have met with before.* There is in all probability a connection between this verse and the preceding one. And its connection suggests First: That God judges men's characters not according to their own estimate. Men generally are so vain that they form a high opinion of themselves, but this estimate may be the very reverse of God's. Secondly: That God judges men's characters not according to the result of their conduct. Though they may unwittingly work out His plans, they do not approve themselves to Him on that account. The cruel treatment which Joseph's brethren inflicted on him subserved the Divine purpose; still it was not less wicked on that account. The crucifixion of Christ by the Jews was according to the Divine plan; yet the deed was the most heinous of all crimes. Thirdly: That God judges men's characters by the heart. "The Lord pon

dereth the hearts." The essence of the character is in the motive. "The Lord weigheth the spirits.'

In these verses we have God unfolded to us→

III. As the APPROVER OF HUMAN GOODNESS. "To do justice and judgment is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice." This sentiment is frequently expressed in the Bible.† (1.) "Sacrifice," at best is only circumstantially good

* See HOMILIST, vel. i, fourth series, p. 123.

+1 Sam. xv. 22; Tea i. 11-15; Ixvi. 3, 4; Jer. vii. 21-23; Horen vi. 6; Micah vi, 6–8; Mat. xxiii. 33.