HOMILETICS. Vors. 22, 23.-God puts division between the good and barl, both here and hereojter.- In some respects tho good and the bad appear to be trc?.tcd alike in this life, aurl no di!Terence to be made between them. " God maketb his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendcth rain on the just and on the unjust" (Matt. v. 45). The Preacher's experience was that "all things come alike to a!l; there is one event to tha righteous and to tho wicked; to the clean and to the unclean; to him that sacrificeth 11ud to him that sacrificeth not ; as is the good, so is the sinner ; and he that sweareth as ho that feareth an oath" (Eccles. ix. 2). 1f Goel sends a pestilence upon a land, or a drought, or an excess of rain, or any other calamity, the good and the bad seem to suffer equally ; no difference to be put between them. '!'bis is the first impression of the con- templative philosopher when be•looks upon human life; and it is a true impression to a ~reat extent. But there are limitations, which, though easily overlooked at the first glance, become apparent upon more careful examination. God does not treat all nations alike-he favours those which observe his laws; punishes those who disobey them. Ile seems sometimes especially to bless certain faithful families, as that of David, and to rain plagues upon others, as those of Saul, Herod the Great, and Napoleon. He gives, on the whole, to good men certain temporal advantages over bad men, as those which flow naturally (i.e. by his appointment) from industry, honesty, prudence, sobriety, and other virtues. The result is that "godliness" is said in Scripture to "have the promise of this life" (1 Tim. iv. 8). And if we take into consideration the satisfaction of a goo<l conscience, the eon.fidence towards God, the calm trust, and the certain hope which sustain the good, and set in the opposite scale the doubts and fears and horrors of an evil conscience which afflict the bad, we shall have little doubt tha.t the balance of happiness, even in this life, is with the servants of God. Still, no doubt the great "division" is put hereafter. "When the Son of Man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, before him shall be gathered all nations ; and he shall separate them one from another, as a. shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats-and he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left" (Matt. xxv. 31-3). .Awful the separation, where between the two "there is a. great gulf fixed" (Luke xvi. 26)---on the one side heavenly joy a.nd perfect felicity-on the other, "the blackness of darkness for ever n (Jude 13).
HOMILIES BY VARIOUS .AUTHORS. Vers. 2~32.-The plague of flies. This torment is thought by many to have embraced winged pests of all kinds. In this case, it would include the mosquito, cattle-fly, beetles, dog-flies, and numbers of others. But see the exposition. We have to note regarding it- I. PHARAOH FINDS AS BEFORE THAT THERE IS NO ESCAPING FROM THE BANDS OF Goo. He is met at the brink of the river, and confronted with the old alternative- "Let my people go ... else," etc. (vers. 20, 21). 'l'he king, when he saw Moses, would have no difficulty in anticipating what was coming. 'l'he bitter greeting he would give him would be akin to that of .Ahab to Elijah-" Hast thou found me, 0 mine enemy?" (1 Kings xxi. 20); nor would Moses' reply be very different from that given by the prophet-" I have found thee ; because thou hast sold thyself to work evil in the sight of the Lord." What madness in the king to keep up this foolish, this suicidal contest I But the conflict of every sinner with Jehovah is of the same infatuated character. Stroke after stroke descends, yet impenitence is persevered in. \Veil may God say," Why should ye be stricken a.ny more?" (Is. i. 5.) His demand, through all, abides tm- changed. II. 'l'BE FOURTH PLAGUE SPRINGS FROM THE AIR, The sphere of judgment is widening and extending, taking in constantly new regions-water, earth, air. 'l'ho voices that summon to repentance are heard from every side. .A new demonstration ot the universality of Jehovah's rule-of the unlimited sweep of his dominion (ver. 22). Flies are a.gents which God can employ as a scourge of nations still. We read of singular feats in the way of insect-taming ; of flies, bees, and oven lice being trained to EXODU~ 0 104 THE BOOK OF EXODUS. [cH, VIII, 20-32,