fr!,olous _and unworthy their lives have been. At eighty they are as woll pleased with their notion that man has come into this world to enjoy himself as they were at eighteen. Whether we shall live into old age is not for us to settle, nor what our state of body nnd circumstances may be if we do so live, Bub one thing at all c,·ents we may seek to avoid, namely, a state of mind in old age such as that in which ~r esley tells us he found a certain old ma.n a.t Okeha.mpton. " Our landlord here informed us that he wa.s upwards of ninety, yet had not lost either his sight, hearing, or teeth. Nor had he found tha.t for which he was born. Indeed he did not seem to have any more thought about it than a child of six yea.rs old." JI. OBSERVE, C0NCER~'L'\'G V.""HAT THINGS IN PARTICULAR Goo WOULD HAVE THE OLD SPEAK TO THE Y0UXG. Not so much concerning what they have done, but concerning what God ltas done for them, Every old man, however foolish, blundering and wasted his own career may have been, ha.s this resort-that he can look ba.ck on the dealings of God. It may be that he has to think of a late repentance on his own part; it may be that he has to think a great deal more of God's mercy to him after years of utter negligence, tha.n God's help to him through years of struggling obedience. Even so, he can m~anify God most abundantly and instructively. Magnifying God is the thing which all Christians should aim at when they look ba.ck on the time covered by their own individual life, or over that long, large tract through which authentic history extends. " Tell what things I have wrought in Egypt, and my signs which I have done among them." There will never be lack of voices to celebrate the achievements of men. But what a grand occupation for the aged Christian to turn the thoughts of children to the achievements of God, such works as the overthrow of Pharaoh and the guiding into Canaan, and, above all, the work which he does in the hearts of those who believe in his Son. To look on the works of men, on all their selfishness and rivalry, to see how the success of the few involves the failure of the many-all this is very humiliating. But how glorious to speak of the works of God, to point him out in Creation, in Providence, in Redemption ; and then to call on the young, all their life through, to be fellow-labourers together with him-what an occu- pation is here suggested for old age! The" grey-headed and very aged men" (Job xv.10) may thus do much for us. When Boaz became the nourisher of Naomi's grey hairs, Naomi took the child of Boa.i and Ruth, laid it in her bosom, and became nurse unto it. And surely her nursing would include instruction, the telling of her own personal expe- riences to the growing Obed, full a.s these experiences were of things fitted to guide the youth to a good and noble manhood. A friend who called on C. M. Young, the cele- brated actor, a few months before his death. reported that he gave a miserable account of himself, and wound up by saying, " Seventy-nine is telling its ta.le." True I Seventy- nine must tell a tale of exhausted physical energy, but the tale need not therefore be altouether 0 dolefuL Serious it must be, and not without touches of shame; but it will be the fault of the teller if it does not contain much to guide, inspire, and invigorate the young. (Job xxxii.. 9; Ps. mvii. 25; Titus ii. 2-5; 1 Kings xii. 6--8).-Y. Vers. 1-11.-God's Judgments on sin and their results for the righteous and tl1e wicked. L THE FRUITS FOB Goo's PEOPLE OF BIB JUDGMENTS UPON HIS ENEMIES, 1. The plagues of Egypt were to be an example to all the generations of Israel (ver. 2). (1) lt drew them nearer God. They were his: he gave Egypt for ~hem. _(2) ~t deepened their trust and fear. 2. It was the_ prop~ecy of how God will_ sanctify his people in the latter da.ys. 3. How God sanctifies h!S people now._ Therr :prolonged waitino- and sufferinu is storing up power for the future. The mght of trial makes the da.y of deliveran~ brighter and more fruitful. II. THE WAY OF THE UNREPENTANT IS OJIE OF DEEPENING LOSS. Pharaoh will not retain what God's mercy has left him. The locusts eat what the hail has spared, The path darkens evermore till the night falls to which no da.y succeeds. Ill. GoD'S JUDGMENTS AW.AKEN FEAR IN THE HEARTS 01!' THE UNRIGHTEOUS, DUT NO REPENTANCE. The advice of Pharaoh's counsellors. 1. Its selfishness. It was inspired not by love of righteousness, but by self interest. If it does not answer to enslave and persecute God's people; the world will desist; a~d if there is wealth a_nd honour to he got by it, they will even favour them and desire to be numbered with them. 2. Its insufficiency. "Let the men go," They will not yield the whole of en. x. 21-20.] THE BOOK OF EXODUS. '.'37
what God demands. 'fhey will not give np sin or resign the heart. The scrv::e of the selfish is as deficient in full obedience, as it is hateful in motive. Vera. 12-20.-The plague of locusts. I. GoD'B JUDGMENT. 1. Thou"h re,trainerl for a time, it will surely fall. It is no argument that the threatenin" is ;ain because while the servants of God try to persuade, there is no token of the iominrr j;id=ent'. 2. ·when it does come, it is not less than was foretold (14, 15). God's°deea"'is his comment on his Word, and reveals the terror whose shadow lay in it. The flood was not less than Noah's warnings painted it, nor Jerusalem's judgment than the prophecies which predicted it. Nor shall the woes coming upon the nations, nor the end of sin be less than God's Word has said. ' II. PHARAOH's CRY. It was sincere, both in confession and entreaty. He saw his folly, he desired relief, he purposed amendment. Good visits him, but it will not abide with him. The self-delusion of repentance born of the visitation of God and the need of heart-searching. III. PHARAOH's HY.ART HARDENED THROUGH DELIVERANCE. With the outward blessing we need inward grace. If we wait upon the Lord he will increase fear, and zeal, and tenderness of heart, but if we still keep far from him we are reserved only for heavier punishment. Instead of forsaking evil we shall build upon God's readiness to forgive, and repentance itjself will become impossible through the soul's deep insincerity. Have we received no warnings which have been forgotten? Have we made no vows as yet unfulfilled? God's word says, "Flee from the wrath tJo come." Sin cries, "Tarry, there is no danger; wait for a more convenient season."-1!.