hie omniscience, taken in connection with our human liberty, how little can we compre- hend I how soon do we find ourselves beyond our depth, involved in difficulties which are hopelessly insoluble I II. Hie REVELATION OF HIMSELF m JESUS CmtIBT. "His rich, his free redemption" is, o.e ho.e been so.id or sung, "dark through brightness." Jesus Christ is distinctly and pre-eminently the Revelation of God to man. Yet is there in the connection of his Son- ship of God with his Sonship of man a mystery which baffles us. How One equipped with Divine power and wisdom as was Jesus the Christ could "grow in wisdom" as well as in stature, is dark and impenetrable to our understanding. III. Hiij RULING OF oun RACE. Why did Goel allow forty centuries of sin and strife, of superstition and sorrow, of darkneBB and death, to pass a.way before he sent his Son into the world to be its Light, and to redeem it from its ruin? IV. His DIRECTION 011' OUR INDIVIDUAL LIVES. How is it, we wonder, that God allows certain things to happen which (as it seems to us) are certain to be so injurious in their effects? how is it that he does not act in a way which would (as we are con- vinced) be fraught with so much blessing? Events in the lives of others or in our own lives are often so different from, so contrary to, what we should expect at the hand of One who rules' in wisdom, in faithfulness, in love. Consider : 1. Bow inevitable it is that this should be so. The feeble-minded and uncultured man completely fails to understand his gifted and educated brother; the little child completely misunderstands his father; nay, he thinks his father unwise, unjnst, or unkind in those very things in which that father lcnows himself to be most wise, most just, most kind. And what is the difference which separates human ignorance from human wisdom when compared with that which separates us from God? 2. We may reasonably hope that this will gradually lessen, though they can never disappear. As we pass on in life, we understand more of God's character e.nd his ways, When we shall receive that glorious enlarge- ment of spiritual faculty for which we look and long, we shall know God as the best and wisest do not know him here. But we rejoice to think that, in the remotest future to which our imagination can look forward, we shall still be inquiring and gaining knowledge of our heavenly Father. 3. How much we know now that is of the greatest practical value. We know that God is One who is a Spirit even as we are, but sinless and Divine; that he is perfectly holy, wise, faithful, kind; that he is accessible to our prayer, and is not only ready but eager to receive us again into his favour; that he is a Father who is tenderly interested in all his children, and who responds to the filial love and obedience of those who seek to serve him; that he is pleased with an endeavour to do and bear his will; that he is seeking and outworking our spiritual, our eternal well-being. This is enough for the highest ends of our existence, for the restoration oi our soul, for the ennoblement of our character.-C.
Vers. 7, 8.-The worth of a wish-the estimate of Christ. " David did well in that it was in his heart" to build a house for the Lord. The purpose of his heart, though it "lost the name of action," was acceptable to the God he served. Almost everything, in the estimate of him who " trieth the reins and the heart," depends on the motives by which we are inspired. Hence we may speak of- I. THE WORTHLESSNESS OF SOLOMON'S EXECUTION apart from the excellency of his motive. That building now complete (at the time of the text) was very grand, very costly, very beautiful; it we.s very elaborate in its workmanship; it was very complete in all its parts; it lacked nothing that treasure and time, that skill and strength, could furnish. But, supposing that Solomon had done everything with the one desire to signalize his reign over Israel, his execution would have counted for much among men, but it would have weighed nothing at all with God. It would not have advanced him by oue step in the favour of the Most High. We need not, however, think that Solomon was devoid of a sincere desire to magnify J ehovah's Name. - He said that he had "built the house/or the Name of the Lord God of Israel" (ver. 10); and this prayer of dedica- tion, adopted if not composed by him, is indicative of a reverent as well as a patriotic spirit (see 1 Cor. xiii. 1-3), II. 'fHE WORTH OF A TRUE AND PURE DESIRE. God was pleased with David that he wished to build him a house; he "did well in that it was in his heart." 1. It is our 111Qtive that makes our action to be our own. Another may command our speech or our G8 THE SECOND BOOK OF THE CHRONICLES. [en. v1. 1-42,