III. OLOUDB ILLUBTBATl'l THE MUTUAL IIINIRTRIEB OF NA.TORE. Drawn up from the sea In invisible vapour, driven over the land by strong winda, condensed against the mountains or in cool currents of the upper air, descending in gentle rain over fields and gnrdens, over woods and hills and plains, trickling through the soil, breaking out in little springs, streaming down the slopes in minute rills, gathering supplies from all directions in the valleys, and flowing back to the sea in full-red rivers, the water of the clouds moves through a circuit, every stage of which is of use in the economy of nature, while the whole is completed by the help of many furces and circumstances. IV. CLOUDS COME AS MERCIES IN DISGUISE. Thick clouds are black an,] ugly, hiding the blue sky, and casting gloom on the earth. They do not always have a silver lining. They may be heavy and lowering, sombre and threatenin2;. Yet they burst. in refreshi11g showers. When shall we believe that it is the same with those apprehensions of trouble which are really the chariots in which God's love rides? V. CLOUDS ARE BEAUTIFUL IN THE SUNLIGHT. It is only a. difference of light, and their gloom is turned into splendour. When the sun tonches the clouds it sets them on fire. Morning and evening unroll leagues of rose and gold curtains on the dista.ut horizon. When God's love touches our clouds, by a magic alchemy they pass into heavenly beauty. VI. CLOUDS ARE Fl,EETING AND TRANSIENT. Moulded out of invisible vapours, they meH while we gaze at them. Their high bastions and clustered domes, their silvery lakes and purple mountain~, are in rapid dissolution. For they must serve their purpose. They must vanish to fulfil their mfusion. Earthly joy~ like palaces of cloudland, earthly terrors _like its gloomy shadows, both melt away, and must do so to serve their purpose of blessing and discipline. But beyond the clouds is the blue sky. We aro thankful for the clouds. But we must neither cling to them, nor shrink from them. St1mding on the solid earth, our lasting hope is .in the eternal heavens.-W. F. A. Ver. 14.-" The thunder of his power." We only see the edges of God's ways; we hear but a slight whisper of him; the thunder of his power is beyond our compre- hension. I. IN NATURE. We can see but a small part of God's works. Astronoipy hints at vast regions of unexplored space. Even in limited regions the variety of teeming life goes beyond our comprehension. We cannot see the: infinitely small. Further, we only use our five senses. Who can tell but that a sixth sense would reveal much more of the wonderful works of God? We can conceive of an indefinite multiplication of senses. Suppose there were ten senses, or fifty, or any number more; who can say but that they would discover corresponding objects that are quite unknown to us because we have not the faculty of perceiving them? Next consider bow small a period of time our observation extends over. Geology stretches back a long way, but with how meagre a record of immense ages I Then note that all these observations deal with the material universe.. But what of the spiritual ? How far may this extend? What are its contents? II. IN PROVIDENCE, The mistake of Job's friends was that they were both short- sighted and narrow in their vision. They could see but a very small part of God's work and purpose; yet they drew universal conclusions, and dogmatized. Their mistake is only too common. We have to recollect that we have not the materials with which to form a judgment of God's actions. In our own lives we see a very small part of the Divine plan. All may look dark and dreadful. But we are only at the early seed-so~ing. We have to see the harvest before we can judge of the crop. And the harvest 1s not yet. III. IN REVELATION. This was true of the Old Testament in comparison with the New. But a fringe of the gruce afterwards revealed in Christ was made known to the ancient Jews. Now it is impossible to say how much more of the nature and thought of God still lies beyond the region of revelation. ·we have enough to guide us, sufficient for salvation aIJd for duty. But we dare not limit God to bis revelations of himself. A'.l attempts t11 define God, to draw a circle about the Divine, refute them- selves, for they would make out that the Infinite is finite. IV. IN JUDAMENT. Whispers of God's judgment make us tremble; and we have only heard whispers as yet. What, then, m1Jst the thunder of his -power be? At a «o THE BOOK OF JOB. [OH, ZXVII, 1-28.
mere touch from "the Traveller unknown" the sinew of Jacob'a thigh shrank (Gen, :0:1:ii. 26). What would have been: the result if the myeterious Wrestler had put forth his full power? Earthly troubles are hard to bear; these are but whispers com- pared to the thunder of doom I V. h: BEDElll'TION. 'l'here is a bright side to this picture. 11 God is love," and the half has not been told us of God's nature. Future ages have yet to exploro ita marvellous wealth of grace. Throughout eternity it will still stret.ch beyond all human experience. With the grace is a corresponding blessing. The future blessedness that God offers to his children is also beyond all present estimates. "Beloved, now are we children of God, and it is not yet made manifest what we shall be" (1 John iii. 2).-W. F. A.
:EXPOSITION.