independence of the author of common human standards of well-being, such as wealth, prosperity, and pleasure; wisdom is with him "the principal thing." The signs of true wisdom are graphically portrayed in this verse. I. WISDOM IMPARTS INSIGHT. Ordinary men are not even, as a rule, observant; but there are men who are observant of what strikes the senses, of the phenomena of nature, of external life, but who go no furth~r. Now, it is characteristic of the wise that they are not satisfied to know what lies upon the surface. The first stage of witidom is science; the scientific man notes resemblances and differences, antecedents an<l sequences; he arranges phenomena into classes and species and genera upou the one principle, and into physical causes and effects upon the o!her. He recognizes similarities and uni• formities in .nature, and terms these arrangements lawd. '!'he second stage of wisdom is philosophy, whose province it is not only to proceed to higher generalizations, but to discover in all the processes of nature and in all the activities of mind the presence and operatiun of reason. The third stage of wisdom is theology, or religion, i.e. the discern- ment of the ubiquitous presence in the universe of the Eternal Spirit, from whom all individual minds proceed, and whose lo.nguage, by which he holds communion with those minds, is nature. The scientist, the philosopher, the theologian, a.re all men who possess wisdom, who a.re dissatisfied with superficial knowledge, who "know the inter- pretation of a thing." Their wisdom is limited indeed if they disparage one another's work and service, for the world has need of them all. And there is no occasion why, in a measure, one man should not partake all three characters. II. WISDOM IMPARTS BRIGIITNESS. The stupid and brutal betray themselves hy an expression of stolidity. The cunning and crafty often display their characteristic quality by a keen, designing, "underhand," and sinister glance. But the wise are bright; clearness of perception, width of judgment, decisiveness of purpose, seem written upon the brow, seem to gleam from the steady eye of the wise man. The entrance of a wise man into the council-chamber is like the rising of· the sun upon a landscape,-when the mists are cleared away and the de.rk places are illumined. III. WISDOM IMPARTS STRENGTH, BOLDNESS, CONFIDENCE. The wise man is prepared for difficulties and dangers, and because he is prepared be is not alarmed. He measures circumstances, and sees how they me.y be bent to his will, how their threats may be turned into favour. He measures his fellow-men, discerns th~ strength of the strong, the depth of the thoughtful, the trustworthiness of the firm, the incompetency of the pretender, and the worthlessness of the shifty. He measures himself, and neither exaggemtes or underestimates his abilities and his resources. Hence the boldnoss, tho hardness of his face, when he turns to survey his task, to encounter his adversary, to endure his test. His heart is not dismayed, for his trust is ever in his God and Saviour.--T. Vers. 2-5.-Theruler and the subject. It is possible that some persons, living under a form of government very different from that presumed in the admo11itions of this passage-under a limited monarchy or a republic instead of under an absolute monarchy of a special theocratic kind-may fancy that these verses have no special significance for them, no applicability to the practical conduct of their actual life. But reflection may show us that this is not so, that there are valuable principles of interest and import for the civil life of all men . . l. CIVIL AUTHORITY IS IN ITRELF OF DIVINE ORIGIN, AND POSSESSES DIVINE SANOTIONS. The king, the king's word, commandment, and pleasure, are all significant of order in society, of that great reality and power in human affairs-the state. " Order is Heaven's first law." Right does not, indeed, grow out of civil authority, but it is its Divine basis. That kingship has often become tyranny, and democracy mob-rule, that every form of government may be abused, is known to every student of history, to every reader of the newspapers. But law in itself is good, and its maintenance is the only security for public liberty. One of the first duties of a religious teacher is to impress upon the people the sacredness of civil authority, to inculcate reverence for law, to encourage to good citizenship. He is not called upon to flatter the great and powerful, to repress discussion, to enjoin servility. But that freedom which is the condition of the true development of national life, and which can only be preserved by revercuce for rightful authority, for constitutional government, should be dl'ar to every Christil\n, and should ECCLESIASTES; OR, THE PREACHER. [on. vm. 1-17.
be held in honour by every Christian teacher and preacher. "The powers that be are ordained of God." II. WrsE PATRIOTISM LEADS TO CHEERFUL OBEDIENCE AND BUDMISBION TO AUTHORITY. Law for the most pa.rt is designed to repress crime, to maintain peace and tranquil!Hy to affurd protect.ion to the honest, industrious, and law-abiding. Therefore to commit wrong of any kind, whether theft, or slander, or violence, is both evil in itself and is t.ransgression of the law. A man who simply contents himselr with breaking no civil Jnw may indeed be a villain, for civil law is not 1111; there is a Divine Law which the ci.,il ruler is not bound to enforce. But the bad citizen cannot be a good Christian• to break the laws of the state is not likely to lead to obedience to the commandment~ of tl1c King of kings. It is, indeed, not to be expected that n ma.u should approve of every command of the king, of every law which is enforced in his country. But if every man were to refuse to obey every statute of which he disapproved, how could government be carried on? The wonderful word of Christ is decisive, "Render unto Cresa.r the things that a.re Cresa.r's." Where no Divine ordinance is violated by conforming to civil law, the duty of the subject, the citizen, is plain; be should obey. He is, of course, at liberty under a constitutional government to use means of an honourable kind to secure a change of law. It is a grand word of the Preacher, "Whoso keepeth the commandment shall know no evil thing." Ill. LOYALTY TO EARTHLY, HUMAN AUTHORITY IS SUGGESTrvE OF LOYALTY TO Gon. ,vhen submission is enjoined, it is supported by a religious motive-" and that in regard of the oath of God." It is evident that the authority of a parent or a ruler, the subjec- tion of a child or a citizen, are intended to symbolize the even higher facts of the spiritual kingdom-the empire of the "King, eternal, immortal, and invisible,'' and the loyalty of those who by the Dew birth have entered" the kingdom of heaven."-T.