of the man who is at the mercy of a higher power, ancl. helplek either to chooso his own c0urse or to find rest The pomt which is proposed tor illustration is that thrre must bo a variety or arrows in the Lord's quiver, and a needs-be sometimes for the. sovArest and most searching dealings. God must sometimes display his sovereign power over men in a crushing and overwhelming way, in order to silence the tongue of pri<le, to prol'e that mon can never get beyond God's reach, never raise Babel-to\\"crs that he cannot overwhelm. The mightiest forces of nature are God's instruments. And man's pride he will utterly abase. Compare the doath of the lord who scorned the prophet's assurance of immrdiate deliverance (2 Kings vii. 19, 20); Nebuclmdnezzar's lrnmilia- tion in the hour of his boa.sting (Dan. iv. W-33); and Herod's awful death (Acts xii. 20--23), when be permitted meu to offer him tho honours due alone to God. Man's folly in trying God's power to smite and wound is finely Ealirizcd by Eliphaz tho Temanite (,Job xv. 25, 26): "For he stretchrth out his hand against God, and strength- eneth himself against the Almighty. He runneth upon him, even on his neck, upon the thick bosses of his bucklers."-R. T. Vers. 20, 21.-The influence of an individual on p'u'blic policy. Governments always drift into the control of the most energetic; or most gifted, n1an. They go astray unless ruled by some rnaskr-spirit. lt is said, with a.~ much truth as satire, that" committees are always committees of one." They are the comfortable agencies by means of which some strong-willed man gets his own way. Ancl it may be urged that at least. as much good as evil attends the arrangement. Eliakim is raised up as a master-spirit;in a time of national anxiety, and he is to prove a" father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and to the house of Judah." There recur times in our ns.tional history_ when public ministrations on such a theme as this may wisely guide public opinion. Such topics as the following are snggestcd. L THE GENIUS OF THE PUJILIC LEADER. As much a Divine endowment and trust for the world's use as the gifts of the orator, the artist, or the poet. II. Tm: EVIL INFLUENCE OF THE UNPRINCIPLED PUllLIC LEADER.• Jn his permission of wrong things. In his securing of right things by wrong methods. In the publio example which encow-as:es unprincipled dealings in private life. Ill THE rowEB oF THE GODLY PRINCIPLED LEADER. He elevates the tone. of societyi Avoids causes of offence to neighbouring nations. Aims at the' pc:rmanent '\"ell-being of the whole people. Puts the moral progress of the nation pefore its mat~rial p~os- perity. Such leaders were Moses and David. . IV. THE DUTY OF THE GIFTED INDIVIDUAL TO TAKE PUBLIC RESPONSIDiLITY. Illmi~ trate by Cinciunatus. A true man finds a sphere of service for his God in the common affairs of the nation. Joseph served God through years of fami~e in Egypt.. Daniel served bis God through important national changes and revolutions. The. b1Story of each age in nations is really the biography of the leading inclividt1al of the age. •'l'he world curses or blesses the memory of its public leaders.-R. •r. Ver. 22.-The ,ymbol of authority. The" key 011 the shoulder" is no mere badge of the steward's office; it represents delegated authority. Large wooden loc~s a:i:id·keys were used in the East, and these keys were heavy enough to need carrying on the i;houlder. But the expression is best regarded as a recognized figure of slleech. The figure may receive four illustrations. L 'l'HE KEY OF COURT OFFICE. As in case of Eliakim. II. THE KEY OF RABBIS, AS TEACHERS, Remember the expression, "The key of knowledge." III. 'Im KEY OF CHRIST, AS HEAD OF THE C1rnRCH. (Rev. iii. 7.) JV. THE KEYS AS COMMITTED TO PETER. (Matt. xvi. 19.)-R. T. , er. 23.-The sure nail cu a type. The idea may be the peg driven in~ the groun_d, round which to fasten the tent-ro1,es. But, more probably, the referen~e 1e to a peg 1:n the wall, driven in so securely that things may be safely_ h•mg_ u~on 1t. T~e word 1s here 118ed metaphorically in application to the support which Ehak1m would yield to all his dependent relati,ms. It is the type of the man on whom other~.can depen<l. The lull<Jwing poiuts will be mw.ily worked out and illustrated, tin, x'x.m.1-18,) TilE MOK (JF' THE PROPHET ISAIAH. 371
·' 1!. THE 'SOR".1.1 01!' MU WHO OAN THU!l BE A NAIL FOR OTHERS TO DEPEND ON. ,· n. THE TYPE FULLY REALIZED IN THE Lonn JESUS CHRIST. III. TIIE 'rllPE REALIZED, IN MEASURE, IN CHRIST-LIKE MEN AND WOMEN, Nothing better can be said of any of us than this-Men trust us. What can bB said of woman ll_obler than this, "'l'he heart of her husband trusteth in her" ?-R. T.
EXPOSI'flON.