V ers. 23-29.-Proverbial lore. The ploughman's activity and the thresher's are set before the pccple as a parable of Israel's tribulations. At least, this is one of the views of the passage. I. '.l'nE PURPOSE OF AFFIJCTION. It is from God, and the end ever kept in view is the good of the soul and its productiveness. 'l'he ploughman does not plough for ploughing's sake. He opens the soil, turns up the furrows, breaks the clods with the lrnrrm,, and all to prepare for the sowing of the seed. And so far the tiller is an image of God and of bis operations on the spirit of man. There is seeming severity of method, bnt ever beneficence in the end. Again, there is variety of method in God's husbandry of the soul. As the farmer adapts his plans to the soil and to the kind of grain, selects the best mocles of preparing the ground, of sowing the grain, of collecting the harvest, of separating the corn from the chaff. "He does not always. plough, nor always· sow, nor always thresh. He does not deal with all lauds ancl ali grains in the same way. Some lie threshes in one mode, some in another, but he will be careful no~ tq break tbe grain or destroy it in tbreshiag it. However severe .may appear to be his blows, bis object is not to crush and destroy the grain, but to remove it from the chaff and save it. ln all this he acts the part of wisdom, for God has taught him what to do. So with God." II. THE WISDOM OF THE DIVINE HusBANDMAN. The prophet seems st111ck with the 11ower of tbe analogy he bas drawn; and we "notice his large conception of revelation." It is a want of reason, as it seems to us, in what we suffer that gives rise to impatience. To detect wisdom in all we suffer is to know calm and peace in the soul's depths. Let us learn, then: 1. That there is a reason at the bottom of the mystery of all we suffer, though we may not be able to search it out and make it plain to ourselves. For our own good, or for the good of .others in the scheme of providence, we must undergo and endure. Generally, perhaps, we may detect in the nature of the chastisement the nature of the sin. 2. \\'e may expect vari-ety of trial. 'l'his means variety of experience, of knowledge. And every such experience, manfully and dutifully outlivecl, brin~s fresh access of hope to the soul. "Tribulation" is an expressive word; it is the threslung and siftin" process tha.t must ever go on, to fit us for the garner of eternity. 3. It is not the d~sign of God to crush us. He will not always chide, nor always bruise, will remit his strokes when they have had their due effect. 4. In patience, then, let us possess our souls. As the homely proverb says," Patience is :;i. plaster for all sores," and "All• things come round to him that waits." We may be here more to be acted upon than to act; to submit to a probation, the fruit and result of which will be brought to light iu sowe future sphere of service.-J.
Ver. 12.-Best and ufreshment. "To whom he said, This is the rest wherewith ye may cause the weary to rest; and this is tile refreshing; yet they would not hear," Religion is designed to give us both rest and refreshment. We are described here- on. xxvnr. 1-29.J 'l'li:IJ: BOOK OF TBE PROPHET ISAIAlt. f59
. I. As WEAnYI AND NEEDING REST, Weary I Ca.n we not feel that? We wear away. The world is fu 1of cares that fret and chafe us. We lose elasticity of ~tep and cheeri- ness of hei.ut. How many can 8ay, " I am very weary"? The Bible understands man, and therefore its words aro so true and its blessings so welcome. What do the weary need? Why, first of all, rest. We read of Jesus that, being weary," he sat himself on the well : " so completely exbaUBted. was he that all strength was gone. So not only in o. })hysi,cal sense do we need sweet sleep and rest; but in our human life anrl in our spiritual life we are weary, :What we need is rest in a Person-rest in God himself; to rest in the Lord. II., As WEAK, AND NEEDING REFRESHMENT. We become exhausted in Jire's pilgrimage. Evcn)n relation to spiritual supplies, our forces of faith and hope and courage fail. We need new supplies of grace and strength. This is well; for it would not be good for us to be able to live on yesterday's piety. Languor would come over our efforts after the Divjne life if we had no need to seek daily bread. But refreshment comes. The faded flowers of our graces lift their drooping heads again. We have all seen and smelt the sweet fields after the rain-showers; we. have all noticed these" seasons of rerreshing." So in the highest things. 'l'hese Heb~ews would yet find God. He will be again dew unto Israel, and they will have times of refreshing from the presence of the Lord. III. As HEEDLESS AND UNWILLING TO HEAR. "Yet they would not hear." Some syren voice is still charming them and deadening their hearts to the heavenly ministry. Let us remember the.t we hear what we will to hear. That is still the responsible function of ,humanity, viz. to close or to open the ears to the messages of the great King. It is not that God does not speak ; for he speaks in many dialects : all the langllages of humari event and circumstance are at his command. With us let it be, " Speak, Lord; for .thy servant heareth."-W.. M. S.