eeems gone-the power to hold up the act before the mind and judge it. A thoughtless religion, an uninquiring compliance with tradition and custom, is often enjoined upon us; but only thoughtful religion will endure. God is Mind; and if we fail to offer him the best of our mind, we sink down into some such miserable delusion, such ashy refuse of religion, as is here held up to scorn and ridicule. III. AnM0:1-.'ITION TO ISRAEL. Lot the child, the servant of Jehovah remember these things, and lay to heart the folly of idolatry, and the glorious const~ncy of thA God ,~·ho has claimed them for bis own. Do they think they a.re forgotten of God? Impos- sible 1 "0 Israel, thou canst not be forgotten of me!" He is beforehand with her. Before she confesses, he proclaims her sins forgiven; before she returns to her alleuiRnce he cries, "I have blotted out as a mist thy rebellions;" before she prays for deliv:rance' he proclaims, "I have released thee; then return ! " Here is the heart of the gospel' the heart of the infinite love. We, with too narrow heart, too often make human good the antecedent of Divine grace. "Repent," we say," and God will forgive; be obedient anll God will reward." But on the prophet's representation, Jehovah makes the first advances. He calls for conversion on the ground that he has released Israel. Aud so ever. The parable of the prodigal reflects the same ideas. 'l'he " goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance." It is this thought which makes hardness of heart-housing up wrath against the day of wrath-appear so odious in the sinner's own eyes. We need to repre- sent the gospel so that the sinner shall throw all the blame of his condition on self, not on God. Let us ever speak of him as One who "keeps mercy for thousands," and whose stores of compassion cannot be exhausted. "Oh for this love let rocks and hill1 Their lasting silence break ! " Let heaven and earth join in a chorus of sympathy, with shoutings from the depth of 1he earth, and ringings from the mountain-heights and from the forests. Let his praise be even " sounded down to hell" ( cf. Ps. vi. 5; lxxxviii. 12); for he is Redeemer, bas "beautified himself" in Israel (cf. eh. xlix. 3; lx. 21; bi. 3). IV. ,TEROVAH A.ND ms PURPOSES. He is the God, the Guardian Spirit, the Guide, the Avenging Judge, for Israel. He has moulded Israel in the womb of time, who bas made the universe of things. He only is wise," bringing to nought the signs of the praters, and making the diviners mad," turning the wise backward, and proving their knowledge folly. On the other hand, he speaks by the prophet. He causes his servant's word to stand, and fulfils the counsel of his messengers. And his word and counsel is that Jerusalem shall be peopled, and the waste places of Judah be built upon; the flood of Euphrates be dried up. And already the word is passing into deed. The instrument of Jehovah's purposes has been eelected; no prince of the Davidic house, but Cyrus shall be his shepherd and accomplish all his pleasure. And we read in Josephus that Cyrus read the prophecy of Isaiah, and was seized by an impulse to fulfil it (' Ant.,' xi. 1. 2). God has jurisdiction over heathen monarchs; their plans are directed by him and made subservient to his will. What the Greeks thought of as ..dnanke, Necessity, the Hebrew thinks of as the will of the Etema.1.-J. Ver. 20.-Troe and fal,se bread. "He feedeth on ashes." Man does not under- stand himself. Feed he must: the question is, on what? There are cravings of heart which cannot be repressed. Men are hungry for fame, applause, wealth, honour. Full many a time they taste this fruit; but each apple has ashes at the heart of it. What a picture of contrast is given us by Christ! He tells us of the true bread-the , living bread, the bread which cometh down from heaven. L THE TABLE ov THE MEN OF THI6 WORLD. Ashes I Is that all? In other words, duRtl Yes; everything that does not feed the immortal nature within us is dust. Wealth is dust, and is scattered like dust. Beauty, however fascinating, turns to dust. And so far as the pursuits of man are concerned, how unsatisfying these are I The post of honour is no sooner secured than others are eager to fling the victor down. The famous " garter " is laid on the coffin and the pall. We are told the reason of this sad mistake. " A deceived lreart hath turned him aside." II. THE TABLE OF THE CHILDREN OF GoD. 'l'hey feed on the Bread of God ; and this Bread is the Son of God, who said, "I am the Bread of life." 1. Ohriat muat be 011. xuv. 1-28.] THE BOOK OF THE PROPHET ISAIAIY. 165
talcen and eaten. Not in the hands. That is impossible. We are to fee<l on the living Christ. His mind is to be our mind. The soul can only feed on kindred elements. The epir_itual nature cannot be satisfied through the senses. Christ must be " in us," the Hope of glory. 2. Ghrist was the brolcen bread/or us. It is the Christ of Gethsemane and Ca.lva.ry on which we are to feP,cl. "My body was broken for you." So we take into our spiritual being, not only Christ the Example, Christ the Teacher, but Uhrist the Saviour. And as we eat this bread we live by him, and become like him. He died for us, that we who live should not henceforth live unto ourselve.q, but unto him who died for us and rose again; for Christ ea.me, not merely to save by teaching, but to teach by savingl-W. M. S.