while from the brazen eky there came "no voice, nor any that a.nswcrecl;" but we speak to the Fa.ther who sees in secret, till the eweet sense of his pardon in"'0 love sinks deep into our hearts, 'l'he penitent is not like the heathen on pilgrimage to the sacred shrine, who sometimes measures the whole length of his journey by ,rrostrations of his own body on the hot, dusty road, and only arrives at fast before an idol too deaf to hear, too dumb to speak; but he resembles, as Christ tells us, the prodigal who starts on his way home, weary, r11gged, e.nd heark-sick, whose father sees him when a great way off, and has compassion on him, and runs to meet 1/-im, and falls on his neck and kisses him. Such is the thought stirred in our minds by the promise of the text following on the exhortation in _the verse preceding it. Here we have e. threefold assurance. I. 'l'HE PROMISE OF NEW LIFE. (Ver. 2.) (For the different interpretations given to these words, see Exposition.) 'l'he obscurity is caused by the seeming definiteness of the words. 'l'oo much stress, however, must not be laid on the actual numbers, any moro than in the following passages: Job v. 19; Prov. vi. 16; Amos i. 3. The main idea is that in a v~ry short time, and that alrea~y determined in the counsel of God, there should come certain.revival ; .and that this should be when to onlookers all seemed most hopeless, as to Mary and Martha when Lazarus had been in the grave "four days" already (John xi. 6, 17, 39). No doubt all spiritual quickening finds its centre in the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, .and so far the text has reference to that; but mainly to the revival of the spiritually dead, that they may live in God's sight, and walk all day in the light of his countenance, Point out the analogy, so often alluded to in the New Testament, between rising frolll the corruption. of death, and the uplifting of the soul by God's Spirit above the degradation of sin, the darkness of despair, the hopelessness of doubt, etc. Indicate the first signs of such revival, that they may be gratefolly welcomed.. ~nsist ori such verses as '' If ye then be risen with Christ," etc. (Col. iii. 1; ii.. 12~ 13; :JJ;pQ. iii._ l). Show the fulfilment of the text in Christ's assurance: "I atri tp,e Resurrection, and the L_ife :_ he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he lire" (John xi. 25, 26). II. 'l.'1rn HOPE OF. THE IDGHEST KNOWLEDGE, "Then shall we know, if we follow on tci"k~ow the Lord.'' .Much and varied knowledge is eagerly sought for in our day. It is a new_ na,tional ambitio~ to be, an" educated" people. With all its advantages, this_js ,not with.out its perils., The strain of competitive examinations may divert from the culture of chara,;:ter.. Knowledge of God's works may supersede knowledge of God. 'l'he skilful use of material_ and mechanical resources may lead to forgetfulness of spiritual fqrces-righteousness, tr11-th, prayer; etc. It is the highest knowledge of which we are capable promised here. 1. T_~is _d9es 1not come instantaneously, as in the flash of light to Saul_ o( 'l'arsus; but graduaijy, as_ in the three years of his waiting iu Arabia. The knowledgEi ithat God is in Christ m3iy be given suddenly; but after that revelation we are to "grow in_ graqe, and in thE! knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ." 2. In following pn to kno1,1J the Lord, the whole man must be absorhed in the pursuit. We learn a problem of Euclid by mere intellectual effort. We know the sweetness of human love by loving 3i child_ or friend. ,ve have the enjoyment of appetite by ministering to it; e.nd so forth. But as God is the Sum of e.ll good, all our capacities, the percep,tion of truth, the love of his Law, the submission of our will, the obedience of our life, must be absorbed in knowing him. 'l'he light which shows us Christ leads us to love him, and loving brings _us more light. Knowing God's will prompts us to do it, so as to embody knowledge in action; and this, again, helps to deeper knowledge. "~f any man will do bis will he shall know of the doctriue.'' In obedience, as well as m prnyer and thought, we .,'follow on to know the Lord; " and though as yet we only know in part, that which is perfect shall come, and "then shall we kno'!·J' III. Tm: CERTAINTY OF DIVINE INTERPOSITION. "His going forth IS prepared as the m_orning" (literally," is fixed as the morning dawn"). 'l'o those se~kin~ and needing the Lord, he wiU reveal himself e.s certainly as the sun rises. Nothmg that men can do is able io impede the breaking of the day. Imagine wicked men engaged in some conspiracy or burglary, hoping the darkness may last till their enterprise is complete. A streak of light comes over the eastern hills, the darkness fades, men will s9on be stirring; yet how pow:erless the wrong-doers are to hinller the change. So resistlessly did the Lord appear for Israel in E"ypt, for the Jews in e.i.ile, and for the soul oppressed by the powers of d1ukness. Sb~w the application of this to the comi11g 1S4 'rlIE BOOK Ot ROSEA. [OH, VI. 1-11.
of _God in Gh,·i~t Jesu.s. The wo:ld ~as in gro~s ,lnrkness. Oorruptione prevailed wl11ch are descnhed by profane historians, and alluded to by Paul in his Epistle to Rome. When things were at their worst, the angels' song, which told of peace and good \\'ill, was heard by the shepherds, and soon the anthem rnng over all the world. The great light which illumined the fields at Bethlehem was but the type of that li"ht which now "l1ghteneth every man that cometh into the world." Christ's goin" rirth from t.he Father was "prepared as the morning." Show f,·om the present condition of the world the need for some Divine interposition. Allude, for example, to the wars that prevail; to the standing armies, which are crushing Christendom by taxation and weakening it by the withdrawal from productive labour of its manly strenc,th, to the conflicts between capital and Jabour; to the unrest in the minds of th~e ~ho are asking, "Is lire worth living?" etc. Show how all these call for the fulfilment of the text. Because it will be fulfilled we may be hopeful of the future and believe that the power of God will be yet so manifest that it shall be as the da:.Vn of a new day to a dark and saddened world. Already to the Church the summons is sent: " Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee."-A.. R.