the temple, sees the dreadful handwriting upon the wall, e.nd the message comes "'fhe pride of thine bee.rt bath deceived thee." Herod makes e.n oration, and give~ not God tho glory due to his Ne.me. 'fhe silent death-warraut comes to him, "The pride of thine heart bath deceived thee," And as with these kings, these representa- tives of multitudes, so with all classes. The commercial man, gathering wealth and speculating in the markets, suddenly comes down with a crash: the pride of his heart he.th deceived him. The professional man, scorning many an honest tradesman, runR into lavish expense, and brings rui_n to his family: the pride of bis heart bath deceived him. The young man coming into a small estate suddenly launches out into extravagance. He must be as others who have twice his income. He wants to make a dash in the world. lle knows more about horses than the way of holiness and the gospel of salvation. He is a stranger to grace. The throne of grace, the covenant ol grace, the God of all grace, he knows nothing about. With scarcely twenty-four hours' illness, he is summoned into eternity. He dies without hope. The pride of his heart bath deceived him. The man of high culture, priding himself upon his intellectual attainments, ignoring Bible revelation, and spurning sermons and tracts, he is ready to la.ugh at humble piety. His habitation is high. He dwells amongst the stars. Eis nest is with the eagles. He saith in his heart, "Who shall bring me down to the ground?" But what does God say? "The pride of thine heart bath deceived thee." Ay, and there is a moral man, a very Pharisee, who thanks God he is so much better than the publicans and the iike. That man is lifted up with his doings. How carefully he pays tithe of his mint, anise, and cummin ! How scrupulous about his phylactery I What a parade he makes of his religion! He says in his heart, "Wbo shall bring me down to the ground?" So the pride of his heart bath deceived hiru. He that exalteth himself shall be abased. We do well to remember Edom. We must keep in mind that pride of heart is very deceitful. Natnre's fortifications, the world's fortifications, social fortifications, moral fortifications, are unavailing if we presume to do without God. Edom built among the stars, but God brought him down to the ground. Pride of heart ie the herald of ruin. It is often so even in this world. And those proud ones who are brought to the ground here may thank God for the valley of humiliation. Let us all learn to humble ourselves under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt ue in due time. Let us be clothed with humility. "God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace to the humble." The only fortress we can boast of is the cleft Rock of Ages. Here we have safety and joy and peace. Here we may securely hide until all ce.lamities be overpast. Happy those who can say with David, in Ps. ix., " In the Lord put I my trW1t: how say ye to my soul, Flee as a bird to your mountain?" The true believer needs no foreign helps. The Lord is a.n all-sufficient Fortress and Shield. The Christian knows whom he trusts, and therefore does not make haste. "With Jehovah I have taken shelter: how say ye to my soul, Flee, sparrows, to your hill?" (Bishop Horsley). May the Holy Spirit give us all to know this happy security 1-a security which made the Apostle Paul speak with so much meaning, so much force, so much personal experience, "I knew a man in Christ.." A delightful, peaceful knowledge. Only one thing is better. "To depart and to be with Christ ... is far better."-A. C. T.
Ver. 6.-" The things of Esau searched out." "How are the things of Esau searched out ! " I. we may consider ESAU AS TUE TYPE OF THE SELF-CONFIDENT. Lifted up, dwelling amongst the stars, wise in his own eyes, he knows not his perilous condition. There are thousands and thousands like this. They say, in the lano-uaa-e of Laodicea "I am rich, and increased with goods, e.nd have need of nothing!' .,They little se~ themselves as God sees them. They are blind, and know not that they are miserable and poor; but God searches them out. "I know thy works." No one can elude the all-seeing gaze of the Omniscient. "Adam, where art thou?" Thus the Judge of all men comes me.king manifest the secrets of the heart. Hiding like Adam in the trees of the garden, or dwelling like Edom in the rocks, i::i only self-delusion. Shall not God eeo.rch it out? There are many, like Saul, who are so self-complacent that they say," I have kept the commandment of the Lord." When the ~tern prophet asks, "What meaneth then this bleating of the sheep in mine ears, and the lowing of the oxen which. 1(1 THE BOOK OF OBADIAH. [1-21,