bow of promise cast across his stormiest cloud, the bright star kindled in hie darkest ~kv. II. OBSERVE THAT THE PROPB:ET'S REASONING ADMITS OF A MORE EXTENDED RANGE OF APPLIOATION, A1''1> HAS AN IMPORTANT BEARING UPON TRE IMMOIITALITY OF MAN. Jehovah is "from everlasting." He is "the eternal God• " hence our immortal destiny: "We shall not die." Surely the Divine Father wili not allo~ his children to fade away and be no more. Certainly, he whose tender love to his children the love of human pa.ren~ so faintly ima:i;es, will not dwell through the eternal ages and "leave himself childless when time shall end." • Souls that of his own good life partake, He loves as his own self; dear as his eye They are to him ; he'll never them forsake: When they shall die, then God himself shall die: They live, they live in blest eternity." (Henry More.) It may be said that this reasoning, however concise and seemingly conclusive is after all based upon probability. We grant it, and whilst refusing to undervalue its worth we thankfully turn even from these bea~tiful words of the noble prophet, "Art tho~ not from e\·erlasting, 0 Lord my God, mme Holy One? we shall not die;" and fix our thoughts upon the assurances, so authoritative and so certain, of the world's Redeemer. "Let not your heart be troubled," etc. (John xiv. 1-3); "I am the Resurrection,'' etc. (John xi. 25, 26); "Because I live, ye shall live also" (John xiv. 19).-S. D. H. Ver. 12.-.The benefits of life's adversities. "0 Lord, thou hast ordained them for judgment; and, 0 mighty God, thou hast established them for correction." This is a second inference drawn by the prophet. He not only inferred, from what he knew of the Divine character, that his people should not be utterly destroyed by theadversiti13s which were about to overtake them-" We shall not die "-but also that these coining judgments should be made to work for their good. " 0 Lord, thou hast ordained," etc. (ver.12). God's chastisements are not directed to the overthrow but to the salvation of those upon whom they are inflicted. He chastens men sore, but does not give them over unto death. The dark scenes through which the frail and erring children of men are led are designed to contribute to their weal. How? Well, they operate in various ways. I. THEY TEACH US THAT WE ABE NOT TO EXPECT TO HA VE OUR OWN WILL, BUT THAT THERE 16 O1'"E HIGHER THAN OURSELVES, TO WHOSE WILL WE MUST ALL BOW. !I. THEY LEAD US TO REFLECTION, AND .A.RE THE MEANS OF REVEALING TO US OUR PAST SHORTCOMINGS AND FAILINGS. III. THEY RE!.'DEB us MORE SUSCEPTIBLE TO RECEIVING THE TEA0HINGB OF GoD's OWN SPIRIT. IV. THEY RAISE OUB THOUGHTS FROM EARTH TOWARDS GoD AND HEAVEN. V. THEY BRING us BACK WHEN WE HA VE wANDERED FROM OUR GoD, AND ARE THE MEANS OF RESTORING TO US THE WARMTH AND F'EBVOUB OF TRUE PIETY, Whilst, therefore, suffering considered in itself is not good, yet instrumentally it is desirable, and, if we are rightly exercised by it, will help us to attain unto a holier and more heavenly life. So David (Ps. cxix. 71, 67). So Manasseh (2 Chron. xxxiii. 11-13). It is because we are so slow to learn the lessons our sorrows are intended to teach us that it is "through much tribulation" that we are to enter the kingdom prepared for the saints of God. We need these threshings of the i11Der spiritual man in order that the chaff may be separated from the wheat, and we become thus prepared for the heavenly garner. Let us accept all our griefs as precious tokens of the Divine Father's love, and make them our convoy to bear us up to him.-S. D. H.
Ver. 16.-.The pride of human BU,ffiwmcy. The reference is to the Cbaldeans. They would in due course, invade Judah, and should be successful in their invasion. The .. sinf~l nation" should fall into their hands as fish into the net of the angler ; and, intoxicated by their success, they should congratulate themselves upon their achieve- ments and adore their military prowess and akill, and their weapons of war, as though on, 1. 1-17.] 'fHE BOOK OF HABAKKUK. 15