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unto their crooked ways." What is their doom? "The Lord shall lead them forth with the workers of iniquity." "All that turn aside from the straight path and wander into bye paths (see Judges v. 6), that stray from Thee and incline to Thy foes, Jehovah will destroy; lead forth into the ways of destruction (see lviii. 8; cix. 23; comp. Matt. vii. 22; xxiv. 51).-Canon Cook.

"With stately towers and bulwarks strong,

Unrivalled and alone;

Loved theme of many a sacred song,
God's holy city shone.

Thus fair was Zion's chosen seat,

The glory of all lands;

Yet fairer, and in strength complete,
The Christian temple stands.

The faithful of each clime and age
This glorious Church compose;

Built on a Rock, with idle rage

The threat'ning tempest blows.

Fear not; though hostile bands alarm,
Thy God is thy defence;

And weak and powerless every arm
Against Omnipotence."

IMMORTALITY OF GOODNESS." Thousands of men breathe, live, and move, pass away, and are heard of no more. Why? They do not partake of good in the world, and none were blessed by them; not a line they wrote, not a word they spoke could be recalled, and so they perished. Will thou thus live, O man, immortal? Live for something. Do good and leave behind a monument of virtue that the storm of time cannot destroy. Write your name in kindness, love, and mercy on the hearts of thousands you come in contact with. You will never be forgotten. No, your name, your deeds, will be as legible on the hearts you leave behind as stars on the brow of evening."-Chalmers.

Germs of Thought.

THE PREACHER'S FINGER-POST.

Herod and John the Baptist: the Freedom and the Slavery of the Sinner.

"AT THAT TIME HEROD THE TETRACH HEARD OF THE FAME OF JESUS, AND SAID UNTO HIS SERVANTS, THIS IS JOHN THE BAPTIST; HE IS BISEN FROM THE DEAD; AND THEREFORE MIGHTY WORKS DO SHOW FORTH THEMSELVES IN HIM. FOR HEROD HAD LAID HOLD ON JOHN, AND BOUND HIM, AND PUT HIM IN PRISON FOR HERODIAS' SAKE, HIS BROTHER PHILIP'S WIFE, FOR JOHN SAID UNTO HIM, IT IS NOT LAWFUL FOR THEE TO HAVE HER. AND WHEN HE WOULD HAVE PUT HIM TO DEATH, HE FEARED THE MULTITUDE, BECAUSE THEY COUNTED HIM AS A PROPHET. BUT WHEN HEROD'S BIRTHDAY WAS KEPT, THE DAUGHTER OF HERODIAS DANCED BEFORE THEM, AND PLEASED HEROD, WHEREUPON HE PROMISED WITH AN OATH TO GIVE HER WHATSOEVER SHE WOULD ASK. AND SHE, BEING BEFORE INSTRUCTED OF HER MOTHER, SAID, GIVE ME HERE JOHN BAPTIST'S HEAD IN A CHARGER. AND THE KING WAS SORRY: NEVERTHELESS FOR THE OATH'S SAKE, AND THEM WHICH SAT WITH HIM AT MEAT, HE COMMANDED IT TO BE GIVEN HER. AND HE SENT, AND BEHEADED JOHN IN THE PRISON, AND HIS HEAD WAS BROUGHT IN A CHARGER, AND GIVEN TO THE DAMSEL: AND SHE BROUGHT IT TO HER MOTHER. AND HIS DISCIPLES CAME, AND TOOK UP THE BODY, AND BURIED IT, AND WENT AND TOLD JESUS."-Matt. xiv. 1-12.

In this narrative ofloathsome depravity two great facts are developed

I. The amazing FREEDOM HEAVEN ALLOWS wicked men in this life. Herod,

one of the worst men of his country and his age, is allowed, First: To reach regal authority. This is the highest position in human society.

Herod was the King of Perea and Galilee, the political master not only of some very good men, but of John the Baptist and of Christ Himself. Every age presents examples in abundance of wicked men rising even from the depths of obscurity to some of the highest offices in the State. No restraint is put on their cupidity or ambition. Herod, one of the worst of men, is allowed, Secondly: To use his authority in imprisoning and murdering one of the best of men. "Of those born there doth not appear greater than John the Baptist." One might have thought that the moment such monsters reached out their hands to inflict injury on the good, they would have been crushed by a thunderbolt from heaven. But the Herods, the Julians, the Neros, have this permission. Herod

is allowed, Thirdly: To imprison and murder one of the best of men because he did his duty. It was because John charged him with crime. "For John said unto him, it is. not lawful," &c. This amazing freedom which God allows to wicked men in this life serves, First: To indicate the deep depths of human depravity. It serves, Secondly: To show that nothing but the Gospel can effect a reformation. Science, education, poetry, philosophy, all have tried, but failed.. It serves, Thirdly: To suggest that there must come in the government of God a day of judgment. It cannot be that evil will always go on thus. It serves, Fourthly : To assure us that the world would become a Pandemonium were all restraints on the wickedness of the heart removed. There are restraints, conscience, holy examples, public

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SLAVERY ΤΟ WHICH SIN REDUCES MEN in this world. This great king Herod was after all a miserable slave. First: A slave to his own lusts. The lust excited by the unchaste manners of his wife's daughter prompted him to the wicked deed. Sin reduces men to animalism, they are governed by the flesh. Secondly: A slave to public sentiment. He feared the people. proportion to the lack of virtue there is in a man or woman the more disposed they are to bow to the opinions of others. Thirdly A slave to his guilty conscience. "At that time Herod the tetrarch heard of the fame of

In

Jesus and said unto his servants, This is John the Baptist, he is risen from the dead." What led him to imagine that John the Baptist had risen? Was it his creed? No, he was a Sadducee. Was it his wish? No, his wish would have been never to see John the Baptist any more. No, it was his conscience.

guilty guilty

A

conscience will

preach to the sinner doctrines which it never believed before, and spread out before his vision ghastly objects of which before he had no conception. The language of the sinner under the excitement of a guilty conscience is:

"Memory backward she is flying With the swiftness of a thought, From oblivion's grave she is raising Crimes that I have long forgot."

Christians Walking Harmoniously on the Road of Life.

"So HE SENT HIS BRETHREN AWAY, AND THEY DEPARTED; AND HE SAID UNTO THEM, SEE

THAT YE FALL NOT OUT BY THE

WAY." Gen. xlv. 24.

THIS Scripture may be appropriately

employed

to enforce on those who bear the name of Christ,

were in

the spirit they should cherish and display towards each cther. There were special reasons why, considering who they were, that Joseph thus addressed, and what the circumstances which they were placedthey should not "fall out by the way." There are corresponding special reasons suggested and sustained by the teaching of the New Testament why professing Christians should not either. us trace the parallel. They whom Joseph thus addressed were all

Let

I. MEMBERS OF THE SAME FAMILY. They were all the sons of one man. Such they declared themselves to be. They were brethren. This was the relation they bore to each other. This is the relation Christians bear to each other. They having been born of God, and having "received the adoption of sons," are

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II. PARTAKERS OF THE SAME GRACE. Joseph no longer treated them as he had done aforetime. He no longer upbraids them, even for the wrong they had done him. Tender and touching the language he used in speaking of that wrong (ch. xlv. 4, &c.). Tender and touching the acts by which the affection he felt for them was confirmed (v. 15). They were forgiven offenders. So, too, are Christians. 'Having forgiven you all trespasses (Col. ii. 13). "In whom we " &c., "forgiveness of sins" (Eph. i. 7). And this privilege is to influence

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