God, and cheerfully obeys it. It is seen not merely in professions, but chiefly shows itself in practice. I seek to know, and then to do God's will. If religion is not practical it is not real; it is destitute of life and power. The life of the spirit in the soul leads to love, and love helps fear in obedience. "Love is the fulfilling of the law." It is the obedience of love that pleases God.

This fear delights in God. If God is not the object of our joy, we are strangers both to the true knowledge and the true love of God. To say the least, we have not attained to a good degree of that knowledge and love. He that serves God as a slave has the wrong knowledge of God in his mind, and the wrong fear of God in his heart; but he that serves God as the loving, cheerful, willing child, has both the true knowledge and fear of God.

II. The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him." To be made acquainted with some secrets is to be made sad and perplexed; but to know this Divine secret is to be filled with joy and peace. It is the secret of His knowledge. This knowledge is very precious, and is spiritually discerned. The teachable acquire it. It is revealed to them who seek it. "All thy children shall be taught of the Lord." "Unto you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God." It is the truth as it is in Christ; the teaching of His spirit; the saving knowledge and the savour of knowledge. It is the gospel hidden in the heart, the "hidden wisdom" kept there and prized as its chief treasure.

It is the secret of His favour. He manifests His favour to them that love Him, as He does not to the world. He causes the sun of His providence to shine on the just and the unjust; but He lifts the light of His countenance, the expression of His favour, the token of His love upon them that fear Him, and so puts a secret gladness into their hearts. Such are admitted to His friendship, listening to its still small voice, influenced by its gentle power, made happy in the sincerity and richness of its blessing. His love is shed abroad in their hearts by the Spirit as the earnest of the future bliss. It is the secret of His blessing. "The Lord's blessing is upon His people." He will bless His people with peace.' "He has blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ Jesus." "If so be, ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious." the early morning, in the shades of evening, in the midnight wakeful hours; in quiet, silent seasons, the blessing has sweetly and generously come to us. The blessing has often visited us like the gentle and silent dew filling the fleece of Gideon. So we have had rich, quiet times of blessing both upon our hearts and our homes. "When the secret of the Lord was upon my tabernacle."

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III. To those that fear Him will He "show His covenant." The new covenant of His grace and mercy. The gospel promises revealed by the Saviour and ratified by His blood. "For all the promises of God are in Him, are yea and amen unto the glory of God

by us." Exceeding great and precious promises." The fulness of the grace of the promises is also in Jesus, and from Him we receive and are enriched with the blessing. We are said to come "to Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling that speaks better things than the blood of Abel."

He will show them His covenant. "I beseech thee, show me thy glory." "I will make all my goodness pass before thee." "Show us the Father, and it suffices us." "Learn of me, and ye shall find rest to your souls." "He that has en me has seen the Father." "The Spirit shall take of the things that are mine, and show them unto you.' He will instruct them by His Spirit into the truths, privileges, and prospects of His covenant, so shall they be participants of its grace, and expectants of its glory. Initiated by His Spirit into the kingdom of His grace, they shall realise an abundant entrance into the kingdom of His glory.

These blessings are promised to them that fear God. There is much in this spirit that prepares the heart for their reception and appreciation. The Lord's approbation rests on such. "The Lord takes pleasure in them that fear Him, in them that hope in His mercy." Blunham.

THAT SPOT OF SUNSHINE.

AUNT JANE Stitched busily at the rents in Ben's jacket, smiling every now and then-not at the rents but as she thought of the merry pranks of the wearer of the jacket.

She did not particularly love to darn, but she lightened her labour by heartfelt thanks that her boy was well and active enough to wear and tear, even though it kept her fingers busy.

Her niece, young Mrs. Marks, sat at the opposite window, apparently reading, yet often glancing impatiently out at the falling rain. At last like a fretful child she threw down her book, and exclaimed, "How this tedious rain has spoilt all my plans! Of course there'll be no riding to-day. It's too bad; but things always do go contrary." And so the childish woman fretted at the rain, and the orderings of Providence in general.

"It will be pleasanter riding after the shower, Emma. The dust will be nicely laid."

"I had as soon have dust as mud, but I don't see any signs of having either to-day. It's raining harder than ever.'

"It's the clearing-off shower, I think, and the parched ground will soon drink it up. Everything will be bright and fresh in an hour."

Mrs. Marks made no reply, except to look incredulously at the darkened sky. She could see no rift in the clouds.

Conversation ceased, and nothing was heard for a while but the tapping of impatient fingers on the window-pane, and the busy stitch, stitch, stitch of aunt Jane's industrious needle. The rain was a fortunate thing for Ben's jacket. Mrs. Marks glanced occasionally at aunt Jane, whose placid face was Aunt Jane, who had soothed her a gentle rebuke to her. own disappointment by thinking wondered, "How can aunt Jane what good her garden would take things so easy! Disappointreceive, answered cheerfully,- ments large or small seem all the

She

same to her. Perhaps she is amiable things of life. Her pathway was all because she hasn't much depth of sunshine; but the storm burst upon feeling. She certainly isn't as her. Her husband died suddenly sensitive as I." Ah! she forgot in the prime of life; her riches took that the shallow stream is the most to themselves wings; and for many easily disturbed. years only untiring industry and the Yet she knew aunt Jane must thorough study of domestic economy have suffered in her many had kept her from want. She was afflictions, for she had a very loving one after another bereft of her heart, and love must feel its children, and only Ben was left to wounds. The more she thought comfort her; and yet with all these about it, the less could she solve the sore afflictions she was never problem; so she suddenly asked, discouraged, never repined. She "How is it, aunt Jane, that you endured cheerfully, as having gotten are always so contented and cheer- the victory by her firm faith that ful? Why, my head would be as "all things work together for good white as snow if I had passed to them that love God." through one tithe as much as you Mrs. Marks couldn't understand -though, to be sure, I've had my it. She asked again, and a little own share," she added, with a impatiently. doleful face.

"How is it, aunt Jane, that you always keep up such good spirits? What's the secret of your cheerfulness? Do tell me."

"A light share it has been, Emma. With wealth and health, a kind husband, and two beautiful children, what can you know about "I look on the bright side, Emma trouble, child? An April cloud or aon the bright side. Every cloud summer shower would tell it all." has a silver lining.' Just then, as "Every lot has its sorrow; every if to illustrate her teaching, there heart knoweth its own bitterness.' came a rift in the cloud, and the "True, dear; but its joys and light shone through. She seized sweetness, too. Just think how the incident, and pointing to the your little Charley always looks for the sugar in the bottom of his cup. We will as surely find sweetness after the bitterest draught, if we only look for it; but we are not as wise as children."

brightness, exclaimed, "See that spot of sunshine, Emma! That's what has cheered me all through my troubles. The clouds have never been so thick, nor the day so dark, but that I could find my little "I don't think that Charley spot of sunshine to light up the would very willingly drink of a gloom--except, perhaps, when the bitter cup, if there was lots of first storm burst upon me," said sugar' in the bottom," said Mrs. aunt Jane, softly. Marks.

"You must have been overwhelmed when your husband died,' said her niece, gently, drawing nearer in sympathy.

"Yes, dear, I was. The suddenness of the blow, the severity of the stroke, stunned and prostrated me; and I was in a horror of great darkness' for many days; but when my blinded eyes could see I found that God had brought light out of darkness-light from the Sun of righteousness. He said, 'I will

not leave thee comfortless,' and true to his promise he has opened a rift in every cloud, and showed me a spot of sunshine."

"But all do not find that sunshine, aunt."

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Very true, Emma; but it is because they do not look for it. The sunshine is always there, but they close their eyes against it. They would even wrap themselves in the

clouds, and deepen their darkness. We must look for the lights, we must seek for comfort. If the clouds darken the east, look to the west; if they are in the north, look to the south. Throw open all the wndows, and invite the light to enter in, and be sure you will from some direction soon be cheered by a spot of sunshine."

INCIDENTS IN THE LIFE OF MOSES.
BY THE REV. G. SHORT, B.A.

II.-ISRAEL'S SIN.

"They made a calf in Horeb, and worshipped the molten image.'
Psa, cvi. 19.

THERE can be little doubt that idolatry was the very fruitful and disastrous bane of the old world. As little doubt that in their earliest history the children of Israel, like most uncultivated people, were very prone to it. Possessed of a warm, poetic, realistic nature, they yearned for a palpable and visible representation of God. They were not a speculative people, but one naturally inclined to superstition, full of reverence, of passion, and of poetry, and having a deep love for the mystery and wonder of creation. They were surrounded too, whilst in Egypt, with one of the most nature-worshipping peoples that breathed. No wonder, that they were constantly in danger of lapsing into idolatry, and needed constant hindrances to prevent their adopting a sensuous symbolism.

Yet is it not a wonder that they should do as they did under the sacred mount? That even a recently enfranchised set of slaves, with all their temptations and tendencies, should be guilty of conduct so wicked, so fickle, so stupid? The providence of God from first to last had been one continued protest against idolatry. From the mysterious change which passed upon the waters of the Nile, to the culminating shock which sent death to every Egyptian firstborn, it was an emphatic testimony against this sin. The ten plagues, as they are called, were not random strokes of blind terror sent to frighten the monarch into submission, but an intelligent and sublime vindication on the part of God against Egyptian polytheism. The Egyptians had "changed the glory of the incorruptible God into images made like to corruptible man, to four-footed beasts and creeping things; had deified their river, their black soil, yea, even frogs and beetles, and worse things than those, establishing deities in every department of Divine administration. In every such department God had asserted Himself, proving His unity and power; proving also that He was no titular or even

tutelar deity, but the one Lord of heaven and of earth. This the Israelites had seen. They had seen too the awful tragedy at the Red Sea, and the still more awe-inspiring scene in the range of Sinai. And yet here they are-at the foot of the very mount where the pressure of the Divine footstep seems to linger, where the glory-cloud still hovers, and where but six weeks before the expressions of Divine majesty were so terrible that even Moses said, "I exceedingly fear and quake"-here they are acknowledging a senseless idol and saying, "These be thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt!"

The circumstances are these. The ten fundamental words are proclaimed from the top of Sinai amidst thunder and lightnings, and the voice of the Lord waxing louder and louder. The people enter into covenant. After this the elders of Israel, with Aaron and Moses, are privileged to have closer interview with God; and on the elders' and Aaron's descent, Moses ascends higher, where he remains forty days and forty nights in communion with God. Toward the end of that time the people, who lacked the steadiness of faith of the old patriarchs, and were but imperfectly instructed in the reality of a personal and unseen God, began to lose faith in His representative, Moses. They were disappointed at his long absence, imagined he had deluded them, or perhaps had perished amid the thunders of the mountains. Accordingly they gave way to their fears, and fell back to the form of idolatry with which they were most familiar. They said to Aaron, "Up, make us gods,. . . for as for this Moses, the man that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we wot not what is become of him.' Weakly and wickedly Aaron yields to them, and then follow all the licentious orgies, and the disgusting moral accompaniments of heathen worship. "Go," says Jehovah to Moses, "get thee down; for thy people, which thou broughtest out of the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves: they have turned aside quickly out of the way which I commanded them." Here are a few things instructive to observe.

I. As to the nature of idolatry. Idolatry is not necessarily the substitution for God of a material image. In no case excepting that of the most crass ignorance is it really believed to be God. For instance, there is no evidence that these Israelites meant to renounce obedience to God or swear allegiance to any other than He. This image was at first to be in the place of Moses, not of God. But it came

to be in the place of God; just as the brazen serpent did which Hezekiah so contemptuously destroyed; just as the calves of Bethel and Dan did, "which made Israel to sin; and just as the crosses and crucifixes, and Mater Dolorosas of the Roman Catholic and Greek Churches have done, and are doing. There is a confusion of the sign with the thing signified, or a collapse of the mental process by which the things signified are altogether dropped and the sign comes to be all in all. Is not that the way by which images and symbols have become the media-via of the blankest and grossest idolatry? The cross which glitters on the breast of beauty, or which is introduced by way of orna