ments, that they may have right to the Tree of Life, and may enter in through the gates into the city. For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie" (Rev. xxii. 14, 15).

(Study also 2 Thess. ii.; St. James iii.)

Again. If from Adam downwards every single person ever born still exists maintaining unbroken by death one continuity of individual existence from birth to this moment, from this moment to the Day of Judgment, when we all must stand face to face not with our Judge only but equally with each other, then is it no light offence to traduce the dead, to blacken recklessly their memory, to cultivate no tenderness for them, helpless and inoffensive as they now lie with all their sins of omission or commission on their heads. Party feeling, whether called religious zeal or national antagonism or political creed, becomes simple malice and is simply devilish when it leads us not only to condemn opponents (or it may even be those merely to

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whom we ourselves are opposed) but to wish that they may really be as unworthy as history or rumour makes them, to court and hug and blaze abroad every tittle of evidence which tells against them, to turn a dull ear and lukewarm heart to everything which tells in their favour. Charity. rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth." It is a solemn thing to write history. I feel it a solemn thing to write conjectural sketches of Scripture characters; filling up outlines as I fancy, but cannot be certain, may possibly have been the case; making one figure stand for this virtue and another for that vice, attributing motives and colouring conduct. Yet I hope my mistakes will be forgiven me, while I do most earnestly desire every one of my personages to be in truth superior to my sketch.

"Rejoice not when thine enemy falleth, and let not thine heart be glad when he stumbleth: lest the Lord see it, and it displease Him, and He turn away His wrath from him" (Prov. xxiv. 17, 18). This proverb suggests a hint on the

charitable use or uncharitable misuse of Holy Writ. They who being of their father the devil are prompt to do his lusts, may deduce from it a caution by no means to exult over a prostrate foe, lest the Lord see "it"-that is, as they interpret the text, see their exultation, and it displease Him, and to their keen disappointment He forthwith exchange chastisement for mercy.

Those who "sanctify the Lord God in their hearts" draw a far different lesson from the same sentence. Bearing in mind that "He doth not afflict willingly nor grieve the children of men," their aim is to be merciful as their Father in heaven is merciful, and to bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ. The patience of Job, and much more the Passion of Jesus, prove that the embrace of Divine favour may hold fast those whom mysterious Providences are sifting and scourging: wherefore our wise Bible students, in heart at least if they cannot in outward demonstration, make haste to agree with an adversary while opportunity offers; and look forward to

beholding him forgiven, reinstated, blessed beyond his former prosperity with a latter end better than his beginning. Which felicitous consummation they hasten by prayer and delight themselves with in prospect, feeling how that day must be a festival whereon it shall be said to any soul: "In a little wrath I hid My face from thee for a moment; but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee, saith the Lord thy Redeemer . . . O thou afflicted, tossed with tempest, and not comforted... In righteousness shalt thou be established: thou shalt be far from oppression; for thou shalt not fear and from terror; for it shall not come near thee" (Is. liv. 8-14).

Yet argue as we will, the tendency to dwell upon and talk of our neighbour's faults remains inherent in human nature. No cause this for despair. As haste of temper may be ennobled into quickness of righteous indignation, or as a lax propensity to fondness may be spiritualized into all-embracing Christian sympathy, so may a critical and censorious habit become amiable

if turned into the deep silent channel of intercessory prayer. Which course St. James (v. 16– 20) inspirits us all to adopt: "Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.. Brethren, if any of you do err from the truth, and one convert him; let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins." I once heard it suggested in a sermon how far better it would be to admonish an offender to his face than to vilify him behind his back: a salutary rule of conduct conveying in the particular instance an allusion easy to be understood by the congregation. Still, in many cases rebuke is not lawful any more than gossip is edifying: in every possible case intercessory prayer is permissible, expedient, laudable. Thus St. Paul writes in his First Epistle to Timothy (ii. 1): "I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for

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