the salvation of the sinner and weeps over the woes of the lost, should ever have allowed, in the government of His universe, the possibility of such immeasurable woe as the entrance of sin into the world has caused, had there not been an absolute necessity for it. We are not required either to know, or to give expression to, what that necessity was; but to doubt the necessity, is at once to doubt the wisdom, the power, and the mercy of God.

We will now look further on in the same epistle to the Romans, and see whether the truths contained in chapters ix., x., xi. do not afford statements and analogies which go far to explain the reasons that made the Fall necessary. As already stated, the primary point in all such investigations is that which has reference to God. Hence, in these three chapters, written with a view to unfold, if not altogether to explain, the dealings of God with man, the first, chapter ix., treats exclusively of the word, the power, the purpose and the will of God; and these comprehend not only the salvation and blessing of some, but the rejection and destruction of others. Thus, on the one hand, God makes known "the riches of His glory on the vessels of mercy, which He afore prepared unto glory;" but He also makes known His much long-suffering, His power, and His wrath, on the vessels of wrath who had fitted themselves to destruction. It is for this reason that the apostle so emphatically alludes to the history of Pharaoh ; and God's dealing with him for the sinfulness of that hardening pride which led to his destruction, affords a complete analogy to the dealings of God with Adam in the garden. Both were left to the exercise and choice of their own will, and the result was in the one case, the misery, ruin, and condemnation of the race, and in the other, the destruction of Pharaoh and his hosts in the Red Sea. In reference to either the apostle would say,

Hath not the potter authority over the clay?" And if God has willed to do what He has, what has the creature to do, whether he understands it or not, but in silence to bow and to worship? For God demands of us that we remember our first lesson, that "God is greater than man," and that He is God only wise, blessed for ever.

But as chap. ix. deals with the sovereign will of God, so chap x. unfolds the unlimited freedom of His grace; and chap. xi. shows the unalterable character of God's purpose, whether in His "goodness" towards those who continue in it, or in His "severity towards those that fall. It would almost appear as if the apostle's object in this chapter was indirectly to meet unbelieving doubts that might arise as to the wisdom of God in bringing in one dispensation after another, where all have ended, so far as the creature is concerned, in irremediable ruin. Thus the Adamic dispensation ended in the Fall; the ante-diluvian dispensation in the flood; that of Noah in idolatry and the Tower of Babel; the Mosaic dispensation resulting in one captivity and destruction after another. Last, and not least as hinted at by the apostle in those solemn words addressed to the Gentile Church, "Take heed lest He spare not thee"-we see the approaching judgment of the present Christian dispensation, so far as the earth is concerned, which will be brought about by the apostasy of Christendom and the worship of the man of sin, the lawless one, whose coming is after the working of Satan.

God has thus written failure upon each successive dispensation; all have failed; but God has not failed, for His gifts and calling are "without repentance." What He hath said, that He will do, and what He hath purposed, that He will perform.

The apostle assumes that God's ways are unsearchable, that they are "past tracing out" (R.V.); but He unfolds

to us His great purpose. And what is that purpose but that, having proved the creature to be what He well knew he was, He might gather up into one, under a divine Headship, that which shall endure for ever, and in the dispensation of the fulness of times might reveal in Christ that which before the Fall could never have been revealed, because it could not have been understood? Truly, as we consider the works of God, we may repeat the old proverb, "Fools and children must not see work half done." Shall we say, then, for a moment, that from the first fall that overthrew our race, or from all the succeeding falls and failures that have followed one another in such marked succession, there is "no advantage?" or that God's universal way of dealing might have been improved upon by poor, weak, blind, ignorant man? God forbid! Rather, looking back upon the whole history of our race, and of God's dealings with us, whether considered dispensationally or individually, let us thank God for the wisdom of that plan by which He is teaching the creature what he is, and teaching at the same time who that God is, in whose hand our breath is, and whose are all our ways; and does not the slowness with which we learn manifest how deeply the lesson is needed? Shall we not, then, say with the holy apostle, as he winds up these solemn chapters, “O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God how unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out!"

When in eternity God planned the history of the world's six thousand years, He did not take man into His counsels; but to the loving heart and to the obedient soul God has revealed Himself and His purposes in the past, the present, and the future; and he who has best learnt his lesson will wind up all his ponderings on what seem to be the dark enigmas of the past or the future, with

thoughts of wonder, adoration, and praise, and he will be contented to hear the voice of infinite love whispering to his soul, "What thou knowest not now, thou shalt know hereafter."

H. G.

THE DESIRE FOR SPIRITUAL POWER. WHY do we want this power? Are we not apt to think of results, while God looks at motives? He searches the inmost recesses of the heart, and do we not need to try our inmost thoughts in His sight as to any desire for power? This might often make us ashamed of our very desire. Power to witness for God may be what we covet, and we may seek that God would open our lips; but we may be witnesses for Him without speaking. The apostle Paul was called to suffer for God. Do we ever ask for power to serve God thus? Are we not apt to associate power with great results, and with taking a high place among our brethren? God's strength was perfected in

Paul's weakness when he had the thorn in the flesh. To be for God may be more important than to do for God. Power is as much needed to live for Christ in the midst of the surroundings in which God has placed us, as to preach to thousands. It is often harder to lead a Christ-like life in the midst of an ungodly world than to preach the gospel or to stand before our fellow-saints. To walk in the fear of God, to be lowly in the world, and meek in the assembly of God's people, is better than to hold large meetings, or to have a name for zeal. If our motives are wrong, is it any wonder that our prayers for power are not answered? Self and not God may be at Let us seek to know what it

the bottom of our prayers.

is to be dying with Christ daily, that His life may be manifest in us-to be broken vessels, that the light may shine out.

H. G. L.

THOUGHTS FROM GOD'S WORD REGARDING THE YOUNG.

I.-THEIR PLEASURES.

THE exuberance of life and energy in the young calls for more variety of mental and bodily recreation than is needed by those of staid and maturer years. The natural sportiveness of youth is also pleasing to God, and is recognized in His word. When our Lord was on earth He well knew how to bend and adapt Himself to children, though as the "Man of sorrows He had before Him the agony of the cross and its atoning death. With all this fully in view, He so considered others rather than Himself, that the young were by no means lost sight of. Witness His receiving of little ones and taking them in His arms; also His sympathy with the young ones who shouted "Hosanna to the Son of David!" and His defence of them when the priests and scribes found fault, albeit, perhaps, too few of those whose voices were then raised in His praise, really knew Him as their Saviour from sin. His comparison of the older ones with children playing in the market-place also manifests His observation of youthful ways. The picture of Jerusalem in the millennial age, as given by Zechariah, shows how God notices the playfulness of the young: "The streets of the city shall be full of boys and girls playing in the streets thereof” (chap. viii. 5). This recognition of the youthful pleasures of that coming day, when Jesus shall reign on Mount Zion, is quite in keeping with what we are told of Him in the days of His flesh. Surely, then, family life in houses in which God's word and Jesus' love bear sway, may well be cheerful and sportive and happy.