THIS

ABRAHAM.

(HIS mysterious personage (Melchisedec), first mentioned in the fourteenth chapter of Genesis, is undoubtedly a type or figure of Christ. In the seventh chapter of Hebrews it is said, 'This Melchisedec, king of Salem, priest of the most high God, who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings, and blessed him; to whom also Abraham gave a tenth part of all first being, by interpretation, King of Righteousness, and after that also, King of Salem, which is, King of Peace without father, without mother, without descent, having neither beginning of days, nor end of life; but, made like unto the Son of God, abideth a priest continually.' The account in Genesis is this: 'And the king of Sodom went out to meet him, (after his return from the slaughter of Chedorlaomer, and of the kings that

:

were with him,) at the valley of Shaveh, which is the king's dale. And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine and he was the priest of the most high God. And he blessed him, and said, Blessed be Abram of the most high God, possessor of heaven and earth: and blessed be the most high God, which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand. And he gave him tithes of all.' Let our souls adore the King of Righteousness, and the King of Peace, that we may experience the peace which He gives, and which none can take away. Let us repose our confidence in the Son of God, who, without beginning of days, or end of life, abideth a priest for ever!-HEB. vii.

OURE religion, and undefiled, before God and the

Father, is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted

THE FATHERLESS AND WIDOWS. 363

from the world.' This text inculcates the same doctrine, or rather practice, as that before referred to, in the twentyfifth chapter of St. Matthew. It does not say or mean that this is the whole of religion, but that it is necessary to it; and we know, in the apostolic days, what great things were enjoined and performed for afflicted and necessitous persons. There is just as much command lying on us in the present day as on them; for we know that Christ promised the poor should be always with us; and we are sure, too, that the nature of pure and undefiled religion can never change. It is to be feared that there are many who make lofty professions of religion, who yet do little or nothing for the bodily necessities of the poor, but constantly turn away from those who ask their aid. Such are determined transgressors of the express law of Christ, and must take the doom assigned them in the New Testament.-JAMES i.

'B'

'THE DEVIL AS A ROARING LION.'

E sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.' There is both caution

and consolation in this text.

We are warned of our im

mortal enemy, and of his determined purpose and constant effort to destroy us. At the same time, we learn that his prey or victims are not all those whom he would, but those he may devour; those who, neglecting to watch and pray, and remaining wilfully ignorant of Satan's devices, fall in his path, and thus, as it were, tempt the devil to assail them. St. Peter might well give the warning he does, having himself had such dreadful experience of the power of the evil one, and of the extent of danger-within a step of perdition-to which his own vain confidence had driven him. Do we sufficiently bear in mind our present debt of gratitude to the Father of mercies, and the great

EMBLEM OF THE SOW.

365

Captain of our salvation, who has achieved a victory that renders us secure, if we will but take part with Him and range ourselves under His banner? The devil wills the entire and eternal destruction of the whole human race. That he is baffled, or chained at all, is owing to Christ, -the stronger than he,-who has prevailed against him, and will finally overthrow him.-1 PET. V.

sent to men their true condition, as sinners and

backsliders, are of the most humbling character. The Old Testament tells us that fallen human nature, from the crown of the head to the sole of the foot, is nothing else but wounds, and bruises, and putrifying sores. Solomon has the revolting yet correct image of the dog returning to his vomit; and this figure of resemblance is