transgressions. Pride though it show not itself in clothes, but only in speech, is a sin; and persecuting pride, though it pile no fagots at Smithfield, but only revile with its lips, shall have to answer for it among the unholy crew of inquisitors. "And for cursing and lying which they speak." Sins, like hounds, often hunt in couples. He who is not ashamed to curse before God, will be sure to lie unto men. Every swearer is a liar. Persecution leads on to perjury. They lie and swear to it. They curse and give a lying reason for their hate. This shall not go unnoted of the Lord, but shall bring down its recompense. How often has it happened that while haughty speeches have been fresh in the mouths of the wicked they have been overtaken by avenging providence, and made to see their mischief recoil upon themselves! 13. "Consume them in wrath." As if he had changed his mind and would have them brought to a speedy end, or if spared would have them exist as ruins, he cries, "consume them," and he redoubles his cry, "consume them;" nay, he gives a triple note, " that they may not be." Revilers of God whose mouths pour forth such filth as David was on this occasion obliged to hear, are not to be tolerated by a holy soul; indignation must flame forth, and cry to God against them. When men curse the age and the place in which they live, common humanity leads the righteous to desire that they may be removed. If they could be reformed it would be infinitely better; but if they cannot, if they must and will continue to be like mad dogs in a city, then let them cease to be. Who can desire to see such a generation perpetuated? "And let them know;" i.e., let all the nations know, "that God ruleth in Jacob unto the ends of the earth." He whose government is universal fixes his headquarters among his chosen people, and there in special he punishes sin. So David would have all men Let even the most remote nations know that the great moral Governor has power to destroy ungodliness, and does not wink at iniquity in any, at any time, or in any place. When sin is manifestly punished it is a valuable lesson to all mankind. The overthrow of a Napoleon is a homily for all monarchs, the death of a Tom Paine a warning to all infidels, the siege of Paris a sermon to all cities. Selah. Good cause there is for this rest, when a theme so wide and important is introduced. Solemn subjects ought not to be hurried over; nor should the condition of the heart while contemplating themes so high be a matter of indifference. Reader, bethink thee. Sit thou still awhile and consider the ways of God with man. see. 14 And at evening let them return; and let them make a noise like a dog, and go round about the city. 15 Let them wander up and down for meat, and grudge if they be not satisfied. 14. Here verse six is repeated, as if the songster defied his foes and revelled in the thought of their futile search, their malice, their disappointment, their rage, their defeated vigilance, their wasted energy. He laughs to think that all the city would know how they were deceived, and all Israel would ring with the story of the image and the goats' hair in the bed. Nothing was more a subject of Oriental merriment than a case in which the crafty are deceived, and nothing more makes a man the object of derision than to be outwitted by a woman, as in this instance Saul and his base minions were by Michal. The warrior poet hears in fancy the howl of rage in the council of his foes when they found their victim clean escaped from their hands. 15. "Let them wander up and down for meat." Like dogs that have missed the expected carcass, let them go up and down dissatisfied, snapping at one another, and too disappointed to be quiet and take the matter easily. "And grudge if they be not satisfied." Let them act like those who cannot believe that they have lost their prey: like a herd of Oriental dogs, unhoused, unkennelled, let them prowl about seeking a prey which they shall never find. Thus the menial followers of Saul paraded the city in vain hope of satisfying their malice and their master. "Surely," say they, "we shall have him yet. We cannot endure to miss him. Perhaps he is in yonder corner, or concealed in such a hidingplace. We must have him. We grudge him his life. Our lust for his blood is hot, nor can we be persuaded but that we shall light upon him." See the restlessness of wicked men; this will increase as their enmity to God increases, and in hell it will be their infinite torment. What is the state of the lost, but the condition of an ambitious camp of rebels, who have espoused a hopeless cause, and will not give it up, but are impelled by their raging passions to rave on against the cause of God, of truth, and of his people. 16 But I will sing of thy power; yea, I will sing aloud of thy mercy in the morning: for thou hast been my defence and refuge in the day of my trouble. 17 Unto thee, O my strength, will I sing: for God is my defence, and the God of my mercy. 66 16. "But I will sing of thy power." The wicked howl, but I sing and will sing. Their power is weakness, but thine is omnipotence; I see them vanquished and thy power victorious, and for ever and ever will I sing of thee. Yea, I will sing aloud of thy mercy in the morning." When those lovers of darkness find their game is up, and their midnight howlings die away, then will I lift up my voice on high and praise the lovingkindness of God without fear of being disturbed. What a blessed morning will soon break for the righteous, and what a song will be theirs! Sons of the morning, ye may sigh to-night, but joy will come on the wings of the rising sun. Tune your harps even now, for the signal to commence the eternal music will soon be given; the morning cometh and your sun shall go no more down for ever. "For thou hast been my defence." The song is for God alone, and it is one which none can sing but those who have experienced the lovingkindness of their God. Looking back upon a past all full of mercy, the saints will bless the Lord with their whole hearts, and triumph in him as the high place of their security. "And refuge in the day of my trouble." The greater our present trials the louder will our future songs be, and the more intense our joyful gratitude. Had we no day of trouble, where were our season of retrospective thanksgiving? David's besetment by Saul's bloodhounds creates an opportunity for divine interposition and so for triumphant praise. 17. "Unto thee, O my strength, will I sing." What transport is here! What a monopolising of all his emotions for the one object of praising God! Strength has been overcome by strength; not by the hero's own prowess, but by the might of God alone. See how the singer girds himself with the almightiness of God, and calls it all his own by faith. Sweet is the music of experience, but it is all for God; there is not even a stray note for man, for self, or for human helpers. "For God is my defence, and the God of my mercy." With full assurance he claims possession of the Infinite as his protection and security. He sees God in all, and all his own. Mercy rises before him, conspicuous and manifold, for he feels he is undeserving, and security is with him, undisturbed and impregnable, for he knows that he is safe in divine keeping. Oh, choice song! My soul would sing it now in defiance of all the dogs of hell. Away, away, ye adversaries of my soul, the God of my mercy will keep ye all at bay "Nor shall th' infernal lion rend Whom he designs to keep." Reviews. OUR accumulation of books has become so great that we want to make sure of the notices getting in, and therefore have put them in an earlier place than they usually occupy in the magazine, for we wish to serve the esteemed puolishers. A number of children's books we have grouped together and put first. The Wilds of Africa; a Tale for Boys. | Blanche Gamond, a French Protestant THE travels of Moffatt, Livingstone, Du Chaillu, and others, worked up into a story of marvels and a marvel of stories, in which Robinson Crusoe will find a very worthy rival. The engravings, we were about to say, are innumerable, certainly we have not the time to count them, and they are as good as they are plentiful. Moving incidents by flood and field, hair-breadth escapes, and wonderful discoveries are here without stint. Boys, if papa affords you this volume, you will find the winter's evenings grow very short while you read it. Animal Life in Europe, illustrated with coloured plates, by F. SPECHT, is a capital book for children of rather advanced years, published by the Religious Tract Society. We do not much admire the colouring, but the natural history has a more than ordinary freshness and originality in it. The Children's Record of the Free Church of Scotland. Nelson & Sons. THIS little halfpenny magazine always delights us. Our friend, Mr. Dickson, does his work as only a man can who loves children and knows their ways. His publishers, from their vast stock of engravings, supply him with an unrivalled wealth of illustration. Home Chat with our Young Folks. By C. S. MATEAUX. Cassell, Petter, and Galpin. A CABINET of varieties for the young people. Hosts of pictures worked into a series of stories, travels, and other entertaining papers. The binding and printing are beyond all praise. May Lane, a story of the Sixteenth Century. By C. M. M. Shaw & Co. We do not think much of it. E A VERY little book containing an episode in the history of the Huguenots. It is always stimulating to the soul to observe the constancy of the saints and martyrs of by gone days. Choice Poetry for little children. Religious Tract Society. CHOICE poetry, choice engravings, choice coloured pictures-a choice book altogether. The New Illustrated Primer. By OLD HUMPHREY. Partridge & Co. ONE of the best of spelling books. Here and there we see a touch of fun, very hard to introduce into a spelling book. Take for instance letter E. That eels that in the water swim, The New Series of Toy Books. Little Paul's Christmas and The Lord's Prayer. Religious Tract Society. THESE are two charming books. illustrations are really works of art. The science of colour-printing must here, we think, have reached its perfection. How such things can be made and sold for one shilling we are at a loss to know. The Story of Our Doll. By Mrs. GEORGE CUPPLES. T. Nelson & Sons. A BOOK fit for a young princess. If Miss Maggie is very little, very good, and very fond of her doll, this book will charm her and tempt her to learn to read. The motto, taken from Shakspeare, is, "How now, Mistress Doll ?" Panoramic Series. History of David. Religious Tract Society. TWELVE well-coloured pictures with appropriate letterpress; a beautiful gift for a child. The German Drummer Boy; or, The Horrors of War. Adapted from the German by Mrs. CAMPBELL OVEREND. Edinburgh: William Oliphant & Co GOD speed the pens which write for peace, and dry up the quills which in glowing terms write up the pageantry of war. Every child should read this drummer-boy story. The Peace Society would do well to spend as much as ever it can afford in circulating such books as this, and the four stories by those Siamese-twins of literature known as Erckman-Chatrian. Our heart chides us if we have failed to urge upon our readers and hearers the absolute sin of every kind of war. "Thou shalt not kill," is a command, the breach of which is not excused but aggravated by the largeness of the scale on which the killing is conducted. So far we give to the juveniles, who are well cared for by the publishers. What a race of men the next generation ought to be considering their advantages. God bless them. We now go on to other works. Whitaker's Almanack is an extraordinary shilling's worth; and for business men and the general public, it is out of sight the most useful almanack we know of. Beeton's Bible Dictionary; a Cyclopedia of the Truths and Narratives of Scripture. With the correct Pronunciation of the leading Names and Words, and their original meaning. Consisting in all of two thousand complete articles. Ward, Lock, and Tyler. YOUNG men observe this. Here is a Bible Dictionary, in paper covers for one shilling; or, if you are wise enough to buy it bound, it will only cost you eighteenpence. We have sent off an order for a hundred for the Pastors' College, and this is the most practical proof of our appreciation. If there be any difficulty in obtaining it, our Colporteur, Mr. Brown, 19, Temple Street, Newington, London, will send it by post on the receipt of the published price and one additional penny stamp towards postage. The Baptist Messenger, the Church, the Appeal, the Hive, the Methodist Temperance Magazine, all good in their own line, deserve an increased circle of readers. They are all published by Elliot Stock, 62, Paternoster Row. The Young Man in the Battle of Life. By WILLIAM LANDELS, D.D. Cassell, Petter, & Galpin. "fail to THE author appears to entertain a suspicion that his book may satisfy the fastidious taste." His fears are groundless. His style so nearly approaches the faultless that it might be selected as a model of correct English; those who could censure it must be themselves utterly beneath contempt. The matter is quickening and encour aging. With the blessing of God the reading of this work would be of the utmost service to every young man. We are glad to see our friend's volume in the hands of such a pushing firm as Messrs. Cassell; and we hope that both here and in America "The Young Man in the Battle of Life" may achieve the popularity which it deserves. Messrs. Hodder & Stoughton also publish another young men's book by Dr. Landels, which we have not the time to look through at present. Dr. Landels at this rate will need a shelf to himself in all complete libraries. Beecher. Since writing the above there has come to hand another volume from Messrs. Cassell's press: "Woman; her Position and Power," by the same author. We suppose our friend felt it to be unfair to give the young men all his attention, and so prepared a volume for the other sex. Our friend writes books for the sister-hood so well, that if a chaplain-general for the ladies of England were to be elected, he would be sure to head the poll. One Thousand Gems from Henry Ward Edited by Rev. G. D. EVANS. Hodder and Stoughton. MR. EVANS gleans a field which has been three times reaped before, and yet such is the excessive fertility of the soil that he gathers together full sheaves of golden grain. Who else among the living sons of men besides Mr. Beecher could furnish material for such a volume? He is for versatility of genius and wealth of illustration altogether peerless; our regret is, that he is far from being as spiritual as he is spirited, and is more a model for an orator than for a divine. Our friend Mr. Evans will we hope soon try his hand at original authorship, for which he is well qualified. Supplementary Psalms and Hymns. By W. DRANSFIELD. Passmore & Alabaster. To our intense delight we have long enjoyed the loving fellowship of the venerable author of these hymns. He is one of our elders at the Tabernacle, and the very model of a genial, generous, gracious, glad and grey headed believer. His happiness is constant and stimulating; all around him feel the more cheerful for his presence. Our friend in former years was well known as a preacher of the word, and his excellent printed sermons attained a very considerable circulation. Now that he cannot preach he has taken to singing, and finds it pleasant to express his holy joy in spiritual songs of his own composing. We should never think of criticising anything our friend either says or does, but if we did we should feel bound to commend very highly the theology and spirit of these supplemental hymns, and to express our belief that many lowly minds will find pleasure in their perusal. Instead of a criticism we make a selection and give No. 6 as a fair specimen of the 190. May the beloved writer and his household enjoy the richest of heaven's blessings. "Oh, matchless love of God Why did I hear thy voice? What sweetly forced my happy choice? The work, dear Lord, is thine, Thy Spirit makes my graces shine, I soon shall see thy face, Messrs. Hodder and Stoughton have just issued new editions of Power in "Weakness, and Symbols of Christ, by our well-beloved brother, Mr. CHARLES STANFORD. We are not about to review these delightful works; they are now in the general esteem of the Christian church deservedly elevated above all criticism; but we welcome the cheaper editions very gladly, and wish for the works a consequently wider -none more Our The Cross and the Crown; or, the trials MR. JOHNSTON is himself a brave man, The two first verses of Mr. Johnstone's poem will serve as a fair specimen of the whole, illustrating both the form of stanza employed and the ability displayed. Full many have sung of old Scotia, "land With the battle cry, We sing of the Wallace and Bruce, the swell To their memory all hail, O who can tell But of warriors worthy, there is a band, 'Mid reproach and shame, Saint Paul. By FELIX BUNGENER. Tract Society, 56, Paternoster Row. No life of the apostle Paul will outshine that of Conybeare and Howson; and everyone that is issued will come more or less under its overshadowing. To some minds the vivacity and clearness of the French author will render this book more readable. It is well translated, and we deem the Tract Society to have taken the right step in presenting it to their large constituency. It will be of use to many, and to Bibleclass leaders especially. |