and clothing with the unfading beauty of moral loveliness. Severed from Him who is its Life, the morality of the world would perish, and the race itself become extinct; but, united to Him, as branches to the true vine, morality will increase in vigour, until the relations of men, of communities, of nations, shall attain that ideal perfection of which the noblest spirits of our kind have vaguely and fondly dreamed, but which only the Christ of God has rendered possible the universal realization, in theory and in fact, of the brotherhood of the race.

JOSEPH RITSON.

PRACTICAL HOMILETICS.

THE DIVINE HELPER.

'There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will, with the temptation, also make a way to escape that ye may be able to bear it.'-1 Cor. x. 13.

THE connection between this verse and the foregoing is the first thing to claim attention. The current idea is that the one verse forms a balance to the other. We approve of this view. But some have held that this, as well as the preceding verse, enforces caution, and keeps up the solemn tone of warning which that verse commenced. They assume the meaning to be that temptations more severe than any yet endured were impending, that as yet only trials of smaller magnitude had befallen this Corinthian church, and, as a heavier pressure was in prospect, they were admonished to be on their guard. As, in our judgment, the words will not bear this much, we will follow the more natural and obvious connection.

After solemn warning, given with emphasis, comforting assurance comes in very seasonably. There are two practical lessons enforced, the one of which is, that we must not presume-the other, that we must not despond. As we are in danger of falling into extremes, it is well for us that there is a fair proportion of caution and of comfort administered. An excess in either of these would have had a bad effect. A disproportion of caution, intimating peril and hazards, would oppress, as with the dread of moral failures, and so dishearten us that we would have no spirit to meet duty or difficulty. On the other hand, a surplus of assurance and comfort might engender unguarded presumption and lead us to sin through heedlessness. The two things combined and well proportioned will preserve the balance. Men's temperaments differ. Some are of a bold, fearless spirit. They should appropriate the cautions of Scripture. Some are timorous and timid. They should live largely on promises and words of assurance. The same person is liable to be in various moods--now low, and then high. Let him cherish hope when he is low, and in his elevated state let him take heed.

We will endeavour to explain the sense on hand by dealing with

single words and clauses. We begin with temptation. In its worst sense it signifies an effort made to solicit some one to do what is wrong. Such solicitation is usually accompanied with some pleasureable enticement, some plausible argument, some profit, or some consideration supposed to be influential. It would be a very blind movement for any one to propose to another to do an action in flat contradiction to the moral sense, and without some inducement to overcome the scruple which a wakeful conscience is sure to raise. Few, indeed, would do wrong from the mere love of wrong-doing. A devil might, but a man scarcely would.

Besides this odious view of temptation, upon which we stop not to enlarge, there is another sense in which the term is employed and which is ascribed to Divine agency. It shocks us somewhat to hear it said, either expressly or impliedly, that the Divine Being brings men into temptation. We are conscious of a shrinking from such a thought. But this arises simply from our forgetting, for the moment, that the word bears another meaning besides that of allurement to sinful action. Temptation is a general term. Diabolical suggestions and providential visitations are species, and both of the nature of trial. Nothing alarms us in the Scripture statement that the Lord trieth the righteous.' By severe providences, which we naturally shrink from, sound character is disciplined and cultivated. • Though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness, through manifold temptations, that the trial of your faith being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ.' (1 Pet. i. 6, 7.)

Next, the temptation in question is characterised, "There hath no temptation taken you, but such as is common to man.' The original word signifies human,' or 'belonging to a man,' as if he had said, only such temptations have taken you as are fit for a man to endure and conquer, such as it is in the power of a frail, fallible man to resist and withstand. The revised version gives an equivalent sense- such as man can bear.' The word in the margin is very expressive and tender, though it does not retain the ideal notion of the original- such as is moderate.' And it harmonises well with the view of the whole verse, being consolatory rather than cautionary. It is comfortable to be assured that our temptations, from whatever source they come, shall be moderate. If men vex and annoy us, they cannot pass a given limit. The surplus of human wrath is restricted, and the allowed amount is under tribute for good. He who

shows the waves of the enraged ocean their mark how far they may reach, sets bounds to the raging passions of men. "Which stilleth the noise of the seas, the noise of their waves, and the tumult of the people' (Ps. lxv. 7.; Comp. Ps. lxxvi. 10). For the elect's sake the days of tribulation are shortened. Also, Satan's malice is moderated and baffled. What would he not do to us but for the check of Omnipotence ! There are great angels in heaven able to put his chain on, to say nothing of infinite Power. At the Almighty's pleasure his chain is lengthened or shortened. The history of the

man of Uz shows how subject he is to the all-ruling hand. Whatever mischief he did to the object of his spite was done by permission. He insinuated that Job's seeming piety was sustained entirely by his property, and if that prop were removed, his loyalty would fail. To falsify this vile accusation, the protecting hedge was taken down and a clean sweep was made, and lo! Job knelt upon the ground, which was the only thing left him, and rendered homage and worship. Then a further liberty was sought. If a breach could be opened upon his body, the enemy was sure that that would make him renounce his allegiance. So a very large permission was granted, including everything short of taking his life, which the adversary would have been glad to take also. In this also the accuser was worsted. The battered citadel would not yield. Job would not curse his Maker, though he did curse his natal day and the entire month it belonged to, but not God nor the devil either. Fallen spirits have a strange liberty allowed them to act on men. We wonder why it should be so. Let it content and comfort us to know that they operate only within marked limits. Even an unclean animal, proscribed by Levitical law, which might therefore seem to belong to their province, lies out of their range without leave obtained by humble petition. Lo the devils besought him, saying, 'If thou cast us out, suffer us to go away into the herd of swine.' (Matt. viii. 31.) Furthermore, if our kind keeper moderates the action of others in relation to us, we may well trust Him to treat us moderately in His providential dealings. He will not plead against us with His great power. Since he moderates the wind to the shorn lamb, He will not handle us with unmeasured severity. In measure, when it shooteth forth, thou wilt debate with it: He stayeth His rough wind in the day of the east wind.' (Isa. xxvii. 8.)

The translation, Such as is common to man,' would yield the idea that our trials are not of a different kind from those of other human beings, nor of greater magnitude. The plain inference is, that if others

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have borne up under and been benefited by the like discipline which falls to us, there is no reason why we should take damage, or indulge in the spirit of complaint. This is Peter's argument with the suffering Christians of his time, 'Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary, the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour, whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.' (1 Pet. v. 8-9.) In respect of personal afflictions are you more severely handled than others? Ask an experienced medical man if he ever saw one that endured half your pain, and he will smile at your simplicity. If you droop under bereavement, do not think you are alone in your grief. How many who pass you in the street wear the significant dark crape! If you have suffered heavy losses, you can only have lost your all. You are not the first that was ever in such case. One who suffered the loss of all things said, 'Naked come I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither; the Lord gave and the Lord hath taken away, blessed be the name of the Lord.' (Job i. 21.) Then no strange thing has happened unto you as to the world's opposition. A cloud of witnesses has fore-run you in the thorny path of persecution. 'Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin.' (Heb. xii. 4.) Our small troubles are mere trifles compared with what many have had to endure from a malignant world. Above all, let us think of our beloved Master. Consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.' (Heb. xii. 3.) He has put dignity upon suffering, and set us an example of patient endurance. For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.' (Heb. iv. 15.)

The faithfulness of Deity stands pledged for the due adjustment of our trials. 'But God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able.' He is your fast friend. Faithfulness is the girdle of his reins.' Faithfulness is the bond that holds the believing soul and Christ together. But it is His faithfulness that is the grand security. 'I will even betroth thee unto Me in faithfulness.' The sure mercies of David are made over to believers. To win us to confidence the steadiest things are quoted as the pattern of Divine love. The hills and mountains, for example, are referred to. Who does not see that they are the very types of firmness? Their shape and outline give security that they will not fall. It is impossible they should, with their bases spread out all round, their compass diminishing as their height goes up, and their tops being the