gestures, in its touch, in every movement-so the Son reveals the Father, not as another, but as His own inner nature. Though all the grandeurs of Deity are revealed in the Saviour, and he is King of kings and Lord of lords; yet there is this constant humility in Him, which says, in relation to the boundless infinitude of the Father within: I am but a little child; I know not of myself how to go out or to come in ; but all things that the Father hath are mine. All Thine are mine, and mine are Thine; and I am glorified in them (John xvii. 10). Yet am I a little child, nothing of myself; all is from Thee. O Father, Thou only art underivedly Holy, Wise, Omnipotent, and I from Thee. I in them, and Thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one.

This perfect subserviency and response of the Humanity in the Lord Jesus, His having a hearing heart to the Divine Love in the most absolute perfection, gives a grandeur to the words of Solomon in their application to Him of the most wonderful kind. "Thy servant is in the midst of Thy people, whom Thou hast chosen, a great people, that cannot be numbered nor counted for multitude. Give, therefore, Thy servant a hearing heart to judge Thy people, that I may discern between good and bad for who is able to judge this Thy so great a people?" Let us raise our view from Solomon and his nation-so great to him, though otherwise comparatively small--to the Saviour, ascended high above all heavens, that He might fill all things (Eph. iv. 10), ruling and blessing the heavenly in all worlds and through all ages; and we shall then obtain a glimpse of the inner glory of the Word, and perceive how far the spirit and life exceed the outward form. To the Lord Jesus the words are applicable as they are to no other. "Lo, I have given thee a wise and a hearing heart; so that there was none like thee before thee, neither after thee shall any arise like unto thee. And I have also given thee that which thou hast not asked, both riches and honour; so that there shall not be any among the kings like unto thee all thy days." Let us, however, turn from this wondrous and attractive theme, to the humbler lesson which the Divine Word contains in the blessing pronounced upon Solomon, because in his prayer he had asked only for spiritual graces, leaving all outward things contentedly to the Divine Providence. He had asked for a hearing heart, to give him perception to discern between the good and the bad. This perception is higher than knowledge, higher than reason: it is an inner sight, which comes from the union

of love and truth in the interiors of the heart, making a good and supremely tender conscience.

This is indeed an invaluable gift from our Heavenly Father, an inmost blessing. Outer gifts-long life, riches, power, victories over others-may be blessings, or they may be curses. They are blessings to those who use them conscientiously; they are to others snares and curses. We do not know whether they will do good or evil to ourselves or to others; and therefore they are not proper subjects for prayer. But to pray for humility, obedience, wisdom, love, patience, and all heavenly graces, this will secure all that is needful. "Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you (Matt. vi. 33).

What we shall eat, what we shall drink, what we shall wear, riches, power, prosperity,—these are not the subjects for prayer, but for Providence. The Lord will provide in these respects what is good for us; and while we diligently cultivate our powers, and do our duty, we should pray for content, gratitude, and peace. The one thing needful is to become heavenly, and live the life of heavenly usefulness on earth.

No wealth, no possessions, no gifts, no talents, no adornments, however rare or costly, no opportunities for distinction, no applause, no fame, can impart what the yearning heart wants, unless the Lord and His kingdom are there. Let us then pray, with Solomon, for the hearing heart, that ever listens to the voice of the Saviour in the conscience, and follows Him. Then from day to day the Lord will lead us to trial, when trial is good; to inward peace during the struggle, and full content and prosperity when the trial is over. Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning. And, both night and morning, though the Lord give us the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, yet shall not our teachers be removed into a corner any more; but our eyes shall see our teachers, and our ears shall hear a word behind us, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it.

Because we ask for a hearing heart and a wise understanding, the Lord will give them. And He will give those things for which we have not asked, but which would conduce to our comfort and usefulness in this life also, when He sees they would be real blessings; not temporal only, but extending our progress and happiness through ages which will never end.

SERMON XXIX.

THE JUDGMENT OF SOLOMON CONCERNING THE DEAD AND THE LIVING CHILD.

"Then spake the woman whose the living child was, unto the king, for her bowels yearned upon her son, and she said, O my lord give her the living child, and in no wise slay it. But the other said, Let it be neither mine nor thine, but divide it.

Then the king answered and said, Give her the living child, and in no wise slay it: she is the mother thereof.-1 KINGS iii. 26, 27.

THE discernment for which Solomon prayed, and which in his dream the Lord promised should be granted to him, was soon manifest to Israel. The sagacity he displayed in finding out the real mother in the curious case submitted to his judgment produced reverence for him through the land, and a conviction that the wisdom of God was in him to do judgment.

It seemed indeed to be a matter not easy to determine. Here were two unknown women, who in one house and on the day after the other, had children. They were alone, and the second mother overlaid her child, and awoke to find it dead. The circumstances imply that she was a careless woman, with none of the mother's intensely tender feeling, but still for some reason she would rather have a living child than a dead one. She saw the other woman peacefully sleeping; her child, three days old, peacefully sleeping also. She crept stealthily with her dead babe, and took the living one from its sleeping mother, leaving her own lifeless infant with the unconscious woman, who probably in her dreams was picturing the happy future of her child.

The bereaved mother awoke, and in her love for her child, her first thought was to supply its want. She placed it to her breast but found no effort. It was still and breathless, and the conviction came that her child was dead. But, still fondling about and mourning over it, the morning came, and with the light she saw this little lifeless one was not her son. Though only three days old her love had marked the lineaments of

P

her babe upon her heart. She could not be mistaken.

She had photographed with loving gaze each little feature on her warm affections, had touched with exquisite tenderness its little fingers, each little limb, and though the other shameless creature unfeelingly persisted in her wrong, yet the mother cried for justice and would not be appeased. So the case was brought before the youthful monarch. The young Solomon heard their story, listened to their assertions and denials. It was a perplexing case as there were no witnesses, and both women belonged to a class not always credited with possessing a reverence for truth.

It occurred to the king that the true mother would have far more love for the infant than the pretended one, and therefore if the child seemed to be in danger, the real mother would do anything to save it. The pretended mother who had readily parted with her own dead babe would most likely be indifferent to the well-being of that which was not hers. The king feigned perplexity, and seeming to be puzzled ordered the child to be divided and half to be given to one woman, and half to the other.

The plan succeeded. The woman who had been so cool over her own smothered child, showed very little agitation about the other. The real mother would suffer anything in her own feelings to save her child. They might give it even to her rival, but they must not hurt it. The king saw where the genuine mother's love was, and decreed accordingly. All who heard of it applauded the judicious decision, and were grateful to God who had given them, as successor to the warlike David, a prince at once sagacious and just a monarch who would be a father in the land.

In its literal sense, this narrative is extremely interesting. It illustrates the simplicity at that time of Eastern manners. The king appears accessible to all. It was usual for the monarch to dispense justice at the gate of his palace, or the gate of the city, to all requiring it, and probably some such place was the scene of the transaction recorded. There were no pleaders, no cross-examiners, no law's delay, or long uncertainty, often so cruel in modern times, but the case was heard in the simplest manner, the matter at once decided upon, judgment declared, and justice done.

But, let us turn now to consider the deeper wisdom of the divine narrative before us; for although the incident occurred as related in the early part of the reign of Solomon, it forms part

of the Word of God to afford us, in addition to the moral lessons of the letter, wider and deeper lessons for the church and for the soul.

Solomon in his glorious and peaceful reign was the type of the Lord Jesus reigning in His kingdom, and judging in His Church.

The womanly character is represented to us in Scripture as the type of the Lord's Church, which is called His bride and wife. The church is intended to be as warm, as true, as confiding and truthful in her affections towards, the Lord as a loving, true, and faithful wife is to her husband. Hence we read such passages as the following. Thy Maker is thine husband; the Lord of Hosts is His name: and thy Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel; the God of the whole earth shall He be called. (Isa. liv. 5). Turn, O backsliding children, saith the Lord, for Ì am married unto you; and I will take you one of a city and two of a family; and I will bring you to Zion. (Jer. iii. 14). In the New Testament the Lord Jesus, because He was the manifested God, is represented as the Bridegroom. John the Baptist said of Him, in this respect I am not the Christ but am sent before Him. He that hath the bride is the Bridegroom: but the friend of the Bridegroom, which standeth and heareth him, rejoiceth greatly because of the Bridegroom's voice: this my joy therefore is fulfilled. He must increase but I must decrease. He that cometh from above is above all. (John iii. 29, 31). The apostle said I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ. (2 Cor. xi 2). The Church is continually represented in Scripture as a virgin, a bride, and a wife. Hence, we read such passages as the following: Hearken, O daughter, and consider and incline thine ear: forget also thine own people, and thy father's house, so shall the King greatly desire thy beauty for He is thy Lord, and worship thou Him (Psa. xlv. 10, 11). Turn again, O virgin of Israel, turn again to these thy cities. How long wilt thou go about, O thou backsliding daughter? For the Lord hath created a new thing in the earth, a woman shall encompass a man (Jer. xxxi. 21, 22). The Church, as in future it would be an interior one among the Gentiles, is described when it is said, Sing, O barren, thou that didst not bear: break forth into singing thou that didst not travail with child; for more are the children of the desolate than the children of the married wife; saith the Lord (Isa. liv. 1). Again the prophet says, "For as a young man marrieth a virgin, so shall thy sons

: