Even his wisdom, however, is incapable of perceiving that Jehovah is the God of the Gentile equally with the Hebrew; and he believes that the Holy One lends a more willing ear to his favoured people than to strangers. So he prays to Him that after He has found it necessary to punish the Jews for their misdeeds by such natural plagues as no doubt periodically visited their pastures, by "locusts," "mildew," and "caterpillars"; that then "if any man or the whole people make supplication and shall stretch forth their hands in this house," He should forgive. Afterwards he makes the same intercession for strangers, pilgrims, "not of Thy people Israel" who come" from a far country for Thy name sake." And the Almighty appeared to Solomon at night and promised him all he had prayed for.

Nor is the God of Israel yet the Father of his people. The best amongst them counts himself but as the servant of the Lord:

“And yet this was a small thing in thine eyes O God; for Thou hast spoken of thy servant's house for a great while

What can David speak more to Thee for the honour of thy servant? For thou knowest thy servant."

For the Sons of God were at that period not men, but the angels; angels both of light and darkness:

"There was a day when the Sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan came also among them."

But the chastisements of the Almighty had ceased to be regarded as the outpourings of his wrath, and were in some instances recognised as blessings:

"Behold, happy is the man whom God correcteth; therefore despise not thou the chastening of the Almighty."

There is already a glimmering of a new tie between Man and his Maker. Often, indeed, there are expressions indicating the absence of a faith in immortality :*

"O that I had given up the ghost, and no eye had seen me; I should have been as though I had not been.

· ...

For now should I have lain still and been quiet; I should
have slept, then had I been at rest.
Before I go whence I shall not return, even to the land
of darkness and the shadow of death . . . the shadow of
death without any order and where light is as darkness."

But now and then a negative or a distant hope appears:

"Till the heavens be no more, they shall not awake nor be raised out of their sleep."

And the wicked man it is who most apprehends annihilation:

"He believeth not that he shall return out of darkness.

For what is the hope of the hypocrite though he hath gained, when God taketh away his soul?

Fitfully the belief in an undying spirit shines forth:

"But there is a spirit in man, and the inspiration of the Almighty giveth them understanding."

Whilst worldly wealth and pleasure still continue to be high rewards for obedience to God, and their deprivation is the punishment of evil-doers, the greatest treasure of His bestowing is wisdom:

“If they obey and serve him they shall spend their days in prosperity and their years in pleasures.

* Some of these quotations are from Job, to which book a much greater antiquity is assigned by certain critics.

The triumphing of the wicked is short, and the joy of the hypocrite but for a moment.

Wait on the Lord and keep his way, and he shall exalt thee to inherit the land.

I have seen the wicked in great power, and spreading himself like a green bay tree. Yet he passed away, and lo! he was not, yea I sought him but he could not be found."

As for wisdom:

"It cannot be valued with the gold of Ophir, with the precious onyx or the sapphire.

No mention shall be made of coral or of pearls, for the price of wisdom is above rubies. . . . The topaz of Ethiopia shall not equal it."

And in this appreciation of wisdom we have the distinct reflection of the All-Wise himself, for:

"Whence cometh wisdom, and where is the place of understanding? ... God understandeth the way thereof, and knoweth the place thereof. . . . And unto man he said, Behold the fear of the Lord is wisdom, and to depart from evil is understanding."

The transition from the Judge to the Parent is presented to us in the Pastor and the Guardian:

"The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. . . . He restoreth my soul, he leadeth me in the paths of righteous

The humble and the penitent possess the greatest claim to His consideration:

"The meek will he guide in judgment, and the meek will he teach his way.

The meek shall inherit the earth.

This is the spiritual God and Father, above all, in all, and through all. He shows special favour to the meek, the sorrowful, and the oppressed:

"The spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings to the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captive. to comfort all that mourn

to give unto them the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness.

Seek ye the Lord all ye meek of the earth, seek righteousness, seek meekness.

I will gather them that are sorrowful for the solemn assembly. . . .

Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

Take

my yoke upon you and learn of me, for I am meek and lowly in heart..

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of

heaven.

Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted.

Blessed are ye that weep now, for ye shall laugh.

Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.*

Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Whoever shall humble himself as this little child, the same is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.”

The will of the Almighty in regard to men is that they should repent of their sins, draw near to, and imitate Him; that they should be spiritual and not carnal, and towards

* Some sayings identical with these are found even in the earlier oks: "But the meek shall inherit the earth."-Psalm xxxvii., v. 11.

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