a mine in which there is little or no alloy. Many of its leading characters were the eminent of the earth, whose lives and deeds have been the means of benefiting the age in which they lived, and often succeeding ages, and the world at large. Narrowed by no selfish views, bounded by no limits, tied to no fraternity, they have gone forth in their might, diffusing knowledge, hurling from his height the oppressor, rescuing the oppressed, and disseminating laws and maxims which have been blessings continued from age to age. How apparent was this in the life of Moses, that eminent servant of God. The cruelty of Pharaoh brought forth all the amiable qualities of Moses, his meekness, his wisdom, his piety, and his valour. The ordinary mind can no more look at the heavenly qualities that Moses exemplified in his daily walk without feeling abashed, than the Israelites could gaze on him, on his descent from Mount Sinai, from the glory that emanated from his countenance. What we have said of Moses, with some limitation, may be said of all the Patriarchs, Prophets, Apostles, Priests, Patriots, and Statesmen, in whom the fear of the Lord had been implanted. It was ever their delight to honour God; to maintain true religion; to serve their country; and to be benefactors to mankind. Their mode of procedure in the great work of national regeneration was most dissimilar, yet from apparently trivial causes, they effected glorious results. The ark of bulrushes was but a link in the Divine chain which brought Moses to confront Pharaoh, when he delivered his people from bondage; the virtue of Joseph raised him to be the second man in Egypt, and to become the saviour of nations; the piety of Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, delivered one

from the lions' den, and the other three from the fiery furnace, which raised them to be princes in Babylon, who re-established the true religion; while the valour of David, when a stripling, in slaying the two she bears, emboldened him to attack the uncircumcised Philistine, which finally placed him on the throne of Israel ; and being a man after God's own heart, besides wisely governing his people, he established religion in its purity, and magnified the law. The lives and exploits of these holy men are as incense, ever fragrant and animating; the more we read and reflect on them, and the great and good of every age,

the more are we influenced to be imitators of deeds so noble and so divine.

The foregoing remarks refer chiefly to events that brought individuals into prominent notice. But there is a large class of persons, who, while they achieved no mighty deed, were, by their wisdom and noble philanthropy, an invigorating power in the circle in which God had placed them ; whose weapons not being carnal, merit praise; and who, in the incidents we are about to give, are worthy of imitation. Such was the conduct of the prophet Oded, during the wicked reign of Ahaz, and is a beautiful illustration of heroic virtue. 66 When the children of Judah were carried away captive of their brethren, numbering two hundred thousand, women, sons, and daughters, with much spoil, and were taken to Samaria, Oded went forth before the whole host, and addressing them, said, Behold, because the Lord God was wroth with Judah, he hath delivered them into your hand, and ye have slain them (120,000) in a rage, that reacheth up unto heaven.

And now ye purpose to keep Judah and Jerusalem for bondsmen and

bondswomen unto you: but are there not with you

sins against the Lord your God ? Now hear me, therefore, and deliver the captives again which ye have taken of your brethren, for the fierce wrath of the Lord is upon you.'”

“ Then the heads of the tribes stood up against them that came from the war, and said, “Ye shall not bring in the captives hither; for whereas ye have offended against the Lord already, incline ye to add more to our sins and to our trespass. So the armed men left the captives and the spoil before the princes and all the congregation. Then the elders rose up and took the captives, and with the spoil clothed all that were naked among them, and gave them to eat and drink, and anointed them, and brought them to Jericho, the city of palm trees."

(2 Chron. xxviii. 15.) The queen of Belshazzar, as related by Daniel, affords another illustration. Perceiving the distress of the king, respecting the writing on the wall, she said, “O king, live for ever; let not thy thoughts trouble thee, nor let thy countenance be changed, for there is a man in thy kingdom who has an excellent spirit, and knowledge and understanding, and the interpreting of dreams, who will show the interpretation thereof. Then was Daniel brought before the king, who explained the writing; when he was raised by the king to be one of the princes of Babylon. Notwithstanding his living among astrologers and soothsayers, he caused the worship of the true God to be revered.

The event of the wise woman, mentioned by Samuel in his Second Book, chap. xx. 16, who cried, “Here, here; say, I pray you, unto Joab, Come near hither, that I may speak with thee. When he was come near unto her, the woman asked, art thou Joab ? And he

answered, I am he. Then she said unto him, Hear the words of thy handmaid: And he answered, I do hear. Then she said, I am one of them that are peaceable and faithful in Israel; thou seekest to destroy a city and a mother in Israel, why wilt thou swallow up the inheritance of the Lord ? Joab answered, and said, Far be it, far be it from me, that I should swallow up or destroy. The matter is not so: but a man of Mount Ephraim, Sheba, by name, hath lifted up

his hand against the king, even against David : deliver him only, and I will depart from the city. And the woman said unto Joab, Behold, his head shall be thrown to thee over the wall. Then the woman went unto all the people in all her wisdom. And they cut off the head of Sheba, and cast it out to Joab. And he blew a trumpet, and they retired from the city, every man to his tent.” Thus the lives of thousands were spared.

The history of Abigail, the wife of the tyrant Nabal, affords a most beautiful illustration of the power of intercession. Nabal had insulted the messengers that David had sent unto him. David, therefore, was intent on resenting the insult offered, as he and his men had been a wall unto Nabal, both by night and day. “Abigail, on being informed of what had occurred, hastened, and took two hundred loaves, two bottles of wine, five sheep ready dressed, five measures of parched corn, an hundred clusters of raisins, and two hundred cakes of figs, and laid them upon asses, and said to her servant, Go on before me; behold, I come on after you. But she told not her husband Nabal. When Abigail saw David, she hasted and alighted off the ass, and fell before David on her face, and bowed herself to the ground, and fell at his feet, and said, ' Upon me, my lord, upon me let this