hath a right to rule His creatures which are His absolute property. Now, it is true that you have no vote in this matter. But if you had, with such a Being as God in the universe, could you vote for any other? Impossible. All consciences, even those of the lost, would be bound to render Him their adhesion. Then let us rejoice that we have such a King, whose authority is founded in reason. Let us rejoice:—

II. BECAUSE HIS GOVERNMENT OF THE WORLD IS CON

DUCTED BY LAWS SUITED TO THE NATURE OF HIS SUBJECTS.

There are three classes of subjects in this part of creation : those that belong to the inanimate sphere, those that belong to the irrational sphere, and those that belong to the intelligent sphere. The first, having no self-moving power themselves, He controls by simple force. You may call this force, attraction, gravitation, or repulsion,-but His is the force. "He bringeth out the stars by number, and calleth them all by their names;" Hẹ heaves the waters of the deep, and rules the system of the universe. Those in the irrational sphere He controls by instinct. All the tribes of life on earth, in earth, in sea, and air, He keeps in their appointed spheres. You may call this instinct, but this instinct is His law, His force. He governs intelligent minds by truth and love. Christ has epitomised the law by which He rules men, in the words, "Thou shalt love God with all thy soul, and thy neighbour as thyself." And is not this law suited to our nature, ought not the greatest being to be reverenced the most, the best being to be loved the most, the kindest being to be thanked the most? This exquisite fitness of His laws to His creatures illustrate two things:-First: The unalterableness of their nature. They cannot be improved. There is nothing arbitrary in God's laws. Human legis

lation is little more than a history of caprice, mistake, and change. The work of each legislator is, for the most part, to annul or modify the laws of his predecessor; thus human governments rise, progress, decay and die. Not so with His. Secondly: The necessariness of their penalties. The

sinning subject cannot run away from the penalty, it rises out of the wrong act; and will follow him unless God interposes into all worlds and through all ages. Let us rejoice :

III.

BECAUSE HIS GOVERNMENT OF THE WORLD IS EXERCISED FOR PURELY BENEVOLENT ENDS. Human governments are too often constructed upon the principle, that the people are made for kings and not kings for the people. But God rules not for the sake of Himself; not because He can derive any glory or blessedness from the regal work, but because His creatures require His providing hand and superintending care. They can neither sustain nor guide themselves. Hence He condescends to take them under His care. His government is that of a father providing for his children. What we call justice in Him is but a modification of love; what we call anger is but the father thwarting a child in the course which would lead to his ruin. But then it may be said if God's government is so benevolent, how is it there is so much suffering in the world? What is to be said of the miseries that afflict humanity? We answer :First: That the suffering of the world is insignificant in amount compared with the enjoyments of the world. Suffering is the exception, not the rule, and hence it makes a more vivid impression on the memory. One week's suffering will be talked of, while one year's health will be forgotten. Evil is but a jarring note or two in creation's long, and joyous anthem. Secondly: This misery is self-inflicted. It does not spring from the constitution of things. All the creatures that obey the law of nature are as happy as their nature will allow. Thirdly Those miseries are subservient to benevolent ends. Physical evils are often spiritual blessings. Evil is evil; but evil is not an end, it produces good, as the storms of winter produce the summer fruit. Let us rejoice:

IV. BECAUSE GOD'S GOVERNMENT IS EXERCISED BY THE AGENCY OF OUR MERCIFUL REDEEMER.

PERSONAL

Daniel

of our

in vision beheld Christ taking the government world into His hands. Daniel vii. 13, 14. Paul tells us that "He is exalted," &c. Now Christ conducts this government personally. He is present in everything, to us all. First He does not get a knowledge of his subjects by hearsay. "He knows all," &c. Secondly: He does not administer His laws by proxy. He hath ministers it is true,

"He maketh his angels

but He is ever with them. spirits," &c. Now, is it not a happy thought that the government of our world is in the hand of one who wears our nature? Let us rejoice :—

V. BECAUSE HIS GOVERNMENT OF THE WORLD AFFORDS OPPORTUNITIES FOR REBELS ΤΟ BE RESTORED. Our world is a rebellious province of the Divine empire, and God's government has a provision for the restoration of the rebels. If a government has rebels and they are not restored to happiness, it must be for one of three reasons; either because the governor is not disposed to show them mercy, or because he has no safe method by which to show mercy, or because they refuse to accept mercy. Which of these three prevents rebels from being restored in this world? Not the first. Hear what God says: "Let the wicked forsake his way," &c. Not the second: This does prevent human governments. They have no such provision. If England has rebels in India; all it can do is to shoot them. "Be it known unto you, men, brethren," &c. It is the last. us rejoice :

Let

VI. BECAUSE GOD, IN HIS GOVERNMENT OF THE WORLD, HAS A SPECIAL REGARD TO THE TRUE INTEREST OF THE CHURCH.

Christ is said to be the head of all things to the Church. Paul says: "All things shall work together for good to those who love God." Hear God's own words : "Thus saith the high and lofty one, that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is holy," &c. "The angel of the Lord encampeth, round about them that fear Him and delivereth them."

Sinner, why dost thou rebel against this government? What objection hast thou to it? Canst thou conceive a better one? If not why rebel? Thou art contending against One that will prove more than thy match. Thou art opposing Him before whom every knee shall bow, and every tongue confess. What art thou ? Canst thou turn back the arm of justice, or quench the flaming lightning of its eyes? Thou art only as a worm, hissing against the thunders of creation, a moth fluttering before the fury of volcanic fires.

"What if thy soul should take the wings of day
And find some desert? If she springs away,
The wings of vengeance clip as fast as they.
What if some solid rock should entertain
Thy frighted soul? Can solid rock sustain
The stroke of Justice, and not cleave in twain?
Nor sea, nor shade, nor shield, nor rock, nor cave,
Nor silent deserts, nor the sullen grave,

Where flamed-eyed 'fury means to smite,' can save.

FRANCIS QUARLES.

SUBJECT:-The Moral Ends of Christ's Sufferings.

"Ought not Christ to have suffered these things?"-Luke xxiv. 26.

Analysis of Homily the Four Hundred and Eighty-ninth.

THIS is not the only age in which the doctrine of the cross has been a stumbling block and an offence. It was so to the disciples, as soon as Christ began to draw its dark outline upon the background of the picture of His life. It was so contrary to the expectations of Peter, and appeared such an outrage upon the best feelings of his nature, that at the first stroke he took offence, and presumed to rebuke Christ for the attempt. "Be it far from thee, Lord: this shall not be unto thee." In all His intercourse with His disciples Christ could not reconcile their minds to the idea that the cross was the goal of His earthly career. After His death

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they were as much perplexed as ever. The sublime principle involved in their Master's language immediately before His death was still a mystery to them. Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die," &c. To the two disciples while journeying to Emmaus, Christ first drew aside the veil by proposing the question "Ought not Christ to have suffered these things?"

Christ seemed to intimate by this question that if there were not a moral necessity for His sacrificial work; there was a moral congruity between that work and Himself. That there was a sense in which He was under a moral obligation to suffer and to die. Let us look at the subject in this light from four or five points of view. "Ought not Christ to have suffered these things?"

I. TO RENDER THE SALVATION OF THE HUMAN RACE POSSIBLE. The human race by the fall was lost ;-lost in the most direful sense; irretrievably lost, so far as human help was concerned. Christ was the only being that could render the recovery of fallen humanity possible. The only shepherd that could seek out and restore the lost one.

First What a source of mysterious joy was that possibility to God the Father. The heart of Infinite love could not look upon countless myriads of immortal spirits, wandering for ever upon the dark mountains of sin and suffering, and misery and woe, with pleasure. No, nor yet with indifference. Did the father of the prodigal view his departure and contemplate his absence from the parental roof with pleasure and with satisfaction? No, or his heart would not have yearned after him when he first caught sight of him on his return; nor would his joy have been so rapturous when the household met to welcome him home. So with the Eternal Father. The Redemptive work of Christ delighted the Father's heart. "Therefore doth my Father love me because I lay down my life," &c. "God so loved the world," &c. "There is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth." In the family of the redeemed