the wind shall not sow; and he that regardeth the clouds shall

Is never to be out of action; we should think

The soul was never put into the body,
Which has so many rare and curious pieces

Of mathematical motion, to stand still.

Virtue is ever sowing of her seeds,

In the trenches for the soldier; in the wakeful study

For the scholar; in the furrows of the sea

For men of that profession; of all which

Arise and spring up honour.

In the morning sow thy seed, and in the evening withhold not thine hand for thou knowest not whether shall prosper, either this or that, or whether they both shall be alike good. Truly the light is sweet, and a pleasant thing it is for the eyes to behold the sun: but if a man live many years, and rejoice in them all; yet let him remember the days of darkness; for they shall be many. All that cometh is vanity.

I saw the little boy, in thought how oft that he

Did wishe of God, to scape the rod, a tall young man to be, The young man eake that feles his bones with paines opprest How he would be a riche olde man, to live and lye at rest; The riche olde man that sees his end draw on so sore, How he would be a boy againe to live so much the more. Rejoice, O young man, in thy youth; and let thy heart cheer thee in the days of thy youth, and walk in the ways of thine heart, and in the sight of thine eyes: but know thou, that for all these things God will bring thee into judgment. Therefore remove sorrow from thy heart, and put away evil from thy flesh : for childhood and youth are vanity.

Ah when did Wisdom covet length of days,
Or seek its bliss in pleasure, wealth, or praise?
No: Wisdom views with an indifferent eye
All finite joys, all blessings born to die :
The soul on earth is an immortal guest,
Condemned to starve at an unreal feast:

A spark, which upward tends by Nature's force;
A stream, diverted from its parent source;

A drop, dissevered from the boundless sea;

A moment, parted from eternity;

A pilgrim, panting for the rest to come;

An exile, anxious for his native home.

Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them; while the sun, or the light, or the moon, or the stars, be not darkened, nor the clouds return after the rain in the day when the keepers of the house shall tremble, and the strong men shall bow themselves, and the grinders cease because they are few, and those that look out of the windows be darkened, and the doors shall be shut in the streets, when the sound of the grinding is low, and he shall rise up at the voice of the bird, and all the daughters of music shall be brought low; also when they shall be afraid of that which is high, and fears shall be in the way, and the almond tree shall flourish, and the grasshopper shall be a burden, and desire shall fail: because man goeth to his long home, and the mourners go about the streets: or ever the silver cord be loosed, or the golden bowl be broken, or the pitcher be broken at the fountain, or the wheel broken at the cistern. Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.

The verdant rising of the,flowery hill,
The vale enamelled, and the crystal rill,
The ocean rolling, and the shelly shore,
Beautiful objects, shall delight no more,
When the laxed sinews of the weakened eye
In watery damps or dim suffusion lie.
Day follows night; the clouds return again
After the falling of the latter rain,

But to the aged blind shall ne'er return
Grateful vicissitude; he still must mourn

The sun, and moon, and every starry light
Eclipsed to him, and lost in everlasting night.

Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher; all is vanity. And moreover, because the Preacher was wise, he still taught the people knowledge; yea, he gave good heed, and sought out, and set in order many proverbs. The Preacher sought to find out acceptable words: and that which was written was upright, even words of truth. The words of the wise are as goads, and as nails fastened by the masters of assemblies, which are given from one shepherd. And further, by these, my son, be admonished: of making many books there is no end; and much study is a weariness of the flesh.

Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.

Hearken, hearken !

God speaketh in thy soul,

Saying, O thou that movest

With feeble steps across this earth of mine,
To break beside the fount thy golden bowl
And spill its purple wine,-

Look up to heaven and see how like a scroll
My right hand hath thine immortality
In an eternal grasping! thou, that lovest
The songful birds and grasses underfoot,
And also what change mars and tombs pollute
I am the end of love! - give love to Me!
O thou that sinnest, grace doth more abound
Than all thy sin! sit still beneath my rood,
And count the droppings of my victim-blood,
And seek no other sound!

PERIOD VI.

FROM THE DIVISION OF THE KINGDOM UNTIL THE
CLOSE OF THE OLD TESTAMENT PROPHECIES.

B.C. 975-400.

A

CHAPTER CLI.

THE KINGDOM DIVIDED BETWEEN REHOBOAM AND

JEROBOAM.

ND Rehoboam went to Shechem: for all Israel were come to Shechem to make him king. And it came to pass, when Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who was yet in Egypt, heard of it, (for he was fled from the presence of king Solomon, and Jeroboam dwelt in Egypt,) that they sent and called him. And Jeroboam and all the congregation of Israel came, and spake unto Rehoboam, saying, Thy father made our yoke griev ous now therefore make thou the grievous service of thy father, and his heavy yoke which he put upon us, lighter, and we will serve thee. And he said unto them, Depart yet for three days, then come again to me. And the people departed.

For the mutable, rank-scented many, let them
Regard me as I do not flatter, and
Therein behold themselves. I say again,

In soothing them we nourish 'gainst our senate

The cockle of rebellion, insolence, sedition,

Which we ourselves have ploughed for, sowed, and scattered,
By mingling them with us, the honoured number.

And king Rehoboam consulted with the old men, that stood before Solomon his father while he yet lived, and said, How do ye advise that I may answer this people? And they spake unto him, saying, If thou wilt be a servant unto this people this day,

and wilt serve them, and answer them, and speak good words to them, then they will be thy servants for ever. But he forsook the counsel of the old men, which they had given him, and consulted with the young men that were grown up with him, and which stood before him: and he said unto them, What counsel give ye that we may answer this people, who have spoken to me saying, Make the yoke which thy father did put upon us lighter? And the young men that were grown up with him spake unto him, saying, Thus shalt thou speak unto this people that spake unto thee, saying, Thy father made our yoke heavy, but make thou it lighter unto us; thus shalt thou say unto them, My little finger shall be thicker than my father's loins. And now whereas my father did lade you with a heavy yoke, I will add to your yoke: my father hath chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions.

At some time when his soaring insolence

Shall teach the people, (which time shall not want,

If he be put upon't; and that's as easy,

As to set dogs on sheep) will be his fire

To kindle their dry stubble; and their blaze
Shall darken him for ever.

So Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam the third. day, as the king had appointed, saying, Come to me again the third day. And the king answered the people roughly, and forsook the old men's counsel that they gave him; and spake to them after the counsel of the young men. Wherefore the king hearkened not unto the people; for the cause was from the Lord, that he might perform his saying, which the Lord spake by Ahijah the Shilonite unto Jeroboam the son of Nebat.

So when all Israel saw that the king hearkened not unto them, the people answered the king, saying, What portion have we in David? neither have we inheritance in the son of Jesse: to your tents, O Israel: now see to thine own house, David. So Israel departed unto their tents. But as for the children of Israel which dwelt in the cities of Judah, Rehoboam reigned over them. And it came to pass, when all Israel heard that Jeroboam was come again, that they sent and called him unto the congregation, and made him king over all Israel: there was none that followed the house of David, but the tribe of Judah only.