us.

Philosophy may spoil us, but it cannot sanctify Tradition may lead us into error, but it can give us no certain assurance of our acceptance with God. The world may enslave and ruin us, but it never can exalt us in the eye of God, or add to the joys of our immortality. But in Christ all things are ours. With our hearts firmly grounded in the stabilities of the simple truth as it is in Jesus, philosophy, tradition, the world, everything becomes subservient to our welfare and a minister to our joy: For all things shall work together for good to them that love God.

A Serious Problem.

Eleventh Sunday after Trinity.

WY

Wherefore do the wicked live?-JOB 21: 7.

E need no argument to prove that the wicked do live.

If any are holy and good, they are exceptions to the general mass of mankind. Not only do the wicked live, but they often flourish in all the thrift and luxury of life. There is scarcely one among us who cannot say with David: "I have seen the wicked in great power, and spreading himself like a green baytree." The pampered children of pride and folly are to be found on every side. "They become old, yea, are mighty in power. Their seed is established in their sight with them, and their offspring before their eyes. Their houses are safe from fear; neither is the rod of God upon them."-Why is this?

It is not because they deserve it. The vineyard that produces only wild grapes is justly doomed to desolation. The figtree which continues barren under the tender culture of its owner is rightfully sentenced to be cut down. And how can those deserve to live who spend their being in

dishonoring and wronging Him who made them? God has given them breath to praise Him; but they employ it in folly, cursing, and blasphemy. He has given them powers to comprehend His glory; but they never adore Him. He has given them His Word; but they despise and disobey it. He has sent His Son to die for them; but they contemn Him, and spurn the offers of His Gospel. He is infinitely entitled to their devoutest homage and sincerest services; yet they never subordinate one hearty feeling, thought, or purpose to His holy will. He has nourished and brought them up as His children; yet they only rebel against Him. And if speedy justice were to be meted out to them for one sin of a thousand, they would all sink in a moment to everlasting death. It is not because they deserve it that they live.

Nor is it because God is not aware of their sins and guilt. "Mine eyes are upon all their ways,' saith He; "neither is their iniquity hid." "There is no darkness nor shadow of death where the workers of iniquity may hide themselves."

People generally seek retirement, or choose the solitary place, or select the covert of the night to conceal and hide their crimes. They look carefully on every side to see that there be no witness of their unlawful deeds. But they forget that the all-seeing eye of God is on them all the while,that those sins of secrecy and night had a voice that was heard in heaven, -and that what they thought no one should ever know is all written. down upon the records of eternity. "I know

your transgressions," saith the Lord, "and your many sins." Verily "all things are naked and open unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do." Not because their guiltiness is unknown then do the wicked live.

Nor is it because God is not able to punish them. He who hurled archangels from their sunny thrones cannot be wanting in resources to mete. out justice to rebel men. He who balances the worlds in their orbits and wields the thunders of Omnipotence certainly can be at no loss for power to crush the puny despisers of His authority that crawl upon His footstool. He needs but to speak and it is done; to command and it stands fast. And not because He is impotent to punish do the wicked live.

Nor is it because God is satisfied with them or indifferent to their wickedness. The word is clear and plain on this point. "He is not a God that hath pleasure in wickedness." "He is angry with the wicked every day." "He hateth all workers of iniquity." And the symptoms and tokens of His anger are everywhere to be seen in the judgments which He sends.

Nor do the wicked live because God has never given sentence against them. It is written that "God shall cast the fury of his wrath upon the wicked and rain it upon them." Of every persistent sinner the record is, "Though his excellency mount up to the heavens, and his head. reach unto the clouds, yet he shall perish forever." The decree has gone forth that "the soul that

sinneth it shall die." And it is not because no sentence of condemnation is on the wicked that they live.

Nor is it that God does not mean to execute this sentence. "God is not a man, that he should lie, nor the son of man, that he should repent." Men change and shrink from the fulfillment of their words; but God is forever immutable. His covenant will He not break nor alter the thing that is gone out of His lips. "The counsel of the Lord standeth forever." "He hath sworn, saying, surely as I have thought so shall it come to pass, and as I have purposed so shall it stand." Heaven and earth may pass away, but no jot nor tittle of His word shall pass away till all be fulfilled.

Nor do the wicked live because God needs them. He indeed uses them. Such are his wonderful resources that "He maketh even the wrath of man to praise Him." In his mysterious providence the godless Assyrian became the rod of His anger and the staff of His indignation. The pride, tyranny, and blasphemy of Pharaoh are overruled to the showing forth of His power and the declaration of His glory in all the earth. Even the wrath and malice of those who crucified the Christ were made to open the gates of salvation to a ruined world. And so all the mischiefs of the wicked shall be turned in the end to work the greater glory of His Church and the sublimer happiness of His saints. But still He does not need them.

He can carry on His great purposes with