scribed by law. Nor is a man allowed to redress his own wrongs in his own way. He must take such redress as the law gives, or have none. An absent clause, want of a seal, or some apparently immaterial form, has changed vast estates. Men exist whose duty is to teach in all these matters. And the maxim of law is, "Ignorance of law is no excuse to any man." Before men act in the affairs of this lifebuy, sell, or meddle with the affairs of their neighbors-they must consult the statutes, and know what they may and may not do. A New York gentleman died some time since, and left an estate of a million of dollars, to be disposed of by will. But some informality in the will caused it to be set aside by the courts, and the disposal of this vast property was changed entirely.

Religion comes to us in the Word of God. "Search the Scriptures" is the command.

"This is the judge that ends the strife

When wit and reason fail,

My guide to everlasting life

Through all this gloomy vale."

The Word of God shows us the way of salvation. It teaches us what we must do to be saved, on whom believe, and what life we must lead. It is idle to object to such strictness, for we must do God's work in his way, and ask that way at his hands. If we would enjoy the fruits of the earth, we must not only labor, but labor and sow in good soil, and in due season. The work of May can not be done in January, because we feel like it at that time. The "time to

SOW "is the only one to cast the seed into the furrow.

To bless and save men, God has set certain instrumentalities in the 'world. All reforms, all human elevation, all attempts to raise up degraded humanity, without those, are in vain. The Church, the Bible, the Sabbath, the living ministry, are God's chosen instruments: all beside these are carts for the ark of God. Men malign the Church of God, and count the ministry a vain thing and foolishness. But God has chosen this instrumentality to save men. He chose it out of all the world, and has perpetuated it for eighteen centuries. What have men gained who have broken away from those? Where are their monuments? No permanent reforms, no institutions of humanity, no schools or hospitals, have they founded who are enemies to these. The path of human reform, aside from the Bible, is studded with dead. Uzzahs, who lay beside the new cart on which they have attempted to carry the ark of God. What religion can not do, can not be done by man. All departures, all royal roads and new schemes, that have not in them the cross of Christ, will lead where Uzzah's work led him to death.

We live in an age of experiment. Men who are not swift to do the will of God are swift to do what God does not demand. Uzzah took no thought to ask the Lord how he would have him act, but was quite ready for the expense and labor of a new cart. Men have "better things" than the Gospel-more "costly, efficient schemes" for human elevation than the Bible. As of old, "they promise us liberty

while they are the servants of corruption." Against the social life of the Bible they place Fourierism; against the work of the spirit they place spiritrapping and table-tipping; against regeneration and a solid piety they place "promises of life to the wicked, though they turn not from their wicked ways and live." But such bear not the sign-manual of the King. It is the work of Uzzah, putting the ark of God on a new cart. We want the old paths, and for these we must "stand in the way and inquire for the old ways, and walk therein."

XXI. THE MOUNT OF OFFENSE; OR, PERILS OF

AGE.

"Where is the strength that spurned decay,

The step that rolled so light and gay,

The heart's blithe tone?

The strength is gone, the step is slow,
And joy grows weariness and woe.
When age comes on.

"Our birth is but a starting-place,

Life is the running of the race,
And death the goal.

There all those glittering toys are brought;
That path alone, of all unsought,

Is found of all."

THE Mount of Olives has three summits. On one of these the most southerly-Solomon committed his great offense, from which the eminence takes its name. Of this matter the Sacred History makes the brief but graphic record: "King Solomon loved many strange women of the nations concerning which the Lord had said, Ye shall not go in unto them. It came to pass, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned away his head after other gods; and his heart was not perfect with the Lord his God, as was the heart of David his father. He builded altars, and sacrificed to the abominations of the Moabites, the goddess of the Zidonians, and the abominations of the Ammonites." A part of the Mount of Olives was included in the royal gardens, and this fact may

explain why Solomon chose the spot opposite the temple on Moriah as the place of his apostasy and idol worship.

There is a marked and sad contrast between the youth and age of Solomon. At the early age of twenty-six years he ascended the throne of David. It was a splendid throne, and he a splendid monarch. It was a time of profound peace. His kingdom was fortified. He was on good terms with all the kings of the earth. He was appointed king by his father. His appointment was hailed with acclamation by the whole nation. Riches multiplied in the city as dust in Jerusalem. He was a young man, rich and handsome. He had a noble position. No element of a brilliant career was wanting. He had power, position, wealth, and taste. He had all the appliances of success. He possessed a painter's eye and a poet's fancy. God gave him wisdom exceeding that of all His decision filled the people with awe, and the rulers who came from afar to hear his wisdom counted even his servants happy who attended on his steps. He was allowed to build the temple to the Lord on Moriah. He dedicated it as king and priest. God accepted the gift, and filled the house with his presence. He knew that unaided he could not rule so great a people. He supplicated aid from on high. God came down to him. He gave him wisdom and a large heart, and made him a model ruler and a finished monarch. When he was old, he forsook the God of his fathers, and bowed down to idols. He deserted the altar of Jehovah, and soiled his fair fame. He formed alliances with the heathen women, which

men.