We cannot (if we are true to God's Word) allow that divisions, such as we see around us, are right in the sight of God. We must not attempt to patch up the rents in our own way. We must not, for instance, set some fancied unity of the Spirit against the unity of the Body, so putting asunder what God has joined together. We can form no alliances based on parts of God's truth, thereby wilfully allowing doctrines which we believe that God has settled to remain as open questions.

But we can sincerely abase ourselves for our part and our fathers' part in what we see around us, and we can thank God for the personal religion of many of those who have gone from us, and submit to be taught by their example and put to shame by their zeal; and so God may see fit to restore to us the best of those we have lost, and to revive His work in our midst.

Tracts for the Christian Seasons.

EIGHTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY.

GOD'S PLEADING IN THE WILDERNESS.

WHEN God brought His chosen people of old out of Egypt, He pleaded with them in the wilderness for the space of forty years. With wonderful love and patience and faithfulness did He plead. One might have thought that, after so manifest a display of God's almighty power as that which the Israelites had witnessed in their deliverance from the land of their bondage,—when the Lord had brought them forth out of Egypt "with a mighty hand, and with an outstretched arm, and with great terribleness, and with signs, and with wonders,”— one might have thought that, after this, little pleading would be needed to make them remember and cleave to the Lord God, who had wrought such great things

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for them. Yet it was far otherwise. history of the Israelites in the wilderness is a history of murmurings, and rebellions, and ingratitude, from first to last. They "regarded not God's wonders in Egypt, neither kept they His great goodness in remembrance." True, when they saw their enemies dead upon the sea shore," then believed they His words, and sang praise unto Him. But within a while they forgat His works, and would not abide His counsel." Again and again by His gracious pleadings did He bring them back from their evil ways; yet again and again did they "provoke Him to anger" by their disobedience and ingratitude. "Many a time did He deliver them; but they rebelled against Him with their own inventions." And in many ways did He plead with them. He pleaded by stern. rebuke, and He pleaded by loving entreaty; He pleaded by startling judgments, and He pleaded by miracles of mercy; He pleaded by patient reasoning, and He pleaded by promises and threatenings. And then, whenever they were "brought down in their wickedness," "He saw their adversity; He

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heard their complaint. He thought upon His covenant, and pitied them according unto the multitude of His mercies." was God's pleading in the wilderness, when He led His people to the promised land. And years went by, and generations passed away, and it was still the same. First under Judges, and then under Kings, there was the same story of stiff-neckedness and disobedience and idolatry on one side, and of gracious long-suffering pleading on the other. Till at last, when no other method of pleading availed, when the measure of their sins and idolatries was full, God, according to His word, suffered His people to be taken captive by their enemies and carried. away to a far-off land. But even there how lovingly, how mightily, how thrillingly, did His pleadings ring in their ears. The most

stirring utterances of His messengers the prophets were spoken to the people during the years of their captivity. It was then that Ezekiel lifted up, at God's command, his voice of thunder, and, "moved by the Holy Ghost," poured forth the Divine pleadings of his majestic prophecy..

And mark how God pleads in this morning's Lesson. His people were not even yet moved to a true and earnest repentance. Still they were ensnared by the wretched idolatries of the heathen nations among whom they dwelt. "They were mingled among the heathen, and learned their works." And many of them desired to cast aside all remembrance of the Lord, and to become even as the heathen themselves. But this God would not suffer. They deserved in very truth to be left to their own evil imaginations, and to be given up to a reprobate mind. But the Lord is "longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance." And in the midst of His rebukes of their idolatry, and of their blasphemous intermingling of heathen rites with His own most holy worship, He tells them that He has even yet pleadings in store for them. "That which cometh into your mind shall not be at all, that ye say, We will be as the heathen, as the families of the countries, to serve wood and stone. As I live, saith the Lord God, surely with a mighty