Ignorance of God and strength of animal appetite are the two primal founts of ungodliness. Animal appetite is, in order of time, the first source of vice; but as the understanding opens to receive knowledge, this source of evil may be checked. To this end God deigns to make himself known. A clear vision of God is a strong antidote to evil propensity. Faith in God is the great regenerative principle. Therefore, through the procession of the ages, God has been revealing his qualities and excellences to our race. From this passage we learn -

I. THAT GOD REVEALS HIMSELF AS THE ACTIVE RULER IN HUMAN AFFAIRS. Such men in Chaldea as had faith in their idols would attribute the prosperity of their kingdom and their success in war to the power of their deities. Others, and probably the larger portion, would conclude that military fortunes were matters of chance, and that the gods took little, if any, interest in the affairs of men. Human industry, sagacity, and courage, - these seemed then, as now, the main factors in success. The general impression was that the gods lived in remote serenity, sublimely indifferent to the needs and strifes of men. Unbelief, violence, and stoicism followed. Our God took pains to dispel this mistake. The living God takes a Fatherly interest in every man - in his personal, domestic, and national concerns. Not a hair of his head can be touched without the cognizance of God. He administers joy and sorrow, success and disappointment, with judicious care. The God of heaven manifests a friendly activity in all human affairs, as great as if this globe were the sole object of his care. "In all our afflictions he is afflicted."

II. THAT GOD REVEALS HIMSELF AS THE REAL FOUNT OF ALL BLESSING. It Was God's endeavor to make it clear to the world that Israel's prosperity was Jehovah's gift; that Israel's exile was the effect of Jehovah's anger. When Israel escaped from Egyptian bondage, plainly it was by the interposition of Jehovah. Their successful march through the desert was due to the leadership of God. Their triumphal march through Canaan was widely attributed to the personal power of Jehovah. As often as they loyally served him he smiled upon their fields and gave them prolific harvests. As often as they forsook him disaster befell them. If they asked his guidance he directed them in the choice of a King. From his hand they had personal liberty, just laws, beneficent government, agricultural plenty, national security, and the joys of ennobling religion. He taught their "hands to war, their fingers to fight." Unless the Hebrews were as blind as a door-post, they must have perceived that every good they had came from the liberal hand of Jehovah. To them he was the Fountain of life.

III. THAT GOD REVEALS HIMSELF TO THE WORLD AS THE WORKER OF RIGHTEOUSNESS. "The heathen shall know that the house of Israel went into captivity for their iniquity." We must never lose sight of the fact that God had raised up Israel specially to reveal to the world the righteousness of God. The Hebrews were ordained to educate the world in the truths and principles of righteousness. They were appointed to be par excellence a moral people, a nation in whom conscience was highly developed. The gods of paganism were renowned for strength and for cunning. The idea of righteousness they had not deified. Hence Jehovah was concerned to be known as essential purity. To him sin is intolerable - the root of all discord and all misery. The exile was no haphazard. It was Divine punishment for grievous sin. Defeat in war was the rod of God's righteous anger. Hence also the Jewish subjugation would not be permanent. The element of life was in the people still; and, as soon as repentance and moral renovation appeared, return to independence and to Palestine followed. It was a moral discipline.

IV. THAT PREVIOUS REVELATIONS OF GOD WERE PREPARATORY TO THE GREAT REVELATION OF HIS GRACE. "Therefore thus saith the Lord, Now will I... have mercy upon the whole house of Israel, and will be jealous for my holy Name." The glory of God is his compassion - pure, unstinted, self-sacrificing love. To Moses, who craved to see God's glory, the responding voice proclaimed, "The Lord God, merciful and gracious." Micah asked, in profound surprise, "Who is a God like unto thee?" In what respect did he mean? In the splendors of his kingly state? In the might of his arm? In the range of his government? Nay. "Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, transgression, and sin?" Herein lies the central excellence of Jehovah, viz. that, providing for the violated interests of justice by his own suffering, he freely forgives, renovates, and uplifts the guilty sons of men. Men have not seen the full significance of his Name, nor conjectured the dazzling radiance of his goodness, until they have seen his mercy - seen him as the Healer of the fallen. But his mercy is a righteous mercy. Whom he pardons, he purifies. Righteousness is the foundation on which he erects the magnificent structure of his grace. So far as we know at present, this is the climax of his self-revelations.

V. THAT THE PERPETUAL ENJOYMENT OF HIS FAVOR IS GUARANTEED BY THE GIFT OF HIS SPIRIT. "Neither will I hide my face any more from them; for I have poured out my Spirit upon the house of Israel, saith the Lord God." The possession of prosperity and blessing outside a man depends upon the state of feeling and desire within a man. And a right state of mind Godward is secured to the genuine Israelite by the indwelling of God's mighty Spirit. If men cannot withstand temptation in their native and unaided state, God will not leave them to themselves. As the supreme culmination of all blessing, God will impart himself to humble, suppliant men. He will weave his own Spirit into our spirit. He will unite himself with us by indissoluble bonds - will pour his life into the empty channels of our nature. His great salvation is first internal, then external. We cannot miss our highest destiny if God, by his Spirit, be within us. Then, surely, we have the highest guarantee of safety, elevation, and noble joy. We shall be renovated in the very root-principles of our nature, molded into a higher life by the silent workmanship of his Spirit. His mercy will never forsake us. - D.

There is much mystery about the Prince of Meshech. Anyhow, there was much terror spread by him and his people when they overran Israel. Malicious intentions were fostered by the prince. Many things came into his mind, and among them a special "evil thought." His intention was to go up against the defenceless, "to take a spoil and to take a prey." God rebuked him and threatened that "Divine fury should come in his face." Evil thoughts reveal our characters and bring Divine condemnation. God looks at the thoughts, and measures the man by his thoughts. All men have a character of some sort. It is something that attaches itself to us as closely as our shadow. We cannot separate ourselves from the one any more than from the other. The general tone of the thoughts determines the real character, whether of the Prince of Meshech or a peasant of the mountains.

I. THE CONSTITUENTS OF A REALLY STERLING CHARACTER.

1. In a man of real worth there will be transparency of life. He will be easily seen through, — not in the sense of being detected, but of being so upright that there shall be nothing wrong to detect. Some only pretend to be transparent, like the cobwebbed, unwashed, dust-covered window, opening into some close alley. These affect an openness of life, and yield to practices of which it would be a shame to speak. Others are transparent, because pure; and are like the beautiful rose window in the Cathedral at Amiens, where there is such a charming combination of colours that even the sun's rays passing through it are tinged with a brighter glory.

2. In the man of sterling character there will be a ready recognition of the supremacy of conscience. Too many have double consciences, one for church life, the other for commerce; one for the sanctuary, the other for the shop and the counting house. They forget that that which they approve in the one must be carried out in the other. If they have principles, let them cling to them; if they claim to be men of sterling worth, let them bow ever before conscience.

3. In the man of sterling character there must ever be a recognition of the value, and the actual possession of real piety. Morality apart from reverence for God is self-glory. It may even produce pride. Pride generally takes up its abode where piety is not enshrined. Pride hides from us our real state in God's sight. Pride hinders from the acceptance of the Gospel of love and mercy.

4. The man of sterling character must love truth and purity for their own sake. To be good because it brings gain, or pious because it pays, or religious because it is respectable, is hypocrisy. There are inseparable advantages attaching to the possession of good character. Solomon said, "A good name is better than precious ointment." The Divine approval will be followed by men's approval, and in this the reward of character will come. But apart from this, we should seek to be true, noble, and pious, for the sake of goodness and truth itself.

II. THE WAY IN WHICH TRUE PIETY OF CHARACTER MAY BE OBTAINED. The desired possession will not be obtained as by some "lucky stroke of business." It must grow. To obtain it among our fellows is easy when we deserve it. A steady course of uprightness and purity will bring it. We must not be spasmodic in our goodness. We must watch little things, avoid habits that offend in the slightest degree. Getting rid of these things, we must retain our individuality. We must not measure ourselves by other persons, and think because we live just after the same manner, and on the same moral plane as some others, that therefore we are good enough. There are higher possibilities in the nature of each. There is room for, and should be enthusiasm — enthusiasm for the truth, for the welfare of humanity, for the glory of God our Father, and of Christ our Saviour. The Prince of Meshech had those around him who were ready to approve his dastardly intention, when he said, "I will go up," etc. The mind is coloured by the thoughts and sayings of those surrounding us, even as the lake is blue or greyish according to the qualities of the mountains down the sides of which the streams and torrents flow that fill it. How important then that we should seek to associate chiefly with Christians, and ever keep ourselves surrounded by Christian influences. There is a Persian fable which tells us that a man one day picked up a piece of scented clay, and said to it, "What are you; are you musk?" "No, I am only a poor piece of clay, but I have been near a beautiful rose, and it has given me its own sweet smell." Keep, therefore, in the society of the good, and live as near as possible to Christ, and then you will gain such purity and nobility of nature that the world will take knowledge of you that you have been with Him. Let me say that we should beware of seeking to build up character in our own strength. Christ's example, Christ's sacrifice, Christ's pardon, Christ's help, Christ's love, Christ Himself, in the fulness of His power, these form the only true and safe foundation.

(F. Hastings, M. A.).