Is not
the helm of your life in her hands now? Would you love her as you do, if
she had not the reins of your soul in her grasp? If Solomon had known
all that was to follow when he first looked on the daughter of Pharaoh,
he would have died before he would have made her his bride. Let not this
sad story be in any way a prophecy of your future. There are plenty of
women whom to know is to be elevated, and whom to wed would be to
foretaste the companionship of heaven. Wives are often the architects
and the husbands the builders. See to it, that the woman you love does
not make you lay out the foundation of a jail. She may tell you it is a
palace, but neither of you have yet seen the elevation. She only draws
the ground-plan.

There is yet another scene in this tragedy. Solomon, by his folly, lost
his son's estate. God said, "I will surely rend the kingdom from thee."
Rehoboam was the poorer for his father's sin.

OUR CHILDREN BECOME THE HEIRS OF OUR CRIMES.

Some other day, it may be, we will take the story of the son. Let it
suffice to-day that we learn the lesson the Bible would teach us.
Solomon's sun went down in a cloud. It is a disputed question whether
Solomon repented in time to save his soul. There ought to have been no
question as to whether he was in heaven or no. As it is, we don't know
that David has one of his children with him, except the baby boy who died
despite his father's fasting and prayer. Surely no one more than David
will need to have that promise fulfilled--"God shall wipe away all tears
from their eyes." It may be that David has needed to be comforted,
because the builder of the temple is among those who died in idolatry.

Let every father among us bear in mind, that when we neglect prayer, or
give up devotion, because we want the time for seeking gold or any other
idol, we are mortgaging our children's future. Giving up religious
exercises is like cutting down the trees on an estate, the next heir will
know the want of them. No man can be said to be a good father, who, for
the sake of any worldly good, impoverishes the souls of his offspring.
"Turned away his heart after other gods," means turning away the kingdom
of Israel. Sin cannot be separated from sorrow, and this is as true to-
day as it was in the days of Solomon.

XXV. ABRAHAM AND ISAAC.
GENESIS xxii.

1.--"After these things."

What things? See verse 33 in preceding chapter. After Abraham had g