acid proves it genuine.

11 and 12.--"Lay not thine hand on the lad."

No one spoke to God when it pleased Him to bruise His Well-beloved.

13.--"A ram caught in a thicket."

God cleaves His wood, He is ready, always prepared.

14.--"Call the name of that place,

THE LORD WILL PROVIDE."

What would he have called it before his deliverance? Let us not be too
quick to name events. It may be we shall want to alter if we do.

15-18.--"OBEYED."

Obedience is the joyful mother of children,--children that are born to
bless. He who can always obey will find every step leads to a
throne.--Rev. iii. 21.

These are a few lessons which I shall not do more than name:

I.--GOD'S FRIENDSHIP DOES NOT EXCLUDE TRIAL.

The man who is called the friend of God was told to slay his son.

II.--GREAT JOYS CONTAIN GREAT SORROWS.

The name of this son was Laughter. The more we enjoy a Gift of God, the
more we shall feel it when we are called to part. Hold joys with a slack
hand.

III.--IN GREAT EXTREMITIES LOOK FOR GREAT DELIVERANCES.

The ram is in the thicket all the time.

IV.--GREAT TRIALS WILL YIELD SWEET MEMORIES.

None of Abraham's journeys cost him so many tears as this, and none were
so pleasant to recall.

PERHAPS CALVARY IS THE SWEETEST SPOT ON EARTH TO GOD.

XXVI. OIL FOR LAMPS.
MATTHEW xxv. 1-13.

God's kingdom is imperfect as yet, for it is not said to be like five,
but ten virgins. It is worthy of our careful thought that it is to be
made perfect by contraction, not expansion. The King is to say "Depart!"
as well as "Come!"

We do not attempt anything like exposition of this solemn and yet
charming parable, but rather to notice some of the most easily perceived
truths it discovers.

I.--A Light is better than a Lamp.

All the ten took their lamps. Very likely there was variety in the shape
and material of the lamp, but only five of them had lamps that kept
alight, for some of them had no means of replenishment. For anything we
know, the lamps of the foolish were as good as the others, may-be better,
but the flame and not the frame is the important matter. We cannot have
the power without the form. Grace must have the human material, but we
may have the human without the Divine. Our Bibles, our Prayers, our
Hymns, all these are channels of grace, as the lamp and the wick are
essential to the flame, but the lamp may not be ligh