hrone. Greatly terrified was the man at
this summons. He thought that somebody had been speaking evil of him, or
probably accusing him falsely before his sovereign, and being afraid to
appear unaccompanied before the royal presence, he resolved to ask one
of his friends to go with him. First he naturally applied to his dearest
friend, but he at once declined to go, giving no reason and no excuse
for his lack of friendliness. So the man applied to his second friend,
who said to him:--

"I will go with thee as far as the palace gates, but I will not enter
with thee before the king."

In desperation the man applied to his third friend, the one whom he had
neglected, but who replied to him at once:--

"Fear not; I will go with thee, and I will speak in thy defense. I will
not leave thee until thou art delivered from thy trouble."

The "first friend" is a man's wealth, which he must leave behind him
when he dies. The "second friend" is typified by the relatives who
follow him to the grave and leave him when the earth has covered his
remains. The "third friend," he who entered with him into the presence
of the king, is as the good deeds of a man's life, which never desert,
but accompany him to plead his cause before the King of kings, who
regardeth not person nor taketh bribery.

Thus taught Rabbi Eleazer:--

"On this great and tearful day the angel Samal finds no blots, no sins
on Israel." Thus he addresses the Most High:--

"'O Sovereign Lord, upon the earth this day one nation pure and innocent
exists. Even as the angels is Israel on this Atonement Day. As peace
exists in heaven, so rests it now upon this people, praying to Thy Holy
Name.'

"God hears this testimony of His angel, and pardon's all His people's
sins."

But though the Almighty thus forgives our sins, we may not repeat them
with impunity, for "to such a one as saith, 'I will commit a sin and
repent,' there can be no forgiveness, no repentance."

FEAST OF TABERNACLES

The Feast of Tabernacles begins on the fifteenth day of the seventh
month, _Tishri_ (October), and during its continuance, seven days, the
Israelites are commanded to dwell in tabernacles or booths. This is
designed to keep fresh in their memory the tents with formed their homes
during their forty years' sojourn in the wilderness. The symbols of the
festival are branches of the palm, bound with sprigs of myrtle and
willow, and a citron.

The Lord said, "This is not to be to you