who changes not. It should be, for the whole nation, the sure mercies of David. OBADIAH. Edom is frequently spoken of in the prophets. This people who, as well as Jacob, were descended from Isaac, had an inveterate hatred to the posterity of the younger son, who were favoured as the people of the Lord. Psalm cxxxvii. tells of this hatred, in the seventh verse. In Psalm lxxxiii. Edom forms a part of the last confederacy against Jerusalem, the object of which was to cut off the name of Israel from the earth. Ezekiel xxxv. dwells upon this perpetual hatred, and the desire of Edom to possess the land of Israel. Our prophet enlarges upon the details of the manifestation of this hatred, which burst forth when Jerusalem was taken. It is possible that there was something of this sort when Jerusalem was taken by Nebuchadnezzar. Edom is united with Babylon, in Psalm cxxxvii., as the inveterate enemy of Jerusalem. But it is evident that the prophecy extends to other events. Jerusalem shall again be attacked by these Gentiles, who seek to satiate their hatred to the city of the Lord, and to gratify their ambitious purposes. Edom plays a sorrowful part on this occasion, and its judgment is proportioned to its sin. The nation is entirely cut off. When the rest of the world rejoice, the desolation of Edom shall be complete. Edom had purposed to take advantage of the attack of the nations upon Jerusalem, to possess itself of the land, and had united with them to take part in the attack, by lying in wait-as was natural to a people whose habits where those of the Arab tribes-to cut off the retreat of the fugitives, laying hands, when possible, on their substance, and giving them up also to their enemies. The men of Edom knew not that the day of the Lord was upon all the nations, and that this conduct would but bring down an especial curse on their own heads. Their judgment is thus described: God takes away their wisdom, their pride deccives them, their strength fails them, in order that they may be entirely cut off. We have seen them joining the last confederacy against Jerusalem, and taking part in the destruction of that city; but it appears that their confederates deceive them (verse 7); and Edom, thus ill-treated by former allies, becomes "small among the heathen" (verses 1, 2). The nations are the first instruments of the Lord's vengeance. But another, and yet more terrible event, is linked with the name of Edom, or Idumea, and is the occasion of the Lord's judgment falling upon that people. It is in Edom that the armies of the nations will be assembled in the last day. We have the account of this in Isaiah xxxiv. and lxiii. (See Isaiah xxxiv. 5, 6), the rest of the chapters displaying the judgment of desolation in the strongest possible language. Isaiah lxiii. shows us the Lord Himself, returning from the judgment, having trodden the wine-press alone, of the people there were none with Him. Finally, Israel itself shall be an instrument in the hand of the Lord, for the judgment of Esau (Ob. 18). The destruction in Isaiah relates especially to the armies of the nations, who, in their movements, find themselves assembled in Edom. The part which Israel takes in the judgment, is on the people in general; and, I suppose, afterwards, when Christ is at their head as the Messiah (comp. verses 17, 18, and Isaiah xi. 14), appears to confirm this view of the passage. At all events, it takes place after Israel's blessing. That none shall be left of Edom, is also declared in Ob. 5, 6, 9, 18; Jer. xlix. 9, 10-22; and it will be observed, that there is no restoration of a remnant, as in the case of Elam and others. A part of the latter prophecy, establishes the same facts as that of Obadiah, in nearly the same words. The same judgment is pronounced in Ezekiel xxxv., and in Isaiah xxxiv., already quoted. We see in these chapters, as well as in Isaiah Ixiii., that it is the controversy of Jerusalem, that the Lord pleads with Edom (Ezekiel xxx. 5, 11, Isaiah xxxiv. 8.; lxiii. 4). In these passages, the Lord does not forget His thoughts of love towards Zion, and His people. He closes the prophecy of Obadiah with the testimony of the effect of His call to repentance, of His unchangeable faithfulness to his promises and unwearying love. Power and might against those formidable enemies, should be given to Israel, who should in peace possess the territory which their enemies had invaded. Deliverance should be on Mount Zion, from thence Mount Esau should be judged, and the kingdom should be the Lord's. As corrupt power had been judged in Babylon, so in Edom hatred to the people of God. FRAGMENTS. GRACE, free, full, generous, large-hearted mercy and forgiveness, "the kindness of God," is the leading idea in Christianity. And there is no spring of virtue or of service like this. If an aggrieved one were to come to the man that had injured and insulted him, and stretch out his hand, and declare his full and hearty forgiveness, and desire for reconciliation, what would so bind the man to him as this? What would establish pure, happy, abiding friendship between them like this? Yea, and what would honour and gratify the offerer of all this like its ready acceptance by him who had offended? And this is found in Christianity. Nay, this is its first great element the salvation of God, published on the atonement, He Himself has perfected. "To every proselyte, at first admission, Full innocence it lends; whate'er his crimes Gambold's Martyrdom of Ignatius. We may oft learn by the failure of others. Among the reformers, Calvin was remarkable. Of sufficient integrity of heart, through grace, to honor profoundly the word of God, and of energy sufficient to give origin to a system,-in theory, he recognized in many respects the truth of the ministry. In practice, he formed for himself a system adapted to circumstances and to his own peculiar character. More light entered-the word was searched. The energy of the Holy Spirit was in action; and that which Calvin had created as a system, no longer answers either to the creative energy of its author, or to the wants produced by the Holy Spirit. Those who, urged on by the Holy Spirit, have searched the Word, have found themselves, while following the Word and the principles and truths which Calvin himself had found therein, outside of His system in many respects. They followed the Word and not the system. Of course, thenceforth they became objects of attack. They were innovators, etc., etc. May Grace keep us free from all systems of our own, and diligent in the study of the Word. 36 No. II. MATTHEW XVI. "Every plant that my heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted up" (Matt. xv. 13). A BETTER understanding of this profound principle would keep many souls within the bounds of humble caution in all the differences and debates that occur concerning the Church and her truth, and all that relates to the name of Christ. Christ watches the Father's action, to guide Himself by it, and sees all salvation rest on it. "None can come to me unless the Father draw him."—" I came not to do my own will, but my Father's.". "Him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out;" "I will raise him up at the last day."-" Of those that THOU hast given me I have lost none." This plain truth of the FATHER'S planting unto salvation, will be found to be the secret of the largely-debated place in this chapter. Nor have I seen the explanation of its difficulties cast upon this truth. I pray God that the suggestion of it may prove a safeguard and enlivener to some. I am sure that some most fully taught of God must have seen it. I have never seen it in common use. It will be serviceable to trace the place from its plain points. "The gates of hell shall not prevail.' Hell is here HADES, the same word as Grave in the sentence, "O Grave, where is thy victory?"--a parallel passage! Now, therefore, figuratively, the judgment of death, or, in a natural sense, the gates of the grave, shall not prevail against the Church, i.e., it shall rise! Glorious and blessed truth-truth of comfort and glory! We may now trace from this expression an elucidation of the rest of the place. Shortly, then, Simon, thou son of Jonah -thou natural man, and son of a natural man-blessed art thou, for my Father has revealed to you that I am the Christ, the ever-living Son of the Father, for it is tantamount to this. Flesh and blood have not, and could not have, communicated this in the knowledge you have of it. I recognise my Father's act, and I say unto thee, THOU ART PETER, and on this rock I will build MY Church. It is not, observe, God founding His Church on Christ, making Christ the ROCK, but the Son founding His Church on the Father's action. The Son discovers the Father's hand in revealing Him as Christ to Simon; and in obedience, He takes the Father's act as the foundation (as was needful) of a Church which He was to lead to the Father. "As my Father knows me, so know I the Father." The confession of the Son revealed of the Father founding a Church, against which the gates of the grave, or the judgment of death, shall not prevail. IT SHALL RISE. It is a plant planted in life eternal by the Father, through faith of the Son of God. The expression here changes. "I will give thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven," was on a new ground. It was not the keys of heaven that he had, but of the kingdom of heaven. This is entering entirely on a new line of declaration. Simon was now Peter, by the direction of the Father's act, and by the Son's appointment; the first to receive the truth as it is in resurrection and eternal life-the first in ready devotion to the person of the Son. For in the confession of His person he failed not, but through the disappointment of secondary hopes. To him, therefore, was given to open the door to Jew and Gentile, to confession of Christ's name. The keys were not given to the twelve, except as the general term of sending may imply it in John xx., but the power of binding and loosing was, and in a yet more extended point of view in John xx. The order of this gift to Peter is, in kind, still manifest. To whom would you say is entrusted the breaking of new ground, and introducing confession, but to those to whom the Lord is specially dear, and have received remarkable apprehension of the truth of Christ from God. All, however, is presently reversed. Peter was yet resting, not on resurrection, but on present hopes. The hopes of man, as he might have had them, had he received Christ instead of slaying Him. Peter would dissuade |