QUES. 7.-In what way especially do yon think that David was a man after God's own heart?

ANS.- In his steadfast trust in God, shown by his ready obedience. In that he always justified God and took sides with Him against himself. In that he submitted patiently, without murmuring, to His discipline.

His obedience and trust in God are so marked that, as in the ease of Saul's life, which be could easily have taken and gotten the kingdom, he could patiently wait for God's time and way, though it involved much suffering and reproach for him. In result he became so acquainted with God that God's praises filled his heart, and, breaking out of his lips, refresh and strengthen God's people to this distant day.

We must not confound "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased," spoken over the head of the blessed Son of God, with "a man after Mine own heart," spoken of one whose perfection was to know how to hide in that same "beloved Son" of whom David prophesied.

QUES. 8.-Will you kindly give your thought on Rom. 11:12:"If the fall of them (the Jews) be the riches of the world, and the diminishing of them the riches of the Gentiles-" Why in one clause the riches of the world, and in the other the riches of the Gentiles f In our meeting for the study of the Epistle the above verse attracted our attention, and we failed to understand the difference between Gentiles and the world.

ANS.-The fall of Israel is the riches of the world:As long as Israel was acknowledged of God as His people on earth, the proclamation of God's glad tidings to all, indiscriminately, was hindered. Our Lord Himself said, " I am not sent but to the lost sheep of the house of Israel." Their fall, then, became the riches of the world, according to Isa. 49:4-6, and Matt, 28:19, 20; Mark 16:20. But Paul was the minister to the Gentiles, the minister of the Church-the mystery revealed through him (Rom. 11:13; Col. 1:24, 25). This is the Gentile aspect of the testimony for God which the olive-tree represents. So; then, Israel's " diminishing " (there is yet a little remnant according to the election of grace) is the riches of the Gentiles now-that is, the plenitude of the heavenly blessing-the Church's blessing, in contrast with the earthly blessing of Israel.

" The world," then, stands in contrast with Israel as to the extent of the blessing ; "the Gentiles," as to its character.

QUES. 9.-Is the supper in John 12:2 identical with that in Matt. 26:6, and in Mark 14:3? Is there anything more known of " Simon the leper"? Was he connected in anyway with Martha, Mary, and Lazarus?

ANS.-Yes, we believe it is the same in each passage you refer to. Each passage, taken with its context, shows it to be at the very close of our Lord's ministry-near the time of His death.

We know of no other reference in Scripture about this Simon. One of the same name is referred to in Luke 7:, but is evidently another person, and the occasion a different one.
Save that he lived in the same village (Bethany) with Martha, Mary and Lazarus, and that he seemed to share their affection for the Lord, nothing more is said of him that we know.

QUES. 10.-Is the ordinance of Baptism figurative of resurrection as well as of death? Do not such scriptures as Col. 2:12; Rom. 6:3, 4; 1 Peter 3:21, teach this? The putting under the water is figurative of death ; is the coming out of the water equally significant? or, is the figure completed in burial, and the power of resurrection attributed to the Spirit's operation ?

ANS.-Col. 2:12 is the only passage we know in the Scriptures which associates resurrection with baptism ; but, as is well known, it is a question of translating the Greek words έv as correctly translated by "in whom," as "in which." We believe that the burden of the whole passage from the beginning of the chapter shows that the rendering "wherein" in the 12th verse should be "in whom," referring to Christ Himself, and not to baptism. In Rom. 6:3, 4, it is Christ who is risen, not the baptized person. In 1 Peter 3:21 Noah's ark passing through the judgment is the figure of the baptism through which Christ passed on the cross, by which we are saved, of which water baptism is also the figure. Christ rising out of this judgment proves our salvation completed, and gives us therefore "a good conscience."

We quite agree with your expressed thought that the purport of baptism is ended when the person is under water, though it is with resurrection in view.

Other questions remain, which will find place, D. V., in our next issue.