(Continued from page 132.)

Now, coming to those on the eastern side of Jordan :we have, first, Bezer, nearly always spoken of as "in the wilderness." The word means, apparently, "precious ore." It occurs, and in this identical form, just twice; and that in Job, chap. 22:23-25, where Eliphaz tells Job that if he puts his treasure (bezer) with the dust, and the gold of Ophir among the stones of the brook, (1:e., evidently, trusting not in earthly wealth,) then the Almighty shall be his treasure (bezer),-1:e., true riches (see R. V.). It is closely connected with, and is said to be derived from, "Bazar," which is constantly translated "fenced," "fortified." The idea, evidently, in the word is "riches," "treasure," "gold," looked upon as a source of confidence and strength. The verse quoted in Job gives us much help, for it shows that the word is applied, not only to the fleeting riches of earth, but the true riches,-"the Almighty shall be thy 'precious ore,' thy bezer, (or defense, or wealth)." Then may we not see in Bezer the resources, the wealth, the redeemed have in their Lord Jesus,-that of which they learn more and more as they go along, proving and experiencing the infinite depth of the wealth they have in Him, and so truly able to put other confidence "with the dust, and among the stones of the brook ?"

Bezer, too, is beautiful for situation. If "in the wilderness," it forms a lovely oasis therein. The dear apostle dwelt ever within its borders, and knew its language well. Would we hear its speech ? Then listen to him when addressing the Philippians. " Not that I speak in respect of want; for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, to be content. I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound:everywhere and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound
and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ which strengthened me." And, again, he exhorts us to dwell in Bezer when he says, " Rejoice in the Lord alway; and again I say, Rejoice."

Mark 4:19 is a strong, warning, on the other hand, against wandering from this refuge-city.

Now let us see what we have thus far in these names, and note the admirable correspondence with the summing up of the apostle in the epistle to the Hebrews, in chap. 10:The general thought of security in the idea of refuge itself -that thought so carefully wrought out in the epistle, and summed up in the words " By one offering He hath perfected forever them that are sanctified," and "Where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sins." Then " Kedesh," the holiness of the place to which we are brought,-" Having, therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus."

Then the activities of that place in service, " Shechem,"

-"Let us provoke one another to love and to good works." Then the sweet association thereof in " Hebron,"- "Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together;" and lastly, the wealth-the precious treasure there, which, if I through faith grasp, then I can, as the Hebrews, take with joy the spoiling of goods of earth, knowing that I have "a better and an enduring substance." Surely there is some confirmation of the meanings and significance of the names of these cities in this harmony; nor does it conflict with this that Bezer is in the wilderness.

"Our whole resource along the road,
Nothing but Christ-the Christ of God."

It is there we realize and are made to realize our needs, and there realize how full and complete the resources- the wealth in Him. Wilderness needs cause us to dig for the precious ore, and then we find we have an inexhaustible "seam "of it. In the land, His people drank the water from the rills and brooks and fountains with which it abounded ; but in the wilderness their thirst was only quenched by the Rock that followed them ; and so for every need. Mark, with trembling, that in the end of church-days, the professing church forgets this entirely. She says she is " rich, and increased with goods, and has need of nothing," and knows not that she is "wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked ; she has forgotten the lesson of "Bezer in the wilderness." And, my soul, remember that thou art in these very days,-the spirit of the times in which we live is that:be jealous of any thing that clouds in the least the glory of Christ, or tends to the slightest independence of Him.

Does its being in the " plain " further harmonize with the significance of humility, dependence?

Ramoth in Gilead out of Gad. The word means, without any doubt whatever, "elevation " or "height," "eminence." " Ramoth," then, must speak to us of the moral superiority or elevation in which the believer in Christ is, -1:e., there is connected with his salvation a moral elevation above the world ; he lives in a higher moral atmosphere,-that is the air faith breathes. Ramoth is, in some sort, the opposite aspect to Bezer ; if the latter speaks of the infinite resources in Christ for the poor pilgrim here in the wilderness, Ramoth speaks rather of his life hid with Christ in God, and of the superiority this gives to all of earth ; hence, to carry on the comparison with the epistle to the Hebrews, of that elevated walk of faith as pictured in Heb. 11:And, my soul, listen to the words of the king of Israel, "Know ye that Ramoth in Gilead is ours?" Alas! it gets so quickly into the enemies' hands, and has been there so long, that we actually forget that it belongs to us at all. But it does. The heights are ours.' If a Christian has learned what Bezer is,-has dwelt there till the resources and wealth he has in Christ have put in their true light all create resources, then is he at Ramoth too, walking, dwelling far above the level of the world in the heights of faith. " Cast not away such confidence," or we too may soon have to ask if Ramoth in Gilead be ours.

Shall we climb the hill-side, and examine Ramoth a little closer. As we reach the summit, and enter our city, we become blessedly conscious of a change of air. Our Lord Jesus Himself told us to expect it when He said, " These things have I spoken unto you that in Me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have-tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world." It is not exactly a change either-the tribulation has not gone; it is only unable to affect the quiet heavenly calm of Ramoth. As one of our own poets beautifully expresses it,-

"It is not that I feel less weak, but Thou
Wilt be my strength; it is not that I see
Less sin, but more of pardoning love with Thee,
And all-sufficient grace. Enough! And now
All fluttering thought is stilled; I only rest,
And feel that Thou art near, and know that I
am blest."

Ramoth is certainly not far from Bezer. One can see how near together they are in Gen. 14:, 15:-"I will not take from a thread even to a shoe-latchet," said Abram:there is surely the moral elevation-the heights of Ramoth. Ramoth is too high for low, earthly motives to influence its people. " Fear not, Abram ; I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward :" there are the divine resources of Bezer.

Nor can the terrors of the tyrant and persecutor reach the heights of our Ramoth. We see this shown in many of its blessed citizens in the record of God's Word, and we recognize the language of Ramoth in the three Hebrew youths when they said, " O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer thee in this matter. If it be so, our God, whom we serve, is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace ; and He will deliver us out of thy hand, O king. But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up." Glorious language this of Ramoth ! But 'tis the privilege of the feeblest believer in our Lord Jesus to speak this language. Ramoth is ours-no one must question that. It is not the language of nature, it is learned in faith's school; nor the courage of nature, it is the grace that is in Christ Jesus that gives it. May we too be strong therein. Amen.

Golan, in Bashan, out of Manasseh. The meaning of " Golan " is given by one authority as " Place of Pilgrimage," or " Exodus," from " Gahlah;" but the meanings to this word are very many,-all of them, however, may be reduced to two-"to uncover or reveal," and "to carry away (generally) captive."The word is used in the former sense in such passages as i Sam. 3:21-"The Lord revealed Himself to Samuel;" Is. 40:5-" And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed;" Ex. 20:26, etc.; and in the latter sense, Jer. 20:4-" And he shall carry them captive," etc. I think the word points, in connection with its position-the last of the cities, to that end of the goal when, in the full light of that day, all shall be revealed and brought to light; for He comes " who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts; and then shall each man have praise from God."The end of the pilgrimage !How happy to find there a word that speaks to us of no sorrow for the path run, no complaint for a life wasted, no disappointment at the goal reached; but, whilst all things revealed, every man to receive " praise from God " !We may well credit, then, those authorities who derive " Golan " from a word signifying " joy," for quite in harmony with its position would this be at the end of the course. The dear apostle longed, therefore, in the language of these cities, to reach Golan, when he said, "Neither count I my life dear unto me, that I may finish my course with joy." Nay, more :may we not reverently say that our Lord Jesus, the Perfect Example of the pilgrim's walk of faith, looked forward to "Golan " when he passed through the shame and suffering of the cross; despising the one and enduring the other, because of the clearness with which He saw that glorious end- " the joy set before Him " ? When we lose sight of Golan, hands and knees sink toward earth (Heb. 13:12). But he who, through grace, knows his blessed security in his Cities of Refuge, and learning the holy lesson of Kedesh, in cleansing himself from all filthiness of flesh and spirit in the fear of God, whilst walking in the fruitfulness of Shechem, the sweet communion of Hebron,-he who joys in his Bezer in the Lord Jesus, and consequently knows well that Ramoth is his, will be apt indeed to be able to see with a clear eye the Golan-the goal of his pilgrimage, and press on thereto with a patient race.

Will any one say that these lessons from these cities are the results of mere ingenuity, and not the distinct intention of the Spirit of God ? Surely this would require more credulity than to recognize the divine intention and design. For as each meaning shows its own beauty and harmony with the whole, so is the probability lessened of such meanings being the result of mere coincidence, until this becomes a sheer impossibility. So if we see further beauty and design in the way these cities are placed, (their very position confirming the meanings,)-three on one side and three on the other side of Jordan,-without controversy, we may have the comfort of the assurance that it is the finger of God, and we may rejoice in the works of His hands. Now there is very distinctly such harmony. We are reminded (and who shall question if it be intentional or not?), with the very first city on the east of Jordan, that it is " in the wilderness." Is it strange, then, that all of these cities bear meanings that may be helpful to us in our journey as pilgrims through the wilder-ness-whether they whisper to our hearts of our resources in Christ, of our peaceful calm elevation in Him amid a restless surging world, or of the blessed joyful goal at the end ? But cross the river of death-Jordan, and who will question the design in the gracious reminder of the character the redeemed shall bear forever-" He that is holy, let him be holy still" (Kedesh),-of the service which death itself only perfect, for there " His servants shall serve Him" (Shechem),-or of that communion only complete when those servants " shall see His face, and His name be in their foreheads" (Hebron) ? F. C. J.