QUES. 1.-Was the forsaking of Christ on the cross that of a holy God breaking communion with the Son of Man, or of the Father withdrawing communion between Himself and His beloved Son? Perhaps it was both ; but some here claim that the former only is true. Could you help us on the subject through Help and Food?

ANS.-That God's delight in His beloved Son never was greater than when upon the cross He cried, "My God, my God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?" we should not have a shadow of a doubt. For He was there, in deepest obedience, laying the foundation upon which God's love and grace could go out to men without hindrance.

We see no reason for the difficulties raised in the subject of your question. There is no need to divide our Lord's person in that way, for at one and the same time God could delight in the devotedness and deepest obedience of His beloved One, -while pouring upon Him the divine judgment which man's sin deserves. It is dangerous to leave out one part of our Lord's person in the solemn work of the Cross. "Great is the mystery of godliness," said the apostle by the Spirit. While contemplating and reverently inquiring into this "great mystery," let God's people be careful lest they offend or fall into error in seeking to reduce unfathomable truths to the level of man's reason.

QUES. 2.-In Deut. 23 :3 it is said :"An Ammonite or a Moabite shall not enter into the congregation of the Lord ; even to their tenth generation shall they not enter into the congregation of the Lord forever."

How can we reconcile this command with the free reception of Ruth the Moabitess in Israel when she came with Naomi? And her reception seems pleasing to God, who even gives her a place in the genealogy of Christ (Matt. 1:5).

ANS.-Ruth 1 :16,17 clears away the difficulty. Her separation from Moab was complete ; she says to Naomi, who had just been testing her two daughters-in-law in the fullest way, "Entreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee:for whither thou goest, I will go ; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge ; thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God:where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried:the Lord do so to me, and more also, if aught but death part thee and me."

She was no longer a Moabitess ; she was an Israelite, and there was discernment enough in Israel to recognize this in her character-and ways. Besides this, God who reads men through and through, saw in her a devoted soul, truly won to Him from her idols and her people, and He gave her a place of special honor.

QUES. 3.-There seems to be such scripturally conclusive evidence that, as Jonah was three days and three nights in the fish, Jesus Christ would be three days and nights in the grave (settling beyond any doubt that the crucifixion of our Lord did not occur on Friday, but on Wednesday before the " Sabbath"-which was to be celebrated that year on a Thursday ; not meaning, of course, the Sabbath, which was the last day of the week), that we wish to ask:Why should one cavil about it, or refuse to receive a truth of that nature ?
ans.-Doubtless it is "settled beyond any doubt" in your mind, and you see insurmountable difficulties in the way of putting it on Friday ; yet all Christendom has held it all along to have been on Friday. While we may not accept a thing because the mass hold it to be so, we should give it due weight, in matters of history especially.

It is remarkable that in all our Lord's history, the one event which admits of no discussion is the time of His resurrection-in the early hours of "the first day of the week " (Mark 16 :9). Sweet day for all who know His grace ! A day not for rest, though it does give rest:not for usual occupation, for it is the Lord's day; to be spent especially with Him, and used for Him and His interests on earth. Some who know it is not the Sabbath, would use it for themselves as a common day of the week, but this Is not love to the Lord, whose day it is.

We would commend to you the article, "The Last Passover," in Dates and Chronology of Scripture (pages 88-95), which reviews this subject in a careful and dispassionate way. It may be had from our publishers, price 50 cents. Luke 24 :21 seems to us a strong evidence as to the day of the crucifixion :"To-day is the third day since these things were done." Count backward:Lord's day, Saturday, Friday.

QUES. 4.-Many, many thanks for your letter answering my question. How good is the fellowship of saints, giving us such refreshment in intercourse with each other! And now another question, in which others beside myself are interested. We have no meeting here, and no one to give us instruction, but we have a ladies' Bible Class once a week, to acquire what knowledge we can. At our last meeting the question of fear came up and one of the company said there was no fear to a child of God. The others, however, brought up various scriptures which speak of fear. Is there not, perhaps, difference to be made in being under law or under grace?

ANS.-There are different reasons for fear, and different kinds of fear. A servant, apprehensive of dismissal, has fear. He dreads being set adrift without shelter and without friends. Your child, who loves you dearly, fears to do anything that would displease you, but has no fear of being sent away. His fear is a very different one from the servant's. Just so in our relations with God. If we realize our state as sinners without knowing His grace, we fear, we dread His presence. But when we have learned His grace and His "perfect love" (1 John 4:16-19), all fear as to our relationship with God is gone, leaving us with only the loving fear of displeasing Him.

Of course, under law, the place of sons before God cannot be realized and enjoyed, for law condemns if we do not what it commands, or do what it forbids; so the sense of guilt is in us, and we fear. But once we have received Christ as our Saviour, and are thus under grace, all is changed:our guilt is gone, our sins forgiven, God dwelleth in us and we in God (1 John 4 :15). His bosom is our home, for, as in psalm 32, we hide no more from God but in God. Who can make us afraid there? The Lord bless and help all the members of your class in their endeavors to acquaint themselves with the word of God. Let prayer and the counting upon the Lord for enlightenment characterize your meetings.