In God's mercy, much of the hidden treasure in this portion of His Word has been. brought to light. Truths therein contained as to the work of Christ and His person; as to Israel's history, whether passing through the great trouble of the future, or entering upon that time of blessing so often dwelt upon in Isaiah and elsewhere; truths as to judgments on the nations, and their future destiny-have been rescued from the obscurity thrown over them by a so-called spiritual interpretation, and the result is a greatly increased knowledge of what is called prophetic truth. Now all this is matter for hearty thanksgiving, nor would one say a word to hinder the acquisition of fresh truths in this direction-nay, the first point we would emphasize is that Christians should study the prophets more constantly and more carefully. Alas! this deadly ignorance! what will arouse God's sleeping people to gather the manna lying within their very grasp ? Dear fellow believer, let us read, let us study our Bibles more!

But our present purpose in calling attention to the study of the prophets is to notice especially their immense importance in disclosing what is of inestimable value in the personal and practical walk. Under the Puritans, indeed, this was almost the sole use to which they were put, as their writings would show. We should see to it that light in other directions does not eclipse what .was already shining-above all, that the dispensational or doctrinal part of God's word does not supplant what is practical. He would never have one side of His truth displace another. Let us, then, look at a few of the truths in the prophets which are of distinctively practical and personal importance.

1. The majesty and holiness of God. The prophet Isaiah enters upon his special service after having had such a view of God's glory as brought him to his face in self-abhorrence (Isa. 6:). Like Job, he had heard of Him by the hearing of the ear, but when his eye saw Him, he abhorred himself and repented in dust and ashes. But our blessed God does not reveal Himself to dazzle or to smite, so we see grace mingling with the glory." It""is only sin which makes us not at home in His presence, and the coal from off the altar speaks to us of a holiness which has found food there, and does not burn but heals the sinner. Sweet type of that work (and the fragrance of His person who did it) in which God's holiness was so vindicated and manifested that it now comes forth to kiss away sin from defiled lips. In Habakkuk (Chap, 3:) we have a most magnificent description of God's majesty.
"His glory covered the heavens, and the earth was full of His praise. . . . His brightness was as the light. . . . He stood and measured the earth, . . . and the eternal mountains were scattered, the everlasting hills did bow." All His enemies are scattered, but though the believer is filled with awe, he says, "Although the fig-tree shall not blossom, …. yet will I rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation." God seen and known in this way becomes an object of worship and reverence. Is there not an awful absence of that fear of God which is not only the beginning of knowledge, but the characteristic of His people at all times? The love which casteth out fear never casts out godly fear. Assurance and trembling go together, as i Pet. 1:and Phil. 2:would show us. Were God ever before our hearts in His holiness and majesty, self-pleasing,-yea, sin in all its forms, could have no place; conscience would be active, the path of obedience would be plain and not difficult to walk in. Nor would joy, liberty, and praise be wanting. But the flippancy, looseness of walk, hastiness of tongue, would be gone. No flesh can glory in His presence. May we not say, "Lord, increase our fear," as well as "Lord, increase our faith"? Then, too, we would go forth to the world with the message of grace, and our word would be with power-we would be a savor of life or of death.

2. The tenderness of God. Perhaps we little realize the tone of tenderness which pervades the prophets. There is so much of holy indignation against. sin, so many warnings of judgment, that we fail, perhaps, to notice the tender pleading that often accompanies the severest denunciations. HOSEA speaks from God's heart to that of His people. In chap, 2:, after describing Israel's unfaithfulness like that of a wife untrue to her husband, and the resulting judgments, God says, "Therefore, behold, I will allure her, and bring her into the wilderness, and speak comfortably to her." (Heb., "to her heart.") What tenderness is here manifested! He cannot let the record of her sins go down without accompanying it with the promise of future blessing. Then, too, when there seems to be a desire to return to the Lord, but not full and deep, how His love pleads! (6:4.) In looking back over Ephraim's past history, "I took them in My arms, but they knew not that I healed them. I drew them with cords of a man, with bands of love. . . . How shall I give thee up, Ephraim?" He cannot, so He will not, execute the fierceness of His wrath. He will roar as a lion, and His people shall follow Him, trembling indeed, but turning from Egypt and Assyria. Again in the fourteenth chapter, the very words of penitence are put in their lips, and God's answer is given in anticipation, " I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely." JEREMIAH, too, that dark book of judgment, has beneath that the pleading of One who would have been a husband to Israel, and who recalls the love of her espousals. Even now, spite of public unfaithfulness, He pleads with her to return. And when still obdurate, the tears of the messenger mingle with the judgment pronounced in God's name. EZEKIEL, in the sixteenth chapter, has a most faithful portrayal of Israel's history under the figure of the unfaithful wife, beginning indeed in the infancy of one to whom God said "live," who, as she grew up, was adorned with His comeliness, but who turned it all to strangers. Faithfully is the dark picture drawn, but we know that every stroke gives pain to a love which .is neither blind nor insensible. After all is laid bare, love triumphs over sin; and we are pointed on to a time when the poor wanderer will be brought back, nevermore to lift the head in pride, and nevermore to dishonor Him who has won her back. How good it is to apply this to one's personal history, and to take that lowly place of self-loathing so befitting those with whom divine tenderness has dealt.

3. Here, too, we must notice how intensely personal and individual God's dealings are. HAGGAI brings a message to us as well as to the returned Jews, when he says "Consider your ways." May we not in this book learn some of the reasons why spiritual prosperity is at a low ebb-each looking after his own house, and letting that of the Lord lie in neglect? "All seek their own, not the things of Jesus Christ." ISAIAH, chap. 58:, exposes the formality of a fast which is such only in name, and stirs up the conscience of any who have an ear to hear, pointing away from religiousness such as the Pharisee afterward boasted in, to the practical fruits of a real experience. This unvailing of all shams is one of the prominent characteristics of the prophets-all is vain except that lowly, broken heart, never despised wherever seen. May we not take to heart that rebuke, "The temple of the Lord are these"? Ecclesiastical assumption and pride, so common, alas! are but a stench in God's nostrils. Our place, like DANIEL’S (chap. 9:), is one of humiliation and confession, a real mourning and a real seeking God's face. He would hear.

4. The buoyant spirit of hope breathing all through these books. Blacker pictures of earth's destiny could not be drawn even by the pessimist. Nations pass across the scene to execute judgment on God's people, or on another nation, only themselves to feel the power of that arm which wielded them as His sword, in their own destruction; but spite of slaughter, famine, earthquake, never for a moment is lost the truth that God's purpose is being fulfilled-that He is above all-convulsions of nations and of nature, unfaithfulness of His people-and that after all disorder peace will at last reign. Let us ever remember this in a day of ruin and reproach like the present, and stand firm.

5. Lastly, the prophets are fragrant of Christ. His person, humiliation, sorrow, death, and coming reign are put before us constantly :had we eyes to see, doubtless we would find much more of Him there. It is by occupation with Christ that we grow like Him, and the spiritual exercise entailed in searching for and finding Him in these books is most beneficial.

But we have only gleaned a few things from these books. What a field do they offer for prayerful research! They were written for a time of failure, and are, therefore, specially appropriate for the present time. Written primarily for God's earthly people, they contain principles for all time. Do we not much need that heart-work,- that exercise which would result from letting these books search and try us?