The half of all Thy love was never shown;
But we shall know Thee then "as we are known,"

And through eternal ages Thee adore,

O Father, Son and Spirit, evermore!

Y. E. T.

So the Wall was Finished."

URELY any uninspired historian of Nehemiah's work would have written, "Nevertheless, the wall was finished"-finished in spite of the hindrances so

great and so many which had from the very outset attended its building. Had not the patriot-leader of the enterprise, after receiving in Babylon the sad tidings, "The wall of Jerusalem is broken down," spent months in anxiety, watching, and prayer, before he dared to ask his royal master so unlikely a boon as long leave of absence? Then, with the beginning of the wall-building had begun the scorn and mockery of the powerful Sanballat and his companions, changing soon into fierce wrath and violence, so that half the workmen had to stand to arms, while the rest could only build with a sword at their side, and a weapon in one hand while they wrought with the other, and the overseers kept watch day and night. Then, saddest of all, there arose disputings among themselves; next, crafty offers of friendship from their foes. These repulsed, there came threatenings and false accusations, "making us all afraid," says the simple story; followed by the temptation that Nehemiah should deny his God by resort to unlawful, ungodly means of self-protection. Finally, alliance was formed between those on whom he had most relied, and his most bitter foes.

"So the wall was finished." Are we not reminded, as by a parable, of another finished work, the greatest ever wrought on earth-the building of that wall whose name is Salvation, and its gates Praise? Truly it was through trials, conflicts, hindrances, feebly typified in the story

before us, that He who left the glories of His Father's kingdom for the sake of His oppressed and self-destroyed brethren, passed on to the perfecting of His redeeming work, to His triumphant-" It is finished."

And how consistently this principle, " made perfect by suffering,” is seen in all work, in us and by us, which is truly of God! "Our light affliction worketh for us (not "shall give way unto") a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory." Seeming obstacles are in His hand actual needed instruments for the carrying out of His purposes of love towards us.

What He does now we shall know hereafter. Now "He moves in a mysterious way His wonders to perform:" but surely here on earth we may understand, “in part," this use in His hands of things apparently against us.

Does it not strike at the root of that self-reliance natural to every human heart?

As we come in contact with hostile forces (whether in the course of our inner spiritual progress, or in active service for God), each one far more powerful than we are, the truth is brought home to us, " By strength shall no man prevail;" and there follows the laying hold of His strength, the blessed experience that "the weakness of God is stronger than men ;" and we learn to echo from our hearts the psalmist's and apostle's words of faith and hope, "Why art thou cast down, O my soul, and why art thou disquieted within me? Hope thou in God. God is our hope and strength, a very present help in trouble." "When I am weak, then am I strong."

And from such hope in God "in trouble" grows that beautiful fruit of the Spirit, called in Scripture, "patience of hope," a grace so precious in God's sight as to be spoken of in many passages of His Word as the very end of His children's spiritual education. We are to be "strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, unto all patience." "Tribulation worketh patience :" "The trying of your faith worketh patience: let patience have her

perfect work, that ye may be perfect, wanting nothing." And then again this heavenly virtue is mentioned in Scripture as an essential element in all growth in grace, all acceptable service. His people "bring forth fruit with patience :" are to be "ministers of God in much patience," even as "the husbandman hath much patience" who 66 waiteth for the precious fruits of the earth."

For this Spirit-taught patience is no passive attitude of sluggish resignation, but a waiting on God in that spirit of prayer, expectation, obedience, which enables our God, if we may so speak, to perfect that which concerneth us, by morally fitting us to receive His blessings. "The world cannot understand," writes the holy Fénélon, "that patience is a journey to our true end: it fancies that patience means inaction. A struggle maintained patiently is the greatest of blessings, as seen by faith: nor can we hope for this blessing unless we continually look to Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith."

And is not our God greatly glorified before ungodly men, when thus, even by stormy winds and tossing waves, He "bringeth His people to the haven where they would be?" Must not such confess that the Lord which dwelleth on high is mightier than the waves of the sea, however mighty these may be, however horribly they may rage? Even as Nehemiah's bitter assailants "were much cast down in their own eyes," in view of that finished wall: "For they perceived that this work was of God." His strength "made perfect in weakness," that is His glory, and the glory of His people. It shall be fully manifested when the fabric of His Church shall be completed, and He shall bring forth the headstone with shoutings, crying, "Grace, grace unto it." It shall be shown forth in the life-story of every one whose way has been committed unto the Lord; and each separate trial of faith in which the believer has "waited truly," because only" on his God, shall be followed by a feast of thanks and praise as on the dedication-day of that finished wall, whose true maker and builder was God.

Then let us all, when tempted to "judge the Lord by feeble sense," and to cry like one of old, "All these things are against me," take up the joyful trustful strain of the Christian poet:

I

habe ge?"

LOVE my wife with love sincere ;

Above all others she is dear;

For she has borne with me the strife,
The storm and battle of our life;
Has held me up, has cheered me on,

When hope was faint, and strength nigh gone;
Yet in my love what merit lies-

Am I not loved by her likewise?

The children clust'ring round our board-
More dear to me than miser's hoard-

I love them all, from eldest boy
To youngest girl, my pride and joy.
They are the riches I possess,
My treasure and my happiness:
Yet in my love what merit lies-
Am I not loved by them likewise?

I have a friend most tried and true;
Of friends like him there are but few:
His counsel wise, his noble mind,
My heart has guided and refined.
I love my friend, and cannot deem
A prize more great than his esteem ;
Yet in my love what merit lies-
Am I not loved by him likewise?

A GREAT MULTITUDE WHICH NO MAN COULD NUMBER.

And there is one, no friend is he,
But years has been my enemy;
Much wrong I've suffered at his hand;
But, as before my God I stand,
No angry thoughts my bosom move,
But pitying, sorrowing, yearning love.
If in that love a merit lies,

"Jesus, 'tis Thine," my full heart cries.

E. S. H.

"A great Multitude which no man could
number."

HE great multitude. Yes, it was sometimes a dreary thought to me, that great unnumbered throng, that crowd which no man could number; and I one amongst the countless host. I felt a sense of loneliness, of being lost amongst them; but God taught me better.

I was driving out one day in the country, and in a narrow part of the wood met a very large flock of sheep; we had to draw aside, and wait to let them pass; while waiting we entered into conversation with the shepherd, and I remarked, "What a large flock of sheep, and they all look to me just alike." The shepherd turned upon me a look almost of pitying contempt as he replied, "Alike, ma'am! Why, there isn't any two of 'em a bit alike. I knows every one of them apart, just as well as I know my own children; and if there's one of 'em a bit poorly, I venture to say I should see it in a minute when I looked at 'em in the morning." We drove on, and I began to think, "Oh, that is just it. The multitude, all alike to me, with no distinctiveness, but to the Shepherd's eye, every one with its separate interests, each one different, all, and yet each by himself, the special object of the Shepherd's care. I came home and found the verse which tells of the Good Shepherd, who calls "His own sheep by name," yes, each one in that