shined, or the moon walk-lords ing in brightness; And my heart hath been secretly enticed, or my mouth hath kissed my hand: This also were an iniquity to be punished by the judge: for I should have denied the God that is above.Job xxxi. 26-28. St. Simon, St. Jude, each at his appointed time glorifies God in death: He shall enter into peace: they shall rest in their beds, each one walking in his uprightness.-Isaiah lvii. 2. for His mercy en dureth for ever. Who only doeth great wonders: for His mercy endureth for ever. Who by His excellent wisdom made the heavens : for His mercy endureth for ever. Who laid out the earth above the waters : for His mercy endureth for ever. Who hath made great lights for His mercy endureth for ever; The sun to rule the day : for His mercy endureth for ever; The moon and the stars to govern the night : for His mercy endureth for ever. O give thanks unto the God of heaven: for His mercy endureth for ever. O give thanks unto the Lord of lords for His mercy endureth for ever.— Though I walk in the midst of trouble, yet shalt Thou refresh me: Thou shalt stretch forth Thy hand upon the furiousness of mine enemies, and Thy right hand shall save me. The Lord shall make good His loving-kindness toward me yea, Thy mercy, O Lord, endureth for ever; despise not then the works of Thine own hands. We will go into His tabernacle : and fall low on our knees before His footstool. Who remembered us when we were in trouble: for His mercy endureth for ever; And hath delivered us from our enemies for His mercy endureth for ever. By the waters of Babylon we sat down and wept : when we remembered thee, O Sion. As for our harps, we hanged them up upon the trees that are therein. For they that led us away captive required of us then a song, and melody, in our heaviness Sing us one of the songs of Sion. How shall we sing the Lord's song in a strange land? If I forget thee, O Jerusalem let my right hand forget her cunning. If I do not remember thee, let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth : and praying for deliver ance, Behold, they shall surely gather together, but not by Me: whosoever shall gather together against thee shall fall for thy sake.-Isaiah liv. 15. puts her trust in God. That which is done is that which shall be done.Ecclesiastes i. 9. yea, if I prefer not Jerusalem in my mirth. Remember the children of Edom, O Lord, in the day Down with it, down with it, of Jerusalem: how they said, even to the ground. O daughter of Babylon, wasted with misery: yea, happy shall he be that rewardeth thee, as thou hast served us. Blessed shall he be that taketh thy children : and throweth them against the stones. Who smote great kings: for His mercy endureth for ever; Yea, and slew mighty kings for His mercy endureth for ever; Sehon king of the Amorites for His mercy endureth for ever; And Og the king of Basan: for His mercy endureth for ever; And gave away their land for an heritage for His mercy endureth for ever; Even for an heritage unto Israel His servant for His mercy endureth for ever. THE ELEVENTH AND TWELFTH FOUNDATIONS. A Jacinth and an Amethyst. HOU shalt make the breastplate of judgment with cunning work. And thou shalt set in it settings of stones, even four rows of stones. The third row a ligure, an agate, and an amethyst.-Exodus xxviii. 15, &c. And he made the breastplate of cunning work. And they set in it four rows of stones. The third row, a ligure, an agate, and an amethyst.Exodus xxxix. 8, &c. I saw the horses in the vision, and them that sat on them, having breastplates of fire, and of jacinth, and brimstone.-Revelation ix. 17. The wall of the city had twelve foundations, and in them the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb. And the foundations of the wall of the city were garnished with all manner of precious stones. The eleventh, a jacinth; the twelfth, an amethyst.-Revelation xxi. 14, &c. The Ligure is, as many hold, merely a second name for the Jacinth: and whereunto shall the Jacinth be likened ? To flame and fire: which like this noble gem have brilliancy or a glow, and show forth many tints and shades of ruddiness or of golden glory. And as in flame additional harmonies of colour do from time to time break forth; so the Jacinth now and again will be found of a smoky cast, or varying into greenness, sometimes moreover colourless it is endued with adamantine lustre, and in density touches the opposite extremes of transparency and opacity. Submitted to the action of fire the colourless Jacinth changes not; while the red turns pale, the dark becomes white, and certain varieties glow and wax more dense. The Jacinth inhabits rocks; sometimes it is found associated with iron: one could fancy it that substance whereof Job discourses when he saith, "As for the earth, under it is turned up as it were fire,”—for were a flame petrified it might counterfeit a Jacinth. It appears that the name Jacinth was in former times either otherwise or more widely applied than now in our own. In any case the jewel thus designated was supposed so rich in occult powers as to impart strength, obliterate vain suspicion, and enforce just petitions laid before kings. Nor need we ourselves and in very truth lack either strength or reassurance: while in the heartwringing matter of prayer we who have to do with that King of kings, Who, most righteous, weigheth the path of the just, have but to frame our petitions in harmony with His alone righteous Will, to secure and to be certified of their fulfilment : In Thine hand it is to make great, and to give strength unto all. Now therefore, our God, we thank Thee, and praise Thy glorious Name.-1 Chronicles xxix. 12, 13. Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on Thee: because he trusteth in Thee.-Isaiah xxvi. 3. This is the confidence that we have in Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He heareth us: and if we know that He hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of Him. -1 St. John v. 14, 15. |