welfare, and sympathising with their misfortunes, for which he anxiously sought redress. Wide-spread depravity had caused the misery they were lamenting. Earnest repentance and humble prayer might bring back the Divine grace which they had forfeited. The prophet, therefore, thus exhorted his hearers: Blow the trumpet in Zion, sanctify a fast, call a solemn assembly; gather the people, sanctify the congregation, assemble the elders, gather the children, and those that suck the breasts; let the bridegroom go forth of his chamber, and the bride out of her closet. Let the priests, the ministers of the Lord, weep between the porch and the altar, and let them say, Spare Thy people, O Lord, and give not Thy heritage to reproach, that the heathen should rule over them: wherefore should they say among the nations, Where is their God? Then will the Lord be zealous for His land, and pity His people.'

And now for the first time, the theme, so often recurring in the later prophets, is introduced; in opposition to the servile observance of the ritualism so carefully fostered by the priesthood, Joel insisted upon inward purity and upon sincerity of devotion. And in this respect he rose above the great men who had preceded him: while these had merely declared the will of God, and had set forth the inevitable consequences of defiance to that will, he showed his people how to follow the Divine behests under all circumstances, and in all emergencies of private and public life. In one short sentence he gave his hearers the keynote to all true repentance, and to the highest form of religion. Rend your heart and not your garments!' he exclaimed, when the distressed people sought to regain the favour of God by the tattered robe, the coarse sackcloth, and the symbolic ashes. He declared that no tormenting of the flesh can atone for the callous

ness of the heart; that one day's or a few days' fasting and abstinence are unavailing, unless they are followed by a lasting abandonment of a selfish and purposeless existence.

Thus the first great step towards spiritualising the religion of the people was achieved; it produced an effect which was neither derived from the formalism of the priesthood, nor from the awe-striking but transitory power hitherto wielded by prophecy; and its influence was stronger than any that had yet been felt; for it came home to every one, and appealed to the noblest feelings of human nature.

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Joel's injunctions were listened to with deference, and upon the sincere repentance of the people the Divine punishment was withdrawn. Then the tone of the prophet was altered: he had before described the terror caused by the locusts, he had given counsel to the suffering inhabitants; but now he dwelt upon the glorious change which they were then witnessing. The Lord was zealous for His land, and took pity on His people.' The fearful northern army' was removed, and the products of the earth appeared again with increased plenty. Therefore, when the Hebrews beheld once more their storehouses replenished, their fields waving with golden corn, and their trees laden with precious fruit, they were called upon to rejoice, and to praise their merciful Father. But the prophet saw other and even stronger reasons for gratitude and exultation; he promised in the name of the Lord spiritual blessings, far exceeding all worldly treasures in value; for he announced that the breath of Divine wisdom should pervade and raise the whole nation. Virtue should reign for ever in Zion and Jerusalem, and peace and safety be secured for all future time. Yet this glorious consummation should be preceded by additional

signs of God's anger, and the storm should continue for a while, before undisturbed serenity would set in. The day of the Lord' was appointed for the vindication of all wrongs of Judah, a day of retribution against the nations that had so cruelly vexed the chosen people. A few spirited verses tell of the impending warfare, of the multitudes that were to assemble in the valley of decision,' of the ploughshares and pruning-hooks to be beaten into swords and spears, and of weak men becoming heroes, ready to take part in the great combat which was to determine the fate of the heathen world.

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But the Book does not end with this picture of din and turmoil. Bright gleams of concord and peace illumine the future; the newly restored beauty and verdure of the country are considered by the prophet as pledges of rest and prosperity, and of restitution to more permanent and more precious benefits. Not only, in the language of Joel, 'shall it come to pass on that day that the mountains shall drop down new wine, and the hills shall flow with milk, and all the rivers of Judah shall flow with water, and a fountain shall come forth of the House of the Lord, and shall water the valley of Shittim;' but 'Jerusalem shall be holy, and no strangers shall pass through it any more; Judah shall stand for ever, and Jerusalem from generation to generation; and God will remit the guilt which He has not remitted; for He will dwell in Zion.' A short but vivid recital of past sorrows and trials winds up with most comforting promises-the promises of God's constant protection, and of ultimate deliverance from all worldly and spiritual evils.

The Book, though small and fragmentary, reveals the varied powers of the writer. He stands before us as the gifted poet dilating upon scenes full of terror; as the warm friend and judicious counsellor of the people,

strengthening them in their endurance, and assisting them in their struggles for relief; and, also, as the fearless and faithful messenger of God, the mouthpiece of His anger and of His mercy.

A beautiful, clear, and concise style is employed for the delineation of these manifold subjects. For the Book of Joel was written in the classic age of Hebrew literature, when the severity and sternness of earlier times had been mellowed by culture and an improved taste, but when the language had not yet been impaired by the introduction of foreign words and forms. The diction of Joel unites vigour and simplicity, and its primitive freshness is by no means devoid of beauty and grace. The description of the locust plague is most powerful; the desolation of the land and the languor oppressing all animated nature, are brought before the reader with the skill of the poet and the accuracy of the experienced observer. In the purely descriptive parts, the language is graphic and picturesque ; in the earnest appeals addressed to the feelings of the multitude, and in the account of their distress and their lamentations, it combines clearness with true pathos; while it attains an almost unsurpassed force in the admonitions to repentance, and a stirring sublimity in the anticipations of the terrible day of retribution. Indeed, in the few short chapters that have been rescued from oblivion, Joel succeeds in giving worthy utterance to the highest feelings of religion, in words never obscure or abrupt.

II. JONAH (about 800).

Among the works of the twelve minor prophets, there is one that bears a character entirely different from the rest. It is not, like most of them, connected with the history of the Hebrews; it does not, like some, propound, in poetical or admonitory language, any great doctrines, nor even directly enforce ethical truths; nor does it-and this is the most striking difference-bring before us the prophet whose name it bears, as an unerring mouthpiece of Divine wisdom, claiming our undivided veneration. This is perhaps the sole instance of a messenger of God not proclaiming words of instruction or comfort, nor shining as an example of piety and obedience. For Jonah, though gifted with the Divine power of prophecy, though chosen by God to make known His will, is throughout represented as a man sharing, to a great extent, the common failings of humanity. His conduct, as set forth in the narrative of the Book, reflects those ordinary minds that bear down under the burden of vexations, and are annoyed by wounded pride and offended dignity and by grievances morbidly magnified. He is a type of men whose hearts are never warmed by a genial glow, who fail to appreciate God's bounties, and who embitter their lives by selfishness. In contrast to this human side of the picture, the Divine attributes of love and compassion stand out in bold relief. The long-suffering of God, so often dwelt upon in all parts of the Sacred Volume, is illustrated in a remarkable instance of forgiveness extended equally to an offending Hebrew and to unenlightened heathens. The Scriptures are replete with descriptions of the greatness of God as opposed to