gation, but seemed harsh and unreasonable, the other required only what was just and right. Yet the earthly command had been obeyed to the letter, while the heavenly was despised! Rising early. Sending repeatedly, by the word of the law, the message of the prophets, and the voice of conscience. Ye hearkened not. (4) We wonder at Judah's disobedience; what shall we say of those who disobey in the higher light of our time?

15. My servants the prophets. In every generation from Samuel to Ezra we find prophets standing as God's accredited representatives. The greatest prophets appeared in the darkest epochs, as Elijah confronting Jezebel, Isaiah in the time of Ahaz, Jeremiah at the fall of Judah, and Ezekiel during the captivity. They ceased when the canon was completed, and the Scriptures became the nation's guide. Return ...amend....go not. Notice the three commands, to return, to reform, and to worship. Ye shall dwell. Stability, strength, and success were in God's way; weakness and ruin were in the path of sin. (5) The principles of prosperity are the same now that they were in Jeremiah's days. Ye have not inclined. Notwithstanding commands, pleading, promise, warning. Judah had chosen the way of evil, just as thou- |

sands choose it now.

sword of the Chaldeans, yet it was from the hand of God, who used their ambition and cruelty to accomplish his purposes. (6) Great men are the unconscious instruments of God's will. Napoleon, Bismarck, Gladstone-all of them have wrought out God's plan. All the evil. The sword had been so long threatened and so often sheathed, that the people ceased to expect it. But less then twenty years afterward it fell; the capital was burned, the state was blotted from the maps of the East, most of the population perished, and the remnant were carried afar to captivity beside the rivers of Babylon.

18, 19. Because ye have obeyed.... your father. (7) God always rewards honor to parents. Shall not want a man. Other families were soon to become extinct, in those days of blood; but this line was promised This hints at a perpetuity. To stand before me.

service in worship; and there are evidences that a family, at least, of the Rechabites were adopted into the tribe of Levi, and assigned a part in the services of the temple. See 1 Chron. 2. 55. Forever. In the twelfth century A. D. Benjamin of Tudela met a tribe numbering one hundred thousand, which claimed descent from Rechab, and observed the ancient customs. In 1829 Dr. Wolff found them in Arabia, still faithful and still distinct. In 1862 Signor Pierotti read before the British Association an account of his own visit to them, near the Dead Sea. See Geikie's "Hours with the Bible," vol. v, p, 350.

What parable of our Lord was doubtless suggested by this history?

What was the command which had been so flagrantly disobeyed?

What wonderful attribute of our heavenly Father's character is also presented by this lesson ?

3. Consequences, v. 16-19.

Into what two classes do the consequences of human actions fall?

What other instances of reward for righteous action can you find in the Scriptures ?

What punishment has God pronounced as sure to those who reject his love through Jesus Christ? What commandment was specially observed by these sons of Rechab?

Practical Teachings.

2. Disobedience, v. 15.

How had God warned his people?

What message had he given them?

Against what sin had he warned them?

What reward had he promised ?
How had they received his entreaty?

3. Consequences, v. 16-19.

Whose conduct does the Lord contrast ? What was the difference between the two people? What threatenings were uttered against the disobedient?

Why were these judgments declared ?

What is said of the disobedient in Prov. 1. 24-26?
To whom besides did the prophet have a message ?
What testimony did he bear?

What was to be the reward of obedience?

Teachings of the Lesson. Where may we learn from this lesson-1. The plessedness of obedience? 2. The consequences of sin? 3. God's faithfulness to his promise?

QUESTIONS FOR YOUNGER SCHOLARS. Of whom does the Lord speak to Jeremiah in this lesson? Of the Rechabites, a tribe of Arabs.

For what reason? Because they kept the commands of their father.

What was one of these commands? To abstain from drinking wine. (Repeat the GOLDEN TEXT.)

Why did God wish them brought before the people? Because they were faithful and obedient to the commands of a man.

What was the life of the men of Judah? Unfaithful and disobedient to the commands of God.

What had God done for them? Sent his servants, the prophets, to tell them how to do right.

What was his promise if they served him? Peace and possession of the land of their fathers.

Did the people turn to the Lord? They continued to worship idols.

What did God say should come upon them? Great and terrible punishment.

What was God's promise to the Rechabites? That they should dwell in their land forever.

Were the laws of the Rechabites wise and good like those of God? No.

Why did God so reward them? Because they obeyed such laws as they had.

What does God love in his children? Faithfulness. What does Jesus tell us? "He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much."

Words with Little People.

God's blessing is certain to come to every boy and girl who does what the GOLDEN TEXT says; and he knows just how hard it is to obey when you are asked to do, or not to do, something exactly different from your own wishes. If you will read Prov. 5. 20-22; Eph. 6. 1-3; Isa. 41. 13, I think you will be encouraged to try.

seeking worldly pleasures, but living above the world while we are in it.

2. Observe that God takes notice of individuals and their acts. He watched this peculiar people for centuries, took note of their seemingly strange conduct, and held them up to honor. God sees our conduct, and will bring it to the sight of all men.

3. See how much stress God's word lays on obedience to parents. For this virtue a people are promised an everlasting existence. It is a trait needed in our time; let us cultivate it.

4. Notice that God expects us not only to serve him, but to persevere in his service.

5. It would be well for us all to be like the Rechabites in refusing to touch wine or strong drink, which has ruined millions, and is the greatest curse of our time.

English Teacher's Notes.

THE passage appointed for reading presupposes an acquaintance with the former part of the chapter, and with the story of the Rechabites, and it is upon this that the lesson is founded. In opening the subject, therefore, the teacher will have to call attention to three points:

1. Who the Rechabites were. We find them living among the people of Judah, and yet distinct from them, and all that this chapter tells of their origin is their descent from Rechab. Of this ancestor we know nothing, but of his son Jonadab we have heard in the story of Jehu, as a man of standing and piety, whose support and countenance the destroyer of the house of Ahab wished to secure. But in 1 Chron. 2. 55, we find that the "house of Rechab" belonged to the family of the Kenites, who came up from the wilderness with the Israelites at the invitation of Moses. Num. 10. 29; Judges 1. 16. They had a settled standing in the land of their adoption, being numbered among its inhabitants, and yet they continued all the while a distinct people.

2. What was their manner of life. It was in sharp contrast to that of the nation with whom they had cast in their lot. The Israelites were an agricultural people. They were land owners and land cultivators. The height of their prosperity was to dwell, every man under his vine and under his fig-tree, enjoying the fruits of his labor. And not only so, but they were bound, each one, to his own inheritance. No one settled just where his fancy pleased him. The land had been portioned out by divine ordinance, and was not to be alienated

Go not after other gods. v. 15.

"No other gods before me." Exod. 20. 3.
"Thou shalt worship the Lord." Matt. 4. 10.

V. STEADFAST SERVICE.

Have performed the commandment. v. 16.

"He that endureth....shall be saved." Matt. 10. 22.
"Hold fast that which thou hast." Rev. 3. 11.

THOUGHTS FOR YOUNG PEOPLE.
Lessons from the Rechabites.

1. Like the Rechabites, we should be pilgrims on the earth, not having our affections on worldly things, not

The Rechabites, on the contrary, possessed no land, and never sought to possess any. They had no settled homes, built no houses, sowed no seed, planted no vineyards, and in fact owned nothing that could not be transported from place to place. Dwelling in the land of Judah, they remained a nomadic people, living in many respects like the Arabs of the present day. And not only did they abstain from cultivating the ground, but they denied themselves the enjoyment of one of the most notable products of the land of Judah, they drank no wine. In regard of their habits, therefore, it

would have been impossible to mistake them for the people among whom they were settled.

3. What was the reason for this manner of living? The reason, to them, was simple enough. "Jonadab the son of Rechab our father commanded us." It was a matter of obedience, and they sought for nothing else to justify it. "Thus have we obeyed " was the account they gave of themselves. But what was Jonadab's reason? His command was not simple caprice. It was based upon a desire for their true welfare, and a sharp insight into the future and into the circumstances in which his family were placed, "that ye may live many days in the land where ye be strangers." He foresaw the advantages of being without incumbrance, unfettered by the possession of fields and vineyards, independent of place, having nothing they could not carry with them in case of necessary flight before at enemy. He saw also the evil uses to which the good gift of God, "the fruit of the vine," was often put. He knew whence the "wounds without cause" spoken of by Solomon (Prov. 23. 29) arose; and in view of these evils he enjoined on his family total abstinence from the dangerous drink.

Such were the Rechabites, whose example is, in the passage before us, solemnly set before the people of Judah.

And now what lesson are we to draw from their story and from the words of the prophet Jeremiah concerning them?

First, a double lesson of obedience. The stanch adherence of the Rechabites to the rules laid down by their ancestor is specially commended in the Lord's message to the people of Judah, and the promise attached to it. "Jonadab the son of Rechab shall not want a man to stand before me forever," a promise of which we see the fulfillment in the return of some of the family with the tribe of Judah after the captivity, as we gather from Neh. 3. 14, and of which there is a trace as late as the time of Dr. Wolff, the traveler. In strong and sad contrast to this stands the disobedience of the people of Judah to their heavenly Father and the consequent judgment with which they are threatened. If obedience to the earthly parent is of such importance, how great the call to obey the Father above!

But the Golden Text directs us to look into the details of this obedience: "They drink no wine, but obey their father's commandment." The proposal to them to drink wine was a practical test of their faithfulness. To have bought a field or house, and settled down in a homestead, would have been a matter of some time, and could not have been done without reflection. But the draught that was offered seemed but a small thing, which might soon have been forgotten. Nevertheless they rejected it, thus proving their abstinence to be not a matter of mere habit, but of principle. And the principle underlying it was this: by their father's command they conducted themselves as strangers in the land where their lot was cast, identifying themselves VOL. XVIII.—1*

with it up to a certain degree only, and living a life of temperance, soberness, and independence of worldly cares and worldly interests.

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And this is what our heavenly Father enjoins upon all his children. They are called to live as strangers and pilgrims," not to lay up treasure upon earth," nor to set their affections on things below. They are called to deny "ungodliness and worldly lusts," and to "live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world," to be " temperate in all things" (1 Cor. 9. 25), using this world "as not abusing it" (1 Cor. 7. 31), or rather, not using it to the full. And a blessed thing it is when this witness can be borne of his children: "They obey their Father's commandments."

Berean Methods.

Hints for the Teachers' Meeting and the Class.

This lesson may be grouped around four names-Jeremiah, Jonadab, the Rechabites, the Jews....1. Jere

miah. When he lived, his character, his mission, conduct, etc....2. Jonadab. Who he was, when he lived, his character....3. The Rechabites. Their customs, why they were in Jerusalem, how they were tested, what traits they showed, their after history in modern times....4. The Jews. Their conduct and character; how the Rechabites were an example to them....A good lesson from which to talk total abstinenee; yet total abstinence is not the main teaching of the lesson, but it may well be presented, and other texts of Scripture bearing upon it should be cited.... The great duty enforced by this lesson is obedience: 1.) To God; 2.) To parents....Show from this lesson how God rewards obedience to parents, and thence how we may look for reward in diligent and persevering service of God.

Songs from the Epworth Hymnal. 262. I'm a pilgrim, and I'm a stranger. 261. I'm but a stranger here.

301. Lo, a mighty host is rising now. 303. Now to heaven our prayer ascending. 304. Gushing so bright in the morning light.

Lesson Word-Pictures.

It is a harvest-scene. I see a festive group of brownarmed workers. I catch the merry laugh and ringing shout. I hear the clink of the brimming harvest-cups, and I see them when lifted and then emptied. But the sons of Jonadab who are there, the Rechabites, will not they drink? No, they will not touch the mad harvest-cup. They hear the voice of their father commanding, Ye shall drink no wine." It is a marriagefeast. I watch the guests reclining on the couches at the marriage-supper. Song and jest go the giddy round of the banqueters. And now they raise the cup in whose warm, crimson depths glitter a snake's cold, jeweled eyes. The sons of Jonadab are there, but they lift no snake-loaded cup. They still hear the voice of their father crying, "Ye shall drink no wine." And now what does this stir mean one day in the chamber of the sons of Hanan, in the temple? People are bustling in. Here comes Jeremiah. Who are those men he

is leading along? They are Rechabites. And those

pots and cups on the floor? Wine is there, the snakecup of fire. "Drink ye wine," says Jeremiah. Will they not at the word of the prophet? Hark! There

The wicked Jehoiakim, whose reign was referred to in the last two lessons, was slain-whether by his own people or by enemies is unknown-after a reign of eleven years. His son Jehoiachin succeeded to the throne, but sat upon it only a hundred days, for he was carried away captive by Nebuchadnezzar, and with him many of the nobles and best of the people. This was Nebuchadnezzar's second invasion of the land, B. C. 598. He placed upon the throne the uncle of the deposed king, who was the son of Josiah, and the brother of Jehoiakim. He took the name of Zedekiah, the righteousness of the Lord," a name which seemed to show a desire to reign justly. He took an oath of allegiance to the great king of Babylon, and had he kept it all might have been well. But in an evil hour he followed the counsels of the ambitious nobles around him, rejecting the advice of Jeremiah, and rebelled against Nebuchadnezzar. He aimed for independence, relying upon the

Explanatory and

Verse 1. In the ninth year. Zedekiah, the last king of Judah, began to reign in 598 B. C.; so that the final siege of Jerusalem, which is here referred to, began in 590 B. C. Tenth month. Geikie gives the date of the investment, December 10, 591 B. C. This would make its fall take place in 588, instead of 587. Nebu chadnezzar, He was the son of Nabopolassar, the founder of the Babylonian Empire, and began to reign about 604 B. C. He was a great warrior, a great conqueror, and a great builder. Nearly all the bricks found at Babylon bear his name. He conquered all the lands from the Tigris to the Mediterranean; but his empire passed away soon after his death. Babylon. See note on verse 8, below. And all his host. Twice be fore had these stern Chaldean soldiers stood around Jerusalem, once in the reign of Jehoiakim, when Daniel and his friends were carried away; again when the young king Jehoiachin was taken to Babylon. Against Jerusalem. The cause of their invasion was the rebellion of Zedekiah, who had aimed to become independent of the great king at Babylon. Built forts. Towers for attack, from which the besiegers could hurl their missiles into the city. They were sometimes placed upon wheels and pushed up close to the walls.

2. Unto the eleventh year. The siege lasted for sixteen months; though it was interrupted for a time, while the Chaldean army was called away to repel an attach of Hophra or Apries, the king of Egypt. The Jews rejoiced, thinking that they were now freed from their enemies. But the Egyptians were repelled and the Chaldeans returned, to press the siege with greater vigor.

3. Fourth month. This date is wanting in the text, and is supplied from the parallel account in Jeremiah 52 The famine prevailed. Fearful pictures of the famine are given in the prophecy and Lamentations of Jeremiah. Nobles, delicately brought up, were staggering through the streets, and digging with skeleton Angers in dung-heaps for a morsel of food. Mothers boiled and devoured the flesh of their own children. From the want of food, and the unburied corpses of the dead, a pestilence was engendered. which swept away multitudes. The people of the land. The city was crowded with refugees, who had sought its walls for safety from the Chaldeans. (1) See what are the wages which Satan gives to those who serve him! (2) There is a hunger of the soul which leads to a worse fate than kunger of the body.

4. The city was broken up. A breach was effected in the walls, through which the besiegers poured in, and penetrated to the heart of the city, while the princes of Nebuchadnezzar took their seats in state at the entrance of the deserted temple. The men of war Aed. Zedekiah, his family, and a few soldiers escaped by night on the side opposite to that by which the Chaldeans had entered. Between two walls. Probably those on the east and west of the Tyropœon Valley. By the king's garden. This may have been in the district known as Ophel, south of the temple. Toward the plain. His aim was to reach the Jordan Valley near Jericho, and escape to the mountains of Gilead on the east of the river. (3) Those who place themselves under God's care are safer than behind hosts of men.

5. Pursued. The alarm was given, and detachments were sent by the only two roads over which the king

hope of assistance from Egypt, and from the smaller states around, all of which were restless under the Babylonian yoke. Having chosen his course, he pursued it regardless of results. He threw Jeremiah into prison because of his opposition to his policy; he compelled the people to endure heavy burdens of taxation, and he prepared to defend his capital against the Chaldeans. But all was in vain, Jerusalem's hour had come. The city was besieged by the Chaldean armies for more than a year, while within its walls the people starved, and princes gave their gold for a crust of bread. When the walls were broken down, Zedekiah tried to escape, but he was seized, and taken before King Nebuchadnezzar. His children were slain in his sight, his eyes were put out, and in blindness he was sent to prison in Babylon. Thus fell the throne of David, which had stood with varying fortunes for four hundred and fifty years.

Practical Notes.

might escape. Overtook him. Josephus says that the king was recognized and betrayed to the Chaldeans by some Jewish deserters. Plains of Jericho. At the widest part of the Jordan valley, near the Dead Sea. Army was scattered. "Save himself who can !" said Napoleon, after the battle of Waterloo. Each man looked after his own safety, leaving the king to his enemies. (4) The wicked are selfish, and care for themselves alone.

6. They took the king. The Chaldeans at last seized their prey. To Riblah. A city in the valley of Lebanon, thirty-five miles north of Baalbec, and ten days' journey from Jerusalem. With what misery did Zedekiah travel up the steep hills toward his doom! They gave judgment. Josephus relates that Nebuchadnezzar reproached Zedekiah bitterly for his ingratitude and perfidy to his promise, and then gave him his cruel sentence. (5) Sin is sure to find out the sinner. (6) God uses the cruelty of one wicked man to punish the sins of another.

7. Slew the sons. The last glance of the hapless king was cast upon his own children, slaughtered for his crimes. (7) So now the innocent children of the drunkard and the wrong-doer are the heaviest sufferers by their sins. Put out the eyes. Probably by piercing them with javelins; perhaps by the hand of Nebuchadnezzar himself, as monuments show to have been the custom of Assyrian kings. Bound him. From Ezek. 19. 9. (Rev. Ver.) it has been supposed that he was dragged by a hook through his lips, and placed in a cage, just as may be seen on the Ninevite bas-reliefs. Carried him to Babylon. Jeremiah had prophesied (32. 4) that Zedekiah should see and speak with the king of Babylon; Ezekiel had predicted (12. 13) that he should be brought to Babylon and die there, but should not see it, and both predictions were fulfilled. He died in prison, but his obsequies were celebrated with the honors befitting a king. Jer. 34. 4, 5. (8) God. who fulfills his warnings, is equally sure to keep all his promises. 8. In the fifth month. After its capture the city stood for a month awaiting orders from NebuchadnezNineteenth year. As Zedekiah was no longer king, the date is given from the accession of Nebuchadnezzar, which was in 604 or 605 B. C. Babylon. One of the most ancient cities of the world, founded by Nimrod, and standing on both sides of the river Euphrates. For many centuries it was overshadowed by and subject to the younger city of Nineveh, but became independent about B. C. 625, and soon supplanted its rival in the empire of the East. Under Nebuchadnezzar it rose to vast size and great beauty. It was surrounded by walls three hundred and fifty feet high, eighty-seven feet thick, pierced by one hundred gates. Within it were the temple of Bel, and the famous hanging gardens. on an artificial hill, commanding a view of the entire city. It was captured by Cyrns B. C. 538, and again by Darius Hystaspes, who despoiled it, after which it gradually sank into ruin, and has long been unoccupied. Nebuzar-ndan, captain of the guard. Literally, Chief of the executioners." He was the officer to whom was intrusted the destruction of the city.

zar.

9, 10. Burnt the house of the Lord. The temple, which had been standing for more than four hundred years. The king's house. This probably stood near the temple, perhaps on its southern side. All the houses. The Rev. Ver. reads, "All the houses of Je