on; and finally died, being old and full of
days.

May we not well say that if Job's prosperity was blessed prosperity,
his adversity, likewise, was blessed adversity? "Weeping may endure
for a night, but joy cometh in the morning;" and the night of weeping
will bear a fruit more rich and permanent than any day of rejoicing
could produce. "The evening and the morning were the first day."
Light out of darkness is GOD'S order, and if sometimes our Heavenly
FATHER can trust us with a trial, it is a sure presage that, if by
grace the trial is accepted, He will ere long trust us with a
blessing.

In this day, when material causes are so much dwelt upon that there
is danger of forgetting the unseen agencies, let us not lose sight of
the existence and reality of our unseen spiritual foes. Many a child
of GOD knows what it is to have sore conflict with flesh and blood;
and yet, as says the Apostle, "We wrestle not against flesh and
blood, but against ... wicked spirits in heavenly places" (margin).
It would be comparatively easy to deal with our visible foes, if the
invisible foes were not behind them. With foes so mighty and, apart
from GOD'S protecting care, so utterly irresistible, we should be
helpless indeed if unprotected and unarmed.

We need to put on the whole armor of GOD, and to be not ignorant of
Satan's devices. Let us not, on the other hand, lose sight of the
precious truth that GOD alone is Almighty; that GOD is our Helper,
our Protector, and our Shield, as well as our exceeding great Reward.
"If GOD be for us, who can be against us?" Let us always be on His
side, seeking to carry out His purposes; then the power of GOD will
always be with us, and we shall be made more than conquerors through
Him that loved us.

Coming to the King.

"And King Solomon gave unto the Queen of Sheba all her desire,
whatsoever she asked, beside that which Solomon gave her of his royal
bounty."--1 Kings x. 13.

The beautiful history recorded in the chapter from which the above
words are quoted is deeply instructive to those who have learned to
recognise CHRIST in the Scriptures. The reference to this narrative
by our LORD Himself was surely designed to draw our attention to it,
and gives it an added interest. The blessings, too, received by the
Queen of Sheba were of no ordinary kind. She was not only pleased
with her reception, and with what she saw, but all her difficulties
were removed, all her petitions were grante