. _Who's afeard!_'

* * * * *

WE have often thought, that if the various _similes_ employed in the
Scriptures were thoroughly understood, that their appositeness and beauty
would be themes of increased admiration. Observe how the latent meanings
of the following passage reveal themselves to the heart:

THE REFINER.

BY MONTGOMERY.

'HE is like a refiner's fire, and like fuller's soap. And
he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and he
shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and
silver, that they may offer unto the Lord an offering in
righteousness.'--MALACHI iii. 2, 3.

A FEW ladies in Dublin, who often met together to read the Word of
GOD, one day occupied their attention with the passage now before
the eye of the reader. One of the ladies expressed her opinion
that 'the fuller's soap and the refiner of silver' were only the
_same_ image to convey the same view of the sanctifying influence
of the grace of CHRIST. 'No,' said another, 'they are not the same
image; there is something remarkable in the expression, 'HE shall
_sit_ as the refiner and purifier of silver.'' On going into the
town, this lady called on a silver-smith, and desired to know the
process of refining silver, which he fully explained to her. 'But
do you _sit_, Sir,' she asked, 'while you are refining?' 'Yes,
Madam, I must sit with my eye steadily fixed on the furnace; since
if the silver remain too long, it is sure to be injured.' She at
once saw the beauty and comfort of the expression. CHRIST sees it
needful to put his people into the furnace, but HE is seated by
the side of it--HIS eye is steadily fixed on the work of
purifying--and his wisdom and his love are both engaged to do all
in the best manner for them. As the lady was returning to her
friends, to tell them what she had heard, as she turned from the
shop-door, the silver-smith called her back, and said, he had
forgotten one thing, and that was, he only knew the process of
refining to be complete by seeing his own image in the silver.

When CHRIST sees his own image in his people, the work of
purifying is accomplished.

It may be added, that the metal continues in a state of agitation,
until all impurities are thrown off, and then it becomes quite
still; a circumstance whi