it is.

I have seen some making their _own goodness_ their refuge-city. They
imagined they were not so bad as others. They trusted in the falling
Siloam-tower of their own righteousness!

I have seen some making _God's goodness_ their refuge-city. They said to
themselves, "God is kind. He surely will not deal hardly with sinners at
last. Justice, the avenger, will not surely always pursue with her
flaming sword. The love of God will surely get the better of his
justice."

Don't let Satan deceive you. There are many of _his_ refuges which
_appear_ to be safe enough, but on which God has written "_Refuges of
lies_."

There were many other towns in Canaan of old which _appeared_ to be as
good and as safe as those I have been speaking of. But no city could
afford shelter to the manslayer, excepting one of the six God had
specially appointed.

What would have happened if the fugitive of old, in fleeing from the
avenger, had said to himself, "What is the use of my going so far away
as to Hebron or Golan? I would rather flee to a nearer place. I will go
to Jericho, the old city of palm-trees; or to Bethlehem, in the hills of
Judah; or, better still, I will go to Jerusalem, the capital of the
nation, where the temple of Zion is, and the palace of the King. Surely
I shall be safer far within its lofty walls and bulwarks than in one of
these little cities of the Levites. Is it not said that '_God is known
in all her Palaces for a Refuge?_'"

If he had done so, he would undoubtedly have perished. Neither King nor
Priest, nor Golden gate nor Beautiful gate, nor wall nor bulwark, could
have saved him from the avenger's sword. The refuge-towns appointed in
the olden time may have been "the least amid the cities of Judah." But
they were God's selection, God's ordering, and that was enough. In them,
and in them only, was the manslayer safe from the avenger of blood.

And so it is with our Gospel Refuge. "_Neither is there salvation in any
other._" Rejecting Jesus, we are lost for ever. All other refuges,
however good or great or strong they may _appear_ to be, will prove only
Babel-towers, that will fall on the poor builders, and crush them in
their ruins.

When God told the children of Israel to sprinkle their lintels and
door-posts with blood, they might have been foolish enough to say, "No;
we shall do better. We shall not be content with doing so trifling a
thing; we shall rather build up great walls around our houses, s