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attacks are made with ridicule or anger, without decorum, sincerity, or any real desire to be enlightened, silence should be observed, first, because it is the noblest part, and most worthy of the cause of God. serious, and at the same time, mild and peaceful calmness opposed to such attacks, does more to shew the justice of our cause, and the injustice of that of our enemy, than any thing we could say. A manner of acting so uncommon may lead those who witness it to serious reflections; and certainly this silence is more calculated to confound our enemies than any answer we could make ; for when it proceeds from the Spirit of God, it has an imposing dignity. When our Lord appeared before Pilate," the chief priests accused him of many things, but he answered nothing ; and Pilate asked him, saying, Answerest thou nothing? behold how

many things they witness against thee. But Jesus yet answered nothing, so that Pilate marvelled." Imagine our Lord undertaking to refute all the false accusations of which he was the object. Would he have appeared with the same dignity? Would he have struck Pilate as he did, answering nothing, but leaving the calmness of innocence to be contrasted with the impetuosity of his accusers, hurried on by base passions. Imagine also the messengers of Hezekiah undertaking to refute all the injurious and impious charges of Rab-shakeh, and entering into a long discussion with him. Would they have appeared as dignified, and would Rab-shakeh have felt the same confusion as when all observed a profound silence, and retired, leaving the wretched man to his own reflections, with his impieties unanswered

Besides, this silence of dignity is also a silence of prudence. Were we to answer in such cases, we should only injure ourselves; because we should

perhaps be tempted to overstep the bounds of calmness and moderation, and to let passionate expressions, hurtful to our own souls, escape from us. We should also run the risk of injuring those who attack us. The best answers will not be listened to by those who are influenced by passion; and often they only provoke them, and give occasion to new insults and new blasphemies. By silence also we sooner terminate discussion, and spare the hearers much offence. Let us then in such cases imitate our Lord, who, speaking in the spirit of prophecy, says, "I was as a dumb man that opened not his mouth. I was as a man that heareth not, and in whose mouth are no reproofs." Ps. xxxviii. 13, 14. The apostle Peter exhorts us to follow this example, when he says, "What glory is it, if, when ye be buffeted for your faults, ye take it patiently? But if, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God. For even hereunto were ye called: because that Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example that ye should follow his steps: who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth who when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not, but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously." 1 Pet. ii. 20-23. In this exhortation, remark especially the words, "Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth." Jesus, who was innocent of every thing laid to his charge, might have said, "My adversaries are all in the wrong; all the right is on my side; I must justify myself." Yet he did not do so, because he knew that all he could say would have been useless. In like manner, remember also that there are cases wherein, for the sake of peace and to avoid giving offence, you must put in practice the exhortation, "Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in

him, and he will bring it to pass. And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noon-day. Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for him." Psalm xxxvii. 5-7. Remark also, under another point of view, the words, "In whose mouth there was no guile." Did not the Holy Spirit intend by this to teach us, that there is often guile, that is evil, in the mouth of him who is ever ready to answer and to justify himself? Have we never repented that we did not keep silence when we were attacked? Have we never said, Oh, that I had been silent, and prayed! How many angry words on the one side and on the other would I have prevented! How much more peace would my soul enjoy than it does at present?

May the Lord grant us to remember this lesson in due time, that we may be enabled "to walk in wisdom towards them that are without." Think not that it is only on great occasions that we have need to practice it. It is of more general application than we suppose, even in the ordinary course of life, and perhaps in the interior of our families, where we may have to deal with those who oppose the Gospel, and where perhaps silence is a duty. We may even be called to follow this rule towards our brethren in Christ, at times when, departing from the spirit of the Gospel, they unjustly attack us. In fine, we may be called to observe it in cases where others, to hurt us, or from other bad motives, report injurious observations which have been made upon us—cases where the best thing we can do is to shut our ears against all that we hear, and to imitate what is related of Saul at a time when he seemed to walk uprightly: "Children of Belial said, How shall this man save us? and they despised him, and brought him no presents; but he held his peace." 1 Sam. x. 27.

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2dly, The silence of Hezekiah's messengers furnishes us with another lesson, for cases when we are inwardly assaulted by thoughts which the enemy of souls excites in our minds to shake our confidence, and which he mixes with reproaches and temptations of every kind, and sometimes with ideas injurious to the majesty of God and to his Word. In such cases, doubtless, we may refute Satan by the Word of God, following the example of our Lord, who always answered him,“ Thus it is written.” Nevertheless, in such cases there are many kinds of silence to be observed ; and first, there is “ silence of humiliation and of mourning,” as was that of Hezekiah's messengers, who not only held their peace, but also returned with their garments rent in sign of mourning. When Satan reproaches us, and suggests doubts and wicked thoughts to our minds, there are always grounds for humiliation. Though his reproaches may be exaggerated, they have always some foundation, and they should lead us seriously to reflect on the little faith and life which we have. As to the doubts and wicked thoughts of every kind which he suggests to our minds, we have in this also grounds for humiliation, because the temptations of the enemy, to a certain 'extent, find access to our hearts, and we do not immediately reject them with the whole strength of our souls. We have often even to reproach ourselves with having, in a manner, given place to the devil, and by our pride made it necessary for God to send a messenger of Satan to buffet us. Days of temptation, therefore, ought to be days of humiliation. They are a time to put our hand upon our mouth, not only before God, but also before man, and to observe towards others a certain silence, which may let them know that we are in a state of soul-abasement. They are a time to rend the garments, to have a heart humbled and broken, and

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an exterior of humiliation. To such a case may be applied the words of the Lamentations of Jeremiah: “It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord. It is good for a man that he bear the yoke of his youth: he sitteth alone and keepeth silence, because he hath borne it upon him ; he putteth his mouth in the dust, if so be there may be hope; he giveth his cheek to him that smiteth him : he is filled full with reproach. For the Lord will not cast off for ever: but though he cause grief yet will he have compassion according to the multitude of his mercies; for he doth not afflict willingly nor grieve the children of men.” iii. 27-33.

In inward temptations, there is a second kind of silence to be observed, which I would call a silence of submission ; and it consists in putting to silence a carnal impatience, which rebels against God's dealings, and murmurs on account of the frequent contests which he permits us to have with our spiritual enemies. We are tired of the combat; pride perhaps is weary of a state of soul habitually humiliating ; we seek rest in this world, and would enjoy it without contest, while the

“ Endure hardness as a good soldier of Christ.” At least, we would have another kind of contest than that to which the Lord calls us; the lot of our brethren appears preferable to our own; and it seems to us that we have been more hardly dealt with than others, in the distribution of those inward trials to which believers are called.

My brethren, these are thoughts which we must silence for the glory of God, and for our own happi

Can Satan sift us like wheat without the permission of the Lord ? and if He permits him, shall we say, “ What doest thou ?" If it is to try our faith or to humble our pride, that he sends“ a messenger of Satan

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Lord says,