find that brothers and sisters unite against some unhappy wife who has come into their family circle; and what envy and jealousy are aroused to calumniate her! Instead of finding a home among her husband's kindred, she is environed by enemies. The ancient record of Miriam and Aaron's sin has many parallels even in this day. Sisters seem to resent, as a personal injury, the natural influence of a wife over a beloved brother's affection. They find it hard to resign the first place in that brother's heart to a stranger. Such feelings we are here plainly taught are sinful in the extreme. No matter how elevated by station, how endowed by genius, the vice of envy and detraction degrades its perpetrator to the lowest point of baseness. We are told, in reference to Miriam's envious evilspeaking, "The Lord heard it," and that He "spake suddenly to Moses," in reference to the domestic treason, and commanded that the brothers and Miriam should appear in the tabernacle of the congregation, and there the Most High publicly honoured Moses, by manifesting his approbation of him above all others, and as publicly disgraced the calumniators by reproof and punishment. It is expressly said, “The anger of the Lord was kindled against them," "and behold Miriam became leprous, white as snow."

There seems a peculiar analogy between Miriam's sin and her punishment. The foul vice of envy and detraction is so diffusive in its pollution, that, like a loathsome disease, it spreads over the whole character. No virtue can flourish where this vice exists: it is the leprosy of the soul. What an admonition is here, to guard the mind from unjust thoughts, and the tongue from malicious words! How forcibly has the Apostle spoken in reference to this offence! "The tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members,

that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell.”

There is every reason from the Scripture narrative to conclude that Aaron repented of the evil he had committed more promptly than his sister. He pleaded humbly and affectionately with Moses, confessing his error:-"Alas! my lord, I beseech thee, lay not the sin upon us, wherein we have done foolishly, and wherein we have sinned." It is a beautiful exemplification of the meekness of Moses, that, when he beheld the awful punishment that had fallen on Miriam, he instantly entreated the Lord to "heal her." He remembered not her rebellion, her speaking against him, her enmity towards his wife; he remembered only the fidelity and affection of former years,that she was his sister, and in affliction,— and he entreated the Lord for her. We can imagine how this display of brotherly piety and love would sink into the heart of Miriam -how the evil of her spirit would be subdued by his goodness. No reproof, no punishment, could be so affecting to a generous nature and enlightened mind, as this manifestation of active, unaltered affection on the part of Moses. The Lord heard the prayer of his faithful servant, and gave an answer of peace; but to mark the Divine displeasure against the sin of which Miriam had been guilty, he commanded that she should be shut out of the camp seven days.

It is an instance of the affectionate consideration in which Miriam was generally held, that the people, though wearied with their long wanderings, impatient of every delay, and longing to behold the promised land, yet tarried the seven days of her probation, and journeyed not until she was received again. Doubtless the leprosy of Miriam's mind departed with the leprosy of her body; and, admonished

by the past, she returned to her place among the leaders of the people, and in the heart of her distinguished brother, urified from moral as well as physical contagion.

We hear no more of Miriam after this, until we find the record of her death. "Then came the children of Israel, even the whole congregation, into the desert of Zin, in the first month: and the people abode in Kadesh; and Miriam died there, and was buried there." Her death took place at a time when the people were sore distressed, "there was no water for the congregation," and when their unfaithful murmurings were loud against Moses. Thus, in circumstances of sorrowful environment, Miriam's toilsome life was brought to a close, a short time prior to the decease of her brother Aaron.

The character of the first woman of sacred antiquity who was elevated to high station and authority among the chosen people, is not without a full admixture of human imperfection. It is worthy of note that her excellencies were most prominent in the time of adversity. Miriam, the child in years, yet mature in intelligence, who watched her infant brother on the banks of the Egyptian river, and who so appropriately addressed the compassionate princess- Miriam, assembling the daughters of Israel, and with timbrel and dance, and intellectual homage to God, animating the triumphant public thanksgivings of the people, on the overthrow of their enemies, was a very different character from Miriam envying and rebelling against her righteous brother. How true is it that human approbation-power- the distinction that talent confers-is apt, without due watchfulness, to deteriorate rather than elevate the character! "The blessing

unimproved becomes a curse." Let us not in the spirit of presumption censure Miriam, seeing that, if she sinned, she also severely suffered, the Lord "suddenly" sent his avenging judgment, - but rather apply the warning to ourselves. If this heroine of sacred antiquity — tender in affection, enthusiastic in spirit, wise in thought, eloquent in utterance-fell, in an evil hour, into one of the meanest of socia vices, how necessary is watchfulness, lest this insidious envy, so abhorrent to God, so injurious to man, obtain an entrance into our souls, and pollute us with its foul and fearful leprosy!

QUEEN VASHTI'S FALL

THOMAS G. SPEAR.

AT banquet sate the Persian king,
And heard the golden vessels ring
Along his festive boards,

Where friendly guests, in purple wine,
Did pledge him and his royal line,
And rank him with the gods.

He feasted long-he feasted late,
With mighty men of war and state,
And favourites of his power;
And festal laugh, and song, and shout,
From Shushan's palace walls rang out,
Through each bewildering hour.

But o'er the monarch's soul the thrall Of love was wrought, surpassing all That feast around him threw ;His realm was nought without a queen, And vain to him the banquet scene

That Vashti could not view.