"Milklat "—The City Of Refuge.

"MILKLAT "—THE CITY OF REFUGE .

BY BRO . REV . AVILLIAM TEBBS . As the sun rose that morning on the Israelitish Capital , it was evident that something unwonted AA'as astir ; for , whilst crowds Avere gathered round the timcAvorn altar of Avitness beneath the ancient oak

of the covenant , multitudes so thronged the approaches to Shechem , that it was hard to keep clear the " prepared Avay " to the " Miklat . " Eagerly and excitedly too , were the crowds debating , for that Avas the third day of deliberation , and they Avere to receive that ansAver which should

determine Avhether the time AATIS come to fulfil the Almighty ' s prophecy , to rend asunder the Kingdom of Great Solomon ' s Son . The wise Grand Master of Israel had gone to his rest . Jeroboam the rebel had been recalled by a numerous body of

supporters from his Egyptian exile , whilst Rehoboam , the rightful heir , had deemed it expedient to come to Shechem , to be crowned Monarch of the United Kingdoms of Israel . But there Avas a question that must be anSAvered first , " Were the stern

imposts of the Father to be continued by the Son ? Should the dread taxes be still levied , or be mitigated , which Avere willingly submitted to , whilst God ' s house Avas building , and even His servant Solomon ' s too , but AAdiich had been endured for many a long year past , only for the sake of what the King had been in clays long since gone

by ? Questions like these Avere earnestl y debated by some of the multitude , whilst others were sorrowfully regarding those sacred objects upon which , perchance , they Avere gazing for the last time . Here was

the oak under which , many a lono- year ago , the patriarch had buried the gods stolen from his father-in-law ; round it had been perpetrated that treacherous slaughter by his two lwengeful sons ; close by it Avas the never-failing Avell that

he had left to his descendants ; nigh to this hallowed spot had the aged Moses stood , Avhen , for the last time , he blessed the people of the Lord that , he had loved and ruled so AvelLwhose rebel-hearts had robbed him of all , save a distant glimpse of that pleasant promised land ; here , again , had stood that other seiwant of the Lord , Joshua , the deliverer , whilst he recalled

for the last time in his failing days , God ' s threats and promises to his Avayward children ; and yet again , though hoary and time-worn , here still remained the altar of covenant , on Avhose . eastern front God ' s light each morning broke ; on Avhose

northern face , pointing to Ebal and the cold , dark , dreary north , Avere recorded the curses thundered against the impenitent ; whilst even now , the sun Avas beginning to bathe in golden light its southern side , full facing Gerizimmount of blessing , on which

, Avere graven deep the blessings of the Almighty , on such as should unhesitatingly Avalk in the ways of His commandments . And , whilst they gazed , they hesitated ; " Was it right to act for themselves , and throw off the heaA-y yoke and burden too

bitter to be borne , imposed though it Avas by God ' s anointed ? or , should they submit still a little longer , and leaA ^ e the ordering of the issue to be accomplished by the Almighty in his own good time ? " Questions hard of resolutionbut soou to be put out

, of mind at least for a space , for as the sun stole softly round the altar ' s southern face , to the appointed time , a terrible commotion arises , shouts rend the crowd , " Make way ! Let pass ! " " Miklat ! " " Miklat ! " and

through the narrow croAvcl , dashes towards the city boundary a young man , yet redhanded Avith his fellow ' s life-blood , sore pressed by his slain felloAv ' s next of kin . Hot groAvs the race , Avell-nigh frantic are the dividing crowd—another cubit and a hatchet cleaves the aironly to fall buried

, in the earth at the fugitive ' s heel—one other cubit more , and the hunted quarry falls , Avounded—but saved—within the border of "The City of Refuge . " Cruel call such a Avager if you will ; cruel and bloody the law which gave it

being ; but it Avas life ' s best preserver ; for such a struggle for existence once Avitnessed , must render every beholder mindful , lest he should eA er by inisadventm-e spill his brother ' s blood . Cruel and bloody 1 v ? as not every effort made to sjiare

the culprit ' s life ? Extensive boundaries , yet further extended by the chance boughs of the overhangingtree ; roads wellmade , wellkept ; and even guide posts erected with the magic word of safety " Miklat . " Cruel and bloodclo we call it 1 shame on us to forget

y the past , with our Avanton shedding of our brother ' s and sister ' s blood—Avithout hope of pardon or reprieA'e—for the paltry theft of that which is the " root of all evil . "