THE ESTABLISHING OF, AND BY THE SPIRIT OF GOD. (See 2 Cor. 1:21, 22.)

The Epistles to the Corinthians are largely devoted to the instruction of the saints as to God's order for the Church. They had been but recently turned from heathenism to God, and though assembled, or gathered, for the worship of God and remembering the Lord Jesus Christ in His death, they were but imperfectly taught in the things of God; were apparently ignorant of God's order for His Church, and but imperfectly apprehended what amazing blessings He had provided for them "in Christ." Under such an environment, Paul's first work for them and "for all who call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ in every place both theirs and ours," was to instruct them, and us, in the things of God. This gives us the key to both epistles.

In the preceding context to the passage we are examining, Paul has just been asserting the absoluteness of the promises of God. They are not yea and nay, but in Him is yea " absolutely yea, and no nay or question at all of any kind about them. "Wherefore also through Him is the amen unto the glory of God through us." This is the immediate context.

Now "the earnest of the Spirit" is the first-fruits of faith in Christ. "In whom believing, or having believed, ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise, which is the earnest (first-fruits) of our inheritance, until the redemption of the purchased possession unto the praise of His glory" (Eph. 1:13, 14). Believing then, or having believed, on realization of what we are promised in Christ, absolutely assured of

THE MAN AFTER THE FLESH. PART II. THE KING OF MAN'S CHOICE.

Chapter 6:THE CALL OF THE KING. (1 Sam. 9:,-10:16.)

(Continued from page 158.)

The people having definitely decided to have a king, in face of all the warnings given by the prophet, nothing remains but to give them their desire according the fullest thought of it. Had the choice of the ruler been left to a few, he would not have been really the expression of the people's wish. This difficulty is constantly encountered in the effort to secure a ruler who shall represent the desires of the people. The nearest that can be done is to let the majority decide. This at best but gives the preference of that majority, in which the rest of the nation has to acquiesce, and so man can never get the ideal ruler of his choice.

For Israel, God mercifully intervenes and, as we might say, puts at the disposal of the people His omniscience in selecting the ruler, not after His heart, but who He knows will meet their desires. This is an interesting and important point, one too that has a New Testament illustration, which, if understood, will throw light upon that which has been a difficulty for many.

The people had already turned against God and rejected Him from being their Ruler. Most certainly, then, their mind was .not in accord with His. The king of their ideal would be a far different man from any whom God would Himself select. They had in their minds a ruler like those of the nations, whose first thought was the welfare of the people and the overthrow of their enemies. God's thought would be a man who first of all sought His glory, and was in subjection to Himself. We must remember that He is not choosing a king for Himself, but for the people. He does for them that which it would have been impossible for them to do for themselves, so that the result is exactly what they would have done had they been able.

The New Testament illustration of this is the selection of Judas Iscariot as an apostle. It has been said, did not the Lord know at the beginning that Judas was a traitor? We are distinctly told so in the sixth chapter of John, and may be certain that our blessed Lord was neither deceived nor disappointed -save in divine and holy sorrow over a lost soul- in the result. But this does not mean that our Lord put Judas in a position against his will or for which he was not in the judgment of men specially fitted. Judas himself had taken the place of a disciple. It was, therefore, simply selecting one who had already taken this place, and not imposing upon him a profession which he had not assumed for himself. Nay, more, the position of apostle was calculated to foster, if it existed at all, the faith of the disciple. The twelve were in the place of special privilege and nearness to the Lord, constantly under His influence, with His example before them; as we know with much individual instruction according to the need of each. Who could associate with such a Master and witness His deeds of love, the flashing out of His holy soul, His tender heart of compassion, His sympathy, and not be made a better man if there were anything of grace in his soul at all? If Judas apostatized and the wickedness of his heart came out in face of all this, we may be sure it is only a special proof of the hopeless corruption of a heart that has not been visited by God's grace. At the same time our Lord would not be violating in the least the free 'agency of the man or compelling him into anything counter to his nature.

Returning now to the king of Israel's choice, we will see in what is before us how divine care and foresight gave the fullest expression to the desire of the people, so that the result was one upon whom all the desire of the nation was fixed. But while man's self-will was thus at work and his rejection of God's mild and loving authority showed the determined alienation of his heart from Him, on the other hand, God was working out His own counsels, and His purposes were being unfolded too. The thought of a king was in His heart as well as that of the people, but how different a king! Hannah had given expression to this divine desire for a Ruler for His people at the close of her song,' which is fittingly so like that of Mary, the mother of .the true King.

The main theme of that song (chap. 2:i-x) is that God raises up the poor and the lowly, and overcomes all pride. Thus His enemies and those of His believing people are overthrown, and the needy and the afflicted are raised up. " He raiseth up the poor out of the dust and lifteth up the beggar from the dung-hill, to set them among princes and to make them inherit the throne of glory." Our blessed Lord laid aside all heaven's glory, and, so far as earthly greatness was concerned, associated Himself with the poor rather than those who occupied the throne. The throne, so far as it could any longer be called that, was occupied by a Herod, while back of him was the power of imperial Rome, the sceptre having passed over to the Gentiles. The One '' born King of the Jews" was to be found in a. stable, and faith alone could recognize Him as the Man of God's choice. But faith does recognize Him, and Hannah looks forward not merely to him who was to be the type of Christ, but to the Lord's Anointed Himself. She closes her song with the triumphant strain:" He shall give strength unto His King, and exalt the horn of His Anointed."

Well did God know that there must be a ruler for His people. Everything had been temporary, even the giving of the law itself at Sinai. There could be no permanent relationship between a nation and God, save through a Mediator. The only ruler could be, not some human deliverer, type of Him to come, but One who truly delivered them from bondage worse than that of Pharaoh and from a captivity greater than any inflicted by the Canaanites. Thus Joshua, and Moses himself, were but types of Christ. The deliverer, too, must be priest as well as ruler, and from Aaron on, the high priests and their sacrifices were but shadows of that perfect Priest who offered up Himself to God. The King was to be also a Priest, and in one blessed Person was to embody all that the righteousness and glory of God, on the one hand, and the need of sinful man, on the other, required.

" All things that God or man could wish
In Thee most richly meet."

So the very unbelief of the people, expressing a desire for a ruler, was but the occasion for God to approach one step nearer the accomplishment of His own purposes; but He was not to be hurried into taking more than one step at a time. He does not,- reverently we would say, He cannot give His own King yet. He must let them work out and manifest all the results of their own desires, and so far from impelling them into that which would show the worst side of self-will, He guards them in every way from this. Thus He uses divine wisdom to select the best man according to their judgment, offering every facility, the machinery of divine Providence, we might say, to secure such a man, and when he is chosen, not withholding all aid, encouragement and warning. If the king of their choice does not succeed, the blame can never be laid upon God. This will be fully manifest. And may we not say the same as to the natural man in every way? If he manifests his corruption, his enmity of God, his hopeless alienation from Him, it is not because of the circumstances in which he is placed, but in spite of them. The very world which has been given over to Satan is still full of witness of God's power, wisdom and goodness. Everyman's life, with its history of mercies and of trials, is a witness that One is seeking to hide pride from him and to deliver him from his worst enemy,-himself. The whole providential government of the world and its long continuance in its present state is a witness of the same. God gives man a free hand to work out all that is in his own heart, while at the same time surrounding him with every inducement to turn to Himself.

This is particularly true of the last phase of His patience and longsuffering,-the present dispensation, where, in Christendom at least, the full blaze of revelation would guide and attract man into paths of pleasantness and peace. When all is over (and it seems now to be nearly the end) it will be seen that if there were anything good in man there had been just the atmosphere in which it would properly develop, and! so far from God being an indifferent spectator, or a hostile one to human progress and development, it will be clear that He has done all that He could to make the trial a successful one on man's part. It will be true of Israel as a nation, and her kings and the world at large as well, that but one answer could be given the question:"What could I have done more unto My vineyard that I have not done? " All has been done.

Our chapter opens with the genealogy of king Saul. It is traced back through five ancestors, whose names are given, and the significance of which ca/not fail to be suggestive. We must bear in mind that it is a genealogy of the flesh, as we may say, where that which is emphasized will be nature rather than grace. Saul himself means "asked" or "demanded." He represents the people's demand for a king, and in that way, nature's ideal. His father was Kish, which means "ensnaring," very suggestive of all that is of nature, which in its most attractive form cannot be trusted.

The next in line was Abiel,'' father of might," which seems to emphasize the thought of strength in which man does indeed glory, but which too often proves to be utter weakness. Zeror, the next, "compressed" or "contracted," suggests the reverse; we can readily understand how one, himself hedged in and oppressed, would seek a reaction and give expression to his desire in his son. Bechorath, his father, "primogeniture," is that which nature makes much of and which Scripture has frequently set aside. Nature says the elder shall rule. How often has Scripture declared that the elder shall serve the younger! Aphiah, " I will utter," would suggest that pride of heart which tells out its imagined greatness. The last person in the list is not named, but described as a Benjamite, a member of that tribe whose history had been one of such glorying self-will and rebellion.

Thus the genealogy of the man of the people's desire would suggest the pride, the self-will, the excellence of nature, together with its feebleness, too, and its deceit. These things are not looked upon as man would regard them, where many of the traits are considered valuable and important, but they are looked upon from God's point of view, and all that is great and excellent in nature is seen to be stained with decay. Thus Saul is described as "a choice young man and a goodly, and there was not among the children of Israel a goodlier person than he. From his shoulders and upward he was higher than any of the people," surely a beau ideal of a king, in man's eyes; alas too soon to show the vanity of man's nature !

The man of the people's desire being now marked out, we are next shown the steps which lead up to his being presented. What trivial events apparently decide our whole after-course of life! It was comparatively an unimportant matter that the asses of Kish should have strayed away and Saul with a servant be sent in search of them, and yet God used this to bring to pass all that was hinging upon it. No doubt everything here has its lessons for us if we are able to read them aright. We are told that man is like a wild ass's colt, naturally unrestrained and self-willed. These asses would then naturally suggest that nature of man which has gone astray from God, and in its wildness and absence of restraint needs ever the strong hand to hold it down. Israel, too, had many a time shown its waywardness in like manner, and one who goes in search of that rebellious nation must indeed have help from God to lay hold of it.

As a matter of fact, Saul did not find the asses; they were restored to his father by divine Providence; and no mere man has ever brought back the wayward wanderer to God. If brought back at all, it is through a divine work. When the time comes for the true King to enter His city, He rides upon an ass's colt upon which man had never sat, controlling all things. Saul searched diligently enough in various places for these lost asses, but fails to find them. First he goes through Mount Ephraim, "fruitful-ness," and the land of Shalisha, "the third part," which may have stood for a very large territory; but neither in the place of fruitfulness nor in any wide extent of region has a wanderer ever been found. Man surely has not been fruitful for God. He next seeks through the land of Shaalim, "the place of hollows or valleys" and the land of Jemini, "my right hand," which would suggest exaltation. But neither in humiliation nor exaltation is the natural man found. The poor and degraded are as far from God as those who are exalted. Lastly he comes to Zuph, "a honey-comb," and there he gives up the search. It would seem to stand for the sweetness
and attractiveness of nature, but perhaps more hopeless than any is this. One may be naturally attractive without one thought of God, and if the belt have no heart for Him, the search must be abandoned. It would need a Seeker after another kind to find the wanderers, and He found them in a different place from those in which Saul ever sought. Going down in death and taking his place under judgment, there He found the wanderer.

(To be continued.)

I must live upon God! Yes, that you must if you would be either holy, happy, or fruitful:and yet it is the very last thing that we are willing to do; for we want to live on friends-comforts-prospects-any thing rather than God.

He that receives most from Christ, will be most like Christ, and will do most for Christ; we can only serve the Lord acceptably, or effectually, as we serve Him with His own.

We have now reached a most important transition period in the history of Israel. Judges has given us the failure, we may say, of the nation as a whole, and their deliverance only by special judges called up for special emergencies. At the death of the judge all quickly lapsed back again to its former state of apostasy and bondage. In i Samuel, which is our historical portion, we have the account of the failure of the priesthood as well as of the nation. Shiloh, instead of being the centre of light and strength for the nation, became the greatest stumbling-block because of the unchecked sin of Eli's sons. All culminates in the captivity of the ark, as though God's holy presence could no longer tolerate the sin of profession, and allowed His glory to be delivered into the hands of the enemy. It is at this juncture that God raises up the prophetic gift, and from now on to the end there was rarely a time when the voice of divine love could not be heard warning, admonishing, encouraging, and directing, as need might be. Samuel also gives us the account of the establishment of the kingdom; first, the king after the flesh, man's natural desire as expressed in King Saul, and then David, the man after God's own heart, type of Christ the King for whom yet Israel unconsciously waits.

There are six divisions in the two books of Samuel, which go together:

1. (Chaps. 1:-8:) The call of the prophet, God's representative in the midst of an apostate people.

2. (Chaps. 9:-15:) King Saul, the people's choice -all that is excellent in the natural man.

3. (Chaps. 16:-2 Samuel 9:) David, God's choice, type of Christ in His rejection and exaltation.

4. (Chaps. 10:-12:) The testing and failure of King David.

5. (Chaps. 13:-21:14.) God's ways of judgment in dealing with the failed king and his recovery.

6. (Chaps. 21:15-24:)The triumph at the end.

Along with i Samuel, we also read the first book of the Psalms, or psalms 1:-41:, as giving to a good degree the experiences of David during the time of his rejection.

The Psalms are most rich, not only in individual soul history, but in a typical foreshadowing of the experiences of Israel, or, rather, of the believing remnant in Israel in anticipation of the coining of Christ in the latter days. Everything looks forward to that.

Another most attractive feature of this first book of Psalms is the frequent reference to Christ Himself, entire psalms being devoted to this. Thus, we have Him as Son of God and King in Zion (Psa. 2:); as Son of man, Head over all things in exaltation in Psa. 8:We see Him in His perfect humanity as the Man of faith in Psa. 16:; while in Psa. 22:we hear His cry of anguish as the Sin-bearer upon the cross. Psa. 24:shows Him again coming in glory; and whether it be the earthly city or the heavenly, its gates are flung wide for the King of glory to come in. Psa. xl, the last but one in our series, presents Him as the burnt-offering who fully accomplished God's will by the sacrifice of Himself.
We cannot too earnestly press upon our readers the importance of the attentive study of this section of inspired lyrics.

Our New Testament portion must be unusually brief. It embodies only the epistle to the Philippians, whose four chapters mark its four divisions in an unmistakable way. Here we see, not a failing type of Christ, as_ David was, but Christ Himself to be enjoyed by faith, and a knowledge of whom goes to make up a genuine Christian experience.

1. In the first chapter we see Him as supreme, the Source of life and the theme of the gospel.

2. Chap. 2:presents Him in His humiliation unto death as the Pattern for His beloved people, while the latter part of the chapter gives certain human illustrations of that humiliation in a practical way.

3. Chap. 3:is most vivid and full of motion. Here Christ is seen on high in glory, the Object for. whose sake all human righteousness and Judaism are left behind, willingly thrown aside as the eager soul presses on to reach Christ in resurrection glory. He is the Prize of our calling on high; and as we run, we look for Him who at His coming will transform even our bodies and fashion them like His own.

4. The last chapter comes down to the practical, daily life where, whatever the need, Christ is found all-sufficient. Thus we have Him as the basis of Christian stability, the Source of Christian strength, the relief for Christian anxiety, the supply of Christian need. Truly Christ is all. May it be ours to translate into our daily experience the wonderful unfoldings of this precious little epistle !

AS ILLUSTRATED AT THE , TIME OF THE REFORMATION. (Translated from the French.)

It was at Geneva that the Bible and other books which brought the light into the southern half of France were printed. There, too, it was that persecuted Christians found a sure refuge, and that many zealous preachers. were more perfectly instructed in the word of God by Calvin, and then filled France from the Jura to the Pyrenees with their earnest testimony.

The seed abundantly scattered fell upon well prepared ground. Already before this, the Waldenses and the Albigenses, who occupied a part of the south of France, had, by the light of Scripture, made energetic protests against the errors of the Church of Rome. They had been crushed by the bloody crusades made against them by the pope's legates; but their descendants had kept in their hearts a deep love for the gospel, and an invincible disgust for Romish traditions and superstitions. When, therefore, the light penetrated from Germany into the north of France, and as far as Paris, it met with a most cordial reception, especially among the upper classes. The first to receive it were from the higher ranks and the cultivated people.

In 1512, five years before Luther posted his theses on the door of the church at Wittenberg, Lefevre d'Etaples, professor at the Sorbonne, had, in his commentary on the epistle to the Romans, voiced the doctrines taught later on by the German reformer. Some pious bishops, men of state in the highest posts, and powerful noble families, had declared themselves friends of the word of God. It had penetrated even into the court of Francis I. His own sister, the remarkable Marguerite de Valois, had received it in her heart. Noted for her beauty, and surrounded by luxury and the temptations of a corrupt society, she found the way to keep herself pure, "esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt." She adopted the sunflower as her emblem, because it ever turns to the sun, and had linked with it the words, I seek not the things here. The following lines from her have been preserved:

Is there of woe an abyss so deep,
That, for the tenth of my sins, could be found
Enough to punish ?
Then, my Father–O what a Father!-God
Invisible, immutable, eternal,
In grace forgiving all transgression,
At Thy feet I fall as does a criminal.
O lovely Saviour, Immanuel,
The Lord, the Word, the King, through death
Of death the conqueror,
In Thy mercy I trust.
Made by faith children of God,
By faith righteous, fruitful, holy,
By faith brought nigh who once were far,
O Christ, in Thee all is mine and I abound;
I once so poor, so blind and helpless,
In Thee now so rich and great and wise.

Quite different were the sentiments of her brother, Francis I., toward the "new doctrine." Full of ambitious plans, he allowed his despicable mother, Louise of Savoy, to prejudice him against it, and so in him began a long series of kings of France who sought to drown in blood the flock of Christ and the Word of Truth, and by it brought upon themselves the judgments of God as well as ruin upon their country.

The first martyr of those dark days was a simple workman, a wool carder of the town of Meaux, called Jean Leclerc. Urged by the Spirit of God, he went from house to house preaching the gospel to the people, and testifying with energy against the misleadings of popery. For three days he was taken through the city and so beaten on his bare back that the blood flowed down from his torn flesh, and then he was branded on the forehead with a hot iron as one of the worst malefactors. At the sight of all this his mother was overcome with sorrow; but soon realizing the prospects of faith, she was lifted above all, and shouted, " Vive Jesus-Christ et ses enseignes!" (Long live Jesus-Christ and His teachings.*) *It is difficult to render this expression in English. It is like the poor, ignorant man whose heart was full of Christ, but who could not express it in words; so he shouted, " Three cheers for Jesus Christ!"* Spite of this mark of infamy, the martyr continued to bear testimony. He was seized again at Metz, and condemned to be burned alive. To satisfy the furious crowds, he was first torn with red-hot nippers, but in the midst of his sufferings he repeated aloud the words of the 112th psalm.

A few years later the Protestant community of Meaux had so grown that sixty-two of its members, men and women, were arrested at one time. At their trial fourteen of them were condemned to the gallows. They began by applying the question to them; and while the executioners were wearying themselves in dismembering the bodies of their uncomplaining victims, one of these, full of holy joy, cried out, "Courage, friends; let us not pity this poor body, in which we have so often resisted the Spirit, and sinned against God! " Then the sacrifice began, and ended while the priests chanted with all their might, " O salutary victim; I salute thee, O queen!"

Persecutions went on:a poor crippled shoemaker, called Milan, who taught the word of God to such as visited him, was dragged out of his bed of suffering, thrown into a dungeon, then taken to the scaffold. Five young students who had been at Lausanne to prepare for the ministry were returning to France to give themselves to this holy, but dangerous work. Taken by deception, they were imprisoned at Lyons, and burned alive on the place des Terreaux. Not allowed to live to serve God, they served Him in their death, and praised Him to the end by the singing of psalms.

A simple peasant called Etienne answered the judge who had condemned him, " No, you have no power to send me into death; it is rather to life you are sending me." Many priests and monks received the love of the truth, and turned away from the superstitions of Rome. This brought upon them treatment only so much the more cruel.

Admirable was the unflinching firmness of these victims when subjected to those frightful tortures. They bore them without complaint, and without ever betraying their brethren in the faith. Many had their tongues cut off before being burned alive or beheaded. It was thus made impossible for them to be witnesses of their faith from the top of the pile or of the scaffold. This was done to two workmen, exclaims, "It was a marvelous triumph, for God has shown in a visible manner how able He is to uphold youth, to strengthen old age, and to give to a feeble and delicate woman the needed courage for faithful testimony, when it pleases Him to put His elect to such a test."

THE MAN AFTER THE FLESH. PART II. THE KING OF MAN'S CHOICE.

Chapter 5:the people's desire for a king. (1 Sam. 8:)

(Continued from page 120.)

In a world where death reigns, all things, even the good, must come to an end. Samuel grows old. His well-spent life is reaching its close. It is then that he makes the first mistake which is recorded of him; a natural mistake indeed, and yet evidently he had not the mind of God in what he did. He makes his sons judges at Beersheba. Here we have in essence the whole principle of natural succession recognized. Because the father was a judge, the sons must be judges. It reminds us of that plea of Abimelech, the son of Gideon:"My father [was] king," which suggests the succession from father to son, of office. The name Abimelech was a Philistine one given to their kings, as the title Pharaoh to those of Egypt, and it is really nature's substitute for dependence upon God. It is sad and strange to think of the victor over the Philistines falling into one of the snares peculiar to that people. A carnal and formal religion is based upon the principle of succession. " No bishop, no church " conveys a certain truth if it is man's church that is in question. It is through the bishops that succession comes,- remove that, and the whole fabric of Rome and sacerdotalism generally would fall to the ground.

Gideon had refused absolutely this principle, even for himself or his descendants. He had left the power with Him who had given it, God Himself:" I will not rule over you, neither shall my son rule over you. The Lord shall rule over you " (Judges 8:23). So, too, Moses, when told that he could not lead Israel any further than the border of the land, and that he must lay down his leadership, did not presume to name his successor, much less to think of his own son as taking up that which he -had laid down. How beautiful it is to see this meekness in the great leader, who, we may well suppose, as he felt so keenly the deprivation, would have loved to temper it by the privilege of naming his successor. But self is obliterated, and nowhere does his character show more beautifully than:"Let the Lord, the God of the spirits of all flesh, set a man over the congregation who may go out before them, and who may go in before them, and who may lead them out, and who may bring them in, that the congregation of the Lord be not as sheep which have no shepherd. And the Lord said unto Moses, Take thee Joshua, the son of Nun, a man in whom is the Spirit . . . And Moses did as the Lord commanded him " (Num. 27:16-22).

In this way Joshua is as directly called of Jehovah as Moses himself had been. Unquestionably he was fitted by his own association with Israel's leader to carry on the work which he laid down, and it is equally probable that Moses himself might have chosen Joshua as his successor, but the point is that he did not do so; he left it entirely to God, realizing that wisdom and power for such responsibility could not be conferred by the hands of man, but must come from Him alone in whom all power is.

Without unduly criticizing the honored and faithful prophet of whom we are speaking, Samuel seems to have failed to see the immense importance of this. There is no mention of any turning to God and asking that He would select a successor. He seemed to forget the history of the judges, when, for each emergency, God Himself had raised up the judge of His own choice to deliver His people. He would do it himself. His decision is accepted by the people. No question is raised, no opposition apparently is made, but God was not in it, and so the sons show what they are. They take bribes and pervert judgment, and, instead of perpetuating the honor of God as their father had done, they indirectly bring reproach upon him, subjecting him to the humiliation of a public rebuke by the people, and weaken in their minds that faith in God's sufficiency which it had been Samuel's great effort to establish.

Nor is it necessary to suppose that these sons of Samuel were specially evil men. While reminded of them, we cannot class them with the apostates, Hophni and Phinehas, whose wickedness was of such a gross and glaring character as to bring down the immediate judgment of God. It is to be noted that they failed as judges, their wrong-doing confined to the exercise of that office into which they had been intruded. They took bribes and perverted judgment. Lord Bacon, whose wisdom and greatness, and, we would fain hope, his Christianity, are beyond dispute, failed in the same way. He was officially disgraced, and yet even in his own time his personal character and abilities were recognized to a certain extent. It was felt that the man was better than the officer, and that his position was responsible for bringing out that inherent weakness of moral character which might have remained in abeyance had he not been unduly tempted. At any rate, we may well conceive that Samuel's sons in other respects were fairly blameless men, and had they been allowed to continue in private life or in the path to which God Himself would have called them, might never have fallen into the sin which is the only record that we have of their lives.

All this emphasizes the importance of what we have been dwelling upon. God will never delegate to the hands of man responsibility for transmitting that which comes alone from Himself. The failure to see this has been one of the fruitful causes of all the apostasy of the professing Church from the earliest times. Man desires to have things in his own hands, and, having them there, only proves how utterly incompetent he is to administer these great and solemn responsibilities. So the ordination of men to office but fixes the man in a position which may not be of God at all. If a man has been divinely called, he needs no human authorization; and, if not called, all such authorization is but confirming a human mistake, and paving the way for such failure as we see in Samuel's sons. This touches upon a most profound and far-reaching subject. The leaven of Samuel's mistake has permeated all Christendom until it seems heresy to dispute the principle of succession, and yet is it not a distinct denial of the presence and sufficiency of the Holy Spirit, who dwells in the Church to guide, control and actuate all ministry ?

Returning to "Samuel's mistake in thus making his sons his successors, we are led to ask how far it showed his failure to bring up his children aright. Had he unconsciously imitated the weakness of Eli, with whom he was associated in early life, and whose family failure was of such a glaring character as to be the cause of God's sorest judgments ? It would hardly seem likely, for he had warning before his eyes and from the lips of God Himself. He himself in his childhood had been the messenger to unfaithful Eli as to this very matter, and he witnessed the captivity of the ark, the death of Eli's sons, and of the high priest himself, all because of this indifference. His own personal faithfulness with the people at large, his prayerfulness, forbid the thought that he was careless or indifferent as to his responsibility in his own home. On the other hand, are we not reminded in Abraham, that he would " command his household after him," and in Joshua's strong words, "As for me and my house we will serve the Lord," that they link the family together with the father ? Are we not told in the New Testament that one indispensable requisite for a leader of the people of God is that he should "rule well his own house"? Carelessness in the home would mean carelessness everywhere else, or a foolish and undue severity in just the place where it was not called for, as Eli could rebuke poor Hannah at her prayer, while his sons reveled in godlessness unrestrained.

May the truth not lie between these two extremes ? That Samuel was not entirely without blame we have already seen. He failed to grasp the mind of God. We may well believe that his frequent absences from home, the absorbing interest in a nation at large, unconsciously to himself closed his eyes to responsibilities at home which no weight of public care could relieve him of. "My own vineyard have I not kept" has only too often had to be the sorrowful confession of those who have labored in others' vineyards. It is not a thing to excuse nor explain away, but solemnly to face and to remember the danger for us all, if such a man as Samuel, with such an example as that of Eli before him, could in any measure commit a similar wrong. May God's mercy be upon the heads of families, giving grace and dependence and prayerfulness that the households may be an example of submission to His order!

These sons were, after all, but a reflection of the state of the entire people, and even of the flesh in Samuel himself, and so in man generally. Wherever mere nature acts, we may be sure it does not act for God. Hence even natural affection, the strong ties that bind the household together, if not controlled by the word of God and the Holy Spirit, may do the very opposite of His will. How different from Levi, "Who said unto his father and to his mother, I have not seen him; neither did he acknowledge his brethren, nor knew his own children:for they have observed Thy word, and kept Thy covenant" (Deut. 33:9). Therefore they would be qualified for wider service:"They shall teach Jacob Thy judgments and Israel Thy law" (ver. 10). How perfect in this, as in all else, was our blessed Lord Jesus, who rendered all due obedience in its place, and whose words from the cross itself bespoke a tender love and care for His mother; and yet, whenever nature intruded between Himself and His Father's will, how He could rebuke her, or show that obedience to God was to Him a clearer proof of relationship than any mere natural tie! "Whosoever shall do the will of God, the same is my brother and sister and mother."

Was it not, also, a certain measure of unbelief in Samuel in the sufficiency of God and care for His own beloved people that led him to appoint successors ? We cannot therefore be surprised when the contagion of this unbelief spreads to the people at large; and so they come to Samuel as seeing the very thing which he himself had seen, and desiring to provide against it in much the same way in which he had attempted to do:"Behold, thou art old, and thy sons walk riot in thy ways; now make us a king to judge us, like all the nations." Was it not, after all, simply seeking to remedy a manifest evil, which was all too plain, by recourse to a human expedient rather than to God Himself?

In passing, we may notice the humiliation to which Samuel was subjected in thus having to hear from the lips of those whom he himself had judged, sad words in relation to the failure in his own family:"Thy sons walk not in thy ways." Alas, too true, and we can well conceive the shame that would mount to the aged prophet's cheeks as there, before the people, the sad state of his own house was declared to him! There is no mention of any resentment, and, from all we know of this dear and honored servant's faithfulness to God, we may well believe that he bowed under what would seem most clearly to have been a chastening from God's hand. We never gain by refusing such chastenings, painful and humbling though they may be. Let us be more concerned to avoid the cause of them, the need for them, than the shame of being subjected to them. May God write this lesson deeply in our hearts!

"Like all the nations." How human this is! It is as though they were like all the nations. It is putting themselves on the same plane with those very Philistines whom but lately they had overthrown in the power of God alone. Alas, so easily do we forget and so quickly turn away from our blessed God, who would have us different from all the nations! Had He not singled them out as a peculiar people in His electing choice, by the wondrous signs in the land of Egypt, by the sheltering blood, and bringing them forth with a high hand and an outstretched arm ? Had He not guarded them as the apple of His eye all through '' that great and terrible wilderness " ? Had He not cast out the nations from the land of Canaan and given them an inheritance-houses which they had not builded and vineyards which they had not planted ? What nation had ever been so treated ? This wretched word
"like all the nations " is a denial in one breath of their whole history. If they were to be like all the nations, they would be still among the flesh-pots of Egypt, groaning in bitter and hopeless bondage.

And for ourselves, does not the desire for human remedies for recognized evils, for some resemblance to the ways of men about us, deny all that divine grace has done for us in making us a peculiar people for God Himself ? Has not our salvation marked us out as distinct from the world in which we live ? Has not the blood of the everlasting covenant forever separated between us and the judgment-doomed multitude who go on in their own way ? Does not the presence of the Holy Spirit as a seal upon each of us mark us in God's eye, as it also should in the eye of the world, as "not of the world" even as Christ is not of the world ? Do we desire to be "like all the nations " ? No; in the name of all the grace and love of our God, of the all-sufficiency of His blessed Son, let us repudiate the faintest whisper of such a thought, and go on with acknowledged weakness, so feeble though it be as to be a subject of mockery to the world; let us as Jacob halt upon our thigh that the power of Christ may rest upon us, rather than seek for any human expedient like the world around us.

It is beautiful to see how Samuel turns in all this to God. His heart is grieved at what the people have asked, nor is there the slightest suggestion of the repetition of his previous failure, which stands out alone, and that by implication only, as we have seen, in a character otherwise unmarred by any manifest blemish. Samuel prayed unto the Lord. Well would it be for us, when we hear of weakness in others, to bring it before God and pour it out there, rather than seek weakly to reprove or correct it by our own efforts. He gets, in a certain sense, comfort from God and yet no relief in the ordinary sense of the word. He must hearken to the voice of the people in all that they say, and then the sad fact comes out that this had been the treatment to which the blessed God Himself had been subjected by this same nation from the beginning:"They have not rejected thee, but they have rejected Me, that I should not reign over them. According to all the works which they have done since the day that I brought them up out of Egypt, even unto this day, so do they also unto thee." Samuel must expect the same treatment from the nation as God Himself had received. The one who stands with God must feel what the psalmist felt:"The reproaches of those that reproached Thee are fallen upon me." Man's hatred of God was never more fully manifested than in the cross of our blessed Lord Jesus, and all that He was subjected to at the hands of man but manifested the treatment that they had in heart accorded God. Sad and sorrowfully true it is; and yet what an honor in any measure to be permitted to stand for God, even to suffer the reproaches, to meet with the treatment, which our blessed Lord met with:"If they have persecuted Me, they will persecute you also."
But the people are not allowed to have their own way without having a divine and perfectly clear warning as to where that way will lead, and so Samuel is instructed to tell them what it means to have a king, like the nations. In brief, they will be slaves to their king:"He will take your sons and appoint them for himself for his chariots, and to be his horsemen, and some shall run before his chariots." They will no longer be servants of God in that sense, and no longer free to labor for their own profit. They will be liable at any time to be called upon by their king to engage in war, needless or otherwise, as his fancy may dictate, to be menials about his house, to be servants of his servants.

Then, too, their property will not be safe from his aggression. Their lands can be taken away. The tenth part of their increase, the very same that Jehovah claimed as His own, must be given to their king. In other words, they would bitterly rue their choice, and find that from the perfect freedom of service to God they had passed into the bondage of human tyranny. How fully this was verified in after years, a glance at their history will show. Even David, in his awful sin, exemplified the arbitrary character of kingly power-a royal murderer, against whom no hand could be lifted in vengeance! Solomon's oppression; that of Asa; the glaring robbery and murder of Ahab; are but illustrations of what was, doubtless, but too common amongst the kings of Israel, who in turn were, no doubt, held in from going to the extremes of other nations by the restraining witness of the prophets constantly sent from God. From that time onward, royalty, if that in reality, has been but another name for self-will, oppression and tyranny, save where, in the mercy of God, His grace overruled. It is not that a king necessarily must be a tyrant, but human nature being what it is, it is what is to be expected. God's thought, after all, is for a king, but it must be the true King, who shall reign in righteousness, of whom there is but One in all the universe of God. When He comes whose right it is to rule, and the government is upon His shoulders, oppression will cease, the meek shall be judged, and the oppressed shall be rescued, as is beautifully set before us in the seventy-second psalm.

Nor let it be thought for a moment that there is no necessity for human government at the present time. Kings and all that are in authority are, after all, but "the powers that be;" and the fault is not in the power, but in the men who misuse that power. But for a people who had God as their Ruler, for whom He had interposed in an especial way, it was nothing short of apostasy to desire a king like the nations. However, after the solemn witness is borne and the people repeat their desire, they are left- solemn thought-left to their choice. They shall have their request, even though it bring leanness to their own souls. Our blessed God often permits us to have our own way, that He may show us the folly of it. Alas, would that we might learn His way in His own presence, and be spared the sorrow for ourselves and the dishonor to His name which come from the bitter experience of a path of disobedience.

Again Samuel rehearses all the words of the people to the Lord, and again he is told to hearken to the voice of the people, who are for the time dismissed with the tacit promise that, as they have desired, so it shall be. Sad journey homeward, as every man goes to his own city after having deliberately refused longer to be under the mild and loving sway of the only One who could be truly their !

(To be continued.)
'THEY THAT FEARED THE LORD."

(Nahum 1. 7.)

These precious words stand out like a glittering gem from the surrounding darkness of threatened judgment upon the enemies of God. ."Who can stand before His indignation? and who can abide in the fierceness of His anger ?His fury is poured out like fire, and the rocks are thrown down by Him. The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; and He knoweth them that trust in Him. But with an overrunning flood He will make an utter end of the place thereof, and darkness shall pursue His enemies."

The prophets are largely occupied with the denunciation of sin and warning as to approaching judgment. The general impression that one would gain from a mere casual perusal would be that they are unutterably sad and depressing; but this is far from being the case, except that we are constrained to recognize the necessity for so much witnessing against evil in a world where sin has full sway, and where even the professed people of God have turned away from Him to idols. The very existence of prophecy is a recognition of the presence of evil. The prophetic office only came into use after Israel's declension and failure. But let one bow his heart to the holy action of the prophetic word, let him acknowledge the sin pointed out by the finger of divine holiness and turn to the One who smites, and he will find healing close at hand.

Thus, scattered thickly throughout the pages of the Prophets, are many precious gems of promise and comfort for those who own the righteousness of God's judgment. It is only upon His enemies that He will pour out wrath, and He ever delights in mercy. It seems, too, that the value of these precious promises and words of comfort is enhanced by the dark background of their setting, just as the delicate snow-drop is all the more appreciated that is gathered close to the edge of some fearful precipice, near by a roaring cataract.

Let us, then, take all the comfort that we need from this precious verse. "The Lord is good." Oh, how well we know it! How He has shown His goodness, not merely in His acts of kindness and mercy to us, in common with all His creatures, nor even in His special mercies shown to us since we have known in His name all that is included under that blessed thought of a Father's care; but oh, how His goodness shines out in the gift of His goodness, the Son of His bosom, and all the work of redemption accomplished by Him! And this links directly with the next clause. "He is a stronghold in the day of trouble," a safe retreat from wrath, nay, even from His own judgment against sin; He has provided the shelter from that-a stronghold where naught can enter to disturb the feeblest of His people, who, like the conies dwelling in the rock, are safe hidden in this stronghold, Christ Himself. But this is a stronghold not merely for us in view of our final salvation, but in the day of trouble, whenever trouble comes, and or whatever character. We are too prone to confine our blessings to the spiritual sphere, and to exclude God from His own world. While it is true that so long as we live we are exposed to the trials which are the common lot of man, yet it is equally true that in the time of trouble we have what the world has not, a stronghold, a place of shelter.

This brings us to the clause which is more particularly before us, "He knoweth them that trust in Him." In the Old Testament especially, the word "knoweth " means far more than mere recognition or acquaintance. It is a great comfort indeed to realize even this, that God recognizes us, that He is acquainted with those who trust in Him. But " the Lord knoweth the way of the righteous." It is not merely He recognizes or is acquainted with it, but He knows it with approval. He takes delight in it, and so here he approves and marks as His own beloved people those who trust in Him. He finds delight and satisfaction in them. Is the reader of these lines one who trusts in the Lord, who knows Him first of all as a Saviour-God and place of refuge, and who, then, in the daily difficulties of life has learned to confide in Him ? Then let such an one be assured that the eye of the Lord is upon him and His delight is in him.

We may think with comfort of this as we realize how small and insignificant we are in the vast world of which we form an infinitesimal part. Think of all the millions of human, beings upon this earth, each one going his own way, each one engaged in his own business; most, alas, perfectly satisfied to get on without God. His providential care and general goodness are over all His works. Not a sparrow falls to the ground without His knowledge; but in an especial way, amidst all the teeming crowds of earth, His eye is upon those who trust in Him.

They may be feeble and despised in the eye of man; they may be of but little value or importance, and were they to drop out of the world would not even be missed, and yet the Lord knoweth those that trust in Him. As He sees man going on in his pride and self-sufficiency, piling up the dust of this world's wealth and seeking to get greater and greater power over his fellows, building himself, perhaps, some Babel tower of a great name here, the Lord passes all that by, to the humble home, it may be the sick bed; the tired, weary mother's care; the feeble, trembling hand of old age. Is there a heart that trusts in Him ? He knows it. " He knoweth them that trust in Him," His eye rests upon them with approval and delight, and they shall never be confounded. "As unknown and yet well known." How good it is to remember this! The poor woman who came in the crowd that clustered about the Lord Jesus thought she was alone with her misery, into which no eye had looked. She reaches out the trembling hand of faith and touches the border of His garment. At once the Lord asks:"Who is it that hath touched Me ?" There can be no faith that He does not recognize at once, and she not only has the blessing of healing which her faith craved, but the sweeter blessing of His own word and approval:"Daughter, thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace." What a blessed recompense for walking on the shadow side of life-the Lord knoweth us!

And so, when we think even of the company of His people,-thank God, a goodly number, through His grace, who have been brought out of the world, out of nature's darkness into His marvelous light,- here, too, the life of faith is as distinct before the eye of God as though each one of us were alone. The Lord does not look upon His people as a mass, but singles out each one, marking the peculiarities, the special difficulties and needs of each, and the faith of each individual. And so, if our fellow-Christians look upon us with suspicion, if the lowly path of separation which we have been constrained by the love of Christ to take, is one despised by many who have not listened to His voice and are content to go on with much that is grieving to Him, what a comfort it is to remember that "the Lord knoweth them that trust in Him "!

A Peter, leaving the ship with its comfortable support, walking upon the disastrous waves, yea, beginning to sink, may be the object of scorn and derision to those in the ship, but not to His Lord, whose strong arm sustains him, and who recognizes the reality of the feeble faith that would come out to Him, a faith which, while He rebukes, He strengthens and rewards. And so, are we called to tread a lonely path ?-do we find but little comfort of fellowship in the place where God has put us?-do many, even of His own, hold aloof from us or treat us with cold neglect ?-let this sweet and precious word come home to us, with all its consolation, "He knoweth them that trust in Him."

Blessed Lord, if Thine eye be upon us, if Thine eye find delight in the feeble faith that tremblingly walks in Thy path, blessed be the trial and the difficulty, yea, and the reproach, that shut us up more and more to Thine own sufficiency and to Thy love!

Sometimes, too, the clouds gather thick about one; the way seems so dark that he knows not more than one step ahead of him. He is so overwhelmed that he loses the sense of peace and joy that should ever fill the heart. But in the midst of all the trial he can say, with Job:"Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him." He can say, with that father who brought not merely his demoniac child, but the unbelief of his own heart to the Almighty Lord, and said,"Lord, I believe; help Thou mine unbelief." Sometimes our faith may be so sorely tried that we lose sight of it ourselves. We are conscious only of the intensity of the trial. Prayer has ceased to be articulate, and is only "groanings which cannot be uttered;" but "He that searcheth the heart knoweth the mind of the Spirit." He recognizes the reality of the faith which, feeble though it be, rests upon Christ alone. That faith can never fail. " He knoweth them that trust in Him."

Sometimes God's eye alone can detect faith. We look in vain in the Old Testament for evidences of faith on the part of Sarah. We see the laughter of unbelief and the falsehood of weakness that would shrink into itself; and yet, when the Spirit of God records it all, we find there was this precious jewel of faith hidden in her heart. (See Heb. 11:)

Poor Lot seemed to have sacrificed everything in Sodom, and even when dragged out by angelic power seemed utterly bereft of any confidence in God-a shameful contrast to Abraham, the typical man of faith, living in spiritual independence, above all the trials and temptations of the way,-and yet in Lot God recognized that spark of faith, and, according to His own sure word, "A bruised reed shall He not break, and the smoking flax shall He not quench," so He has recorded for us this faith in Lot. "He knoweth them that trust in Him."

We would not for a moment give encouragement to persons to continue in that which dishonors God, nor would we set a premium upon the weakness of faith. Surely we know that our God longs to write of each of us, as He did of the Thessalonians, "Your faith groweth exceedingly." Faith is nourished by that upon which it feeds, but there are times in the life of the tried when it will give comfort to remember that even when we have lost sight of our own faith, if we still cling to God He recognizes it. And so, returning for a moment, our faith is not recognized by the world,-"Therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew Him not; " it may not be recognized even by our fellow-Christians, and the stress may be so great that we ourselves lose the consciousness of it; but God's eye is upon us:"He knoweth them that trust in Him."

Our readings during the present month are to be the book of Judges, with its companion Ruth, in the Old Testament, and Paul's epistles-i Corinthians, Galatians, and i and ii Timothy-in the New. There is a common thought in all these of responsibility as to corporate relationships, as well as departure, which we find in Judges and 2 Timothy, together with doctrinal failure, which is brought out in Galatians.

The book of Judges gives us in the main the course of declension after the death of Joshua and of the elders who outlived him. The energy of faith declines, the failure to completely drive out and annihilate the enemy is all too manifest in the alliances made with them, and the idolatry resulting therefrom. Along with this are most touching and instructive reminders of God's patient love for His poor, silly people, again and again raising up judges for their deliverance when they had involved themselves in such disaster as brought them on their faces in confession to Him.

I. (Chaps, 1:-3:4.) This first division deals with the more general independence and rebellion of the people in failing completely to carry out the purposes of God as to their enemies. There will be seen throughout this portion how the nations were allowed to remain, under one plea or another; either because they were too strong, or because they were put under tribute and became bondsmen ; but whatever the pretext, the effect is always the same. An enemy not thoroughly conquered will conquer us in the end-a principle as true for us who are in the enjoyment of our heavenly blessings in Christ as for Israel of old.

II. (Chaps, 3:5-16:) In this portion we have the varied different bondages and deliverances of the people. Here the enemy in each case represents some special form of spiritual evil, and the deliverer the divine remedy to enable us to overcome the evil. It will be well briefly to mark these various stages:

1. The rule of the king of Mesopotamia (Aram) (chap. 3:5-11). Here it is pride, and independence of God. The deliverer is Othniel, "the lion of God," the nephew of Caleb, the whole-hearted one. This is the opposite of human independence, for where the strength is of God there is nothing in us but weakness.

2. (Chap. 3:12-31.) The Moabites and Philistines. Here we have the incubus of profession in its various forms, and the deliverer is Ehud, " Confession." Reality, with its keen knife of the word of God, will put an end to mere formalism.

3. (Chaps. 4:5:) The rule of Jabin, "understanding," carnal reasoning, the worship of the intellect as contrasted with faith. The victor here is Barak, "Lightning," but led on and controlled by Deborah, " the word," suggesting together that word of God, which is " quick and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword." Faith sings its song of triumph in chap. 5:

4. (Chaps. 6:-10:5.) The rule of Midian, "strife," the invasion of the world, with its accompanying inward and outward strifes. Worldliness eats up all the fruit of the land as the grasshoppers would. The deliverer here is Gideon, " the cutter-down," the man who learned in the secret of God's presence his own nothingness, and then went forth with all the conscious weakness, but with the power of God resting upon him, to cut down the high things, beginning with the altar and grove of Baal, in his own father's house.

5. (Chaps. 10:6-12:) The Ammonites. These were similar to the Moabites, as being naturally related to Israel. They seem, however, to represent that spirit of rationalism which intrudes into the things of God, and may well answer in part at least to the higher criticism of the day. The deliverer here is Jephthah, "the one who opens "-that is, the enlightener who uses the word of God aright. God's word is the great remedy for all forms of rationalistic unbelief. Jephthah's harshness is the extreme into which Satan will sometimes lead faithful men. They make no distinction between their brethren and the enemy, and slaughter all alike.

6. (Chaps. 13:-16:) The Philistines, representing ecclesiastical corruption, the form of godliness without its power. Samson, " Sunlike "-"as the sun when he goeth forth in his might"-here, the Nazarites, represents that separation of spirit which alone can overcome mere formality and ecclesiastical pretension. Alas, in himself Samson exemplified the reverse of all this, becoming a captive in the hands of those over whom he had so often won signal victories-a word for us.

III. (Chaps. 17:-21:) The hopelessly corrupt state of the people manifest in various ways. Chaps. xvii, 18:show the beginning of idolatry. Chaps, 19:-21:give the humbling results of departure from God seen in the disregard of every human tie, no matter how sacred.

The entire book will thus be seen to be the history of a downward course, with gleams of comfort wherever faith humbles itself in acknowledgment of the true condition of the people and lays hold upon the gracious provision of God.

The lovely history of the book of Ruth shows us that there was much that went on individually even during the time when as a nation Israel was taking swift downward steps. The typical lessons are here very clear and beautiful. Israel is seen as having forfeited her rights to be considered the people of God, and coming back at last, under stress _of need, to the place which they had left. This is typical of the latter-day restoration of the people-Naomi, the widowed mother-in-law, representing the broken and hopeless condition of the people, and the young Moabitess, Ruth, the beginnings of that faith which lays hold upon God while acknowledging that they have no claim upon Him.

The three divisions of the book are simple:

1. (Chap. 1:)The loneliness of departure from God.

2. (Chap. 2:) Help for the needy; gleaning in the fields of grace. Boaz is here a type of the risen Christ, " In Him is strength."

3. (Chaps. 3:and 4:) Full redemption by the kinsman-redeemer, and every barrier to blessing set aside.

There is also a most lovely line of gospel truth running through the entire book, and many individual applications to our own souls' experience which the attentive reader will find.
i Corinthians shows us the Church as the earthly vessel of testimony, as Ephesians presents it in its heavenly character. There are four main divisions to its sixteen chapters.

1. (Chaps. 1:-10:) The exclusion of all that is not of the Church-the world, with all its wisdom (chaps. i-4:); the flesh, with all its corruptions (chaps. 5:-7:); and the devil, with all his wiles (chaps, 8:-10:).

2. (Chaps. 11:-14:) Evil having now been excluded, the fellowship of the assembly can be enjoyed-chap. 11:, the Lord's Supper; 12:, the activities of the body; 13:, love the bond of perfectness; and 14:, the sufficiency of the Spirit in the gatherings of the saints.

3. (Chap. 15:) Resurrection and the manifestation in glory.

4. (Chap. 16:)Exhortations and greetings of love.

The epistle to the Galatians is God's remedy for the bondage of legalism into which the saints were being allured. Its divisions are:

1. (Chaps. 1:and 2:) Paul's gospel derived from and maintained in dependence upon Christ alone. Men are here excluded.

2. (Chap. 3:)The mutual exclusiveness of law and faith. If we are under one, we are not under the other.

3. Chaps. 4:-5:6.) The liberty of the Spirit and the adoption of sons. Here we have the two seeds of the bond-woman and the free-types of law and grace.

4. (Chaps. 5:7-6:18.) The walk in the liberty and power of the Spirit.

The epistles to Timothy are the practical provisions for one who had the care in establishing the early assemblies.

The first epistle is devoted to positive directions for the assembly; while the second, written at a time when the inevitable failure and declension had come in, gives the path for faith in separation from the abounding evil.

The divisions of i Timothy are:

1. (Chap. 1:) The sovereignty of God and the divine basis of grace.

2. (Chap. 2:) Man's feebleness and need fully met by prayer and dependence.

3. (Chap. 3:) The holiness of God's house, and all things judged according to that.

4. (Chap. 4:) Creature apostasy creeping into the Church.
5. (Chaps. 5:,6:) Admonitions and warnings' and provision for the way.

The second epistle, as we have said, provides a plain path for faith when ruin has come in.

1. (Chap. 1:) The unchanging character of God and the sufficiency of Christ the basis upon which all rests.

2. (Chap. 2:1-13.) The good fight of faith. The saint is seen both as warrior and husbandman-an important thing to notice.

3. (Chap. 2:14-26.) The great house of profession and separation from vessels to dishonor, to be " meet for the Master's use."

4. (Chap. 3:)Testing for the "perilous times."

5. (Chap. 4:) Final warnings in view of the coming day. The melancholy apostasy of individuals and salutations to faithful men.

"The distinction between the terms 'Kingdom of Heaven' and 'of God,' I apprehend is in this, that 'earth' is the natural antithesis to 'heaven,' as man is to 'God.' Hence the Kingdom of Heaven always relates to the whole scene, and is more strictly dispensational; whereas the Kingdom of God over man may be individual, and gives more the moral character. Thus you find the Kingdom of God is not ' meat and drink,' etc. Kingdom of Heaven could not be used here.-Helps, 1874.

In the matter of salvation it cannot be too clearly and strongly put that no one can come between the soul and Christ. Saving faith and repentance are individual things, as new birth is the work of the Holy Spirit in the heart of each one singly. It is to be feared that in the effort to secure converts this may be overlooked. Great crowds flocking to hear popular and attractive preachers, even where a certain measure of the truth is preached, are not always a sign of the most effectual work. Moving narratives which touch the emotions, sweet melodies of gospel hymns, even earnest and importunate appeals, while perfectly right in themselves, may, if not properly safeguarded, sweep large numbers on the crest of emotional waves into a profession which is not justified by the after experience.

Far be it from us to say a single word derogatory to earnest effort, but we do feel increasingly the absolute importance of remembering that the stupendous work of salvation cannot be effected by twentieth century energy. God reserves, and ever will, for Himself alone, the prerogative of introducing sinners into His own holy presence by the power of His word and the Holy Spirit. Let it be ours to be so obliterated that we shall simply be the channels to convey God's blessed message to perishing souls.

There would be less cause to mourn over backsliders and false professors ? were greater care given not to intrude human energy into the domain of the Spirit of God. Does some .one say that this blocks the wheels of gospel effort and causes the hands to hang down in indifference ? We are sure that none who know what the presence of God is will dare make such a remark. It is unintentionally a slur upon the power and willingness of the Holy Spirit.

The same is also true to a great extent in connection with the life of individual communion with God of the soul. If private prayer and reading of God's word, and the daily exercise of faith, are neglected, it will be found that all the social side of our Christian life is incapable of making up the deficiency. There must be the walk with God as though there were no one else in the world but ourselves.

This being recognized as true, we can now take up the other side, which is of the greatest importance, and speak of our mutual relationships as Christians. It is striking and strange that where one side of truth is neglected, even though the other side may be in a sense exaggerated, yet its true bearing is lost. Thus to-day, where the inner life is so largely ignored, the mutual life is equally disregarded; for, after all, great concourses of Christians, conventions, and the good-fellowship of hearty greetings and pleasant intercourse, savor rather of this world's gatherings than of that sweet and quiet growth which the word of God indicates. Let us take up some of the passages of His precious word which bring out mutual relationships.

It is important, first of all, to see that there is nothing of a voluntary character, as we might say, in the relationship of God's people. There is no thought of "joining the Church " in Scripture. Thanks be to God, He has not left that to our volition. No wonder that where "the church of our choice" is made the basis of our fellowship there should be the multiplicity pf denominations which are the sorrow of every Christian heart. No, God has made Church-membership an expression of His own sovereign will, and an organic, vital connection which cannot be broken. " By one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free, and have all been made to drink into one Spirit" (i Cor. 12:13). "There is one body and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling " (Eph. 4:4). The blessed truth is here seen that the same life, the same activity, permeates the entire body; every believer is united by the Holy Spirit to Christ in glory, and that same vital connection is established with all His brethren. How precious, and yet how searching a truth! Who dare dispute the connection with Christ ? Now, how unspeakably precious is the thought that our bond of union with Him in glory is a divine one, the presence of the Holy Spirit of God! While this is an added truth to the fact that we are also individually partakers of the divine nature by the new birth, yet it is closely allied with it. The two cannot be separated in the present dispensation. But how many of us realize that the link with Christ is no stronger than with one another ? We are persuaded that if this truth be grasped, or, rather, grasps us, it will work a revolution in our thoughts and ways.

Growing out of this is the simple fact that we are members of one another, because members of the same body (Eph. 4:25). " We being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members of one another" (Rom. 12:5). A most comprehensive and beautiful expression of what this means is found in another familiar verse in Ephesians:"The Head, even Christ, from whom the whole body, fitly
joined together and compacted by that which every. joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love."How varied and complete are the provisions here!

But, tempting as it is, we must not allow ourselves to be drawn from the object of our present little paper, which is not so much to enlarge upon these precious principles as to glean some practical words with which Scripture supplies us, and which will appeal to heart and conscience, we trust, in a practical way.

Perhaps the first and most obvious thought in connection with our mutual relationship is that love pervades the whole body. The epistles of John are full of this, so that we need do no more than refer to them. " See that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently " is what Peter says. What a blessed contrast to the condition of the natural heart described in Titus 3:3:"Hateful, and hating one another." This love is the best guide, for it is divine and not human affection, and therefore supremely subject to God in all things:"This is love, that we walk after His commandments." This explains such a passage as "Love covereth the multitude of sins," which does not mean that it seeks to "hush them up," but rather to bring them into the presence of God in intercession, and then, in faithful, gracious ministry, to touch the heart of the wrong-doer.

The spirit of love is the spirit of service. Love must find an expression for itself, and therefore is ever active. "By love serve one another " is indeed not merely the command of grace, but the instinct of the new heart. In what holy contrast is this to that fleshly activity so faithfully depicted in the same chapter of Galatians:" If ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another," and "Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another" (Gal. 5:13, 15, 26).

But let us look a little in detail as to the activities of this love. We have said that love desires to serve. It is equally true that it desires companionship. We long to be with those we love, and this is most graciously provided for:'' We have fellowship one with another" (i John 1:7). This is true of those who are "in the light," where "the blood of Jesus Christ," God's Son, "cleanseth from all sin." Sin is judged in the light of God's holy presence, and His provision of grace in the blood of Christ effectually gives rest and peace there. The soul can say with the apostle, who writes, not as placing himself above other children of God, " Truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son, Jesus Christ," and we can say the same. But the fellowship with the Father demands, may we not say, fellowship with one another as well ? " Every one that loveth Him that begat, loveth him also that is begotten of Him ?"

"Wherefore, receive ye one another as Christ also received us to the glory of God." This we might call the first act of acknowledgment of the link that binds us together. Reception, does not merely mean to this or that. Nor are we referring to full fellowship at the Lord's table. In a day of difficulty like the present there may be details which require patient and careful dealing. Surely we are not to be indifferent to the claims of the holiness of God, nor to our responsibility to maintain precious truths which "one another." He has entrusted to us, but there should ever be the gracious reception and recognition of every blood-bought child of God whom we can truly recognize as such. . There should be, so far as possible, the acknowledgment of that common life and love upon which we, have been dwelling.

Such reception as this, even where of a general character, involves added responsibilities. Do I recognize one as a child of God ? Then I owe it to him, as well as to God, to seek to lead him on further in that which is our common treasure. This will at once be the delight and desire of our hearts. But how much care this involves! "Be of the same mind one toward another." Our brother may need to have many wrong thoughts corrected, and to get a view of many truths of which he has hitherto been ignorant. To be of the same mind does not mean that we are to adopt his opinions, or to allow them to go on unchecked, but to give place rather to that one mind of Christ which shall control us all. See, also, Rom. 14:5. It is not an easy thing to be of the same mind one toward another. It means the subjection on the part of us all to the word of God, and a readiness to bow to its authority. This is the only basis of a true spiritual unity of thought. To be "perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment" when neither the mind nor judgment are those of God, would be, for faith, to leave the divine path for one of man. It is, alas, only too easy to reach accord in a carnal way; but to be of one mind in a divine way means the obliteration of self and the true exercise of divine love.

But reception and unity are not all. "That the members should have the same care, one for another."
'' Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ" (Gal. 6:2). '' We that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves" (Rom. 15:i). Here again is the simple activity of love which seeketh not her own, but is occupied in ministering to the need of others:and oh, how much care, how much burden-bearing there can be among the saints of God! Beloved reader, we would ask, How much do you know of this in a practical way ? Could we have but one petition granted in connection with these things, it would not be that God would raise up more gifted public preachers, but rather that He would lay upon us all in love the grace of burden-bearing and a loving care one for another.

Perhaps one of the most difficult things is suggested in our next quotation:"Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God " (Eph. 5:21). See, also, the similar passage in i Pet. 5:5, where the thought is not so much that of being subject one to another, but "be girded with humility toward one another," so to be ready to receive whatever of admonition may be offered. 'Connected with this, also, is the exhortation in James 5:16:"Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed." This does not mean merely, going to the brother whom I may have wronged and acknowledging the fault,-this should surely be done,-but rather that confidence of love in the helpfulness of our brethren, and realizing our oneness to such a degree that we are free to open our hearts and unburden ourselves to those to whom our confidence will be as sacred as though whispered in the ear of God alone. The confessional of Rome has so shocked the moral sense that there is an utter revulsion from the very name of confession, and yet we are persuaded that much of God's chastening would be lightened, as is suggested in the passage we have quoted, were there more of that true, hearty simplicity which would enable us to be more open with one another. It is fully recognized that this cannot be a one-sided matter. Alas, the spirit of speaking evil of one another has been all too common, and this is a most effectual check upon that exercise of true, hearty loyalty which could receive the secrets of our brethren into the silence of our own bosom to be spoken out to God alone!

"Be ye kind one to another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, even as God, for Christ's sake, hath forgiven you." See, also, Col. 3:13. There are many forms of bearing a grudge, from the open and avowed enmity, with its accompanying malicious evil speaking, to that secret alienation and chill upon the heart that forms such a sad contrast to the previous "sweet counsel" which the saints took together as they went to the house of God. There is nothing sadder than to see coolness coming in where once existed the most implicit confidence and fullest love. We cry out against all this, and often in our helplessness ask, Must it be ever thus ? Is there no remedy? Yes, surely, a remedy here, as for every ill to. which the saints of God are subject, though an humbling one. (But who ever was humbled before God without blessing Him in their souls ? Humility is, after all, the true exaltation of the soul.) The remedy is simple and clear-forbearance and forgiveness; and lest it should be thought that this forgiveness is a merely negative thing, in which we can go on in chilling coolness toward those we have forgiven, we are reminded that the measure of it, as well as its character, is seen in the way we have been forgiven by God in Christ. As the Father's arms of love are about us, with the kiss of forgiveness, and all the joy flowing into our hearts from the sense of that, we do not dare to confound that pride which calls itself forgiveness with that exercise of divine love which meets the erring one and loves out of him the last remnants of envy or jealousy or bitterness; and so confidence is restored.

But it may be said, we must be faithful with our brother, and lead him to a true sense of his wrong. Yes indeed so, but there is nothing like love to melt the hard heart, and forgiveness of a divine character will do this. Unquestionably, if there is pride and persistence in a course of wrong-doing, faithfulness to God will forbid the exercise of that which may be struggling for expression in the heart; but this must not be confounded with that hard and unrelenting spirit which waits in all the stiffness of self-righteousness for the first signs of breaking in the other!

Where there is this forgiving, and the other exercise of which we have been speaking, how much more will there also be! We will "tarry for one another" (i Cor. 11:33). The strong will not rush along, feeding on high truths beyond the reach of the lambs of the flock, nor will there be the over driving of the tender. We will "salute one another," as seen at the close of so many of the epistles. It may seem a trifle, but in the things of God nothing is that, and the intentional avoidance or willing omission of this act of brotherly love too often speaks of a coldness in the heart which is not a trifle. How fervent were the salutations of the apostle! What love, what confidence, what winsomeness there was in it! Let us not be too superior to hearken to the admonition suggested here.

The same applies to the "hospitality which is to be used one toward another without grudging" (i Pet. 4:9), and to that edification and admonition which will ever find a place. (See Rom. 15:14, 14:19; i Thess. 4:18, 5:n.) In short, dear brethren, let us examine these precious scriptures prayerfully and carefully as to all our varied relations one to another. We need to be stirred up as to these things, lest we drift into the helpless formalism by which we are surrounded.

" And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as ye see the day approaching" (Heb. 10:24).

(Phil. 3:20.)

We look for the Saviour," the Christ, blessed Lord, '"
Who will come for His saints, we are told in His
word,
From the right hand of God, where He sits on the throne,
And waits for the day when He'll come for His own.

"We look for the Saviour," who left His bright home,
Was obedient to death, that vile sinners might come
Unto God through His Son,-the dear Son of His love,
At whose name all must bow, in earth or above.

"We look for the Saviour," He who bore on the tree
All our sins in His body, that we might go free
From death and the judgment due us for our sin;
Whose blood makes the vilest all spotless within.

"We look for the Saviour," our perfect High Priest,
Who on high intercedes for us-even the least;
Who is fitting a mansion, preparing a crown;
Who in God's perfect time will come for His own.

"We look for the Saviour!" Lord Jesus, bestow
Upon each one Thy grace, that we ever may show
To the world, such reflection of Thee and Thy love,
That sinners shall turn to the Saviour above !

"We look for the Saviour; " the sound shall soon come
Of the voice of the archangel calling us home ;
At the noise of His shout what a deep joyous thrill
Of love and contentment each bosom will fill!

Forever with Jesus! no more to depart
From His presence, but know all the love of His heart;
And forever we'll gaze on His own blessed face,
Forever we'll sing of His mercy and grace.

Forever, forever ! oh, how our hearts grieve
At the long separation :we would this world leave,
And caught up in the clouds meet the Lord in the air.
"Oh, hasten, Lord Jesus, we long to be there ! "

F.

EVERY BELIEVER IS BLEST WITH ALL SPIRITUAL BLESSINGS IN CHRIST. In Rom. 3:25 the words"through faith in His blood" may seem to some to convey the thought that besides faith in Christ, or with it, one must appropriate for oneself the value of His blood in order to be justified; and therefore that one who believes on Christ, but has not yet realized for his own soul the value of the blood of Christ, though born again is not yet justified; whatever other Christian blessings he may lack besides-in the minds of those who so reason.

Is this the doctrine of Scripture ? We are happy to think that it is not, but rather that we have the precious assurance, from Scripture, that every believer on Christ is justified and possessed of all Christian blessings:he needs only, by teaching, to be introduced into the enjoyment of the things that are his. That is a very different thing, and full of the joy of grace.

"Through faith in His blood" is translated in the Revised Version '' through faith, by His blood;" "with," or "in His blood," in a foot-note, giving thus the preference to "by His blood;" and the same phrase is so translated in Heb. 10:19:"boldness . . . by the blood of Jesus"-"in" it, literally-in the effect and value of it-that is, by it.

Thus we may say "through faith" is, as it were, a thought by itself, giving the principle on which we are justified; and then "by His blood" gives the ground. Afterwards follows the application-" that He might be just and the Justifier of him which believeth in Jesus," but the application is briefly stated. Is not the prominent teaching in Rom. 3:about the ground of acceptance, while in Rom. 4:is more prominently the application? so that "by His blood" in Rom. 3:, in the portion where it is found, would be in harmony with the subject-the ground on which God can justify the sinner. Rom. 3:thus reminds of the Lord's lot in Lev. 16:, the goat that was slain and its blood put upon the mercy-seat. For the people's lot, the sins of the people were confessed upon the head of the scape-goat, suggesting to us the application of Rom. 4:, " He was delivered for our offences.; " and we know He was "raised again for our justification." Therefore Rom. 3:does not raise the question or suggest the thought of the believer's realization of the value of the blood of Christ, but rather of the value of that blood before God, who, because of it, is just in justifying "him that believeth in Jesus." And this concluding statement confirms what has been said. The believer "in Jesus" is justified. His apprehensions and appropriations may or may not be clear and bright, but if a believer "in Jesus" he is justified. Is not that the teaching of Scripture, and of this scripture before us ?

It may be said, How do we know that any one is justified if they are not assured as to it themselves? But the point is, What does Scripture teach ?Happily for us, we can be assured ourselves, and we can assure others that, if believers in Jesus, we are justified. Scripture does not teach that one who believes on Jesus will at once know all he possesses, nor that he must appropriate those blessings that he may have them, which would, of course, be confusion and an impossibility, for I must be assured that a thing is mine to enjoy it, but it leads us by teaching into the enjoyment of what is ours, of what are our common possessions in Christ. Therefore the assurance of justification and of the present possession of eternal life, and of a new-creation existence in Christ, is taught the believer by the Word. That he needs to be taught it is plain, because he is taught it. And this corresponds with experience plainly, for every believer has to be led on from doubts and fears and bondage into peace and liberty by the truth; but that truth simply assures him of what is already his in Christ, Scripture does not teach, therefore, that one may be a believer on Christ and yet lack justification, or lack being "in Christ," or lack the indwelling of the Spirit, until he grasps the truth as to these things; but it assures all believers on Christ that all these things are theirs, and ministers them to us all for our soul's enjoyment and establishing.

Thus' we may turn away from ourselves to God, from earth to heaven, from poor human experience for a foundation, to Christ in the glory of God. We have all in Him, and we can rejoice that these blessings are common to all who are "in Christ;" and "in Christ" all are who have life, who are born
again; for such are "alive unto God in Christ Jesus."

And "all who call upon the name of the Lord Jesus Christ" (i Cor. 1:2) are told "your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit" (i Cor. 6:19). The believer, the first moment of his conversion, the first moment of life, is one who calls on the name of the Lord.

It is true that it is one who is already born again who receives the Spirit to dwell in his body; but no delay in that reception is supposed, and therefore all believers-according to the doctrine of Scripture- are spoken of as not only born again, but as indwelt by the Holy Spirit.

Let us rejoice afresh and unhinderedly in the grace of our God and in the fulness of blessings we have in Christ, and that we can freely minister these things to all believers as their common and inalienable possessions in Christ. Thus, doubts and legal shadows are scattered by the light. But we need to use "the sword of the Spirit" and to "fight the good fight of faith," and to walk in the truth, if we would hold it fast.

Justification, life in Christ, the indwelling of the Holy Spirit (by which we share in the baptism of the Spirit-for "by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body"), risen with Christ, seated in Him in heavenly places-none of these blessings are things to be attained to by the believer, to be possessed. They are his from the first, and therefore to be enjoyed. Satan would have us make a merit of attaining these things, and so get us to rob God of glory and our own 'souls of blessing; but the Word assures us of our possessions, that by it-by the Word-we may enjoy our goodly portion, and be built up in the knowledge of the Lord.

Why is it so hard for us to receive the fulness of God's grace in Christ ?-why do we allow Satan to hinder us thus? "All things are yours." Let us freely join in the word of praise, "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ Jesus " (Eph. 1:3).

Has He, then, so blest us, or has He not ? How can we repeat this verse if He has not ? If He has, let us repeat it with the heart, and never again doubt it ? Then we will be free to enjoy the land that flows with milk and honey, and to feed upon the old corn of the land, which is Christ, who came from heaven and has gone back to heaven, and who is coming to take us to be where He is, and to behold the glory which He had with the Father before the world was (John 17:24, 25).

That we have all things in Christ, and that nothing is left us but to rejoice, seems too much-too good to be true; but let us note that, far from being an easy path for self-indulgence and self-complacency, it is just when we submit to grace, and rejoice in the Lord, that we begin our proper experience in the school of God. He must deal with us, and chasten and rebuke, but through all He will lead the soul into unthought-of joy in Himself, and new delights in His word and ways. Thus there is the brightening prospect of Phil. 3:, and the song of praise from the hilltops of the truth of the Ephesian and Colossian epistles, and of all Scripture. E. S. L.

THE MAN AFTER THE FLESH. Chapter 4:,

GOD'S MERCY TO HIS HUMBLED PEOPLE. (1 Sam. 7:)

(Continued from page 94.)

But we may be sure that the enemy will never permit any recovery to God without making some special effort to hinder it. So, when the Philistines hear of this gathering of Israel, they go up against them. Are they not their slaves? Can they allow that which, while a manifestation of weakness, may lead to something else ? And so with our spiritual foes. Satan will not object to the people of God dwelling upon evil and being so filled with it that they lose all power to judge it, but there is one thing that he always resists with all his energy and cunning, and that is a gathering together before God for humiliation and prayer. He abhors this. Formalism abhors it. Philistinism in all "its forms dreads seeing the people of God humbled in His presence. This will explain why the hour of prayer and searching of heart before God is so often interrupted by the intrusion of things which distract and hinder the soul. How often have we found individually, and unitedly too, that there were special difficulties in the way of getting low before God! This is the Philistine hindrance to God's work amongst us. Various reasons will often be given. It will be said that there is no hope, on the one hand, or no need on the other, of such an exhibition; that we had better be getting to work rather than humbling ourselves and doing nothing. This is ever a Philistine device to hinder a return to God and deliverance from formalism. Let us be on our guard; and as the apostle could say, "We are not ignorant of his devices," let us not be so easily duped by the wiles of the adversary.

The children of Israel are terrified at this array of the enemy. Their old masters are still that to them, and with consciences that remind them of their own unworthiness and failures, they do not seem to have the faith to lay hold upon God in face of the enemy; and yet there is a holding to Him, feeble though it be. They realize the need and the value of prayer. So they say to Samuel:'' Cease not to cry to the Lord our God for us that He will save us out of the hand of the Philistines."They had indeed turned to Him, and though it is but a child's feeble cry of weakness, what child ever cried to a mother without moving her heart? what child, failing and weak and unworthy though he may be, ever cried to God without getting an answer? There had been a time when they would save themselves out of the hand of the Philistines. That has passed. The humbling lesson had been learned. They have turned now to Him from whom alone their help can come, and not even the ark, (that badge of His throne) but divine power itself in the midst of a self-judged people is their only hope.

There is more yet; for Samuel, nearest to God and therefore knowing His mind, not merely intercedes, but '' took a sucking lamb and offered it as a burnt-offering wholly unto the Lord." Well he knew that the one way of approach, the only ground of merit, was sacrifice; and though himself not the priest, yet here in the place of the priest, he offers the burnt-offering to God, on the ground of which he can add his prayers. This lamb, of course, speaks to us of that '' Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world," though here not as the sin-offering, but as the burnt-offering,-Christ in His .devotedness to God unto death, the Lamb without blemish or spot, whose life had proved Him personally well-pleasing and acceptable to God, and therefore whose death could be a Substitute for the disobedience and sin of His people.
Thus they have had, we might say, a threefold ministry. The Word has searched their hearts and brought them to repentance. The priestly intercession and sacrifice of Samuel have opened the way for God's power to be manifested, and, as judge, Samuel has taken the place of leader amongst the people. In all this, he no doubt foreshadows what Christ is in perfection for His people, the One who has brought home to our hearts the word of God by His Spirit, whose one sacrifice and all-availing intercession as our High Priest ever speak for us to God, and who as Leader carries us on to victory- the Prophet, Priest, and King.

Now let the Philistines draw near if they dare. – They are meeting no more a boastful people, whether strong or weak. Their controversy is now not with Israel, but with Israel's God, and therefore the mighty thunder of the Lord is the answer to their proud assault. They are discomfited and smitten before Israel, and now the victory becomes a rout; the Philistines are pursued from Mizpah and all the way to Ebenezer. How significant that place becomes to them,-not of previous defeat (chap. 6:i), but giving its own meaning now, '' hitherto hath the Lord helped us." Have we not known something of this? And what a joy it is to be able to triumph in our God in the very face of those enemies which once have been our masters and to whom, hopeless, we had rendered, even though unwilling, yet a servile obedience!

The victory is complete and permanent, and all during the days of Samuel's faithful ministry the enemy came no more into the land. What was there to hinder this from becoming an abiding permanence? Was not the deliverance under Samuel as complete, humanly speaking, as could be desired? Surely there is but one answer to this, and if we enquire why then there was ever subsequent bondage to these very enemies, the simple answer must be, No leader like Samuel and no bowing to his judgment like that at Mizpah. It is very important to notice that this deliverance under Samuel was not temporary in its nature. It was no make-shift. Other lessons, other sins and weaknesses amongst the people brought out the need of fresh deliverers. The great, all-prevailing truth had to be learnt in fresh ways, and, above all, that which was external and partial in Israel according to the flesh had to be fully manifested,-else Samuel was indeed another Moses, under whose rule, as type of Christ, the people might have gone on happily, recognizing none but God as their Ruler, and their guide him who spoke for God.

It is comforting, too, to see the recovery that takes place. Cities which had long been under Philistine sway, now that their power is broken over the nation, are restored. Peace follows as a result. So for us. If we in any way repeat the experience of Israel at Mizpah, there will be not merely a deliverance from present foes, but a restoration of many of those blessings, much of that spiritual truth which we have felt and enjoyed practically. "Cities to dwell in" will be restored to us and our coasts will be enlarged.

We now see the government of Samuel after the enemy has been thrust out of the land. He judges Israel all the days of his life. What a beautiful life it is; begun, we may say, in the heart of his mother before his birth-a man dedicated to God and His service; who in childhood heard His voice and obeyed it; who, as he grew, became more and more the suited instrument as the messenger for God; the first of the prophets-of that long line of spiritual and faithful witnesses who, during all the years of Israel's darkness and apostasy, yea, even of captivity, witnessed for Him, sought to bring back an alienated people, or failing in this, turned their gaze to Him who should come, the true Prophet, as the true King, and restore peace and blessing to the nation. But what a privilege to be a Samuel in dark days like these! May we not covet it for ourselves in our measure and station?

We have seen the special scene of judgment at Mizpah, but this was to continue, a thing that we often lose sight of. There must not merely be one act of self-judgment, but our whole lives are to come under the light of God's truth. The practical Word is to be applied to our ways. Samuel had four places in his circuit where he went from year to year to judge Israel; Bethel, Gilgal, Mizpah, and Ramah where his home was. There surely must be instruction in these names and the associations connected with them. They are well known in Israel's history.

Bethel is "the house of God; " all judgment must begin there. There is no power for judgment until we are in His holy presence. Judgment must begin, too, at the house of God, for holiness becometh that house forever. Here it was where God revealed Himself to Jacob at the first and here when he had forgotten, for his family, that holy separation which should ever mark the home of the saint, he was bidden to return:"Arise and go up to Bethel and dwell there."

The next place was Gilgal, the place of the rolling away of the reproach of Egypt. Here Israel had encamped on passing Jordan and coming into the land. As soon as they put their foot upon their heritage, they had to make themselves sharp knives for circumcision, and thus to roll away the reproach of Egypt, the badge of the world which was upon them. So for us, Gilgal follows Bethel. This world is judged and its reproach rolled away. Circumcision is practically applied with the sharp knife of divine truth. The sentence of death is remembered afresh and what the cross means for self. Here is the place of power indeed. Here we lay aside the livery of the world and shake off its yoke. We are now God's freemen, ready to do battle for all that He has given us in our goodly inheritance.

Next comes Mizpah, " the watch-tower." There has been that sense of God's presence suggested by Bethel, that judging of self at Gilgal where we have learned, as the true circumcision, to have no confidence in the flesh; but how prone we are to forget, how easily do we glide back into the world, and need to be afresh reminded of what we thought we should never forget ! The watch-tower, then, is needed to watch against the wiles of the enemy, to guard against that declension to which we are so prone. The very fact of our having been at Gilgal implies a danger of our getting away from it, or losing its holy lesson. We need to be on our guard. Many a saint has fallen because he forgot this obvious lesson and failed to meet the divine Judge at Mizpah. Let us watch and be sober.

Lastly he returns to Ramah, "the height," which suggests that exalted place on high of our true Judge, the Lord Jesus, where His home is. He has gone on high. He would lead His people there. "If ye be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is," and so, as His abiding place is there, we are to learn to abide in our hearts there also. We are to let the light of that heavenly position where Christ is, and where we are, in Him, judge our "members which are upon the earth,"and which we can thus mortify (Col. 3:). The circuit of judgment is not complete until this heavenly character has been stamped upon it. It is, of course, very similar to Bethel, but there the thought is simply the presence of God. Ramah would suggest, in its height, the elevation, that heavenly character which should mark His people:"Our citizenship is in heaven."

Beloved, shall we not crave for one another the benefit of this fourfold judgment?-this sense of the presence of God in His own holiness; this judging and refusing of self; this sober, careful, humble watching, and the separate, heavenly character which comes from entering fully into the fact that Christ is not in the world nor of it, and so neither are we of the world. Here is the place of worship. Here Samuel dwelt, and here it is our privilege to dwell and share, with an exalted Christ, in the sweet savor of that sacrificial altar upon which He offered Himself a sacrifice for a sweet smelling savor unto God. In the value of that sacrifice, Israel was safe, shielded from her enemies. So are we.

Our readings during this month are the book of Joshua in the Old Testament with the epistle to the Ephesians, and John's three epistles with his Gospel, in the New. There may not seem to be very much in common between these portions, but there are certain thoughts which underlie them all, to say nothing of the fact that, forming part of that one word of God, they are all in divine harmony.

We will first look at Joshua. The general subject is the inheritance of the people in the land of Canaan. The wilderness has been traversed, and they are brought into the place which God had promised to give them. But they have to fight to get possession of what is theirs, as the land is occupied by the nations " more and mightier than themselves." But God goes before them, and in His power the heathen are cast out and a resting place for His ransomed people is found. All this is most rich in typical teaching. In fact, every portion of it yields most beautiful illustrations of our spiritual inheritance and the warfare of faith which is needed to enter practically upon it.

The main divisions of the book are very simple:

1. (Chaps. 1:-12:) The entrance into the land and the overthrow of the enemy.

2. (Chaps. 13:-24:) The division of the inheritance to the various tribes-the boundaries and cities falling to each.

Let us look at some of the smaller divisions of this first portion.

In chap. 1:we see Joshua taking the place of Moses, and commanded to lead, the people across Jordan into the land. The prominent features are God's command and promise and the people's courage and obedience.

Chap. 2:is the testimony of the spies and the beautiful gospel picture of Rahab saved in the doomed city of Jericho.

Chaps. 3:-5:give us the great typical teachings of our death and resurrection with Christ as seen in the passage of the Jordan dry-shod. Jordan is the river of death and judgment flowing down into eternal doom. As those waters were arrested when touched by the feet of the priests who bore the ark, so Christ, our Priest, entering into death and judgment for us, arrested its course and opened a way whereby every one who believes in Him can pass over into that spiritual inheritance which has been given to us.

The epistle to the Ephesians, which is our study in the New Testament, unfolds this in a most blessed way, and therefore is a most suited accompaniment to the book we are studying.

The twelve stones in the bottom of the river show that we are dead with Christ; those set up on the banks of the Jordan, at Gilgal, tell us that we are risen with Him, and, as we might say, seated in Him in the heavenly places. The passover and circumcision at Gilgal speak of the practical application of the sentence of death to what we are, thereby teaching us the lesson of " no confidence in the flesh," which is the only power in which we can be victorious in the conflict which we are now called to face.

In chap. 6:and onward we have the account of the various conflicts and victories over the enemies which met them; and we, too, after we have entered upon our spiritual inheritance, find, as the epistle to the Ephesians shows us, that it is not a path of ease, but one of conflict, which meets us. We are not in heaven itself, but in heavenly places; that is, where we can enjoy heavenly blessings; but Satan and his host will do all in their power to keep us from the enjoyment of these, just as the Canaanites sought to resist the children of Israel. Here Jericho speaks of the world and its allurements, most fruitful source of danger, especially to young Christians. Faith, however, following Christ in His victorious path, overcomes the world, and the walls of Jericho fall after they are compassed seven days (chap. 6:).

Chaps. 7:and 8:Ai and Achan show how the smallest things will disclose an unjudged state, which must be met before further victory can be assured. The wiles of the Gibeonites (Chap. 11:) remind us of those wiles of the devil of which Ephesians speaks. Alas, how many an alliance is formed by the people of God because they asked not counsel at His mouth !

In chaps. 10:-12:we have an unbroken series of victories. The country is swept by the victorious nation under the leadership of Joshua, and the enemy is either annihilated or so completely cowed as to offer no further resistance; and so it will be for faith when it remembers to go forth to battle from Gilgal, and to return there after every victory.

Time will not permit us to enter upon the second half of the book, save to say that it is the portion most neglected, and yet full of the richest spiritual lessons. Unquestionably the portion of the tribes corresponds to the spiritual meaning of each, and each single city suggests some special spiritual blessing which is appropriate to the spiritual state suggested by the tribe. We can only urge our readers to the prayerful study of this portion, and they will find most rich results.* *The notes in the Numerical Bible upon Joshua are most rich and helpful here.*

Passing to the New Testament, we will take up Ephesians first, as being most closely linked with Joshua. Its six divisions unfold the spiritual teachings of the Old Testament book in a very beautiful way.

1. (Chap. 1:1-14.) God's counsels of blessing in Christ, who is Head over all things to His Church.

2. (Chaps. 1:is

There is a parallel between the order of things I in the first chapter of Genesis and other portions of Scripture of which 2 Timothy, for instance, furnishes an example. Dividing the six days into two parts of three days in each – a recognized division – the first three are marked by separation, and the second three by furnishing.

In the first three :day is separated from night ; the waters above from the waters below ; and the sea from the land. In the second three:the heavens are furnished with the sun, moon and stars; the sea and the land with fishes and with fowls; the earth with cattle and creeping things, and finally with man.

This of course is divine order in general ; and so therefore in 2 Timothy Chap. ii, we have ''depart from iniquity," that the servant may be sanctified and ready, "to every good work;" and in chap. 3:by the knowledge of the " Holy Scriptures" the man of God is furnished "unto every good work," as the phrase is really in each case.

Thus the mind is impressed afresh with the perfections of God's word and ways in every detail.

One may notice also, though not in immediate connection with our subject, that each alternate
day's work reaches to things above. On the second day the waters "above" get their place; on the fourth day, the sun, moon and stars; and on the sixth day, the man and the woman are assigned the place of rule over all the earth.

The very fact that we have to take the man and woman as typical of Christ and the Church ruling over the millennial earth to complete the suggestion, is also a lesson. That is, we know by Scripture elsewhere that Adam and Eve are a type of Christ and the Church, and then in the present consideration we are forced to view them typically to get the harmony suggested in the alternate days; for otherwise the second and fourth days would lead the mind to things "above " and the sixth day would not, just at a point where we would expect that it should. But the type explains the difficulty, and gives a harmonious lesson.

That is, the second and fourth day's work say to us, Look for something heavenly on the sixth day; and as we have seen it is found in the type.

If on the second day, the waters above suggest the second dispensation (that after the flood), when in the covenant with Noah government was committed to man, we have before us what will utterly fail at last.

So the fourth day presents, in the moon, the defective witness in the Church. But in the sixth day we have at last that which is perfect in the millennial reign of Christ and the Church.

May the perfection of God's work and ways stir our hearts to diligently seek Him. E. S. L.

The apostle had been speaking in the fourteenth chapter of Romans of the privilege and responsibility of receiving those weak saints whose consciences did not allow them that latitude in which others felt more free to indulge. He says that neither eating nor abstinence from it commends us to God, and that it is utterly unbecoming to the Christian either to despise a weak brother or to judge a strong one. We are all the servants of Christ. To our own Master we stand or fall, and He alone is able to make us stand. If one is enjoying the sense of the Lord's presence and His authority, whether he eat or not, it is to the Lord; whether he regard the day or not, it is to the Lord. Thanksgiving and worship form the happy background of his life.

The apostle, passing from the special application of this principle to what is more general, then says:"For none of us liveth unto himself and no man dieth to himself; for whether we live, we live unto the Lord, or whether we die, we die unto the Lord, so that living or dying, we are the Lord's" (Rom. 14:7, 8). Here the great simplicity of the truth is emphasized that we are no longer our own. Life and death sum up, as we might say, the whole of human existence – life upon this earth, and death which removes us to another scene. All, then, that is included in the present life comes beneath the loving sway of our blessed Lord, and well may we thank God that tire portals into that world, which is to unbelief so dark and hopeless, will usher us into a scene where still the sway of our blessed Lord is undisputed and unhindered.

The apostle goes on to say that Christ has entered into all the circumstances of life and death in order that He might be Lord of all. Christ both died and rose, that He might be Lord both of the dead and living. How much indeed that means for us,-the death and resurrection of Christ, applying not only to the knowledge of all circumstances in which it is possible for us to be brought, but, as well, to a most perfect redemption effected through that death. He has taken away the sting of death which sin was; He has borne the curse of death, the judgment of God; He has made it so completely subservient to His own blessed will that the dread word is scarcely appropriate for the Christian now. It is rather "sleep." And truly we can say in a way that the disciples did not mean it:"Lord if he sleep, he shall do well." "Whether we die, we die unto the Lord." How sweet it is to think of this! Death is but the servant that will open the door that introduces us into the immediate presence of Him whom we have learned to love, though we have not seen Him. Will there be aught of shrinking? Can there be any terror? Will there not be full and perfect joy as we find ourselves present with the Lord, which is far better?

But our blessed Lord is risen as well. He is Lord of the dead and, as risen, of the living as well. The life which we now live in the flesh is by the faith of the Son of God who loved us and gave Himself for us. We have already in faith entered upon resurrection-ground and are alive to Him forevermore. How this simplifies the whole matter of our conduct in this world! We live, but it is no longer the earthly life which we should live, but that risen life in association with Him who has gone on high, as the apostle so beautifully puts it in the third of Colossians:" If ye be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above." Our members which are upon the earth are to be mortified. All the relationships of our earthly life are to be transfigured by the fact that as a heavenly people we are associated with One who is the Lord of the living-a risen Lord. Will this not give us a power in our daily walk that cannot be described? The Lordship of Christ will not be a yoke " which neither we nor our fathers were able to bear," but rather a power to make us strong for Him.
Let us seek to apply this in the simplest kind of way. Is Christ, Lord of the dead and of the living, the same Lord? What is the occupation, what are the thoughts of those who are resting with Him, their Lord, in glory? Oh, how completely He absorbs; how there is nothing but that which is of Christ in all! And is He not the same Lord of the living? Will not this control and actuate us in all our lives ? There are no details which are left to self-will, nothing that we cannot look into His face and ask His mind about. What a Master He is, how gentle, how considerate of His people's needs, how thoughtful of their welfare! What a delight it is to be under His sweet and happy sway! But, ah, should temptation come, should selfishness assert itself, how His Lordship over the whole life checks at once and leads the honest soul to judge and confess the least departure from the place of entire subjection to His holy and blessed will!

May it be ours, dear brethren, to learn more and more of this absolute Lordship of our blessed Saviour! He is Lord of all indeed. One day every knee shall bow to Him. It is our honor that we are privileged to do so now when He is still rejected by earth.

When the will of God is not manifested, our wisdom often consists in waiting until it should be. It is the will of God that, zealous of good works, we should do good always ; but we cannot go before the time; and the work of God is done perfectly when it is He who does it.-J.N.D.

II. THE QUALIFICATIONS FOR THE SCHOOL OF GOD.

(Continued from page 69.)

Here, then, is our provision. If we turn once more to consider our lesson-book, we find in it the perfect guidance on the part of God in men led of the Spirit, as the apostle says, to "speak not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth " (i Cor. 2:13); and thus the prophets of old, as again we are taught (i Pet. 1:10, n), had to "inquire and search diligently" as to what was in their own prophecies, the Spirit of God leading them to express what was entirely beyond even their own understanding of it. This is the pattern of the Book which is in our hands now, the Book of books, as we may surely say, the Word of God, as in this sense we rightly call it, not because it is not instrumentally the word of man also, not because there is not tn it a very clear and decided human element, but because God has, nevertheless, been over all and in it all to guide in such a way as He alone can guide, so that we might have perfectly what He means to convey,-that this might not be taken from us by any defect in the way of communication.

And so competent is this Word, that in those days to which we look back, when men spoke consciously by the Spirit in a way that has now passed from us, yet everything was to be judged by those around according to that Word which was in all their hands. As to this, the principle was always maintained that nothing was to be added to it, as nothing was to be taken from it. Let us notice, therefore, that the indwelling of the Spirit in us is in no wise to set aside the word of God as that by which alone all truth is communicated to us. As the Spirit gave the Word, so it is by the Spirit that the Word is effectually given to our souls also, truly certified and made good there. Here then is our provision; here is how we are equipped for the school of God; and all this is simply and absolutely for all that will seek it from God, for all that will seek it in God's only way, which is through Christ Himself. Of the whole Book, Christ is the centre; and more, if it be more, of all creation Christ is the centre too. "All things were created," says the apostle, "by Him and for Him " (Col. 1:16). Thus it is plain that creation itself (the natural sciences, therefore,) cannot really be understood apart from Him who is the living Centre of the whole. The mind that is in all is the mind of Christ, and creation -without Christ is thus mindless, powerless to be realized by the mind of man. Take what is thought to be the great perplexity in it, what people call now, the "struggle for life," and the preying of one thing upon another. It is this very thing which makes the book of creation so suited for us to-day. That which we find in our own souls and in the world of men around us, is thus found everywhere throughout nature, and only if read in this way does it become everywhere for us the object-lesson which it ought to be. Scripture must interpret this also for us, for no picture interprets itself, and thus how necessary that the Spirit of God should be in us, in order that we should understand aright what creation teaches! Here is necessarily, therefore, the foundation of all science so far as science has to include the reason of things and not the mere method. Science is seeking to content itself simply with the method, and for many, the reason is to be ruled out. But thus science itself can yield nothing but despair to him who cannot find the satisfaction of his soul in a godless and therefore mindless nature. Science has here no longer any reason for its own existence, and the lesson most surely learned by its best student must be a lesson of despair.

F. W. G.
(To be Continued.)

(2 Chron, 26:15.)

King Uzziah lived in times of the declension of the kings of Judah, but was himself, at the beginning of his reign, a faithful and diligent king."As long as he sought the Lord, God made him to prosper," and' so in every direction he was successful against the enemies of the nation, and "he strengthened himself exceedingly."Not only was he successful with outward foes, but in building up the material interests and defenses of the kingdom. Jerusalem and other cities were fortified; a large army was gathered, and, what was better far than all this, the resources of the kingdom were developed. Wells were digged, and much attention was given to increasing the resources of the nation. He was a lover of husbandry-a good thing to remember often by those who may be called upon to engage much in spiritual warfare. We must seek to cultivate those fields which God's grace has given to us, and to gather in the rich fruits for our sustenance, if we are really to make successful warfare against
our enemies.

"He was marvelously helped until he was strong." The growth and establishment of the kingdom in a day of such weakness was nothing short of marvelous. It is painful to have to see how all this ended by puffing up the king and leading him to that presumptuous blasphemy which brought down the stroke of God upon him. He would intrude himself into the priest's office and offer incense, a function reserved for the sons of Aaron alone. It was in a figure, we may say, that practical denial of the need of the priest,-of the need of Christ as our Priest before God.

But leaving Uzziah and his history, we have in these words a needful and suggestive lesson for ourselves. Of how many of us can it be said that we have been marvelously helped, and may there not be need to remember that if strength has been given us we need to be doubly on our guard lest we, too, presume to pass beyond that which God has placed us in.

Salvation is in one sense the breaking down of all creature strength in order that the sinner may realize his utter helplessness. The natural man is strong; strong, if not in the sense of his own goodness-a thing too common to most-yet in the sense of his ability to do that which is right. One of the most humbling truths to learn is that it was "when we were yet without strength, in due time, Christ died for the ungodly." Weakness is a crime in the eyes of the natural man, and many who might be willing to admit that they were ungodly would be humiliated at the thought of confessing that they had no strength, no power to be anything else but ungodly; and yet that is just where man must be brought before he will accept Christ as his only Saviour. Thus his strength is taken from him, and he begins his Christian course on the distinct understanding that in him is no strength at all. We do not speak of the rest and the joy and the peace which come from recognizing this – how all struggling ceases, and the poor, puny efforts, which had only added to our distress, give place to that profound rest in the finished work of Christ and in His perfect love.

Now so long as the saint continues in the recognition of his absolute weakness, his Christian life is one happy song; he knows too well his own feebleness to attempt anything in his own strength. The memory of the bondage in Egypt from which he has but lately come prevents his reliance upon an arm of flesh. He is weak and he knows it, and rejoices in the fact; for, does it not shut him up to a divine power which is all-sufficient and his delight ?And yet in the wisdom of God he has got to learn afresh that it is true of him as a saint, in a way perhaps of which he has little dreamed, that there is no strength in him. This accounts for the whole experience that is recorded in the seventh chapter of Romans. It is the saint there, the child of God, not the sinner seeking peace. He desires holiness and to do the will of God, but he turns to the law, and in his own strength is seeking for something good in himself. We do not repeat the humbling story. How many of us can remember how we beat our wings against our cage until, falling down wounded and breathless, we could only cry:"Oh, wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me ? "Here is perfect weakness; and what marvelous help came in the moment we realized afresh that weakness! Christ was found to be sufficient as our Deliverer, as He was as our Saviour.

Now, in brief, the whole Christian life is but the elaboration of this simple truth, as Paul puts it in the third of Philippians, we "rejoice in Christ Jesus and have no confidence in the flesh." One who has confidence in the flesh, so far is occupied with himself. He is so far strong, and therefore in imminent danger of falling:but if he has learnt the lesson as to himself, he is now at liberty to enjoy the fulness of Christ without any distraction. And yet there is for the delivered saint the danger of forgetting that his bonds have been broken, of thinking that again there is something in himself of strength. Paul had to learn this lesson, which we find in the twelfth chapter of 2 Corinthians. A man who had visited heaven and beheld the unspeakable things there, so far as his walk upon earth is concerned, is in danger of self-exaltation. So the messenger of Satan to buffet him, which was such a sore trial to this beloved servant of Christ, was God's mercy to teach him that he must keep in the place of weakness-there was no strength in him. Learning this, the apostle gladly can say:"When I am weak, then am I strong."

Contrast .all this with Simon Peter, whose boast as to his faithfulness to the Lord Jesus, whether it be to prison or to death, was but the prelude to his shameful denial with blasphemy that he knew the Lord. Peter fully meant all that he said when he protested, and he dearly loved the Lord. Let us not doubt it for a moment. But Peter was strong, and his own strength was but weakness. He had to learn this before he could go on as a servant of Christ. King David, King Hezekiah, and many others, emphasize the same lesson for us. Past successes, past service, the memory of strength given for times of trial-all these things need to be carefully guarded or they will lead to present forgetful-ness that we are just as weak as ever and need the strength of Another.

We can all say that we have been marvelously helped in many ways. How wonderfully the Lord has helped us, borne with us. cared for us; through what trials He has brought us, what temptations He has enabled us to resist, what service, it may be, He has permitted us to perform ! We thankfully acknowledge it all, but oh, let us not get strong in the wrong sense. Let us not presume upon all this, and lose our reverence and our sense of dependence upon Him who alone is our sufficiency. Humility, to be truly that, is an abiding thing. The moment we forget that we are nothing, we may well fear some leprous sign to remind us that we have left our true position. May the Lord keep us truly humble and we will ever be marvelously helped, for that is His delight; but He cannot use those who are strong in their own strength.

Scripture presents perhaps no more attractive characters than are seen in Daniel and his three companions. Israel as a nation is cast off; they are all broken up and carried away into captivity. There would seem now but little object to live for-but little incentive to be faithful in the service of God. The natural result would be to sink down into sullenness and live for self, as doubtless large numbers of these captives did in the land of Babylon; or else fall into line with the Babylonians themselves and enjoy life with them.

It was not so with these four children. They did neither the one nor the other, and the painful circumstances they were in became the means of their glorifying God as they could not have done in their own land in brighter days. They have faith in God:they know that if He has cast off their beloved nation, and driven them away from their beloved Jerusalem, it is because they richly deserve it. This makes them humble, but trustful too. A God who is so busy with them must love them, and love can be trusted. They set themselves therefore first of all to pleasing God. They are away from home, and they must needs take an active part in the scene where they are, but God must and will have the first place at whatever cost to themselves.

They refuse defiling food. They think not, like alas! many a child of God now going through this scene, that they can eat without danger the food of this world – that they can take in the mind, and spirit and ways of the world around without being unfitted for communion with God and for being His instruments of service. They deny self, and they prosper. They become the very men who can be best trusted with the highest responsibilities.

Thus they become so acquainted with God that Daniel can tell His whole mind to the king when no one else could, and by this many are saved from death. His three friends also, when all bowed the knee to the great image of gold, refused to bow theirs. They would not thus displease God, and so God made them victorious over all the mighty ones of earth, and honored them with the company of His beloved Son in the fiery furnace.

My young friends, the company and smile of Jesus in whatever we may pass through for His name's sake, will, in the day that is drawing near, be seen to be greater honor and glory than are at present all the companionships, and smiles, and favors of all the great ones of earth. He who seeks the Lord's approval will surely have his name enrolled with that of Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah.
P. J. L.

THE MAN AFTER THE FLESH. Chapter 3:

GOD'S CARE FOR HIS OWN HONOR. (1 Sam. 5:, 6:) (Continued from page 61.)

And so at last the lesson of divine holiness is in some measure learned. The people are forced, by the smiting of God, even though but just returned amongst them, to acknowledge that He must be approached with reverence and godly fear. " Who is able to stand before this holy Lord God ? " Here unbelief struggles with reverence, and for the time triumphs; and instead of turning in simplicity to the One who had smitten them, to learn why, and how they could approach Him and enjoy His favor without danger, they are more concerned, as the Philistines had been, that the ark should go up from them, not of course to be taken out of their land, but still to be removed from their immediate presence-so that they could have the benefit of God's favor without the dread sense of His too near presence, a thing, alas, too common amongst God's professed people. And may we not detect in our own hearts a kindred feeling which would shrink from the constant sense of the presence of God in every thought and word and act of our lives, and would rather have Him, as it were, at a little distance, where we can resort in time of need or as desire may move us, but where we are not always under His eye ? Thank God, it is vain to wish this, it cannot be; and yet as to our experience, how often are we losers in our souls because the desire of the psalmist is not more completely our own:"One thing have I desired of the Lord,- that will I seek after, that I may dwell in the house of the Lord, and inquire in His temple."

And so the ark cannot yet find a resting-place in the midst of the nation, but is sent off to Kirjath-Jearim, "the city of the woods," strange contradiction, and suggestive of the place of practical banishment into which God was being put, a city in name and yet a forest. Here David finds it (Ps 132:6). "We found it in the fields of the wood;" noplace, surely, for the throne of God; yet here it abides for twenty years (chap. 7:2) until the needed work of repentance is fulfilled. We can well believe them to have been years of faithful ministry on the part of Samuel, and of gradual, perhaps unwilling submission and longing, on the part of the people. We are told all the house of Israel lamented after the Lord. Meanwhile, the ark rests in the house of Abinadab in the hill, and his son Eleazar, with the priestly name, "my God is help," remains in charge. The ark never again returns to Shiloh:"He forsook the tabernacle of Shiloh, the tent which He placed among men, and delivered His strength into captivity and His glory into the enemy's hand (Ps. 78:60, 61). "He refused the tabernacle of Joseph and chose not the tribe of Ephraim (Ps. 78:67). "Go ye now unto My place which was in Shiloh, where I set My name in the first and see what I did to it for the wickedness of My people Israel" (Jer. 7:12).

There was fitness in this in two ways. God never restores in exactly the same way a failed testimony. Shiloh had, as it were, become defiled and its name connected with the apostasy of the people under Eli. It had the dishonor of having allowed the throne of God to be removed into the enemy's hands. It had, so to speak, as the representative of the nation, proven its incompetency to guard God's honor, and it could not again be entrusted with it.

Then, too, it was in the tribe of Ephraim-that tribe which spoke of the fruits of the life in contrast to Judah, from which tribe our Lord came, and whose name, "praise," suggests that in which alone God can dwell:"Thou inhabitest the praises of Israel." Praise for Christ is the only atmosphere in which God can abide. How everything emphasizes the refusal of the flesh! Even as Joseph himself displaced Reuben the first-born, and as Ephraim, the younger brother, was chosen before Manasseh, so now again the tribe which had the headship and out of which the nation's great leader, Joshua, had come, must be set aside. "The Lion of the tribe of Judah " is the only One who can prevail, and all these changes emphasize this fact which God has written all over His word-there is no strength in man, no reliance in nature, the flesh is unprofitable, Christ is all.

CHAPTER IV. GOD'S MERCY TO HIS HUMBLED PEOPLE. (1 Sam. 7:)

At last the faithful ministry of Samuel was about to produce manifest fruit. The twenty years of humbling had gradually, no doubt, led the people to an increasing sense of their own helplessness, of their absolute dependence upon God and a glimmer, at least, of that holiness without which He could never manifest Himself on their behalf. So Samuel now can say to them:"If ye do return unto the Lord with all your hearts, then put away the strange gods and Ashtaroth from among you, and prepare your hearts unto the Lord and serve Him only and He will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines,"This searching of heart had prepared them to receive this word now. Their return to the Lord, gradual though it may have been, was now sincere and had that measure of whole-heartedness .which His grace is ever ready to recognize. He cannot endure a feigned obedience, and yet with the best of our repenting there is ever mingled something of the flesh. How good it is to remember that if there be a real turning, He recognizes that, and not the imperfection that accompanies it!

But a true turning to Him is of an intensely practical character and is shown in the life. If He has His place in the heart or in the land, all strange gods must be put away. All the loathsome idolatry, copied from their neighbors, must be judged, and God alone have His place. He cannot endure a heart divided between Himself and a false god. While all this is perfectly simple, yet there must be preparation and purpose of heart if it is to be carried out effectually and permanently. To serve Him alone means how much for ourselves; how much more indeed than for Israel, whose service was to a great. ' extent of an outward character, at least so far as the nation was concerned! If they are ready for this, then there is the distinct promise:" He will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines." He Himself had removed His ark from the Philistines' land, and yet until the people were in a true state before God, He could not in His holiness rescue them from the power of the same enemy.

Through God's mercy, Israel acts and the land is cleansed under the power of the ministry of Samuel whose life we have traced from its beginning. No longer now a child, in the full maturity of his powers he is in a position to be used, not now in a limited circle, but for all Israel. As his word had brought them to repentance, he now turns in intercession to God:"Gather all Israel to Mizpah and I will pray for you unto the Lord." The man who speaks for God to the people is the one who is able to speak to God for the people. The man in whom the word of God abides and who is faithful in using it will know much, too, of the priestly privilege of intercession, while those who may have as clear a view of the evil, but dwell upon that merely without divine' power, are never brought into God's presence about it, and so are themselves overwhelmed by it rather, and rendered helpless instead of being prevailing intercessors.

We may well remark, in passing, upon the importance of being occupied with evil only to deal with it according to the word of God, and thus to be able to work a deliverance through His word, and intercession with Him. There is always hope even in a day of decline and ruin when there are intercessors amongst the people of God; those who, if they know nothing else to do, at least know where to turn for help. Private intercession often opens the way to more public ministry, and this in turn to fresh prayer for God's recovering grace.

And so the people are gathered together to Mizpah. Common needs, common danger, and above
all, a common turning to God will bring His people together. All other gatherings are worthless and worse. Here they pour out water before the Lord and fast and acknowledge their sin afresh. The pouring out of water and fasting seem to be but two sides of the same act, expressed probably in the words which follow:"We have sinned against the Lord."The pouring out of water seems to be an acknowledgment of their utter helplessness and worthlessness."We are as water spilled upon the ground which cannot be gathered up again."They had spent their strength for naught and were indeed as weak as water. This weakness had come from their sinning against God. So it is proper that fasting should accompany this solemn act,-no mere religious form or unwilling abstinence from food, as though there were some merit in that, but that intense earnestness of spirit which is so absorbed in its purpose that necessary food is for the time forgotten, or refused as an intrusion upon the more important business before the soul. Fasting, as a means to produce certain desired effects, savors too much of ritualism and fosters self-righteousness in its devotees; but as a result,-as an indication of the state of soul-it is always the mark of a truly earnest seeker after God.

A people thus self-judged, and in humiliation before Him, are now in position to receive with profit the ministry of God's truth; so Samuel can now judge them, take up in detail their walk, ways and association and deepen that work which God had already begun in their souls. It is not enough to say in a general way:"We have sinned against the Lord." This, if real, includes all else, but for that
very reason, details can then be gone into. A mere general judgment of self is too often but vague, and beneath its broad generalities may be hidden many a specific evil which has not been dragged out into the light, and judged according to God's holy word. Yet the two must come in this way:-there must first be the judgment of ourselves, that state of true humility which is ready to bow before God, before there can be a helpful taking up of specific acts and testing them by the Word.

It is to be feared that we often fail in this individually, and in our efforts to help the saints of God. Unless one is truly humbled before God, truly broken, it is vain to reach a real judgment of specific wrong. Thus a trespass committed against a brother will be condoned, or that brother's own share in wrong doing will be brought up-an effectual check in true judgment of the act in question. What is needed is to get before God, to pour out before Him the water of a true and real judgment of ourselves according to His word-owning that we are capable of anything, yea, of everything, unless hindered by His grace, owning too our sin. This will enable us to judge calmly and dispassionately as to the details of the actual trespass. Would to God that this were realized more amongst us! There would be more true recovery of those who have gone wrong, and a consequent greater victory over our spiritual foes.

Then, too, the judging of the people suggests not merely looking at their past conduct, but ordering their present walk. Any associations, practices, worship, that were not according to His mind and which had up to this time been ignored by the people, or which they were in no true state to form a proper judgment upon, all these things would now come into review. Practices and principles will be tested by god’s truth, and so the walk be ordered aright. To be low in His presence, as we said before, is the only place where we can be truly judged. It is a place of humbling, but after all, how blessed to be there! It is the place of power as well, for God is there. Israel at Bochim may not have been an inspiriting sight to nature. The flesh always despises that which humbles it, but Bochim is where the messenger of god can meet His repentant people and hold out to them hopes of deliverance. Israel, we may say, at Mizpah were again at Bochim.

All things
Life brings ?
O Lord, Thou surely canst not mean
That I should bear
The taunts that tear
And cut me to the heart!
Wilt Thou not take my part
Against my foes, and stand between ?

Not now, my child,
The tempest wild,
The cruel taunts of men I bore for thee,
Now thou must bear for Me.

Oh, why Must I
Be tossed and driven to and fro,
And ill at ease
O'er things that tease,
And fret, my heart and mind,
With sometimes thoughts unkind ?
Lord, speak the word, and bid them go.

Hast thou forgot ''
Love envieth not,
Endureth all, and seeketh not her own " ?
No wonder thou dost groan !

How long?
This strong
And adverse wind is wearying me.
My heart is sore.
How can I more
Endure, from those who care
Not what I have to bear ?
Why cannot I, as they, be free ?

Not yet:'tis thine
Not to repine;
But, for My sake, to be both kind and strong
Of heart, to suffer long.

O Lord,
Some word
Of comfort I but crave from Thee.
Why should I have
Such care and love
For those who love me not,
And have no evil thought
Of those who wrong both Thee and me?

Wouldst follow Me ?
Then thou must be
All patiently, with sweet obedience yoked,
Nor easily provoked.

It is
For this
I've left thee here, midst storm and tide.
My child, I mean
Thy heart to wean
From earthly things to Me;
For I would have thee be
As gold, by furnace purified.

A beacon light, Mid earth's dark night
Of sorrow, My loved witness, to proclaim
Salvation, through My name.

I bore
Far more
Than I could ask of thee. Ah, no,
Thou couldst not go
To depths of woe,
Nor in that anguish share
It was My lot to bear.
I only ask thee in thy life below,
My path to choose,
Nor e'er refuse
To follow where I lead. The reason why
I'll tell thee by and by.

H. McD.

Our reading during the present month will embrace the wilderness books of Numbers in the Old Testament, with the two epistles of Peter and that to the Colossians in the New. It is important to note that both the literal and spiritual order of the books is the very opposite of what we would expect according to human thoughts. Man places the sanctuary and the presence of God at the end of the journey. He hopes " to get to heaven at last," and meanwhile is fairly comfortable to go on without the sense of God's presence and the holiness which becomes that presence during his life in this world.

Grace here, as everywhere, inverts human order. We are first introduced into the presence of God, and made at home there; our future for all eternity is assured; the gladness of the final day is put into our hearts by the Holy Spirit given to us, and then we are started off on our journey through this world. How like the grace of God this is! Grace never sets us to earn, but always to enjoy and to develop. So Numbers follows Leviticus. The wilderness experience follows the sanctuary.

It is an extremely interesting and profitable book, giving an account of God's provision for the way, and, alas, of the failure of the people to make use of these provisions as they should, with the unbelief which brought upon them the chastenings of God. But the end of the book brings them at the end of the wilderness with song and joy, and the beginning of conquest.

Space will only allow us to point out the divisions:

1. (Chap. 1:-10:10.) The numbering of the people, and their arrangement in the camp according to divine order. So we see the tabernacle in the centre. About it are grouped the Levites and priests after their families, and each with their appointed service. Then come the tribes, where the same divine order prevails. " Marching orders " are given; for, whether at rest or in motion, God would have His people subject entirely to His control. Here all is perfect, and at last the trumpet sounds for the onward march toward the land of their inheritance. Note the Nazarite and his vow, of the sixth chapter, a most important portion.

2. (Chap. 10:ii-16:35.) Unbelief, weakness, and departure from God; murmuring, jealousy and the culminating sin of refusal to go into the land are the prominent features here. Caleb and Joshua are the only two who will ever enter, of all that generation. This portion culminates with the rebellion of Korah, Dathan, and Abi-ram. What dreadful fruits spring from what seems to be the small root of unbelief, and failure to wholly follow the Lord!

3. (Chap. 16:36-24:). The priest in resurrection God's remedy for all this weakness. Amongst many other things are the budding of Aaron's rod, the portion of the priests in the sacrifices, and the cleansing from defilement by the ashes of the red heifer. Here, too, Aaron passes away, and gives place to his son Eleazar. Resurrection is thus seen throughout the entire portion. How good it is to remember that we have a High Priest who has been brought again from the dead, and who "ever liveth to make intercession for " us!

4. (Chap. 25:-27:) Fresh failure, through mingling with Moabites and a new numbering of the people. Moses reaches his end here.
5. (Chap. 28:-36:) Sacrifices, beginning victories, with provision of the cities of refuge. One prominent feature of this portion is the failure of the two tribes and a half, in their desire to settle on the East side of Jordan.

Altogether, the book gives two prominent thoughts:man's weakness and failure in the wilderness; God's mercy and succor.

Colossians gives us a beautiful New Testament book of Numbers, and shows how we may pass through this wilderness without failure and with an ever-growing joy in the heart, fulfilling all the responsibilities of the way. In brief, it is Christ the Object before us, and Christ in us " the hope of glory." Christ is the theme, and where He fills the heart the ways will answer to God.

The four divisions of the epistle are :

1. (Chap. 1:1-18.) Christ's headship over all, "that in all things He might have the pre-eminence."

2. (Chap. 1:19-29.) The gospel of salvation, and the Church-the body of Christ. Paul's twofold ministry in relation to these.

3. (Chap. 2:) Christ in death and resurrection our sufficiency, and we " complete in Him."

4. (Chaps. 3:, 4:) Resurrection life and the cross, the power for a faithful walk in all relationships of life.

The two epistles of Peter are a beautiful and most helpful provision for our wilderness journey. Peter, of course, does not occupy us with the heavenly things as the apostle Paul. His epistles are pre-eminently for the pilgrim life here, but the heavens are always bright above, even though the pathway be full of trial. One of the key-words of the first epistle is "suffering." Various phases of suffering will be found in each chapter. The divisions of the epistle are:

1. (Chap. 1:1-21.) A living hope linked with the resurrection of Christ and the power of God, pledging us to our inheritance.

2. (Chap. 1:22-2:10.) A holy and royal priesthood of a spiritual kind, replacing the old fleshly relationship of Israel.

3. (Chap. 2:10-3:9.) True sanctification in a life to the glory of God.

4. (Chap. 3:10-4:6.) Suffering in a world where they are subject to trial, and walking in the path of Christ.

5. (Chap. 4:7-5:) The end of all things at hand, and varied responsibilities in view of that.

The second epistle has in view declension, with warning and admonition. There are three divisions:

1. (Chap. 1:) All things provided for us by divine power, and our responsibilities growing out of it.
2. (Chap. 2:) Apostasy traced from its beginning, and the final end that brings in judgment.

3. (Chap. 3:) The destruction of the earth, and the promise of " new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness."

BETWEEN CHRIST, IN HIS VARIED GLORIES, AND THE SOUL.

There is a fulness in Christ which the ripest I saint has never exhausted and never will. It is indeed all the fulness of the Godhead bodily " which dwells in Him, and our ever increasing delight throughout eternity will be to search the heights and depths of God's purposes in Him, and to know more and more of that "love of Christ which passeth knowledge."

There are many aspects in which we can look at our Lord, in each of which He is seen in a special beauty connected with that character, an Object of special delight for our hearts. Thus we know Him as Saviour and Sacrifice, as Priest and Advocate, as Head of the Church, as the corning Lord.

Let us for a little dwell upon Him in each of these characters, familiar as they are to us, all the dearer because familiar, never in danger of their becoming too familiar.

We may well believe that every Christian has at some time in his experience thought:What is the exact point of contact between myself and Christ_? Of course the sinner must learn this first of all, and yet the saint needs ever to remember it too. Even where there may not be-because of the truth which God has so graciously unfolded to us-the distressing doubts which would lead the child of God to ask such dishonoring questions as-

" ' Tis a point I long to know,
Oft it causes anxious thought:
Do I love the Lord or no,
Am I His or am I not ? "

yet there is often a vagueness, a faint suspicion that something is required, some qualification needed for the enjoyment of Christ in His various characters. The exact point of contact between the soul and Himself is not always clearly seen and thus much of the blessing, much of the joy of communion is lost.

Let us then look at Him first as Saviour. Blessed Lord, His very name means this. ' 'Thou shalt call His name, Jesus, for He shall save His people from their sins;" a twofold Saviour, from the guilt and the thraldom of sin. How much this means ! To be saved, to be delivered from the wrath to come, from the judgment of a holy God against sin and the companionship of Satan and the lost for evermore. To have no accusing conscience, to be able to look forward with confidence to the judgment, knowing that we who have believed shall not come into judgment, but have passed out of death into life ! It is as Saviour that He is first known, the One who saves. But whom does He save ? The babe in Christ knows well the answer; and shall the "young men" and " fathers " ever forget it ? Paul gloried in it, revealed in it; and in his oversight of the churches giving charge to Timothy, making provision for the orderly government of that which was so dear to the heart of the Lord, he gives a prominent place to this truth which was ever fresh in his own heart:"This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners," and adds "of whom I am chief."

The point of contact, then, between the Saviour and the soul is the fact that we are sinners. It is sinners who need a Saviour; and should the enemy ever tempt the new-born soul to doubt his acceptance, should he ever succeed in getting him to look within for proofs of salvation, let him remember that the point where he met with Christ as Saviour was not his worthiness, his attainments, his experience; he could bring nothing but sin to Him. It was his sinnership that entitled him to the Saviour, and for the saved as well, his title to the Saviour abides the same. He was a sinner, lost in himself, now nothing more than that; all that has been wrought in him has been purely grace. Since then, so far as his title to Christ as Saviour is concerned, it abides forever the fact that he was a sinner. If he were in himself alone, still that.

So, too, when we look at our Lord as the Sacrifice, the same simple truth is seen. What peace it gives to the conscience to look at the sin-offering, to see the sins confessed and laid upon the head of the victim, which is then slain, its blood shed and sprinkled upon the altar and it consumed without the camp. How faith delights to rest upon that sacrifice and in face of all those sins, more in number than the hairs of our head, what peace and rest we have as we behold the Sacrifice, '' the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world."

It is to this that we are recalled whenever we gather about the table of our Lord. His blood was shed for the remission of sins. So, too, with all the other aspects of His sacrificial work as seen in the peace, trespass and burnt-offerings. What a value there is to this sacrifice! How it outweighs infinitely all the guilt of all the world-in value ! How the blood of Christ speaks before God of that in which He finds rest, of that which satisfies His justice, so that He can be "just and the justifier of Him that believeth in Jesus," so that His righteousness and His love blend together in declaring our acceptance eternal.

And where is the point of contact between the soul and this precious sacrifice of Christ ? For whom was His blood shed ? For whom was the sacrifice offered ? For ripe saints ? for faithful servants ? for those who can show some fruits of grace in their hearts ? Ah, no, here again we come back to that simple fundamental truth, "Christ died for the ungodly." How do I know His blood was shed for me? Because I am ungodly. And so the point of contact between my soul and this sacrifice is my sinnership again.

Let us pass in with Him now into the holiest of all, where we behold Him in those spotless robes, appearing as our priest before God and there ever living to make intercession for us. Let us think of
Him too, in the garments of glory and beauty, every fibre of which, every jewel that sparkles upon it, speaks of some precious character that He bears before God for us. We think of His sympathy, of His succor in times of temptation, of the strength of His mighty arms, of the tenderness of His loving heart, of the savor of that anointing which is upon him, a fragrance in which we too are accepted before God. All our feeble prayers, all our reaching out after God, is linked with His mighty intercession, is presented in His Name by Himself:"By Him, therefore, let us offer continually unto God the sacrifice of praise." What joy it is to dwell upon our Priest. If the sacrifice has given us boldness to enter into the holiest, the presence of the Priest there gives us liberty and joy to worship.

And where is the point of contact between this great High Priest and our souls? What fitness, what attainment is required to enable us to say, He is my High Priest? Ah, here again we come back to that simple, most blessed fact that it is nothing in ourselves now any more than at the beginning. It was as sinners that our Priest laid down His life .for us, offered the Sacrifice. We cannot think of Him as Priest apart from the sacrifice, and we cannot think of the Sacrifice apart from the fact that we were sinners. How sweet for the child of God in all simplicity then to remember that his sinnership is again the point of contact between himself and all the infinite and effectual ministry of that High Priest!

The thought of the Advocate is similar, though distinct. It shows us the Lord as our Representative before God, the One who has full charge of all that concerns our standing and welfare before God,
who has entered into the Father's presence to be before Him forever as the witness of our own acceptance there too. More particularly, His advocacy is seen in connection with the failures of His people. "If any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the Righteous " (1 Jno. 2:1:)Here is an Advocate who never loses a case, who is able to present all the details before His God and Father. The accuser of the brethren is there to present their shortcomings and unworthiness in all their awful character before God, but what can an accuser do in the presence of such an Advocate, who stands there and as the answer to every accusation, can show the marks of that sacrifice which has anticipated all, even the sins, forgetfulness and self-righteousness of the believer?

And how effectual, too, is this advocacy seen in the restoration of the child of God, the washing of the feet down here in the power of the Holy Spirit, through the word of God, which is the result of that work on high! Oh, who that has grown cold or sinned (and, alas, brethren, who of us has not had more or less humbling experience of these declensions) but rejoices in the fact of that advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the Righteous ?

It is hardly necessary to ask where the point of contact between the soul and Him as advocate is.
His advocacy is in view of our sin, but He is the propitiation for our sins. So here sinnership is again
the simple title, may we not say, to the services of our Advocate?

Who has not felt the heart within him leap with exultation at the burning words of the apostle in the' epistle to the Ephesians, "Head over all things to the Church"? We see Him quickened out of the dead, brought forth by the power of God, raised up, far above all principality and power and might, dominion, thrones and kingdoms and all else are made subject to Him, He is over all; and the heart has rejoiced to sing:

" O, Jesus, Lord, 'tis joy to know
Thy path is o'er of shame and woe."

We have seen Him there as Head, Head over all things, and, wondrous to say, Head to the Church which is His body. Linked by the Holy Spirit to a glorified Christ, He our Head and life there on high, we His members, sustained, knit together, channels for blessing one to another-the body of Christ upon earth soon to be displayed too in glory throughout eternity! Who can overestimate the sanctifying effect of this truth of our union with our Head in heaven? Rightly grasped, it not merely corrects the walk, securing a constant and proper testimony here, but it transfigures us and makes us a heavenly people.

Since our Head is in heaven, we also belong there; how this breaks a score of ties and settles a thousand questions which might harass the soul and fail of a clear answer were this not seen! Look at the corporate truth of the headship of Christ, one body upon earth, indwelt by one Spirit, to be actuated and controlled by one Mind, the same life, the same love, the same care in all the members. Oh, how the head hangs with shame and the heart is saddened as we think how the. neglect of this great fact has marred the whole testimony of the Church of God upon earth!

But we are only touching upon these truths. Our thought is to find the point of contact between the soul and our Lord here as in the other characters. If the first chapter of Ephesians shows us Christ raised from the dead and exalted on high in the heavenly places as Head of the Church, we have only to read on a few verses in the second to see that He is not alone. We are seen as those who were "dead in trespasses and sins." It was in our death, that quickening life was imparted, "quickened together with Christ " with that resurrection life of His beyond the power of death forever, a life therefore which can never be lost or forfeited; raised up together with Him, out of the place of death, out of the dominion of death, out of our graves and away from our grave-clothes; more yet, seated in Him in the heavenly places in Christ on high, our Head, our Representative before God, and soon to be with Him there, that in the ages to come God may exhibit in us "the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness towards us through Christ Jesus."

Dear fellow-believer, does not your heart rejoice as you think that the point of contact between your soul and Christ as Head over all things was when you lay dead in your sins? Here again, not merely your sinnership but your absolutely helpless condition-but for God's sovereign grace-is emphasized; and if unbelief should dare to ask the question, How can I know that I am united to Christ as Head ? we again do not look back at an unblemished record of faithful service or aught else, but answer, He found me when I was in my blood and said to me, Live!

Lastly we think of Him as the coming One, who shall fulfil the yearning of His heart and take His blood-bought people to be with Himself at home forever. We shall be like Him, then, for we shall see Him as He is. Even our vile bodies He will change and make "like unto His glorious body,"-no weakness nor sickness then ; no circumstances of distress through which we now pass, no wilderness in which our feeble footsteps often falter, all that gone; and it may be at any moment that we shall hear His cry of joy which awakens responsive joy in our hearts:"Arise My love, My dove, My fair one, and come away!" Oh, it is a blessed hope, to sustain and cheer the heart in the' darkest hour, no matter how sharp the trial, how bitter the cup, it is only for a little while and will soon be over, happily over, forever. The Lord is coming ; His word is, " Behold, I come quickly."

What gives us confidence as we think of that coming ? What will enable us to respond with all our hearts and souls, "Amen, even so come, Lord Jesus ? " One verse of Scripture seems to link together two things which throughout eternity will never be sundered:"the Lord's death, till He come." His death and His coming again are linked together. As we see in Phil. 3:we look for a Saviour, and so as we think of His coming, it is One who died to save us. Our title to have confidence in view of that coming is the fact that He is our Saviour, the Saviour of sinners, and so we are brought back again to that great basic fact, my sinnership is what entitled me to all that Christ is,

"Title I have none beside ;
"Tis for sinners that He died."
Dear fellow-believer, does your heart take in the simplicity of this ? Do you not see how it will en-

able you, at all leisure from unbelieving doubts, all the whispers of Satan, all the sense of your own un-worthiness, to enjoy Christ in all His perfection? You bring nothing as your share; you remember nothing as your share, save the fact that it was your need that brought Him out of heaven as it is your need that occupies Him there now. Blessed, precious Lord, throughout eternity we will praise Thee for this, and can sing now, as we will then-

"I stand upon His merit,
I know no safer stand,
Not e'en where glory dwelleth
In Immanuel's land."

(Continued from page 49.)

II. THE QUALIFICATIONS FOR THE SCHOOL OF GOD.

When we speak, as we are going to do, of qualifications, we have, first of all, to understand that lack of qualification can keep no one out of that which God designs for all. If there is only a sincerely willing heart, God undertakes with regard to all that is needed in the way of qualification; and what we have to do just now is to consider how fully in this way He has provided for us-how well, therefore, we may learn in God's school, whether young or old, quick or dull, whatever in ourselves may seem to hinder or indeed forbid education!

God's meaning for us all is, as we have seen, education. Apart from any choice of ours, He has ordained for us needs which peremptorily require to be attended to, or we cannot even live in this world at all. The human creature is dependent as no other creature is. We are placed at the very beginning of our history here, in our mothers' arms, to find there, assuredly, more than the mere physical nourishment that we need. We may find the latter as mere animals, but God has made us something more than this; and we may be sure that in whatever He has ordained for us, we shall do well to remember what we are as human; and not because, for instance, the beasts are fed in the same way that we are, to merge ourselves therefore in the beastly nature. We are not mere flesh; we have spirits from the Spirit, and it is thus that we have been formed in "the image of God," even naturally, for "God is a Spirit."

God can never forget this; and the first element here is that of a moral nature, which not only can gee and understand things in themselves, but weigh them, balance them, understand their worth. Here, in our mothers' arms, we surely learn, and necessarily, some lesson of that dependence from which no one can escape; but we learn more than this:we learn, and are to be assured of, and drink in, a love which meets us in this need of ours, and which is to be our first lesson, and a moral one. The mother's love is proverbial as the deepest which nature knows. How little would the child be provided for in the mere provision of her breast, if there were not under it a mother's heart, which would willingly spend itself upon the child, and which is surely a wondrous lesson of altruism, as people say, for the child itself!

Sin, of course, has disordered everything; and we shall find not only that many children are deprived of that which they instinctively crave in the way of nourishment, but are deprived still more of that meeting of heart with heart, and awakening the heart by the heart, which God would have. Sin has disordered everything; but it takes little wisdom to realize that we must separate the disorder from the natural institution which is plain in spite of it, and the love that breathes in it on the part of the Creator. How much, in fact, men owe to a mother's love! How often have we heard of the criminal in his prison-cell hardened into perfect callousness as to every other feeling, but who yet has woke up to at least a flash of self-reflection and self-judgment at the remembrance of his mother!

Under this kindly influence then, the child begins its development. In God's design the mother is the
first teacher of the babe; and if all is right, will be the first best teacher in a spiritual way also. But we have not exactly to do with this now. That which we gather from it is clearly this, that God's design for us all is education; and that for Him the moral part is all-essential to the rest. If we think of God's school, however, as we are now to contemplate it, the Book which is put into our hands, and which is in itself so unique and so sufficient that we rightly call it "the Book," "the Bible," is plainly that which is to give us all our lessons. In the authority with which it speaks, it takes only the place which the mother, for instance, must take with her child, and which is so necessary for the child.. It speaks with authority because it is the language of One who knows; and as the Book of God, who does not suggest possibilities, but teaches truth. What sort of a teacher could any of us be who has no positive truth to teach? If the Book be God's Book, then certainly it is competent, and must be so, and in this way the uniqueness which we recognize in it speaks very plainly. But while it speaks thus with authority, the simplicity of its language shows us God's earnest desire for all His creatures, and is the only thing that is worthy of the God of all. He is not the Creator of the rich or the intellectual or the man of science, or of. any other special class, but the Creator of all. And thus it is that the apostle argues with regard to the gospel and the simple ability to enter into all the gladness which it gives by faith, where-ever faith maybe. "Is He the God of the Jews only?" he asks. "Is He not also of the Gentiles? Seeing it is one God that will justify the circumcision by faith and uncircumcision through faith" (Rom. 3:29-30). But thus the Book of books is in a sense all of it a primer, however much else it is, and its first and last lesson is of God.

How blessed the way in which the only Teacher possible with regard to the creation of things speaks in the very beginning of the Book! What majesty in the simplicity of it! How it naturally awakes the response of the heart to Him who speaks in it! Nevertheless we want something more in order to have aright even this first lesson, and as Scripture is put into our hands to-day, in all the fulness of a perfected revelation, one Personality reveals itself in it throughout; and that He may be perfectly understood and be realized as near us, in such a way as no mother even can be to her child, in human guise God puts Himself before us in it.

In the Old Testament, for the Messiah everything waits. In the New Testament, we wait in that sense no longer:He has come, and with all blessing in His hand. There was a needed preparation of man for this which the long previous history declares, but we are not to speak of this now. God is fully revealed, He is in the light; and then He is Himself the Light by which all other things are read. How plain that here alone it is that we are in the true place for ' learning anything whatever! and in His presence we learn first of all, ourselves. We learn what hinders learning. How great a necessity this, and how from this we realize the good of a human Teacher as well as of the Manual in our hand! We need to know how to learn, as well as what to learn. We need, too, (how often,) to be free from other thoughts that have come in from elsewhere, and which prevent our recognition even of the simplest truths! With us, according to what has been already said, we shall not wonder to find that the hindrances are largely moral. Thus if we are truly in the presence of God, we shall be occupied with ourselves first of all in order to learn in ourselves, in the way of true self-judgment, all that is contrary .to Him with whom all our knowledge is to be communion. We learn thus in ourselves that which is to help us all the way through, and we learn self-mastery from Him who is absolute Master, and whose help is found in learning every lesson.

It is a fundamental necessity for learning, in the whole range of learning, that our eye must be single, in order that our whole body may be full of light. Now here God's singular care for us is once more revealed. The Spirit of God is He who brooded at first on the face of the deep, and He is the Agent in creation everywhere. Most capable, surely, He; and He it is who now takes upon Him to be our effectual inward Monitor; Himself, as Scripture assures us, (if we are Christians indeed,) dwelling in us. How perfect, then, is such a provision! We have Christ on the one hand, as our Teacher, Himself the revelation of God in His own Person, and thus of all things else,-the Light in which we see light. But then we have the Spirit of God in us to remove that which would, nevertheless, prevent the light having its proper effect. What love breathes in all this, to subdue in us all that is contrary and to mold us to its teaching!

The Spirit must form the house before He can dwell in it. Thus necessarily, according to Scripture, and because of what we are as fallen, new birth must precede indwelling. Here we are at once faced with a mystery which yet, like all other mysteries, has within it, in fact, a revelation. We are not, of course, developing Scripture doctrines now, and therefore we cannot enter, as might be desired, into the doctrine here; but Scripture assures us that we have thus communicated to us by the Spirit a new nature which is so really a divine nature, that we become by it, in a way which the original creation itself could not make us, children of God. God's way is to meet all that sin has caused by abounding over it. It is not enough for Him simply to replace what has become no longer able to answer its original purpose. His way is to show His perfect mastery over it by bringing in that which is higher and better, controlling thus for good the very evil which has come in. Christ's work has not replaced us where we were; it has done far more than this. We are not back in Eden and are not to be back there. We have lost earth, but to gain heaven. We have lost the innocency in which man naturally was, not to regain this, nor to find a fresh life sustained by the old tree of life in the midst of the garden. All these things become but types and shadows of what Christ has made our own. In Christ we have a new life which is eternal life; and in Him we find also in a higher way, not simply un-forbidden but made fully our own, that tree of the knowledge of good and evil which gives us now a competency to enter into the whole problem of good and evil, and to find holiness when it would be impossible for us to go back to innocence. We know what evil is in ourselves, and here is the mystery of which we were just now speaking, that while in new birth we have a new nature, yet as every Christian's experience will tell him if he consult it in the light of Scripture, the old nature is not yet removed. This is a perplexity which, no doubt, we have all found ; and which yet not only experience affirms to be the fact, but we may be able also without much difficulty to realize how effectually by its means the whole problem of good and evil is thus put before us. We find in ourselves the evil and the good. We find the evil in the presence of the good, revealed by it effectually. In all the manifestation of the sin that still remains within us, we learn by reason of use to have our senses exercised to discern between these.

But let us carefully remember that this does not imply that God would have us in any sense in subjection to the evil. If the Spirit indwells us, then ample power there must surely be over whatever inveteracy of evil can be imagined. We need only to be subject to the Spirit. The power is not in us but with us. We are still with this divine Teacher, learning dependence as we learned it first at our mothers' breasts. Yet ever also our responsibility, the proper responsibility of a moral being is enforced. The very presence of the Spirit of God does not make us of necessity the victors in the conflict which is implied in these two nature^.We must be subject to the Spirit, not finding strength in ourselves, but weakness; and not needing to be dismayed because of the weakness, when the very condition of triumph is that when we are weak then we are strong. How thoroughly is it God's purpose to hide pride from man! and thus if the Spirit indwells us it is, in the strong language of Scripture, to join His help to the very infirmities revealed (Rom. 8:26, Gk.).Thus if we pray, because we know not what to pray for as we ought, "the Spirit Himself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered." Here then is infirmity which is expressed even in the very groanings of the Spirit. But these groanings are perfectly intelligible to Him who "knoweth the-mind of the Spirit"; and the Spirit still "maketh intercession for the saints according to God." Thus the groan declares our infirmity. We cannot utter the wants which, nevertheless, are most real ones. This groaning which is unintelligent to us is intelligent with God, and here how truly the Spirit intercedes for us, therefore, is manifest. It is Another who, in fact, is groaning in these groans which we cannot utter; and, according to this wisdom which is beyond us, God answers the Spirit-guided prayer. How blessed to know, then, that weakness is nothing which is to daunt us, but only that which is to make us lean the more simply and more fully upon the power of God!

(To be continued.)
'NOT A -DOG SHALL MOVE HIS TONGUE."

"My heart longs that the Lord may be glorified in the walk of His own ; that they may glorify Him, not only by avoiding evil, but by maintaining close communion with Him, and, separated from the world in all their ways, may be to Him for a .testimony, and for a testimony that their hearts are elsewhere because their treasure is." J.N.D.

THE MAN AFTER THE FLESH.

Chapter 3:GOD'S CARE FOR HIS OWN HONOR. (1 Sam. 5:, 6:)

(Continued from page 33.)

The latent unbelief in the heart of the Philistines is seen in the way they took to restore the ark to the land of Israel. Who would have thought of taking two heifers who had never known the yoke, and harnessing them to a cart without drivers ? Would not this insure the destruction of the ark ? And to accentuate the difficulty, the calves of these cattle were left behind, so that all nature was against the ark ever reaching the land of Israel. May we not well believe there was a latent hope in the hearts of the people that it would turn out differently from what they were constrained to believe? If it goeth up by the way of its own coast to Bethshemesh, then He hath done us this great evil; but if not, then we shall know it was not His hand that smote us; it was a chance that happened to us." Truly, if the living God Himself were not directly concerned in it all, if it were not absolutely His hand that had inflicted the blow on account of the presence of His ark, if it were not His will to restore His throne again to His people, no better means could have been taken to manifest the fact.

But God delights in such opportunities to manifest Himself and to make bare His arm,-surely we may well believe a closing witness to the hardened hearts of these people that He was indeed God, and a wondrous testimony as He returned to His people, of the fact that His hand was not shortened that He could not save. It reminds us of that time in the history of Israel's apostasy when the prophet Elijah issued his challenge in behalf of God to the prophets of Baal, with all the people as witnesses. It was to be no ordinary test. They were to see whether it was God or whether it was Baal. So the priests of Baal are allowed to take their sacrifices and, without unusual care, to see i f they can bring down fire from heaven. When they had consumed the day in their vain cries and cutting themselves, and there was no response, and abashed and silent they had to wait for the voice of God, then it was that the prophet took those special precautions to manifest that it was indeed God and He alone who was dealing with His people. Water is again and again poured over the sacrifice, over the altar, until it fills the ditch about the altar, and when every possibility of fire has been removed, all nature's heat quenched, then it is that in a few simple words the prophet asks the Lord to manifest Himself. Ah, yes, He can do so now. He cannot manifest Himself where there are still smoldering embers of nature's efforts; and it is well for 'the sinner to realize this. The fire to be kindled by divine love comes from God,-is not found in his heart. It would only be a denial of man's need of God. Nor must the saint forget the same. truth.

And so the kine with their precious burden go on their way, unwilling enough as far as nature is concerned, lowing for their absent calves as they went, but not for a moment turning aside; and the lords of the Philistines who follow them are constrained at last to admit that God has vindicated His honor and manifested the reality of His own presence and His own care for His throne. They follow and see the ark deposited upon a great rock,-may we not say, type of that unchanging Rock on which rests the throne of God, the basis of all sacrifice and of all relationship with Him, even Christ Himself ? And here we leave the Philistines, who return to their home, glad, no doubt, to be well rid both of the plagues and of Him who had inflicted them.
The ark returns to Bethshemesh, " the house of the sun," for it is ever light where God manifests Himself, and His return makes the night indeed bright about us. It comes into the field of Joshua, "Jehovah the Saviour," a reminder to the people whence their salvation alone could come. In vain would it be looked for from the hills, Jehovah alone must save. And here the spiritual instinct of the people, weak and ignorant as they are, is shown. They take the cattle and the wood of the cart and offer up a burnt-offering, far more acceptable to God than the golden images sent by the Philistines, of which we hear nothing again.

But the lesson of God's honor has not been fully learned, and, alas ! His own people must now prove that His ways are ever equal. If He is holy in the temple of Dagon, so that the idol must fall prostrate before Him; if that same holiness will smite the godless Philistine nation, it is none the less intense when it comes to His own people. In fact, as we well know, judgment will begin at the house of God, and as the prophet reminds the people that they only as a nation had been known of God, so far from this entitling them to immunity from punishment, it was the pledge that they would get it if needed :"Therefore will I punish you for your iniquities."

The men of Bethshemesh rejoiced to see the ark, but they little realized the cause of its removal into the enemy's country, and the need of fear and trembling as they approached God's holy presence. They lift up the cover and look within the ark, and God smites of the people, and there is a great slaughter. It seemed a very simple thing to do. We may hardly say that it was an idle curiosity to see what was therein. Possibly they may have thought that the Philistines had taken away the tables of the covenant, or at any rate they would see what was there. Was it not the covenant under which they had been brought into the land ?Was it not the law which had been given on mount Sinai, written with the very finger of God, and were they not .as the people of God entitled to look upon these tables of stone? Ah, they had forgotten two things, that when Moses brought the first tables of .stone down from the mountain, and saw the idolatry of the people dancing about the golden calf, he cast the stones out of his hand and broke them at the foot of the mountain. He would not dare either to dishonor the law of God by bringing it into a godless camp, or insure the destruction of the people by allowing the majesty of the law to act unhindered in judgment upon them' for their sin. They also forgot the divine covering over those tables of stone,-that golden mercy-seat, that propitiatory ,with its cherubim at either end, beaten out of pure gold, one piece, speaking of the righteousness and judgment which are the foundation of God's throne and which must ever be vindicated or, He cannot abide amongst His people. So upon that golden mercy-seat the blood of atonement had yearly been sprinkled, the witness that righteousness and judgment had been fully vindicated in the sacrifice of a substitute, and that the witness of atonement was there before God as the ground upon which His throne could remain in the midst of a sinful people.

To lift off the mercy-seat was in fact to deny the atonement. To gaze upon the tables of the covenant was practically to deny their sin and desert of judgment, and to lay themselves open to the unhindered action of that law which says:"Cursed is he ' that continueth not in all things that are written in the book of the law to do them." The law acted, as we may say, unhindered, as the covering was removed. God must judge if He acts merely according to law.

How we should bless our God that His throne rests on the golden mercy-seat; that the blood of the Sacrifice has met every claim of a broken law, and faith delights to look where the cherubim's gaze is also fixed, upon that which speaks of a Sacrifice better than that of Abel-calling not for vengeance, but calling for the outflow of God's love and grace toward the guilty. Ah, no; God forbid that we should ever in thought lift the mercy-seat from the ark. (To be continued).

The portion for our daily reading during the present month is the book of Leviticus in the Old Testament, the gospel of Mark and the epistle to the Hebrews in the New. As Exodus gave us the great truth of redemption and relationship to God, so Leviticus shows us how that relationship is to be maintained. Its prominent features are the sacrifice and priesthood, with the sanctification in both people and priest without which it would be impossible to enjoy intercourse with God. Its main divisions will bring this out more clearly:

1. (Chaps. 1:-7:) We have here the varied sacrifices -the burnt-offering, type of the death of Christ in His devotedness to God; the meat-offering, the Person of Christ as exhibited in His life. It will be noted that the meat offering always accompanies the burnt-offering. We have then the peace-offering, Christ's death as the basis of communion between the soul and God. The sin-offering and trespass-offering show respectively how the sacrifice of Christ meets sin, which is the root, and trespass which is the fruit.

2. (Chaps. 8:-15:) Here we have the consecration of the priest, and the association with him of the priestly family, beautifully exemplifying the relationship between Christ and His saved people.

3. (Chaps. xvi, 17:) The great Day of Atonement, whose services beautifully show the way into the sanctuary.

4. Chaps. 18:-22:) Daily walk of priests and people in consistency with the principles of God's holiness.

5. (Chaps. 23:-27:) God's ways with His people as seen in the feasts of Jehovah, the restoration of the year of jubilee, and prophetic warning as to disobedience.

Passing first to the epistle to the Hebrews, which should be read in conjunction with the book of Leviticus, we have the inspired explanation of the meaning of that Old Testament book. Christ is the subject throughout, and, in the glory of His Person and the efficacy of His finished work, displaces, as He has exemplified, that law which could only be a "shadow of good things to come."

The epistle divides into five parts:

1. (Chaps. 1:-2:4.) Christ in His peerless glory as Son of God become Man.

2. (Chap. 2:5-4:13.) Christ in His humiliation, the Author of salvation for " His brethren."

3. (Chap. 4:14-10:)Christ our great High Priest and perfect Sacrifice, the Mediator of the new covenant, who has entered into heaven itself and opened the way for us to enter into the holiest.

4. (Chap. 11:) The walk of faith upon earth as exemplified in Old Testament history.

5. (Chaps. 12:and 13:) Exhortations and warnings to the Jewish professors to hold fast to Christ and to " go forth unto Him without the camp, bearing His reproach."
It is well to remember in reading this wonderful epistle that its theme is not eternal life (for that we turn to John's writings), but the basis of relationship with God. It is written especially for Hebrew professors, whether true or false, and this accounts for the solemn warnings as to apostasy. It need hardly be said that no true child of God can ever perish, nor is there a shred of Scripture in this epistle or anywhere else to intimate such a possibility.

The last portion for the month is the gospel of Mark. Here we have to do with the person of our blessed Lord, seen as the Servant of man's need and the Prophet to declare the mind of God. There are three main divisions:

1. (Chaps. 1:-5:) Our Lord's ministry in healing. This part is filled with acts of mercy upon the needy.

2. (Chaps. 6:-10:45.) Opposition and rejection. Here we see how the enmity of Judaism will not allow His healing service to go on unchecked, and this occasions many a faithful testimony by the One who is already being rejected by Israel. It furnishes-the occasion for brighter revelations of Himself and clearer teaching than even the former period of unchecked activity.

3. (Chaps. 10:46-16:) Man's heart of enmity fully brought out in the death of Christ, His resurrection fully manifesting God's acceptance of His work. Here all leads up to the cross and from the cross up to the throne. If man rejects, God glorifies Him.

MURDERS AND SUICIDES DURING THE PAST YEAR.

A prominent secular paper is in the habit of collecting the yearly statistics of death by violence, and presenting them to its readers with such comments as may occur to the editor. It is significant that even such an authority can get scant comfort from these dark features.

In general, murder is steadily on the increase; a slight diminution during last year being more than made up by the enormous increase of the previous one over its predecessor. There were 7852 murders during last year, 8275 during 1900, which was an increase of 2050 over the preceding year (1899).

Think of 8000 murders in a year ! Cain's crime multiplied eight thousand fold! and that in a single country, at the head of the nations in civilization. Imagine a city of 8000 inhabitants massacred in a single night. All would be horror stricken; is it less terrible that the violence is wide-spread, persistent, and increasing ?

But the record of death by suicide is even more significant, as showing an effect which may be directly traceable to the civilization which is the boast of the age. In 1890 there were 2040 suicides; in 1891, 3531; and the increase each year has been steady and rapid. In 1900 there were 6755, and last year 7245 murdered themselves!

Of the causes assigned for suicide, the chief one is significant-despondency, 2980. Oh, how it tells of the emptiness of this poor world-three thousand who find nothing to live for, utterly disheartened ! Beloved fellow-believer, do you forget upon your knees to thank our God for giving you an object to satisfy every craving of the heart for all eternity ?

But who, as he ponders these dark and ever-growing figures, can think of the world as growing better? What has the prosperity, civilization-even education of the world done for it? Let these figures give their answer, and turning to that blessed Word of God, let us see the end of it all-more and more open apostasy, the working of the "mystery of iniquity "-until full-blown rebellion against God will meet its doom. Then having been swept clean by judgment, the blessed reign of the Prince of Peace will begin.

The practical portion of the epistle to the Romans from the twelfth chapter to the end, is filled with most necessary and peculiarly helpful instructions as to the conduct of those who have entered into the precious truths which form the theme of the first portion of the book. It should always be remembered that the power for all consistent Christian conduct and the ability to enter into the application of certain spiritual truths to our own habits of thought, depends in great measure upon our having fully received, in the simplicity of faith, and by the power of the Holy Spirit, that wondrous unfolding of truth which must underlie all practical conduct.

We might almost define legalism as being not merely the attempt to observe the ten commandments, still less the ceremonial ordinances as laid down in the Mosaic ritual, but any effort to carry out practical instructions as to conduct without having the full knowledge of the grace which alone can enable for it. This is what makes the right apprehension of the grace of God so absolutely essential, and this is also what explains two things; on the one hand that carnal struggle after holiness and seeking to fulfil the requirements of God's will apart from Christ, and on the other, that feeble and unsteady walk which so often mars the profession of the truth. The first is legalism. The second is antinomianism. And both are equally removed from the simple path of faith which grows out of the knowledge of the grace of God in truth.

It is most significant, therefore, and should always turn us back to the earlier chapters, that it is the
latter part of Romans which has to do with the practical life. We need ever to be refreshed by and more fully established in the true grace of God. It is not merely the point from which we take our departure, for, thank God, we never depart from it. It is rather our furnishing for the whole way in the energy of which our walk will be a delight. Trials and difficulties will but invigorate the faith that draws its strength from the perennial streams of God's love and grace. The admonitions and correctives furnished by this practical portion will meet with a prompt response from hearts which have learned that there can be no stronger appeal to their love, gratitude and obedience than the mercies of God.

It is not our purpose to dwell in detail upon this practical portion, but simply to point out some of its more manifest subjects, suggesting, as they do, not only God's path for us, but the way by which alone we can walk in that path.

Chapter twelve shows how our obedience, as those who have learned the mercies of God is to apply to the entire life, to every moment of our time, to all our relationships. We are "in the body," and as long as there, everything is to be a living sacrifice to God. This is the reasonable service of those who have been redeemed. It is manifested in the activities of love and in the beauties of that grace which, delights to exhibit the same mercy to others that has been shown to itself.

Chapter thirteen passes from our individual to mutual relationships as Christians, to our position in the world; and here again obedience, sobriety, and regard to the needs of others are to mark us. We are, as children of the light, to be walking here as pilgrims and strangers, waiting for the dawning of that Morning Star, putting off all the works of darkness.

Chapter fourteen dwells upon the gentleness and consideration which should ever be exercised toward those who are weaker in the faith. Rigidity and harshness have no place in the hearts of those who know truly how all that is opposite to that has been shown to them. There will, therefore, be a most careful guarding against putting a stumbling-block before the weak, and a desire to glorify God in their care.

And so the epistle goes on, reaching its close in the sixteenth chapter with salutations from a heart filled with love to all the people of God and with warnings also against any who would subvert the saints from the simplicity of their faith in Christ. The sixteenth chapter is a most beautiful refutation of the thought that the study of doctrine dries up the soul. On the contrary, it furnishes the channel and the motive for the fullest outflow of affection to all who are Christ's, and we are persuaded that were there a full revival amongst the saints of God of a living interest in the great truths of the first part of the epistle to the Romans, there would be a richer and more constant outflow of that love which is suggested in the obedience and care in the salutations of the latter part.

Let us live, dear brethren, in the enjoyment of the great truth of our acceptance before God on the ground of the work of Christ. Let us practically and daily enter into the humbling truth that the sentence of death had to be passed upon the old man and all connected with him; that in ourselves there was neither good nor the possibility of it and that thus death with Christ was the only remedy. Now alive to God in Him, walking by faith and in the power of the Holy Spirit, the joy of the eighth chapter is ours and the power for the twelfth. We cannot emphasize this too strongly. May God, in His mercy, revive amongst us a real hunger for the great foundation truths of our most holy faith ! Let us be delivered from even the semblance of indifference to that great truth which must underlie all right living.