" Much food is in the tillage of the poor:but there is that is destroyed (ruined) for want of judgment" (Prov. 13:23).

The truth of this statement is confirmed in the natural world every day, and in the spiritual also, among the redeemed of the Lord. How often in the humble cottage with but a few acres of ground around the dwelling, yet the home warm and cozy, the well filled table, all bear witness to the fact, while it is the humble dwelling of but a poor man, yet he has been diligent in using all he has, and there is "much food in the tillage of the poor." The spade and the hoe are well used :he digs and sows, he weeds and cares for his little crop; and his precious time is utilized and the result is the comforts of home are there. Wise, and happy in the end, is such a poor man. "The diligent soul (if even poor) is made fat."

But on the other hand, how many a man is ruined (destroyed) financially and morally "for want of judgment. " With every advantage and much ground to use, yet through "lack of judgment," in improving time, and talent, and diligence in using all within reach, in the end there comes a crash. The fields may be large and the house great and wide, yet there is a lack, and all bears witness to the truth of what we have just read.

But we will turn from the scenes of nature that afford us seasonable lessons indeed, and take a look at this passage in the light of our lives spiritually. " Blessed are the poor in spirit :for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven " (Matt. v, 3). This is one of the characteristic marks of the Christian life, till the bright day of manifested glory.

As we thus rightly view the Christian life, as associated with Christ in His rejection, while He is in heaven, we ought to see these marks distinct and plain. " Blessed are the poor in spirit." The whole life now takes shape from the place Christ occupies. He is rejected and so are we (if true) rejected. He is outside this scene altogether, and we are also separated and to walk as strangers.

He is in heaven, and our life and walk, aims and objects are to be all heavenly, formed and shaped by His present place above, and in view of His return so soon, when we will have the blessedness of association with Him forever.

The world has another sphere of existence altogether, that is the life of the unconverted as away from God; and, to a man of the world, people with such aims and objects and characteristics are a poor people indeed. And, in truth, compared with what they aspire after, we are poor. See what the priests and elders of Israel said concerning the apostles, "Ignorant and unlearned men." They had not much of what gives men a place in life, nor what makes men heroes in the world, yet they were all this in the eyes of the Lord. But they were linked by the Holy Spirit to Christ in heaven, while associated also with the assembly, or Church of the living God on earth.

Now from this house of God, the home of the poor in spirit till He come, let us look for a little and see if we can discern the well filled table-"much food in the tillage of the poor."

If the two things are kept distinct and clear, it will be seen that one is dependent Upon the other, "the field" and "the house." What a poor farm if it has no house to turn into as night comes on, and hunger is felt ! What a poor house and table if there is no field around to replenish and sustain it ! This is what the same preacher meant when he wrote, "Prepare thy work without, and make it fit for thyself in the field :and afterwards build thy house" (Prov. 24:27).

The poor man's place, then, we, as Christians, can associate ourselves with (Zeph. 3:12), and these the Lord has left here while He is away. But let us first look at the field without, and see how things go there. For the application of what is upon the writer's mind, as to the ground which surrounds the dwelling-place, we will partition, or draw a fence-line, and call the field that lies to one side of the house the field of study and meditation, and this comes first; and just on the other side lies the field for service. In both these places we require diligence of soul, and the assembly, the house, depends upon both to be replenished and sustained.

To grasp rightly the truth of what the assembly of God now on earth is dispensationally and locally is a great help in Christian life, serving as an anchor in many ways, and furnishes each believer with a true home. We know there have been abuses of this important truth from the assumption of Rome for so long, down to those among ourselves, with whom we have gone into the house God and taken sweet counsel together, yet the extremes of some, or arrogant assumption of others ought not to hinder us using and enjoying what is dear to the heart of God and Christ.

To these two fields we will briefly turn, and look at what they furnish our home and table with. The first field lies open before us,- it is the precious word of God, our Bible. We see written over the gateway as we enter, "In the beginning God created" etc., and we exclaim as we enter such a sacred enclosure, What need for diligent carefulness and prayer! There lies before us, the whole book, not for preachers and teachers merely, but for the weakest and feeblest of Christ's flock. From the start then, we feel what neglect there is here by the mass of Christians; what darkness prevails for the lack of the light which the Word supplies; how much worldliness and failure we perceive – as weeds growing up – that mar and in the end ruin the believer's testimony for want of knowing ana following the holy precepts therein given ! As we enter this gateway, as before said, we are introduced to the gracious Giver of all good, the Author of the book. "God created" "made" "gave" and "said." (See also John 3:16.) As we enter this sacred enclosure, we feel truly it is not a newspaper, nor book of fiction that is before us, but the precious words of the Eternal. Who is sufficient for these things? human nature here is often heard to say. Yet at the same time we feel the warm clasp of a Father's hand, guiding His children through those fields of profit and blessing.

Oh what a privilege, beloved reader, to be in possession of such a book, such a revelation. May we know better this year than last to use our pick and shovel, our spade and hoe, and gather from its precious fulness as the man who diligently works every foot of ground around his dwelling, or as the miner that turns up the mountains and discovers the wealth beneath. (See Job 28:, J. N. D. translation.) "That is a path which no fowl knoweth and which the vulture's eye hath not seen." No! none but the busy miner knows these places and discovers this wealth. Let us beloved, be more diligent to use our time and remember every foot, every inch of that holy ground is ours (2 Tim. 3:16, 17; Josh. 1:3).

The historical lessons are there full of interest and profit from the examples set before us for instruction.
The typical lessons are so closely woven into the texture of these histories of old, that,-while the mind needs always to be curbed in this study, yet, having the guidance of the Holy Spirit, on the other hand to neglect this portion is to neglect one of the most fruitful and profitable parts of Holy Writ.

Then there are the prophetic lessons also, as the apostle terms it "a light that shineth in a dark place till the day dawn and the morning star arise " (2 Pet. 1:). All these things furnish the child of God and equip him for testimony and service.

Then the practical lessons are not to be forgotten, as we study the historical, typical, and prophetic in communion with God; and under the guiding of the Holy Spirit with the glory of Christ before us, we will welcome all that is practical and be sanctified by the Word; we will gather from those fields, fruit, and food to supply the table. Oh for more hearty diligence in this line of things! our hearts would be full of matter; our assemblies week after week would be supplied and the table laden with this food. Never would souls then turn away disappointed and unfed. The little assemblies all over the land would be as the humble home, with a well filled table, if we were in the field of reading, study, and meditation upon the precious word of God. "Much food is in the tillage of the poor." Beloved, my heart is stirred as I think of the neglect here, and would fain abide here, and exhort and expand further, but now must close this part. As we pass on from this field of God's word to the side opposite, we are encouraged, comforted, and strengthened, for there falls upon us as dew from heaven as we enjoy its pages and themes, bringing a divine benediction, – "the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ."

Christ and His glory is the theme of the whole Book. It is the written word of God; He the living word of God. His work is seen in creation and His glorious power manifested therein, but in the four Gospels we are brought face to face with Him in all the perfections of His humanity. Then, as we stand beside the cross, we view Him as the sin-bearer and at the sight we are lost in wonder, love and praise.

But, passing on, we soon discover an empty tomb, as well as a vacant cross; and now as the Man Christ Jesus rises, and the cloud receives Him, we behold the throne filled with His presence, and the heavens with His glory; and from that scene He sends down the Comforter to abide with and instruct His people, and conduct them through life's journey "till He come." The Book, the precious word of God, is our chart along the way. May we use it and feed upon it, as the prophets of old, until we see Him face to face.

We verily believe the carelessness and indifference in other parts of the Christian life are due to the neglect of the word of God, in prayerful dependence on the Holy Spirit. When the Word is diligently fed upon and enjoyed, it will awaken desires to impart to others. Such is the gracious spirit of Christianity, which takes its shape and pattern from God's great love in the gift of Christ " (John 3:16).

Let us now look over into that great field of need close by the assembly,-the world of living beings, hurrying on to eternity:and, beloved, as we look upon each one, weigh well the fact that each human being that we see and know has a soul which will spend eternity either among the redeemed in a scene of bliss, or among the damned forever. Let us think again seriously, and carry the fact to our quiet room, and, as we bend the knee in silent prayer, ask, " Lord, what will Thou have me to do," in respect to this great need around us ?

Some of our gatherings are dwindling down in numbers, and is there not a need for examination with care, and a search for the cause ? and may not this worm-neglect of earnest gospel zeal-be what is sapping the life, and hence leaving us without fruit in build up the gatherings. Eccl. 10:18, is a picture of many an assembly, once fair and beautiful, but now decay has set in. The assembly is dependent upon the field of service. Just as it is dependent upon the field of study for the building up and profit of all within as to ministry, so it is dependent upon the gospel for keeping from decay. As time passes on, some are taken home, and the [young soon become old, and who are to take their place ? Here is the need of constant gospel energy and zeal, and where this is lacking there is a loss for us now in the gatherings, and then loss in eternity.

May we find here '' much food in the tillage of the poor." True, we will need to work, and in this work there will be need, of self-denial; but again, as we note the joy of souls born into the family of God, delivered from the coming wrath and saved for the coming glory, even here the soul is well repaid for any outlay, any self-denial.

God's mind is surely that the assembly is the proper place, and only proper place, for such people as those born again. (See Song 1:8.) Any ministry that fails of this end, falls short, we are sure, of being like the apostle Paul's. The field here is large, and the need great and varied. Oh what need of a faithful united testimony among the people of God according to the Word, of earnest and hearty interest in the preaching of the gospel to the unsaved, of prayerful interest and sympathy with those wholly given up to such a service, and a generous use of the printed matter which is so accessible in our day.

The zeal of Adventists, Millennial-dawnists, Christian Scientists, and even Mormons, scattering their pernicious and soul destroying doctrines ought to stir us up to scatter the truth of God's word. If we are thus earnestly and heartily engaged in this, doing what we can according to our measure, we are sure God will honor His Word. He cannot deny Himself, and there will be "much food in the tillage of the poor,"-fruit in the salvation of souls and in the advancement of Christians. Thus the gatherings will be kept from decay, by the infusion of new blood, new material.

But on the other hand we are as assured of the truth of the other portion of the verse:'' there is that is destroyed (ruined) for lack of judgment. When there is not a prayerful godly united assembly, how
can we look for anything but a blighted testimony. When the hours are spent in criticism and gossip instead of prayer and conference as to the interests of Christ, how can we look for fruit in the gospel? When there is indifference as to preaching the gospel, distributing the gospel and truth furnished by the press to-day, how can we look for fruit ?

And again, when there is a neglect to care with pastoral hearts for the weak and young among us, and when over severity is manifested instead of love and gentleness caring for the weak and even erring, how can progress and development be expected in the assemblies? Ezek. 34:1-6 is a word we all need to weigh well, and ask ourselves how far we have had a hand in these things. In many places we are assured the testimony among the people of God has been destroyed for this lack of judgment. We are now near the end of the journey. While grace may linger a little longer, and we be left here, may we beloved reader, have grace to keep from the evils around us, and profit, and reap, and enjoy food, and feed others by the diligent toil in those two fields; the first, the study of the word of truth; the other, earnestly winning souls for God our Father and Christ our Lord, and for an eternity of bliss. A. E. B.

QUES. 7.-Please explain 2 Cor. 5:10, "That every one may receive the things done in the body." Has this any reference to our life before we were born again ?

ANS.-"The things done in the body" seems clearly to show that the entire life is contemplated, and not merely that part after conversion. In the government of God all must be answered for from the time when responsibility begins. Grace has blotted out all sins, past, present, and future, through the precious blood of Christ, but as this does not affect the appraisal of the life after conversion, neither would it that before. All will be manifested, that God may be glorified, and we receive the blessed lessons to be learned.

QUES. 8. What is the Lord's table ? Is it where any truly and with brokenness remember the Lord, or does it exist only where saints are gathered to the Lord's name according to His word ?

ANS.-The Lord's table is the opposite of the "table of devils " (see 1 Cor. 10:20, 21). Saints of God may be thoroughly unintelligent as to the scriptural ground of gathering, and be remiss, through that ignorance, in maintaining the Lord's honor at His table. But it would be dreadful to speak of their remembrance of Him, as being a " table of devils." We could not consistently be identified with what we know to be disobedience to His word, and so could not break bread with those going on in disobedience to the truths of Christ as to His Church; but let us not sin against God by calling their ignorance the "table of devils." Alas, individually, many may put to blush, by their devoted and adoring love, those far more intelligent.

On the other hand, we would shrink from applying the title "Lord's table," to the idolatrous service of the "mass" in the Church of Rome, or to the act of those holding fundamental error, such as denial of the atonement or any other foundation truth.

QUES. 9.-Will the " great multitude " mentioned in Rev. 7:9, be on earth or in heaven ?

ANS.-The entire chapter shows that the earth is in view, and not heaven. The Church has been taken up, and the martyred remnant is not yet seen. This is the multitude of Gentiles, who, with the spared remnant of the nation of Israel, are brought " through the great tribulation," into the millennial blessing of the earth. That they stand "before the throne and before the Lamb," has seemed to indicate that they are a heavenly company. But this language is the general usage of the book, and suggests that close intercourse between heaven and earth, to which, alas, earth is now a stranger. Then, "I will hear the heavens, and they shall hear the earth" (Hos. 2:21). This multitude has a place of priestly nearness and access to the earthly temple. The Church is seen above.

QUES. 10.-Please explain John 12:32, " I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto Me."

ANS.-The next verse shows, " This He said signifying what death He should die." He was "lifted up" (John 3:14) on the cross, rejected by earth, forsaken of God, and accursed for us, but drawing weary sinners to Himself.
QUES. 11.-What is the difference between "the Kingdom of heaven," and "the Kingdom of God"?

ANS.-The Kingdom of heaven is used in Matthew, and almost always means the kingdom or rule of the heavens over the earth, in a dispensational way. It may, and often does, include mere profession as in Matt. 13:"The kingdom of God" is used similarly in Luke, though it seems to refer in many cases more to the moral than the external. Thus it is used by the apostle in the Acts and Epistles.

QUES. 12.-If a man is scripturally separated from his wife, for no fault of his own, can he marry again ?

ANS.-The tie that bound them having been broken, it seems clear that the brother or sister would be free to marry in such a case. But on the other hand, one can understand and sympathize with the spirit which would go on in widowhood, walking softly and alone the remainder of the pilgrim journey. Let every one be fully persuaded in his own mind before God, and the conscience of the, saints and of the world be respected.

QUES. 13.-In the Lord's supper, should thanks be given only at the breaking of the bread, or at the cup also ?

ANS.-Our blessed Lord's example gives the answer. "And He took the cup, and when He had given thanks, He gave it to them" (Mark 14:23). We give thanks at the breaking of the bread, and " after the same manner " we give thanks at the cup. Both acts are distinct parts of the same feast, and it would maim it to omit the thanks at the cup.

The opposite error is for one brother to give thanks at the breaking of bread and another at the cup. This makes two separate acts, and is equally foreign to Scripture. It is one feast, and if one is led of the Spirit to give thanks at all, it should be both at the bread and the cup.

There is nothing in Scripture more beautiful I than the truth as to the Church of Christ. It is called "His body, the fulness of Him that filleth all in all." Our risen and glorified Lord is the Head, and all believers are united to Him by the Holy Spirit, and thus baptized into the One Body. This determines the dignity, permanence, and heavenly character of the Church. Let us never forget this holy and wondrous truth, nor let us ignore the responsibilities connected with it.

Our Lord has made ample provision for the "nourishing and cherishing " needed by His Church during His absence. "When He ascended up on high, He led captivity captive and gave gifts unto men." These gifts are as varied as the needs of the Church, and are included under the general heads of apostles, prophets , evangelists, pastors, and teachers. These three last would include the various activities which remain until the Lord's coming-the supernatural gifts of apostle and prophet being connected more particularly with the foundation, or still active through the "prophetic Scriptures" (Rom. 16:26, r. 5:)

The special gifts above referred to are for "the perfecting of the saints to the work of the ministry " (Eph. 4:12). That is, special gifts are for the preparation of all to the general exercise of a mutual ministry in which each one in the body of Christ has his share. " . . 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" (Eph. 4:15, 16).

There is nothing more contrary to God's truth than clericalism, nothing that quenches the Spirit of God more effectually. What is evidently contemplated in the scripture just quoted is a vital organism, where each one has a distinct function. It may be truly said there can be no testimony to Church truth which does not hold and exhibit this fact. Every member of the body receiving and giving; mutual edification in love ! How beautiful ! What a privilege to be connected with the feeblest testimony of this kind !

But it would be the greatest folly to ignore the special gifts which our Lord has bestowed through the Holy Spirit. To do so would be to introduce the principles of socialism into the Church. "Are all apostles ? are all prophets ? are all teachers ?" (i Cor. 12:29.) "Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, etc." (Rom. 12:6). It is the purpose of our present inquiry to ascertain the relation between the special gifts, as evangelist, pastor, and teacher, and the assembly as a whole, and with the local gathering as an expression of that assembly. We wish to learn the mutual responsibilities of assembly and gift, and of each to the Lord with regard to the other and themselves. It is an inquiry of great practical importance and not a mere theoretical question.

The source and authority for all ministry is our Lord in glory. He calls, and bestows the gifts, and to Him is the responsibility for their exercise. The Holy Spirit is the agent and power; all ministry is through Him alone. No man or men dare intrude between the Lord and His servant, between the Spirit .and those whom He uses "as He will." It is therefore true that the servant is responsible to His Lord, and to Him he stands or falls.

The usual thought of ordination is a contradiction of all this. Here a man, or body of men-it makes no difference which-undertakes to pass upon the call and fitness for service of those purposing to enter upon "the ministry."If they decide the person is qualified, he is ordained, set apart to the work, by his fellow-men. We say nothing of the intrusion into the priestly functions-the common portion of all the saints-but confine ourselves to this ordination to ministry. It was something even apostles did not do. No gift of ministry was ever hampered in this way. "As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God" (i Pet. 4:10).This is the simple and apostolic provision for their own and all time. But we are creatures of extremes. In the reaction from human ordination, the tendency is to ignore entirely those divine safeguards against merely human energy. Most certainly the opposite of ordination by man is not self-ordination. Were we compelled to choose between the two, we would undoubtedly prefer the choice of the many rather than the self-appointment of the one. But we can thank our blessed God that we are shut up neither to the one nor the other. The word of God makes a sufficient provision here as everywhere. A careful examination will show the provision.

In physics all action necessitates reaction; in the animal organism every organ that ministers must also receive nourishment. The heart, the wondrous organ of circulation, has a circulation which supplies it with that which renews its waste. So it is with the whole body-all activities are mutual and reciprocal. The equilibrium thus preserved is what we call health. Wherever there is failure sickness comes in.

Now the Spirit of God has used the natural body not merely as an illustration, but as a type of the spiritual body. The details of the twelfth chapter of i Corinthians and the fourth chapter of Ephesians forbid our thinking of the Body, the Church, as superficially and not really a living organism.

Let the reader carefully examine the passages referred to, particularly i Cor. 12:12-31. He will find here the unity of the Body, with diversity of members and of function. He will note too the interdependence of the various members, and the sovereign disposal by the Spirit of the members in the Body. Thus all are affected by the suffering or the health of any one member.

But it is not our purpose to dwell upon that which is well known by every one with even an elementary acquaintance with Church truth. We wish however to show how this means the closest vital connection between individual gifts and the entire Church. The evangelist is not merely an individual servant of Christ, but a fellow-member with all saints in the body of Christ. So with the pastor and teacher. These not merely give to, but receive from the Church all needed nourishment. All flows from the fountain head-Christ our Lord-but through every channel in the Body. Thus responsibility to the Head does not mean the overlooking of the will of the Head as expressed through the agency of other members.

Let our readers elaborate the truth barely hinted at. They will find that the "gifts" are just as dependent upon the other members of the Body, as these are upon the "gifts." They will find that it is just as true for the humblest member of the body of Christ that he is responsible to the Lord, as for the gift. In other words, to distinguish thus between gift and private member is the essence of the clerical system.

Nor let it be thought that this will in any way degrade the servant of Christ in the eyes of the saints. No official position can add to the honor of one who serves the Lord and His people, nor is that truly honor which belongs to him in contrast to the humblest believer. All who are Christ's are dear to Him, and honored by His people. We may and should value those specially useful to the edification of the body, but the esteem and honor will not differ in kind from that given "to one of the least." We recognize those who take the lead among us and admonish us, and "esteem them very highly in love for their work's sake," but this does not give them a "place." Their work will bring love and esteem, as will the work of every child of God, but it will not put them in a class as distinguished from the mass of the people of God. This is always adjusted where there is spirituality and subjection to the word of God.

The "gifted brother" is therefore simply a member of the Body of Christ, dependent upon and responsible to the Head, as is every other member of the Body. He will exercise his gift, just as every other member will exercise his, subject to the limitations and benefitting by the ministries provided by our Lord. It is for us then to see what these ministries and limitations are. His gift is larger, more prominent, and in a certain sense more useful than that of some quiet, humble saint, whose voice is never heard save in the priestly function of prayer or praise; but he takes his place simply as any other saint in the Body of Christ.

The local Assembly is but the local expression of the whole Church. If it be truly an assembly, it will possess the features that mark the entire Body. The chief of these are the recognition of the Headship and Lordship of Christ, the unity of the Body and of the Spirit, with all that goes with these:- subjection to the entire word of God, the maintenance of godly order and discipline, and the freedom for the Spirit of God to act unhampered by human restrictions. The local assembly will also acknowledge, on the principle of the unity of the Body, all other local assemblies gathered in the same way, each assembly being but one of many expressions of an absolute unity-which includes the entire Body of Christ.

Even in these days of ruin and confusion there is still the path for faith to walk in as to these truths, and a testimony to be maintained, feeble though it be, to these essential characteristics of all Church order. It may be called high-handed exclusivism to seek to maintain these truths practically among a little circle of those who in their souls bow to them, but that can safely be left to the Lord, who marks the path of obedience for His saints, and sees if their desire is to walk in it. But we must return to our theme.

The local assembly, then, is but one of a number of such gathered in various places throughout the
world, who are seeking to maintain a testimony as to the Church of God. The brethren of gift, may or may not, be confined to one such assembly; they may pass in their service from one to another of these companies, and reach out, as the Lord enables, to His beloved people everywhere.

From what has been said, it will be seen that there is no such thing as separate membership in the local assembly. All membership is in the Body of Christ; we can join nothing else than that to which we have been joined by the Holy Spirit (i Cor. 12:13). But it follows equally, that if one recognizes his place as a member of the Body of Christ, he will also see his place with those locally gathered to the Lord in any one place.

Thus the evangelist, pastor, or teacher, is like all the saints of God, a member of the Body of Christ, and, wherever he may be, is locally connected with the assembly at that place. He simply falls into his place as naturally as though he had long lived among these saints, and takes up in his measure whatever of service or responsibility the Lord may put into his hands as one of the assembly. He is also as subject to the discipline and order of the assembly in exactly the same way as any one else in it.

No doubt as to details there will need to be care as to undue activity in matters or with persons with whom he may not be familiar, and similarly the assembly will recognize that their acquaintance with the brother has been limited. But the general facts remain as stated, and it will be a great relief to see and act according to them.

We disabuse our minds entirely, then, of any thought of difference between " visiting" and "local"
brethren-save with the limitations intimated-and will again ask, What is the relation between the assembly and the individual gift ?

The assembly is the home of all the Spirit's activities. Every act of service has effect, and receives influence from the assembly. Gospel work, even if done outside, pastoral visitation, Sunday-school work and all else, is, or should be, done with the fullest fellowship of the assembly. So far from quenching the Spirit, this but furnishes fresh opportunities for Him to act through the various channels He has at His disposal. How much of cheer and brotherly counsel and practical fellowship does this suggest. No one stands alone to do his work as best he may, but is assured of loving fellowship in prayer, counsel, and all that may be needed.

We have a beautiful scriptural illustration of this in the first missionary journey of Paul and Barnabas from Antioch (Acts 13:) There was the normal, perhaps we may say more intense, work of the Spirit, among the gifted men and the assembly at Antioch. The Spirit of God made known His will for Barnabas and Saul, who are sent forth from the assembly, with fellowship, prayer and fasting. On their return they narrate God's work to the assembly, who unite in thanksgiving for the blessing.

So it should ever be. There are special features, what we might call " supernatural," yet the prayer and fasting, the ministering to the Lord, the asking and receiving His mind, the fellowship and prayer should mark the Spirit's work to-day as always. When we think of the vast fields of labor practically untouched, of the needs that cry aloud, of the fewness and feebleness of the laborers, do we not see the need for assemblies to come thus before the Lord in prayer and expectation for rich and lasting blessing ? Might we not expect to see one and another separated unto special service to "the regions beyond " ?

But we need to trace from the beginning this mutual relationship between the assembly and the "gift." We have already seen that all activities are exercised in fullest fellowship with the assembly. In fact, we would not be far wrong were we to say that the assembly will be the first to recognize the beginnings of a helpful ministry. A young brother shows a love for souls, an aptitude for speaking a word in season, or a grasp of divine truth and ability to state it plainly. His brethren see and rejoice in this perhaps before he is conscious of it himself.

Just here is where the divine provision of mutual helpfulness comes in. One may have his future usefulness marred by undue praise or blame, be puffed up or crushed. But if the assembly wisely meets its responsibilities, how such a gift may be nourished and developed by the Spirit under the faithful counsel and prayers of the saints.

The apostle warns against any of God's people engaging in work while still novices. The quiet of the assembly is the divine school till the young servant has gained experience, knowledge, and prudence, and where he profits by the encouragement and counsel and prayers of the saints. How much sorrow would saints be spared if this were always remembered. There is real danger in despising this time of training, and of having a restless spirit which would be "out in the work." Let us never forget that most of God's work is done by those who never go "out," that souls are saved, saints taught and cared for, and much other service done by quiet saints, who never dream of having "gift." It may be trying, but it will work "peaceable fruits of righteousness," for brethren to "bear the. yoke" in the assembly, and "first be proved " before attempting to give up work with hands to devote themselves exclusively to "prayer and the ministry of the word."

We would emphasize this matter, and seek to press upon assemblies their responsibility as to these things. If the Lord has called out "gifts," He has also provided assemblies to help, counsel, uphold in prayer these gifts in their service. How many a servant of Christ craves the fellowship and counsel of his brethren. How it cheers him to be assured of their prayers and loving interest. How he would profit by their advice, and, if needs be, correction. There need not be a spirit of criticism in this. In fact, criticism is far more apt to flourish where the responsibilities to which we have alluded are neglected. How often has a work of God been blighted by fault-finding, which would have been advanced by a few faithful words to the ministering brother. We do not enter into details, which will suggest themselves to most, but would affectionately point out the vital principles involved here.

Summing these up, we would point out that the scriptural and usual way for the manifestation of gift would be in the local assembly, which would encourage and help the brother by loving counsel and prayer, seeking to develop what was of God, and by wise counsel to correct any mistake to which those are liable who engage in the Lord's service.

The local assembly is at all times responsible for the walk, doctrine, and associations of the Lord's
servant. This responsibility may be, and ordinarily will be, met by loving and prayerful counsel and fellowship. Any error in teaching may be pointed out, and part truths supplemented, thus preventing him from becoming one sided in his ministry.

We are quite aware that this will seem to many impracticable and needless, a menace to freedom for the Lord's servant on the one hand, and a heavy yoke upon the assembly on the other. It will at once be admitted that there are dangers in both directions indicated, but is there not the greatest danger of all in ignoring or neglecting the grave responsibilities which must be apparent to all ?

We are persuaded that the Spirit of God already exercises both assemblies and the Lord's servants in these things, and we rejoice at every evidence of mutual care. But let it abound. Should not assemblies be much engaged in prayer that God would raise up, equip and maintain the needed gifts for His Church ? Should they not be looking for an answer to these prayers ? And may they not expect the answer to come in connection with fresh exercise as to the whole subject of the relation of the gift to the entire assembly ?
And for those who are engaged exclusively in the Lord's service, may we not have the deepest sympathy, the fullest fellowship and confidence, and the most ceaseless prayer and care. May our God lead us into His mind regarding these things.

V. THE TWO NATURES.

Often it happens that the young believer becomes distressed in spirit as he realizes the continued existence of sin in him, which at times will assert itself by thought, word and action, much to his sorrow. Such an one does not see fully that while he is "born again," and has thus received a new nature, yet the old nature is not remedied, removed, or eradicated, but two distinct natures exist in him as opposite as day and night, good and evil, in their desires and operations, and can be no more assimilated than oil and water.

A lack of apprehension of all this may, and often does, lead into what is called a " backslidden " state, causing distress of soul, sorrow to God's people, and dishonor to Him.

I. The natural man, 1:e., a person in his unconverted state, having only one nature, and that received from Adam by natural, fleshly descent.

"But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God:for they are foolishness unto him:neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned" (i Cor. 2:14).

"Because the carnal mind is enmity against God:for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be."

"So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God " (Rom. 8:7, 8).

This God states to be the condition of every person naturally, no matter how cultured, refined, talented, amiable, or liberal, they"cannot please God."

See also Psa. 51:5; Mark 7:21-23; Eph. 4:22; John 6:63; i Cor. 1:18; Heb. 11:6; John. 3:6.

2. The spiritual man, 1:e., a person such as above, but who has been born again; thus receiving a new nature from God in addition to the old Adamic nature, in all its unchangeableness ; just as bad in the believer as in the unbeliever.

"As many as received Him, to them gave He power (right or privilege) to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name; which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God" (John 1:12, 13).

"Whereby are given unto us, exceeding great and precious promises; that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature" (2 Pet. 2:4).

" Which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness " (Eph. 4:24).

See also John 3:3; Gal. 3:26; 2 Cor. 5:17; Gal. 2:20; Col. 3:3, 4; i John 3:9).

Thus these two extremes of nature, Adamic and of God, existing in the same person-a believer on the Lord Jesus Christ-there must be, and is constant conflict, as each asserts itself.

3. The fruits of each nature, and the conflict. '' For the flesh (Adamic nature) lusteth against the spirit (the divine nature), and the spirit against the flesh:and these are contrary the one to the other:so that ye cannot (or may not) do the things that ye would " (Gal. 5:17).

" Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these:adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulation, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, revelings, and such like" (Gal. 5:19-21).

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance" (Gal. 5:22, 23).

"But as then he that was born after the flesh, persecuted him that was born after the Spirit, even so is it now" (Gal. 4:29). See also Rom. 7:14-24.

It is very profitable and helpful to study carefully the conflict between the two in this last chapter.

4. Victory. With these two conflicting powers, one displeasing and the other pleasing to God, it is evident that as either one has control or sway, the life of the believer must be in approval or disapproval to God; so the apostle writes in 2 Cor. 5:9, that he endeavored to be "acceptable to Him," not accepted of Him in the sense of salvation which was "in the Beloved" (Eph. 1:6), and is therefore unvarying, but as to his life and service.

With the new birth God gives a mighty " Helper " in the Holy Ghost, who dwells in the believer imparting energy and overcoming power, so that the secret of victory is to "walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lusts of the flesh " (Gal 5:16).

It is to see the place and manner in which God has dealt with the "old man" and then to reckon or count ourselves dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God in Christ Jesus.

" Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth, for ye are dead and your life is hid with Christ in God. . . . Mortify (put practically to death) therefore your members," etc. (Col. 3:2, 3, 5.)

How God deals with the old man ?

"Knowing this that our old man is crucified with Christ, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin."

" Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof" (Rom. 6:6, 9, 11, 12).

"I am crucified with Christ" (Gal. 2:20).

"Therefore, brethren, we are debtors not to the flesh to live after the flesh . . . but if we through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body we shall live" (Rom. 8:12, 13).

So it is to realize our identification, in God's sight, with Christ,-that we have died, been buried, risen, seated in the heavenlies in Him, and that such is the end of the "old man" before Him, judged at the cross ; and thus walking, or living in the Spirit, is making practical here in our lives this exalted position in the energy of the Holy Spirit who bears witness through the word of God to these facts:-

"Ye are dead …ye then be risen with Christ " (Col. 3:3, i).

"Hath raised us up together and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ" (Eph. 2:6).

But while truly believing all this, the believer at times may yield to the flesh, and, alas, sin is the result. What then is to be done ?

God is His wonderful salvation has made provision for this.

" My little children these things write I unto you that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous" (i John 2:i).

Our blessed Lord did not exhaust His interest in His believing people on the cross, but His advocacy
now avails for those of them who may be overcome by sin. But does not the believer have something to do ? Ah, yes, the saint who has thus fallen into sin, by which his communion is interrupted, must be led to "see that it is an evil thing and bitter that thou hast forsaken the Lord thy God" (Jer. 2:19), and that it is no light matter to yield to that which his Father hates and which brings not only trouble to himself, but dishonor to our Lord, and will be led by the Holy Spirit in deep humiliation of soul to true self-judgment (i Cor. 11:31, 32), and to make confession of his sin.

But let it be clearly understood that this is not to be done in a mere formal manner;. it must be real heart work of sorrow, for sin is as hateful to our God in His children, as it is in the unbeliever, and surely it is not the normal condition of children of God to practice or allow sin any rule in their lives, but on the contrary it should be an exception.

The apostle Paul writes, "sin shall not have dominion over you" (Rom. 6:14).

Peter "went out and wept bitterly" (Matt. 26:75), and

John calls attention to the Advocacy of Christ. (i John 2:i).

David says, '' Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against Thee" (Psa. 119:n).

This latter, then, is the great preventive, as in the power of the Holy Ghost it takes practical effect in our lives, and as the word points to our Lord, the sure remedy is to be continually occupied with our Lord Jesus Christ. B. W. J.

It is now twenty-seven years since I began my college life, a life which stretched out through eight years of good, hard work, four at the classics and four at medicine. During the college period and after it, and again, especially in these latter years as a teacher, I have always been most profoundly interested as a student of human nature and of medicine, in trying to find out what ailed the world about me. Why is it, as I have grown older, that I have come to find out that there is so much misery and unhappiness in the world? Why is it that each successive generation of young men begin to run the life race that is set before them, full of vigor, of fine enthusiasm, and with a determination to accomplish great things, and then one by one, drop back into the same indifference, and the same routine as was done by those who preceded them, the fire and all the enthusiasm gone, content in the end to make a good living and to take good care of themselves.

I well recall my own class, as fine a lot of fellows as you could wish to see, shouting "'77 forever" daily in the assembly room until we were hoarse, and each one certain beyond a peradventure that with our advent into the affairs of the world, the golden era was about to dawn. We each knew individually that we ourselves were destined to do some great deed, and we each looked, too, with secret admiration upon his fellows, picturing in our minds the great future which lay before each one.

A quarter of a century has elapsed and what is the outcome? Untimely death has claimed not a few of the dear boys (boys ever in spite of the added years), and those of us who survive have entered upon life's duties, just as our fathers did before us; good, faithful work has been done, but we have failed to bring about those startling changes which we had fondly hoped would make "77 "renowned forever, and a sad little stone in the old college wall, commemorative of ivy day, and a blighted ivy plant below it seem emblematic of our shattered hopes. What is the reason of the failure? Or was it a failure, after all? Was it then impossible to realize those great aspirations which thrilled us as we entered life's arena? These are the questions to which I will briefly address myself in this short letter to the college men of a younger generation; and in my reply I shall have to adopt the personal individual standpoint.

I would say of my own life that I have both lost something and I have found something. I have lost that which I at first esteemed great, for I discovered as I went on that it was, after all, but a bubble, a glittering semblance of a jewel, evanescent and temporal. But wondrous to relate, I have found in its place something infinitely more precious, eternal, a possession which increases in value day by day, lending a reality and a value to life in all its relations far beyond all possible anticipation of my early years.

Let me look at my life a little more closely; what have I actually lost? I think the loss can be pretty well covered by one word which used to figure largely in our college debates and chapel speeches, a word which covered the one great qualification in a man, which marked him out for success, and that word is "ambition." I remember well setting success in life before me as the one great desideratum, and anxiously analyzing its essential elements, which seemed to resolve themselves into ability, ambition, opportunity, health, and adding various adjuvant qualities, such as judgment, memory, tact, etc. I found, by God's grace, as I went on, that this, after all, was but a selfish scheme of living which, even if I might attain my end, was possible only for a fortunate few; I saw, too, some who were just about to take their fill of the cup of ambition suddenly snatched away by an untimely death, while others with all the other qualifications, were restrained from grasping the prize by the hand of disease; others, again (worst mockery of all), who gained all the world could offer in the way of fame or of wealth, remained, after all, most miserable and dissatisfied with life.

My first aim was, therefore, manifestly a false one. What was I then to do? Conclude that life was naught but a mockery? I thank God that when I found the emptiness of the aims of the world, I also found that He was not so sparing of His best gifts as I had begun to imagine. When I discovered that life and self were failures, I then found in Him more than heart could desire. Having no longer any good thing of my own, and now content to be as one of the servants in His house, I found instead that He had a glorious robe of righteousness of His own providing, and He was willing to set the very beggars who trusted Him among the princes at the gate. The glorious grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, which God in His great mercy has offered, not to a forward intellectual few, but to all men everywhere, came as a blessed solace to one who found on all sides the vanity of setting the affections on the things of this world.

I would like to dwell on this noble theme, for I would that young men everywhere could only see that there is just one thing in the world that is worth making the object of our ambition, and that is to know, to love, and to serve God, and to know Him in the only way we can know anything about Him, through His Son, Jesus Christ. Christ's service is not a theory of life or a philosophy, but a life, a new principle, a new birth, a new creation. Behold, old things are passed away, and all things are made new. And this knowledge, which brings the peace the world knows nothing of, is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit, who calls out and leads God's people in their earthly pilgrimage.

The great effective instrument of the Holy Spirit by which these truths are authoritatively taught, is the inspired word of God, the old Bible, Satan is gaining great victories in these days by holding men back from a loving, searching study of the Bible. Without this study, Christians remain weak and spiritually in a condition analogous to the bodily condition of a man fed on insufficient food at long intervals; they are often found languishing in Doubting Castle, or like the poor Galatians, confessing a faith in Christ but struggling to eke out an existence by the works of the law. If a man desires above all things, to feed his spiritual man, he will not neglect to eat the daily bread of the Word any more than he neglects his ordinary meals. Who ever hears a man say he is too busy to eat at all? and yet many are too busy to read the Bible.

My own daily life, (if I may be excused for continuing the personal part of the narrative), is as full as that of any man I know, but I found long since that as I allowed the pressure of professional and worldly engagements to fill in every moment between rising and going to bed, the spirit would surely starve, so I made a rule which I have since stuck to in spite of many temptations, not to read or study anything but my Bible after the evening meal, and never to read any other book but the Bible on Sunday. I do not exclude real Bible helps, which always drive one back to the Bible, but I never spend time on simply devotional books. Since making this resolution, God, in His mercy, has shown me that this Word is an inexhaustible storehouse from which He dispenses rich stores of precious truths to His servants as He pleases, and as they are ready to receive them. I have found that faith in Jesus Christ is a wonderful foundation rock upon which stands a marvelous superstructure. I have found that the Holy Ghost is not an influence, but a real, living, active Person, whom Christians must know personally if they will grow in grace and knowledge.
I see wonderful truths relating to Christ in types and prophecies which I never dreamed of before, and "the blessed hope" has a new meaning. The messages of the epistles I once thought full of hyperbole, now glow with meaning. And so I might go on, and so doubtless God, in His great grace and goodness, will lead us all on through the ages of eternity, beholding new glories and new graces in His Son.

What more can I say to arrest the attention of young men ?

Once my interest was in things which will pass away, now I am an actual partaker of the divine nature of Him who made all these things. What are they compared to Him ? He is truth.

"And, Thou, Lord, in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the works of Thine hands:they shall perish; but Thou remainest; and they all shall wax old as doth a garment; and as a vesture shalt thou fold them up, and they shall be changed; but Thou art the same, and Thy years shall not fail." H. A. K.

7. NEARER THAN THE NEAREST. Chapter 4:Continued from page 136.

With the promptness and energy of a heart fully engaged, Boaz goes up to "the gate." This was the place of rule, where all matters were settled, all transfers made. It would correspond to the courts of to-day, where all legal transactions are consummated. In the matter upon which he was engaged, nothing was to be done "in a corner," but all was to have the full concurrence of those concerned, and be witnessed in the light of open day, by those judicially authorized to give their sanction.

The first person who appears is this "nearest kinsman, "whose claim must first be met, or whose right of redemption must first be set aside, before Boaz, no matter how willing he might be, could interpose as redeemer. It is significant that this person is not named. The nearest kinsman of Elimelech, and the natural redeemer of his inheritance, we have no clue to his name; and this of itself has significance when we look at the spiritual meaning.

Who then is this nameless person who has the first claim upon Israel, and the right to redeem the inheritance? Who or what is "nearest of kin" to Israel according to the flesh? We have under the simile of the marriage relationship, but the reverse of what is before us here, a scriptural hint that is suggestive. The two sons of Abraham, Ishmael and Isaac, were children respectively of Hagar, the bondmaid, and Sarah. We are told that these things are an allegory:"for these are the two covenants; the one from the mount Sinai, which gendereth to bondage, which is Hagar. For this Hagar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and answereth to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children " (Gal. 4:24, 25). It would seem clear from-this that, with slightly altered conditions, the nearest of kin would be this same "legal covenant." Just as Hagar first brought forth a child before Sarah,-"that is first which is natural, afterward that which is spiritual" -so the law was the first basis upon which Israel sought to bring forth fruit to God.

This is clearly seen from the history of the nation. They never nationally and consciously entered into God's thoughts of sovereign grace. They did not realize that He had taken them up to fulfil the promise made to Abraham-the promise made in purest grace. Some feeble glimpse they may have had of it, but when they had passed through the Red Sea, and had experienced nothing but grace and mercy at the hands of God, they were ready at Sinai to enter upon a legal covenant, without a thought of how it set aside the mercy and grace of God.

To be sure, they never tasted the bitterness of a purely legal covenant, for Moses broke the first tables of stone before he came into the camp, after the giving of the law and the idolatry of the golden calf. It was indeed mercy that he did so, for what would have been the judgment upon that guilty people, had God dealt with them upon the basis of pure law? Surely, as Jehovah said to Moses, "Let Me alone, that My wrath may wax hot against them, and that I may consume them." But as a matter of fact He spared them for the time being-a thing utterly impossible under pure law-and went on with them on a basis of mingled law and mercy. The second tables of stone were prepared and given to the people in connection with the revelation made to Moses of, "The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, long-suffering and abundant in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty" (Ex. 34:6, 7). Here is a mingling of mercy, with a final intimation of judgment on the guilty, which formed the basis of all further dealing with the nation.

They went through the wilderness on this covenant, entered the land and settled there on the basis of obedience to the Lord. Provision was made, for failure, by sacrifice; and yet all provisions failed just where most needed. There was no sacrifice for presumptuous sins, only for those of ignorance. There could therefore be no peace for the most guilty, and king David in his broken-hearted prayer (Ps. 51:), must turn from the sacrificial provision of the law to a mercy to which he held fast in spite of the law.

It was under this covenant that the nation divided, became mingled with the heathen, and were finally carried captive. This is dwelt upon to a great extent in the twentieth chapter of Ezekiel, where the Lord enlarges upon Israel's disregard of His covenant, their failure to hallow His Sabbaths which were the sign of the covenant, or to walk in His statutes. When Daniel made his confession of sin, for himself and the nation (Dan. 9:) it was in the light of that first covenant. So was it with Nehemiah after the return from captivity (Neh. 9:29). In the last chapter of the Old Testament (Mal. 4:4) the people were exhorted to "remember the law of Moses My servant which I commanded him in Horeb for all Israel, with the statutes and judgments."

Thus throughout their entire history there was a distinct covenant relationship recognized by God and the people. There was a provision made for forgiveness and recovery, oftentimes made in the most touching way. "Come now and let its reason together, saith the Lord:though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land:but if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the sword "(Is. 1:18, 19). "Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts:and let him return unto the Lord, and He will have mercy upon him and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon" (Is. 55:7). "If the wicked will turn from all his sins which he hath committed … he shall surely live, he shall not die. All his transgressions that he hath committed, they shall not be mentioned unto him:in his righteousness that he hath done he shall live" (Ezek. 18:21, 22).

These and many other scriptures show the close relation between Israel and the legal covenant. They have never had any other relation to God- save the secret one, on His part, of electing grace and promise. So when the remnant turns in repentance to Him in the latter days, this legal covenant will have, so to speak, the first right to put in its claim of kinship.

Returning now to our narrative, we find Boaz, figure of the risen Lord, calling in and offering to this kinsman the right of redemption. We have already noticed the provision of the law for raising up a deceased relative's family (Deut. 25:). We have now an allusion to another law of similar character, the redemption of a forfeited inheritance. The law will be found at length in the twenty-fifth chapter of Leviticus. In brief, it declared the divine right of "eminent domain." The land was God's, and could never be finally alienated from those to whom His grace had given it. All was to go free in the year of jubilee, or could be bought in by a near kinsman. The land of Israel is literally the Lord's, for His ancient people. In spite of all their sin and folly, it abides – strange fact in these days of universal ownership on man's part, of the earth – practically a land without a people, as though it were waiting for its rightful owners ; and such is without doubt the case. The land itself will yet be redeemed for Israel, and they will yet be put in full possession of that which they have forfeited by their sin and disobedience. But who will redeem it, and for whom will it be redeemed? These are the questions to be settled "in the gate."

( To be continued.) 222

QUES. 5.-Please explain Acts 22:16, " Arise and be baptized and wash away thy sins." Can anything but the blood of Jesus Christ wash away our sins?

ANS.-Nothing can really wash away sins-for eternity and before God-but the precious blood of Christ. But baptism is a figure of salvation through the death of Christ, and therefore the language of the verse can be used. Where there was real faith there was real forgiveness, otherwise there was the mere outward discipleship of which baptism was the badge. The fol-lowing correspondence on the subject of baptism is added as famishing further remarks upon this subject.

Your question as to " baptism " takes us into a large field, although if all were ready to accept the plain inferences of Scripture the task of explaining it would be an easy one. There are five aspects of baptism in a general sense, in their order-viz:Repentance (Matt. 3:) performed by John the Baptist; the Holy Ghost (Matt. 3:11; Acts 2:) ; Water (Mark 16:; Acts 2:; Rom. 6:; Eph. 4:etc); the cloud, and the sea (1 Cor. 10:), and that which related especially to the Lord (Luke 12:50). But as water-baptism is mainly before us, we will keep to that one point. Christian baptism was not instituted until after Christ had risen from the dead, when it became the official mode of entrance into the Kingdom. (See Acts 2:41.) Peter was the first one to use it together with the key of knowledge to the Jews, and in Acts 10:he uses it to the Gentiles. Now one reason why we find in the Acts of the apostles that every believer was called upon to be baptized was, because no one had hitherto been baptized in (or to) the Name of the Trinity or in (or to) the Name of Jesus; those who had been baptized prior to that had simply been baptized unto John's baptism of repentance, but in Ephesus they had not heard whether the Holy Ghost that had been promised, (see Matt, 3:) "had yet come," (Acts 19:2, Rev. Ver.).

What does baptism of the believer typify? Let the Word tell us:in Rom. 6:3, we learn that Christians are baptized unto Christ Jesus (J. N. D.) consequently unto His death. Therefore we are buried with Him by baptism unto His death, just as in the same figure we say that we died on the Cross, we rose again; or to simplify it, our going under the water refers to His death and burial and our identification with Him in it, just as the grave shut Him out from the world, for the last the world saw of Him, was when He was on the cross-so, as Christians when we became that, we were practically severed from the world-our old man, what we were in Adam was, in God's mind, also buried out of sight, so that what linked us to the world and the first Adam has been annulled. Baptism has absolutely nothing to do with the work of salvation, but is the confession of Christ's death as our own, just as His resurrection is the ground of our justification. (Rom. 4:25.) The bread and the wine surely did not save us but speak to us of a Saviour that did. If baptism were a saving ordinance, then men could save themselves just whenever they chose, surely a false impression. No! His work and His alone did that. (1 Pet. 2:24.) Baptism then is my confession to all, of my faith in Christ who died for my sins, and typifies my identification with Him in that death-just as I eat the bread and drink the wine to show His death. It is but a figure-Noah was saved by or through the water, 1:e. the water that was judgment to the world was what bore him away in safety in the Ark, so we-for the water of baptism typifies death, or rather is to me the grave of Christ. Christ passed through death and is risen. We pass through death in baptism, in figure, but it was the Ark that rode the waters of judgement and bare Noah in it. So now Christ having passed through death has atoned for our sins, and we also passing through it in spirit (surely not literally) leave all our sins there (in death) just as Christ really did for us-as another has said, "We pass through death in spirit, and in figure by baptism."Trusting that this may make the subject a little clearer to you,

Your affect, bro., F. J. E.

QUES. 6.-What has been the employment of our Lord since "He was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God" (Mk. xvi, 19). Is He still seated there?

ANS.-"Whom the heaven must receive until the time of restitution of all things " (Acts 3:21). " Sit on My right hand, until I make Thine enemies Thy footstool" (Heb. 1:13). "He ever liveth to make intercession for them" (Heb. 7. 25). These and similar scriptures show that our Lord will remain upon the throne till His enemies are put under Him, till He sets up His Kingdom. During this time He is engaged in the blessed and needful work of intercession for His people, and fulfilling His work as Head of His Church.

This needs to be put before the people of God, I and their attention called to it. It is strange, but we are always looking for a sort of perfection in our fellow believers. The word of God while providing for a life of faithfulness shows us the failures of the most illustrious saints, and reminds us that "in many things we all offend ;" and yet we are so surprised and disappointed when failure comes. It would save us all a great deal of disappointment if we would not expect so much from our brethren, if we were prepared for things to turn out very differently from what we expected and from what we think is the right way. We need to remember that our way may not be God's way, that whatever the failure on man's part or on His people's part, He cannot fail.

Too often we are so much taken up with the failures of others that we forget the faithfulness of our
God. We think so much of what is being done down here, that our hearts and eyes get off from what He is up there. Our God never fails, never changes. His word and truth are always the same. We can turn away from all here below and should do so often, and fix our eyes on the things up there where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. The Man in the glory should so fill our eyes and fix our hearts that the things of earth, failure and sin, would not move us as they often do. We would then have the priestly power of intercession, and perhaps be used in restoring one who had been " overtaken in a fault."

It makes a great difference whether we are in communion with the Lord about the failures of fellow Christians. To dwell on them apart from communion with Him is great loss to the soul. Many are thereby ensnared and their peace destroyed, their usefulness hindered or ruined entirely. Satan likes nothing better than to get saints to thinking of the failures of others, occupied with them so as to forget the power, grace, and love of God. From this comes much of that backbiting, gossip and whispering which so often grieve the Holy Spirit of God. J. W. N.

(Continued from page 96.)

There are about twenty-five parables in the Gospels, as well as numerous parabolic sayings beside, although different numbers may be obtained according to the place where we put the dividing line. They are largely drawn from the various occupations of the people of that day, and cover most of them.

It has been said that the parable of the sower was given to draw the farming class, that of the merchant seeking goodly pearls, the traders, and that of the net let down, the fisher folk; and although perhaps there is room to differ as to the specific application, yet the principle is a beautiful one and serves as another of those side lights which illumine the Lord's life with their radiance. The apostle speaks somewhere of becoming all things to all men, and this our Lord was for the very blessed reason that in a certain sense, we may say, men were all things to Him. He had a wonderful and touching sympathy with toiling humanity around, entering into their daily duties in a manner that is very precious, and ready always to address the heart thereby. So there is scarcely an occupation in life from which His parables are not drawn. There are about eleven of these and though to the Christian they are, of course, familiar, it may be profitable to take a sort of bird's eye-view.

They dealt with high life and low life. We hear of the rich man's son running away and spending his all, and of the poor woman with her ten pieces of silver, of the shepherd tending his flock. We see
the merchant entering on a large venture, or the fisher gaining a precarious living in the great Deep. Then again we sit in the palace of the king in high festival, or wander with the sower at noon tide. We go with the traveler to Jericho and see the thieves strip him of all that he has, or we visit the courts of the city, where high handed injustice for long resists the cry of importunity.

But not merely is the world of man a field of illustration, but a number of the facts of animate and inanimate creation are summoned to bear their testimony. "Consider the lilies of the field how they grow," and remember that not one of the sparrows falls to the ground without your Father. Ye read the signs of the sky, and why not the signs of the times? The reader can think of other fields which are covered.

But now let us remember that no one can imitate save in a very imperfect way, our blessed Lord, and yet if our heart grow more into that Divine compassion that filled Him, we too shall be able to find in sea and sky, in life and death, avenues to the consciences of our fellow-men, and all things shall subserve the work of our ministry. Some like anecdotal preaching, (which in a certain way answers to the parabolic), and some a more purely didactic discourse, but in the parables and in the sermon on the mount we have parallels of each, and we know that His ways are divine. And more or less we can grow to be like Him in this. One man is anecdotal because he has a healthy sympathy with the pulsating human life around, and another is perceptual and doctrinal as entering warmly into God's ways and laws in Holy Writ. Both are needed and each may gain of the other as each learns more of the heart for everything that moved Him.

When we come to consider the didactic and perceptual part, we will be surprised to find how much it is illumined by metaphor and simile. There are about two dozen metaphors and similes in the so-called sermon on the mount, and much of the same is scattered through the Gospels. To examine into the examples of these and consider their beauty would be rather beyond the purport of this paper, and yet some are so beautiful we fain would pause and consider them.

"Ye are the salt of the earth," says the Lord. Salt is known for its preservative qualities. It prevents rot and decay. And so Christians are those who "having escaped the corruption that is in the world " are God's witnesses in it. But evidently the primary application is to the usefulness, the preciousness of salt-its savor, which is such that, where absent, men have risked their lives to procure it. It is as if He had said, Ye are the choice ones of this earth; but then if you lose that which makes you this, you are like savorless salt, good only to be cast away. Salt too is that which turns the fertile place into a desert. O brethren, have we so much salt in us that this world has indeed become a wilderness to us? "Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set upon a hill cannot be hid." By day its gilded domes glitter in the rays of the sun, and by night its lights shine out, a beacon to the wanderer and the weary. Christian, do you too shine in the full day of prosperity and in the dark time of tribulation?

But this use of metaphor and simile by Jesus points clearly to the amount of lesson there is in the
world around, which we might use to draw our fellow-men, and by which we might admonish our own heart. In preaching as in teaching let us remember how our great Teacher pointed his remarks by metaphor and simile.

Throughout our Lord's teaching there is also a large use of what is called antithesis or contrast. Thus in the very portion with which we are dealing, the sayings of those of old time are brought into vivid juxtaposition with His own blessed precepts.

What the disciples should do is contrasted with what the hypocrite actually does. We have the contrast of the two roads, one broad and leading to destruction, and the other narrow and traversed by few, but ending in life. Finally, a vision of two houses is presented to view, one standing on the unstable sand and swept away by the rush of the flood, and the other grounded on the rock, presenting an immovable front to all the torrent of the tempest.

What a mass of contrast there is even in this short sermon, and when you come to examine the rest of the Gospel, you will be surprised to see how often these vivid contrasts confront one another. There is at least one powerful use of what we may call suggested contrast; when He asks the bystanders, "What went ye out into the wilderness for to see? A reed shaken with the wind? A man in soft raiment? In king's palaces?" One can imagine the people crying out:"No, no indeed, that certainly John was not." But, O reader, how much those contrasts weighed upon His loving heart. Do they weigh upon yours? The light and joy of Heaven? The blackness and doom of hell? The purity of Divine holiness? The loathsomeness of sin? How many lights and shadows are falling on the shores of time, and how miserable our thought of the things around if we fail to see them?

But do not let us close this portion of our meditation with the mere remembrance of the facts just brought to our notice; let us ponder very often the reason for their use on the part of our Lord, and let us seek to be drawn closer to Him by it. Was it to attract or move His hearers that He used metaphor, simile, and antithesis? It was; but consider that He also saw that in them which was worthy of use, and let us seek to see these parallels, these strange antitheses in Nature and in life. One philosopher has been so impressed by these likenesses that he has built up a theory of the universe, in which each atom or "monad," in addition to that which gives it its own individuality, has contained within it all the qualities of the monads beneath it.

Another thing to be observed is the frequency of the use of the specific for the general, the concrete for the abstract. Thus although we have the so-called Golden Rule given as a general principle of action, yet before it is enunciated there is much specific example of the same. For instance, we are told not to turn away from him that would borrow of us, and when smitten on the one cheek to turn the other, etc. So hell is never spoken of in a general way as a place of torment, but as a place of darkness, symbolic of its hopelessness, or as a place of fire, typical of the burning of the wrath of God, or as a place where the worm dieth not, portraying the pangs of conscience. Instead of saying, If there be something about you that causes you to do wrong, get rid of it, He declares:" If thy right hand cause thee to offend,"etc. General principles alone are too broad to probe, the keen edge of the particular must be used.

This brings us face to face with a question that is certainly worth a close examination. Does our Lord, and do the apostles in preaching, speak usually of men being sinners, or of their being committers of specific sins? Certainly they are punished for the fact that they have committed specific sins. They must give an account of the deeds done in the body. Then again, men are perfectly ready to acknowledge that they are sinners, but scarcely, that they are liars, or selfish, or of violent and cruel temper. In conformity with this, I think that examination will reveal that the Lord and the apostles too, more often charge men with the specific sin than with being sinners in a general way.

Compare His terrific arraignment of the Pharisees and His interview with the woman at the well. Take in fact, almost any of His charges and I think this truth will be made manifest. Then if we pass to the discourses of the apostles, Peter charges the people with the crucifixion of Jesus; Paul, in preaching to the Athenians, asserts that superstition is one of their prominent crimes; and even when we go to the epistles, although they do not so much deal with the individual as with doctrine, yet how largely are such charges as, "All have sinned and come short of the glory of God," followed by long catalogues of detail. Even when he comes to speak of a nation, and through Timothy to them, he says, "The Cretans are liars." Is there not too much generality in the preaching of many, and should not this proposition be examined in the light of God's Word?

As to the use of the concrete for the abstract, we merely adduce the following instances, which may be supplemented at will. "I came not to send peace on the earth but a sword." "If he ask for a fish will he give him a serpent?"' This usage however is not so extensive as that of the general for the specific.

The next subject which we have to consider is our Lord's use of "object lessons." Perhaps the most familiar example of it, and one that will occur to every mind, is the taking of the young child and placing it in the midst, and saying:"Except ye be converted and become as this little child, ye shall in no wise enter into the Kingdom of heaven." What a beautiful scene it was :the group of grown up men that had once barred the way of the children into His presence, and the little creature before them. How they must have been ashamed of their proud thoughts and felt the power of the rebuke. But how much more vividly it must have been brought to their minds, to see the little one there. To take another instance. We all remember how He asked for the coin upon which was the image and superscription of Caesar, and pointing them out, demanded whose they were and said:"Render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and unto God the things that are God's."

If metaphor and simile and object lesson be used by our Lord, if He thus summon analogy to bear Him witness, He also avails Himself of citation of authorities. This seems so obvious and plain to any reader of the Scripture that it will perhaps not be considered necessary to notice it, but there are some lessons that may be drawn which if duly considered ought to be of profit. Is it not wonderful that He should have so often cited those who held a station so much beneath Him? We say that He came to glorify His Father and His Father's word, and all that is very true. We say that it was Scripture that He quoted. Now there is truth in that remark and yet it is one of those half truths that often blind us to what is beyond them. For instance, when David went into the house of God and ate the show bread, it was scarcely scriptural to do so, although the fact itself is found in Scripture. The Lord, of course, knew that what David then did was right or he would not have cited him, but still it is the citation of David's action and in support of His own, and Scripture itself does not lend authority to the action of David. This is a wonderfully gracious thing on the part of the Lord to do. Are we always ready to cite one whom we know to be beneath us in knowledge, just because he is trusted by those to whom we speak? It is a part of true humility at any rate. But we have something further to learn. Is it not a justification of what learned men call "the argumentum ad hominem"? Is it not as much as to say, "You make your boast in David, and although a greater than David is here, yet I will take you on the ground on which you place yourselves, and so doing find justification for what I Myself have done?"

Just to touch for a moment on a subject which might better have had an earlier place in this paper, and then to pass to the Lord in conflict with those who oppose themselves. It is another of those trite remarks which when stated in all their nakedness seem so obvious as to be taken for granted, and which, for that very reason so often are passed over. The Lord said the right thing at the right time. Now a man may give a perfectly correct answer, and yet that answer may be far from the correct thing to say. This is paradoxical and yet true. When He spoke the parable of the sower going out to sow, He was seated in a boat overlooking the green fields that swept away in their verdure from the shore of Galilee. It is even quite possible that one of those sowers may have been in sight as He spoke, and the mustard-tree have waved in the fresh breeze from the lake, as He passed on to speak of the smallness of its seed. Again, the hiding of the leaven in the meal, although spoken from the same place may easily have been suggested by some domestic scene within view. No doubt too the house into which He entered, and where He talked, with His disciples about the net let down and the merchant seeking goodly pearls, was in the near neighborhood of the scene in which they had just been, as well as in consonance with the trade of those to whom He was speaking. Some of the other parables are a little hard to judge of because the place in which they were spoken is not clear, but I think that you will notice that very largely what I have been trying to bring out, has exemplification in those incidents in which locality is more prominent. There is in all these facts, much that goes to show the perfection of that Manhood which, while never in harmony with that which was evil, seemed always, in so far as was fit, to adapt itself to the environment in which it moved.

Passing now to our last topic, how often does He meet objection by a question, either in reality, to which he expects an answer, or else in interrogatory form. "Whose is the image and superscription?" "Can the children of the bride chamber mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them?" "Whether is easier to say:Thy sins be forgiven thee, or to say, Arise and walk?" "If Satan cast out Satan, how then shall his kingdom stand?" In this latter instance He had first of all made the direct assertion that a house divided against itself could not stand, and the interrogation is a formal one. There are so many of these questions asked by our Lord and they are so familiar to the reader of the Bible, that there will be no need of further citation, but I want to pause a moment and consider the wisdom of this style.

When people are compelled to confute their own reasoning, the confutation is much more thorough, greater attention to the answer being necessarily given, and furthermore, where an answer is vouchsafed, the position of the objector is more clearly seen and there is no possibility of his falling back on some unacknowledged point after the whole argument is over, and of thus breaking its force. He stands self-convicted before all. Then too he is necessarily more open to the argument because he has already granted points, which if he had seen their bearing, he might have absolutely refused to grant. He answers truly, with unbiased mind and must necessarily, even if he afterward withdraw his concession, see that there is at least a very large amount of probability on the side of his opponent. Here then is wisdom; but how often this wisdom is adorned by a touching grace. The interrogatory method in itself is a less dogmatic, self-assertive method. Of course, the person that uses it may be the most dogmatic of all persons and may use it purely because of its advantages, but with Him, who was meek and lowly in heart, how well it consorted. I think that at times when He saw that some poor man was bolstering himself with the pride of his knowledge, and answered in this questioning way, a sort of shame must have fallen on that falsely proud heart, and inward reverence and worship must have arisen as he beheld the meekness of that mighty Miracle Worker. Surely we can pray to Him as we close:

" O teach us more of Thy blest ways
Thou holy Lamb of God!
And fix and root us in Thy grace,
As those redeemed by blood."

F. C. G.

O Mary, all thy sins forgiven,
Thy place beside the Master's feet,
So holy, if divinely sweet,
Had taught thy chastened soul its need-
Thou knewest thy dear Lord must bleed,
His spotless bosom bruised and riven !

Not thee rebellious pity stirred,
But deeper grief to hear His word
That told His hour of passion nigh-
That He, the Lord of life, must die
And rise again !The sorrow fell
In crushing, unresisted spell
On thy submissive heart that heard-
Thy broken heart that knew too well
Its vileness and its utter need
To dare to reason or to plead
To stay Him from the agony !

Thou knewest in thy feeble measure
That Glory veiled in manhood's dress,-
Knew He was God, heaven's priceless Treasure
Revealed in human loveliness;
Yet knew that curse and death must be,
His person crushed in penalty
And all that glorious preciousness
Atoningly outpoured for sin,
Ere even such a One as He
Thy worthless wretchedness could win
Or save one sinner righteously !

Perhaps thou knewest Jesus dying,
His God and Father glorifying,
Would fill with fragrance perfectly
(As there made sin and made a curse)
The whole created universe
For time and for eternity

At least thy faith set forth the token-
As by the Father gently taught
Thine alabaster box was brought
And by thy hands of love was broken,
To pour the spikenard, pure and sweet,
On Sorrow's head and Love's worn feet !
Thine alabaster casket white
Was like His stainless Flesh, the vase,
The temple of Eternal Light, '
Of Godhead-fulness, Love and Grace !
Broken by loving hands, 'twas like
The Father's Son resigned to spike
And cross-His being crushed-His breath
By wrath consumed for sin in death!

And even as it was the spilling
Upon His sacred Person there
That spread the grateful sweetness, filling
The house with incense-perfumed air;
So His atoning sacrifice
Unveils all beauty to our eyes
While love-outpoured in sweet libation
Upon His agony and shame-
Makes odorous the whole creation
With incense of His fragrant Name!

F. A.

IV. ASSURANCE.

One great cause of failure in many Christians as to their walk and conduct, is the lack of assurance, or confidence as to their eternal salvation. Some seem to be carrying a mirror constantly before them, in which they vainly seek for the reflection of themselves as an evidence of their acceptance with God. Others are searching their hearts, in the endeavor to discover some inward change or emotion to rest upon for their acceptance before God, and as all views of self, whether the sinner's self, or the believer's self, are discouraging, Satan takes advantage of such, and strives to draw them away into deep sin, or failing in this, causes great disquietude and unrest of soul.

Now the word of God gives no "uncertain sound" upon this subject.

In Rom. 1:16 it says, "The gospel of Christ "is "the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth," and i Cor. 1:18 speaks of the great division which "the preaching of the cross" makes between "them that perish" and "us who are saved;" and in ver. 21 it may be clearly seen that, by preaching the gospel, God declares His purpose "to save them that believe." Heb. 5:9 shows that Christ "became the Author of eternal salvation," so that any one believing the gospel in accordance with Rom. 10:9, 10, must be eternally saved. See also I Cor. 15:2; Tit. 3:5; 2 Cor. 6:2.

This salvation includes complete Redemption,(Eph. 1:7; Col. 1:14; Tit. 2:14; i Pet. 1:18, etc.);

Forgiveness, (Col. 2:13; Acts 13:38; i Jno.11, 12);

Justification, (pronounced clear of any charge) (Rom. 4:25 ; 5:9 ; Eph. 5:27; Acts 13:39);

Acceptance, (Eph. 1:6).

Here is where the trouble lies, souls do not see that one's acceptance with God is "in the Beloved," not in one's self or changed manner of life, or self-denial, or emotions of sense, whether good or otherwise, but in Christ, in the value of all that He is to God. It is an act of God Himself, not through any evidence in our senses, but the plain, clear proclamation of God based upon His value of Christ's atonement, and this declared to us through the Word. "Forever, O Lord, Thy word is settled in heaven" (Ps. 119:89), "whatsoever God doeth it shall be forever" (Eccl. 3:14), so that the believer is proclaimed forever accepted with God in the full value of Christ, by the word of God. Thus the same basis of knowledge of one's sinnership is also the foundation of the knowledge of the believer's acceptance. It is this which gives settled peace and rest of soul (Col. 1:20; Rom. 5:i).

Should this meet the eye of any believer who has a doubt in his soul as to full acceptance with God, look away from self, no matter how marvelous a change may have taken place in your life; look away from your ever changing emotions, your resolutions, self-denials, and see Christ, in His unfailing preciousness to the Father as the One in whom your acceptance lies, and rejoice in Him and be at peace.

Eternal life, (Jno. 3:16; 5:24; Rom. 6:23; i Jno. 5:13, etc.).
The Holy Spirit, (Gal. 4:6; Eph. 1:12, 13; 4:30; Jno. 14:16).

Access to God, (Eph. 2:13, 18; Heb. 10:19).

Fitness for Heaven, (Col. 1:12; Rev. 1:5, 6; 5:9).

Such are some of the blessings obtained for us by the Lord Jesus Christ; for God "hath blessed us
with all spiritual blessing sin heavenly places in Christ" (Eph. 1:3), and assured to us by His Word.
Thus let every doubting, trembling believer be encouraged to believe the record that God gives us of His Son, and looking away from self, know " that ye have eternal life." B. W. J.

"By the grace of God I am what I am:and His grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain" (i Cor. 15:10).

Once, a lost and helpless sinner, Rom. 3:23.
At the cross of Christ I stood, John 3:14,15.
Saw the Son of God there dying, Mark 15:39.
Sealing pardon in His blood; Isaiah 55:7
And, by grace, on Him believing, Eph. 2:8.
As the "Lamb," who bore away John 1:29.
all my sins "in His own body," 1 Pet. 2:24.
I was saved that very day. 2 Cor. 6:2.
.
Refrain:

Saved by grace, to God be glory ! Eph. 1:6.
I would sing it o'er and o'er- Col. 3:6.
Gladly sing redemption's story- Eph. 1:7.
Saved by grace for evermore. Heb. 7:25

I had often heard the gospel, Heb. 4:4.
And, as often, failed to see 2 Cor. 4:4.
That the Son of God, in dying i John 4:14.
For lost sinners, died for me. i Tim. 1:15.
But my rebel heart to Calvary Rom. 5:10.
By the grace of God was led, Titus, 2:2:
There to find that, for my ransom, i Tim. 2:6.
Jesus' precious blood was shed. i Pet. 1:18, 19.

Now I love to tell to others Psalm 40:3.
How, a fellow-sinner, I Gal. 3:22.
Found a loving God had given John 3:16.
His own son for us to die ! Rom. 5:8.
Found that Jesus, once for sinners, Heb. 9:26.
Was "made sin " upon the tree, 2 Cor. 5:21.
And from judgment all believing John 5:24.
Are for evermore made free. Rom. 8:1:

G. K.

We thank our brother for his notice of what indeed seems a more correct view then what is given in the passage referred to. He is probably correct in his view, which is the usual one. This does not invalidate the force of what was deduced from the passage, simply applying the same thought to her being sufficed before she could give to another. ED.

Dear Brother-

In perusing the article on " Ruth " contained in January Help and Food, I found a little difficulty in reconciling a statement therein, with what had appeared to me as a correct rendering of the portion in point. On pages ten and eleven it says-

" After she had beaten out the barley-a grain itself suggestive of poverty and feebleness-she returns to her mother-in-law, and shows her little store, sharing it with her. It will be noticed that she first satisfies her own hunger, before giving to Naomi," etc. Now the difficulty I had was just here, as I had previously understood that what Ruth shared with her mother-in-law was what she had left over of the parched corn given to her by Boaz. That, in fact, the passage would read somewhat in this form-

17-"So she gleaned in the field until even, and beat out that she had gleaned :and it was about an ephah of barley.

18-"And she took it up, and went into the city; and her mother-in-law saw what she had gleaned and she brought forth, and gave her (Naomi) what she had reserved (of the parched corn) after she was sufficed (at the house, or at the table of Boaz). It seemed to me that Naomi saw what had been gleaned, that being so, Ruth need not have "brought it (the barley) forth, the results of the gleaning had been seen. It was in all probability understood to be common property. Then Ruth "brought forth" what she had reserved after she was supplied. It was at the table of Boaz she had been sufficed, and had some over. Then again, it would appear to me somewhat out of harmony with the affectionate relationship existing between Naomi and Ruth, to understand it so, to the effect that, Ruth should first cook a meal of the barley, then eat, and that to sufficiency, before giving any of it to Naomi, for this is what it would amount to, and would be very different to Boaz's treatment towards herself. H. G. M.

6.THE KINSMAN-REDEEMER.

Continued from page 15. Chapter 3:

Ruth’s diligence in gleaning has not only supplied the wants of herself and her mother-in-law, but has evidently awakened in Naomi the slumbering hopes which had apparently been dead. The knowledge of Scripture becomes her guide, and as faith has increased, so it will now make use of that which, though well known, before, had seemed to be of no special value. How true this is in every case. How Scripture seems to lie dormant in the mind of the child of God away from Him, and yet when once faith and desire are quickened, the neglected Word is found to be bright indeed with its provisions exactly suited to the needs.

There was a merciful provision in the law (Deut. 25:5-10) that no man's family should be allowed to die out, while a brother survived to perpetuate the line. In Israel, to be childless was a reproach, and for a man's name to be blotted out-his family to become extinct-was regarded as a special mark of God's displeasure. The Sadducees, in our Lord's day, might seek to ridicule the truth of resurrection by bringing in this merciful provision, but they only showed their ignorance of "the Scriptures and the power of God." It was provision for the earthly not the future life, that God had made. Most appropriate was it, therefore, that He should see that names should not be blotted out in Israel, save to mark, as in Achan, His solemn judgment of an awful sin. There seems, too, to be a recognition in His provision of that hope in the heart of every Hebrew woman, that through her in some way the promise of "the woman's seed " might be fulfilled. This was to be done literally in the line which was to be preserved through Ruth.

Naomi is the leader here. It is her knowledge both of the kinship of Boaz and the law of Deuteronomy which guides Ruth in the most trying of all her experiences. " Shall I not seek rest for thee ?" Ruth had been gleaning food, but it had been through constant toil, and but for present needs. She was now to have rest, all her needs met, her labor over. What a change in the state of Naomi, from her unbelief at the beginning, when she would have turned Ruth back to find rest in the heathen home of some Moabitish husband. Would she not now be ashamed of such unbelief, and shudder at the thought of her own folly, which might have resulted so disastrously both for herself and her daughter-in-law ? Yet unbelief in the nation checked any turning that it saw in the people to our Lord when He was here, and did not rest till there was no hope-as they thought -of a national acceptance of Jesus as the Messiah. So too in the days of national return to the land, the spirit of unbelief will turn the newly formed hopes of the nation, to seeking rest in some union not of God. False prophets and false Christs will claim, and receive, recognition from many-the man of sin will draw off the most into alliance with "the beast." But faith and the word of God will seek rest for the widowed remnant only with One who is a Kinsman, with a divinely given right to redeem the inheritance and perpetuate the name of those whose hopes had long since died.

In the history, too, of every soul, there comes a yearning for something more than the merest satisfaction of pressing hunger. Every gift from the hand of such a Giver makes us long, not merely for more gifts, but for the rest which can only be found in Himself. It is a blessed fact that the Person of Christ is the necessary goal toward which the Spirit of God ever leads. Nothing short of the Lord Himself will do:" Our souls were made for Thyself, and can never rest save in Thee."

It is this longing after the Person of our blessed Lord which gives the peculiar charm to the Song of Solomon. The affections are the same in all dispensations, and anything that describes the longing of the heart after Christ meets a response in every Spirit-taught heart. From the beginning of the Song throughout, there is a good measure of acquaintance with the Lord, and a conscious though not clearly defined sense of relationship with Him. In Ruth this is not so clear. She is rather seeking an acknowledgment of relationship, which she is not sure will be recognized. But the resemblance between the two books can be seen. We must, however, return to the narrative.

Harvest time is now over, and threshing and winnowing have succeeded. All work will soon be over, and Naomi recognizes that if anything is to be done, it must be immediately. The plan is a simple and bold one; Ruth is to prepare herself, and on that night, at the threshing-floor present herself to Boaz, claiming kinship and pleading the divine provision for cases such as hers.

It was a bold stroke, and would either succeed or ignominiously fail. She would either leave the threshing-floor recognized by Boaz as the proper and honored object of his affection, or, spurned from his feet, be forever after branded as a bold and shameless woman. All hung in the balance; how would it be decided ?

Is it not significant, when we pass from the narrative to its spiritual application, that this trial was to be made at the threshing-time and at night? It is in connection with "the great tribulation,"-literally the great threshing-time,-when the remnant will put forth their claim to the Kinsman, whom yet they so dimly recognize. This is the testing time for the nation, when, through the trials of persecution, the wheat will be separated from the chaff of mere profession. When all goes well, it is easy to profess, but " when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word," the stony-ground hearers are manifested. Thus the time of threshing is the suited time for faith to be manifested as truly that, and for all else to fall away.

The figure of threshing is found quite frequently in the prophets, and nearly always as applied to the nations (See Isa. 21:10 with Jer. 51:33; Is. 41:15; Mi. 4:13; Hab. 3:12). Israel herself will one day thresh the nations, but before that time she herself must pass through the purifying chastening, which will result in the chaff being driven away, and the pure grain alone remaining. It is during this separating time of suffering and trial that the remnant will in faith lay claim to Him who is Lord of the threshing.

Is it not also suggestive that the site of the temple was the threshing-floor of Oman, and that it was at the time of God's chastening the people that He revealed Himself to David, and thus established the basis for His dwelling-place ? David offered sacrifices, and the place where sacrifice and chastening had met was to be the lasting abode of a holy and faithful God. So at the last will the Lord reveal Himself to His people, and re-establish His sure house to all generations.

Ruth is now to lay aside the garments of her widowhood, washing and anointing herself, and thus to present herself as a bride to Boaz. So too the remnant will lay aside their hopelessness, and washed by the Spirit and the Word, will array themselves in a beauty not their own, claiming in faith Him whose mercy they have tasted. They will have learned of Him who gives "beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness." They will have heard the voice calling to them, " Awake, awake; put on thy strength, O Zion; put on thy beautiful garments, O Jerusalem the holy city . . . Shake thyself from the dust; arise and sit down, O Jerusalem:loose thyself from the bands of thy neck, O captive daughter of Zion."

Carrying out the directions of Naomi, she is recognized by Boaz at midnight, the darkest hour, and makes her bold claim. Instead, however, of being repulsed, she is blessed by Boaz, who declares it is kindness on her part, greater even than she had shown to her mother-in-law at the beginning. She is reassured, he promises to do all, and affirms that which slander might have denied :"All the city of my people doth know that thou art a virtuous woman."

So will the King, reassure the trembling remnant who draw near to Him in the dark midnight hour of trial and persecution. The joy of His own heart in their faith will be greater far than their own. " He will rejoice over thee with joy; He will rest in His love, He will joy over thee with singing." Who indeed can measure that joy, save He who wept over Jerusalem ? Who can know the delight of seeing then turn to Him, save the One who was rejected by His people ? " As the bridegroom rejoiceth over the bride, so shall thy God rejoice over thee."

All this part of the narrative is so entirely typical of Israel's relations to our Lord, that we can only in a secondary way apply it to the history of the individual in the present dispensation. Yet, as we have seen, the affections are the same in all dispensations, and faith nourished will develop in strength and intensity. It is most blessed to know that God has provided infinitely beyond our highest thoughts and strongest faith. So that we have not to obtain, as did Ruth, a place of the nearest and closest relationship, but to apprehend that which is already ours- the gift of grace.

But in the soul's experience, there is much that answers to this progress which we have been tracing. We come as poor outcasts, gleaning bits of blessing with faint heart,

"Not worthy, Lord, to gather up the crumbs,
With trembling hands, that from Thy table fall,
A weary, heavy-laden sinner comes
To plead Thy promise and obey Thy call.

Such is the language, not surely of intelligent faith, but of the soul as it dimly sees mercy even for it. But grace leads on, as we have seen, encouraging and strengthening, until at last the soul, entering into the marvel of divine love, lays hold upon the wondrous secret of Christ's heart-" we are members of His body". . . . "Christ loved the Church, and gave Himself for it …. that He might present it to Himself." We see Him not only as Saviour, Lord, Shepherd, but find our rest upon His bosom the beloved of His heart, forming with all the redeemed of this age the Bride who shall be His companion throughout the endless day of God. "That in the ages to come, He might show the exceeding riches of His grace."

Not at once does the soul grasp this wondrous relationship; alas at best how feebly do we respond to His love. But if the soul follow on under the leading of the Spirit of God, it will surely find its place at the feet of Him who is indeed " a near Kinsman," "not ashamed to call us brethren."

Ruth returns to Naomi with the distinct promise of Boaz, to do all that her heart desired, should there be no obstacle. That possible obstacle is, as we shall presently see, a nearer kinsman. But, even during the suspense of waiting to know the outcome, she receives from Boaz ample provision for all needs.

What a contrast are the six measures poured into her veil, to the ephah of barley gathered by painful gleaning. He would not allow her to go empty to her mother-in-law, and this in itself was a pledge of more bounty to come, yea of himself lord of it all. Thus Joseph feasted his brethren and sent them back with full loads before the union with his family was consummated. And thus the Lord in grace provides for those who yet do not know the fulness of blessing that is theirs.

Naomi meets her returning daughter-in-law, not with her previous question " where hast thou gleaned to-day?" but " Who art thou my daughter?" It was not a question of benefit, but of relationship. It was not "What hast thou," but "Who art thou." For the bride is called by the name of the bridegroom. "One shall say, I am the Lord's; and another shall call himself by the name of Jacob; and another shall subscribe with his hand unto the Lord, and surname himself by the name of Israel." Fitting words are these to describe the changed relationships of one but lately called Ruth the Moabitess.

But, as we have seen, there must still be a brief delay. Brief indeed it is, for, as Naomi declares, "The man will not be in rest until he have finished the thing this day." Ruth can well afford to "sit still" and wait, for all is now in the hands of Boaz himself.

What a glimpse these words give of the tireless love of our Lord both for His Church and for Israel. He did not rest till He had accomplished redemption, and now His love will not rest till all is consummated. What force this gives to those words "the patience of Christ." How He longs to have His people with himself.

"Thy love had not its rest Were Thy redeemed not with Thee fully blest."

He waits now, He longs and looks for the time appointed. How is it with us? Can we say "Lord tarry not but come."?

(To be continued.) 157

(A Meditation on Mark 1:, 2:, 3:) (Continued from page 86.)

We were seeing the patient service of our Lord, and will trace Him further in His lowly mission. Levi (Matthew), hears a word behind him "follow Me," and he rises up and follows Jesus. Matthew knew the Shepherd's voice and beheld in Him the grace that came to save the lost. This man makes the Lord a feast, and invites a number of publicans and sinners to meet Him and hear His word. This was a double feast, a feast for the Son of God while a Servant among men; a feast such as these scribes and Pharisees had never afforded the Shepherd-Servant. A true love feast this was, and then a feast that widened out and thought of men just like what he had been, whom he desired to see, taste and share the grace of a Saviour-God. What a treat Matthew must have afforded Jesus that day! publicans and sinners heard that day the wonderful words of life. How beautiful to see this grace, the Son of God sitting among publicans and sinners. This heavenly life of Jesus unfolds itself in those chapters like the rose of Sharon, and as it unfolds itself, at its every stage it emits its sweet fragrance of love and grace. But for those, as we have first noticed, who had feelings of envy because He was advancing as a teacher and then because that envy was not judged, we read they "reasoned." Now we observe their character also unfolding itself side by side with His. He the very perfection of good; in them the principle of evil.

At this stage they speak out (not as in vers. 6, 7, in their hearts) but not yet directly to the Lord. They move cautiously and drawing near, ask the disciples, "How is it that he eateth and drinketh with publicans and sinners?" (ver. 16). These words are proof of how far their hearts were away from the God of Israel, and also of the wickedness that lay therein, in thus seeking occasion against the Lord of life and glory as He went about doing good. The Lord when He heard it takes up the question Himself and gives the answer, in lowly grace making it the occasion to present to them the very glory and joy of His mission.

"I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance" (ver. 17). Such was Matthew, and such were those whom Matthew had invited there that day, and hence the whole work was according to God's plans. The grace of Christ was expressed among that company.

At this feast, the Lord was enjoying another feast, "meat to eat they knew not of." What a contrast between those two lives! He delighting to meet the need of the needy; they opposed to such grace flowing out. By this time we observe the Pharisees have joined the scribes. (In ver. 6, we read of the scribes, in ver. 16, the scribes and Pharisees.)

At this juncture we observe another question asked. Till the end of chap. 3:the contrast develops, and becomes more manifest. But this question was not to the disciples, but to the Lord. If Matt. 9:14 be consulted, we observe the questioners here were John's disciples. Yet even in them we learn how far all were from understanding Him who was in their midst. "Why do the disciples of John and of the Pharisees fast, but Thy disciples fast not?" The previous question was addressed to the disciples and concerning the conduct of the Lord; this question is addressed to the Lord, but concerning the conduct of the disciples.

The Lord's presence among them was truly giving character to their lives and others could see the change. Observe the contrast, and the answer which the Lord gave them truly and fully explains this. "Can the children of the bride-chamber fast, while the bridegroom is with them? "

What grace is expressed in this answer. Not only do we observe the grace and patience in answering such questions and waiting on them for a response, but we would pause and meditate upon the grace expressed in the words of the answer. The Son of God was present among men, His own voice was heard following that of His forerunner John. This voice sought to reach men and draw them to Himself. Men were refusing, but the few fishermen respond. The publican does also. The sinners hear His words, and oh the blessedness, we exclaim, for those whose hearts God had touched. For there was the Messiah long looked for by Israel. There was that great Prophet. There was the Son of God, there the Bridegroom and there the grace waiting to reach them and bless. Would they respond? The Lord saw they would not. His rejection by them becomes clear to Him, and this He now intimates. " But the days will come when the bridegroom shall be taken away." The condition of the leaders was as old bottles which could not contain the new wine. This precious ministry of love and grace the Lord had already begun to unfold, and although the Bridegroom is absent now, yet the Spirit is here and the work still continues among sinners of the Gentiles.

But we will proceed another step and observe another objection to what was transpiring:"Why do they on the Sabbath day that which is not lawful?" He had taught in the synagogue and they refused His teaching. He healed and forgave, and they find fault. He gathered publicans and sinners around Him to tell them of the grace that would save, and they question about it. Now as the disciples walk through the cornfields, we might say despised and rejected as associated with their Lord and Master, their conduct is questioned. The Lord again answers, and every answer only develops the grace of His heart, as well as the truth of His ways. At this time He refers to David's course when the nation had refused him. In this typical history they might have seen the parallel. They were careful about the sabbath, the shadow, and to this they clung; but the One the sabbath pointed to ("the body which is of Christ") they had no heart for. They were jealous of Him, the Lord of the Sabbath. What a contrast we here behold in those two bands – Christ and those following Him, and the scribes and Pharisees.

But we observe none of those things move Him nor deter Him from His holy purpose to bless, if they curse. "And He entered again into the synagogue, and there was a man there which had a withered hand, and they watched him " (chap. 3:1,2).

"They watch Him,"not to admire and adore Him for the love and grace there expressed, but to detect something "that they might accuse Him." This is the very character also of Satan as given in Rev. 12:"The accuser of the brethren," and by this we see how much they were under his power and unholy influence.

Let us also pause here and learn the contrast as developed in that lovely life of Jesus, a contrast still pursued by Him in the courts above; for there He acts as Priest and Advocate; there He prays and intercedes with God for His own redeemed by blood- His own blood. But He never " accuses." This is the enemy's work as seen in Satan and in the scribes and Pharisees. It is recorded as one of the unholy characteristics of the last days prevalent among professing Christians (2 Tim. 3:3).

Let us be warned ourselves by these scriptures, and "watch," not that we might detect defects and flaws and "accuse," but watch against that unholy work of the flesh and judge the spirit of it, and cultivate the lovely graces of the Holy Spirit. Let us look upon others, not with the cold, heartless suspicion that characterized those who opposed the Lord. Eventually this very spirit of criticism and accusation, largely the development of envy, was that which said, "Away with Him, Crucify Him." Let us cultivate what the divine word enjoins upon us. "Whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report:if there be any virtue, if there be any praise, think on these things" (Phil. 4:8, 9).

This life so beautiful and lovely, when developed as the Holy Spirit here unfolds it, was a life foreign to that of scribes and Pharisees, but it was most fully and perfectly expressed by the very One they accused. As often since, the evil, the wrong is with the accusers, not the accused. Let us then be warned by this example and choose the side true and lovely, that of Christ.

But, to proceed. He healed the man with the withered hand, a fit emblem, had they but known it, of their whole condition, a lifeless withered up profession. Grace was there even for them, but another purpose was theirs. They no doubt felt their weakness, and so we are informed; "The Pharisees went forth and took counsel with the Herodians against Him how they might destroy Him " (ver. 6). First we saw but scribes, then the Pharisees, now the Herodians. Things which have begun, develop very fast; He came to give life, they would take His away; He came to save and bless, they to condemn and destroy.

But we note also the grace of Christ, "Jesus withdrew with His disciples to the sea" (ver. 7), foreshadowing what would soon be true in reality, His final withdrawal from them, and the grace that would flow out to the Gentiles. Great multitudes now follow Him, and even already some of those Gentile. The Lord ever perfect as a Servant discerns the great need and retires to the mount. There He selects the twelve. The need and press was great, "So that they could not so much as eat bread." What a life was that of Jesus here below, full of love that desired to serve others, unselfish and self-denying and that side by side with a life as seen in others, full of malice, hatred, selfishness and self-indulgence. May we here again pause and meditate the contrast, and copy that life so true and unselfish. The very perfection of servants was He, given us here as an example. Well might we pause and admire as well as worship and adore as we behold Him in dependance "the solitary place" in prayer, our example. In His grace at its every stage, our example. Unwilling also to be hindered in His service by the popularity, unswervingly devoted to His Father's interests, and not seeking self-glory; in this our example. The diligence, the faithfulness and self-denial, "They could not so much as eat bread," our example was He and they with Him at this time. (At this stage His friends cannot understand Him, but the Father did) (ver. 21).

But we will follow on one step further and behold another stage, the seventh of the contrast and the close of our meditation. "The scribes which came down from Jerusalem said, He hath Beelzebub, and by the prince of the devils casteth He out devils " (ver. 22). By this we learn how far away their hearts are from the God of Israel, how far their hearts differed from that of the Lord before them, and how opposed were their words and ways to the work of the Holy Spirit there working in such a wonderful way. Their cup of iniquity was full. Their life and ways but manifest the heart they bear about, and now the Lord answers them (not plainly as before) by parables. There was little use reasoning; little use waiting longer. The more grace is shown the more do they take advantage of it to accuse and gainsay. They had heard Him preach, teach, and seen Him heal, and this every part of it as a man, their Messiah, anointed by the Holy Ghost. Yet they say that all was by " Beelzebub."

At this stage we behold righteousness. They are given up; they are set aside by the just judgment of God (vers. 28, 30). They commence with envy, when Jesus comes to the front and is honored of God in His ministry of grace, and in these three chapters their wickedness develops in all the stages of their opposition and accusations until now we behold violence there, and murder is before them, which terminates eventually in the Cross. Man's life here has been before us in the religious leaders of that day, not only proven to be a failure, but tested in every way and proven to be evil. But the life of Jesus in all His ways, in every answer, in all His words- how beautiful and lovely, worthy of our admiration and imitation.

At the close (chap. 3:) He turns from them; all links with Israel (man as in flesh tried, tested, and proven bad) are broken. We observe the grace that rises over every barrier and the word, "Whosoever" appears. Next He goes to the seaside (typical of where He works now, among us Gentiles) and there as Mark describes by parables, He has labored ever since (chap. 4:).

True He has been crucified, but now risen and glorified at God's right hand. This is the testimony of chap. 16:at its close. His servants who began then and have continued since "went forth and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them." He still abides the Servant, He still labors with those sent forth. He still, blessed be His glorious Name, maintains a hearty interest in the gospel. Let us cultivate hearty fellowship with Him in this service, which will continue "till He come." Then He will still be the Servant, He will serve us, His people, His redeemed (Luke 12:35-37), and this service will be as the Hebrew servant,-reckoned for thirty shekels of silver-a service that will abide forever. "He shall serve him forever" (Ex. 21:1-6, 32). May the choice of our hearts be Himself, not in doctrine and theory only, but in deed and in truth. A. E. B.

Of course, the Christian grows. Jesus Himself grew as a human being, in wisdom and stature and in favor with God and man. It is a great law of the natural and spiritual kingdoms. First the blade, then the ear, then the full corn in the ear. In first John, you find repeated mention of little children, young men and fathers, 1:e., different grades and stages of Christian life. "Desire the sincere milk (or spiritual milk, Rev. Ver.) of the Word that ye may grow thereby (i Pet. 2:-2; i Cor. 3:1-6; Heb. 5:12, 13). A man may have been a Christian for years and yet be only a little, puny babe in Christ.

It is a most blessed privilege that we may depend on our gracious God and Saviour to direct our paths and supply our needs.

The old man or our old man which is spoken of as crucified with Christ I understand to be the man. I, myself, as I was born, a descendant of fallen Adam, an individual reproduction, a living specimen of the old stock, with a selfish perverted will, a darkened mind, unholy affections, corrupt tastes-dead in trespasses and sins; as such a man I had a perverted, diseased, degenerate nature.

I, that old man, died, was crucified (Rom. 6:6) with Christ; I live no more, Christ liveth in me, a new self substituted in place of the old I. Now although the old I is dead and gone before God and for faith, yet the old nature is left behind, is here with its evil tendencies and desires. It wants to do this and does not want to do that. It is ready to flare up and get hot, or get cold and indifferent, to stuff itself with anything that tastes good, and to gratify or indulge any desire or appetite that is excited for the time being. But the new man is a human being of a Christly, Divine order. Christ in you, with a nature that is marked by love, joy, peace; that is gentle, patient, etc. One nature is fleshly, the other is spiritual. One wants to do just as it pleases, the other just as the Lord pleases.

These are contrary the one to the other, and if left to fight it out between themselves the old nature will get the upper hand.

But God by His Spirit, through the Word, teaches us that "our old man has been crucified with Christ." That Christ "died unto sin once," and rose again and "liveth unto God," and that we, who are His, are to reckon ourselves to be dead to sin by His death and alive to God with His life, by reason of the fact that we are in Him now by new birth as we were once in Adam by the first birth. And we are not to let the sin (to which we died in Christ our substitute) have dominion over us, but yield ourselves unto God as alive from the dead, and let Him have control of us and rule us by His own almighty loving Spirit.

Not only that but being dead to sin, and dead to law (by the body of Christ), we are married to another, even to Him that was raised from the dead, joined to the Lord (by the one Spirit by whom we are baptized into one body) and are now one spirit (Rom. 7:1-6; i Cor. 12:12, 13). Depending on our adorable Lord and Head, occupied with Him, we bring forth fruit unto God. And thus though sin the old slave master is present, yet his authority and power over us are gone. We know the truth (the truth of Christ as our precious Redeemer, Deliverer, Emancipator. We know Him as the truth, and the way, and the life) and the truth has made as free. Hallelujah.

III.–SONSHIP.

One of the most frequent expressions which one hears now in public, is "brother," and while it is true that God was creator of man, and consequently all men in that sense are equally His creatures, yet if such a word is used to express " the universal Fatherhood of God," Scripture very clearly shows the untruthfulness of such a theory, which at present has become quite common in "religious circles." Of course, such a thought ignores the fall of man, denies the atonement of Christ as a necessity, and does away with the need of being "born again." But "to the law and to the testimony:if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them" (Isa. 8:20).

I. Our position naturally.

"Wherein in times past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:"

"Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others" (Eph. 2:2, 3). " Because the carnal mind is enmity against God:for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be."

"So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God" (Rom. 8:7, 8). And our blessed Lord Jesus said to the Pharisees, "Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do." . . .
(John 8:44), and this latter is spoken too by that blessed One who was to undertake the work which . was to free from the bondage of Satan and bring all believing on Him into the place of sonship before God. It is said of Him that " He knew what was in man," (John 2:25) and no one was more tender and compassionate than He, and none more frank in all His words and manner, and yet dealing in complete justice as to sin. See also Eph. 2:12; James 4:4, etc.

2. How Sonship is obtained.

It might be well to recall the fact that "sons" in Scripture, refers to dignity of position, while "child " or "children" refers to relationship of the believer with the Father. Jacob in his parting blessing to his sons, calls, " Reuben thou art my firstborn . . . the excellency of dignity " (Gen. 49:3).

It is also noteworthy that while "sons " are found in Paul's Epistles, believers are always called "children " in John's Epistles, which have reference to the family relationship. Faith must precede filial relationship to God:"As many as received Him, to them gave He the power (right or privilege) to become the sons (children) of God, even to them that believe on His Name:which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God " (John 1:12, 13).

It is to be observed all this honor is conferred by actual spiritual birth which takes place when any poor, guilty, condemned sinner, receives by faith, not by feeling, the Lord Jesus Christ as his own personal Saviour.

The expression:-
"Not of blood," means not by lineage.

"Nor of the will of the flesh," not anything flesh
can do, or any improvement in it. " Nor of the will of man," not anything man can do, no resolves, such as " I am going to be a Christian, and live a good life." "But of God" means it is a work of God in the soul, the moment a poor guilty, lost sinner, conscious of his condition, believes on the Lord Jesus Christ, as made known in the gospel (i Pet. 1:23-25; 2 Pet. 1:4; Eph. 2:10.)

3.When obtained.

"Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God:therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew Him not."

"Beloved, now are we the sons of God." . . . (i John 3:. i, 2).

Much of the truth of Scripture is missed by passing over the small words in the verses, which often give special force to the expressions; as for instance, the little word "so" in John 3:16, "as," and "so" in Heb. 9:27, 28, etc, and the word "now" in the verse quoted above. See also Phil. 2:15; Gal. 4:7; John 1:12; Eph. 2:19, 20; Rom. 8:14; 2 Cor. 6:14-18. These with many other verses, show this to be a present blessing, the portion of believers now, in this world (Gal. 3:26).

No wonder the apostle seems struck with wonder, as the Holy Ghost speaking by him, calls attention to the "manner of love" 1:e., the character of God's love. Oh wondrous blessing, marvelous grace; that God who is "of purer eyes than to behold evil" (Hab. 1:13), would and does confer this precious honor upon any and every poor sinner, who with repentant heart turns in faith to our Lord Jesus Christ.

4.Present blessing, and future glory.

"And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father."

"Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son ; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ" (Gal. 4:6, 7; Rom. 8:14, 15). Beloved Christian reader, do you really believe these things, that they are yours, aye, for the very weakest, youngest, babe in Christ, not merely to be possessed by some old saints who have endured a long life of conflict, but they are the free gift of God to the youngest in the faith? and all by sovereign grace-think of the dignity, the wealth, the cause, as the words "a son," "heir of God," "through Christ" come prominently out in the verse.

And think of the future,

"Father, I will that they also, whom Thou hast given Me, be with Me, where I am, that they may behold My glory" . . . (John 17:24), "and it doth not yet appear what we shall be:but we know that when He shall appear we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as He is" (i John 3:2).

"For our conversation (citizenship) is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour the Lord Jesus Christ; who shall change our vile (humiliated) body, that it may be fashioned like unto His glorious body" etc. (Phil. 3:20, 21).

For the manifestation of this the dead in Christ wait (i Thess. 4:14-18). Creation waits with groaning (Rom. 8:19-22). Space does not admit of more extended research into these gracious blessings, which if the Lord please may come before us later, for "eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love Him" (i Cor. 2:9, 10). O believer, how rich and honored thou art of God thy Father. How responsible too to walk worthy of the dignities conferred. B. W. J.

Whenever a truth is ignored and neglected, the enemy will pervert it, and introducing error into it, will make it the basis of some evil doctrine. No doctrine that appeals to professing Christendom can afford to throw off the mask of scripturalness, if it claims to be Christian at all. All heresy contains a measure of truth, which acts as the bait upon the hook to attract the unwary. It will also usually be found that the truth so used is that which from general neglect has become unfamiliar to most.

This association with error renders the truth itself obnoxious to those loyal in heart, so that they are confirmed in their neglect, not realizing that neglect has made the evil use of scripture possible.

In this way the precious truth as to our Lord's corning, and the general outline of the events of the last days, had been for long years neglected by the Church. We might almost say that since the days of the apostles, they had been ignored save in a most general and vague way. As a consequence the enemy linked these truths with the wicked, extravagant or absurd blasphemies of some system of error. In this way Irvingism, Seventh-Day Adventism, Mor-monism and various schools of Restorationism and Annihilationism have obtained the ear of the uninstructed conscience, by making use, in greater or less degrees of accuracy, of the neglected truth of prophecy. Thus prophetic truth became identified in the minds of most with these errors, and this in turn has served to render it all the more neglected. On the other hand the enemy has intruded his poison into the minds of many by the cunning admixture of truth.

We can never afford to ignore truth, any part of it. Were a single book of Scripture ignored, generally and persistently, we might expect Satan to draw from that book some doctrine and cunningly mingle it with deadly error. What an argument we have in this, if there were no other reasons, for constantly and systematically reading and studying every portion of the word of God.

What has been said of the truth of the Lord's coming, applies with equal force to the subject now before us. Rome has always claimed the power, through her saints, to heal the sick, and the false systems already mentioned, with scarce an exception, claim a similar power. It is, on the other hand, a well-known fact that evangelical Christendom has almost entirely shrunk from looking at the subject at all. Wherever there has been reaction from this, the teachings of Scripture on the subject have been distorted or placed in undue prominence, or given wrong connections. Thus "Faith Healing "in its varied forms, has become a doctrine of such prominence as well-nigh to eclipse the truths with which it has been associated, if nothing worse; while such awful blasphemies as that of "Christian Science" have found an acceptance among the many, which shows the need of a clear understanding of what the word of God has to say upon this subject.

We may truly say that nothing is more common in this world than sickness. What a comment this is upon its condition and relation to Him who, when it came all fair from His hands as the habitation of man, pronounced it "very good." Every sickness is a premonition of death, and is but the echo of that solemn word to fallen Adam, "Dust thou art, and unto dust shall thou return." Sin has come in, and death by sin, and the universal sway of death is witnessed by the universal prevalence of sickness.

How infinitely pathetic it is!-all humanity groaning under suffering or in sympathy with it ! Think of the anguish of mothers over their little ones, whose entrance into this world was at the risk of their own lives, and who sicken and linger and die at the very threshold of life. Think of the blight that sooner or later falls upon every home-the support taken, or the tender loving mother, or the pride and hope of the family removed in the fresh vigor of young manhood or womanhood. Sickness is but the precursor of all this, even when there is recovery for the time. We need not be surprised then at the efforts to restore the suffering. It is a witness of that natural affection which lingers in fallen man, a relief to the all-prevailing selfishness of the race.

And can we think that God is indifferent, the only indifferent One, to all this suffering? Of course, we reply, No. But is there not a real danger of our shutting Him out, in our thoughts, from the sick room ? Are not the thoughts of most, even of most Christians, that God is good, merciful and pitiful, but that we must let things take their course, do the best we can, and hope and pray ?

Far be it from us to say a single word against most of that. But the fact is that God is looked upon as at a distance by most of His own, and it is considered presumption to bring Him too near. As a result little comfort is obtained, save of a most general character. Thus there is failure to see the hand of God in the sickness. It is regarded as "providential," but not by many as a distinct voice to sufferer and to all concerned.

We should recognize His special presence and attention in sickness. All comes through Him, and if a father who calls to his son expects to be answered, so does our Father when He calls to us in sickness. Oh, that the saints of God realized this more fully ! We have to do with Him; sickness is His appeal to us, and our first care should be to say from our hearts, "Speak, Lord, for Thy servant heareth."

If God has spoken, He has said something. It would be wanton cruelty, if He had afflicted us without a definite purpose. We dare not harbor such a thought for a moment. Let us not then act as if we had such a thought. Of whom do most of us think first in sickness, of God or the physician ? Far be the thought to despise any human means to relieve suffering, but God must be first. Asa sought to the physician rather than to the Lord, and he was not cured. How much restless anxiety would be spared if we immediately turned to God, and submitted the entire trouble to Him. We would be none the less faithful in the use of means, but the heart would have found its rest with God at the very outset.

And what needful and holy lessons He would be teaching us. Many of these are necessarily personal, but there are certain general features that we may point out.

Perhaps one of the first lessons to be remembered in sickness is that we are part of God's creation, and subject to the governmental consequences of the fall. None are exempt from this. It brings home to us in an unmistakable way the reality of disobedience. It bridges, as we might say, the distance between Eden and ourselves, and we hear God saying to us what He said to Adam. It is a holy and profitable lesson to bow under His mighty hand as one of His creatures. Our salvation has not affected that, and while His grace has put us into a new place, our bodies are still in the groaning creation, and we wait for their redemption.

We will thus be reminded of our frailty, our dependence. How prone we are to forget that! Man's breath is in his nostrils, and yet he exalts himself and does and plans as if he were his own master. God lays His hand upon him, and what is he ? a poor feeble vessel of clay. His boasted strength is gone, and, helpless as an infant, he must fall into the Arms of everlasting strength. The child of God cannot because of that expect to be immune from sickness. He must, as to his body, take his place with all mankind. This will keep him humble. He will not presume upon grace, as though it granted an immunity to nature in a place where sin is inherent in that nature.

And what wholesome exercise, of heart-searching, prayer and patience will result from thus being with God about our sickness. We will "hear the rod and Him who hath appointed it." Faith will be called into exercise, and the purpose of the affliction will be understood. We have been speaking of some of the general lessons common to all. Without doubt there will be many a lesson known only to the soul and to God. Even in the most blameless life outwardly, there is much that the holy eye of Love has seen which it cannot pass by. Devotion that has seemed well-nigh complete, has had the stain of spiritual pride. Conduct that has seemed most loving, has concealed the feeling of envy. Duties have been neglected, spiritual sloth fostered, opportunities have not been availed of. Ah, brethren, when we are in the holy presence of God, our best things need to be judged, the iniquity of our holy things is disclosed. We need not suspect or accuse one another of grave outward evil, but there will always be room for searching of heart, and for confession to God.

But there are others concerned besides the sick one. "If one member suffer, all the members suffer with it !" There is surely a voice, not only to the immediate family, but to the people of God who are connected with the afflicted person. "For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep." It does not necessarily follow that the sickly ones or those who fall asleep are the ones who have failed to judge themselves. They may be godly ones whose departure would be most sorely felt, and thus their sickness would be calculated to affect the assembly far more than that of some careless or useless one. "The righteous perisheth," said the prophet to the careless nation. God removed the faithful if by this means the indifferent might lay it to heart. Alas, he had to say, "and no man layeth it to heart." Is it not to be greatly feared that this has been the case in our day too ? God lays His rod upon His people; it matters not who the individual directly afflicted may be, the voice is for us all. '' Let us search and try our ways and turn again to the Lord" (Lam. 3:40).

Is not this the great object of all affliction, to turn us afresh to God ? How prone we are to forget, to neglect, to grow cold by imperceptible degrees, until some chastening is required to bring us unreservedly before our God. His love must have us in His presence. There only can we walk in holiness, and be conformed to the image of our Lord. " If thou wilt return . . . return unto Me" (Jer. 4:i). He wishes no mere reform, no mere correction of this or that point of conduct; He desires the entire change of the attitude of the soul that has wandered from Him.

Ah, brethren, when a company of His people thus recognize the hand of God upon them in the affliction of a single individual, how precious are the results. Instead of being confined to the immediate circle, the peaceable fruits are produced among all. Is not this the purpose of our God, and shall we not lay it seriously to heart ? Corporate truth is most wide-reaching.

We have now reached the point where we can act together. The tendency of nature is to drift asunder. Grace unites. A common object, a common life, and a common Spirit dwelling within us – all these draw us together. Thus too a common trial has the same effect. Have the saints been growing cold ? Have they been falling asunder ? Ah, how a common affliction, laid to heart will draw them together, because it draws them to God. United humbling and confession will be the result, and a practical unity be again manifest.

Until some such state has been reached, individually and collectively, all the objects of the affliction have not been attained. How can we ask for the removal of the chastening if we have not learned in some degree its lesson ? We might almost as well apply to a physician to heal as to the Lord, if only healing is our object. May this not explain much of the delay in answering our prayers ? It would but harden, if God granted the prayers of unexercised souls.

But affliction has had its blessed results, and the saints, humbled under the mighty hand of God, seeing the needs-be of the chastening, and turning with all their hearts to Him, can now see what His word offers for comfort and help.

"Peter therefore was kept in prison:but prayer was made without ceasing of the Church unto God for him" (Acts 12:5). Never was case more hopeless than this, so far as man was concerned. The thirsty sword of persecution had just had its appetite whetted by the blood of James. One more day and Peter must die. But the church, the assembly, not a few but all, were before God in prayer. The word suggests both the intensity and the perseverance of their supplications. We know the result. And He is the same God to-day.

But we have a special scripture upon this subject which we are now ready to examine.

"Is any among you afflicted? let him pray. Is there any merry ? let him sing psalms. Is any sick among you ? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord:and the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him. Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain:and it rained not on the earth for the space of three years and six months. And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit" (Jas. 5:13-18).

James writes, as we know, to the nation, "to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad." He looks upon them still as the people of God, and seeks in the spirit of one of the prophets to draw them to God. He recognizes of course that Christ has come, but he does not take up the truths of redemption and the descent of the Spirit, as Paul, Peter and John. He is thus, we might say, the last voice of God to the nation. It is a book of moral principles for the conscience, rather than dispensational. Rightly to answer to the word here they must have new birth and faith in Christ, but the question of outward separation from Judaism is not raised as it is in the Epistle to the Hebrews.

Hence we have allusion to the synagogue, with the respect of the rich to which the Jews were specially prone, as not being heavenly people. We need not be surprised therefore, to see the governmental side of truth emphasized, and special directions for the comfort of the sick. But it is striking at the "very point where we would think the Jewish features most prominent, we find the Assembly. But let us look at the passage somewhat in detail.

The general resource in times of affliction is prayer, just as joy also leaves us in the presence of God, with thanksgiving for His mercies. Nothing is to take us out of His presence, we pour out our sorrows in prayer, and our joys in praise. How simple is the walk with God.

But now sickness has come. We first see the exercise of the one who is laid low:"Let him send for the elders of the assembly." This shows a heart that bows under the hand of God, and that recognizes the share His assembly has in all that concerns each one. The elders are the representatives of the entire assembly, and more particularly of its oversight, care and government. They are of course godly men of faith, age and experience, who have themselves been trained in the school of God, and who know what sorrow is. They were appointed by the apostles under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, and thus had in that day an official position under the designation of inspiration.

This official position seems to accord with the anointing with oil spoken of in connection with prayer. It was used we remember by the disciples when sent forth on their mission of healing to Israel (Mark 6:13). It was the invariable mark of official designation of kings, priests and prophets (when the latter had any designation). It is a well-known type of the Holy Spirit, who alone can fit for service, or restore to it.

But it is the prayer of faith, and not the oil that saves the sick. This is evidently the essential and permanent part of the direction. Prayer links us with God, forms never can. These men of faith and experience, with the care of the assembly upon them, unitedly pour out their hearts to God. In faith they lay hold upon Him, and he does not disappoint. "The prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up." The affliction was recognized as from the Lord, His mercy was sought, in
connection with the order and government of His house, and His hand of power raised up.

More than this, if sins had been committed, they would be forgiven:This does not mean that sin necessarily had been committed, save in the general sense we have already seen, but that the sickness might have been as chastening for some special sin. The restoration to health in that case would be a witness of the restoration to communion also.

This leads the apostle to speak further of this feature of governmental dealing for sins, and the place of confession. It will be noticed that he does not speak of confession to the elders, though that may have been done, but "confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed." Grace has brought us into the light. The holiness of God manifested our sins, while His grace has put them away. We abide in that light with all naked and open to His holy eye. This sense of being in the presence of God will give real fellowship with all who are in that presence. " If we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship one with another." Thus confession of faults will be natural and unforced to those whom we realize are in the light. If we have been before God truly about our sins, pride is gone, and there will be no hesitation on that account to speak to one another. This does not mean that we should be constantly pouring out the tale of our failures into our brethren's ear. There may be those who are in no spiritual condition to receive such confidences. The lesson may have been learned with God. All will one day come out at the judgment-seat of Christ, but there are times when it can most profitably come out now. If there is the confidence in the Lord and in one's brethren, it may often be a most sanctifying lesson to all concerned.

This confession of faults is spoken of as mutual, and so with the prayer that follows. It shows that it is to be done whenever there is need and faith for it. Most surely it could not be made a condition of prayer, nor be held before the sick one as the priest would hold up the confessional, as the only door to absolution. This would be neither grace nor holiness.

The apostle closes the subject with an example of the effectual – "the energetic"-prayer of a righteous man, one who is walking with God. Elijah closed and opened the heavens by his prayer. He was a man like ourselves, weak, liable to attacks of unbelief and discouragement, and yet he wrought with and for God, and obtained the answers to his prayers. What an incentive to do likewise.

But it will be said, and truly, that we are not living in the days of the apostles, that elders cannot now be officially appointed, and therefore this scripture is inoperative. Most surely there can be no assumption of official dignity, and more sad than that, there is a state of ruin which makes us even ask, Where is the assembly ? The world has crept in, discord and strife have followed, till the church of Christ, to man's eye, is a rent and divided thing. Elders of the assembly ! Alas, the assembly itself has crumbled into fragments, and if grace has enabled a few to act upon the truths of the assembly, it is but the feeblest of remnants. Weeping and shame become us. Elders and anointing would then seem to be out of place where our common ruin witnesses against us.

But blessed be the God of all grace, He has not failed. Christ and the Holy Spirit have not changed, and the word of God, with its precious promises, remains the same. Eliminate then that which speaks of the unfailed church, and we have still, fellowship, experience, care, and above all the prayer of faith. Nothing can alter that. God is the rewarder of them that diligently seek Him.

Nor is it presumption to recognize those gifts of rule which abide for the church. Brethren of age and experience, of piety and faith-there are these, thank God, whom faith can call in to unite in the prayer that lays hold of God. There is still the brotherly confidence that can pour out sorrow and the failure into the ear of loving sympathy.

How much, then, dear brethren, we have left from this scripture for our comfort and guidance even in a day of ruin. Shall we not then make practical and experimental use of it ? "Prove me now herewith," may we not plead if we have morally complied with the conditions (Mal. 3:10, 11).

We cannot dictate to our blessed God, nor would we demand the restoration to health of the sick. We would however ask if it be His will that He show us mercy. Thus was Epaphroditus raised up. May we not count upon the same mercy ? Particularly when it is some useful and faithful servant of Christ and the Church, either locally or more generally, may we not claim the promise, in submission ever to higher wisdom and purposes than ours ?

Nor is this the least inconsistent with the believing use of means for recovery. The same prophet who announced Hezekiah's recovery in answer to prayer, prescribed the means which was to be used for that recovery. It is pernicious to antagonize God and His instrumentalities, to turn the back upon His mercy because brought in the hands of a physician. This begets a pride which will need humbling so surely as any other sin. Some may be, mislead, and humbly refuse the use of means, but the system which does this is based in pride. It dictates to God.

Let us now turn to the house where God has raised up the loved one in answer to prayer and exercise. Joy and gratitude are there, chastened by the memory of the sorrows and exercises passed through. The glory is given to God, and this by a circle as wide as was engaged in the previous exercise. Let the reader ponder "the writing of Hezekiah king of Judah, when he had been sick, and was recovered of his sickness" (Is. 38:9-22). There is the memory of the bitterness of the chastening, the hourly expectation of death, the cry to God. Then comes the grateful acknowledgment that "Himself hath done it," and the sense of a holiness in God that will impel him to walk softly all his days.

So may it be with us, beloved and sorrowing saints of God. Let us learn from the great Teacher, and while bereavement does come, and blessed be God is not a sorrow without hope-nay, is far better for the one who departs-let us learn too to make use of this resource for faith in times of sickness. Lord, awaken Thy people, and sanctify to them all Thy ways.

QUES. 1.-Please explain 1 Tim. 5:6. Is the widow here spoken of a Christian? It seems as if the "true widow" is described in the fifth verse, and in the sixth only a professor is spoken of. Is this correct?

ANS.-The contrast is clear, and the broad distinction is as noted by our correspondent. The sixth verse would describe one who still found her portion and pleasure in the world. Thus while alive in the world, she has no spiritual life. In striking contrast with this is the one who is desolate, but has all her faith and expectation centered in God. She is the true widow, whose consolation is not in the pleasures of this world, but in Christ alone. In this connection the apostle instructs Timothy not to recognize as belonging to the class of widows any under sixty years of age. This seems to indicate that some spiritual importance was attached to this class, and doubtless the "mothers in Israel" were thus recognized. The younger widows were able to provide, to some extent for themselves, or at any rate they were not to be definitely recognized as the older. It is not to be thought that the apostle was forbidding either the care for or remarriage of the younger widows, but was warning against what might easily become an abuse.

QUES. 2.-Why was there no provision made in the Levitical law for sacrifices for presumptuous sins ?

ANS.-Doubtless to emphasize the weakness and unprofitableness of the law. The very sins that would weigh most heavily on the conscience, and enhanced the guilt of man, were the very ones for which no provision was made. Thus David, who could not plead ignorance, realized that no sacrifice of the law would avail for his sin. In his broken-hearted acknowledgment, in the fifty-first psalm, he does not even offer a legal sacrifice. " Thou desirest not sacrifice, else would I give it." But in what blessed contrast with this is the sacrifice of Christ our Lord, whose blood cleanseth from all sin.

QUES. 3.-What is the meaning of the expression, 'baptized for the dead," in 1 Cor. 15:29 ?

ANS.-"Baptized in place of the dead," that is new converts taking the place of those Christians who had died. It is as though the apostle said, " Why should new converts be made to take the place of the fallen Christians, persecuted, suffering. dying-why perpetuate this suffering, if there is no resurrection?" But resurrection answers the question. Christians are living for the future, and those who take the place of the dead will one day share in the glorious resurrection.

QUES. 4.-How wide is the application of such scriptures as Matt. 10:19, 20; Mark 13:11; Luke 12:11, 12; 21:14, 15. Do they refer simply to those who are brought before kings, rulers and magistrates, or to any child of God who is questioned regarding his belief. And need he fear that the answer will not be given him because he forgets at the moment to ask for it. if the whole attitude of his mind and heart is that of dependence upon God? Is there anything inconsistent in these passages with 1 Pet. 3:15; "Be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you?"

ANS.-While the passages"refer primarily to the circumstances of the disciples during and immediately after our Lord's life- abundant illustrations of which will be found in the book of Acts-there is not the slightest reason why faith should not make the fullest use of the promise in every case of need. And how often has God honored the faith based upon these very scriptures. With regard to prayer, there will, of course, be the need for it, but our gracious God knows the constant attitude of the heart. However, as the soul goes on to know Him, distraction becomes less and less possible.

These chapters show us in what different channels the Lord's thoughts flowed from those of the heart of man. His ideas, so to speak, of misery and of happiness, were so different from what man's naturally are.

The eleventh chapter opens with a scene of human misery. The dear family at Bethany are visited with sickness, and the voice of health and thanksgiving in their dwelling has to yield to mourning, lamentation, and woe. But He, who of all had the largest and tenderest sympathies, is the calmest among them ; for He carried with Him that foresight of resurrection, which made Him overlook the chamber of sickness, and the grave of death.

When Jesus heard that Lazarus was sick, He abode two days longer in the place where He was. But when that sickness ends in death, He begins His journey in the full and bright prospect of resurrection. And this makes His journey steady and undisturbed. And, as He approaches the scene of sorrow, His action is still the same. He replies again and again to the passion of Martha's soul, from that place where the knowledge of a power that was beyond that of death had, in all serenity, seated Him. And though He have to move still onward, there is no haste. For on Mary's arrival, He is still in the same place where Martha had met Him. And the issue, as I need not say, comes in due season to vindicate this stillness of His heart, and this apparent tardiness of His journey.

Thus was it with Jesus here. The path of Jesus was His own. When man was bowed down in sorrow at the thought of death, He was lifted up in the sunshine of resurrection.

But the sense of resurrection, though it gave this peculiar current to the thoughts of Jesus, left His heart still alive to the sorrows of others. For His was not indifference, but elevation. And such is the way of faith always. Jesus weeps with the weeping of Mary and her company. His whole soul was in the sunshine of those deathless regions which lay far away from the tomb of Bethany; but it could visit the valley of tears, and weep there with those that wept.

But again.-When man was lifted up in the expectation of something good and brilliant in the earth, His soul was full of the holy certainty that death awaits all here, however promising or pleasurable; and that honor and prosperity must be hoped for only in other and higher regions. The twelfth chapter shows us this.

When they heard of the raising of Lazarus, much people flocked together from Bethany to Jerusalem, and at once hailed Him as the King of Israel. They would fain go up with Him to the Feast of Tabernacles, and antedate the age of glory, seating Him in the honors and joys of the kingdom. The Greeks also take their place with Israel in such an hour. Through Philip, as taking hold of the skirt of a Jew (Zech. 8:), they would see Jesus and worship. But in the midst of all this Jesus Himself sits solitary. He knows that earth is not the place for all this festivation and keeping of holy day. His spirit muses on death, while their thoughts were full of a kingdom with its attendant honors and pleasures. "Verily, verily, I say unto you, except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone."

Such was the peculiar path of the spirit of Jesus. Resurrection was everything to Him. It was His relief amid the sorrows of life, and His object amid the promises and prospects of the world. It gave His soul a calm sunshine, when dark and heavy clouds had gathered over Bethany; it moderated and separated His affections, when the brilliant glare of a festive day was lighting up the way from thence to Jerusalem. The thought of it sanctified His mind equally amid grief and enjoyments around. Resurrection was everything to Him. It made Him a perfect pattern of that fine principle of the Spirit of God:"Let him that weepeth be as if he wept not, and he that rejoiceth as though he rejoiced not."

Oh for a little more of the same mind in us, beloved! -a little more of this elevation above the passing conditions and circumstances of life!

May the faith and hope of the Gospel, through the working of the indwelling Spirit, form the happiness and prospects of our hearts! J. G. B.

The following paper is intended to treat of our Lord's manner and ways in teaching and preaching, and it is hoped that not only the heart may be refreshed by coming in contact with Him, but that also we may learn practical and valuable lessons. Nicodemus styles Him the " Teacher come from God," and His adversaries bore witness that never a man spake like this man. While, of course, we know this as to the substance of our Lord's teaching, yet, His method, because it clothes like a well-fitting garment, attracting little attention to itself and enhancing the beauty of that which it covers, is, perhaps, very often lost sight of. Do we know to what extent He used metaphor and simile ? Have we a clear conception of the way in which He met the objector ? What external means did He employ upon occasion to emphasize the lesson ? Wherefore did He use so much parable, and how were these parables adapted to the circumstances amid which they were spoken ? Such are some of the questions which force themselves upon us.

But they also serve to bring us closer to Himself, and this is the purpose of every study of Scripture. His words are a mirror in which we behold Him, and far more than we might expect does the method of them bring us into contact with Him. Our manner is often assumed to meet the occasion, and is the product of surrounding elements, but with Him it was never so; it came fresh from His heart. Every attitude, every gesture was full of Him and the mission which had become part of Him. You remember how in the tenth chapter of John, the Lord seems to take delight in the knowledge that His sheep know His voice, and that they are so occupied with it, that they know not the voice of strangers ? And as His voice would correspond to the character of His words, our study should be one that is pleasing to Him. Oh that we indeed so knew His voice that the voice of the stranger repelled with that fear of the unknown that seems innate in the animate creation. Then would we indeed walk aright with His word a lamp for our path and a light for our feet.

The first topic that naturally presents itself in this subject, is what we may call the external character
of His speech, such as clearness, energy, bodily position, etc. Of these indeed there is very little given us, and yet there are some things that surely must prove of profit to him that considers them. While there may be no scripture which directly asserts it, we may be sure our Lord ever spoke distinctly and clearly.

Now, perhaps, it may seem to be a small thing to say that the Lord spoke clearly, so that all could understand Him, yet we will the better attach a value to it if we consider how indignant we should become were one to assert that He did not thus speak. We should regard it as nothing short of blasphemy, and very rightly. He was the Word who created the worlds, the universe, that wonderfully adjusted mechanism in which part is fitted to part with divine precision, and from which arises a harmonious melody to God. How then should this Master Harmonizer fail to utter His truths in a voice attuned to their importance ? It would be absolutely impossible. When we consider too how mind and matter are related, and how the Creator has framed us so that one should play upon and answer to the other in this dwelling-place of our spirits, who can doubt but that the voice was ordained of Himself to awaken music in the soul ? No slurred over words ever troubled those who listened to Him, and are not His ways Divine ?

Now this clear voice was sometimes raised so that it became loud and powerful. Thus we read in John that on the last day of the feast "Jesus stood and cried," and in another place it speaks of "His great Voice" as it rose over the weeping and wailing at the grave of Lazarus. And so when the storm
that gathered over Calvary was hushed to its close, "Jesus cried with a loud voice and gave up the Ghost." Now apart from the physical necessity there was of prevailing over the sounds that existed, on at least two of these occasions, there was in all of them an especial need that spoke to the Lord's heart, and to which we do well to give heed. There is a peculiar danger that on our feast days the things around us may lead us to forget the Giver and our need of Him. The feast of which we have been speaking is said to be the feast of Tabernacles, a time in which Israel was to remember her wandering in tents through the wilderness, and which very probably became a means of celebrating the fact that they no longer thus wandered. Now although not the object of the feast, spiritually this may be all right, but there is then danger of forgetting" that wherever we are we need Him as much as ever to watch over us; and such moments are full of peril.

At other times there are feasts of Satan's spreading, and the one who sits down thereto will be in dire need of hearing that urgent cry from the risen Jesus. "If any man thirst let him come unto Me and drink."

But to refer to the suitability of that raised voice in the other instances, there are moments when some burden is laid upon us such as that which lay on the grief stricken crowd lamenting at the grave of Lazarus. How wonderfully thrilling that "Great Voice" must have sounded, and with what eager expectation and joy must they have looked for the response. When the cares of the world, its sorrows and griefs, flood in upon our lives, how refreshing will it be to hear it rise above our storms
and quell our fears. Then shall we burst into singing:

" How sweet the voice of Jesus sounds in a believer's ear. It soothes his sorrows, heals his wounds, and drives away his fear."

The last instance which we have mentioned answers to the time in which " he that hath the power of death " sows such fears as he is able, when we are called to leave it. Will it not be good too to recall that He over whom death's billows deeply went, cried out with a loud voice as they closed upon Him, proclaiming His power and triumph over them, and then yielded up the Ghost ? "No man taketh it from" Me, I lay it down . . . and I take it again." How eloquently do these words and that voice proclaim " The Prince of Life."

The expression of our Lord's face is, as I remember, given but once, and yet that same instance, in its impressiveness, is referred to in two of the Gospels. It is on the occasion of the healing of the withered hand, when, because of its being the Sabbath, they seek to bar the path of His mercy. He then looks round about upon them all with anger. But how wonderfully touching is the moment. They seek to hinder good reaching another, and His ' shepherd's heart is aroused and His anger blazes out. " Is it not lawful to do good on the Sabbath day?" He cries, and in answer heals the hand. They might seek to kill Him ; they were going to nail Him to the cross on Calvary, and He would cry in wonderful compassion, " Father forgive them, for they know not what they do," but let them try to injure another and indignation shines in His Face. When we consider how that by and by, before it, heavens and earth will flee away, we no longer marvel at the impression it made, and we wonder at the beauty of the thought, that on such occasion alone have we mention of it.

When our Lord teaches He is generally seated. The attitude is one of repose and authority. His words are so certain, and carry so much authority with them, that any other position would seem less suited. He was seated all through the Sermon on the Mount. Such words as " Blessed are the merciful for they shall obtain mercy," appear to stand on such pillared foundations as rather to lose than anything else by seeking to enhance their value. So also was He seated in a boat, when giving forth the parables of the Kingdom, in the thirteenth of Matthew. In contrast with this position, however, He rises to announce the fulfilment of, and read His Father's words; while when in the Temple He momentarily relaxes His stooping posture when confronting the Pharisees with that majestic charge, " Let him that is without sin among you cast the first stone at her." How well adapted are these attitudes to the sentiments which they accompany, and how they should prevent us from getting careless with what we may call minor matters.

There is one other beautiful position which our Lord assumes, and coming as it does at the end of His earthly sojourn, seems to sum up the whole of His ministry on earth. "Having loved His own which were in the world He loved them unto the end," and as He is about to leave them He leads them out to Bethany, and body and spirit uniting together in one long, lingering attitude of protection, those blessed hands but so recently stretched out in such a different way, now spread themselves broodingly over them, while from His lips the words of blessing fall, and a cloud receives Him out of their sight. ''Out of their sight?" Yes, and yet that sight, which no earthly cloud should be able to obscure, shall be their last recollection of Jesus, and all through their lives hover in Divine benison over them.

Although not directly connected with our subject, the words following in Luke, have such a beautiful touch to them, that one would fain linger for a moment to meditate. " And as He blessed them He was parted from them and carried up into heaven." In the opening of His ministry we see Him going to John and saying, upon the latter's protest against baptizing Him, " Suffer it now for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness." Baptism is a burial of self. John says he has need to be baptized of Jesus. The Lord in effect replies, "That is true, but consider not what I am as to right, for I am come to lay all that personal right of Mine aside, yea to lay self aside, to work for the people among whom I have come." Having then taken such a position, as He comes up from Jordan, as if they no longer could contain themselves, the heavens are rent asunder, and the voice of God breaks out, "This is My beloved Son in whom I am well pleased." So now may we not think of that same delight as expressed in the words, "carried up " ?

One of the most marked features of our Lord's teaching is its parabolic form, and this so marked that it could scarcely escape even the cursory reader. We know that among the nations of the East the parable is a very much used method of communication, and yet, however true that may be, it would scarcely suffice as a reason for our Lord's using it, unless, indeed, there be something in the parable itself that meets a special need in all climes and countries. We all know how fond children are of it as a means of instruction, and learned men assert that in what they call the childhood of the race, the early days, it was constantly employed in ordinary conversation. But are we not all children in heavenly things ? And what after all in the words of Jesus makes things so plain as the parable ? How the gates of heaven seem thrown open to us as the father's arms are clasped around the prodigal, or the shepherd lays the sheep upon his shoulder. They speak with a plainness that reaches even the lowest depths.

But we must notice that although this be true as to a great many of them, yet our Lord says that some others were given with a. distinctly opposite purpose. "For unto you it is given to understand the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but unto them it is not given." The parable then is often used to hide truth, and we are led to ask the further question:If to hide, why then speak them before all those from whom He would wish to conceal the truth of which they speak ?

Our answer may, perhaps, be twofold. Of course it is very plain that for the Pharisees, who entered not into the Kingdom, the mysteries would scarcely be a subject to explain to them. Such would be a veritable casting of pearls before swine. And yet, on the other hand, it must be that after all He is seeking the Pharisee, otherwise our question would remain unanswered. We who know the Lord, know also that He loved even the Pharisee, and to them a mystery was a great incentive to study. Here, however, were mysteries that no human mind could very well fathom without the key, and a search for the key might indeed bring the poor Pharisee into His presence. I cannot but believe that this was the Lord's object, and any other thought than this would militate against plain scriptural teaching. If He ate with publicans and sinners He also sat down in the house of the Pharisee, and both Pharisee and Publican were welcome at the feast of the great King.

Taking this then as a correct interpretation of His words, we may remember that to speak plainly is not always the part of a good teacher. Often and often is the scholar to be aroused by that which he does not understand. Thus we may learn a lesson of the " Teacher come from God," and remember that if we attend the lecture of another, and do not understand a great deal that is said, even so, we would not have understood the One like whom man never spake. He knew that the disciples would not understand Him, and yet was in no wise deterred from speaking in the form in which He did. "It is the glory of God to conceal a matter, but the glory of kings to search it out." Oh, brethren, are we among those kingly ones whose glory it is to search out the things hidden by our great Teacher ? Be assured that he who does will find much pleasure. It is true in heavenly, as well as in earthly things, that we must labor for those things which are of most value, excepting necessaries, which God asks us not to labor for, such as water and light and salvation. F. C. G.

(To be continued.)

The moral activities that are abroad are surely immense, and the pressure upon the social system of influences full of deceivableness, I suppose, is beyond all precedent. It is desirable to keep the soul increasingly alive to the fact that the path of the Church is a narrow and peculiar one. Even her virtues must have a peculiar material in them. Her common honesty, her good deeds, too, her secular labors, her fruitfulness, purity, and the like, are to be peculiar in their functions and their springs. Her discipline does not act after the pattern of the mere moral sense of man. Society, as another has observed, would disclaim the offence contemplated in i Cor. 5:; but society would never deal with it as the Church is there called to deal with it. Society, for instance, would never put covetous-ness or extortion in company with it, but the saint is instructed to do so. The moral sense of man would there make distinctions, when the pure element of the house of God resents all alike as unworthy of it. This is "fine gold" dear brother-gold refined again and again. Even the morals of the Church are to be of another quality from those of men. What sanctions are brought in i Cor. 5:6:as to the common matters of life. If the saint be to abstain from fornication, it is because his body is a temple:if he be to refuse the judgment of others in the affairs of this life, in their most ordinary ways of right and wrong, of debit and credit, it is because he himself is destined to be a judge in the seat of the world to come, even from a throne of glory. Is not this "fine gold ?" Does not such sanction make
morals divine ? What, in the world's morality, is like this ? And I ask further, is not the need of this divine or peculiar agency to the effecting any moral results intimated in Luke 11:21-27? If it be not the stronger man possessing himself of the house, is anything done for God ? If it be merely the unclean spirit going out, the end of the history of the house is, that it becomes more fitted for deeper evil. The emptied state, even accompanied by sweeping and ornamenting, is only a preparation for a worse condition, and nothing is done for God but when the stronger enters the house. No instrument of garnishing according to God, but Christ. And in the remembrance of these verses, dear brother, ask yourself what is doing in and for the house of Christendom at this moment. Is not many a broom, many a brush sweeping it and painting it ? Is this making it God's house, or getting it ready to be the house of the full energy-the sevenfold energy-of the enemy ?

(A Meditation on Mark 1:, il, 3:)

In those three chapters we get the divine record of two parallel lives, and, at the same time, the greatness of their contrast will be observed by the thoughtful reader. One record, perfect and divine, the other that of Iranian nature away from God, hence sinful, and in the end demonstrated (as in chap. 3:) to be exceeding sinful.

In the gospel of Matthew (the first twelve chapters), the Holy Spirit goes over the same ground, and gives the same development of good on one hand and of evil on the other, but with more material added suited to the object of that Gospel. The two, if studied together (Matt. 1:-12:; Mark, 1:-3:), give much light, and the lessons are full of profit for meditation, but we will devote ourselves in this meditation to those three chapters.

In the first chapter we are at once introduced to the Lord Jesus as the perfect Servant. How wonderful, we exclaim, the grace, that sinners ever should be brought into His presence and introduced to Him before whom seraphim veil their faces, yet it is true, and as we trace His every step we behold the face of Deity, yet veiled with a true and perfect humanity.

In these three chapters they hear Him preach, teach, and see Him heal, and also deliver the oppressed, and as a Shepherd call His own sheep by name. But if they thus behold a prophet, teacher, and servant, it was none less than the Son of God who was all this.

As we open the chapter we note the sevenfold witness to Himself given:

1.Prophets prophesied of Him (ver. 2).

2. John bore a faithful testimony to Him (vers. 4-8).

3.The Holy Spirit descends upon Him (ver. 10).

4. The Father's voice proclaims Him, ''Thou art my Son, etc." (ver. ii).

5. Satan has to leave Him, after tempting Him forty days and finding nothing in Him.

6. Wild beasts are harmless and tame in His presence, Lord of Creation (ver. 13).

7. Angels at such a period of trial and temptation, yet of triumph and victory, come and minister to Him the Servant of servants, and yet Lord over Creation. Thus, as we view Him presented to Israel
and the earth, the glory of His person is recognized and borne witness to. Blessed truth which commands the worship of our hearts now and forever.

He commences His service by preaching the gospel and calling upon men to repent, the first lesson for man away from God and in his sins, " Repent ye and believe the gospel (vers. 14, 15).

Next He calls His servants, four in number (fishermen), to follow Him. At this time we begin to trace His path as servant here below (16-20). What an honor conferred upon those men of humble life to be called to follow Him during the time of His sojourn here! They were vessels, no doubt, long thought of, and already prepared for the occasion (although, doubtless, unknown to themselves), and by their humble life fitted in this way to be companions of One who was the very embodiment of humility ; hence suited to Him they were, as suited to them was He.

Next we trace His steps from the seaside to Capernaum, and there He entered the synagogue upon the Sabbath where we are informed He "taught," as before He had preached (ver. 14, 21, 22). Then as the Shepherd of Israel He delivered one of His sheep from the grasp of a cruel foe (vers. 23-27).

When we reach this stage of His ministry we observe how the masses are attracted by His word and work. "They were astonished at His doctrine:for He taught as one that had authority, and not as the scribes" (ver. 22). Note here with care, "Not as the scribes," for the contrast between His ministry and theirs could be readily seen. The scribes were mere formalists; religion was their business, and they taught simply as they learned from their books. His ministry was far different. He came forth from the presence of God, and in the power and wisdom of the Holy Spirit spake the word of God, presenting it to the heart and conscience of men. The masses felt preaching of that character was the very voice of God to their souls. This is where we note the first contrast of the two parallel lives now before us in those three chapters.

If this new teaching was received by the masses, the scribes felt their popularity as teachers would wane, and their teaching fade away. Here we see human nature put to the test, and we see it manifests itself in the presence of One the very embodiment of perfection itself. Man cannot tolerate being set aside, cannot take a low place. And if even Jesus, the Father's gift to men, is introduced, and in the power of the Holy Spirit manifests Himself, on the part of man there develops envy and bitterness. Such was the case in the history of the religious leaders of that day. These things, we observe, develop until at the end they place Him upon the cross (chap. 15:18; Rom. 8:7).

But to return again (vers. 27 and 28). The people are further amazed, and His fame soon spreads through the whole province. He commences at the seaside, then passes to the synagogue, and from there the report of His teachings and miracles spread, until all Galilee hears the message. "The Lord hath visited His people in giving them bread." Wonderful days were those days for that favored land and people!

He pursues His labor of love and enters Peter's home, giving proof of His mission by raising up his
mother-in-law from a bed of sickness. " And at even, when the sun did set they brought unto Him all that were diseased and them that were possessed with devils, and all the city was gathered together at the door, and He healed many that were sick of divers diseases and cast out many devils." Marvelous was the work and marvelous the grace and love that met their need that day.

The next day we trace His footprints, and very early; " In the morning rising up a great while before day, He went out and departed into a solitary place and there prayed" (ver. 33). What an example is here given us for the profit of the after servant, and what a lesson for those just called, and now walking by His side day by day. What lovely perfection we behold in the lowly life of Jesus here on earth, and what a contrast to that of the scribes and Pharisees who prayed, not in "a solitary place," but upon the corner of the streets to be seen of men.

Here we behold in the early morn the Lord of life and glory upon His knees, as a man, as a servant, expressing His dependence upon the Father. Lord, may we here pause and learn the lesson more fully, drink in this sweet, lowly and dependent spirit that ever characterized Thy life when here among men, and learn from this "solitary place " the importance of following the example, using our knees, as well as hands and tongues, for Thee.

Simon and they that were with Him soon follow, and when they found Him, they said, " All men seek for Thee." A busy day had just been passed, till evening the masses had thronged Him. But again, early, the disciples say, "All men seek for Thee." Let us again pause and note another lovely perfection of that life which was perfection itself at every stage. "And he said unto them let us go into the next towns:that I may preach there also:for therefore came I forth " (vers. 37, 38). He, ever perfect in doing His Father's work, desired to press on and finish His work. He was not deterred in the least from any part of that work by the popularity of the hour. That was nothing to Him, no bait that the enemy could use to hinder Him pursuing His Father's work, caring for His glory alone while here. Yet it is a bait often used by the enemy since to turn servants aside from quietly pursuing their course with humility of heart.

Nothing could hinder Him being in the "solitary place," nor yet pursuing His work from place to place with a decided and steady purpose, seeking His Father's glory and not His own. What a lesson, we repeat, for us all. Let us know the power of those two lessons; let us know what it is to look and care for the smile of the Master of every true servant. Let us seek His approval; let us watch against the wiles of Satan, who may suggest, as a bait for the flesh, that we are important, and that all seek for us. Let us imitate what the Lord here sets before us as an example so needed if we are to be here on earth servants for Him. How much this implies. "And He preached in their synagogues throughout all Galilee and cast out devils."

Next the record of cleansing the leper is given and the result was, as he published abroad the fact, they came to Him from every quarter (vers. 39-45).

In chapter twenty-one we see Him once again in Capernaum, where we first beheld Him casting out a demon, and now upon His return He still finds it the place of need, the field was white, the harvest ripe, the need was great. We will next see how unable were the leaders to ease the burden for the oppressed, and how little the desire they had to do so. At this time they bring a palsied man, and through the roof they let him down, and He seeing their faith grants the blessing, and even this beyond their faith; they desired the body healed, but He grants forgiveness also, and the man receives a double blessing. " Thy sins be forgiven thee." How sweet these words must have been to that man's ears; what music they contained to cheer his drooping spirit. But for the scribes it was far otherwise, to forgive and bless had no charm for them. This work was new, the ministry powerful, the results marvelous, so that the populace were carried away:"We never saw it on this fashion."

Now we note the development of a life so different to His, so opposite, and even hostile; envy was deep seated in the hearts of those men, the scribes; their popularity as teachers was on the wane, and the teaching of another was growing in acceptance. " But there were certain of the scribes sitting there and reasoning in their hearts, Why doth this man thus speak blasphemies ? Who can forgive sins but God only?" This was the thought of their hearts; true, not yet expressed, but the Lord read it there. He was a teacher, so were they, and their own glory as such they sought, but with Him different. What a lesson for us as servants now! When nearness to Him is cultivated and the drinking in the lowly spirit that so characterized Him, the perfect Servant, the moral characteristics of His life will be displayed. When we see God attaching special honor and blessing upon others, when we see them advance, then let the heart beware, for the flesh within is ever ready to manifest itself as do the scribes in this chapter. They complain, look for some accusation, but the spirit of the Lord was the very opposite. An old writer wrote, " None are so slow to recognize gift in others as preachers themselves." This fact is truly exemplified by the spirit of the scribes, and here every servant, every teacher, every preacher, no matter what the sphere of service may be, needs to pause and seek to cultivate that spirit. "Let each esteem other better than themselves" (Phil. 2:3-11). Beware of the flesh within that seeks its own glory and the advancement of self. Let us turn from that unholy spirit, the envy, the jealousy, the bitter feeling which we see here in its germ with the scribes, and which when fully developed led them to put Him upon the cross. What a hateful thing the flesh is in the presence of holiness!

But all this opposition on their part did not deter the Lord in the least. The need lay before His eyes, and the desire to meet that need lay heavy upon His heart. So He adds to the palsied man:"Arise and take up thy bed." What grace! What power! How strengthening and cheering to Peter, James and John, as well as the others whom the Holy Spirit had attracted to Jesus, were these things. Yet with the scribes it was far otherwise. They watch Him with a keen eye, yet He goes on with His work, as the Shepherd of Israel, seeking the sheep however far astray. A. E. B.

(To be continued)

The brief sentence which forms the heading of I this article presents to us the earnest aspiration of one who had found an absorbing and commanding object in Christ-the utterance of a soul whose one desire was to grow in the knowledge and appreciation of that blessed One who fills all heaven with His glory. The whole passage from which our motto is taken is full of power. We must quote it for the reader, "But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. Yea, doubtless, and I count all things but loss, for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ."

Let us specially mark the words, "what things were gain to me." The apostle is not speaking of his sins, of his guilt, of things of which, as a man, he might justly be ashamed. No; he is referring to his gains, his honors, his distinctions, his religious, his intellectual, his moral, his political advantages- of such things as were calculated to make him an object of envy to his fellows. All these things he counted but loss that he might win Christ.

Alas! how few of us understand anything of this! How few of us grasp the meaning of the words-the real force of the expression, "That I may win Christ!" Most of us rest satisfied with thinking of Christ as God's gift to sinners. We do not aim at winning Him as our prize, by the surrender of all those things which nature loves and values. The two things are quite distinct. As poor miserable, guilty, hell-deserving sinners, we are not asked to do, or to give, or to surrender anything. We are invited, yea commanded to take-take freely-take all. "God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son." The gift of God is eternal life, through Jesus Christ our Lord. "If thou knewest the free giving of God, thou wouldst have asked."

All this is blessedly true, thanks be to God for it! But then, there is another side of the question. What did Paul mean by winning Christ? He already possessed Christ as God's free gift to him as a sinner. What more did he want? He wanted to win Christ as his prize, even at the cost of all beside. As Christ, the true merchant man, sold all that He had, in order to possess Himself of what He esteemed "a pearl of great price ''-laid aside His glory, stripped and emptied Himself of all-gave up all His claims as man, as Messiah, in order to possess Himself of the Church; so, in his measure, that devoted Christian, whose words form our thesis, gave up everything in order to possess himself of that peerless Object who had been revealed to his heart on the day of his conversion. He saw such beauty, such moral glory, such transcendent excellency in the Son of God, that he deliberately surrendered all the honors, the distinctions, the pleasures, the riches of earth, in order that Christ might fill every chamber of his heart, and absorb all the energies of his moral being He longed to know Him not merely as the One who had put away his sins, but as the One who could satisfy all the longings of his soul, and utterly displace all that earth could offer or nature grasp.

Reader, let us gaze on this picture. It is indeed a fine study for us. It stands out in bold contrast with the cold, selfish, world-loving, pleasure-hunting, money-seeking spirit of this our day. It administers a severe rebuke to the heartless indifference of which many must alas! be conscious-an indifference expressing itself in numberless and nameless ways. Where do we see that which answers to the words, " That I may win Christ?" C. S.

It is most blessed to know that God, who alone knows what sin is, in its awfulness, has in love provided a remedy, which alone satisfies the just claims of His holiness, and as completely meets all the need of the very worst sinner on earth:while all may not be conscious of the terrible results of sin, yet surely all must acknowledge they are sinners before God. "For all have sinned " (Rom. 3:23).

I. What has man, of his own, to offer as atonement for his sin?

Anything to give man a perfect standing must embrace in its efficacy "his whole existence from his entrance into this world to his entrance into eternity. To illustrate, a person born into this world lives say eighty years here and then passes out into eternity. At the age of thirty, such an one is brought to see his sin and desires to be saved. In order to have perfect rest of conscience and heart he must see that what he proposes to present as an offering for his sin must not only atone in the fullest sense for the thirty years past, but for the future fifty years of his life, and give right to God's presence in eternity, fitting him forever for His holy eyes to look on with favor. Now what can one bring? Righteousness is what is needed; has man any of his own which will avail? (Ps. 97:2). " But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags" (Isa. 64:6; Rom. 3:10, 20; Eph. 2:9; Gal. 3:10, comp. Dent, 27:26; James 2:10. Thus the sinner can never get acceptance with God by self-righteous character, works, or amendment of life by law keeping.

2. What does God require for sin? " The wages of sin is death" (Rom. 6:23), is the uncompromising sentence of God who is "of purer eyes than to behold evil, and can not look on iniquity" (Hab. 1:13). He further tells us, "the life of the flesh is in the blood." . . . (Lev. 17:ii), and that "without shedding of blood is no remission" (Heb. 9:22). Thus His justice and holiness demand the full requirement to be met, while for the sinner there can be no settled peace for his conscience and heart in anything less-which is death, or life given up, as an atonement. This was what made the difference between Cain's and Abel's offering; the latter, of course, was based upon faith in this very truth. Comp. Gen. 4:3, 4 with Heb. 11:4. See also Gen. 2:17; 3:24; Rom. 5:12; 6:23; Rev. 21:8; 20:15; Mark 9:42-50; John 8:21, 24.

3. God's provision and remedy for sin.

"The life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls:for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul" (Lev. 17:ii). Thus God speaks, not in an arbitrary manner, but according to justice, which demanded the offering up of the life forfeited by sin. It will be observed too that it was "upon the altar" where the settlement was to be made through substitutionary sacrifice. Thus the Old Testament pages are tinged with the blood of bulls, and goats, and lambs, "which they offered year by year continually" (Heb. 10:i), but which could never "make the comers thereunto perfect,"1:e. completely purged as to position and conscience. All pointed on to the one great atoning sacrifice of Calvary.

So when John stands at the Jordan and cries, "Behold the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world" (John 1:29), it was an announcement that God had provided Himself a Lamb whose sacrifice should be once for all, absolutely complete.
In the Tabernacle worship, the animal was slain and burned without the camp, the blood taken by the high-priest inside the veil, sprinkled once on the mercy-seat and seven times before it, satisfying the justice of Jehovah and giving a perfect standing to the high-priest as the representative of Israel. This was repeated every Day of Atonement.

But what do we read of the Lamb of God, our blessed Lord Jesus Christ? On Calvary's cross, He bore our sins in His own body (i Peter 2:24), having offered Himself without spot to God (Heb. 9:14), endured the full judgment of a holy God for sin, and completely satisfied all God's claims as to sin for those who believe on Him. He was "delivered for our offences, and was raised for our justification " (Rom. 4:25), and by His own blood has entered into heaven itself, having obtained eternal redemption, salvation for us.

Read carefully the following, John 3:16; 2 Cor. 5:21; i Pet. 2:24; 1:18-20; Gal. 4:4-7; Rom. 5:6, 8, 10; viii 3; Heb. 10:12-14; 1 John 1:7; Rev. 5:9.

4. How may sinners obtain the benefit of all this?

In that familiar verse, John 3:16, we read, "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on Him should not perish but have everlasting life."

Here God makes a plain, clear, unmistakable promise, but for whom? Why surely for sinners- who else can it be for? Notice God "loved" and "gave;" the sinner "believeth " and "hath." Again "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth My word, and believeth on Him that sent Me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation, but is passed from death unto life" (John 5:24). Again, "To Him give all the prophets witness, that through His name, whosoever believeth in Him shall receive remission of sins " (Acts 10:43). Here then are three positive declarations from the Triune God, against whom we have sinned, declaring it a fact that any sinner, conscious of his sinnership and its consequences-for this must first of all be realized–believing on the Lord Jesus Christ has "everlasting life " and "remission of sins." See also John 10:28-30; Rom. 8:i; i Tim. i; 15.

But the question may naturally be asked whom and what and how are we to believe.

First, it is indispensable to believe in the Deity and sinless humanity of our Lord Jesus Christ. Read i John 2:22; 4:2, 3, 14, 15; John 1:1-3, 14; 5:18, etc. If our Lord was merely a man, He could never be our Redeemer, because divine righteousness would not be satisfied by anything less than itself. He was also sinless, for He "knew no sin" (2 Cor. 5:21); "did no sin" (i Pet. 2:22); and was "apart from sin" (Heb. 4:15).

Second, to believe that His death upon the cross was a full and complete atonement for our sinful condition, position, etc. (Isa. 53:i-6; Matt. 1:21); (read with emphasis on "He shall"); 20:28; Luke 19:10; John 3:14; 12:32, 33; Rom. 5:8; Col. i, 20; Heb, ii, 9; i Cor. 15:3; Acts 4:24, 25).

Thus it can be seen divine justice has been fully met, and the need of sinners as well-in One who was God Himself, and yet became man (Phil. 2:8).

Third, How are we to believe? (Rom. 10:8-ii); "with the heart," 1:e., a trusting confidence based upon God's word (Rom. 10:17), not on our feelings. James 2:19, shows the devils have feelings, yet they are not saved (2 Pet. 2:4).

"Dost thou believe on the Son of God? (John 9:35). B. W. J.

John 9:

Bodily afflictions are all wisely ordered by the Lord, In every case they have an object. But they are not always sent in judgment, though men are prone so to interpret them when others are the subject of them. The disciples, when they saw a man blind from his birth, rashly concluded that it was a judgment either on his own sins or the sins of his parents. Jesus explained that it was not for any particular sin that he was born blind, but "that the works of God should be made manifest in him."He was born blind that Jesus might have an opportunity of giving him sight. All this previous affliction must be endured by the man that, at a particular time, God might be glorified by his cure.

And is not this great consolation to any of the Lord's people who may be subject to this or any similar affliction? They must not, indeed, expect to be relieved by a miracle; but they may rest assured that God has some purpose to serve by their affliction, and that in it they may glorify God more than they could otherwise have done. There are many ways in which this may be true; and each individual may discern something in his own case in which he can realize this. Christians are sometimes tempted to question God's love when they are greatly afflicted. Nothing can be more groundless. What is for God's glory in them, must be for a blessing to them; and in the school of Christ, discipline is as necessary as teaching.

Ps. 122:and 127:

Notes of an Address by S. R., Saturday Evening, Dec. 30, 1599 Philadelphia. "''

These two psalms form part of those songs of degrees, beginning- with the hundred and twentieth psalm,-fifteen of them. They are all of a similar character, evidently connected together and developed in a very beautiful and orderly way. You know that in the last or fifth book of the Psalms, from the hundred and seventh to the end we have that which answers, as we have learned, to the book of Deuteronomy. It is the book of results going over again with God the lessons which have been learned, and getting the completion of all.

It reaches on to the very end, so that what you have at the close are just the repeated hallelujahs of a ransomed people for whom there is nothing left but worship and joy and praise. God has taken every other occupation away, and so filled them with His blessing that praise is their occupation. Thus the book of Psalms ceases amidst an outburst of hallelujahs in which not only ransomed Israel, but all the redeemed and all the earth-nature animate and inanimate, even the trees of the field-join in praises and worship that are the fruit of all that God has done.

Therefore I think, as it is the closing book of the Psalms, that the nation is before us as having begun again a national existence. It is not merely private experience, as you have in the earlier psalms, but it is now the whole people, their corporate place, and they are gathered in connection with Jerusalem and the government of God's house.

It is very suggestive to notice that the psalm which precedes these songs of degrees, is the hundred and nineteenth, that longest of all psalms. It is entirely occupied with setting forth the perfections and sufficiency of the word of God. It is divided into twenty-two parts, each part named after one of the letters of the Hebrew alphabet, and each verse in that part beginning with that letter. It is as though the psalmist would say that he had exhausted the whole alphabet, the whole language, to give expression to the fulness and perfection of the literal word of God.

Then, as there are eight verses in each of these divisions, it seems to suggest the new creation of which we were speaking to-day, that new covenant that is made with the house of Judah and the house of Israel, which is characterized by the law being written in their hearts. The law, not written on the tables of stone, not a condition now, but written in their hearts, so that they can say:"Oh, how love I Thy law. It is my meditation all the day." That is the word of the regenerate nation, the law of God is now in their hearts, and you have, as a blessed result of that, their ascent up to the house of God.

These songs of ascents, songs of degrees, suggest the approach, drawing near to God's house. You have, for instance, in the eighty-fourth psalm one longing and crying for the courts of the Lord. He is at a distance. It is one of the Levites, the sons of Koran. His "soul longeth, yea, even fainteth for the courts of the Lord;" his "heart and flesh crieth out for the living God," as he thinks of that home where even "the sparrow," the lonely bird, worth nothing in itself, "hath found an house" for itself; and the "swallow." a restless bird, flitting here and there, moving about, finds "a nest for herself, where she may lay her young, even thine altars, O Lord of hosts, my King and my God."

There it is the longing, and what we get here is the longing fulfilled. Now their "feet are standing within thy gates, O Jerusalem." They are drawing-near to the house of God, and these fifteen psalms, songs of ascent, seem to mark the approaches, the steps. They tell us that they sang these songs on the steps that led to the temple, to the house of God. Be that as it may, the truths which we have in them beautifully set forth the principles on which God's people will draw near to Him and be indeed in His house.

We turn now to the first psalm that I have read, the 122nd. It has been pointed out that these fifteen psalms also form another little pentateuch in themselves, in which three psalms are grouped together. The 122nd is the third, the Sanctuary psalm of that first division. You have, for instance, the lowest step in the 120th. "In my distress, I cried unto the Lord." How simple it is, dear friends, and how blessed that the very first step in approach to God is taken in distress.

Just here, one feels tempted to say a word in case there should be a single soul here in distress as to salvation. Do you know the first step to God is in your distress ? There is where Christ meets the soul -in its distress and away from God. And if there is one needy soul here to-night that has nothing but distress because of sin, nothing but a sense of guilt and helplessness and the oppression of sins, like enemies all about them, remember that where Christ meets the soul is in its distress. He does not ask you to leave your distress before you find Him, but He meets you in your distress. He took our place in a distress which, thank God, we shall never know, in order that He might meet us and take away forever that distress of soul which the guilty sinner has.

I do not apologize for stopping just to ask any stranger that might be here to-night, to come and join us in these songs of ascent in going up to the house of God. You can begin now, if you take your place in distress of soul because of sin; and you can find that the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ is for you just as much as it has been for any of us. How good it is, as we are enjoying the precious things of our Lord, to be privileged to hold out an invitation to the stranger, to those young men who have not known Christ though they have heard of Him all their lives; to offer Christ to them and assure them that their fathers' Christ, their fathers' Saviour is ready to be their Saviour too, ready to meet you as you are, in your sins,-to save you.

The next psalm-121:-gives us the help that cometh. It is another step, as it were, "the hills from whence cometh my help." "My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth."

When you come to the third one, which we want to look at to-night, you get the sanctuary:"Our feet shall stand within thy gates, O Jerusalem."

Thus we have three plain steps:first, the distress; second, the help,-salvation; third, the access into the place of blessing. How simple this little ascent is for every soul who desires to draw near to God. Your distress, your salvation only in Christ, and then access into the sanctuary, the presence of God.

But, of course, all these psalms apply to Israel. They refer to the nation in the last days. Redeemed Israel is the people, as I said, who have the law now in their hearts, and who are learning and have learned to sing these songs of access into the presence of God. So you find,-in a way that I do not propose to go into, for I want to speak of something quite different-that the whole thought of this psalm is corporate blessing for Israel. They go up unto the house of the Lord, at Jerusalem, the beautiful city, compact and built together. The tribes all go up there to the testimony of Israel to give thanks to the Name of the Lord. It carries us back to Deuteronomy and to Leviticus, where God made provision that wherever He put His Name, all the tribes of Israel should go up to the feasts of the Lord three times a year, to give thanks to the name of the Lord; at the Passover, where they celebrated redemption; at Pentecost; and then at the feast of Tabernacles at the close of the year, the feast of ingathering after the day of atonement, to give thanks to His Name.

In the epistle to the Hebrews, after having spoken of the blessings of the new covenant, the apostle contrasts the old covenant under the law with the new. He says:"Ye are not come unto the mount that might be touched," that is, to mount Sinai, but "ye are come unto mount Zion," the earthly Jerusalem. "Beautiful for situation, the joy of the whole earth is mount Zion."

We need not be reminded that as Christians we have not come literally to the earthly Jerusalem; so you will remember that the apostle goes on immediately to say that we have come also to the heavenly city, the new Jerusalem. That is, we have come to our proper and appropriate blessings as Christians. But it is on the basis of grace, of which mount Zion speaks, and that is in one sense suggested by the new covenant. Mount Zion is where God will establish His blessing with the people according to the new covenant, and therefore, as the earthly place is a figure and shadow of the heavenly, it seems to me that it is doing no violence at all to the real meaning of this psalm to apply it to ourselves as members of the Church of Christ.

Remembering that our mount Zion is simply the grace of God which has brought us into His presence, and that our Jerusalem is not an earthly city nor an earthly government, but that the house of God for us is a real place and that the government of God's house is a real thing; what I want to do to-night is to try and point out for us some of the thoughts that we gather in that way from this Psalm. Grace is always the same, though it may act in different connections; and holiness is always the same, though it may act in different circumstances. I feel sure that we can get for ourselves, as Christians, some lessons both of grace and holiness in connection with the house of God, from this psalm.

"I was glad when they said unto me, let us go unto the house of the Lord." How our hearts have often responded in the same way! How blessed it is to be able to say, from the depths of our hearts, that we are glad to go unto the house of the Lord, that we are glad to have to do with that which speaks of the presence of the Lord and His government.

For that is what is suggested by the house. It is not a question of individual salvation, nor is it a question of individual communion. When you speak of a house, I suppose you might say the simplest thought of a house is a place where more than one person lives. It suggests the thought of society, of association. The place where God dwells is called His house, in relation with His people.

But here we are confronted with a contrast. For an Israelite, God dwelt in solitude in His house. He might in His mercy call His people about the gates of that house, but then they had no access, no entrance into that house, no way of approach beyond the outer court. It was only for the few privileged priests to enter any nearer than that. Thus in connection with the house of God for Israel, we have suggested that distance which the veil down and un-rent always implies, distance and not nearness. But how blessed the contrast is for us, beloved. We have boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus. There is access right into the house of God where God Himself dwells. More than that, and most wonderful is what the apostle Peter says; that we have come to Christ, the Living Stone, to be "a spiritual house." We ourselves are built up to be the house of God, or, as the apostle Paul puts it to the Ephesians:" Builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit."

So the thought of a house with us suggests association with God. It is God's house, and first of all there must be association with God. Beloved, fellowship is a sweet thing, but what is it that binds us together, that makes us in any sense the house of God? It is because God is recognized in the house. It is God's house, and our association is first with Him, or we could not have any true fellowship one with another. I put it to you, dear brethren, when you say, "I was glad," what is the first joy? Is it not to meet the Lord Himself ? Is not that the first joy of all, dear as it is to meet one another and to have the sweetest association together, the gladness that is so spontaneous in our hearts is that we are going to meet the Lord.

Now, I want to be very simple to-night, so simple that we will think of the real lesson and riot of the way in which it is put. "Where two or three are gathered together unto My Name, there am I in the midst." There is the house of God for us, where the Lord is in the midst; and, brethren, if our gathering together is going to be a real spiritual thing for us, it is always to be a gathering together unto Christ Himself.

We hear people sometimes say they are leaving this and that, leaving system and all that kind of thing. Yes, alas, we have to leave our fellow-Christians oftentimes, if we are to be faithful to the Lord. But it is not anything that we leave that puts us into the house of the Lord. It is not a negative thing that makes us right. People that are always occupied with negative things never have anything real for their own souls. You will find them too often occupied with the failures of their brethren, rather than with the blessings and glories of Him whom they have come to meet. The true coming unto the house of the Lord is to meet the Lord.

You remember, in the early part of the book of Judges we are told that the name of Bethel was Luz at the first. Its natural name was Luz; its spiritual name was Bethel. Luz means "separation," "cutting off," " separating from." The monk is the most separated kind of man. He is separated from his home, separated from his friends; gives up his own name even, goes behind stone walls and leads a life of rigid separation. That is Luz, the natural name of separation. What is its spiritual name? Bethel, "the house of God," the presence of God. The Lord makes manifest Himself, and, if we are going to have any enjoyment of Bethel, it must not be a negative thing,-separation from,-it has got to be the actual positive attraction to the Person of the Lord Himself.

It is being gathered unto Him; and beloved, let that mark us, let that be the thing that characterizes us, a people who have to do with the house of God. Let it not be that we are sharp critics because others are not clear as to those priceless things, but let us rather be those whose souls are absorbed in one precious thought, that we have met the Lord Himself.

You remember that when they came to this place, Luz, and wanted to get possession of it, they did not seem to have the courage of faith to take it. Thank God, faith can always take what He has given us title to; but they spied out the city and found one of its inhabitants whom they promised to spare if he would show them the way in. So they got possession of Luz, and called it Bethel. But they let the spared inhabitant go off, and he, as will always be the case, went and built another Luz, a city after the same name as the one which had been captured:I sometimes think there have been many inhabitants of Luz who have been spared and gone off and built the same old city again, marked by the mere separation . from and not by the presence of the Lord Himself.

That is as to the general principle of gathering. Take now, in a very simple way, our gathering on a specific occasion. We will say, take any Lord's Day morning meeting. I am sure as the Lord's
Day comes around, hearts glow with gladness. O brethren, is there a joy like it this side of heaven? To be gathered to the house of God! Again, let us remember that if it is the house of God for us it is that we go to meet the Lord Himself personally. We do not go to hear gifts and all that kind of thing. We go to meet the Lord; you have an appointment, as it were, with the Lord Himself.

Sometimes we complain of dull meetings. Do you think meetings would be dull if we were really meeting the Lord Himself and not meeting one another? Ah no, " In Thy presence is fullness of joy "-a joy that must find expression in fullest worship. I am sure that we need to remember that as we come together it is to meet the Lord in person, so we will be glad when they say:" Let us go unto the house of the Lord." Our feet then "stand within thy gates, O Jerusalem."

That is the first point, and I want to press it. I trust, if the Lord tarry a little season, that which will characterize us will be this positive sense of the presence of the Lord. As we go on further, we will find other things coming in too, judgment and government and all that, but the first thought is His actual presence.

Do you remember what Jacob said when he awoke out of his dream after he had seen an exhibition of God's grace? He says:"How dreadful is this place." "It is the gate of heaven." We do not say it is a dreadful place, but surely if Jacob felt the holiness of the place, realized the holiness of God's presence, how much more should we who have the full blessing of that grace shining in the face of Christ, realize how holy is the house of God where we meet Him!

"Jerusalem is builded as a city that is compact together." When you have a given center of attraction and many drawn together, you have compactness. You remember in the epistle to the Ephesians, after the apostle speaks of the body, the whole body joined to the Head he shows the results in the body:"The Head even Christ, from whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth." Here you have the house of God, Jerusalem built as a city compacted together. What is going to compact the saints together? Holding the Head. How much that implies, of individual, living communion with the Lord Jesus, constant, individual fellowship with Him. From that comes the outflow all around. There will be not only the inflow of communion with Christ, but the outflow, compacting the body together by that which every joint supplies; the outflow of grace one toward another. Here you have a center, and every one is attracted to the Center. If every one is trying to get as close to the center of this room as possible, they will be close together.

The secret of real unity in the assemblies of God's dear people is for each to be drawn personally to the Lord Jesus Christ. Beloved, we cannot legislate that kind of compactness. We can talk about our duty to be close together, but if we are drawn to Christ, as, thank God, I am sure our hearts are being drawn, are we not knit together? is not heart knit with heart?

It is not because we are loving one another first. We are not ashamed to say that we love Christ better than one another. The nearest natural tie is nothing compared with that which binds us to Him. We do love one another, just for the simple reason that we are drawn to the Lord Jesus Christ. That will be used of God to heal the things which you cannot describe. Are things holding together very loosely? Saints not knit together? You cannot force them. Saints are distant toward one another, suspicious of one another, whispering comes in? You cannot deal with it as if it were some overt act that you could discipline about. But if you are drawn, if Christ takes hold of our hearts and draws them together, I defy all the power of the world and all the power of Satan to keep us apart from one another.

Beloved brethren, is there not a need of our being drawn to Christ, not as a means of being drawn to one another, but because the distance from one another tells of a greater distance of heart from the Lord Jesus Himself? If we recognize these things, if any of the assemblies represented here recognize these things here is the blessed remedy. "Jerusalem is builded as a city that is compact together," a united, a living, really vital connection one with another, that the world looks upon and can no more understand than it can understand Christ Himself. "Therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew Him not."

Now, you have the tribes going up. "Whither the tribes go up, the tribes of the Lord, unto the testimony of Israel." We hear a good deal sometimes about a testimony. We want to be a testimony. You notice it is a single word, one united testimony. As we were seeing in the second chapter of 2 Corinthians, the saints are "manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ." It is not epistles, as if there might be many of them, but only one-one testimony, one commendation. Think of God, as it were, sending a letter of commendation in His living people, that even the world itself can read and understand, that which recommends the grace of God.

Here we have the tribes going up to the testimony of Israel. The Lord's people are to be a testimony for Him, and, dear brethren, let us not forget that if God, in His infinite grace and mercy, has raised up a testimony to the truth of His Church, it is one of the highest honors that can be conceived, to be connected with that testimony. Do you thing lightly of the privilege of being associated even with two or three who are gathered on the principles of God's truth to the Name of Christ ? I tell you, brethren, next to the salvation of your souls there is no more momentous event in your history than your being brought by the Spirit of God to see the truth of the testimony which God has raised up.

It is no light thing. It is no trifling thing, which God has put into our hands. It is no trifle, brethren, that we are connected with a testimony like this. From the depths of my soul, I can bless God that in His infinite grace, He has entrusted me with a share in this holy, blessed testimony. O beloved brethren, think of it, a testimony in a time when everything is going to pieces. It is not merely a testimony to God's way of salvation, but a testimony to that which is nearest and dearest to the heart of Christ- of anything in the created universe. That is the Church, the Bride. We are associated with the testimony to that blessed fact. If you believe it honestly-talk about possession of wealth, or learning, or anything of that sort, it is trash, rubbish, compared with this commanding truth.

If Israel, in looking around, could say, "We have a strong city, salvation will God appoint for walls and bulwarks," beloved, how much more can we acknowledge the amazing grace that has connected us with the testimony as to the Church of God. It is not the testimony of a few people-do not think for a moment, that we are the only people, it is the testimony for the whole people of God. Just as Israel meant the whole twelve tribes, and just as Elijah with the ten tribes and in a day of ruin, builded the altar with the twelve stones that spoke of undivided Israel, as a testimony of Israel, so we, a feeble remnant,-often that which is despised as to its numbers, and ability, and endowments, and things of that kind,-are standing for the whole Church of Christ.

Unless we are sure that we are a witness for all the people of God, we have not a sense of the responsibility and dignity of the position. You may say that is high Church doctrine; but the Church is high ; we cannot tamper with it; we cannot trifle with it; we cannot adopt half-way measures in connection with the Church, the Church of Christ, the house of God, the pillar and ground of the truth, as the apostle declares it. We cannot speak slightingly of it. If we are not connected with a testimony of that kind, we had better at once give up the whole thing. If it is not a testimony for the whole Church of Christ, I am not surprised to see disintegration and every thing of that kind.

If it is a testimony for all the people of God, you need not be surprised that it is going to be assailed and mocked. As in Nehemiah's time the enemies did everything to break up the little feeble testimony to the truth of Israel in that day, so he will do in this. If the enemy lets us alone as to our testimony, we may be afraid that it is not a clear testimony. If there is difficulty in connection, we may thank God that He permits difficulty, because Satan would never trouble a thing that was not a real menace to himself.

So it is the testimony of Israel-all the people of God. That will keep the heart large. What a despicable thing it is to see a man looking down with contempt upon Christ's beloved people ! You will not have that feeling if you realize that the testimony which, by God's grace, you are seeking to maintain is for the whole Church of God. Ah, brethren, we are, by His grace, standing firm and seeking in our little measure to obey God, for whom ? Who are these brethren and companions for whose sake He says:"Peace be within thee " Brethren and companions are the whole people of God, whoever they are. The very ones who may despise us and hate us for what they call our exclusiveness are the ones for whose sakes, next to God's glory, we are seeking the peace and prosperity of the house of God.

What a dignity, what a wonderful thing to be entrusted with such a testimony ! I repeat it, that if you realize it, you will thank God every day of your life that you are put in connection with it. You will realize it to be the highest dignity and honor that could be given to any creature on earth.

They go up "unto the testimony of Israel." Then you have:"To give thanks unto the name of the Lord," and that shows what we are gathered for. We are not gathered, as you might say, to be a testimony. That is a result of it, but a man who is always trying to be a testimony will be occupied with his testimony, rather than with the One for whom he is to testify. But we are gathered unto the testimony of Israel, to give thanks to the name of the Lord.

What a lovely thought the Lord gave that poor sinful woman of Samaria, when He said, "The Father seeketh worshipers." It is expressing the appreciation of the heart of God. It is offering back to God the appreciation of hearts to whom He has given the knowledge of Himself. We give back to Him our appreciation of what He has made known to us. He is seeking hearts that will respond to the manifestation of His grace. What is your thought of heaven ? Is it not worship ? It is offering eternally the apprehension of the glories of the character of our blessed God, which He has made known to us through Christ, and which we will there know in its infinite fulness. We are together to give thanks unto the name of the Lord.

We come together to the house of the Lord in our little weekly meetings, realizing that it is the testimony for all Israel. What do we give? It is worship, if we are rightly gathered. It is the Lord Himself who is to be before us, and worship will characterize our meeting. Surely our hearts must be in a cold state if giving thanks to the name of the Lord does not mark our gathering as a testimony.

Is praise stinted ? is the spirit of worship feeble amongst us ? Oh, brethren, worship feeble in the house of God, with all the display of what grace has done for us, with the presence of the Lord Jesus amongst us, with the Holy Ghost unfolding His word to our wondering souls,-and worship feeble?

Take the Levitical offerings. Suppose a company of God's people attempting to offer back in praise and thanksgiving the truths connected even with the burnt-offering. Suppose they sought to present before God the perfections and beauties of Christ as seen in the bullock-in its full strength. They see Him without blemish and without spot, with the outer covering removed, all the hidden springs laid bare, and with the word of God applied, but bringing out only the perfections and purity of His character. They see Him divided apart, head and feet, and all the various parts, speaking of Christ, His thoughts, His ways, His deeds, everything connected with Him. They think of all that going up in death before God. The memory of all this is presented at the meeting for worship where we come to give thanks to God. Would there be any dearth in the praises ? But that is only one; take all the offerings. Take all the types. Leave the types. Come to the plain, simple word, the wondrous unfoldings of Christ, as you have them in the Epistles.

Talk about stinted praise, silent lips! My dear brother, is there any one here who never opens his lips to give thanks to the name of the Lord ? What are you thinking of ? Yourself ? Stop that, and think of Christ, and as you think of Christ, I am sure that you cannot keep your lips closed.

" Our hearts are full of Christ, And long the glorious matter to declare."

As you have it in the forty-fifth psalm, "My heart is bubbling up with a good matter ;I speak of the things which I have made touching the King." "Thou art fairer than the sons of men." If I could only be used here to-night by God's grace to unseal a single heart, to unclose a single mouth in the assemblies of God's people, I would bless Him from the depths of my heart. Silent brothers in the meetings where we give thanks to the name of the Lord ! Is it a characteristic weakness amongst us? We want to be stirred up about it. It is a dishonor and shame for those who have had such grace and such love shown them. Let us go into our closets. We want no formal praises, but living praises, from loving hearts that have been set free in the holy presence of our God.

That suggests a whole line of thought, a whole connection that I will not enlarge upon. Our own conscience, our own sense of need, will lead us on in that line. Beloved, let us remember that we are gathered unto the testimony to give thanks.

Think of a man who is able to defend the position, who has not a word of thanks when he comes to the Lord's table. Beloved, if there is one thing that ought to mark us, it is the spirit of worship. What is it in that little hymn-book that makes it different from any book of praise you ever saw before ? It is Christ who is before the soul there. And if Christ is before your souls as you gather to His Name, the praise and worship of your heart will not be the form of singing hymns, but the irrepressible bubbling up that will bring refreshing and joy to our blessed God. He seeks worshipers. We are only giving Him what His blessed heart of love craves, to see His people happy in His love, pouring out their souls in thanksgiving.

"There are set thrones of the house of David." They speak of government and rule. What we have had thus far is grace, that which brings out the love, the attractive side. He is the God of all grace. But now right in the center, in Jerusalem, in a very real sense in the sanctuary, you have mention of thrones. What was the mercy-seat ? Do you know, we have a very selfish way of looking at the mercy-seat? We think of it as a place where we have access. It was more than that, it was the throne of Jehovah in the midst of His people. What a wonderful thought that the place where God has His throne is the place where His grace is magnified in the acceptance of the guiltiest sinner, and the blood upon the throne and before the throne, tells us of our perfect acceptance according to the will of God, and that His righteousness and judgment have been fully vindicated. His throne established in that which is the foundation of peace, the work of Christ.

There is no doubt the psalmist had in his mind the government of those thrones of judgment, in connection with Messiah's rule. But, applying this to ourselves, as before, that which is to characterize the assembly of God, is judgment, the throne, the ordering of divine government. What is it that makes an assembly differ, we will say, from a sect? You will say, we have no denominational name. Is that all ? Why, such are scattered all around-any little company of Christians that chooses to come together- and is that an assembly ? No wonder God's people are harassed and scattered if they think that is God's mind of an assembly. An assembly is marked by a throne of judgment, government exercised. It is the place of divine judgment. Of course, I am only adapting the language to spiritual things. The throne of David suggests the Lord's place of supremacy that we recognize in the assembly.

You cannot have true worship unless you have a true sense of the governmental authority of the Lord Jesus Christ. This is not subjection to my brother, not obedience to the assembly, but it is the whole assembly in obedience to the Lord Jesus Christ. That is the throne of judgment. How much it suggests ! Do we recognize that sufficiently, the absolute supremacy, the Lordship of our blessed Saviour ? Where is self-will when that is recognized ? Where is there any room for self-will ? It is no question of my will against my brother's will. It is no question of seeing who can gather the most saints and pull in opposite directions. It is only the supremacy of the Lord Jesus Christ. He rules, and by His word He makes known His will; and whoever may point to that will, to the authority of Christ and His word, beloved, we have got to bow to that word as absolutely as though it were sounded in thunder from Sinai itself or from heaven.

Bowing to the authority of Christ ! Think of Christ being enthroned amongst His people. He is our Lord and we own His absolute authority. But, then, the throne of judgment suggests another line of things. In the East the ruler had to judge the cases of wrong doing and everything of that kind, and in the assembly of God, the throne of judgment not only suggests in a general way the authority of Christ, but in a specific and particular way the investigation and the dealings with all matters connected with the government of the house of God. That is just as characteristic of an assembly, as is the relationship that we were speaking of.

Discipline begins with the examination of persons to be received, Some one comes and says, I have
brought my friend with me and he is a dear child of God, and I would like to have him break bread. Does that settle it? Is that the throne of judgment? Is that letting the Spirit of God discern for us? Is that the solemn weighing and testing whether or not the Lord Jesus Christ desires that this one should be received into the company of that which is to be a testimony for the whole Church of Christ? Reception is a solemn thing, it is not dropping in and then dropping out again. Beloved brethren, it is no violation of the unity of the Spirit, and surely it is no denial of the unity of the body, to exercise the greatest discrimination and care in receiving those who seek to have a share in the solemn responsibilities of the house of God.

Trace the troubles in the assembly of God back to their source and you will find that one fruitful source of trouble has been the reception of those who have not been properly exercised in conscience as to the immense responsibilities of the place they have come into. They have come in lightly, without learning in their souls what it is to be in the presence of God.

They have not learned the end of themselves, and so they bring in that which can only bring discord and sorrow and trouble. Is it not so as we trace our common sins, and common shame? Has not much of it originated with just this, the failure to exercise judgment in reception?

Apply it to the spiritual condition of every one of us in the assembly of God. We were saying that we ought to be intimately acquainted with the spiritual state of every one in the assembly,-not by being a busy body in other men's matters. Never make the mistake of prying into the details of others' lives; let them alone unless God brings it out for you. It is always a mistake to do that. It brings fresh sorrow and trouble oftentimes. But we can be acquainted with the spiritual condition of every one in the assembly without prying, and without pretending, any of us, to be better than the other. Surely each of us ought to have a godly love, a jealous care for the spiritual condition of our brethren. May the Lord revive amongst us a sense of that real genuine love for every one. May provoking one another unto love, be aroused amongst us more than ever, that we may, as it were, get close to the heart of every one in the assembly and find out just where they stand before God. How often would the evil be checked.

Why is it that evil springs up in the midst of gatherings? Who is to blame for it? If there had been more exercise, more prayer, more discernment, more true fellowship one with another, how much would be checked and cut off that now, alas, is al-lowed to come out to its full fruitage, to the shame and sorrow of all! May the Lord make us more jealous in this phase of judgment in the house of God!

I do not speak of discipline, except to remind us that it has its place, it must have its place amongst a company who are to be a testimony for the people of God. Painful,-who can tell the sorrows connected with it?-and yet, beloved, it is that which makes us realize that we are together, because we have passed through common sorrows. There must be and will be the exercise of discipline indeed in an assembly of God. Let it be marked by prayer, by a humble spirit. Let the government and discipline spring out of worship, and be but a needful part of that.

Peace is the result of all that. If that characterizes the house of God, peace is the result. So we find that it comes next. "Pray for the peace of Jerusalem." That does not mean peace at the expense of truth and divine principles. It is in connection with the thrones of judgment that you have praying for the peace of the Lord's people. And, dear brethren, " They shall prosper that love thee." Have you seen brethren who began to awaken to the needs of the assembly? They have made comparatively little growth, perhaps, for many years. They have gone on in a quiet kind of way; perhaps you have lamented that there has been so little progress. But now there has been an awakening to the sense of the needs of the assembly of God, and they have been praying for the peace of the assembly of God, really awakened and exercised. The result is, their souls prosper. " They shall prosper that love thee."

Christ loves the Church. Christ loves every little testimony to His truth. Oh, from the depths of my soul do I pray for the whole gathered assembly of Christ in connection with the grace in which He has put us! "Peace be within thy walls,"-that which separates us from the outside,-and "prosperity within thy palaces,"-the assembly of God which for us is a palace, even the palace of the King. And, as I was saying before, "for my brethren and companions' sake," for all the beloved people of God throughout the world that meet not with us, will now say, "Peace be within thee." It is for His house, and whatever we may do, no matter how menial the service, I am sure that the least thing and the most menial thing, the most self-denying thing that is done for the house of the Lord has His approval upon it.

Psalm 127:emphasizes the lesson of faith in connection with the house of God. We must ever be reminded that all our effort, all our poor, puny work is nothing in itself. As Solomon says here, or David, who writes for Solomon, as the temple is growing up there in its beauty:"Except the Lord build the house, they labor in vain who build it." I am sure we are not sorry to say this. We will be willing to let our labor be in vain if the Lord is not building His house. If the saints who are being added in grace,-if it is not the Lord's work, all our Bible readings and trying to unfold Scripture is useless. Unless the Lord is working, "They labor in vain who build it." Thank God, He is working, we can count upon Him. Let us never forget it. As Solomon watched that temple rising with its beautiful proportions, and could say that all the labor that was done upon it would be in vain and worthless if the Lord did not build it, so let us remember that it is God who is working and not man. It is not the instrument He may use.

It is none of ourselves who are building. It is God who is building the house, and unless He does it, all our work is in vain. That stops your trying to pull the fruit before it is ripe. It stops all these unseemly arguments about truth that oftentimes are humiliating rather than edifying. If it is God who is doing the work, we can leave it with God. When He is done with us, we drop into our place and the work goes on, for it is God who is building.

Here the watchmen go around the city walls, looking to see that no unclean person comes around.
Watchman, what of the night? They go about, looking, but there is an Eye that never closes, there is One who never slumbers nor sleeps. How sweet it is to know that it is not our watching, it is not our care, it is the Lord, who keeps the city, and unless He does it, all is in vain. Will the watchman go home and go to bed? Not at all. He will watch all the more vigilantly. He will be careful to do God's work with pains, the porter will be careful to see that no unworthy person draw near. His faith in God will only make him all the more careful as he seeks by His grace to keep the city where the name of our God is placed.

How restful it is, how sweet to know it is God who is working. " If God be for us, who can be against us?". How that stops all restless Martha-service. "It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows:for so He giveth His beloved sleep," or sleeping.

" O earth so full of dreary noises;
O men with wailing in your voices,
O delved gold, the wailer's heap;
O strife, O curse that o'er it fall-
God makes a silence through you all,
And giveth His beloved sleep."

What is a house without children? A house where the children have all gone out, and found homes for themselves,-what a lonely kind of a place it is to the old people who are left behind! They miss the prattle, they miss the dear little hands and feet, busy perhaps in mischief, running around the house, but they miss them. " Children are a heritage from the Lord." What we have been saying applies to Christians. But my heart has often wept, as I have thought how few spiritual children there are in God's house.

Where does God get most of His children born? Outside. Evangelists who know little about the truth of God, earnest men and women, knowing a little, gather precious souls, saved souls. Why should there not be some of this heritage of the Lord amongst His gathered people? Oh, you say, but we are not evangelists. I do not believe it takes evangelists to see souls saved. Beloved, I sometimes wish there was no such thing as a platform in the meeting room of the saints. It is not preaching that we are after. It is souls born again,-children born. How? By the word of God. There is that mother in the assembly, she has her little children. Are they going to be born again? Who are going to be the ones used of God to bring them into the marvelous light? Some teacher in a mission school, or some one off yonder? What a reproach! Our older ones, are they going to get their blessing in the house of God amongst us or elsewhere?

"He rewardeth them who diligently seek Him." It is the reward. " Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them." It is as though they were' weapons. How many souls have been saved in connection with the assembly where you are, during the past year? "Oh,"you say, " don't put it that way." Why not put it that way? Why not have exercise in that direction? Souls born again! "When Zion travailed, she brought forth," and, beloved brethren, if there were that pouring out of soul in prayer, if there were that which would take no refusal from God, if there were that which would plead and claim from Himself this token of His favor and approval amongst us, we would hear the prattle of the new born souls, praising and rejoicing in our God.

It is said of our Lord Jesus:"Thou hast the dew of Thy youth."He never grew old, blessed be His Name, fresh in communion with His God in His whole life, He never lost it for a moment. How is it with our souls? Is Christ just the same for us as the day when we first found Him for our souls 'Is He? Then may you not expect some "children of youth?"If your soul is fresh and tender in your first love, that is what is going to be rewarded in this way.

I was thinking of this in connection with what we always have, thank God, on Lord's days at these meetings, the gospel of the grace of God. What for? Just to hear how nicely this or that brother can put the gospel? Is that what we have been thinking? "A nice gospel," we say. What is a nice gospel, brethren? It is that which will bring some soul to life. What I want to pray for, is that if it be God's sovereign grace to do so, we will see some child born. I do not care who preaches. If we all got down here and wept and owned our departure from God, and some child of some parent would, as a result of it, cry:"Oh, I must find God to-day!" that would be a reward from God.

We want to hear the assemblies of God sounding with the speech of infants. Our own dear children, shall not these be born in the house of God? Where is the natural source of supply for assemblies? I assure you, I do not believe it ought to be picking people out of the sects. I would far rather see souls brought to Christ and find their homes in the assembly, than to have people gathered out of the sects even. Thank God for every one who sees the truth and comes out clear. Who would say nay? But, O brethren, for a distinctive work in the gospel of God's grace in connection with the house of our God. We would not be ashamed then. Go right into the gate, right into the place of judgment. Let the enemy come, let him say, "You brethren do not have much blessing in the gospel." But we are ashamed, and sometimes we say, "You know brethren's distinctive work is to edify Christians." Why do we say so? Because we have so few children to show. But if we turn to our God, thanks be to Him, the fresh dew is ever ready for us, and if that freshness of dew is upon us all, I do not believe that He will refuse us this token of His favor that He is using His beloved people.

May God grant it! Amen!

Luke 8:3.

Jesus, who could supply others by miracles, lived Himself by the providence of God. The Lord of the universe, who at first created the world, and who still by His providence makes the earth fruitful for the supply of man and beast, instead of supplying His wants by immediate creation, drew His supplies from His people. Wonderful humiliation! The Lord of heaven and earth condescends to live on the bounty of those who are supplied by His own providence! Thus He gave the most amazing instance of humility, and afforded an opportunity to His disciples to manifest their faith and love. In this way He still acts. He makes some of His people poor, that others may have an opportunity of ministering to Him by ministering to the saints; for what is done to His people is done to Himself.

All true service of God and His people will be distinguished by a consciousness of being sustained and guided in it by God. But in order to do this, there is commonly a hard lesson to be learned by painful discipline-the lesson of our own nothingness, and the vanity of all our own devices and resources.

Moses occupied the highest place in Egypt under Pharaoh, learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and mighty in word and deed. All the treasures of Egypt were at his command. We know that even then he was a believer, and by faith turned away from the wealth, honors and pleasures of the world, "choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God." He had a conviction that God would use him to deliver His people. And no doubt he supposed that all these worldly advantages, which had been so wonderfully bestowed on him, were important means of accomplishing this end. In such a confidence, he chose his own time to interfere in their quarrels; and supposed that they, too, would think as he did, that one possessed of such advantages was the very man to deliver them. But in this expectation he met only with disappointment, and learned that it was not by the strength and wisdom of Egypt that God was to be served.

At the age of forty, in the vigor and maturity of all his natural powers, Moses is a fugitive in the wilderness, and there he spends forty years in tending sheep. The fires of natural zeal and ambition have burned out; all the advantages he once possessed are lost; if remembered at all at the court of Egypt, the remembrance will render his return thither perilous. He is now an old man, well stricken in years. But God's time has now come; and in solitude with himself He has been preparing His servant; and the last step of the preparation was the manifestation of His own glory to one who was to act in His name. The mode of this manifestation was instructive-"a flame of fire in a bush;" and the wonder was that, frail and perishable as it seems, "the bush was not consumed." That fire which devours the enemy, and will at last consume every evil work, is as a wall of defense to God's people, few and feeble as they appear by any carnal estimate.

There Moses stands unshod in the presence of the divine holiness, while God proclaims His name, and reveals His compassion for His chosen but afflicted people. "And now come," He says, "I will send thee into Egypt." Where is now the forwardness and self – confidence which assumed the office of Israel's deliverer, uncalled and unsent ? Now, when God sends, Moses is filled with a humbling sense of his incompetence. "Who am I, that I should go unto Pharaoh, and that I should bring forth the children of Israel out of Egypt ?" He has learned his own insignificance. And never yet did a believer go forth in a service to which he was truly called of God with any other feeling than that which Moses expressed when he said, "Who am I ? "All in which nature glories, and on which nature would count, go for nothing when we come to this point. "Who is sufficient for these things?"Brethren, have you been brought to this point ?As has been remarked, "There would be much more profitable and happy service if we only served God's order."It is delightful to see activity in service; but then it should be connected with communion with God in secret, and the acknowledgment of God's sovereignty. Thus we should serve joyfully, not as though God needed our service, but as desiring to glorify Him in our bodies and our spirits, which are His; not lightly, but "with reverence and godly fear; for our God is a consuming fire."