The world has but little use for a man who says this. The spirit of the world is the opposite of that of a little child. The truly childlike spirit which Christ commends and with which God is pleased is conscious of its own weakness, and has confidence in the strength of others-in the mother's love and care. Conscious weakness and confidence in God are two precious possessions which are linked up with the character of the little child. The great need of the child of God is summed up in these two expressions. To be conscious of our own weakness does away with a host of evils which assail the believer. When are we really strong ? Paul will tell you:"When I am weak, then am I strong."

This, then, is the true secret of strength. It is to be in our own eyes what we are in God's eyes, to see ourselves, in some measure, as He sees us; taking the creature place,-the place of a sinful creature saved by grace. Sin has taken man out of his true place, has made him independent of God, has deceived him into imagining he is strong. This we see on every hand; men are fast getting ready to measure their strength against that of Christ.

Coupled with pride is distrust of God. Men do not really believe that God is good. They trust in themselves, and distrust Him. They justify themselves, and condemn Him. In the light of God's holiness and man's sinfulness how awful this appears -a sinful creature judging and condemning a holy God ! A rebellious creature pitting its strength against the Creator! These two sins, pride and unbelief, specially characterize fallen man.

When we are brought to God, when He saves us from our sins, we are to be just the opposite of this. Conscious weakness-humility-confidence in God-faith-these characterize the believer in Christ. But the flesh is still there, pride and unbelief are not destroyed, and every child of God has to grow and increase in these two especially, thus becoming more and more like the little child.

As our lives pass here, we should be losing confidence in ourselves and gaining confidence in God. We can never get to the end of this. We learn more of ourselves, more of God. To know ourselves is to distrust ourselves. To know God is to trust Him. When we see one with great confidence in himself, we may be sure he does not .know himself. When one has great confidence in God, it is proof that he knows God.

These two things, then, should be before the Christian-to learn his own weakness, and to learn to know God. We can desire and pray for nothing better. It is so good to be able to say in our hearts before God, " I am but a little child." We are back in our true place when we can say this. It is the place of rest. The wicked have no rest, because they have no confidence in God, they have not submitted to Him, they are His enemies. What an immense difference between regarding God as an enemy and regarding Him as a little child does its mother. The enmity gone; love takes its place. The doubt and distrust displaced by confidence and faith.

With the consciousness of weakness and the confidence in God comes submission to Him. We cannot yield to Him as we should until we have come to know that our way is seldom or never the best way, and that His way for us is certain to be the best. And this is another thing to pray for:"Lord, have Thy way with me." Then we come to desire that He should have His way with us in all things. Then we are obedient children, and God can use us. He can bless us according to His own purposes of love. How good it is to learn to say, "I am but a little child "! J. W. N.