CALENDAR FOR AUGUST

Daily Bible Reading …. .August 1st, Jer. 17; 15th, Jer. 31;
Memory Work…… Galatians, chap. 3:1-14.. [31st, Jer. 47
Good Reading… . C. H. M. Notes on Genesis, pages 174 to 243

During the past month, July, we finished in our daily consecutive reading, the prophet Isaiah. Don't you feel as if you would like to start at the beginning and read it again ? How grand it is, even as a piece of literature;-how noble the description of the future glories of Christ's earthly millennial kingdom, as in chap. 35; how tender and sweet the 40th chap., "Comfort ye, comfort ye my people; " how inspiring the call to Zion in the last days, "Arise, shine, for thy light is come," chap. 60 ! How rich it is, too, in what we call Christology, or Scriptures directly referring to our Lord. We have His birth of the Virgin predicted, chap. 7:14; His earthly ministry and His deity, chap. 9:1-7; His future kingdom, chap. 11; His rejection and atoning sufferings, chap. 53. But we cannot go into details. I trust we have received profit from it. If you have the time, it would be a good thing to read the entire book through again, rapidly; this will help to fasten it in the mind. But we have already been reading in Jeremiah, and you may have noticed the change. The condition of the nation has become worse, they are fast bringing the judgment of captivity upon themselves; in fact the account of that captivity is included in the book. If national hopes depended upon national faithfulness, it would indeed be the end of everything for Israel. Indeed, the sorrow of it all presses much upon Jeremiah, and makes the name, "the weeping prophet," most appropriate. But the Spirit of God leads him beyond the gloom of the present, to the brightness of the coming restoration of the people to the Lord and their land. We must then read carefully each chapter as it comes, and we will be amply repaid.

We are cutting chapter 3 of Galatians in half for the Memory Work during August, as the magazine is quite late in reaching you, but the publishers hope to send it out earlier. This half-chapter leaves time for review and "catching up." You will be interested in reading the communication from "an old brother'' (with a young heart), in " Correspondence." It deals with " Memory Work."

Of Good Reading I will not say much. C. H. M. speaks for itself-so simple, rich in the gospel, and withal so pungent. I am dividing the remainder of the book between August and September. So let us try to interest others in this reading. It would be no difficult task (for those who have not yet begun to read the book) to start now, and they could easily finish the volume with us by the last of September, and start with us on Exodus, in October. How many recruits can you enlist in this Good Reading ?

Correspondence

"A word of cheer is always in season. I want to say I am much pleased because a New Department for Young Christians is added to Help and Food. This I am sure, under your care, will be a channel of much help to young and old. I am especially pleased that you suggest the memorizing of Galatians. This should be a pleasing and profitable employ for all.

"The Bible says:-'Thy word have I hid in my heart that I might not sin against Thee.' How else can we hide the word in our heart if we do not commit it to memory ? The first chapter I memorized was Isaiah 55. I did this in England when at Sunday-school. I always had all my memory lessons by Tuesday night, and kept reading and repeating them from memory the rest of the week. I had to walk six miles to Sunday-school, and the school opened at 9:30 A. M.

"A Korean Christian tells how he memorized the Sermon on the Mount, and repeated it without an error. He says it was a little difficult at first. He would commit a few verses to memory, but soon forgot them. Then he took one verse at a time, learned it, and went out to find some one on whom to practice what he had learned; and when he practiced, then he remembered. Let us follow his example, his method was a good one. Don't follow the example of a sister who told me the other day she began to learn Galatians but got discouraged and gave up. She was repeating some verses, and her sister said, Wait till I get the Bible and see how you say them. She had been making a few mistakes. Mistakes are common to all of us. The mistakes we make should make us better men and women. I wonder how many of my young friends can tell me the difference between Galatians and Romans ? " "An old brother."

" The more we study the word of God, the more we want to, for what wonders unfold before us as we ponder its pages! We have found this in our Bible Class.

"At 4 P. M., every second Lord's Day, our young people meet and join with the school in the opening exercises. We then repair to the room on the 2d floor and continue our class for about an hour and a half. To eliminate the difficulty of distances we serve a light supper of sandwiches and cake after the class. At this we are joined by the Sunday-school teachers and generally two or three of the pupils. We thus have happy intercourse together until the time for the evening meeting, and it is noticeable that the attendance at the evening meeting is usually larger on these occasions.

"One of the class was appointed as treasurer to take care of the funds, as the expense of the tea is met by contributions from the class. Another acts as buyer, and different ones in turn take charge of the kitchen. Another acts as secretary.

Our leader-an older brother-prepares a set of questions on the subject chosen-half as many in number as the number of young people-and prior to our coming together these are mailed to the members of the class. Each finds his answers at home, and they are taken up in the class. We had some very profitable lessons. Our first subject was, 'Salvation-past, present, and future.' Then we spent several weeks on 'The Titles of the Lord.' We then took up some doctrinal subjects as 'Righteousness,' 'Grace,' etc., and at our last two meetings the subjects were, ' The Holy Spirit' and ' The Trinity.'

During the vacation months the class is discontinued, but should the Lord delay His coming we hope to re-commence it in the autumn with increased profit and blessing.

" For the successful conduct of the class we are very much indebted to both Mr. and Mrs. P." M. E. B.

We thank our young correspondent for such an interesting account of the Young People's meeting. It is most helpful, and I think will stimulate others to attempt similar work for the Lord.
" I have, like a good many others, I expect, read the ' Y. B. D.' with much interest. I think it will fill a long felt want with the young people, and doubt not that much blessing will result.

" It is so easy in this busy life to let the days slip by with very little time-and sometimes even none-devoted to the study of God's word. This frequently occurs, not from wilful neglect, but because of pressure of manifold duties. The result, however, is disastrous. One cannot expect to maintain a healthy existence spiritually, not to speak of growth, without a constant feeding on spiritual food; nor is it possible without this to withstand the effects of the heavy, impure atmosphere of the world with which we are sur. rounded, and which we are forced to breathe in our daily lives.

"The fact that a course of study has been outlined for us, and that others in various places are following the same outline, will, I think, furnish the needed stimulus."

We have a letter from a brother who has the Young People much on his heart, and speaks of opposition to Young People's meetings! Why ? By whom ? That there are dangers, as in everything, we all know- danger of independence of the assembly, of levity, of lack of judgment-plenty of dangers, but let us be on our guard, prayerfully, against these. Is there not a greater danger of neglecting the beloved young Christians ? Let us counsel together, and get all the helps and hints we can; but let us ask the Lord if He has not something for us to do in this line.

Save the Pieces

Did you ever stop to think of how much value the neglected fragments of many lines of work are? I have a very striking example before me just now in the immense heaps-mountains we might almost call them-of refuse from the coal mines. These vast heaps accumulated till they were in the way; the streams which flowed from the mines became so clogged up that they were choked, and overflowed their banks, spreading far and wide over the valleys, and covering them with unsightly blackness. Then it was found that these heaps of refuse had immense quantities of fine, but most valuable coal in them ; and now the dredgers are at work gathering thousands of tons out of the beds of streams and rivers.

There is something more valuable than coal. It is time. Perhaps we all waste a good deal of time, but it is not libel, I think, to say that " we young folks " let immense numbers of golden minutes and hours slip by without yielding any true profit. Just try for yourself to account for the hours and minutes of any day, say to-day. Of course work takes from eight to ten hours; sleep, eight hours; meals, one and a half hours -and so on. But no one can keep your time account but yourself. So take your note-book, and try to see how much of the twenty-four hours you can really account for; the balance will be the waste. Now we will not be able to dredge those golden hours that are past from the stream of time. The water that has flowed by the mill grinds no corn. But it is for the present and the future I speak. Let us stop some of this waste. In this way you will find that your complaint of " no time " for Bible Reading, and for Good Reading, and other things, will have ceased. Save the pieces.

Wanted!

Short sketches of your work-its interests, difficulties, and above all its opportunities of work for the Lord. Let me illustrate:

1. The Trained Nurse – her training, work, and chances to witness for the Lord.

2. Office work-stenographer, etc.

3. The School-teacher.

4. The Factory, and men's work generally.

5. In Government employ.

These are only hints. There are plenty of other callings of which we will be glad to hear, and have our interest and prayers aroused. See what you can send -about 150 words. I believe this will be helpful in a number of ways.

Now there is another matter of very great importance, which I think ought to draw out a good many useful thoughts. It is the high school; its value, opportunities, helps, dangers, etc. Some of you have just finished High School. You have things of which you are glad, and some, perhaps, for which you are sorry. Let us hear, in a general way, about these. Others of you are just starting in, or are "mid-seas." It's for you to let us hear about things. These articles would be seasonable for September and October numbers ; but let us have them whenever you can.

The Secret Life

We have been talking and thinking of our team-work, things we can do and enjoy together. But there is a life which must be lived with God alone-we call it, in a general way, the life of communion. It embraces the intercourse between ourselves and God, and includes secret prayer, self-judgment, confession-and the feeding upon His holy word. We cannot make rules for this life; it must be personal, and largely private. We cannot talk much about it, but we must live it in our own hearts with God. Such a life is happy, free, holy. It will not make us recluses; on the contrary it will fit us to give and to receive much in our intercourse with others.

Are you happy in this secret life ?