One of the Secrets of Gardening.

Good gardening is, to be an indefatigable enemy of weeds. Preventing their growth necessitates the stirring of the soil; and the more the soil is stirred, the better the crop grows and the greater the yield. So with the Christian:the more sincerely and earnestly he takes sides with God against himself, the more he will grow; the weeds of his evil nature will not be able to develop, and this will cause the new nature to have deeper roots, greater growth, richer and more abundant fruit.

This means, of course, that such a gardener must be industrious, early and late against the enemy, because of his love for the goodly plants which grow in his garden.

And what is the finest garden of earth compared with the garden of heaven in the believer's soul ? If that one is worth all the care, labor, industry, bestowed upon it; if it is worth rising up early and watching it late; if it deserve all this toil, all this enriching and watering, which after all is but for a short season, what of this wonderful garden of the soul, whose fragrance and fruit are to abide forever ? Is it not worth while to cultivate it ? Shall we be industrious for what passes away, and careless and idle for what passes not away ?

But, after all, does not the gardener enjoy his labor ? Is he not happy in his toil, even before fruit-time comes ? And is there not holy joy in all our Christian labor and exercises of soul ? Can we fall on our knees in supplication about this or that temptation, fear, need, or service, without rising up again comforted and blessed ? Does not every victory over ourselves and our circumstances make us sing and praise the grace of our great High Priest, and increase our acquaintance with God ? And is not this, of itself, true bliss ?

May the Lord break up all our slothfulness of heart, all our apathy concerning sin-sin, not in our brother, but in our self; for we can easily be fierce against the mote in our brother's eye while blind to the beam in our own.

May He also break up all self-complacency, for there is no weed more destructive in the garden of the soul. We are so proper, so faultless, so free from what would mar the lofty opinion which our fellows have of us, that we can scarcely realize our incessant dependence on Him who is at the right hand of God, making intercession for us. Or we think ourselves beyond the experience of men in whom the Spirit dwelling "maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered."

Let all weeds be rooted out, that Christ, Christ alone, Christ our righteousness, our sanctification, our redemption, may stand before the soul as our all. Thus will our individual souls flourish, and practical unity will be with love, holiness, and power.

Fresh Opportunities for the Gospel.

From a recent publication we copy the following, which enlarges the field of prayer for all God's people, and of service for such as may be called to it. The paper says:"From a missionary report written some weeks after the revolution in Portugal, it seems evident that the movement was in no way anti-Protestant. Non Catholic preachers never had anything to fear, neither was any opposition shown to the gospel as such. The hostility was directed chiefly against the Jesuits, who had incurred the bitterest hatred of the people. As a result of the revolution, these have now been banished, and the monastic orders (with the exception of one seminary) have been suppressed. Religious liberty has been proclaimed, each church being left free to profess and teach its own doctrines without interference; and members of the government have even expressed pleasure at being able to secure to Protestants this free field for their activities.

" Other regulations are being prepared providing for the civil registration of births, marriages, and deaths; enactments as to divorce and secular education-all in the direction of liberty and freedom from religious tests.

"While it is too early to speak of the stability of the new regime, the present position in Portugal is calculated to call forth the sympathies and prayers of God's people everywhere."