" Till Christ be formed in you."

The passage in Gal. 4:19-21 shows in a remarkable way what Christianity essentially is, and what is the true purpose of all Christian ministry. Pained at the quick departure of the Galatian believers from the grace of God, the apostle sorrowfully exclaims, "My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you, I desire to be present with you now, and to change my voice; for I stand in doubt of you. Tell me, ye that desire to be under the law, do ye not hear the law?" Then he proceeds to show how law works but bondage, while the grace of Christianity produces sonship and fruit to God. Now, it is not absolutely necessary to use the Ten Commandments to put the soul under bondage. We may use almost anything for this, and by it fail to fulfil the great and glorious purpose of Christianity.

By the cross of Christ, God has pronounced sentence of death upon every soul of man, inasmuch as all are declared by it to be lost sinners. As the judge pronounces sentence of death upon a breaker of the law, and declares him thereby unfit for society, so God, in the cross of Christ, pronounces sentence of death upon every man, and pronounces him unfit for His presence.

Christianity therefore does not propose to moralize man. It comes not to offer man a new or better code of moral ethics than Judaism did. It does not pretend that abstinence in meat or in drink, or hardness to the body, or modes of dress, or refinement of mind and habits, or even moral reform, or any- other thing, avails to set man up again before God. It is none of all this. It is Christ-who is the Eternal Life-implanted in the believer the moment he believes:and the Holy Spirit labors to form Christ (to develop the mind and ways of Christ) in every such believer. The characteristic of Christianity, then, is love to Christ, attachment to His person, devotedness to Him as the One in whom God delights, and delights to honor-He to whom, we are indebted with a debt of gratitude which, neither in time nor in eternity, we can ever repay;-nay, the very sense of that debt is our power to worship and serve Him.

It is that blessed Person therefore whom God the Spirit is forming in us-that lowly, kind, faithful, holy Person whose enthronement in our hearts and whose virtues in our lives God delights in. And it is this object, this same passionate purpose, which marks the ministry of every God-sent man to-day on the face of the earth. Every true servant of Christ is animated by this one purpose. One may lay the foundation in telling of Christ to the children; another, in preaching Christ to sinners; another, build on-teaching saints in the knowledge of Christ; another, in various good works for Christ's sake-all that is Christian, having Christ for its object and its end.

We may turn Christian ordinances and Christian virtues and Christian principles into legal principles, and be as hard, and sectarian, and fanatical as possible, and thus check and hinder God's true purpose -Christ, instead of building wood, hay and stubble for the fire. "Christ is all"-all to God, and to those who have true fellowship with God.

Precious Stones.

Exodus 28 :6-21 tells of the Ephod-one of Aaron's "garments for glory and beauty " as he presented himself before God for the people of Israel. All Christians know that he was the type of Christ in the presence of God for all His people.

Attached to this ephod were two large precious stones, one on each shoulder:on each of which were engraved six names of the tribes of Israel. On the breastplate of this ephod were other precious stones, twelve in number, and the name of one tribe engraved on each jewel.

Why the bunching of names on the shoulders, and the singling on the breast ? We all know the shoulder is the place of strength; and to be "kept by the power of God " is blessed indeed; but to be placed upon His heart, and be able to say, He "loved me, and gave Himself for me "-what is there like it ?

The Christian Home.

An ill-tempered, domineering, exacting selfish husband; a pettish, peevish, never-quite-satisfied wife; restless, unruly, noisy, undisciplined children-that is not a Christian home. It is not a home at all. It is but a house where a few people eat and drink and sleep, and make life as hard as they can for each other.

A kind, gentle, considerate and loving husband; a submissive, duty-loving, home-abiding wife; obedient, respectful, happy children; the word of God, prayer and praise in daily prominence-this is a home, a Christian home, a place where Christ, being truly entertained, makes yet an oasis of refreshment in the midst of the great wilderness of this world.