The General Break-up. Almost imperceptibly, but with a marked increase toward the close of the great War, there has been a weakening of the ties which hold the world together, as to its existing order. Lawlessness has increased to an alarming extent; disregard of parental authority is more and more noticeable. Parents themselves have lost much of the sense of responsibility as to the moral and spiritual welfare of the children committed to their trust. Love of pleasure, the lowering of the moral tone in social and commercial life, contempt for government – these and other sad symptoms of moral decay are everywhere manifest. Parallel with this, the professing church which should have been the salt of the earth, has become, by its casting off the faith once for all delivered to the saints, insipid and nauseous. The Word of God is decried; the person of our Lord Jesus Christ is degraded to a mere human excellence; His immaculate birth, His atoning death, His victorious resurrection have become apparently to the majority, obsolete doctrines of a former generation, displaced by character-building and self-help. A divine Saviour is rarely proclaimed, save by what is increasingly manifest as a remnant.

It is a dark picture; but on the other hand, we have "a kingdom which cannot be moved," resting upon the person of "Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, to-day, and forever," on the ground of a work of redemption that is the eternal basis of divine righteousness and peace. We have the Word of God which abideth forever, and the Holy Spirit who dwells in each believer and in the Church of God till "the day of redemption." May we then be kept "steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord," knowing that our "labor is not in vain in the Lord."

"Your life is hid with Christ in God." This does not mean merely that our life is secure, as of course it is- "Because I live ye shall live also"-but that it is not yet fully manifest. The time for its display will be "when Christ who is our life shall appear."At present, "the world knoweth us not, as it knew Him not." The hidden life-its source, Christ-is hidden. Its power, the Spirit, cannot be received by the world. The joys are unknown to those who are far from God, but "your joy no man taketh from you." Its communion is in the secret of His presence. The Word, prayer, worship, are the materials and the expression of that communion, in which a holy walk of obedience and separation are the manifest fruits. "Enter into thy closet"-do we know something of this? May the Lord produce this in our lives.

Strife. Let us be on our guard against strife. "The beginning of strife is as when one letteth out water, therefore leave off contention before it be meddled with." This does not mean that we will be indifferent about vital truths or essential principles. It will not make us weak or careless as to the Lord's honor, but it will cast us first upon Him, and will thus open the way for His great and divinely effective work, by His Word and Spirit in the heart and conscience. "Swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath; for the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God." Strife begets wrath; let us, rather yield ourselves to the blessed Spirit of God, and "the peaceable fruits of righteousness" will be the result.

The characteristics of the new man. No part of the New Testament is mere command, the carrying out of which is left to our own strength. These commands are rather the expression of what the fruit of the new life is. Perhaps this is seen nowhere more clearly than in the Epistle to the Ephesians. The first part is devoted to the unfolding of our marvelous place "in Christ," both individually and collectively. This is followed by details of a what is a walk worthy of such a blessed calling in matters of every-day life and association. "Ye have not so learned Christ" sweeps aside the follies and sins of the former life. "As the truth is in Jesus," gives the perfect model of His earthly life, set before us for our contemplation. But it is not mere imitation. This blessed model is for those who, and because, they have "put off the old man, and have put on the new, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of Him that created him."

There are three characteristics of this new man, under which may be grouped all the details of walk. They are Life, Love, Light.

In new creation all is alive to God:there are neither "the unfruitful works of darkness," nor the "dead works" of empty formalism and legality. A living plant produces fruit; the fruit is not "tied on"-as children might tie flowers and fruit on dried branches. The life is inward and vital. The fruit grows because there is life.

This life is characterized by love. "Love is of God," and those who are born of Him will have this character- "Walk in love" (chap. 5:2). We know that love is not a stern duty, but a spontaneous outflow from the heart. It is a sweet and blessed instinct; we are taught of God to love one another. It gives, it serves, it suffers, it smites too; it weeps, rejoices, it is the characteristic of the new man.

Equally, light is characteristic. Holiness is not merely what we ought to have, but we are holy, as in Christ, we are children of light, and therefore our walk is to be so characterized. S. R.