(NOTES OF AN ADDRESS BY C. CHAIN.) Read John 8 :44 ; Ezekiel 28 :11-19.

It may seem to us strange that God should have an adversary. When we think of God's moral nature, His character, as it is revealed to us in His Word, it seems a marvelous thing that such an One should have an adversary. But the word of God abundantly shows this, and the question arises naturally, not only in the minds of cavilers and unbelievers, but even in the minds of God's children, Why should He have an adversary ? and what is the issue raised by the adversary ? What is this adversary seeking to maintain ?

I believe the word of God gives clear and unmistakable answers to these questions. There is, of course, a certain mystery about the necessity of the conflict between good and evil, which has not been revealed. But the fact that there is such a conflict is abundantly declared in the word of God; and we have only to use our eyes and look around and see, in what is going on, that there is a struggle, a conflict between good and evil.

We shall not speculate on this question, however, but leave it with God. We must not question His wisdom. Surely, if He had seen fit, He could have prevented the coming in of evil, and prohibited this conflict. But He permitted the question to be raised and the conflict to ensue. I believe the Scriptures definitely and clearly answer why God has an adversary-making perfectly clear what the issue is that has been raised by it.

Turning now to the 28th chapter of Ezekiel, I would call your attention to the two parts of this chapter. The first ten verses are a description of one who is called the prince of Tyrus, in the second verse, who was sitting upon the throne of the kingdom of Tyre. But in the 12th verse, it says, " Son of man, take up a lamentation upon the king of Tyrus, and say unto him, Thus saith the Lord God," etc. Here, in ver. 12, it is "the king of Tyrus," not "the prince." It points, therefore to a different person. There is no question that the prince of Tyrus is a man, but is the king the same person as the prince ? We think it quite impossible to read verses 11-19 without being impressed that we are reading a description of, I will not say a supernatural, but of a super-human being. "Son of man, take up a lamentation upon the king of Tyrus, and say unto him, Thus saith the Lord God:Thou sealest up the sum, full of wisdom and full of beauty." Evidently he is an extraordinary being; and if we give close attention to the next verse, the 13th, we shall see in the symbols employed, a description of the personal perfection, excellency and beauties of this super-human being.

Let me say here a few words on the latter part of the book of Revelation, in this connection. The city of God is described there as the city of the Bride, the wife of the Lamb, in language almost entirely symbolic. Why is that ? The Spirit of God, so to speak, is under the necessity of using material things, the uses and character of which we are acquainted with, in order to express spiritual things. That is why the language is exclusively symbolical there ; and for the same reason symbols are used in this 13th verse of Ezekiel, chap. 28, when the Spirit of God describes the personal perfections, excellencies, and beauties of this superhuman being. What do we know about superhuman beings? Nothing whatever beyond what God has revealed. We have not seen them. We have not seen immaterial, invisible beings. We know there are material and immaterial creations. We have a record of the material creation in Genesis, but there is no record given us of the immaterial or spiritual creation. When spiritual beings have appeared among men, as they have from time to time, they assumed a human form. How else could we have any right idea of invisible things unless they are shown to us in some visible, bodily form ? That is what we find here. The Spirit of God uses material things to express or picture invisible ones.

These precious stones, then, are symbols .; each stone has its significance. We may not perhaps be able to correctly or fully interpret these symbols, but this at least is evident :they are stones of beauty, of various colors, reflecting various rays of light; they express the beauties and excellencies of this super-human being, spoken of as the "king of Tyrus." Without attempting to enter into the details of this verse, we may say that this "king of Tyrus" is, in fact, a very wonderful creature. Perhaps there never was a creature possessing like excellencies and perfections as the being described here.

We turn now to verse 14 If in the 13th verse we have a description of what he is personally, in the 14th verse we have his official position. It seems manifest that he held by God's appointment, the very highest office that any creature can occupy. We might perhaps wonder at this; we might think of Michael, who is called " the archangel," and think him to be the highest of all ? But we shall see how this creature, who is spoken of as " sealing up the sum, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty," sinned, fell from his exalted position in which by God's will he stood ; then how he became a leader of a movement in opposition to God, His purposes and plans. May it not be that Michael, faithfully refusing to be led away, won for himself the title of chief angel, which "archangel" means?

I can say no more as to this; but notice the 14th verse:"Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth; and I have set thee so :thou wast upon the holy mountain of God ; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire." Let us call to mind that when man sinned, and God drove him out of Eden, God placed cherubim and a flaming sword at the gate of the garden, on the east, to guard the way to the tree of life. I think we can scarcely fail to reach the conclusion that the cherubim are connected in a special way with God's throne, and are charged with the maintenance of the decisions of the Throne. God's decree, as to men, was :"Dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return; " and having driven sinful man out of the garden, He placed these cherubim there, charged with responsibilities of guarding the tree of life. They were to maintain, to carry out, the decree of the Throne. Taking this as a starting point, we find all through the Scriptures that the cherubim have that character; they stand as the executors of the will of God. Now this particular being described here is not only a cherub, but he is the "anointed cherub," which seems to suggest that this marvelous, most beautiful of all God's creatures, stands at the head of the cherubim; and if we are correct in regarding him so, he was in some special way charged with the responsibility of protecting or maintaining the character of God's throne.

"Thou wast upon the holy mountain of God," seems to be symbolic of the place of power. We know from the Scripture that God's throne is in heaven; the earth is His footstool; the mountain here being His heaven, the place of God's throne, the place of power. In the last part of this verse we have, "Thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire." " Stones of fire " suggests manifested display. I do not know that God has indicated anywhere how, but it seems that in some way God had proclaimed amongst the spiritual, heavenly beings, His purpose to have one from amongst His creatures to sit with Him on the throne. This is indicated in the 3rd chap, of Revelation, where the Lord says, " Even as I also overcame, and am sat down with my Father on His throne." There we see a Man on the throne of God. The Son of God became a Man, came amongst us, assuming our humanity, and now He is on the throne of God, where He will sit forever and ever.

Now as to verse 15, "Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee." You will remember that in John 8 :44 the Lord, speaking of this marvelous personage, says that he "abode not in the truth." He was in the truth once, then, but abode not in it. How long he was in, or abode, in the truth, we know not. God's word says nothing as to it. But the time came when iniquity was found in him. And now, mark :"By the multitude of thy merchandise they have filled the midst of thee with violence, and thou hast sinned." Now, in verse 7, we read, " Thy heart was lifted up because of thy beauty, thou hast corrupted thy wisdom by reason of thy brightness." The thought may have arisen in the heart of this super-human being, That throne on which one is to sit with God, is for me-casting his eyes, so to speak, upon himself, and conceiving himself to be the most exalted of beings-none is better qualified or more capable for that position than I. Pride would covet it, grasp after it-after equality with God ; that was his sin.

Now this fall took place before the creation of man. How long before we know not; but we know this, that when man was created, he was already an apostate; and I think it is not difficult to understand why Satan came in the Garden of Eden, familiar as he was, surely, with all the others, the heavenly creatures. But God had now introduced into creation another creature. At once the thought could rise in his mind, Is he the creature of God's purpose? Would not this explain the reason why he sought man's fall ? why he intruded himself to encompass man's downfall ?

Directly after man had fallen, the serpent, the tempter, is informed that another Man is going to be introduced; that the woman, who has been the means in Satan's hands to accomplish man's downfall, is going to be the means to introduce another, a Second Man; and Satan is told that it shall bruise his head, though it will be at the cost of His own heel being bruised. Satan knows now that another man is coming. May we not now infer that all along down through the ages he was seeking for this Second Man ?

There is not time to trace this throughout the history, but take for example the persecution of David by Saul. May we not see this super-human being at Saul's back seeking after this Second Man ?

Take another illustration, where Athaliah seeks to destroy all the seed royal-all the royal seed of David-only through sovereign grace one was protected and preserved. Is it difficult to see in that act that Satan was seeking after this Second Man ? Suppose he had succeeded in accomplishing the destruction of all of the seed royal ? What about the promises to David-how could they have been fulfilled ? God was watching, and interposed in His sovereign grace to protect the babe. All were slain but the babe, and Satan was unsuccessful.

Once more. In the days of Esther, see what an attempt there was to destroy the whole Jewish nation. Who was behind all this ? What spirit stirred up that movement ? Surely it was Satan seeking this Second Man.

Satan is wanting that throne. God has purposed to have One to share it with Him, and when the Son of God was born into this world, what an effort on Satan's part to dispose of Him! Again, what a conflict there was after our blessed Lord had been fasting forty days in the wilderness; how fiercely He is assaulted by the arch enemy! He had accomplished the downfall of the first man, could he succeed in accomplishing the downfall of the Second Man ?But he has to retire in absolute defeat. So Satan leaves Him for a season. Then in the Garden of Gethsemane he makes another attempt on the blessed One, as unsuccessfully as before. And the blessed Second Man comes forth from Gethsemane to go to the cross. There, in obedience to the will of God, He lays down His life; and after three days He takes it up again. In Colossians, chap. 2, there is a grand, a mighty celebration of this triumph. When the Romans celebrated some great triumph of their great conquerors, the notable captives and the vast spoils taken in war were led in procession through the streets. A faint picture, this, of the triumph of the blessed Son of God when He arose from the dead, and led captive him that held man captive; " Having spoiled principalities and powers, He made a show of them openly," so that "the graves were opened, and many bodies of the saints which slept, arose, and came out of the graves after His resurrection, and appeared to many."

I little doubt that when the blessed Lord Jesus ascended to heaven, these risen ones accompanied Him. What a triumphal procession that was! How Satan and his hosts must have trembled when they beheld a Man passing through the heavens ! What was their consternation when they saw Him seating Himself on the throne of God in heaven ! From that day to this Satan knows he is a defeated foe. The Man of God's purpose is on the throne, and Satan knows it. But think of his audacity in carrying on the conflict in spite of it, and fighting it out to the bitter end! "The time is coming when the conflict shall culminate in a war in heaven-Satan and his hosts will fight, and Michael and his angels will fight under the banner of the Man sitting on the throne of God-the Man of the Cross; and Satan shall be cast out.

In the light of these things, the questions asked at the outset, Why has God an adversary? and what is the issue which God's adversary has raised ? are, I think, fairly answered.

It is difficult to conceive what the world would be without the Bible. Man, the crowning masterpiece of God's creation, made in God's image, with a spirit and soul of never-ending existence would, without this book, be in a far more deplorable condition than the beasts that perish. They live and are satisfied with an abundance of their simple food and comfort, for no immortal spirit is in them that cries out for something beyond; but the spirit of man is ever seeking something, even though he knows not exactly what, as the poet has said :

"An infant crying in the night,
An infant crying for the light,
And with no language but a cry! "

Poor Socrates, spending all his time trying to study out what would be conducive to human happiness, died because he rejected the gods that his people worshiped, yet himself, with no Bible, remained in ignorance of the true God.

Man has a natural conscience which, as the poet says,

" Makes cowards of us all; "

and when darkness falls upon the earth, and he looks up to the canopy of heaven, where countless orbs scintillate so brilliantly-so far above him!- he knows that some infinite power has brought them into being, and cries out, "Oh that I knew where I might find Him ! " (Job 23 :3). And, in the hour of anguish, when some loved voice which made music in our life is hushed in death, how dense the gloom where no Bible is, where the word of Him who has the keys of death and hell is not heard-"I am the resurrection and the life:he that believeth in Me, though he were dead, yet shall he live."

The truth of the soul's immortality is innate in man. We see it even in the heathen and the savage. The one brings food, and the other bows and arrows, to the graves of his dead. Without the Bible we would be a traveler with no guide, a pilot without a compass, a soldier with no weapon; and, beyond all this, and of infinitely more importance than all else, a sinner -without a Saviour! For in the Bible alone is God's salvation revealed, in His own Son bearing the judgment of the guilty, that whosoever receives Him by faith may not perish but have everlasting life, and dwell with God in everlasting joy. All this we find in God's word, to which He has pledged Himself, and of which " not one jot or tittle shall pass away till all be fulfilled." M. F. S.

A PATTERN CHRISTIAN

"Called from above and heavenly men by birth (Who once were but the citizens of earth), As pilgrims here, we seek a heavenly home; Our portion in the ages yet to come."

The Call.

An ardent follower of the religion of his fathers is seeking to establish his own righteousness by compliance to the law and its ordinances. He is a strict religionist, impatient with those who would show him in error, and his zeal flames out against the Nazarene's hated name and against His disciples ; his ardent nature and religious zeal urge him to violence against them; he will make them recant or cast them into vile dungeons. Such was " Saul who is also called Paul."

But, lo ! a sovereign Voice from heaven calls, 1 "Saul! Saul! why persecutest thou Me? "

"Who art thou who says I am persecuting thee?"-and the majestic yet tender Voice answers, "I am JESUS whom thou persecutest."-Jesus!!

-thou, alive ? thou whom I've reckoned an impostor and dead! Thou alive; and calling to me ? Ah, the astounded and prostrate persecutor is not contending about a system of religion now; he is face to face with a living, glorious Person- JESUS whom he had hated. (Is "religion," or the living, glorious JESUS, controlling the reader's mind ?)

The Conversion.

Three days of sightless night! -sightless to all but the vision of JESUS shining upon the persecutor's past days of blind zeal and mad deeds. No earthly food or refreshment could minister to this broken and helpless man, but the heavenly Voice says of him, " Behold, he prayeth; " and the heaven-sent messenger goes and salutes him with the gracious words, Brother Saul, the Lord, even JESUS, that appeared to thee in the way as thou earnest, hath sent me, that thou might-est receive thy sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit."

Truly, truly, it was JESUS that had sought and chosen him; not Saul that had chosen and sought Jesus. And now he is appointed to be a messenger of what he had sought to destroy. " He is a chosen vessel unto Me," says the Lord, "to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel; for I will show him how great things he must suffer for my name's sake."

The Path.-Not religious observances now ; not to establish his own righteousness any longer; not to seek man's praise or favor, but in love serve HIM, " who loved me and gave Himself for me." " Yea," he says," I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus, my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but refuse;" and he goes on "through good and evil report, through honor and dishonor, with stripes and imprisonments, in labors and watchings and fastings"-all for his precious and worthy Lord Jesus Christ, who had called him by His grace. And "for this cause I obtained mercy," he says, "that in me first (preeminently) Jesus Christ might show forth all long-suffering, for a pattern to them which should here-after believe on Him to life everlasting" (i Tim. i :16).

The End.-"I have fought the good fight (of faith), I have finished my course, I have kept the faith; henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day:and not to me only, but unto all them also that love His appearing " (2 Tim. 4 :7, 8).

"Jesus, my Saviour, Thou art mine;
The Father's gift of love divine;
All Thou hast done, and all Thou Art,
Are now the portion of my heart."

"Watchman, what of the night? Watchman, what of the night?" asks the prophet Isaiah concerning the judgments that were about to fall upon the enemies round about Immanuel's land, after Israel has been dealt with in unsparing judgments. And we may well ask the same at this present time concerning what the Holy Spirit has declared would come upon the Gentile grafted in upon the olive tree of blessing and testimony, when the natural branches (Israel) were broken off this favored place, because of unbelief.

Every one knows, who has the light of truth, with what blessing, and at what cost, the Word of God was restored to the people at the time of the Reformation ; and what the Lord's warning to Sardis is (prophetically covering the period of Protestantism), "Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee" (Rev. 3 :3). But as it was said of obdurate Israel, "The Lord testified against Israel and against Judah, by all the prophets and by all the seers, saying, Turn ye from your evil ways . . . Notwithstanding they would not hear, but hardened their necks " (2 Kings 17:13, 14); thus also, favored Protestantism, brought out of the degradation and superstition of Romanism, is become more guilty than Romanism, having fallen into sacrilege and blasphemy against God and His Word. Is this too strong, my readers? Here are proofs.

In a circular, sent out by "The Great Commission Prayer League," sounding an alarm as to the present conditions and apostasy in Protestantism, it is stated:

" There are over a quarter of a million Protestant congregations in the world, and it is safe to say that at least four out of every five have become tainted with evil doctrine, and that thousands of these congregations have gone almost bodily into apostasy.

"This is why we say that the whole world is fast becoming one vast missionary field. It will soon be as necessary to send orthodox missionaries to a heterodox Protestantism as to send missionaries to Romanism or Mohammedanism or paganism. If you don't believe this, read the following utterances quoted recently in the Alliance Weekly, of New York, the organ of the Christian and Missionary Alliance -remembering that these are the utterances of ministers ' cradled and ordained in evangelical churches, and that there are multitudes of preachers who profess to believe and who talk as blatantly as these men :

"Says one minister:'I no longer preach the entire acceptance of the Bible. I do not preach the heaven and hell of the Bible, and I do not know any worthwhile preachers who do.'

"Says a second :' I do not believe in the doctrine of salvation by blood. Thank God, I am not saved by the blood of any one. Salvation by blood is the gospel of the butcher-shop.'

"Says a third:'Heaven is an antiquated theory that has long been exploded. The Holy Spirit is but a shadowy, impersonal influence of negligible value, and the doctrine of a returning Christ is a foolish and forlorn hope.'

"We shudder to reproduce such blasphemies as the foregoing, and would not do it except to show how far the professing Christian world is getting from the cross of Christ, and how infinitely urgent is the need of a kind of prayer different from that which most Christians offer . . . Thousands of Christians are discarding God's substitution and accepting that of the devil . . . Thousands in the pulpit have 'departed from the faith,' and millions in the pew have become 'lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God; having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof.'

"A few weeks ago a despairing Christian father, a reputable business man, connected with one of the great financial institutions of the United States, wrote as follows to the Great Commission Prayer League :

" ' It is certainly hard to raise children now when there is so much worldliness in the churches. Sunday-school teachers give dances to their classes and take them to picture-shows Sunday evenings; ministers' children dance and play cards, so our children feel that they are almost ostracized if they do not do the same things. Pray that we may have grace and wisdom to meet the occasion.' "

Recently, in a large New York City congregation it was voted, and carried, to eliminate what hindered a wider circle of fellowship; so the name "Church of the Messiah" was changed to " Community Church," and they congratulated themselves of having "got rid, not only of the Old and New Testaments, but of every vestige of Christianity!!"

In view of such things, one can hardly wonder that the Episcopalian Bishop of Delaware has just severed his connection with the Episcopalian body, with the probable outcome of entering Romanism, where a profession of faith in the great cardinal truths is outwardly maintained, with a pompous ritual, which appeals to the flesh.

After all the foregoing, it is sweet to read of the work of God's grace in the very center of "Dark Africa," as follows:

From a Medical Missionary in Rhodesia, Central Africa :"My dear Mr. B–, I have much pleasure in sending you £2. 5s., money we have in hand from our offerings.

" Our little assembly (which more than doubled its number last year-we have over fifty in fellowship) still devotes the offerings of the first Lord's Day in every month for work amongst the Jews. On the second Sunday their offerings are set apart for local evangelistic effort in our rather large parish of several thousand square miles. On the third Lord's Day every month we have begun setting apart gifts for the poor and sick; and the fourth, towards incidental expenses connected with the upkeep of our school-house, and building of a larger place for the numbers who attend our mid-day meetings, daily, and our Sunday meetings.

" Medical work ties me mostly to this hill, but my son last year was very diligent in evangelistic effort, spending over three months trying to evangelize every Lunda-speaking village south of us.

" This year several Christians in outlying districts will be baptized, God willing, and gathered into assemblies. We have one little gathering of four, on the Lunge River. I spent one Lord's Day with them recently, and we had such a happy time together in a small hut built by them voluntarily for meetings, with small logs as seats, and a bigger square log as a table, on which was spread a clean white cloth, and a plate with manioc-mush for bread, and a cup of wild red-plum juice for wine. Eight others were present who did not partake of the bread and wine, but have been won through the testimony of these four last years, and will shortly be baptized. I have today received 3s. 6d. from them in sums of 3d. and 1d.-their offerings towards evangelistic and other work.

"I know we have your prayers, as you have ours. The night surely is far spent; the glorious day for us and Israel will soon dawn, and we shall see our blessed Lord Jesus, no longer the rejected One, but crowned with glory and honor.

" That this year may prove the richest and best for you and all your co-workers, is the wish of

"Yours affectionately in Christ Jesus, W. F.
''THIS SAME JESUS"-IN HEAVEN

(Luke 21 :6.)

Through a scene of sin and sorrow
Lies our lowly pilgrim way,
All around us death and darkness,
All before us blissful day;
And the Morning Star of promise
Brightly shines our hearts to cheer,
As we follow in the pathway
Of the One who is not here.

Full of deep, divine compassion
For a lost and ruined race-
All His mighty love constraining,
And His glory veiled in grace,-
As the lowly Man of Sorrows,
God the Son, to man came near;
But the world He died to ransom
Cast Him forth-He is not here.

Though no halo of earth's glory
Shone o'er manger, cross, and grave,
Brightly shone His love's devotion,
Stooping down so low to save:
From the wise and prudent hidden,
Unto babes the vision's clear
Of the grace and of the glory
Of the One who is not here.

O'er the world's most pleasing prospect
Lies the shadow of the cross;
In the light of Christ in glory
All earth offers is but dross.
This delusive scene around us
Boundeth all the world holds dear;
We have found our rest for ever
In the One who is not here.

Still the Gentile wields earth's scepter,
Still the crown His brow adorns;
For the King whom God anointed
Man had but the reed, the thorns;
And the Jew, in earth's sad story,
Deep hath writ with blood and tear
Of a crucified Messiah-
By His own rejected^here.

And the sea of nations heaving
In the throes of wild unrest-
Lawlessness and strife prevailing,
Evil flaunting unrepressed-
Tell aloud in sin and suffering,
Sadly graved on every bier,
That a groaning, marred creation
Cries aloud-He is not here !

Long 'neath sin and Satan's bondage
Hath the earth in thraldom lain,
Waiting the divine Deliverer,
And Messiah's glorious reign.
On the world's horizon loometh
Signs that soon He may appear-
Signs that gladden, signs that sadden,
All who're waiting for Him-here.

But He cometh as the Bridegroom,
Ere appearing as the King,
His beloved Bride enraptured
To the Father's house to bring;
And we're waiting and we're looking
For the Day-Star to appear,
For our pilgrim hearts are longing
For the One who is not here.

W. L. G.

(Luke l:32)

Once at the end of ages
A wondrous Child appeared-
Eternal and Almighty-
By angel hosts revered.

O paradox of wonder-
Immortal, yet must die!
He only filled the manger
In death's dark tomb to lie.

Since He was the almighty,
No outward power compelled
Him on the cross to suffer-
By love He was impelled.

Not all the power of demons,
Nor earth and hell combined,
Could nail Him to the gibbet
Had He been disinclined.

Yes, it was love that brought Him,
And love that held Him there,
Upon that tree of anguish,
That we His joys might share

Since He was the eternal,
He only could provide
For man's eternal blessing
By being crucified.

Oh, love supreme-unfathomed!
Oh, love revealed below-
Love that to guilty mortals
Came down through seas of woe!

O ransomed soul, adore Him!
Praise, praise His peerless name,
For coming from the glory
To bear our sin and shame.

Peal forth your happy anthems,
While pressing on your way
To join the choir immortal,
To sing His praise for aye.

For He alone is worthy
Of heaven's endless praise;
To Him all heirs of glory
Shall their hosannas raise.

C. C. Crowston.

"Everlasting glory unto Jesus be!
Sing aloud the story of His victory!
How He left the splendor of His home on high,
Came in love so tender, on the cross to die.

Yes! He came from heaven, suffered in our stead;
Praise to Him be given, our exalted head!
Jesus, meek and lowly, came the lost to save;
He the Victim Holy triumphed o'er the grave,

We in death were lying, lost in hopeless gloom;
Jesus by His dying vanquished e'en the tomb!
Burst its iron portal, rolled away the stone,
Rose in life immortal to the Father's throne.

Christ the Lord is risen, sing we now today!
Freed are we from prison, Christ our debt
did pay ;
Sing aloud, and never cease to spread His fame!
Triumph, triumph ever in the Saviour's name."

J. W. S.

(Read 2 Timothy 4 :1-13.)

The circumstances in which the apostle Paul was found as the prisoner of the Lord, when penning his second letter to Timothy, largely answer to the place in which faithfulness to the truth is likely to put one in these closing days of the dispensation. Whether believers may be called on to endure actual persecution, even to deprivation of liberty, as Satan's plans are developed, may be an open question; but it is very evident that the gospel of the grace of God, and the great truths connected with the mystery of Christ and the Church, were never in greater disfavor among so-called leaders in Protestantism than at the present time. Rome's attitude toward the gospel has always been distinctly antagonistic, and persecution would be as severe today, did she have unrestrained power, as in the bloody centuries just before and after the Reformation. But it is a new thing to find men of prominence in Protestant churches, and great semi-religious organizations lined up under the Protestant banner, boldly denouncing the gospel and holding up to ridicule those who preach it. More than that, so much as in them lies, they have not refrained from using the most unprincipled means whereby to hinder the usefulness of men who proclaim salvation through the atoning blood of Christ, and especially those who thus set forth the glorious truth of the Lord's near return.

The falsehoods which have been circulated by certain men in connection with the Chicago University are well known. They have deliberately endeavored to make people believe that the very dissemination of literature and the public teaching on the Lord's coming, was pro-German propaganda, financed by German agents! And this, in spite of the fact that they well know that the awful flood of higher criticism and rationalism, which has in certain quarters been carrying all before it for the past fifty years, is distinctly the product of godless German universities. Men of unflinching integrity and loyalty to the word of God have been branded as secret political agents, and their books, so far as possible, proscribed by these audacious and unprincipled leaders in the apostasy.

In addition to this, however, we have the shocking spectacle of Y. M. C. A. leaders deliberately attempting to throttle gospel preaching and the circulation of pure gospel literature among the soldiers in Army Camps, but giving free rein to those teaching the abominable and Christ-dishonoring tenets of the New Theology-new only in name, actually as old as the devil's lie in the Garden of Eden, " Ye shall be as gods."

The writer has had personal testimony from many men who went into Y. M. C. A. work, hoping thereby to have opportunity to preach Christ to those who so sorely needed the gospel message, only to find their efforts thwarted in a very considerable degree by those in authority ; and, in many instances, the ban was put on the circulation of sound gospel tracts; permission was refused to distribute these messages of God's grace, while tons of vicious and soul-destroying booklets of such apostates as Dr. Bosworth and others, were spread broadcast through this very agency-bearing the
red triangle on the covers. It would be hard to find a more heretical publication than Bosworth's booklet, "About Jesus," in which there is not the slightest hint of His deity, or divinity, or the atoning value of His death. But He is set forth as a mere man, whose temptation in the wilderness was the awful struggle between His better self and His animal propensities-a struggle in which He never fully overcame until in the final conflict in the garden ! (We ask pardon even for quoting this false teacher's blasphemous words.)

And what godly Christian has not been inexpressibly shocked by Harry Emerson Fosdick's vulgar, ignorant, and vitriolic attack on every fundamental of the Christian faith, in a recent issue of " The Atlantic Monthly," and quoted largely in " The Literary Digest." This is the man whose " Meaning of Prayer," "Manhood of the Master," and "Meaning of Faith," have been circulated by hundreds of thousands among all classes of Christians, and every one of them fundamentally unsound. "The Manhood of the Master" is but a counterpart of Bosworth's booklet, or perhaps we should say is its prototype. In "The Meaning of Prayer" the Holy Ghost is never mentioned by this versatile author in one solitary instance, unless we except one or two quotations from orthodox writers, in which the "Divine Spirit" is referred to. In "The Meaning of Faith," the blood of Christ, His substitutionary atonement, His cross of shame, are never alluded to. Think of prayer without the Holy Spirit, and faith that ignores the blood of Christ's cross ! Yet this writer exerts to-day a tremendous influence over tens of thousands of professed Christian men and women, particularly of the younger generation.

How solemnly may one apply Jeremiah's words in view of such conditions, "The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests bear rule by their means, and my people love to have it so; and what will ye do in the end thereof ?"

It is a solemn fact that the word of God predicts just such an apostate condition as the last state of the professing Church on earth; and it behooves all lovers of Christ and His truth to bestir themselves to increased faithfulness and devotion in days such as these. Never was there a time when it was so necessary to "Preach the word; be instant in season and out of season:reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long-suffering and doctrine." Faithful preaching and faithful living must go hand in hand. The time has already come when men, generally, will not endure sound doctrine. In accordance with their own carnal desires they are heaping to themselves teachers, whose sentimental platitudes, well-rounded unscriptural periods, tickle their itching ears. Having turned away from the truth, they turn eagerly to all kinds of fables, and are ready to believe anything or everything that hides man's true condition, and obscures the Cross, with the eternal issues that hang upon the acceptance or rejection of the gospel message.

Everyone who desires the Lord's approval, at His soon-coming judgment-seat, may well take to heart the solemn admonition:"Watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry." One does not need to be what is commonly called " an evangelist " to do the work of one. Every believer who circulates gospel tracts; everyone who uses his pen to write to his unsaved friends, seeking to impress upon them their need and God's remedy; every personal worker, as well as those who take the public platform, telling out the "old, old story," is doing the work of an evangelist. Gospel days are nearing their close. The dispensation is fast coming to an awful end for those who are in rebellion against God and His truth. The Lord's return is drawing near. Let us spend and be spent for Him in our brief season for faithful testimony.

" Only a little while to spread the truth abroad;
Only a little while to testify for God.
Only a little while to tell the joyful story
Of Him who made our guilt and curse His own.
Only a little while till we behold the glory,
And sit with Him upon His throne."

The love of many waxes cold. Imitators of De-mas, who loved the present world and left Paul, abound. The times demand men like faithful Luke and "profitable " Mark, who value what is of God, and will stand unflinchingly for His truth whatever the cost.

I would press upon every Christian reader of these lines the importance of turning absolutely away from all fellowship with those who are leading on the apostasy. The call of the Lord is distinct:"From such turn away." "Come out from among them and be ye separate . . . touch not the unclean thing." "Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues." "We would have healed Babylon, and she is not healed; forsake her." "Let us go forth therefore unto Him without the camp, bearing His reproach." "Have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them."

Christians will be held responsible for every penny they contribute to organizations that are apostate in character, and for every act of fellowship that helps to make it easier for Satan's emissaries to pursue their nefarious work. Faithfulness to Christ demands separation from that which so gravely dishonors His name. H. A. Ironside.

"While observing a cork-cutter at work, I saw that after cutting and shaping a few pieces, he always turned to renew the keen edge of his knife. I quickly saw the necessity of this if his work was not to suffer, and this simple incident had a lesson for me. For, to continue in service when out of spiritual condition, it is not an instrument ' meet for the Master's use.' We need to have our seasons apart with Him for self-judgment and heart-searching, for sharpening and resetting, so that we may be ready for any work in which He may see fit to use us. Continual work is not possible to an edge tool. It has to be re-sharpened and kept in a condition fit for its owner's use.

"And so it must be with us. It is written concerning the earliest of the Lord's servants, that they gave themselves to prayer and the ministry of the Word (Acts 6:4). Many have been cast aside as unfit for the Lord's use because they were out of condition for His service. They 'ministered' when they should have been 'in prayer.' To be used of the Lord, we need often to turn aside from the public to speak to God and to examine ourselves. This is needful to maintain a right spiritual condition, especially for those who preach and teach. ' Take heed unto thyself and unto the doctrine' (i Tim. 4:16), is a word of great value to all who are actively engaged in the Lord's work. And it cannot be neglected without loss of that spiritual condition and fitness to be used as a tool in the hand of the Lord.

"If we would speak to others of the Word of God, we must be taking it in fresh from Him for our own soul's sustenance; and for this we need to be much with Him in private, to be sharpened and fitted for His use. The tendency of these times is to have everything done in haste, with as little labor as possible. This will not do in the holy service of the Lord. Anything and anyhow will not do for God. He must have us near to Him, as becomes His messengers and ambassadors among men." (Extracted)

" Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God; and whatsoever we ask, we receive of Him, because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight" (i Jno. 3:21, 22).

" If ye abide in Me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you" (Jno. 15:7).

" If a man love Me, he will keep my words:and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him" (Jno. 14:23).

FRAGMENT

"Wherefore, laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings, as newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby :if so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious " (1 Pet. 2:1-3).

The new-born babe instinctively turns to its mother's breast, and the young convert, the soul newly born into God's family by faith in Christ, naturally seeks spiritual nourishment out of God's Word. He may not do this very intelligently, nor is it with the same eagerness in all, but in every truly converted soul there is an instinctive desire for the word of God. It is true that some are converted under such circumstances and in such environments as to greatly obscure or hinder that holy and natural desire, but we speak of what is normal. To these the apostle Peter, who was especially commissioned by the Lord to feed the lambs and sheep of His flock (see Jno. 21 :15-17), writes:"As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the Word, that ye may grow thereby." Note the expression, "desire," or " earnestly desire," as the expression really is.

But young believers sometimes complain of a lack of felt interest in the Bible-a lack of real desire for it. This is a condition to be deplored, and the cause and its remedy is to be sought out sincerely before God. The love and desire for God's Word may be stifled by a hankering after worldly things-the reading of trashy or corrupting books, or the indulgence of sin. In such a condition the soul is not only unable to enjoy God's Word, but is in great danger of being betrayed into some alarming sin because of its lack of power to resist temptations. We must exhort such an one to betake himself at once to serious and full confession of it to God his Father. Fear not to tell Him all-in detail, not generalities. Sincere confession will bring relief to your heart, and be the beginning of breaking the spell of coldness and lack of desire for God's Word of which you complain.

Let us ever remember the apostle's expression, " Desire the sincere milk of the Word, that ye may grow thereby." The Word of God and prayer are the God-appointed means to sustain and increase the spiritual life in the believer. The "sincere milk" may be rightly translated the pure, or unadulterated " milk of the Word." How many of God's children are given adulterated milk to-day! Ah, and even worse ; it may be poisonous food, instead of the pure, the unadulterated milk, that is served out in popular pulpits-discussion of social and political subjects, man's opinions, the world's philosophy-all that is of the present world; or, if on religious and spiritual subjects, the truth may be falsified, the credibility of the Holy Scriptures assailed, or tradition substituted or added to it. Oh, what injury is done to new-born souls by pernicious ministry in many places! "Take heed what ye hear," said our blessed Lord Jesus, the chief Shepherd of His sheep (Mark 4 :24). So, take heed, dear young Christian, that you do not imbibe the seductive and popular teaching of this day.

An infant, once, made no progress; it was deathly pale, falling back instead of growing. The parents were alarmed, and the doctor was called in. After careful examination, the doctor asked for the milk that was fed to the infant. When an analysis of it was made, it was found to contain adulterants, and the indignant doctor told the parents their child was not only ill-fed, but somewhat poisoned by the food given. Pure milk was obtained, and the babe soon began to improve and to thrive on this proper and pure food. Many of God's children are thus weak, sickly, " ready to perish," as it were, with no development of the life of Christ within because of the deleterious food received. "As newborn babes, desire the sincere (unadulterated) milk of the Word, that ye may grow thereby."

And in this connection be especially on your guard as to the quasi-religious literature everywhere prevalent-denominational organs and "Advocates," Sunday-school Quarterlies, and "Helps," religious novels, etc., many of which are as harmful as the popular teaching above referred to.

We turn now to the specified hindrances to the healthy, normal appreciation of the Word of God by which man lives (Matt. 4:4).

"Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil-speakings." The apostle here specifies things which in the child of God hinder or destroy his appetite for the food by which he is to grow. Almost any physician can tell us that the most common cause of impaired appetite is improper habits, such as late and irregular hours with tardy rising, improper food or immoderate eating and drinking, and abusing of the body. Spiritually this is the ground taken by the apostle here. He points out the possible or probable causes which hinder our appetite for the Word. He mentions five:malice, guile, hypocrisy, envy, evil-speakings. What a cluster of the "vine of Sodom! "

Before examining them one by one, let us note the verb "laying aside." We find it elsewhere in Scripture:"Let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us" (Heb. 12:i); it has reference to the race we are to run, for which needless things should be dropped, as weights, which hinder in the heavenward race. James i:21 also says, "Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the ingrafted word, which is able to save your souls"-that is, able to deliver the child of God from the snares and pitfalls which Satan puts in our way.

" Laying aside all malice " is the first thing mentioned here. Malice is defined as "ill-will," "spite," "disposition to harm others." It is the exact opposite of "good-will." In i Cor. 5 :8 it is seen in bad company, "The leaven of malice and wickedness." In Col. 3:8 it is put between "anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication." In Eph. 4:31 it is associated with " bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor and evil speaking," put last there as a kind of trailer to other evils. In Peter it is put first as probably more characteristic of the Jew than of the Gentile, as witness the book of Acts, where the bearers of the gospel are pursued everywhere by the Jews.

What a terrible thing to harbor malice in the heart! How unlike our Saviour-God who would have all men to be saved, who wishes ill to none, even to His enemies. It is easily understood how such an evil mind would effectually prevent a soul's enjoyment of God's holy Word. Let us, then, drive away from our hearts this hateful bird, and fear it as poison which would ruin our soul's happiness and prevent our delight in God's precious Word.

"All guile" comes next. Guile is a close associate of deceit. They are paired together in psalm 55:11; and in i Thess. 2:3 it is one of the unlovely trio-deceit, uncleanness, guile. "Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile," was our Lord's commendation of Nathanael ; and here Peter calls upon his fellow-believers to lay aside all guile. What is more lovely in a little child than its guilelessness, its beautiful, artless candor! Oh Christian, beware of guile; lock your heart against its entrance.

"Hypocrisies"-what scorn attaches to the word! Who does not hate it in others ? We commonly associate it with an unreal profession of religion, but it is not confined to this. Does not the Spirit of God detect some measure of it at times in the heart of the true Christian ? Faithful old Cruden, in his. Concordance, defines hypocrisy as "an affectation of the name, with a disaffection of the thing." True Christians often affect to be, to feel, to believe, and love, more than what is actually true in the heart. It may intrude in our conversations, our professions of love for brethren, for meetings, and may intrude even in public prayer. It is the offspring of pride, and is to be unsparingly judged in our inmost heart. " Pure, and without hypocrisy " is a lovely Scripture combination in Jas. 3:17, for us to pursue with perseverance. Malice, guile, hypocrisy-what a trinity of evil !-all these and more are in our very nature; let us be on our watch against them, remembering that we are "called un-the fellowship of Jesus Christ our Lord" (i Cor. i:9), and as the "elect… of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and the sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ " (i Pet. i:2).

"Envies and all evil "speakings" are the last two mentioned; they are morally related, and usually go in company. "Who can stand before envy?" (Prov. 27 :4). It has been aptly defined as "an evil affection of the heart which frets at the good name and prosperity of others." Pilate knew that "for envy" the chief priests had delivered Christ into his hands to be crucified. " Filled with envy" they cast Christ's faithful witnesses into prison (Acts 5 :17, marg.'). "Moved with envy," Jacob's sons sold their brother Joseph for slavery in Egypt (Acts 7:9); and "filled with envy" the unbelieving Jews pursued Paul from city to city (Acts 13 :45; 17:5). Oh, Envy, Envy, what evils does not Scripture and every-day history lay at thy door!

"Evil speaking" is both the offspring and handmaid of envy. All the evils mentioned before-as a quartet of inward ills-for very shame lie concealed in the heart, but if unjudged there, give vent in evil-speakings. Alas, that such evil things should ever be seen among the redeemed of the Lord ! But it is not by hiding them from ourselves, or closing our eyes to them, that they are overcome, but in judging them before the Lord ; and His grace shall triumph over them, and enable the soul to feed in peace upon His word. Then shall we be enabled like David to say, "Search me, O God, and know my heart :try me, and know my thoughts; and see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting" (Ps. 139:23, 24). C. K.

(Concluded in next number.)

(2 Cor. chap 3 )

Whilst solemnly recognizing man's responsibility to answer for himself, Christianity puts the believer on an entirely different ground. This is the first principle and basis of all Christian truth, that there is a Mediator between man and God. Because man could not come to God, Christ has taken up the cause of man, and worked out an acceptance for him.

Two things are brought out in this chapter as the result of this. "Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty"-the liberty of grace; and we become the "epistles of Christ," (blotted ones in ourselves, no doubt) but we are not epistles of ourselves, but epistles of Christ, "written with the Spirit of the living God." Though in ourselves most imperfect and failing, the Spirit of God says of a Christian that he is an epistle, or transcript of Christ.

Now the natural thought of many a soul is this:"Well, if that be true, I do not know what to think of myself; I do not see this transcript in myself." No; and you ought not to see it. Moses did not see
his own face shine. Moses saw the glory in God's face, and others saw Moses' face shine. We look on the face of Christ in glory (ver. 18), and yet are not afraid; nay, we find liberty, comfort, and joy in looking at it; because Christ in glory is the expression of what by His death and resurrection He has purchased for us, and the Spirit has come to minister this to our souls, through faith. It is Christ alive in the glory that we see:not Christ down here (sweet as that was), but Christ at the right hand of God. Yet though that glory is in the heavens, we may steadfastly behold it. And that glory in which Christ is with God, does not affright us now, because this wonderful truth is seen and declared in the face of a Man who has put away our sins, and who is there in proof of it (Heb. 1:3).

How comes He there ? He is the Man there who down here mixed with publicans and sinners-the friend, the Saviour of such. He is the Man who has borne the wrath of God on account of sin; He is the Man who has borne my sins in His own body on the tree. This is the language of faith. I see Him there consequent upon the putting away of my sin:because He has accomplished my redemption. The more I see the glory of Christ, the more I see the perfectness of the work that Christ has wrought, and of the righteousness wherein I am accepted. The glory now shines in the face of Him who has confessed my sins as His own, and died for them on the cross; of One who has glorified God on the earth, and finished the work that the Father had given Him to do. The glory that I see is the glory of redemption. Having glorified God about our sin, God has glorified Him with Himself there.

When I see Him in that glory, instead of seeing my sins I see that they are gone. I have seen my sins laid on the Mediator:I have seen my sins laid upon my Substitute, and they have been borne away. So much has God been glorified by Christ about my sins that it is the title of Christ to be there at the right hand of God; so I am not afraid to look at Christ there. Where are my sins now ? They are put away for ever. He who bore them all has been received up to the throne of God, and no sin can be there.

Now, with open face beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, we are "changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord." It is the Holy Spirit, taking of the things of Christ and revealing them to the soul, that is the power of present practical conformity to Christ-delighting in Christ, feasting upon Christ, loving Christ! He is the model, and by the Spirit He is formed in the believer's heart and soul. The Christian thus becomes the epistle of Christ:he speaks for Christ, owns Christ, acts for Christ. He does not want to be rich, he has unsearchable riches in Christ. He does not want the pleasures of the world; he has pleasures at God's right hand for evermore.

Does the heart still say, "Oh, but I do not see this transcript in myself ? " No; but you see Christ; is not that better ? It is not looking at myself, but looking at Christ, that is God's appointed means for my growing in the likeness of Christ. Would I copy the work of some great artist ? It is not by fixing mine eyes on the imitation, and being taken up with regrets about my failings that I shall succeed, but by looking at my model, by fixing mine eyes there, tracing it in its various points, and getting into its spirit.

Mark the comfort of this. The Holy Ghost having revealed to your soul Christ in the glory as the assurance of your acceptance, you can look without fear, and therefore steadfastly at that glory, and rejoice at the measure of its brightness. Stephen, full of the Holy Ghost, could look up steadfastly into heaven (doubtless in his case it was with more than ordinary power), and see the glory of God and Jesus standing on the right hand of God; and his face shone as the face of an angel; and like his Master, he prays for his very murderers. Stephen, died, saying, "Lord, lay not this sin to their charge;" Christ had died, saying, "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do." There was the expression of Christ's-love for his very murderers. By the Holy Spirit Stephen was changed, and that in a blessed way, into the same image- Christ was shining in his face.

Looking peacefully and happily at the glory of God as seen in the face of Jesus Christ, we walk before God in holy confidence. Instead of being happy and at liberty in Satan's world, the Christian dreads Satan, because he knows himself. At ease in the presence of God, he there drinks into the spirit of that which befits the presence of God, and becomes the " epistle of Christ " to the world.

Well, what a difference! May we more and more make our boast in Him in whose face all this glory is displayed-the Lamb of God who has died for us, and cleansed away our sins by His own precious blood. -Adapted from J. N. D.

In this verse the apostle presents his exhortation to the saints in view of their condition which he is going to treat of in the epistle. The beauty of the exhortation is that it directs their hearts at once to the Lord Himself. It proceeds from the blessings in Him mentioned in vers. 4-9. Their distinctive features are :

1. The grace of God given in Christ Jesus.

2. Enriched in Him.

3. The testimony of Christ confirmed in you.

4. Awaiting the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ.

5. Confirm you unimpeachable in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.

6. Called into the fellowship of His Son Jesus Christ our Lord.

With these precious things set before the saints, the apostle thus proceeds :"I exhort you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ"-the One in whom you have the abounding riches of God's grace, and through whom all comes to you. What a blessed basis for exhortation! How, in a word, it sweeps away all thoughts of man, and sets the soul in the presence of God to be exercised in the light and truth there revealed.

Here we have authority (the Lord's), from the recognition of which proceeds unity of mind and action. In the power and blessing of that Name, the apostle exhorts that we "all say the same thing."

In the name of "Jesus," love is expressed ; the heart's apprehension of which will effectually prevent all breaking apart among the saints. So, in the power and blessing of that Name he exhorts, "that there be not among you divisions."

"In "Christ" we have power, as the Head of the assembly. The truth as to His Lordship, in His relation to the assembly (Eph. 4), will induce that unity to which the apostle so earnestly exhorts :"Be perfectly united (as members of one body), in the same mind and in the same opinion."

The sufficiency for all this is found in Him by whom the apostle exhorts the saints-the Name unto which we are gathered (Matt. 18), and which we are not to deny (Rev. 3). "Hold fast what thou hast, that no one take thy crown."

The Lord Himself is the authoritative, loving, and unifying power of His people's testimony, unity and fellowship with one another, with ministry in the power of the Holy Spirit. May the full blessing which flows from giving Him the supreme place be ours ; to this end the Spirit ever seeks to lead. J. Bloore.

(Quotations are from J. N. D.’s Trans.)

Nor dark Thy ways, O God;
But in the lonesome night,
Our eyes, long blind, could see
Nothing divine aright.

Though dim is yet our sight,
And weak is our desire,
The dawn is growing bright
To which our souls aspire.

For all Thy Word declares
Thy people's portion is
The manna and the springing well,
The height and depth of bliss.

H. C. C.

"What is the greatest discovery you ever made? " asked a young man of the celebrated Sir James Simpson, Bart., the discoverer of the use of chloroform as an anaesthetic. He replied, "The greatest discovery I ever made was that I was a great sinner, and that Jesus was a great Saviour."

" Whatsoever He saith unto you, do it."
Whatsoever He bids you, do it.
Though you may not understand:
Yield to Him complete obedience,
Then you'll see His mighty hand:
"Fill the water-pots with water,"
Fill them to the very brim;
He will honor all your trusting-
Leave the miracle to Him !

Bring to christ your loaves and fishes.
Though they be both few and small,
He will use the weakest vessels,
Give to Him your little all.
Do you ask how many thousands
Can be fed with food so slim ?
Listen to the Master's blessing-
Leave the miracle to Him !

Oh, ye Christians, learn the lesson,
Are you struggling all the way ?
Cease your moaning, change to- trusting
Then you'll triumph every day!
"Whatsoever He bids you, do it! "
Fill the water-pots to brim;
But remember, 'tis His battle-
Leave the miracle to Him !

Christian worker, looking forward
To the toil in harvest field-
Does the task seem great before you ?
Think how rich will be the yield !
Bravely enter with your Master,
Though the prospect may seem dim;
Preach the Word with holy fervor-
Leave the miracle to Him !

Selected.

In Genesis, chapters 18 and 19 we are told of a visitation of the Lord with Abraham. As in the heat of the day he sat at his tent door, he lifted up his eyes and looked, and lo, three men stood by him. One of the three is the Lord thus appearing to him. Yet there is neither fear nor shame in Abraham. There is the happy confidence of a man to whom such an appearance is no uncommon event, yet at the same time with all the reverence and respect of a man who knows in whose presence he is ; for whilst "he ran to meet them," he also "bowed himself toward the ground."

What a contrast we have between Abraham here and Adam, when the voice of the Lord God was heard as He walked in Eden in the cool of the day! Adam's accusing conscience made him hide in shame and fear from the Lord; whereas Abraham, like an obedient, trustful child springing into the arms of a loving father, hastens to meet Him. He feels that there is nothing between him and his Lord; but has the filial confidence of one who walks with God.

Two things we are to guard against :One is the hard, legal thoughts of God, which put Him a great way off from us, as if, being so mighty and so high above us, He scarcely would allow us to draw near to His footstool. Instead of addressing Him as Father, and knowing that He bids us approach the throne with boldness, people speak of Him as "the Creator," or "the Almighty," or "Providence." The spirit that prompts such cold reserve and distance is not such as is pleasing and gratifying to Him who has shed His precious life's blood to bring us nigh (Eph. 2:13). As we read in Romans 8:"Ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father" (see also 2 Tim. i :7).

The other danger to which persons are exposed is that, in having learnt something of grace, they well-nigh forget whose grace it is. The gift has been so much thought of that it has almost shut out the divine Giver. To be at perfect peace, and at our ease in the presence of One whose love to us is supreme, is just what that love desires; but this may be turned into boasting and self-exaltation, and the bowing attitude of Abraham is forgotten. Oh, that we might ever recognize that Fie who invites us to meet Him, though His love is infinite and His grace illimitable, is yet Himself the thrice-holy Jehovah; and though with boldness we approach the throne, yet we must approach it as worshipers. It is only thus we can have true communion with the Lord.

Abraham's request is, "My Lord, pass not away from thy servant." He had but lately known what it was to have God's high priest serve him with bread and wine, and now has come his opportunity
of feasting his Lord, "for therefore," adds he, "are ye come to your servant." Yet he makes little of his feast, calling it "a morsel of bread," whilst the Holy Ghost is pleased to give us three verses with the details, telling us repeatedly of his godly haste, the spirit of which was caught both by his wife and his servant. The butter and milk, the tender calf dressed, and the cakes of fine meal, are set before his heavenly visitors, and he stood by them in attendance whilst they did eat.

The Lord then tells Abraham that the cry of Sodom is great, and the sin very grievous; and Abraham, standing before the Lord, makes his pleading intercession in six earnest prayers, in every one of which his petition is most graciously answered, yet he ceases to make request before the Lord has ceased to listen. We read that the next morning Abraham got up early to the place where the previous evening he had stood before the Lord, "And he looked toward Sodom and Gomorrah, and toward all the land of the plain, and beheld, and lo, the smoke of the country went up as the smoke of a furnace " (chap. 19 :27, 28). How different the quiet shade of the tree on the plains of Mamre, at noontide yesterday, from the smoking furnace of the plains of Jordan upon which the eyes of Abraham looked to-day! Thankful must he have felt that, before the awful judgment had fallen, he had been so earnest in his efforts for the salvation of the city. How terribly real, and how soon, may be the execution of judgment upon this poor world! And yet how asleep are Christians to the danger of the unsaved! A servant of God, when spoken to about the apparent stagnation of the Lord's work in a certain town, said, "Do the Christians there believe in the reality of heaven and hell ? " Alas, such a question might often be asked!

But there are other contrasts which our souls do well to ponder. Abraham at his tent door, Lot at the gate of Sodom-the one a stranger and pilgrim with a tent, the other the man of influence and importance who sat in the gate of the city as a judge (vers. 1,9). Notice also the readiness of the Lord to receive Abraham's hospitality, whereas even His messengers can scarce be prevailed upon to enter the house of Lot ; as if, whilst they sought in mercy to save him from Sodom, they would not countenance his worldly position there.

Again notice how Abraham, who has stood aloof from the affairs of the world, can just at the right moment bring an unseen but almighty power to bear upon the world by prayer, which Lot, the worldly-minded child of God, with all his fancied influence, utterly fails to do.

The same thing is repeated daily. Christians mix up with the world, and join hand-in-hand in many a concern with the world and those who do not take their stand on the Lord's side; they may do so for expediency or for influence, but of what use is their influence ? When the time to put it faith arises, those over whom they had hoped to exercise it, refuse to listen.

It was so with Lot and the men of Sodom, even though he calls them "brethren." And oh, Christian parents, mark this solemn lesson:his warning, coupled with his entreaty, is powerless to move his sons-in-law, who had married his daughters. "Up, get you out of this place, for the Lord will destroy this city!" is his urgent cry to them ; "but he seemed as one that mocked unto his sons-in-law." They might have answered him:"Your past conduct belies your words; " for in spite of God's previous warning, when taken captive with the king of Sodom, Lot had settled down inside the city; his home, his wealth, his interests were there. "No, no; " they might say, " do not mock us so; we believe in deeds rather than words." But of faithful Abraham, the Lord says, in chap. 18 :19, " I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the Lord to do justice and judgment."

A lady I knew in America was coming over to England, accompanied by her three children. They were in the disastrous accident in which the Ville du Havre went down in mid-ocean. Her life was saved ; and on reaching Liverpool, knowing the anxiety of her husband, she telegraphed to him two words-''Saved-alone!"-two words only! The first told him the good news of her safety, but, alas, for the overwhelming sorrow as he learnt by the second that by one blow they were bereft of all their children. Who amongst us shall have to say, on the eternal shores, "Saved-alone?" It is by a life of daily communion with God we may be spared this eternal loss.

Once again:Abraham has learnt so much of God's grace that he is greatly humbled. In his prayer Abraham speaks of himself as '' but dust and ashes," and this is what he really felt himself to be in the Lord's presence; whereas Lot in his prayer can un-blushingly call himself " Thy servant ;" though what an indifferent one he was is but too evident.

Thus with these two men we have striking contrasts as regards their communion with the Lord, their testimony for Him, and their humility in His presence. Two courses so different, even in Christians, lead to great divergence in the end; thus, before this chapter closes we see Abraham in peace and security, looking out upon the sad desolations beneath him, whilst Lot, though saved, is full of trembling and fear; in sorrow and shame he ends his days-"Saved as through fire.".

A Christian not living in communion with his heavenly Father is one of the saddest objects; not only he himself stumbles, through walking in darkness, but others stumble over him. True love to our brethren is manifested by our abiding in the light, for then "there is none occasion of stumbling" in us (1 John 2 :10). Let us see to it then, that we abide in communion with the Lord.

(Read Matthew 16:19; 18:18; John 20:23.)

It is of great importance that we understand the sense in which binding and loosing, or remitting and retaining sins, is committed by the Lord to His people. Let me first say that eternal forgiveness of sins in relation to the throne of God is never put in man's hands. It is God's prerogative alone. When our blessed Lord was here upon the earth, He forgave sins as His sovereign right. He forgave them fully, and eternally, even as He does now from the throne of God in heaven. It should be plain to every one that the forgiveness of sins in connection with the throne of God is never put in the power of, never delegated to, any man. But there is such a thing as government, and discipline, in connection with the kingdom of heaven and in connection with the Church also, though they are quite distinct one from the other.

I call your attention to the fact that in the 16th chapter, the pronouns are all in the singular, " I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven ; and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven." But in the 18th chapter, where the Lord speaks of the assembly, there we read, "Whatsoever shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven." In John 20:23 we find again that the plural ye is used. From this simple fact we gather that government and discipline in connection with the kingdom of heaven is individual; while government and discipline in connection with the assembly is collective.

The expression, "Keys of the kingdom of heaven" suggests authority. We must not hastily conclude, however, that because the Lord is addressing Peter personally, He limits His words to Peter; for while Peter had spoken out his own personal faith, it is representative of the other disciples; and not merely of them, but of the family of faith. It was the belief and confession of the disciples that Jesus was the Son of the living God, and in declaring this, Peter confesses what was the faith of his fellow-disciples.

The Lord said unto him," Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona, for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. And I say unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven." It is the keys of the kingdom of heaven" not the keys of the Church that the Lord speaks of. The keys of the church cannot be found anywhere. The keys of the kingdom of heaven is undoubtedly a symbolic expression. The children of faith, as Peter was, are authorized to administer the affairs of the kingdom of heaven. They individually have authority from the Lord to act for Him in the affairs of the kingdom of heaven. They are individually entitled not only to receive into the kingdom, but to teach what the Lord has commanded. In the last chapter of Matthew, the Lord says, "All power is given unto Me, in heaven and in earth" and He commissions His disciples to go to all nations, discipling them to the name of the Father, the Son, and Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe whatsoever He has commanded-not teach anything we please, but "whatsoever I have commanded you."
I pass on to what is more distinctly before my mind. Not only is the introduction into the kingdom, and the teaching, committed to the children of the kingdom, but government therein also.

By way of illustration:Suppose that one with the evil teaching of C. T. Russell should come, saying, "I am a disciple of Christ, and I want to join with you in this work." Knowing him to be a teacher of error which blasphemes our Lord, have I individual authority to deny him any part in the Lord's work ? Is the servant of Christ entitled to shut the door upon such an one?-" binding " him, as far as in him lies ? This is not going to the assembly for its action upon such an one, but the individual exercise of the authority conferred by the Lord upon those that confess Him. Our Lord's words here in Matt. 16:19 surely do give this authority.

As is our responsibility in matters of doctrine, so is it also as to conduct. A person may be quite orthodox in doctrine but wicked in practice. My conduct towards him is to be the same as toward the other. In all this let us remember it is acting in our individual responsibility as disciples of Christ, in faithfulness to Him.

We have examples of this in Scripture. In Acts 8:9-13, we read that when Philip went down to the city of Samaria, and preached Christ unto them, a certain man, called Simon, which beforetime used sorcery, and bewitched the people of Samaria, also believed and was baptized, beholding the miracles and signs which were done through Philip.

There is not the slightest indication that the Spirit of God is casting any reflection upon His servant or his work; but, rather, puts the stamp of His approval upon both. In verses 18-20, however, Simon's inward thoughts and heart are revealed, as he offered money, saying:"Give me also this power, that on whomsoever I lay hands, he may receive the Holy Ghost." Then Peter, acting on his own personal responsibility as a disciple of the kingdom of heaven, binds Simon's sin upon him. It clearly illustrates the binding and loosing in the kingdom of heaven.

We pass on now to the 18th chapter. Assembly action is now before us. Here, the Lord commits to those gathered to His name His authority to maintain government and discipline in the assembly. Therefore, as already stated, the pronouns now are all in the plural-it is ye, not thou. It is very apparent that it is not individual but collective responsibility and action we have here. This is plainly shown in two cases to which I shall refer.

The matter of recovering a brother who has fallen into sin is put before us in Matt. 18:15-20. There is to be individual activity first. The person knowing the fact is first responsible to do everything in his power to recover the brother. The time to make the matter public is not come. He must first endeavor to recover the transgressor from the sin into which he has fallen. If he fails in this, he is to seek the help of one or two others to recover the brother from his sin. If they succeed the matter need go no further. If they fail, our instructions are, "Tell it to the assembly," and it now becomes the responsibility and concern of the assembly. I mean that there should be no disciplinary action on the part of one or two or more in the assembly, but the assembly as such is acting. The assembly receives its information from two or more witnesses, but if these should force their judgment upon the assembly, it is usurpation on their part. No individual or individuals in the assembly has authority from the Lord to act for, or independently of, the assembly as such.

And this is as true with regard to questions of conduct as with doctrine. Both are to be determined by the Scriptures. No individual is to impose upon the assembly his standard of holiness or righteousness. The standard is to be found in the word of God. That is to be our standard for what we believe and do.

We turn to Scripture for one or two illustrations, i Corinthians 5 gives us the case of an immoral man of whom the apostle writes to the assembly at Corinth, and says, "Therefore put away from among yourselves that wicked person" (ver. 15). It is the assembly who is directed by the apostle to put away the wicked person from among themselves. The assembly has the responsibility and the authority from the Lord to maintain the truth, righteousness and holiness in the house of God. Is an individual to rise in the assembly and say, " So and so is a wicked person, and I demand that he be
put away ? That would be usurping authority and acting in independency. It is for the assembly as such to declare that so of so is a wicked person, and in the name of the Lord to put away the evil from among themselves.

In Acts 9:23-28, fellowship and reception among the saints is in question. Some three years after Saul's conversion he returns to Damascus, and the Jews take counsel to kill him. "Then the disciples took him by night, and let him down by the wall in a basket. And when Saul was come to Jerusalem, he essayed to join himself to the disciples; but they were all afraid of him, and believed not that he was a disciple " (vers. 25, 26). They did not accept him on his own testimony. How long this continued, we are not told, but the fact is recorded that they refused him Christian association until " Barnabas took him, and brought him to the apostles, and declared unto them how he had seen the Lord in the way, and that He had spoken to him, and how he had preached boldly at Damascus in the name of Jesus." It is not a matter of Saul's own testimony only now, but of Barnabas. Testimony as to myself may be true, but is not competent testimony unless it is confirmed. That is what we have here. Saul's testimony is confirmed by that of another. Then we read, "And he was with them coming in and going out at Jerusalem." He is acknowledged now by the apostles and brethren, and received by the assembly. His reception was not the act of Barnabas, but of the assembly. I believe this is a pattern case which the assembly should follow and act upon.

Of course if the person is well known there is no need of repeating such introduction. The apostle says of himself in 2 Cor. 3:1, 2-"Need we, as some others, letters of communication to you, or from you ? " The Corinthians themselves were the fruits of his labors; and how well known he was in all the assemblies! But it applies to a stranger, or one seeking for fellowship among the saints; and we are to "lay hands suddenly on no man." Here in 2 Cor. 3, we find that letters of commendation were given and received among the assemblies of God. Does an unknown brother come in an assembly, it is our duty to inquire:Where does he come from ? Has he a letter from a well-known assembly or brother ? and if not, why not ? It is easy enough to bring a letter in going to distant parts where one is unknown-there is no difficulty to procure a letter if one is entitled to it. It is right and scriptural to demand one accrediting the bearer by those known to us. Our Lord Jesus even said as to Himself, " If I bear witness concerning Myself, my witness is not true,"-1:e., it is not competent. If the Lord Jesus was willing to subject His testimony to confirmation, we may well regard it as a safe example for us to follow.

And this is not questioning the veracity of the per-.on presenting himself, but of following the Scripture admonition of "laying hands suddenly on no man." Christian fellowship is to be in the light and in truth; it should rest on competent testimony, to the peace of our hearts, and the honor of our Lord. C. Crain.

A mother's love, how deep, how strong,
The infant's first known bliss,
The sweetest, purest, of earth's joys,
Indeed is this.

But oh, God's love for us, His own,
What man could measure this ?
'Tis His own perfect gift to us,
Of deepest bliss.

A pardon from a fellow-man,
Is very sweet indeed,
And who would not appreciate,
And for it plead ?

To free us from sin's awful curse,
The Saviour had to bleed,
And lives-the proof that we are free –
For us to plead.

Man's discipline but works constrained
Obedience to man's will;
The while his fellow-man remains
Unbroken still.

God's discipline, with peace and joy
The broken heart doth fill;
And, though in love
He chasteneth,
Doth comfort still.

Man's polishing but covers sin
When everything is done,
And leaves the great eternal work
Not yet begun.

God's polishing doth work in us
The likeness to His Son,
The Spirit's blessed workmanship
In us begun.

Man's sacrifice for fellow-man,

Gives only man's poor best,
It cannot reach the needy soul,
Nor give it rest.

The sacrifice of Thy dear Son,
For us, O God, how blest! His love,
His cross, have won for us Eternal rest.

High o'er our puny thoughts we'd set
Thy thoughts, O God, and bless
Thy holy ways, so far above
Our foolishness.

H. McD.

Notes of an Address by C. Grain

(Read Matthew 18th chapter, verses 21-35.)

The subject of the portion I have read, is the responsibility of those who have been the recipients of grace, to exercise grace also themselves. And there is not a person in the world but is a recipient of grace at the hand of God.

You will notice, in the few verses just preceding those I read, that the Lord was speaking to His disciples about recovering a brother who had sinned. Our Lord's words had manifestly impressed them all, and Peter is their mouthpiece. They were made to realize that to carry out the Lord's instructions, they needed much grace in their own hearts. It requires grace to forgive. Naturally we hold resentment rather than a readiness to forgive. If we feel we have been wronged, to resent it is natural to all of us. The Jewish Rabbis of our Lord's day, and before, had set a limit to the exercise of grace. They had taught that it might be shown in the way of forgiveness three times. You see they were putting a limit to, or to what extent it would be lawful to show mercy. Peter, acquainted with that fact, feels impressed, after listening to the instructions of the Lord, how much grace is to exceed what the Rabbis taught. So he says, " How often shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him? – till seven times ? " He evidently felt that grace might be exercised toward an offending brother "till seven times ;" but even so he too was putting a limit.

Now, in His answer, our Lord practically tells him that there should be no limit. He says, "Not until seven times, but seventy times seven "-implying, of course, that there is to be no limit. When there is an opportunity to show grace, to forgive or exercise compassion, our Lord who in absolute grace came into this world to minister, would have us put no limit to the exercise of grace.

There are wonderful things in this parable of the kingdom of heaven. First, the Lord compares the King of the kingdom of heaven to an earthly king. Kings have servants, and servants are responsible to their master. This king, of whom the Lord speaks, has a servant who has become involved in a great obligation, a very great debt. It comes into the mind of the king to reckon with his servants, and they are to give an account of themselves. This particular servant, through lack of wisdom, or carelessness, or living unto himself -there are a hundred different ways in which this may be-has let things slip through his hands, and he finds himself under a terrible obligation; he is heavily in debt, and, what is more, he has nothing wherewith to meet the obligation.

In this servant may we see a picture of Israel, who was to be God's servant; but Israel did not fulfil its responsibilities in its obligations to God. But if this servant pictures Israel, he pictures man as well. Man stands in the relation of a servant to God, is under obligation to God, but he has utterly failed. God can charge man with failing to make good in all his responsibilities to Him.

Now as this servant had not wherewith to pay, his lord commands that he should be sold, with his
wife, his children-all he had, and payment to be made. It is not difficult to see in this picture man, as God's servant, having failed in the discharge of his responsibilities, and now appointed to death and the judgment which comes after death. But the servant says (ver. 26), "Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay thee all." Let us look carefully at this.

Evidently the servant has no right apprehension of his condition. He wants to make a bargain with his lord, as we see men are constantly doing-proposing to make good. They acknowledge freely that men are sinners ; they want to make bargains with God, like this servant. A little grace will satisfy them. If God will only be gracious enough to give them another opportunity, that will suffice; they will make good in the future. That is their idea of grace.

Now I want to call your attention to something which will at first seem a little strange. The king takes no notice of the servant's proposition, but acts towards him as if he never heard it. He did hear it, but he knew the servant was in distress; he knew the ache and burden in the heart of the man, and there was pity and compassion in his heart for the servant. Mark you, the servant did not ask for pity and compassion, he asked for patience; he did not ask that his indebtedness be remitted ; his idea is to meet his indebtedness, to make good wherein he has failed. He has no thought that he is hopelessly involved in debt. If he had realized that, he would have felt that free, sovereign grace alone would meet his need. But he is simply praying for another opportunity. But as I have said, his lord does not close the bargain with him. "Then the lord of that servant was moved with compassion, and loosed him, and forgave him the debt."

Let us look carefully at this. "The lord of that servant was moved with compassion." What moved him ? It was the plight of his servant ; the fact that he was hopelessly involved touched his heart, and he loosed him. We have previously seen how he commanded him to be sold, his wife, his children, and all that he had. He now withdraws the command, which he might righteously have carried out. The cancelling of this command was pure grace. The servant could in no wise have claimed it. He might have come and said, Here I am hopelessly involved ; I have no ability to pay, and it is your sovereign right to command me to be sold, with all that I have. He might have done that, and might have added, It is your sovereign right also to show mercy and to act graciously with me as to what is best in the case I am in. But that is not what he did. All he wanted was patience ; pledging himself that if his king would show grace to that extent, and give him another opportunity, he would make good.

Yet his lord had compassion, as I have said. He looked upon his servant, he knew his character, his unfaithfulness, his slothfulness, yet he pities him ; "Then the lord of that servant was moved with compassion, and loosed him, and forgave him the debt." This is what God has done.

For centuries God was dealing with man in the way of proving him, that He might teach man the lesson of his utter inability to deliver himself from the judgment to which he was exposed as the consequences of his disobedience. For centuries God was dealing with man on this principle. Is it possible for man to recover himself ? All history should teach man his utter inability to pay the debt in his obligations toward God. But God pitied man, and He sent His only begotten Son to this world to be an offering for sin. That was grace. God was under no obligation to save us, or to remove the burden resting upon us because of our sins, nor to withdraw the sentence passed upon man. He had said to fallen man, " Dust thou art, to dust shalt thou return," and He was under no obligation to take that back. He never did take it back, but He has sent His Son into the world in absolute grace for our deliverance. In sending His Son to be our Saviour, to bear our sins, He was acting in sovereign grace, as having pity and compassion on men. There never was a man who could come to God and say, You ought to save me, You ought to forgive me. The command that he be sold, his wife, his children, and all that he had, might have been justly carried out. As a matter of righteousness only, God might have swept man off the face of the earth long ago; He might have swept Adam off the earth. When He brought on the flood and destroyed the whole world, He did it in righteousness.

Salvation is of grace. It was in grace that God sent His Son into the world to be the Saviour of men, to make a sacrifice for sin. Not only that, but sparing even man's life is grace. As a matter of righteousness, at any time, God might strike the sinner down. Some of us know cases of men who,
at times when they thought God was going to cut them off, pleaded with God, like this servant, to be spared. Acknowledging themselves sinners, acknowledging that their past was not what it should have been, they say, Have patience with me, restore me to health and life, and henceforth I will faithfully serve Thee. It is a bargain, like this servant said to his lord.

Well, God did show mercy. He had compassion; He did not cut them off-that was grace. In a sense, it was forgiving. Instead of executing judgment, as God had a right to do, He forgave. I wonder if there is anyone here who, at death's door, has said to God, " Have patience with me and I will pay thee all." He had pity on you and restored you to health. The opportunity to do better and live right you have had. Have you kept the vow made when your life hung in the balance ?

I pass on to the 28th verse:" But the same servant went out and found one of his fellow-servants who owed him one hundred pence; and he laid hands on him and took him by the throat, saying, Pay me that thou owest." Do you think that this servant, who owed his lord ten thousand talents, had really learned grace ? He had not grace enough to show a little grace when he had opportunity to do so. Was there any pity, any compassion in his heart when his fellow-servant said, "Have patience with me, and I will pay thee all ? " Did he forgive him his debt ? Ah, this is what discloses his heart. The plea of his fellow-servant (the plea he had himself made), "Have patience with me, and I will pay thee all," does not touch his heart. Alas, how blind were his eyes to the opportunity of showing mercy according as was shown him. The very fact that he cannot forgive his fellow-servant's small debt shows that his lord's grace so bountifully exercised toward him, had not touched his heart.

There is another thing in these verses (31-34) which is puzzling to many. Did not the lord forgive this servant, they ask ? Was there, so to speak, a string to his forgiveness ? No, he forgave him freely; he forgave him all the debt. But the permanency of governmental forgiveness depends on how it is received. Why did it prove to be a temporary instead of an eternal forgiveness ? It shows that this man was untouched by grace. The root of bitterness in his heart remained unjudged. Like hundreds and thousands of others, he perverted the grace received into an opportunity to press his claim on another.

Oh how sad it is to see men, sitting under the sound of the gospel, feeling somewhat the power of it in their heart, yet with no real self-judgment, no real break-down before God, but contenting themselves with the thought that they will do better!

Grace is in the heart of God in sparing the sinner, who is afraid to die; but this does not mean that in sparing man's life God has no further claim upon him. Unless God's present grace transforms man's heart, he makes himself subject to His eternal judgment by and by. May we so realize the greatness of our sin, the depth of our need, that God's mercy may be our only plea with Him ; and may His grace so take effect in our hearts that -we may walk in the spirit and ways of grace.

Oh, sovereign love and grace divine [nigh;
That saved, and blessed, and made me
Made meet to see the Father's face-
A sinful worm so vile as I!
No marvel that I'd magnify,
And glory in, a grace so free,
In love that led the Lord of Life
To bow His head in death for me!

He gave Himself!-a greater gift
Not all the universe could yield-
Nor could a lesser Life suffice
My soul from endless woe to shield.
Herein is love divine revealed,
A fathomless and shoreless sea-
That beareth me to endless bliss,
That bore Him to the cross for me!

For me ! a guilty slave to sin;
My heritage but death and woe.
He, God's Beloved, whose glories shine
Beyond all creature power to know.
From height so high, He stooped so low
That I might life and glory see,
The image bear, the glory share
Of Him who gave Himself for me.

Unsearchable these depths divine!
Inscrutable God's wondrous ways!
He chooseth things that are despised,
Confounds the wise, and calls the base-
E'en from the dust of death doth raise
A New Creation to His praise-
Sets us in love before His face,
Unto the glory of His grace!

W. L. G.

[Extracts from a letter, from one who for over six months has been lying in a hospital.]

" The Lord has been gracious to me in my affliction. Suffering is not pleasant, but it brings close to the Lord, and that is really what God intends. How often, when we are well and strong, we neglect God and His things. He created man to enjoy Himself-to find his joy in God; and God purposed to find His joy in man. So He ever seeks to keep us close to Himself that we might learn of Him. He has far more for us in store than we ever get here; and He has a place for us, but He would fit us for that place. It seems that suffering is His way of fitting us to bring forth the precious fruits of the Spirit in us.

" Suffering also enables to bear heavenly comfort to others who suffer. This is made plain in 2 Cor. 1:3-6. God Himself is the source of all comfort, but it flows mostly through human channels. The Holy Spirit is the Comforter, but He operates through human instrumentality. It is indeed a blessed privilege to be able to touch with the hand of love and sympathy some suffering member of the Body of Christ, and to pour the holy balm of comfort into some crushed and grief-stricken heart. But for this we ourselves must be comforted of God.

"Still the highest end and greatest purpose is fitness and enlarged capacity for the enjoyment of fellowship with God in what He is in the excellency of His Person. He is the God of all grace.

"The entrance of sin into the world has provided an opportunity for the display of His attributes and character in the wonderful work of redemption through Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory. Angels who have never sinned, and never knew what suffering is, do not know experimentally what grace and comfort are. No tears of penitence have flowed from their eyes, and they know not the sweetness of God's forgiving love. They serve God in the vigor of their perpetual youth and purity; they art His ministers of grace and mercy displayed to others, and praise Him who does all things well ; but the sinner who washed the feet of Jesus with her tears, and the disciple who leaned on His bosom on that night of sorrow, with all who through grace are made heirs of God, know God and have fellowship with Him, are embraced in the arms of His affection and enjoy the secret of His love. May we not say that the chief end of all our discipline down here is to form and enlarge the human vessel for the eternal display of the grace and glory of God ?

"I hear dear F- gave her heart to the Lord Jesus. Good it is to be brought to Him early in life. Often I regret that I did not come sooner. When I think of all the time I spent in rebellion against that blessed One, who loved me to the extent that He was willing to suffer the cross and the agony in the garden, where He sweat great drops of blood, that a poor worm like me might be saved, it makes me shudder. But when I think of the patience, love, and grace that bore with me, it makes me worship and adore.

" I trust this finds you happy in Him. May His grace keep and comfort you. Affectionately your brother in Christ, T. W. C.

CALENDAR FOR OCTOBER

Daily Bible Reading, Oct. 1, Ezek. 21; 15th, 35; 31st, Dan. 3
Memory Work………………… Galatians, chap. 4:1-16
Good Reading.. …. C. H. M.'s Notes on Exodus, pages 1-95

This month will see us nearly through the " Major Prophets," so called simply because of their greater size, with the exception of Daniel. You will have noticed that each prophet has a character all its own, though a divine unity runs through them all. Jeremiah and Ezekiel write during the same period; the one from within, at Jerusalem, the other among those deported out of Judah to Babylon. Both show the moral condition of the people most sad-the cause of all their sufferings-while some still made strong outward professions. But the Spirit of God is not merely occupied with the sins of the people and their judgment, but with the purpose and grace of God which was yet to deliver and restore His poor backslidden people.

I want to call your attention again to the importance of a note-book in connection with the daily reading. You will find something in almost every chapter that strikes you, and which you would like to remember. Jot it down in your note-book.

This applies also to the memory work. Set apart in the back of the book as many pages as will allow for an index of the first line of each verse, and fill it in as you memorize. When we are through, you will have an index to the whole of great value in reviewing. You can easily do this now, as it will not take long to catch up the verses from the beginning of Galatians, a dozen a day.

And now we are to begin that wonderful book, Exodus, the history of redemption. What a theme ! and holy blessedly C. H. M. opens it up, chapter by chapter. Let us enlist the interest of as many as we can in this, old as well as young.

I am in the habit of marking the books I am reading, if they belong to me. It helps to fix striking portions in one's mind, and is of interest to others as well as ourselves, who may take up the volume in after-years. For a while I used a lead pencil to mark, but decided that a pen was better, as the marks and writing would not then blur, and there is no need of ever rubbing them out. If neatly done, these marks really embellish the book, and are like footprints for any other reader, who will see that some one else has been traveling this way before him.

As we recommended several books on Genesis for more advanced and detail work, I will mention some for Exodus:" Typical Teachings of Exodus," by E. Dennett, is most excellent, especially on the Tabernacle. Other books on the Tabernacle are " Foreshadows,'' by Mr. Pressland, and " Lectures on the Tabernacle," by S. R. The writings of Mr. Darby and W. Kelly on the whole book are excellent;* and special recommendation of F. W. G.'s " Numerical Bible " on Exodus is made. *These, for the present, are out of print.-[ED.* I don't suppose you will attempt all of these, but you may want to refer to some special part, and the writings of these may be helpful. Eventually, you should read all these books, but do not attempt too much at once.
It is interesting to remember that Mr. Grant finds Galatians corresponds to the book of Exodus. Each has the same numerical place, too-the number of help, salvation and deliverance. It is nice to trace these things, as they are most helpful and striking.

That Little Library

While on the subject of books, I want to advise you to own your books as far as possible. For instance, I hope some of you have bought C. H. M. on Genesis- then you are free to mark it, and know you always have it on hand for reference or lending.

There is a peculiar charm in owning your books ; and by this I do not mean buying a large number all at once. This is not desirable, even if you have the means, which many have not. But buy a book as you need it; if it means a slight pinch, you will value it all the more. Your books will thus have a little history peculiar to themselves. Pretty soon you will have a neat little row looking down brightly upon you in your room.

The Social Question

This little article is more like an opening of the subject than any long talk on my part. So as in all our matters, I hope you will remember you have a share.

Nothing is more painful than to see a young Christian discontented, and constantly talking about, " no company," " so lonely," etc. Not that it isn't a very real difficulty, which calls for sympathy and relief, if possible. But we must be plain, and say that a good deal of this discontent is selfish. That sounds hard, and I don't want to be hard; so will try to explain. Aren't you thinking about your own pleasure, rather than the pleasure of others ?

Now what about company ?-" No one of my age -not many to get together," etc. But think it over. Isn't there any one ? Suppose they are a little older or younger, can't you have pleasant intercourse ? And then, let one whisper it, Isn't there any one to whom you can give pleasure by speaking to them, talking with them, visiting and showing an interest in them ?

I believe there is a great reward in this whole matter if we take it up prayerfully and unselfishly. Let us make the best use of what we have, and we will find we are not so lonely as we thought. Now this is only a start, but we will keep at it in love and faith.

"The Summer is Ended"

We read these words when we were going through Jeremiah. They referred to Israel's time of privilege, which they had abused. They solemnly apply to the unsaved, whose summer-time of divine patience is rapidly passing away. But they may well be taken to heart by us all. The summer is ended, with its enjoyments, opportunities and temptations. What can we say of' it ? Do we begin the cool weather with strength renewed, with loins girded for what is before us, to make the best use of our time and talents ? Or do we find ourselves spiritually relaxed, unready for "the good fight of faith," hampered by fleshly habits, or worldly friendships-in general," out of communion ? " Well, if this last be the case, let us return at once to the Lord, with full confession, and He delights to restore. Let us not waste more time with vain regrets, but finding the Lord's restoring grace, go on our way with renewed purpose of heart.

Stragglers

Stragglers are hurtful to the army in two ways:they are so much useless material themselves, and they injure the morale of the whole body by their example. Don't think for a moment that when you fall out of rank it hurts nobody but yourself. You, once in while, go to certain places, you indulge in such and such habits; "Well, it's my own business, I am the only loser." Don't you believe it! Somebody else has followed your example, and gone further and stayed away longer. Do you want to be the cause of driving some one into the world ? I am afraid we all are in danger of becoming spiritually "soft," and thus becoming laggards instead of " good soldiers of Jesus Christ." May the Lord arouse us.

A Good Pamphlet

In close connection with what I have just been saying, I want to recommend a most excellent pamphlet which a brother has recently sent me; it is called "Worldly Entanglements, or, The Triple Alliance of 895, B. C." The author is a well-known English brother, H. P. B. I would advise you to get and read this booklet of only 16 pages. You can get it from our publishers.

Correspondence

" First of all we want to express our heartfelt appreciation of your interest in us … We are going to ask for a place in your prayers that we may be able to continue in this study, to the praise and glory of our blessed Saviour."

Here is something from " a lonely one," which ought to touch our hearts and stir us to prayer. Do we feel our responsibility regarding these isolated children of God ? They have not the incentive of numbers, of meetings, of many young companions; so let us think of and pray for them :

" I am reading C. H. M. on Genesis, and I hope to finish it by Oct. 1st. Do I like it ? Indeed I do. I also am following the daily reading and memory work.

" I have read this Department with deep interest from the first. I do so appreciate your heartfelt interest in the young people. I'm sure the Y. B. D. will be a great help to all, especially to us isolated ones, who have no one to turn to for advice or encouragement. This Department has a place all its own, and will meet a need which nothing else does (that I know of), especially in objects 3, 5, and 6, as stated in the May help and food. May the Lord richly bless it to us all."

We would only remind our young correspondent that the Lord is with the loneliest of His people as much as if a thousand were together. May this be a greater reality and joy to us all.

" When I first memorized the first two chapters of Galatians, some time ago, perhaps my system' wasn't properly arranged; a two weeks' visit from a relative upset it; but with H. and F. coming each month to check up with, and others keeping me company, the work was so much easier; and now it is a real pleasure-a part of the day to look forward to.

"Already I have been able to use to advantage what I have memorized, in a talk with a ' Christadelphian' on the train. And what an inspiration C. H. M. is- may the Lord use this Department 'to bless many others as He has me."

This correspondent, for whose letter I am very grateful, also speaks of talking to others about Y. B. D., and trying to enlist their interest. Good work.

The Question Box

I have felt somewhat undecided whether to state the questions and leave you time to send in answers, or to give my own answers.

As is often the case, there is a good deal to be said on both sides; and I shall attempt to combine the good of both features. As we are just beginning, I will give some answers, but with the understanding that you are quite welcome to send in other answers, or express dissent. The questions are all bona fide. If I have any questions I will let you know they are from me.

Another thing :Please send in your questions ; surely there are things you wish to have more light on. Let the questions come in freely, and then I shall probably leave them open for your answers. So you see how interesting this will be-a symposium, in which I will have the privilege of summing up.

Question 1. Did Judas partake of the Lord's Supper (not the Passover, but what the Lord instituted)?

Q. 2. Is there any Scripture reason for memorizing the Bible ?

Q. 3. Will we be with Christ on the Great White Throne ?

Q. 4. In Gal. 1:6, what is " another gospel," and why does Paul say it is not another gospel ?

Answers :I am going to leave three of these questions and wait for your answers, which I hope you will send in promptly.

Q. 3. I suppose there was in the mind of the questioner the thought of 1 Cor. 6 :2, 3, where we are told the saints shall judge the world and angels. You will notice the apostle is speaking of the saints deciding questions of government and behavior. If the affairs of the whole world are one day to come under the government of God's people, how much more the small affairs between brethren ? Similarly the saints will be associated with our Lord in the government and control of the heavenly hosts; why not then the affairs of every-day life ?

But in the Great White Throne, with its unutterable solemnity, it seems out of place to think of the creature being associated with it. All judgment is committed to the Son, and in this last, the Eternal judgment, it seems meet that He should pronounce the doom of those who have sinned and have rejected Christ. I think of that awful scene as the final act of God-His strange work. How solemn! And oh, how blessed that we have been delivered from that " wrath to come!"

When barely out of my teens, I had a desire to serve my Lord and Saviour. Having acquired the printer's trade, though other lines of business were also open to me, a morbid sentiment seemed to press upon me to abandon my means of livelihood to serve the Lord by printing tracts and give them out freely, trusting to the Lord for support. After forty years I look back with thankfulness to the Lord for preserving me from following the mere feelings of my heart to engage in a course for which I was so unfit, and which would only have involved stumbling and confusion for myself and others. That the Lord regarded the love which had given rise to the thought, I doubt not, but that He preserved me from committing myself to this course, I now count as His mercy.

Romans 12 :3, "Not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think," is a word that should be heeded by such as would go forth in the Lord's service to the Church at large, counting upon the Lord, through His people, to care for their temporal needs and of those dependent upon them. If 1 Tim. 5 :4-10 is so specific as to relieving the saints at large of business that belongs to other shoulders, surely none should lightly take a position claiming sustenance by the Lord's people.

Moses, in great zeal, was only too ready to begin the deliverance of his brethren, but after forty years in the Lord's school at the back of the desert (earning his own living, evidently), became conscious of his unfitness; it was then the Lord constrained him to His service.

Various measures of gift are to be found in members of the assemblies who go on in " honest trades for necessary uses"(Titus 3:14, margin), yet obeying 2 Tim.2:4, "No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please Him who hath chosen him to be a soldier." "As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God" (1 Pet. 4 :10), but let us not divert from the real " gifts " which the Lord has given to the Church that sustenance which is their rightful due. Faithful stewards are to be wise in withholding as well as giving. J. E. H. Stimson.

*This tract, first published in England, and therefore not new, is reproduced here for the practical lessons it contains.

"A golden bell and a pomegranate, a golden bell and a pomegranate, upon the hem of the robe round about " (Ex. 28:34).

I’ve had them words stuck up in the little back parlor in my cottage a whole year, said a trades woman to a friend. They are right over the door leading into the shop. I see them twenty times a day, as I go in and out. Some folks wonders at them, and says some other text would be a sight better. Now, I don't think so at all. I've got a fine array of smarter ones all in gold and colors, and they make my dark little room look bright, and my heart glad, for they're blessed words, all of them, but none ain't like this old card my boy Owen printed for me. The letters, I know, are not all of a size, and the lines aren't straight, and the card is curled and smoky; but I often looks up at the words as I goes about my work, and bless the Lord for the message they brought me a year ago.

I called myself a Christian, and loved the services; and nobody thought more of our minister's sermons than I. So I was a bit disappointed that evening when a strange preacher came, and gave out them words for his text. "Coin' back," says I, "to Jewish laws and ceremonies ? They're all done with now. We're living now under gospel light." The fact was, I thought myself one of the most enlightened, never thinking how the light was going to break in on my heart through them very words.

The preacher began to tell about profession and practice, and how they should go together-sweet sounds and ripe fruit:first a bell and then a pomegranate, not a row of bells alone. He went on telling' how the bells were golden, and the fruit rich and good. I felt pretty safe about my bells. I hadn't ever been ashamed of my religion, and most everybody knew what I was. I rang plenty of bells, but I didn't feel quite so sure about their being all golden ones.

The preacher said, " The Pharisees had bells, lots of them, bells when they prayed, bells when they fasted, and bells when they gave alms; but there wasn't any fruit of obedience, mercy and love; and the bells, too, were harsh and grating, not mellow and golden. Peter had bells on his garments. Hear them ring :' Though I should die with Thee, yet will I not deny Thee.' But how about his pomegranates ? On the robe of Nicodemus there hung some pomegranates at first ; but he was afraid of the sounding bells of profession, and in the darkness crept silently to the Lord's side. But they rang out sweetly and clearly years after, side by side with rich fruit, when he boldly spoke up for his Master before accusing Pharisees, and dared to anoint that sacred body for burial on the eve of the Passover. But see them, both together, on the garments of our Lord – bells of holy teaching, and precious fruit of kindly deed and gracious miracles."

But what the preacher said at the end was what came down on me. He was telling' what them bells mean-how they rang on our garments when we had family prayers in our households, and when we went to meetings regular, and gave to collections for the Lord's work, and all them good things. " Well," says I to myself, "I've got all them bells, sure enough/' though still I felt just a bit uncomfortable about the pomegranate part of it.
Then he says, "And how do all these bells ring in your neighbors' ears, those of you who have them? Are they making a sweet soft chime so that everybody loves to listen to them ? or have they a harsh, rough, ugly sound that goes through you, and makes you stop your ears ? "

Well, I hung my head a bit when he said this, for I knew my bells weren't very sweet; but I'd always thought that wasn't my business; if folks didn't like my ways, I said that was their fault, and only 'cause they weren't converted like me, and their wicked hearts couldn't abide them as served God.

But now I found myself wondering whether the fault weren't a bit mine, after all, and I seemed to hear that great iron bell down at Slocum Station a-ringing and a-ringing fit to craze one; for if there's anything as riles me 'tis a clattering bell.

But the preacher hadn't done yet. He was going on to tell about the pomegranates – the good fruit that Christians bear to God's glory. Love, joy, peace, long-suffering, and a lot more he spoke of. " Now," thought I, " he's a coming to good deeds, and I've done a many," and I was going on to a lot of good things I'd done; when, all on a sudden, I pulled up. These weren't fruit at all. They were bells. I meant them to make a great sound. They weren't golden bells either, I was afraid; but ugly, tinkling tin ones! I felt real bad. I couldn't listen to no more; and when the preacher said in closing, " See that your bells are all golden, and that there is a pomegranate to every one," I was hot all over; and after the prayer, I just walked out and straight home in a sort of a daze, and never spoke to no one.

When I got in I sat down and began to think. I was the Lord's, and must try to serve Him-that was clear. I'd been making' dreadful mistakes, but I wasn't going' to give up. All I had got to do was just to find out where I'd been going' wrong, and get the Lord to set 'em straight.

First, I went down on my knees, and asked God to show me the way, and then I took up my Testament, and tried to find the text about the fruit, the " love, joy, and peace." I couldn't turn it up in a hurry, but I came across these words in Colossians-was reading the Revised Version, which I had only bought a week before-" Put on, therefore, as God's elect, holy and beloved, a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, long-suffering; forbearing one another, and forgiving each other, if any man have a complaint against any." Here was a row of ripe pomegranates! I knew in my heart that I had not borne much of such fruit. I felt I must do so now. I determined they should hang side by side with real golden bells.

Well, that week was a crooked one. Queer thing, isn't it, how just when one's made up one's mind to do something' right, everything goes contrary? I tell ye 'twas hard work that week to bear pomegranates.

Charlotte, that's my eldest, came home on Monday, all on a sudden like, with a sprained knee. She couldn't do nothing,' and there was I a-nursin' and a-servin' in the shop by turns all the week through. Charlotte's a good girl, I never had no trouble with her. She'd always been regular at Sunday-school till she went out to service, and she was very patient with all she'd got to suffer. I told her, as I sat beside her, how she must trust the Lord to know best, and as how 'twas His doin' in letting her be lame and helpless for a little. Nice bells were them words; I hope, golden ones. Now, thought I, the fruit must just come in between every one of them. And there was plenty of room for it.
How I was worritted that week:what with the little ones, and the shop, and Charlotte upstairs to wait on! And Charlotte's mistress called one morning. She was very hard and unkind, said as how it was very tiresome to spare Charlotte just then, and made out there weren't nothin' the matter with her. I goes up and gives her my mind, and let fly at her a bit for setting my girl to work as she did with her bad knee. Then she tells me I'm a pretty sort of a Christian to go in a passion like that, and forget my place. Well, I couldn't say much, and when she was gone I felt real sorry. There weren't any pomegranates that day, and the bells were all out of tune.

The next day was a bit better. Mrs. Kerry's youngest little one was cryin' pitiful in the morning, just outside my shop door. He wasn't a child I ever took to-such a mischievous little brat- and his mother owed a long reckoning (she owes it still); but I just picked out a red sugar stick while I was setting the bottles straight in the window and putting them out of the sun, and I pops out and gives it to the little chap. My! how he brightened up, and shoved his fist to e? ch eye to dry up the tears. I don't think he said " Thankee," but that didn't matter, for he run home to his mother as bright as a daisy, and – well, I thought perhaps my bells of profession would sound a bit more softly in her ears when she had found I had " a heart of compassion."

Charlotte was better, too, that day, and in the evening I got out to the service. It did me good, and all seemed just for me. I missed Widow Crabb, who alway sits just in front. As I went home, something said, "Look in and see her" (she lives near by). I didn't want to at all. I was in a hurry to get back to Charlotte, but, somehow, I went.

Now Widow Crabb has the rheumatics bad, and they don't sweeten her temper; in fact, she is not at all a pleasant person to visit. She was ungracious enough that night, and asked snappishly what I'd come about. I said as I'd only called in just neighbor-like to see how she did, and then I told her some o' the sermon, and about my Charlotte, and tried to comfort her a bit in her pain. She didn't say much, but she looked at me very keen all the time, and as I was getting up to go, she says, "I always knew you was a regular one at meetings, so punctual too, and all that, but I thought you hadn't much feeling for a body, that's why I wondered to see you come in tonight."

Bless you, I did feel small when she said that. My bells hadn't sounded sweet to her for certain, and the fruit had been-nowhere. But I think a pomegranate of kindness was put on that evening.

Next day some neighbors came in, and we talked about last Sunday's meeting, and what we did; and I very nearly boasted how much fruit I had been bearing. I knew they'd been whisperin' about me, and noticed I was a bit different. But I only said that I knew my bells hadn't been golden, and I hoped they would sound more sweetly now, and then I held my tongue. One pomegranate of humility was worth twenty jingling bells after all.

I had a fine chance to practice humility, and meekness, too, a few days later. Charlotte's mistress called again to see how the girl was, and I knew I ought to own as I'd been in the wrong to speak as I did before. My! How bad I felt, just as if I couldn't humble myself and say I was sorry! But I did it, and the lady looked so took aback she didn't seem rightly to know what to say. I really believe she felt worse than I did, and she spoke quite kind-like as she went away, and said that she would spare Charlotte a week longer, so she must have seen a pomegranate between the bells.

As I was saying, I had a deal to worry me then, and Owen was often that tiresome he'd make me downright cross. Well, I'd been put about terrible one day; what with the shop, and all the gas pipes being torn up just in the path, and one of the little ones down with whooping-cough; and didn't that boy turn up in the evening sent home in disgrace! I'd just got him a good place, and thought he was goin' on first-rate.

Well, as I says, he comes in as sheepish as can be, and I couldn't get nothing out of him, only he'd been turned off all of a sudden. I knew he thought as I should have flared up, and so I should a week or two afore, and boxed his ears too; and so he sits there, dogged-like, ready to give me back as good as I gave. I was real riled to be sure, but I only spoke a bit sharp, and held my tongue, and bid the lad sit down and have his supper.

Owen didn't understand it, nohow, as I could see; and 1 hat made me feel right down ashamed to think my boy should be so took back to see his mother didn't go in a passion! Well, he eats his supper and never says a word, and then goes off to bed without saying good-night.

I sat still a few minutes thinkin,' afore I raked out the fire, and then them words I read that Sunday night came back just as clear as if they had been spoken in my ears, " Put on therefore, as God's elect, holy and beloved, a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, long-suffering," and that last word seemed to go on growing bigger and clearer and brighter, and kept ringing, too, in my ears when the others had passed away. Long-suffering! How long had I suffered or borne with my boy ? If the blessed Lord had not had ten times more patience with me> what would have become of me ? And then the hot tears came, tears of shame and sorrow, and the Lord spoke, comforting and forgiving-the God who is full of compassion, gracious and long-suffering.

When I went upstairs, I crept into my boy's room, expecting to find him asleep, for he was dead-tired when he came in. The moon was shining faintly; but I couldn't see the lad's face, and I stood still to listen for his regular breathing. But Owen wasn't asleep, and he saw me, and he says, very quiet-like, "Mother."

I went to my boy, and knelt down in the moonlight by his bed, and kissed him softly, just as I used to do when he was a littly rosy baby in his cot, and I said, " Owen, my boy, what's the matter ? Tell mother the trouble, and we'll see if they won't take you on again." I suppose I spoke gentle-like, for the story all came out. Not all at once. Nothing came at first but tears. My big Owen just sobbed as he'd done when he was a little chap in my arms years ago, and had broken his toys. And he then told me about it, and there wasn't no great fault after all. My boy had only been thoughtless and careless, and offended his master, who's got a peppery temper, and he'd sent him off sharp. But this cut me most when my Owen said, "I thought you'd be so wild, mother, and wouldn't listen to nothin', and so I wasn't going to try and tell you. I just meant to put up with all the scolding for a day or two-I didn't think as you'd believe I'd been real bad-and then I meant to run away."

Oh, how those words stung me! My boy, whom I had loved and worked for, whom I would have died for, he run away! I had prayed for him ever since he was in the cradle, and I had taught him all that was good, and taken him to meetings, and had watched over him, and was wondering why he didn't grow up no better, and here was the secret of all my mistake. Bells, bells, but no pomegranates ! He'd heard plenty of profession, but he had seen very little fruit. A little " long-suffering," and my boy was won. I got him took on again, and he's been a different boy from that day.

I'll just tell you another thing, and I've done my story. In the middle of my shop window there stands a little wire basket. It's mostly full of fine brown new-laid eggs-real fresh ones – for I've always kept my own hens. Well, one morning I went down- the yard to feed the pretty dears. I had some true Polish ones then, and they were as tame as could be. They'd come peckin' round my feet, and out of my hands too, and from the basket on my arm, if I'd let them. Well, as I was a-sayin', I went down to feed them, and there I saw about the worst I'd ever set eyes on. I could just have sat down and cried. My beautiful pets lay dead, strewn about the yard, all but one, and she had her pretty wing broken, and was so hurt it was pitiful to see her. And this wasn't the work of thieves, for there wasn't one taken away; nor of cats or dogs, for the fowls weren't torn or eaten. Ah, I knew pretty well who had done it, even if the cruel stones lyin' about hadn't told their own tale.

My next-door neighbor, Mrs. Winton, had a spite against me, I knew, because I'd had coal tickets in the winter, and she got none. She was such a lazy, untidy body, that they wouldn't give her any. She had never been quite the same since, and she would have her fling at me at every chance, about my "cant" and " hypocrisy," and the rest of it. My bells hadn't been golden ones in her ears, that's certain.

There was very little doubt those rough boys, Joe and Luke Winton, had stoned my poor pets to death, and that their mother had some hand in it. My blood boiled in me as I stood there and looked at the poor innocent creatures dead and dying!

When Owen came in he was in a perfect fury, and I had rare work to stop him from dashing in and paying out them two cowards. But we both held our tongues, and after a day or two my temper cooled a bit, and I was real glad I hadn't spoke up when I felt so mad. I had seen Mrs. Winton once or twice in the village, but she always shied off, as though she was afraid of me.

Well, a week after, Owen come in from work, and he says, " Them neighbors of ours have got paid out now, mother."

"What's the matter?" says I.

" Why," says Owen, " Winton fell from a scaffolding this morning and hurt himself awful. He's brought home, but they don't think he'll live."

It gave me quite a turn. " Here am I," says I to myself, " a-harborin' angry thoughts towards Mrs. Win-ton, and she, poor soul, with her husband a-dying! "

I don't know what I said to Owen, for I was struck all of a heap to think I'd been so unforgivin'- I who expected God to forgive my trespasses. A little voice said, " Go in and see how Winton is."

I didn't do it that day, but I had a battle the next, and then I went. I felt mighty awkward over it, and I believe Mrs. Winton felt worse. " I have just come in to ask how your husband is," I stammered, when she opened the door.

" He ain't no better," said she, gruffly enough.

" Is he very much hurt? " I went on.

" Yes, course he is," said she, " or he wouldn't be a-lying here. Did you think he was shammin' ? "

I was a bit flustered, and was tryin' to say something kind-like, when she said crosser than ever, " We don't want no one a-pryin' about here, and I can't stand a-gossipin'," and then she shuts the door; and I came home wonderin' what was the use of my goin' after all, when it had been so mighty unpleasant, and didn't seem to do no good.

But I found out a day or two after. Mrs. Winton went by when I was in my little front garden, and she looked dreadfully sad. I asked her how Winton was, and she didn't answer gruff and snappish, only said, very low, that he was worse, and I could see the tears in her eyes. She was worn out, she said, with nursin' him day and night; she never got no rest, but she didn't think it would be for long. I could not say much, such a lump came up in my throat, but I just handed her over the fence the bunch of mignonette I was pickin', and I said, "I'll come in to-night and sit with him, if I may, Mrs. Winton, and then you can get some rest."

I shan't never forget how that woman looked at me-She didn't say never a word; but she took them flowers, and I saw two great tears come tumblin' down on her shawl as she turned away. I suppose she had seen a pomegranate between the golden bells. Anyway, I knew I might go and help her.

I went-not one night, but half a dozen; and Win-ton got well, and some time after his wife confessed to me all the story of the poor stoned hens.

We've been close friends ever since. We always sit together at the meetings, and Joe and Luke and my Owen beside us; and it all came out of some patience and forbearance. " Forbearing one another, and forgiving each other, if any man have a complaint against any; even as the Lord forgave you, so also do ye."

And the peace of Christ rules now; not perfect yet in my heart, He knows, for there is still a deal of sin there. But I ain't ever miserable or despairin'; and, while the golden bells ring out, He is helpin' me to add to each some fruit. "A golden bell and a pomegranate, a golden bell, and a pomegranate, upon the hem of the robe round about." L. Taylor.

"And Jesus cried with a loud voice, and gave up the ghost. And the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom " (Mark 15 :37, 38).

O my Saviour, crucified!
Near Thy cross would I abide,
Gazing with adoring eye
On Thy dying agony.

Jesus, bruised and put to shame,
Tells the glories of God's name:
Holy judgment there I found,
Grace did there o'er sin abound.

God is love, I surely know,
In the Saviour's depth of woe;
In the Sinless, in God's sight,
Sin is justly brought to light.

In His spotless soul's distress
I have learnt my guiltiness:
O how vile my low estate,
Since my ransom was so great!

Rent the veil that closed the way
To my home of heavenly day,
In the flesh of Christ the Lord:
Ever be His name adored!

Yet in sight of Calvary,
Contrite should my spirit be,-
Rest and holiness there find,
Fashioned like my Saviour's mind.

R. C.

I believe the Scriptures do not teach in a formal or doctrinal way the salvation of infants who die as such; nevertheless, I do infer from the Word that those who die before they come to years of responsibility, are saved. I base this inference on the character of God as revealed in His Word. It is God's will, the desire of His heart, that all men should be saved (i Tim. 2:4). No one can therefore claim that there is any hindrance on God's part. The hindrance lies wholly on man's side-in man's will, in fact :"Ye will not come to Me, that ye might have life" (John 5:40); "And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil" (John 3 :19). Therefore if any one is excluded from being blessed by God, it is their contrary will that hinders.

Now the Lord positively states in Matt. 18 :14, " Even so it is not the will of your Father which is in heaven, that one of these little ones should perish." And I ask, Where there is no contrary will, will God's will fail ? Surely not. The Lord takes a little child's character as a model for the disciples -in fact, for us all-just because it is the very expression of dependence, of trust, and humility. Therefore Christians are exhorted to become "as little children." Once more I ask, and press it, If a little one dies, can it perish-it being God's will it should not, and it not having a will of its own to the contrary ?

What a comfort this is to sorrowing parents when their precious little one leaves this world, to know that the Saviour, who, while upon earth, took the little ones in His arms and blessed them, is, willing to receive them in heaven, and to give them a place in His kingdom.

Now let us look at certain objections urged against this, to see if they contradict this inference.

It maybe questioned if the Lord in Matt. 18 :14 refers to little ones, or to those that resemble such (as He had been speaking of both in what goes before in this chapter). This is a weighty objection, if a true one. I do not believe this objection exists at all in the chapter, if carefully looked into. The Lord took a little child, set it in the midst of His disciples, and in order to teach them a much-needed lesson, tells them that except they be converted, which means changed from their self-importance (see verse i) to a condition of dependence and humility (see verse 4), the very things that characterize a child, and become thus as little children, they would in no wise be fit to enter into the kingdom of heaven. Thus, if any one did become as a little child, what characterizes a little child would characterize him, namely :dependence, trustfulness, meekness, inoffensiveness, without retaliation. Such an one shall meet with offenses in this wicked world, but woe to the one that offends such a truly meek and humble follower of Christ. Mark what a blessed and honorable place such a Christian would occupy in the kingdom. He should be the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

The Lord having used the little child as an example, takes up the case of little children themselves; at least, I infer that much from what He says in the 10th and 14th verses of our chapter. The poor and humble in spirit, the Lord tells us, are the greatest in the kingdom. It would be but a very little thing to say of them that shall have such an exalted place in the kingdom, that, "It is not the will of the Father that they should perish." Notice also, that in the first part of the chapter, where the Lord speaks of those that resemble a little child, He is careful to say, "One of these little ones which believeth in Me" but no such words are used in the loth and 14th verses. The Lord's assertion that not one of these little ones should perish, is founded on the precious truth that "the Son of Man is come to seek and to save that which was lost."

It is significant however that the word seek is not used by the Lord in this case, as in Luke 19 :10. We may well ask, Why this omission ? Surely little ones are lost as well as grown people, for both alike are sinners by nature, and thus unfit for God. Still, there is a great distinction between them. The little one is not away from God through a perverse will of its own, neither does it hide itself from God like the responsible sinner, who is afraid of God because of a guilty conscience through manifold sins committed. The latter has to be sought after by the Son of Man. Not so the little one. No such seeking after is needed in its case. It only needs to be " saved " by the Son, who is as able as the Father is willing. Thus, not only is it the will of God that those little ones should not perish, but the Son has wrought a work which has removed all barriers that sin had raised between a holy God and man, and therefore there is absolutely no hindrance on God's part to bless according to His will. Therefore I hold that those who believe that little ones, who die as such, are saved, maintain the truth and character of God.

But there may be some who find it difficult to reconcile what I have written so far, with what the apostle Paul states in 2 Cor. 5 :10, " For we must all appear before the judgment – seat of Christ," quoting only the first clause of the verse- a bad habit which people often fall into in quoting God's word, to their own detriment as well as marring the testimony of truth. The balance of the verse is, " That every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad." Thus the judgment is according " to the deeds done in the body." It will be admitted, surely, that no infant can render that solemn account.

A weighty objection, with others, is found in our Lord's word to Nicodemus, "Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."

It is true that a being with an evil nature cannot enjoy the presence of God, neither is fit for that presence. Therefore the youngest babe must be born again.

It will be admitted that as regards the new birth, it is wholly the work of God. But mark the difference between a babe, born a sinner, and a responsible person, born a sinner also, but guilty besides on account of sins committed. The difference lies in this, that the guilty one has to have the cleansing power of the word of God applied to him, as well as the quickening power of the Spirit; and when the Lord desired to meet the need of a responsible, but needy and seeking sinner like Nicodemus, He discloses the mystery of the new birth as much as was needed for such an one to know. God was setting up a kingdom of His own, and to see it, a man must have a wholly new nature.

There are indeed mysteries connected with the new birth which our finite mind cannot fathom:"The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh and whither it goeth:so is every one that is born of the Spirit" (John 3:8). While we cannot explain, we know that through the power of the Spirit of God, the "Son of God quickens whom He will" (John 5 :21); and we further know that if it is a person denied by sins committed whom He quickens, He uses the word of God in one way or another to reach the conscience in order that there should be a moral work in the soul as well as a new nature imparted. Therefore it is said in the Word, "Ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you" (John 15:3); and it is by "the washing of water by the Word," that we are sanctified (Eph. 5 :26). The water (symbol of the Word) acts on man, sinful but responsible, and his thoughts as to God, as to himself and his ways, are changed. He judges himself before God in his conscience; in other words repents, believes God, and is morally changed. The Spirit communicates a new life, and he becomes a child of God, '' born of God," made "partaker of the divine nature " (2 Pet. i:4). Thus when new birth is spoken of in connection with sinners guilty before God, the Spirit and the Word are always associated together. Thus hearing and receiving the Word is the only way of blessing for a responsible being with a conscience to be acted upon. But this truth does not set aside the fact that the Spirit can produce a new nature in one incapable to understand the word of truth. The Son of God, who is the living Word, needs but to speak, and the Spirit can produce divine life in the soul of an irresponsible child.

Now turn to Mark 10 :13-16, and notice, in the first place, there is no comparison made between little children and such as are like them. In the second place, notice these remarkable words of the Lord in reference to little children:"He took them up in His arms, put His hands upon them, and blessed them," and said, "of such is the kingdom of God. Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein." If then the Lord would not reject them, but receive them while here in this world, think you He will reject them in heaven? Surely not.

But again, There are those who believe that little ones of believing parents shall be saved when they die, but deny this of the little ones of unbelievers. While fully admitting the principle so graciously maintained in God's word of "thou and thy house," why debar any infant from this grace ? It is right to lay hold by faith of this blessed covenant which God makes with believing parents, but let not this hinder any one from believing that God will not hold those accountable who have not come to years of responsibility. God is "a just God, and a Saviour." If in His moral government, in this present wicked world, He allows, for a wise purpose, the sins of parents to be visited upon the children (a fact taught in Scripture, and observable around us every day), yet in that which involves everlasting misery or happiness, be assured from the revelation we have in God's word of His character, that irresponsible beings, such as infants of believing or unbelieving parents, will find a place in the kingdom of God.

You may say, "This is but an argument." Well, even arguments have their place, and if they rest on God's word, though they cannot give faith, they may remove wrong thoughts from our minds, and help in the understanding of God's word. H. P. Scholte.

I believe there are two main reasons why believers in general find it difficult to understand, and consequently are so backward in accepting, the doctrine of election. These are :(i) The entire ruin, enmity, and contrariety of fallen man to God. The other is :(2) The sovereignty of God's grace.

As to the first, not bowing to the solemn truth that man is utterly ruined before God, it is imagined that man now can choose the good and reject the evil, as he pleases; or what is called free will. Thus, if God in His grace, and through the gospel, proclaims salvation, they claim, man in his unconverted condition has the spiritual power, or will, to accept. This supposition changes the whole idea of Christianity, and perverts it. For the question is really this :Is the natural man merely changed, instructed, and sanctified, or do we receive a new nature in order to be saved (John 3:1-8; Gal. 6:15) ?

Now Scripture plainly teaches that man is ruined (Rom. 3:10-19; Eph. 2:1-5). It also teaches that the crucifixion of Christ is the end of all the means God had employed to gain the heart of man; it therefore proved that it was impossible. To enter at length into the proofs of this from Scripture, by following God's gracious ways with fallen man, from Adam to the cross of Christ, would require too much space. We shall therefore give but a brief outline.

God created man innocent. He had neither malice, corruption, nor lust; he had only to enjoy with gratitude the good with which he was surrounded ; but he was bound to obey, for he was a creature, and he had the sense of responsibility to God-a debt of obedience therefore to his Benefactor. But Adam sinned, and separated himself from God in making himself, as far as his will was concerned, independent of God. Morally, it was all up with man when Adam sinned, for his innocence was lost, and he had gotten a sinful nature. It was while in this sinful condition and position that Adam became head of the human race (Rom. 5 :12; Luke 6 :43). God in His grace, however, immediately proclaimed a Deliverer (Gen. 3 :15). Man was banished from paradise, and the world began. God then let man have his own will; there was no repression of it until the flood. What was the consequence ? The earth was filled with violence and corruption (Gen. 6 :5-13).

Still, during this terrible state of the world, God in His grace had His witnesses, showing He acted in love in spite of the fearfully depraved condition of man. There were the Abels, Enochs and Noahs, who were nourished and sustained by faith while walking with God, though evil went on, ever increasing.

After the flood God set up government in the hands of Noah (Gen. 9 :5, 6), in order to keep man in check. Yet, after the flood, not only corruption and violence reappeared-though the latter was kept in check more or less through government, but idolatry arose and reigned-demons taking the place of God in the eyes and imagination of men. (See Josh. 24 :2 ; i Cor. 10:19, 20.)

Again God acts in grace in calling out Abraham from amongst these idolaters, in order to keep His name from being utterly lost to mankind. Abraham is chosen by sovereign grace. Being called, he walks by faith-always the gift of God (Eph. 2:8) _ and the unconditional promise is given him that through his Seed all the nations of the earth should be blessed. (Compare Gen. 22 :18 with Gal. 3 :16.) Abraham then becomes the father of a nation, and in course of time God takes this nation and separates it from all the others, and gives it the law, a perfect rule for the natural man. Israel was designed to be a standing testimony against idolatry (Ex. 20 :2, 3; Isa. 43 :12). Notice that God takes one nation as a sample; He places it in the most favorable circumstances, and works with it in the most patient way, in order, if it is possible, to get fruit for Himself from man (Luke 20:9-16)-just as a farmer, to test a boasted seed, takes an acre of the best land, fences it to keep out all harmful things, cultivates it, waters it, does everything possible to get the much desired fruit.

But this highly-favored nation proves to be no better than the rest; in spite of all that God has done, they fall into idolatry. Thus] Satan himself, under disguise, became their object of worship. Israel, who was to be God's witness that He alone is God, completely failed.

But behold the long-suffering patience of God, the Father of mercies; He sends prophet after prophet to recall them back to Himself; and at last He sent "His beloved Son!" God would not judge them without using every means to gain their hearts. "God was manifest in flesh," and "God is love!" His love was displayed in relation with the wants, the weakness, the misery of man. Now certainly, if there is any latent good in man, it will manifest itself in the presence of such grace. Oh, reader, what think you was the final choice of man, when it was left to his free will to choose ? "Away with Him; crucify Him," was the wild outcry (Luke 23:21) with which they answered all the tender tones of love of the Man of Sorrows – the lowly, gracious Jesus, who was cradled in a manger, who went about doing good, and ended His life on the cross!

"Now is the judgment of this world," said the Lord Himself just before going to the cross (Jno. 12:31). The natural man was proved to be under the dominion of Satan, the god (2 Cor. 4:4) and prince (Jno. 14:30; Eph. 2:2) of this world, a slave to sin, under the power of death and judgment (Rom. 3:19). This is the condition and position man has brought himself into by his boasted free will. Man was free in paradise. He used his free choice there, and became a sinner. While in that state, God offered him His Son, but man wanted neither good nor God, but his own sinful will !

It may be claimed that all were not so bad, as there was a remnant who did receive Him who had been promised-the Christ, the Son of the living God. True, some did receive Him, but they were born of God. They were no better in themselves than the rest, for the Scripture emphatically tells us that those who did receive Him were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God (Jno. i:10-13). It was "a remnant according to the election of grace " (Rom. it :5, 6). All clearly proving that it is not merely the natural man improved, instructed and sanctified,
but a wholly new nature is needed by man before he can love and obey God (i Pet. i :2).

Reader, the trial of man is ended. If what I have adduced from Scripture is accepted, you will admit that man is both guilty, lost, utterly ruined; yea, more, " dead in trespasses and sins " (Eph. 2:i). Think what this last quotation really means from God's standpoint; this world is a moral graveyard in God's estimation.

Is there no hope then? Yes, God be praised! Not in man, however, but in God-in God's sovereign, electing grace. Why then object to such a glorious doctrine ? If it was not for God's electing grace, where would you and I be for eternity ? In the lake of fire, prepared not for man, but for the "devil and his angels" (Matt. 25 :41)-a terrible thought, nevertheless a true one; for if God had left us to ourselves, we would simply have acted according to our own heart, which "is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked " (Jer. 17:9), and according to our own mind, which "is enmity against God " (Rom. 8 :7). Let us thank and praise God then that, acting in His sovereign grace, He has chosen us in Christ Jesus before the foundation of the world-this wicked world-made so, because man willed it so, not God; for it was "very good" when He created it (Gen. i:31).

But, someone says, I do not object to the thought that we, believers, are chosen in Christ, but to the statement that it was so ordained before time began. Think a moment; should you speak of time in connection with the omnipresent and omniscient One ? Time is for finite man; with God one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day (2 Pet. 3:8). The real difficulty lies, not in the statements of Scripture, but in the will and pride of man, who will not admit that "there is no difference; " that all are alike sinners before God, lying under His just condemnation. Once admit that, and you will also admit that there is nothing in the exercise of God's sovereignty inconsistent with either justice or goodness when God punishes-the wicked for their sins, while He extends undeserved mercy to the objects of His grace. There is no injustice done to one wicked man in the pardon of another. Would you deny to God that which you would allow in a mere man, as the President's or the Governor's right to dispense pardon at his pleasure ?

Now let us endeavor to clear this doctrine from certain charges, claimed to have been taken out of God's Word, but which place God in a light contrary to the glorious revelation He has been pleased to give us of Himself. We can challenge man, and the devil himself, to prove from Scripture that God ever ordained any being, be it man or fallen angel, to be damned. Read the champion defenders of this false doctrine, be it Calvin or any other, and you will see that, from beginning to end, they give mere arguments based on inference, but not one direct text from Scripture.

In Romans, chap. 9, this question is taken up by the apostle. We only take the difficult points in it, as these are the very ones that are brought up to throw disrespect on the doctrine of election. To Abraham and his seed the promises were made. Isaac was born in the direct line of the promise; but with Isaac's offspring, in the natural order, Esau should have been the heir, being the firstborn. ' But Jacob is chosen. Why? "That the purpose of God according to election, might stand," says Scripture; "not of works (for they were not yet born), but of Him that calleth " (ver. 11).

In verse 13 we get our first difficulty, in the expression, "As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated." Where is this "written?" It is quoted from the last prophet sent to Israel, in Malachi i :1-5, and written a thousand years after the death of Jacob and Esau.* *Please note also that Esau and Edom are the same. This way of using the father's name for his posterity is very common in Scripture ; for example, " Israel" designates God's earthly people, yet it was Jacob's own name, given after his remarkable conflict at Peniel (Gen. 32:24-28).* It was written to show, not only that Israel was absolutely indebted to God's sovereign grace (which is the subject of Rom. chaps. 9-11) for the difference that God had put between Esau and themselves-though both alike offspring of Isaac-but that God's ways with the two branches of Israel's descendants had been in accordance with His purpose. This quotation from Malachi is used by the apostle, not applying it to Esau himself (though we should remember he despised his birthright, selling it for a mess of pottage), but to show God's judgments upon his posterity (Edom), because of their deep hatred of and cruelty to Israel in the day of their calamity. So what is meant in verse 13 is not that Gcd hated Esau before he was born, but hated Edom, who had shown such hatred to God's beloved people Israel.
In further proof of this, let the reader carefully compare the following Scriptures:Gen. 25 :23-34 (note vers. 23 and 30 compared with Rom. 9 :12); Obadiah; Isa. 34:5-8. Thus the issue of God's dealings with Israel and Edom respectively would prove His sovereign, unmerited love for His chosen people. H. P. S.

(Concluded in next number.)

QUES. 17.-I have had conversations lately with a Christian girl who firmly believes in Divine Healing, and I would like to know why it is not accepted by "the Brethren," if it is right. They have a number of scriptures to uphold their teaching, and wonderful cases to prove their stand. Have you any tract on this subject?- M.S.

ANS.-It is incorrect to say that "the Brethren" do not believe in divine healing. What is objected to is the doctrine on which it is usually based, namely, that Christians should claim divine healing on the ground that Christ made atonement for diseases as well as for sin; and Matt. 8 :17 with Isa, 53 :4 are usually quoted in proof. This, however, is a misunderstanding and misapplication of these scriptures, and leads to serious distortions of the truth. Atonement was made ly death upon the cross, not in the life and ministry of our Lord upon earth. It was in sympathy with the consequences of sin upon man and to manifest His power that our Lord healed the afflicted. He never had, never could have, sympathy with sin, but with the misery it has brought to man He did and has sympathy. For what we believe as to healing in accordance to God's Word, read "Faith's Resource in Sickness," "'Divine Healing'-So-called," " The Gospel of Sealing," the three, postpaid, 10 cents.

QUES. 18.-Please tell us the difference between morality and spirituality. Also kindly explain what it is to have "the kingdom of God within you," as in Luke 17:21.-L. E. L.

ANS.-" Morality " is the upright character and honorable conduct of persons with regard to right and wrong toward their fellow-men. "When God is the One before whom these things are exercised, they take a deeper and spiritual character, of course, and it is termed holiness.

"Spiritual," as used in Scripture, is conformity to the mind of God, produced in those who know God and obey His word. It is the opposite of "carnal,'' which is conformity to the ways of the natural man. (See 1 Cor. 2:15, 16; 3:1-4.) An unconverted person maybe "moral," but only children of God can be "spiritual," or spiritually minded.

As to Luke 17:21, rightly rendered it reads, "The kingdom of God is among you"-not "within" you (see margin). The kingdom of God is the mind and ways of God produced in those that know and obey Him (see Rom. 14:17; Acts 20:25). It was perfectly exemplified in our Lord Jesus upon earth. The spiritually blind Pharisees had neither heart nor eyes for this; they only looked for outward displays of power-which was, and shall be, displayed in due time.

QUES. 19.-We are but three families in our little assembly. In coming together for our Bible study, should the women have no part in it ?-L. C. M.

ANS.-Bible studies among the three families, such as you speak of, are practically conversations at home where the wives and daughters do not feel such restraint, as they would feel in public meetings. It is not in punctilious forms and rigid rules that God takes pleasure, but in the loyal, happy subjection o' heart in the place He has assigned to each.-See also Answer to Ques. 6, in April Help and Food, on this subject.

QUES. 20.-Will you please answer in Help and Food as to the following:Is baptism by sprinkling according to Scripture? If so, what are the scripture references ?-and if it is not, and immersion is, please give the references as to it.-R. E. W.

ANS.-The form of baptism cannot be proved by the noun baptism, nor the verb baptize. There were in the law of Moses "divers baptisms" (Heb. 9 :10) and there is a "doctrine, or teaching, of baptisms" (Heb. 6 :2, baptismos, same word). Most of these baptisms under the law were by sprinkling, and some by washing of the whole body-See Exod. 24:6-8 with Heb. 9 :19-23 ; Exod. 29:4; Lev. 14 :7; Num. 8:6, 7; 19:18-20; 2 Ki. 5:10,14, etc. The doctrine, or teaching, of these various baptisms cannot be entered into here ; they open into a large and precious line of truth.

In this last reference it is distinctly said that "he dipped himself seven times in Jordan"-which clearly points to the New Testament doctrine of man's utter ruin; so, in the New Testament, baptism is spoken of as burial with Christ (Rom. 6:4; Col. 2:12), by which we deduce that immersion is the proper mode of baptism for the Christian. But let not our eyes be upon the mode, nor even the act of baptism, but upon what it signifies-all hope in the natural man gone; so we bury it with Christ-our only hope is in Him.

QUES. 21.-Can yon help me about a difficulty I have as to how divine life is implanted in the soul? We understand the sinner is dead-a dead man can do nothing. He can't hear in order to believe. "You hath He quickened." "Would it be correct to say, God quickens a man to enable him to exercise faith in Jesus and His work, for salvation ? If so, quickening or new birth comes before believing or faith, or even repentance.

Let me turn it round a little. How can a dead man repent ? If he does repent, has not a divine work of God taken place in his soul? Then he was born again before he really repented.

This seems to remove man from responsibility; yet, "He that believeth not is condemned already," would indicate man's responsibility. "Was the jailor, in Acts 16, born again even if he did not know it, when he said, " What must I do to be saved?"

Would it be correct to say that Cornelius was born again before he saw Peter, but not sealed, or in the Christian state? After seeing Peter, he then knew salvation, and was sealed of the Spirit, and in the body of Christ. I am asking a lot, but I would be glad for help.

ANS.-Your difficulty as to new birth comes from misapplying, or misunderstanding the text to which you refer, Eph. 2 :1-"dead in trespasses and sins"-How dead? Just as the prodigal son was dead to his father :"This my son was dead " when turning his back to his father to follow his own will and wallow in iniquity. "Dead in trespasses " shows an active opposition to God. And this is just the condition in which Rom. 1 :18, 21, 28, etc., shows the sinner to be. It is this heart-rebellion that must be broken to turn the soul back to God. To accomplish this God uses various means, in His sovereign will, "that He may withdraw man from his purpose, and hide pride from man " (Job 33:17), and bring him a suppliant at the feet of Jesus. The Holy Spirit using the Word of God convicts of sin, brings to repentance, and thus to faith in Christ the Saviour; as 1 Pet. 1 :23, 25 says :" Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible- by the Word of God, which liveth and abideth forever . . . and this is the Word which by the gospel is preached unto you." It is by receiving "the Word of truth" therefore that we are born again (Jas. 1 :18). So the apostle Paul says to King Agrippa that to the Jews and to the Gentiles he preached "that they should repent and turn to God." Our Lord taught, "That whosoever believeth in Him should not perish;" -"He that believeth on Him is not condemned ;" "Unless ye believe that I am He, ye shall die in your sins," etc., etc. It is an evil theology, therefore, that teaches that new birth comes before faith or repentance. It annuls man's responsibility to believe God, and it contradicts the testimonies of God (see Rom. 10:8-16 ; Acts 16 :30, 31; Luke 7 :50, etc.). As to Cornelius, Scripture says that he was "a devout man, one that feared God, and prayed to God always." It is clear, therefore, that Cornelius believed already, as far as his knowledge went. He "believed God," as Abraham did, and was "accepted of Him " (Acts 10:35) ; but there was need of the further message (which Peter brought) that he, a Gentile, was accepted even as the godly Jews were-that he might have the knowledge of it as God's own declaration, and a place among the redeemed; 1:e., he was to be brought into the full assurance and joy of the saints in this dispensation. God, as it were, forcing the Jews themselves to recognize this by giving the Holy Spirit to this Gentile company, even as upon the godly Jews at Pentecost.

QUES. 22.-Please explain the 13th verse of the 10th chapter of Romans.
ANS.-"Calling upon the name of the Lord" in the present dispensation, is the heart call of one convicted of sin turning to the Lord for mercy and pardon. It is the result of hearing and believing the testimony of truth and grace, as verses 14,15 plainly show. The thief on the cross (Luke 23:40) is a notable example.

Peter quotes at length in Acts 2 :16-21 the same passage from Joel 2. There it applies to the time of God's dealing in judgment with the Jews, and the world-the time of "the great tribulation;" and the godly ones who, out of deep trial and affliction, call upon God for deliverance, "shall be saved," 1:e., shall be preserved through it. They shall be "the meek" who are to inherit the earth under Christ's reign. (See Matt. 5:5.)