Calendar:May Kith to June 15th.

DAILY BIBLE READING:…….May 16th, Gen. 43; May 31st, Exod. 8; June 15th, Exod. 23. SUPPLEMENTARY READING:. .May 16th, Mark 15; May 31st, Luke 14; June 15th, John 5. MEMORY WORK:………… Gospel of John, chap. 4.
MEMORY OUTLINE:……………. .Gospel of John.
GOOD READING:. .. .. ."Life and Times of David," and "Jehoshaphat," by C. H. M.

Daily Bible Reading

Nearing the end of Genesis! What a wonderful book it is! How suggestive is every chapter, and how closely it links with all the other books of the Bible. It has been well called "The seed-plot of the Bible," for we find in it the germs of all the great doctrines, either literally or in type.

I hope a good number are keeping a note book at hand, and jotting down special topics of interest, together with questions for further study. Many of you may have already read C. H. M.'s "Notes on Genesis." A reading, either for the first or second time, would repay you. For those who wish to look a little more deeply, "Genesis in the Light of the New Testament" would be very helpful. But I would advise you to see if you haven't some question on each chapter as you read it, which you wish to understand more clearly. For instance, in chapter 3, who are the serpent's seed? We know who the woman's Seed is. Or, in chapter 4, what is meant by "sin lieth at the door " ver.7? If we can do no more than ask the question, we shall find that we will at least learn how many things there are in every chapter that we do not understand.

We are now, as I write, also reading the first part of Matthew, with, I hope, real refreshing and help. Those of you who have memorized the outlines of the Gospel will find it helpful in placing the chapters in their setting. I hope to have more sending in the outlines of Luke. Perhaps you are nearly through it but think it too late to send in. No, it is not too late, and I had rather you would finish Luke before you start on John. So I hope to hear from you as to this.

Memory Work

If you find the portions too large to be covered in a month, do not hesitate to let me know. We want to do thoroughly what we undertake, rather than to go over a larger amount superficially. It will be a great help to have large portions of this wonderful Gospel stored in our minds-and in our hearts. I have already spoken of the Memory Outlines. The regular portion is also John, which will work in nicely with your memorizing work.

Young Believers' Meetings

I had a letter some time ago asking whether I thought it a violation of Scripture for young sisters, who are past the age of childhood, to take part in reciting verses or selections in a public meeting. I am giving my answer, which may also meet other questions which some may have.
My dear Brother:

Your letter has just reached me, and I will endeavor, the Lord enabling, to give what I believe to be for our guidance in the whole matter.

(1) The local Assembly is composed of all those gathered to the Name of our Lord Jesus at a place. When they gather as such, the full instruction as to their conduct is given in 1 Cor. 10 to 14, specially chaps. 11,14. This is primarily as we meet at the table of the Lord, but its spirit applies to all meetings where the assembly as such are gathered, as the Prayer meeting and Bible Reading. Of course the Gospel meeting would also be of similar character, only there the responsibility of the meeting rests upon one or more brothers who may be in charge. In addition to these meetings, our entire conduct is to be of that sobriety and subjection to the Word which become the saints of God. A spirit of holy, happy obedience in the freedom of the grace of God will guide us in all this.

(2) There are numbers of spiritual exercises which are frequent and most precious privileges, which do not come under the thought of the assembly, 'as, for instance, family prayer, a most necessary and important matter; the instruction of the children at home, in reading, memorizing and reciting the Scriptures, and in singing, or learning suitable selections in prose or poetry. Many a happy and most blessed time could be had thus in the homes, to which the children would look back, in after years, with pleasure, and whose influence would remain with them. If children from neighboring families came in, so much the better. No limit would be set to age or sex at such meetings.

(3) The Sunday School is simply removing such a company from a private house to the more convenient hall or meeting room, kindly loaned by the assembly for the purpose. Naturally, the number being larger, there must be more order and more helpers. Thus one brother takes the direction, in connection with the other brothers and sisters who are helping in the work. In each class similar studies are carried out, with the reciting of verses, etc., in public before the whole school. It is a school and every one has the privilege of being a scholar. I know of nice instances of the grown-up brothers and sisters reciting their verses just as the children, the other scholars, do. The whole thing is the family affair transplanted into more convenient quarters.

(4) The Young People's Meeting is of a very similar character. While sobriety should mark it, there should be happy freedom, and all, young and old, should participate in the Bible study, which should form the central part of the meeting. I don't go more fully into this, as not directly covered by your question, though it is all most important and interesting.

(5) This brings me to your question, and I think what I have said so far will prepare us to see the true character of the public exercises, I suppose of a yearly kind. At such a gathering hymns, verses, recitations, etc., are prepared for beforehand, and the parents and friends come to hear the exercises. I am sure the same freedom and holy, happy sobriety should mark such a gathering. Just as in the secular schools the older scholars, boys and girls of High School age, take part, so where the Word of God is the theme they should be equally free.

(6) Of course there are dangers and abuses on either side. Things may be done in a careless, frivolous way that grieve the Lord, or there may be a hard legal spirit which the Lord rebuked when they told Him to silence the children crying their praises in the temple (Matt. 21:15,16). All that we do should be in the light of eternity and of His presence.

(7) Lastly, beloved brother, we must "consider one another." Weak consciences must not be despised, and sober advice must not be ignored. All should be laid before the Lord individually and unitedly. We need one another, and even where we do not see eye to eye, "God shall reveal even this unto us." A spirit of yieldingness, of mutual forbearance, will be owned of God. It would be best for those not directly engaged in the Sunday School work to leave all details in the hands of those who have the care of the children. We should trust one another. On the other hand, these latter should seek to profit by the advice of the others. Most important of all, let us individually be much in prayer-abiding communion with the Lord, and He will lead, opening or closing doors, as He in His holy love sees best.

I think I have covered the points made in your letter, but shall be glad to answer further if you so desire. I shall also be glad to hear how you got along at your exercises.

I have also had inquiry as to the Young Believers' Meeting which may also be the question which others would like to have answered. It was whether the leader of such a meeting should always be a young man, or could a sister take her turn. My answer was that where sisters and brothers are present, it is always best that the brother should take the lead, opening with prayer, etc. The sisters would be entirely free to join in the Bible study and other parts of the meeting.

I add two reports of meetings which furnish some interesting questions which may be suggestive to others. They show a good deal of work, and of home work, which is a good sign.

67th Meeting Y. B. D., held at home of J. D., Dec. 1926. Total present, 20.

Report on:"Bible:Whence is it?" (M. DeV.). "Roll up the Catalogue" (M. D.). "Humanity of Christ" (J. D.).

Question of "What is the third Heaven?" answered by B. G. Discussion followed and questions arose:"What are first and second heavens?" and "Where do angels dwell?"

Explanation of Rom. 14:3 by H. F., followed by general discussion of Amusement Question.

Questions for next meeting:

1. Is Satan's domain in the first or second heaven?- Assigned to B. G.

2. Can conscience be our guide? Study different kinds of conscience. This is to be studied and answered by all.

3. Rev. 21:13:"And they were judged according to their works." Does this mean that there will be degrees of punishment?-Assigned to R. L. and E. B.

4. John 10:16:"Other sheep I have, not of this fold." Does this justify the thought that other planets are inhabited?

68th Meeting Y. B. D., held at home of E. B., Feb. 9, 1927. Total present, 20.

Meeting opened with singing of hymns and prayer.

"Where Does Satan Dwell?" was answered by B. G.

As to Conscience; discussed by all.

"Other Sheep I have which are not of this Fold," answered by E. V.

Questions for next meeting:

1. Does Satan dwell in people as when the Lord cast out seven devils? Assigned to L. McK.

2. Gen. 4:14:"Every one that findeth me shall slay me." What does it mean? Assigned to A. H.

3. Explain Heb. 10:2; 6:21. Assigned to C. S.

4. Are bodies going to be raised and then changed? Assigned to R. S.

5. Are sinners going to stand in mortal bodies before judgment seat of Christ? Assigned to A. Q.

All my stay on the coast has been marked by very happy interesting meetings with the young people. At Oakland and at Burlingame we had large gatherings and the hours slipped by very quickly.

Correspondence

"After several attempts which had to be given up on account of sickness, I have succeeded in finishing the outlines of Luke at the last minute. It surely is a very pleasant and most interesting work, and is worth more than all the effort we may put forth in doing it.

Our Young People's meetings are going on nicely. We are now working on the 2nd chapter of Romans, with an attendance of 25 to 35. There are several strangers coming in, who seem to be enjoying it very much."-G. I. B.

I am thankful to say a number more have sent in their outlines on Luke, among them two new ones, who are more than welcome.

I have a most interesting letter which however we have not space for. I will only add some of the paragraphs:

"I have kept up with the daily chapter this winter, and I have memorized John 2, but not all of John 1, which I hope to spend more time on now that I have finished the outline of Luke. Memory work is hard for me; I'm slow in everything, and have such a wandering mind. I have not seemed to make a budget that works yet, but I'm going to try again. It seems as though the unexpected is always happening, so that I can't carry out any routine. I plan to go on with the daily chapter in Genesis.-Am not sure about Matthew. With the warm weather will come house cleaning, gardening and baby chicks. But the Lord is true to His word, "As thy days so shall thy strength be," and I only have to live a day at a time.

I like Mr. Bellett on John very much. I was specially impressed with the gracious way the Lord Jesus deals with the Samaritan woman in John 4…. He would give her ease and confidence in His presence. What grace! This led me to see something more of the same thought in Luke 7:36-50. "

It is a cheer to see one whose hands are so full, keeping steadily at it. Courage, dear sister, in due season we shall reap, if we faint not. Thank you for your kind words about our little paper. I pray that it may more and more answer to its name.

"I have had my first real grief and sorrow. We laid my dear father away last Tuesday afternoon. He had been sick 8 months, and had wasted away to a mere skeleton. His death was beautiful. Five of us children with my mother were standing around his bed. He was conscious to within four hours of his death, although too weak to talk. About two hours before he died, his eyes opened wide, he motioned with his hands. We could see he was looking into heaven itself. His spirit just wafted away to God, and he died looking steadfastly into heaven. It was so beautiful. During his long months of weakness, his mind dwelt much upon Christ, His work and His riches, or, rather, our riches in Christ. So we sorrow not as those who have no hope. Through the prayers of the saints, God mercifully spared him much suffering, and sustained us wonderfully. We have prayed that his sickness and faith during that sickness may be the means of bringing the three boys to Christ. Six of us are Christians, but we pray for the others. He dwelt much on the Song of Solomon, ch. 2:10-14, which he said was the call; and 2 Tim. 4:6-8 which he said was the answer."

-A. P.

May the Lord comfort our dear sister and all the family, and make this parting from a beloved father a real blessing to them all. What an inestimable treasure is the example and instruction of a godly parent. It speaks louder than many a sermon and is a call to follow the faith of the dear ones gone before.

I add a letter from a dear young sister who has been an invalid. May we all learn to rejoice in our blessed Lord in our dark days as well as our bright ones.

Dear brother in Christ:-

"One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after, that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life" (Ps. 27:4).

How glad I am to say that I am rejoicing in Christ my Saviour, and that even at times when my faith is small He will not let me fall.

I can not praise Him enough for what He has done for me. He has answered prayer and used Dr. E., who has helped me without another operation. What a wonderful Saviour is Jesus our Lord, for nothing is impossible with Him. How I praise His Name for the joy of being home again and with those that love the Lord.

The beautiful Spring is here when Nature will awaken in praise to Him who gave us all the beautiful things to enjoy. I love the beauty of God's handiwork-the lovely flowers, the golden sunshine, the green and swaying trees and the beautiful blue sky and oh, how I wish I could be out to enjoy all. The doctor says that I must be quiet for four or five months, so I will be shut in from all these lovely things. How I praise Him that I am not blind as some of His dear ones are, and so cannot see the beauty of these lovely things. But the loveliest and dearest thing is the Love of Christ. Sickness or trouble, or whatever may come cannot separate me from His love.

"For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Rom. 8:38,39).

I often long to be in the presence of my Saviour, and in the heavenly home, for when I think of the things I have mentioned, I remember that they are but shadows of the glories of Heaven.

I enjoyed your visit very much, and wish that we could meet here again. But we know that we shall meet above to part no more.

"A little while though parted,
Remember, wait, and love,
work in the foreign field
Until He comes in glory,
Until we meet above."

Ever your loving sister in Christ-L. G.

United Prayer

10. For a brother, of foreign birth and language, who desires special guidance as to work among his fellow-countrymen.

All letters please send c|o Loizeaux Bros.,

1 East 13th St., New York City.

In Answer to Questions raised by Correspondents

Dear Brother :… The things and conditions of which you speak and deplore have but too often been experienced among the people of God, and the cause is manifest, if only our eyes are open to it. The Lord's first reproach to a Christian assembly was, "I have against thee that thou hast left thy first love." If other things supplant Him in the hearts of His own, it opens the door for the flesh and the world and Satan to come in. Self-occupation takes the place of self-denial, grace is lacking, the Holy Spirit is grieved, and saints make the sad experience of Gal. 5:15 instead of verse 22.

The Lord has left us here on earth to be witnesses of His mercy and salvation to a world of perishing men, as Mark 16:15,16; Luke 24:46-48; John 20:21; Acts 1:8 direct us to do. Our Lord's own life and that of His apostles were marked examples of this evangelistic spirit and activity. When saints are self-denying and earnestly seek after the perishing, there will be far-less trouble between themselves, whilst endeavoring to maintain God's order in the assembly. Let us remember and practice Jude 20-23, for we have no time to lose-the close of this dispensation is in view; our Lord is coming, then our opportunities for labor and self-denial will cease.-T. O. L.

(Left by our departed brother among papers intended for Help and Food.)

BY JOHN BLOORE

(The reader should always turn to the Bible and read the passages referred to.)

QUES. 13.-At the passover leavened bread was forbidden in Israel. Are we right in concluding therefore that at the last supper leavened bread was absent, and that the Lord's supper was instituted with unleavened bread? Was it right and fitting that it should be so? Should we remember the Lord with a loaf of baker's bread with a yeast-rising basis? What is a right course to follow?

ANS.-"It is very likely that, the Lord's Supper being instituted at the close of the passover feast, where no leavened bread was allowed, our Lord used that which was at hand, the unleavened bread of the passover. We must remember, however, that for us, being no longer under Judaism, the significance of literal leaven in our daily use is entirely of the past. The point to note is that bread was used-the ordinary food of man. Our blessed Lord gave up His body unto death in order that He might be the food of His people. In taking, at the Lord's table, that which ordinarily is our food, we do not raise the question at all whether it is leavened or unleavened. It is Christ Himself whom we remember and who is typified in the bread which we break."-From Help and Food, Vol. 21, p. 166.

It may be added that we are in the liberty of grace, and this is emphasized with regard to the Lord's Supper by the absence of such regulations as characterized the Passover and other feasts of the Levitical order-regulations fitting to the system of things then instituted as typical, as the shadow, of that substance which we now have in Christ. For us the lesson of the unleavened bread is intimated in 1 Cor. 5:7, 8. The application is moral and spiritual. It has nothing to say as to the material bread of which we partake at the Supper. Again the difference which grace brings is seen in that while the Passover was a yearly feast of remembrance, the word as to the Supper is, "As often as ye shall eat." The law made the former a set time of yearly occurrence, grace makes the latter (with the precious affections and communion which belong to it) that which we may enjoy as often as we wish, and certainly not less frequently than the first day of every week (Acts 20:7). Here there is liberty under the Spirit, not bondage to established order, demand, or hour, as under law. So we find the liberty of grace manifest in the absence of minute regulations regarding what is material or physical in connection with this holy feast. "It is good that the heart be confirmed with grace, not meats" (Heb. 13:9, New Trans.).

QUES. 14.-What is the meaning of Luke 16:9?

ANS.-"The mammon of unrighteousness" refers to the material things of this life, the things in our hands to use, or whatever is intrusted to us as the servant of another. As a general principle, this applies to man as a responsible creature to whom the Creator has committed a portion of His goods.

To make to ourselves "friends" of this mammon is to so use what we have had entrusted to us, that when we "fail," 1:e., die, it may be found to our benefit and blessing in our "everlasting habitations." This was not the case with the rich man in this same chapter. He had so used his riches that they were found as an enemy, not a friend.

If men despise the goodness of God which should lead them to repentance and use the blessings and opportunities He gives only as a means of self-gratification and sin they but treasure up wrath for themselves. Compare Rom. 2:4-6.

This verse gives us a general principle, and it is always applicable. As being such, the Christian comes under it also. The grace of God does not set aside His government, and the believer is responsible to make such use of earthly things that they shall meet him as friends in the day of account, otherwise he will suffer loss. "Thus to use what is so commonly as to be characteristically the 'mammon of unrighteousness' is not unrighteous, but faithfulness in that which is Another's; and although it be in 'that which is least,' as such earthly things must be, yet even as that it may test and manifest the character with regard to what is the 'true riches.' A man's piety cannot be measured by his charities; but on the other hand, it cannot exist without them, 'for faith without works is dead'"-(Numerical Bible).

ANS.-Verse 12 declares the universality of sin and death. Verse 13 states that though God had not given a law to man from Adam until Moses, so that sin was not put to account, that is, charged up in specific items, as covetousness, false witness, adultery, etc., so that such acts were seen to be transgression, the positive breaking of the bounds set by God, yet sin was in the world-for "sin is lawlessness" (1 John 3:4, New Trans.), man's following of his own will – and the proof is that "death reigned from Adam until Moses," for "the wages of sin is death" (Rom. 6:23). This was true even though those who thus lived in sin had no law, and so did not sin according to the likeness of Adam's transgression, for he had a law given to keep, but broke through its command; thus his sin had the form of transgression, which form did not apply to the sinning of other men from him until Moses, seeing that no law was given. But the moral consequences of Adam's transgression were passed on to the race of men in that they were found sinners and death reigned. In this headship he stands as the figure of Him who is to come-Christ, who is the Head of a new race to which is communicated the blessings resulting from His one act of obedience, just as in Adam's case the results of his offence passed to all men. John Bloore

Not till the loom is silent, and the shuttles cease to fly,
Will God unroll the canvas, and explain the reason why:
The dark threads are as needful, in the Weaver's skillful
hand,
As the threads of gold and silver, in the pattern He has
planned.

(Continued from p. 418.) The Higher Criticism and its Fruits

There are two scriptures which should be before every believer in Christ in these days which we know by the Second Epistle to Timothy are the last and difficult days. One of these is Christ's warning as to false teachers in Matt. 7:15-20, especially verse 15:"Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves." The second is 1 Cor. 2:14:"But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God; for they are foolishness to him; neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned." Every word of these passages has had meaning for the Lord's people since they were written, and they explain many facts which have, and still do, puzzle and trouble believers. The Lord spoke and Paul wrote for the Church all down the ages, but spiritual believers know that we are living in what Paul termed "the last days," and all who will live godly in Christ Jesus experience that the present time is exceedingly difficult.

We know that the worst enemies of the Church are within her borders, that the most persistent attacks upon the truth are being made from within, and it is this which is met by the scriptures noted above.

The weapons now being used within against the truth were forged by those without. With one exception, all who were leaders in the early days of Higher Criticism were avowed unbelievers, open rejectors of the doctrines of Christianity. The one exception was Ewald, of whom it is said that, "He held to the unique divinity of Christ, and…. looked upon Jesus as realizing in a very special manner the prophecies and types of the Old Testament. He believed in the sinless life, in the all-availing death, in the literal resurrection, and in the eternal glory of Him who was born in Bethlehem." Yet of him it is also said that, "The traditionalists of his day regarded him as an enemy of the faith, which shows that he was at least in bad company.

The great name among German higher critics is that of Wellhausen, who was a thorough-going unbeliever, having broken with the evangelical church and with Protestantism. The critic he followed most closely was Vatke, of whom it is said that he "rejected miracle and the personality of God." Such were the men who originated the doctrines advocated by so-called Modernists.

We need always to remember the Lord's words as to false prophets. If they came as wolves, their character would be known, so they wear sheep's clothing. So it was with the work of the German critics, especially Wellhausen. When his work was translated into English a very prominent scholar of Great Britain wrote the preface of the volume; this ensured its acceptance by a large section of the English public, and it was hailed as a great advance in Bible study. It is strange that these people did not see that the German views would destroy all real faith in God and His Word, and 1 Cor. 2:14 gives the only explanation of this movement. It was the old story of a mass of unsaved people within the professing Church, in its ministry and its schools, bringing in teachings which have effectually destroyed the spiritual power and understanding of all who come under its influence.

The method of Wellhausen and his school is to take from the historical books of the Old Testament whatever supports (or what they think supports) their imaginary views, and then to reject any passages which contradict their theories. Of Wellhausen's English book it has been well said:"We find in it a never-ending tissue of assumptions, and of dogmatic revelations, but we hardly ever come to a grain of solid proof on which to rest them; we find a profession of founding their theories on Jewish history, associated with a claim to mutilate and contradict that history (without a shred of proof) at will:we find the theories so loosely constructed, that it is a constant experience to be able to confute one page by a contrary page not far off:we find the origination of three contradictory Israelitish Laws to be an unproved and an utterly improbable imagination" (W. L. Baxter in Sanctuary and Sacrifice:A Reply to Wellhausen, p. 10).

Such a book could never have attained the influence it did unless the soil had been industriously prepared for it by the propagation of many forms of attack upon the Scriptures extending over many years. It was the "natural men" in the places where spiritual men should have been who opened the gates to this flood of unbelief. What impresses us is the wholly deceitful nature of these attacks. They are scientific in no real sense. Take, for instance, Colenso's attack upon the journeyings of the Israelites from Egypt. There is no evidence that he ever visited Egypt, the desert, or Palestine, or that he ever consulted writers giving an accurate account of desert life. He wrote with a vivid and prejudiced imagination, yet his work was one of the foundations of destructive criticism.

It is a real relief to turn from such exhibitions of spiritual blindness to the work of those who are walking in the light of grace and truth, men who are the equals and the superiors in scholarship of the critics, and who also, have been taught of God. For this another article is purposed, J. W. Newton

(To be continued, D. V.)

I have a wondrous privilege;
There is a pure retreat,
A place of sweet communion
At my blessed Saviour's feet.

In the morning there I offer
Every thought and deed to Him,
Thanking Him for all His mercies;
Then confessing every sin.

Sweet to know He's ever listening
And will gracious guidance give;
How I run to Him for succor,
Without Him I could not live.

In the evening, worn and weary,
Oh how restful then to kneel,
Confident He has a blessing,
And my troubled heart can heal.

Then all cares and pains are lifted,
Foolish fears and fancies cease,
For I tell Him all that worries,
And He guides me into peace.

There are souls I wish might know Him,
There are friends unsanctified,
Other careless ones are living
As if Jesus had not died.

All their names I offer to Him,
For I know He longs to bless
If they'll only turn unto Him,
And His gracious name confess.

To remain then in His presence,
As He blessed counsel gives-
Is indeed the crowning moment,
For the one who in Christ lives.

E. W. C.

An Address by A. H. Stewart

(Continued from p. 15 )

(6) Chapter 6 is no part of the argument; it is parenthetical. It speaks of that on which there has been much disputing. The great sin in the Epistle to the Hebrews is apostasy-not of cheating, not of temper, not of telling lies or speaking unadvisedly-but sin, in this epistle, is apostasy. The apostle says in substance, "It is impossible to renew such apostates to repentance." It does not speak of a fall and being restored again. No! but it is impossible to restore such as turn their backs on Christ, and go back to empty forms and ceremonies- wilfully turning from Christ crucified, risen and ascended to glory-turning back to the blood of bulls and goats and the ceremonials of Judaism. It is impossible "to renew them to repentance," says the apostle. And it is the voice of God to warn all those who are not genuine, of their awful danger.

(7) Now, the adversary says, "You Christians have no tabernacle or temple!" The apostle answers:"That tabernacle and that temple, rich and glorious as they were, were but a shadow, a picture of Christ; He is the substance. And are you going back to the shadow and leave the substance?" Alas, professed Christians now are after what is pompous. Witness the great Eucharistic Congress at Chicago where gorgeous vestments of priests and imposing ceremonies drew out hundreds of thousands bowing to a piece of bread which the mutterings of Latin words by a priest were supposed to have turned into "the very flesh and blood of Christ!" It is the unseen things that are eternal; they are the real things; and if men go back to the shadows, they will fail them when real need comes.

(8) Again, I can hear the adversary say, "You Christians have no sacrifices. You never bring any victim nor blood to the altar. You never offer anything to God!" But again Paul answers:"This is what God has said of them, 'I take no pleasure in them.' "

"What!" says the Hebrew, "do you mean to tell us of these lambs and rams and bullocks offered up year by year, that God was not pleased with them? Were we not commanded to offer them?"

Yes, as a shadow of a far greater and better sacrifice in whom God has found His infinite pleasure. Those sacrifices of animals according to the law could never really take away sin. David said, "Thou desirest not sacrifice, else would I give it:Thou delightest not in burnt offering" (Ps. 51:16). Go to the temple year in and year out, and you will never hear them say,

"We bless our Saviour's name, Our sins are all forgiven."

These animal sacrifices only brought sin to remembrance year by year. The priest that offered them may not have known that God had "no pleasure in them," so they offered them year by year; but the Son of God knew; so, coming into the world He said, "Lo, I come to do thy will, O God." The blood of bulls and goats could not meet the demands of God's holy nature; it could never take away sin; then said His beloved Son, "Lo, I come… to do thy will, O my God!" He takes away the Levitical order, first enjoined, and establishes the second -that of grace, according to His heart and will, by which "we are sanctified, by the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all." Have you, Hebrews, anything like that? Did Abraham or Moses or the prophets assure you of sins forgiven? They never could.

(9) And now God says He wants to write something new, not on stones, but on the tables of their hearts:"I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them, and their sins and iniquities will I remember no more." "Their sins and iniquities will I remember"- that is the law; "remember them no more"-that is the gospel. When the Son of God came down to put our sins away, He made atonement for them, and now God in His wondrous grace writes in the hearts of those who have received Jesus, "their sins and iniquities will I remember no more."

"I bring you a message of good news to-day,
My sins are remembered no more;
For Jesus has taken them all away,
My sins are remembered no more.

"As far as the east is removed from the west,
My sins are remembered no more;
Forever my soul is at perfect rest,
My sins are remembered no more.

"Forgiven, forgotten, all cleansed in the blood,
My sins are remembered no more;
Atoned for by Jesus in Calvary's flood,
My sins are remembered no more."

Suppose you had gone to the temple at Jerusalem would you have heard them sing that? They never could! God delights to have His people's consciences at rest in the knowledge of sins forgiven, and happy in His presence (Lk. 1:77); that is why He could not be satisfied with the blood of animal sacrifices in the Jewish or Levitical dispensation.

(10) Again the apostle warns the Hebrew Christians not to turn away from Christ; for this is what it means when he says, "If we sin wilfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth" (ch. 10:26). Those who "despised Moses' law, died" for it-no mercy could be expected for such. In like manner with those who despise Christ. There is no other sacrifice to put away sin; therefore for despisers of Jesus and His sacrifice there remains but "a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation which shall devour the adversaries." There is not a ray of hope if they go back from Christ. Having shown them the full and complete work of the Saviour, there is no hope for them if they go back from Him to the temple worship and Jewish ceremonies.

Some men who once used to preach the faith have in these late years turned away from Christ, from God's Word, from salvation through faith in Christ's atonement for sin. Then, says the apostle, "Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy who hath trodden under foot the Son of God… and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace? For we know Him that hath said, Vengeance belongeth unto Me, I will recompense, saith the Lord… .It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God" (ch. 10:29-31).

But, says the apostle for the encouragement of those wavering Christians, "Call to remembrance the former days, in which, after ye were illuminated, ye endured a great fight of afflictions; partly whilst ye were made a gazing-stock both by reproaches and afflictions; and partly whilst ye became companions of them that were so used. For ye had compassion of me in my bonds, and took joyfully the spoiling of your goods, knowing in yourselves that ye have in heaven a better and an enduring substance."

Israel looked for blessings from God upon earth; but the Christian's calling is heavenly, and his rewards in heaven. So he says, "Cast not away therefore your confidence which hath great recompense of reward. For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise. For yet a little while, and He that shall come will come, and will not tarry." That takes us from the coming of our Lord in lowly grace to His coming again in glory, which we believe is drawing nigh.

Now he says, "If any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him. But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition, but of them that believe, to the saving of the soul." I trust my hearers are all genuine, and when you see what it means to "draw back"- back to those old forms and ceremonies-you will not want to.

(11) Chapter 11 shows us the faith that actuated God's saints in previous dispensations, as in the present one. How many times, think you, is faith mentioned in the Old Testament? Only twice, I believe; but the apostle shows us that faith was there just the same. He begins with Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses and so on. He goes through the Bible and shows faith was operative in the hearts of the children of God.

(12) Now he says, "Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith." He is the perfect example of faith, "who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame." He had no reward in this world-the cross finished His path of obedience and faith; but now "we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honor," and is now "set down at the right hand of the throne of God." So, up there is our Leader now, the Author and the Finisher of faith. From the day He started His journey until He finished it on the cross, He lived not by bread alone but by every word of God. May we in our measure do the same.

(13) In chapter 13 we are exhorted to "remember our leaders (as a closer translation gives it), who have spoken unto you the word of God." They have been bringing Christ before you. Well, " He is the same yesterday, to-day, and forever."

"We change-He changeth not;

Our Christ can never die:His love, not ours, the resting place, We on His truth rely."

That is the One the apostle leaves them with, and reminds us of. "We have here no continuing city, but we seek one to come." Every little while I get a message like this, "You knew brother so and so, well, he's gone home." We are continually reminded that we have here no continuing city, but seek one to come. While you are here do you want to please God? Here is how it may be done, "Let us go forth unto Him without the camp, bearing his reproach." The Jewish nation who rejected Jesus and went on with their religious ceremonies, were "the camp" from which the Christians were to depart. They were surprised, I suppose, when he said that by faith Moses "esteemed the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt." And how do we count "the reproach of Christ?" Is it something we have to endure because we can't get out of it? Moses didn't look at it that way. He looked to the end of that which is beyond this life. When it came, He was given a far greater funeral even than Pharaoh's, for God buried him! Then we see him on the glory-covered mount with his Lord and Saviour. If we should ask, "Moses, didn't you make a mistake in leaving Pharaoh's palace and its pleasures behind?" what would he say? We know he made a wise choice.

Now, Christians, we have in measure the same opportunity. When our Lord was taken on a high mountain the devil could not show Him enough to tempt Him. But "the devil has only to take us to our doorstep to show us enough to tempt us, and down we fall," said George Whitefield. How sadly true!

Next, "To do good and to communicate, forget not." Some say about the Brethren, "You talk about being saved, then you don't care what you do." That is not true! Faith works by love; and if we follow Christ, we don't forget to give of our substance.

Then he says, "Offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to his name," for "with such sacrifices God is well pleased." Though we have no bullocks, no rams, no turtle doves, or pigeons, we can do good, and do it in thankful remembrance of His grace to us, and thus offer the sacrifice of praise to Him with which "God is well pleased." These are the sacrifices that He delights in now.

O Christian, how good it is, and what a delight to sing praises to Him! May that benediction be resting on your soul, the same words that were spoken over the Son of His love, "God is well pleased."

Paul closes this epistle, as all his others, with "Grace be with you all. Amen." God had opened his eyes, his heart, and finally his mouth to offer the sacrifice of praises to Him. Let us also sing, as a sacrifice of praise unto God, and sing it from our hearts:

"No more, no more, no more, no more, My sins are remembered no more; For Jesus has taken them all away, My sins are remembered no more."

God wants to write it in your heart, "Their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more." If you have taken God at His word, or will do it now, you will praise the God of all grace, and give Him thanks for His "unspeakable gift."

One-sided Views. We are very apt to have one-sided views of things. This is due partly to our limitations, and partly to our prejudices. No one has a full conception of all sides of any matter. No one knows the whole world in a material sense, nor any one part of it completely. All men of true largeness of mind will readily admit this. One cannot be a specialist in everything, and the true specialist is the first to admit that there are depths in his own department which he has not fathomed; how much more in the entire sum of things. If this is true in the realm of material things, we shall expect that the same vastness of truth extends into the spiritual. "If any man think that he knoweth anything, he knoweth nothing yet as he ought to know" (1 Cor. 8:2).

Views of Divine Truth. When we rise into the things of God, and see them in any measure as He has unfolded them to us in His Word, we are well nigh overwhelmed with their vastness. We are surrounded by infinities. Napoleon said to his soldiers at the Battle of the Pyramids, "Forty centuries are looking down upon you from those Pyramids." But the child of God has been introduced into eternity. His mind looks backward, but finds no beginning of time; forward, and knows there is no end. The stars gaze down upon him, but tell of no bounds of time or space to their message. A grain of dust proclaims an unfathomable realm of truth within its littleness. He can only say with adoring heart, "O Lord, how manifold are Thy works! in wisdom Thou hast made them all" (Ps. 104:24).

But his Knowledge is not Indefinite. We must not think that because we do not know everything we know nothing; nor because we have not reached the limit of any one thing that we cannot have very definite conceptions of it. Vagueness and indefiniteness are characteristic of error. A haze of uncertainty is thrown over all truth, and the mind is befogged, and man "knoweth not whither he goeth, because darkness hath blinded his eyes." But "God.. .hath shined into our hearts." He has revealed His Son to us and in us (Gal. 1:12,16). Christ our Lord is the Truth, and knowing Him we know the truth which He has revealed. We have no uncertainty, no vagueness as to our knowledge of sin, redemption, grace, glory. He has shown them to us in His cross, His resurrection, His ascension to heaven.

Christ is the Center of all Truth. Knowing Him, we gaze out in every direction, backward, forward, downward, upward, and our vision is limited not by darkness but by "light unapproachable." "No man knoweth the Son, but the Father" (Matt. 11:27). We are thus led on, and shall be eternally, to explore the breadth and length, the depth and height of that which passeth knowledge, and which yet, like the boundless ocean, shows us our finite knowledge, but laps us in the embraces of His love. We are thus both checked and encouraged.

Let this frame of mind mark our approach to the examination of all truth, in the realm of doctrine and of its practical application. We will thus be kept from the helplessness of uncertainty, and from the pride of fancied omniscience. In this way prejudice will not blind our eyes, and harden our hearts. We will not be drawn into sectarian narrowness, nor brand as heretical views which often may be but another side of the truth we know and love. Anchored safely to Him who is the truth, endued with that Spirit who guides into all truth, cleaving closely to His Word, we need not fear any "wind of doctrine." From the certainty of what we do know, we may look out upon what we do not know, and perhaps gain fuller, wider knowledge.
Apply this. All things are ours, for we are Christ's. Thus we look at divine sovereignty:it is absolute. God is first and last. He is and will be all in all. And yet man is responsible. He is an immortal, conscious, and therefore a responsible creature. The will is free in the sense that he is called upon to use it aright. The way to a correct view of these contrasted sides of truth is not to set one against the other, but to open our minds to take in, as far as we may, both sides. One person may be occupied with the sovereignty of God; another with man's responsibility. How foolish it would be for these to fall into strife, rather than in a spirit of brotherly love and confidence to learn all we can of both sides. The same can be said of all truths. Each has varied sides. Let us learn to look upon all of them. Faith and works are not contradictory, but kindred phases of truth. To deny either would be to fall into opposite extremes of error. Inspiration is a truth no reverent mind can for a moment deny; and yet there is a human element in it. The "holy man" does not lose his individuality because the Holy Spirit uses him as His instrument. Moses the lawgiver has a style belonging to the dignity of his former position. David the shepherd-poet-king writes the melodies of worship in a manner appropriate to him. The learned Paul, with keen logical mind, does not write like Peter the fisherman.

Let us observe the proportion of truth. We must not coordinate as of equal prominence views in which one side is evidently dependent upon, or of less prominence than another. Then we could never allow the human element in Scripture to be placed side by side, or possibly superior to the infallible Spirit. We will thus be safeguarded from intimating that mistakes might occur owing to faulty understanding or expression. We will not set works as the equal or superior of faith. All truth will be welcomed to our hearts, but each in its own order and due proportion.

What gainers we would be, if we sought to follow this divine principle! Instead of becoming narrow and bigoted, by unduly pressing our view of truth, we will welcome all that is of God, and seek to hold it in subjection to Him who embodies all truth in its rightful proportion. Our Bible study would be more fruitful; our reading meetings freer, timid ones would be encouraged to contribute their mite of knowledge to the general store. Thus the danger of one-sidedness would be largely avoided, schools of opinion formed around some favorite view or leader would not be formed, and the Church of God would be built up by "the effectual working in the measure of every part." We would become larger-hearted without becoming loose. Firmness would not be shadowed by unfair narrowness, and we all would be watching together against the wiles of the enemy, who attacks on every side, and often where he is least expected.

"Not as though I had already attained." When we cease to learn we cease to grow, and the very truth we do know may become stagnant and unproductive. May we grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. May each day find us with some fresh view of Him and of His Word. May we hunger for what will nourish our own souls and thus increase our efficiency in the Lord's service. May we never despise the brother with whom we are not in accord, but welcome all that he can give us of Christ, and seek to. do the same for him. S. R.

We are somewhat prone to think of but one thing at a time, and in the multiplicity of duties and responsibilities, to overlook some of them. Let us not overlook the great need in foreign lands, perishing sinners who have never heard the word of truth, the blessed gospel of salvation. Let this have a daily and abiding place in our hearts, especially in our prayers, and in the support of those who have gone forth, or are going, as the Lord may lead. Our hands must not hang down, nor our hearts grow faint, because of other pressing interests, or the trials whereof all are partakers.

It was the privilege of the writer recently to visit the room of our brother Oscar S. Zimmerman, San Francisco, Calif., and to see and hear of the great work among the sailors of the vast number of ships calling at that great port. It was calculated to cheer the heart to see the great stock of Testaments and parts of Scripture, and tracts in some 52 different languages-a stock which is constantly being depleted and replenished. After a season of prayer we joined our brother in a visit to one of the great liners, and so had an opportunity of seeing the actual work. We went down below where the quarters
of the crew were located, and found perhaps 100 Chinamen, and a large number of Filipinos, and gave them the precious Word, which they willingly received. It was an abundant seed-sowing, and we may count upon the Lord of the harvest to cause it to bear fruit for "that day." This work goes on daily, and the number reached is very great. Let us pray for this, and for the similar service carried on in other fields.

Work among the Italians. Several of us who recently visited a little company of Italian believers at Monterey, Calif., found much to cheer. Brought out of the darkness of Romanism, through the testimony of a fellow-countryman, who had been converted through a "Brother" in Genoa, Italy, these dear saints, numbering some 18, show the greatest appreciation of the truth, gave us a warm welcome, and evidently enjoyed the Word ministered during a visit of three days. It was indeed refreshing to see their gladness, as they shared with us in the priceless truths to which they had been strangers until this work began among them, a few years since. There are large numbers of Italians at Monterey, and generally along the coast, as indeed throughout this country. Let us seek to carry the glad news to them. It is also of great interest to know that these dear saints gather simply to the name of our Lord Jesus, and are faithful to the truth of the order and testimony of the Church. Pray for them.

Baka Mbuli, Congo Beige.

I am writing in answer to your request to tell you a little about the work at Baka Mbuli.

As you know already, we have a meeting in school every morning at 6.30 A.M., and the Scriptures are read and explained chapter by chapter, and God's blessing asked on His own precious Word. Then at afternoon school there is always a short gospel address to the school-boys before they go to classes, and the need of decision for Christ is often brought before them. Last March, Mr. Althorp felt he would like to start some week-night meetings for the help of Christians, so he decided to have a Bible Reading on Monday evenings, and an address by a native on Wednesday evenings. We white people did enjoy those Meetings ourselves, and the natives seemed to appreciate them too. At the Bible Reading, however, they had so little to say or ask, that it really became a lecture, and the blackboard was used to impress the important points. Each verse was expounded almost word by word, and there seemed so much precious truth to bring out.

On Wednesday evenings, the native brother chosen was free to speak on any Scripture he felt led to, and our hearts were often refreshed as we heard one after another speak of the preciousness of Christ. One address especially I remember was on the first few verses of John 1, and it was wonderful how this young believer seemed to appreciate in his own soul the greatness of the Person of Christ, the Word of God. Another spoke on Rev. 21, and seemed to be looking forward to that day when 'God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes,' etc. We should have liked to carry on these Meetings without interruption, but when there is only one white man and he has to visit the Christians and schools of a big district, then it is not easy. Pray that the LORD may send some young brothers to come out here to labor for Him and help feed His lambs. Mrs. Althorp.

Inkongo, Congo Beige.

During the year of our recent furlough, I visited 75 towns in England and America, and in each one spoke of the great need for laborers in this part of Africa. So far as I know, the result was NIL.

In 1925, two Companies invited applicants for 882 situations in Belgian Congo as clerks, traders, mechanics, etc., and 15,000 young men immediately applied for the situations.

In view of the fact that the Lord's return is imminent, and that Christians know it, it does seem strange that there should be no young men ready to come to the Congo to serve the Lord. It would seem that when they read passages like John 3:16, they appropriate them and say, "That's for me." But when they come to a verse like Matt. 28:19 they say "That's not for me, let somebody else go." We wonder what the Lord will have to say to such unfairness. H. Wilson.

Nyangkundi, Irumu, Congo Beige,

Feb. 24,1927.

In the mercy of our God, we continue in health so that we may go about our daily duties. I am still at school, with about the same number of natives enrolled, but the number coming to the service held at the close of the session has been as high as 125. We pray that those who hear may accept God's offer of salvation, to the glory of our Saviour's Name.

Mrs. Searle is getting on nicely, and has a little son whom they have named Charles David.

The two houses are well under way, and we are hoping that all of our party will be living down here in the course of a couple of months, the Lord permitting. We should like to get the rest house put up next, in time for the Gross family to live there, should they be coming as soon as they had planned. It will take a little time to get another concession from the Government, and after a place has been decided upon, it will take several weeks to put up even the smallest kind of temporary dwelling-place. We are bearing these dear children of God up in prayer, that they may be prospered in their preparations for coming here, and that they may be led of the Lord where He would have them.
Last week, Biliniama, our chief, with some of his men went hunting and got three buffaloes. One man was gored so badly by an infuriated beast that he was brought up to have the doctor sew up the wounds. The doctor shot a deer last Saturday evening, so we have again had a supply of meat for the table.

It is still very warm and dry. We are looking forward to the time when the rains shall again fall. Gardens can then be started and we will feel so much more comfortable. I should like to be able to enjoy the crisp snow underfoot once more.

With love in our Lord Jesus, yours by His grace,

C. DeJonge.

Woodbrook, Trinidad. Beloved brethren:- April 12, 1927.

Your letter of the 30th March enclosing remittance from the missionary funds came safe to hand, and was received with much thankfulness to our God and Father. One not acquainted with these British West Indian Islands may be led to think that mission work among people here is comparatively easy, because of the highly civilized state of these Islands, and the religious tendencies of the people. But the very opposite is true. I often have wished that I was in a place where Christ was not yet made known. This island especially is filled with all kinds of Christian religion, and a very large portion of real heathen religion introduced by the thousands of East Indians among the population, chiefly Buddhists and Mohammedans, to which I have to recall with shame many of our people have been so-called converted. While thousands of these East Indians are Christianized and have joined various religious denominations, with the exception of a few that seem to really know and enjoy Christ as their Saviour, they are no better off than in their former state. They have changed their old religion for a new one which has not helped them. The work here in Woodbrook, Port of Spain, is going on steadily, and peacefully, though progress as seen on the surface is slow, but we know that the seed has been diligently sown, and we believe that much more fruit has been brought forth than what we have seen, and we have seen more fruit than what is now with us. Such have been tempted away to have fellowship with others who have Churches, or Halls, that are more showy than our little rented room. We are thankful for the fact that they have been brought to know Christ as their Saviour. In Princes Town, an inland town 40 miles from here, the Lord has been blessing the labors of our dear brother Egbert McDonald, who is of our gathering here. He has been transferred there as letter carrier. He loves our Lord and the work. Since he has been saved he has spread the gospel in that place during his spare time night and day, among old and young; the result is that several souls in that place have been brought to know the Lord as their Saviour. He has a week-day Bible Class for children. He is worthy to be thought of as one of the Lord's servants, should any one feel inclined to communicate with him. We are now busy making preparation here for an annual entertainment for his children on Easter Monday, when about 70 will be served with food, and given books and some clothing-all of them being very needy. I here would make an appeal for any clothing, especially for girls, both for his class and ours down here, as the need is great.

Yours in our blessed Lord,

Joseph B. Hoze.

Winslow, Ariz. Dear Mr. F.:- April 11,1927.

It seemed desirable that I should visit my previous field of labor, and the change has been a happy and profitable one. Besides enjoying the fellowship of the Lord's people in those parts, including a very happy visit with the dear Andersons, I had also the privilege of visiting many of the Indian camps, and was encouraged at being so well received. One particularly cheering item in this visit was an opportunity to address the children at the Indian School. The work of dear Mr. and Mrs. Anderson is surely bearing fruit there.

I returned to Winslow on Friday, and on Saturday my brother came up from Albuquerque to spend Lord's Day with me. This too was a happy occasion, though a busy one, Carl speaking five times on Lord's Day. The attendance at the Sunday School classes was very good. There were twelve Indian children in the morning, and twenty-eight Mexican children in the afternoon. At 3:30 Carl preached in Spanish to a Mexican group here, and at 6:30 we had a very encouraging meeting at the Indian camp, with approximately thirty Indians present. The situation here is somewhat brighter just now, and I believe that most, if not all, of the Indians will soon return to the regular classes. There has already been a show of renewed interest on the part of some of them, and we hope and pray that the Holy Spirit may work mightily in them, to the saving of their precious souls. Affectionately yours in the Lord Jesus Christ,

Minnie Armerding.

Dampremy, Belgium. Dear brother in Christ:- April 11, 1927.

It is with thanks to the Lord that I acknowledge receipt of your letter of March 24th, containing a check for—.

The Lord has granted me the privilege of working for a week at Scrylemoulin, a village where the work was begun in 1920. It is a great encouragement to find the Holy Spirit working to save new souls. The following case is noteworthy. For several years I left at each visit a Gospel and pamphlets with Mr. Jardinier. Through reading these the Lord has awakened their souls, and he and his wife have been converted. They are 72 years old. "Madame" in the joy of knowing that her salvation is assured goes from house to house to proclaim her faith in Jesus her Saviour. In a simple manner she says:"Pray to God who knows you are sinners, and invoke His forgiveness; accept the Lord Jesus as your Saviour, and you will go to heaven."

Two other families have accepted salvation by grace. They always extended to me a fraternal reception, but preferred to be disciples of the Lord secretly. Glory to God, they have been given the strength to shake off this yoke; they are now free, and no longer ashamed to confess their faith in Jesus their Saviour.

At M. a man who had accepted the Lord several years ago, lately showed his faith by his works. He is a farmer, and a few years ago, on account of drought, he failed. Later on he prospered and it is with joy that I hear he is paying his creditors. The Lord be praised!

Another case is very interesting:some one received a Gospel of John. He did not wish to keep it, but probably his conscience reproached him and he did not burn it but dropped it on the grass while going on, however the Lord was keeping watch over His precious Word. A farmer going to his field saw the good little book, read it, and took it home, happy to own this precious treasure. He wanted to know more, and spoke of it to other inhabitants of the village where I have been calling for several years. The Lord arranged marvelously the circumstances, and on my coming to the village he was in conversation with several persons. A lady shouted:"Here comes that gentleman." The farmer was happy to have the opportunity of talking with "that gentleman," as he wanted to try him out. Bad people had insinuated that I was teaching a bad doctrine and he wanted to learn for himself. After a long conversation he said to his wife:"What I have been told is wrong. I admit that this gentleman tells all the truth." He and his wife accepted the Lord.

For the continuation of this work we thank the Lord for having given us the grace to feel our weakness. Ah! how much we need to be supported by the prayers of the saints, for which we implore them fervently.

Please give my greetings to the dear brethren with you.

The coming of the Lord is very near.

Octave Dandoy.

San Jose, C. R. Dear brethren in Christ:- March 30th, 1927.

The Lord has opened so far the way for us to go to Europe ; we desire to visit some brethren in France, Switzerland and Spain. Our address, until further advice, will be:Perla 8, Barcelona, (G.), Spain.

Yours by His grace,

B. Monttlau.

Our brother L. J. Germain is expecting (D.V.) to leave France and to engage in work amongst the French-speaking people of the province of Quebec, Canada. After May 15, he should be addressed, c|o Loizeaux Bros., 1 East 13th St., New York.

In reply to cable sent to our brother Kautto in China he replies, under date of April 14 that conditions in Taitowing were peaceful. Let us continue to remember our native brethren as well as the missionaries in their distress. Conditions are said to be much worse than in the Boxer uprisings in 1900.

[Note.-The reader's prayerful attention is called to the accompanying article upon the Person of our most Holy Lord. May we ever contemplate so holy a theme with the awe and adoring worship which become us. May a spirit of controversy, or mere intellectual analysis or speculation, be removed far from us. No words that man's wisdom teacheth can keep us from error; our best language falls short of the perfection of the "words which the Holy Ghost teacheth." Let us hold fast all these, and be very careful not to "go beyond" their divine limits. It is our joy, our salvation, that we know the Lord Jesus; it is also our joy that we do not know Him in the unutterable fulness which God alone can know.

"Image of th 'infinite unseen,
Whose being none can know."

May we keep our hands off the Ark, while we follow and adore what is ours for fullest enjoyment, service and worship.]

The secret source and spring and power of all real godliness is found in the Person of our Lord Jesus Christ. There can be no true piety without a true Christ, and the Holy Spirit, who dwells in the believer and who produces in his life all that is fruit for God, ever stresses the truth concerning the glorious Person of the Son of God, that our hearts may be engaged with Him, and that beholding His glory we may become like Him and express Him in our walk and ways.

"And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness. God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory" (1 Tim. 3:16). And a true Christianity needs a whole Christ. He is its center and stay. Apart from Him in all that He is, everything of truth is weakened and damaged, if not destroyed.

So it is that all down the centuries from the hour of His incarnation the enemy has made ceaseless attacks upon the truth of "Jesus Christ come in flesh" (1 John 4:2, 3). Sometimes His Godhead glory is assailed. Sometimes His real humanity. Thus, in the same fourth century, Arius of Alexandria denied our Lord's true deity, and Apollinaris of Laodicea denied our Lord's true humanity.

Arius regarded the Lord as not being possessed of absolute Godhead, but as being only the chief and greatest of created beings.

Apollinaris refused to acknowledge the full human nature of the Lord, denying His human spirit, and filling its place with the Divine Logos.

The importance of knowing well and holding fast and teaching constantly all that the Spirit of God affirms concerning Him cannot be over-estimated, and that which is written is for our learning. So with unshod feet and reverence of spirit we may enquire into that which is revealed, remembering that in its fulness, "No man knoweth the Son but the Father" (Matt. 11:27), and that adoration becomes us as we consider Him.

Into the depths of the mystery of His incarnation we may not penetrate, nor should we seek to be wise above what is written. The "obedience of faith" calls us to bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ, casting down imaginations and every high thing which exalts itself against the knowledge of God (2 Cor.' 10:5). Therefore we do well to "think in Scripture" as far as we can, and to keep as closely as possible in our words to that which has been unfolded in its holy pages, for "the words of the Lord are pure words; as silver tried in a furnace of earth purified seven times"(Ps. 12:6).

Let us consider then, for a little, how the Holy Spirit presents the Lord Jesus before us, beholding Him in His glories, as they are spread out that our souls may feed and rejoice.

It was given to the apostle John, who lay in His bosom at supper, to portray the full Godhead of the Lord, and to him was given also to express the truth of His full humanity. His whole Gospel brings before us that which the Son of God ever was and also that which He became in grace for us. As he says, "We beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth." Here, as in other Scriptures, we find our Lord Jesus brought before us, as truly God and truly Man in one glorious Person. At times He is spoken of as though He were only God, at other times as though He were only Man; but always as one undivided Personality. And it is this completeness in the divine and human natures which makes Him so dear to the heart of the believer.

Being this He can be the "One Mediator between God and men" (1 Tim. 2:5). He is great enough to meet all the claims of the throne of God. He is lowly enough to lay hold of sinful men and to bring them to God in perfect righteousness. The "Daysman," longed for by the patriarch Job, is provided in Him. He is the one who can "lay His hand upon us both" (Job 9:33).

"He is the true God" (1 John 5:20), "God with us" (Matt. 1:23). He is also "the Man Christ Jesus" (1 Tim. 2:5). And faith neither "divides the Person, nor confounds the natures." They are united by a bond unique and inscrutable. He is the God-Man. He is God in all that God is. He is Man in all that man is, sin apart. He is not only partly a man, as Apollinaris taught. He speaks of His spirit (Lk. 23:36). He speaks of His soul (John 12:27). He speaks of His body (Matt. 26:12, 26). He claims Manhood as He claims Godhead, but ever speaking of Himself as a single personality "I." These truths of His Person are the foundation of that which the believer has for time and for eternity. All that He is gives efficacy to that which He has done and is doing.

The atonement made by Him at Calvary and His present ministry as Priest and Intercessor on high, and everything which flows from these, depend upon the truths of His Godhead and Manhood together. So loving Him we are called to hold fast the revelation though it is beyond the realm of human reasonings.

And He will be the object of wonder and of worship to the redeemed as they bow before Him in the courts of light and cast their golden crowns at His pierced feet. As we gaze upon Him now, in something of that same spirit, we sing,

"The Person of the Christ,
Enfolding every grace,
Once slain, but now alive again,
In heaven demands our praise."

That which He has accomplished-His finished redeeming work of Calvary-gives peace to the conscience and enables us as "worshipers once purged" to consider Him, Himself, and thus have our hearts and lips filled with praise and adoration. That He was truly Man enabled Him to suffer and die for man in making atonement on his behalf. That He was truly God gives that atonement its infinite value.

That He was and is truly Man, One who has been tried in all points as we are (sin apart), enables Him to sympathize with us as we tread our pilgrim way, seeking to follow His steps, while it is the hand of His Almightiness which holds up "our goings in His paths."

Shall we further consider Him in some of these "glories that meet" in Him?

We contemplate Him then, "coming in flesh." He is "that Holy Thing" born of the virgin. "The Seed of the woman," so long promised, has come to bruise the Serpent's head. Conceived in the womb by the overshadowing power of the Highest, He was born a Son to Mary- Jesus-His lowly name, yet He is to be great, and called "the Son of the Highest." The virgin's firstborn Son is "Christ the Lord."

We contemplate Him in the Bethlehem stable.

"Blest Babe who lowly liest,
In manger-cradle there,
Descended from the highest,
Our sorrows all to share."

He is cast upon God from the womb and made to hope upon His mother's breasts. May we not join the angels in spirit saying, "Glory to God in the highest, peace on earth, good pleasure in men?" He has come who shall bring highest honor to God and who shall reconcile men to Him in righteousness, so that a holy God may look upon them with complacency, and have them in His presence with delight, in fulfilment of His purposes of grace.

We contemplate Him in the temple when eight days old. "The Child Jesus" is brought in that the custom of the law may be carried out. Taken into aged Simeon's arms He is declared to be the Lord's Christ-God's salvation.

We contemplate Him in all the perfect unfoldings of childhood. He grows and waxes strong in spirit, filled with wisdom, and the grace of God is upon Him. He advances in wisdom and stature and in favor with God and men. At twelve years of age He is consciously the Son of the Father. Missed by His parents, and found at last, in the midst of the doctors in the temple, He enquires, "How is it that ye sought Me? Wist ye not that I must be about my Father's business?" But thence He goes down with them, and comes to Nazareth and is subject unto them.

We contemplate Him in His holy Manhood "at the river of Jordan, where John was baptizing." He who ever was in the beginning with God, begins to be about thirty years of age. Before Abraham He was-the Great "I AM," the unchanging One, "the Same," yet now He has become that which He was not before. "The Word" which "was God" was made flesh and dwelt among us, complete in Manhood now as He had been, and ever remains, complete in Godhead eternally.

To fulfil all righteousness He will identify Himself with the remnant of Israel in the waters of baptism, taking His place with them in their first right step-though He is the Sinless One. Then when baptized, heaven breaks silence rejoicingly, and the Father's voice is heard saying, "This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased," while the Spirit of God descends as a dove and abides upon Him.

We contemplate Him in the desert. He is "driven by the Spirit into the wilderness," and we see Him hungering there and tempted by the devil. Answering the suggestion of the evil one that He should make stones bread, He, the self-humbled, dependent, devoted, obedient One, says, "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word which proceedeth out of the mouth of God." The testing only brings out the perfection-the sweet incense is beaten small that its fragrance may be shed forth.

Then "full of the Holy Spirit," "led by the Spirit" and "in the power of the Spirit," He ever speaks and acts. It is "by the Spirit of God" He casts out demons. In His wonderful stooping, He who is "over all, God blessed for ever," has taken a place in which He will be directed and empowered by the Holy Spirit.

We contemplate Him further in His holy goings and ministry. He, "Emmanuel"-"God with us," has drawn near to His fallen creatures for their good, making God known. Grace and truth have come in Him. Yet He is the "Man of Sorrows" and the grief-acquainted One in outward circumstances, though in spirit He rejoices in the accomplishment of the Father's will. As it has been said, "He bore in his spirit that which He put away by his power," for "in all their afflictions He was afflicted." Everything essential in perfect holy Manhood we discern in Him, while as occasion calls for it we,

"See the Godhead glory
Shine through the human veil;
Or willing hear the story,
Of Him who's come to heal."

He who is "the everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, who fainteth not, neither is weary" (Isa. 40:28), is discerned on Sychar's well, "weary" with His journeyings of love (John 4:6).

He who keepeth Israel and never slumbers, is seen peacefully sleeping amid the bowlings of the storm upon the Galilean lake.

He knows all that is to come upon Him and forewarns His disciples of His suffering and death at the hands of men. Yet He knows not the day or hour appointed of the Father for His glorious coming. He upon whom worlds are dependent is Himself seen as the dependent One, saying, "I will put my trust in Him." He who commands the universe and spoke worlds into existence is under commandment of the Father and declares, "I came down from heaven not to do mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent Me."

He "sighs deeply in spirit" when a sign is sought in unbelief. He is righteously angry with the wilful opposers of His testimony. He weeps with Mary of Bethany and "groans in spirit" at the grave of Lazarus. He mourns over Jerusalem. He prays throughout His way, and at Gethsemane prays "more earnestly" when His soul is "exceeding sorrowful even unto death." There the bitter cup which He is to drink at Calvary is in view. In His holy hatred of sin He shrinks from all that the judgment will mean but in His perfect obedience He cries, "O my Father, if this cup may not pass away from Me except I drink it, thy will be done." "Though He were a Son yet learned He obedience by the things which He suffered" (Heb. 5:7,8).

Finally we contemplate Him in His holy sufferings and "death of the cross." There He will drain to its dregs the cup of judgment from which He shrank in His holy perfection in Gethsemane's dark garden. He feels in sacred sensitiveness of spirit all the ridicule and shame, all the insults and mockery which are heaped upon Him by those who surround the cross, even as He knows the excruciating tortures of that awful gibbet.

Then bearing our sins and "made sin for us," He "who knew no sin" is abandoned in righteousness by God, and as all the waves and billows pass over Him, and deep calls to deep, as judgment, for our sakes, falls upon Him, the cry rises from out of the darkness of that unparalleled hour, "My God, my God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?" Knowing then that all was accomplished the Victor's cry is heard, "It is finished," and He bows His head saying, "Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit," and so gives up the ghost.

He has been crucified and slain by wicked hands. And yet we know until His hour was come none could take Him. His life He lays down of Himself, and He will take it again, having authority for this also. Thus on the first day of the week we see Him rising triumphant from the dead. He raises up the temple of His body, while it remains true that "God raised Him from the dead."

We contemplate Him now in resurrection. We hear Him "by the Holy Ghost" giving commandment, and then, on Olivet, we see Him parted from His disciples and taken up into heaven, ascending up where He was before, but now in Manhood, and taking His seat at the right hand of the Majesty on high, "The Man Christ Jesus" still, now in the glory of God.

There we know Him as "for us;" ceaselessly interceding on our behalf-Jesus, the Mighty Son of God, succoring, sympathizing, saving to the end His loved ones while on their pilgrimage, able to feel with them in all their trials because He Himself has suffered in like manner, sin apart, during His earthly sojourn. Man knows the things of a man by the spirit of a man which is in him. Our Lord in lowly grace became a Man that He might know and sympathize and live for us on high as once He died for us at Calvary.

In all these scenes we find Him whom our souls love, manifesting the faculties and powers of full and perfect Manhood, though full and perfect Godhead is His. Both the divine nature and the human nature appear with equal distinctness, each in its own perfection and time but inseparably connected in the same glorious Person.

In Him we "behold our God." In Him we "behold the Man." And while we know not the fathomless mystery of His glorious Person, we know His deep, eternal love, and with glad hearts praise and adore Him.

"Oh come, let us worship and bow down:let us kneel before the Lord our Maker!" (Ps. 95:6). Inglis Fleming

"Condition is more than position." This was the often repeated statement of an elderly and much used servant of God. And it is a salt word to which we do well to give heed. There is great danger in being satisfied with an external position in association with fellow-Christians while our hearts may be far from God, and our lives taken up with the things of time and sense, with money-making, or with pleasure-seeking, perhaps under the plea of health.

The many divisions among true believers have led, it may be, to this, in great measure. Which company is right? has been the question, and the consideration of the matter has occupied many hours. Then when a decision has been come to, a secret satisfaction has filled the breast and the feeling of assurance of being "on the right ground" has ministered to pride and self-glorying.

The state of soul has been an object of minor consideration altogether during this period, and now that an end is reached, the subject of thought when alone, and of consideration and conversation when with fellow-Christians, has been the wrong conduct of these or those we have left, or who have left us, and the correctness of the place in which we ourselves are found. All this is robbing Christ of His true place in our hearts. It is out of the abundance of the heart that the mouth speaks, and this constant reference to and occupation with evil declares plainly that Christ Himself and the things concerning Himself have been crowded out of our thoughts. We think that our position is correct, while we lose sight of the serious fact that our condition is altogether at fault.

Shall we not judge ourselves in the light of His presence with whom we have to do, and seek to learn whether our state of heart is such as to be acceptable to the Lord? The Pharisees of old were punctilious in their care as to their associations, and despised others who were not as they were. But it was in vain that they were thus separated from others, it was not a separation to God. Their thoughts were far from Him. They were taken up with their position while their condition was as wrong as it well could be.

May it be ours to labor to be acceptable to our Lord, in that our condition of heart be in accordance with His gracious desires for us! Inglis Fleming.

Faith never expects to learn deep lessons without deep difficulties, therefore she is not surprised by strange and dark providences. How many are apt to say, "My temptation is peculiar;" but we should remember that it is the peculiar aggravations which make a trial effectual, and should not forget the word, "There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man" (1 Cor. 10:3).

Our faith is greatly strengthened when we are brought to see that no arm but God's can help, no wisdom but His can guide, and no love but His can satisfy.

God has settled in heaven certain trials of our faith which will as surely befall us as the crown of glory will be given us at Christ's appearing. God's purposes of grace are a golden chain, not a link must be missing.

When a trial comes upon me, let me look upon it as sent for a peculiar blessing. If I receive it thus, I shall not consider "how heavy it is," nor ask, '"When will it be removed?" but, "How much advantage shall I gain through it? How shall I turn it to the best account?"

"Trials make the promise sweet,
Trials give new life to prayer;
Trials bring me to His feet,
Lay me low, and keep me there."

FRAGMENT

An Address to Young Believers

We are all familiar with the passages in the New Testament that record our Lord's remarkable statement in regard to the faith that moves mountains. When the disciples saw how soon the barren fig tree had withered away after it was cursed, and expressed their astonishment in regard to this, we are told that,

"Jesus answered and said unto them, Verily I say unto you, if ye have faith, and doubt not, ye shall not only do this which is done to the fig tree, but also if ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; it shall be done. And all things whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive"-Matt. 21:21,22.

Mark's account is a little fuller, and I would like you to have that before you also. There we read in chapter 11:23-28:

"For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith. Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them. And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any:that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses. But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses."

I do not suppose that any of you for a moment would take our Lord's words literally; that is, you quite understand that He had no thought that any disciples of His would ever, at any time, undertake to level hills and mountains of earth and stone simply by prayer and faith. For these, undoubtedly,

A Steam Shovel,

backed by prayer and faith, would be the proper method of procedure, according to a principle that runs throughout the word of God, whereby we learn that those who labor earnestly for the Lord can count on Him to give wisdom and strength for their service. If, therefore, it were necessary to level an actual hill in order, perhaps, to locate a meeting-house or a mission hall in its place, we would not simply go down on our knees and ask God to clear the ground for us, but

Faith and Works

would go together.

Our Lord was accustomed to the use of figurative language. How rich and full are His discourses! And how wonderfully does He illustrate in this way! He is a vine, His disciples are branches. Yet no one supposes that He referred to a literal grapevine, Men were trees, and "every plant that My heavenly Father hath not planted," He said,"shall be rooted up." Yet no one supposes that He was referring to unfruitful trees in orchards. He is the Bread of Life, He gives the Water of Life, He is the Light of the World, His Truth is a candle, not to be hidden under a bushel or a bed; that is, not to be obscured by either business or slothfulness. And so when He speaks of removing mountains, you may be sure He has in mind just such a mountain as is referred to in the book of the prophet Zechariah, chapter 4:7.

"Who art thou, O great mountain? Before Zerubbabel thou shall become a plain:and he shall bring forth the headstone thereof with shoutings, crying, Grace, grace unto it."

The mountain was plainly a mount of difficulty and perplexity. God had brought back the remnant of His people from Babylon to Jerusalem. He had caused the Persian king to give them permission there to live and to rebuild the temple of the Lord. But hardly was the work begun before cruel and vindictive enemies commenced their opposition. They taunted them; they threatened them; they wrote lying letters concerning them to the king himself, and in response to this there came a new commandment causing the work to cease. Yet God had declared it must go on. And, through the prophets Haggai and Zechariah, He encourages the people to judge in themselves whatever is displeasing to His holy mind and contrary to His Word, and then to go on with the work, taking no account whatever of the hindrances. It was simply theirs to labor on in faith. He, on His part, undertook to remove the mountain that seemed so high and so forbidding; it would be but as a plain before them as Zerubbabel and his helpers continued the work in dependence on the Lord. For, after all, they were not to labor in their own power. In the vision of

The Candlestick, with the Golden Bowl

upon the top of it, replenished with pure, fresh oil from the dripping olive trees that stood on either side of it, and whose branches were represented as bending over the golden receptacle, the oil, thus silently and unseen to the eye of men, passed through the center stem of the lamp-stand and out through its arms to the limbs, thus keeping the light burning, He was illustrating the great truth that all testimony for Him is "not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit, saith the Lord."

Nevertheless there were conditions that they must be careful to comply with, and not the least of these was their responsibility to act in grace toward one another, and to show to each other that same mercy and compassion which God had upon them. See chapter 7:-8-10:

"And the word of the Lord came unto Zechariah, saying, Thus speaketh the Lord of hosts, saying, Execute true judgment, and show mercy and compassions every man to his brother:and oppress not the widow, nor the fatherless, the stranger, nor the poor; and let none of you imagine evil against his brother in your heart."

Now in the account given in the Gospels, read in the light of this Old Testament passage, you will understand that the mountains to be removed by faith are mountains of difficulty, mountains of indifference, mountains of perplexity, such as we all have to face from time to time. Sometimes, indeed, the believer seems to be living in a narrow vale, surrounded on every hand by just such mountains, whose tops seem to reach up to heaven and almost exclude the very light of the sun-so high, so grim, so hard to overcome do they appear. Against mountains like these man's puny little spade or shovel would avail little indeed. All human effort at times becomes useless. The more one tries to remove the mountain, the higher it seems to rise, and the more discouraging do conditions become.

Yet here we have the plain word of the Lord,

"If ye had faith, ye should say to this mountain, Be thou removed and cast into the sea, and it should obey you."

There is no trial so great, no difficulty so hard, no perplexity so wearing, no trouble so overpowering but

FAITH can gain the victory

over it, and before believing prayer the mountains become a plain. We are told in 1 John 5:4:

"This is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith."

But observe:There can be no such thing as the prayer of faith if certain clearly-defined conditions laid down in the Word of God are ignored. Only one of these conditions is particularly stressed in the Gospel account, but others are brought before us in various parts of the New Testament. In fact, there is one Old Testament verse that sums them all up:

"'If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me."

This verse expresses a great principle that runs throughout all dispensations. You cannot pray aright, if you do not live aright; you cannot pray in the Spirit, if you do not act in the Spirit; you cannot pray in faith, if you do not live by faith. It is utterly impossible to so pray as to be assured of an answer from God, unless the life be regulated by the Word of God. He who says, "Call upon Me in the day of trouble, and I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify Me," has also said:"Delight thyself also in the Lord, and He shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Commit thy way unto the Lord, trust also in Him, and He shall bring it to pass."
H. A. Ironside

(Concluded in next number.)

"O foolish Galatians! Who hath bewitched you that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth – crucified among you?" (Gal. 3:1).

Scholars have spent much time and trouble in the endeavor to delimit the exact area of country in which were situated the "Churches of Galatia" (ch. 1:2). One view is that the people referred to in this Epistle inhabited only a small district in the north-east corner of Central Asia Minor(Galatia proper), the only town in which was Ancyra-the capital of modern Turkish Angora. This was certainly a large and important town in Paul's day- at least one church founded through his instrumentality- but this place is never mentioned either by the Apostle or the historian Luke, though the former is said to have passed through "the region of Gratia."If this view of the boundary is correct, the Churches of Galatia would mean the assembly in the populous town of Ancyra -together with a few smaller ones in the villages scattered throughout the surrounding district. The importance of Ancyra is seen in the fact that a Christian Council was held there in the early part of the fourth century, Diocletian having failed by cruel persecution to stamp out the work of the Holy Spirit by the Apostle. It seems more probable, however, judging by the precise wording of the references in the Acts, "When they had gone through Phrygia, and the region of Galatia:" "He departed and went over all the country of Galatia," that a larger area than that of Galatia proper was in the mind of the Apostle when he wrote the Epistle to the Churches of Galatia-the entire Roman Colony with such important towns as Iconium, Derbe and Lystra, in addition to Ancyra. The message of the Epistle would then apply chiefly to the assemblies in these places; in either case the converts were largely Gentile heathens under the evil influence of Judaizers (Gal. 4:8).

These are interesting details to every Christian worker, especially so to those who feel led to carry large Text Posters, because the verse quoted goes to the very roots of such testimony, when the force of the original Greek is perceived, disclosing the true secret of success in witnessing for Christ. The Revised Version substitutes the word "openly" for "evidently," and J. N. D. gives "portrayed" for "evidently set forth." But "has been placarded" would be a more literal translation of the Greek word prographo. This was the usual or common technical word used in those days for a public or theatrical announcement, reminding us of the Old English Play-bill or Play-card, now shortened to "placard," but for which we often substitute the still newer word "poster."

How then was Jesus Christ placarded before the eyes of these Galatians? It was by the testimony of His servant Paul, confirmed by his life. Are we thus placarding Jesus Christ, not merely by our speech, posters and tracts, but by our living? Herein lies the key of success:"Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body" (2 Cor. 4:10). T. D. Lawton