Table of Contents

First Series 1. On Reading the Scriptures

First Series 2. Reverent and Habitual Prayer

First Series 3. Hindrances to Prayer

First Series 4. Humility of Mind

First Series 5. Remembering the Words

First Series 6. Eye-service as Men-pleasers

First Series 7. Piety at Home

First Series 8. Ejaculatory Prayer

First Series 9. Confessing Christ

First Series 10. Concerning the Collection

First Series 11. An Undivided Heart

First Series 12. Deaf Sheep

First Series 13. Speaking Unadvisedly

First Series 14. Naaman's Little Maid

First Series 15. The Lord's Day

First Series 16. Serving the Lord

First Series 17. Knowing the Scriptures

First Series 18. Personal Communion

First Series 19. The Thoughts of the Heart

First Series 20. Seizing the Lion's Beard

First Series 21. Following His Steps

First Series 22. On Late-comers

First Series 23. The Lord's Supper

First Series 24. The Tree of the First Psalm

First Series 25. The Field of the Slothful

First Series 26. Bible Arithmetic

First Series 27. The Two Mites

First Series 28. The Use and Abuse of a Concordance

First Series 29. A Bottle for our Tears

First Series 30. The Writer of the Epistle to the Hebrews

First Series 31. Biblical Difficulties

WJH - Letters to Young Believers (First Series)

W. J. Hocking

This document may be found online at www.stempublishing.com

You are welcome to freely access and use this material for personal study or sending to other Bible students, compiling extracts for notes etc, but please do not republish without permission.

With the prayerful desire that the Lord Jesus Christ will use this God-given ministry in this form for His glory and the blessing of many in these last days before His coming. © Les Hodgett (contact@stempublishing.com) (2011)

First Series 1. On Reading the Scriptures First Series 2. Reverent and Habitual Prayer First Series 3. Hindrances to Prayer First Series 4. Humility of Mind First Series 5. Remembering the Words First Series 6. Eye-service as Men-pleasers First Series 7. Piety at Home First Series 8. Ejaculatory Prayer First Series 9. Confessing Christ First Series 10. Concerning the Collection First Series 11. An Undivided Heart First Series 12. Deaf Sheep First Series 13. Speaking Unadvisedly First Series 14. Naaman's Little Maid First Series 15. The Lord's Day First Series 16. Serving the Lord First Series 17. Knowing the Scriptures First Series 18. Personal Communion First Series 19. The Thoughts of the Heart First Series 20. Seizing the Lion's Beard First Series 21. Following His Steps First Series 22. On Late-comers First Series 23. The Lord's Supper First Series 24. The Tree of the First Psalm First Series 25. The Field of the Slothful First Series 26. Bible Arithmetic First Series 27. The Two Mites First Series 28. The Use and Abuse of a Concordance First Series 29. A Bottle for our Tears First Series 30. The Writer of the Epistle to the Hebrews First Series 31. Biblical Difficulties

Letters to Young Believers

First Series 1-31; New Series 1-24; Third Series 10.

W J Hocking. ("Yod")

London, C. A. Hammond.

1. On Reading the Scriptures

My dear young friends,

It is not sufficient for you to read about the Scriptures, you must read the Scriptures for yourself. A Christian ignorant of his Bible is practically defenceless against the attacks of the world, the flesh, and the devil. He is a spiritual dwarf, for he cannot grow without the sincere milk of the Word (1 Peter 2: 2). He is overcome by the wicked one, for he is unable to wield the sword of the Spirit, the word of God (Eph. 6: 17). He stumbles into snares and pitfalls and wanders into by-ways, for he is without that lamp for the feet and that light for the way which the word of God supplies to all who consult it (Psalm 119: 105).

You will find it of immense help to you to form the regular habit of reading the word of God every day. We see that the Bereans were specially commended in that they searched the Scriptures "daily" (Acts 17: 11). You will have to overcome many difficulties in order strictly to observe this rule. But nothing that is really worth doing at all is done properly without taking pains and exercising self-denial. And most probably, if you do not mean to lose your daily portion, you will have to rise earlier, or to deny yourself some form of recreation. But whatever you may give up in this way, you will certainly be no loser.

You will observe that the Bereans searched the Scriptures. This implies an eager, earnest endeavour to understand what is read. It is the willing heart that is taught of God. The listless reader will gain neither pleasure nor profit.

Do not forget that Christ is the key of the Scriptures. The fifty-third chapter of Isaiah was an enigma to the Ethiopian eunuch, for he knew not Christ. But directly Philip "preached unto him Jesus," his soul was filled with divine light. It is the Lord's own word concerning the Scriptures that "they testify of me" (John 5: 39). The Jews believed not Christ, and therefore understood neither the law, the prophets, nor the psalms.

Read your Bibles with implicit faith. Receive every word as from God Himself. Do not create difficulties by setting one passage against another; but believe both to be true. For it is "through faith we understand" (Heb. 11: 3). In the writings of men it is well to seek to understand before believing. But the Bible comes to us with the authority of God, and the first thing required of us is to accept it with all the unquestioning faith of little children.

But do lay to heart the necessity of being regular in reading your Bibles. It will assist you to have a definite plan to follow as far as possible. Some find one method suitable, some another.

We should be glad if some of our readers would write and tell us what plan they find best, how much they read daily, and what portions of the Word they read. If their plans were made known through the medium of these papers, they might be of service to others.

We trust that this invitation will be responded to because we believe that a good many may be thereby helped in what constitutes a very practical difficulty to them. We refer to the difficulty some find in reading regularly at a particular time.

Some have to leave their homes at a very early hour. Some have little or no spare time throughout the day. Others return to their homes late at night and excessively wearied in body. Some again seem to be unable to find a quiet time to read the Bible in private.

These circumstances are magnified at the suggestion of the Evil One into insuperable obstacles, and are made into excuses for serious neglect of the Scriptures.

We hope therefore some of our correspondents may be able to give useful hints that may assist others in overcoming these small hindrances and in forming the habit of reading the Word of God daily.

But whatever plan is adopted, helpful as it may prove, the main point will be missed unless the Scriptures are read in the proper frame of mind and attitude of soul. Handle the Sacred Volume with. reverence. Turn its pages with pious fear. Receive its words with lowliness and readiness of mind. Treasure its teachings in the heart. Come to it with eagerness and leave it with regret. Carefully ponder over every verse. Meditate long, but pray without ceasing.

Remember above all things that the word of God is designed to form the affections of the heart as well as to develop spiritual intelligence. It is not sufficient for you to know the various ways in which the love of God has been manifested, that knowledge must move the very inmost depths of your being. It must quicken the energies of your soul into ardent love to God as well as to those that are His, indeed to all men. It is well to have clear views of scriptural truth. This should be our hearty desire. But oh! how necessary to sit in quiet meditation at the Master's feet and allow His blessed words to distil into the soul and animate and inflame the affections towards Himself. Beware therefore lest the head grows at the expense of the heart.

This may be prevented by being careful to put into practice whatever He shows us is His will. It is the heart desirous to do His will that is taught of Him (John 7: 17). This again brings us back to the necessity of reading the Bible daily. For God shows us His word "here a little, and there a little," as we require it. And, so to speak, God will set us our daily tasks if we only humbly, reverently approach His word and attentively listen to what He has to say.

2. Reverent and Habitual Prayer.

A little while ago I wrote to you on the necessity of systematically reading the word of God: I now desire to make a few practical remarks on the subject of prayer.

And, in the first place, I feel impelled to say that it is extremely necessary for you to remember that in prayer you address God. The Psalmist said, "Unto Thee will I pray. My voice shalt Thou hear in the morning, O Lord; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto Thee, and will look up" (Psalm 5: 2, 3). Prayer is the exercise of heart Godward in earnest petitions for needed blessing.

Though persuaded you know this elementary truth as well as I do, yet I believe I am not mistaken in supposing you are in great danger of forgetting the high and holy character of the One to Whom you pray. I am not now overlooking the fact that God is our Father, and that our relationship to Him is very near and dear. But, at the same time, He is God as well as Father; and therefore a spirit of reverence becomes us, and is indeed inseparable from every true prayer. We ought not to forget that the privileges of grace never remove or obliterate the responsibilities of the creature.

On this account seek to feel in Whose sacred presence you are. Bow down your heart before Him. Have it impressed on your very soul that He is omniscient as well as omnipotent — that He reads your inmost thoughts more easily than we can a book.

You will admit, I am sure, the tendency of your heart, even on the solemn occasion of addressing the Lord, whether silently or audibly, to wander to other and improper themes. In the language of scripture your lips draw near, but your heart is far off. This arises from a lack of apprehension, or from the fault of forgetting the real nature of this sacred occupation and the inexpressibly holy presence into which you come.

You find, I dare say, that you fall into this snare more commonly during your habitual prayers, in the mornings and evenings, for example. You suddenly become aware that you are quite mechanically presenting the ordinary round of petitions, and at the same time your thoughts are travelling in all directions. This fault, if unchecked, will cause your prayers to become "vain repetitions," hateful to God, and injurious instead of beneficial to yourself.

The only safeguard against this error is to take care before ever you commence to pray to have it well on your mind that you are about to address GOD, with Whom you dare not trifle. The soul of the believer will then instinctively assume the proper attitude of "reverence and godly fear."

But I referred just now to the practice of habitual prayer. This is an important point and demands a word or two. I hope it is true of every one of you; for prayer is, undoubtedly, the secret source of spiritual power. And just as the natural body requires regular supplies of air and food, so does the soul ever need regular supplies of heavenly grace to meet the constant vicissitudes of daily life. You should therefore make it a very rigid rule to spend an allotted time in earnest prayer at least twice a day.

You must arrange these seasons according to your own particular circumstances; but morning and evening are certainly the best times. In saying "twice a day," however, I only mention the minimum allowance. You will doubtless recollect there is scripture for praying always as well as everywhere. So whatever opportunities you may have in this respect, you are at liberty to take the fullest advantage of them.

Some are afraid of making a "rule"; but I think they have more reason to be afraid of breaking it when it is made. I hope none of you would seek to excuse yourselves for passing a whole day without prayer by the plea of not wishing to be in bondage to a rule. For myself, I must risk the charge of being somewhat commonplace by saying that I think good habits are very good things to possess, and bad habits are very bad things to get hold of and worse things to get rid of; while the best way to avoid bad habits altogether is to acquire good ones.

Be persuaded, therefore, to put yourself, if necessary, to a great deal of pains to become an orderly Christian. And remember there can be no spiritual order in the soul unless it be in the right frame Godward. Open your Bible and let God speak to you; fall on your knees and breathe out your requests to God.

The Christian is like a diver at the bottom of the sea, whose very life depends upon the maintenance of a connection with the surface. There is nothing around him to sustain life, but the reverse. A slender tube supplies him with air to breathe, and in his hand he holds the means of summoning help from above in the moment of danger. But this connection must be maintained constantly. Even so must the believer be in continuous, not spasmodic, communication with the power on high. This must be done by regular habits of prayer.

If you start the day with prayer you are not so. likely to forget to pray before you give a passionate reply to the person who insults you to your face. "Pray without ceasing."

Hoping, if the Lord permit, to return to this subject.

"Prayer is the soul's sincere desire.

Uttered or unexpressed;

The motions of a hidden fire

That trembles in the breast.

Prayer is the burden of a sigh,

The falling of a tear,

The upward glancing of the eye

When none but God is near.

Prayer is the Christian's vital breath

The Christian's native air;

His watchword at the gates of death;

He enters Heaven with prayer.

O Thou by Whom we come to God!

The Life, the Truth, the Way!

The path of prayer Thyself halt trod:

Lord! teach us how to pray."

James Montgomery.

3. Hindrances to Prayer.

I have thought that a few plain and simple words on some of the hindrances to prayer may, with the Lord's blessing, be of some help to you. The invitations and exhortations to prayer in the word of God are so frequent that it is quite unnecessary for me to commence by showing that there is no hindrance on God's side. If therefore you fail to pray, as a young believer, you ought to allow that the fault lies entirely with yourself. You have permitted something to rob you of this privilege.

Now one of the commonest states of soul of those who go on day after day without prayer, or without anything more than a hurried word or two, is that of want of desire. They do not pray because they do not feel they have anything particular for which to pray. This is a serious condition of soul. It is so much like the degraded church in Laodicea, which said, "I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing." And to have need of nothing is to have nothing, in a spiritual sense.  For prayerlessness means powerlessness, and this ends in Christlessness.

If anyone on this earth might be thought to have had need of nothing it would have been the blessed Lord. But what an example of prayer He gives us! He rose up a great while before day and departed into a solitary place where He prayed (Mark 1: 35) Not on that occasion only did He go apart to pray. Often "The midnight and the mountain air Witnessed the fervour of His prayer." And if He so prayed, how much more need we!

When, therefore, you feel you have no need to pray, you must take it that you have most need to pray; for Satan is then seeking to blind you as to your sense of dependence upon God. Confess your folly, therefore, and pray continually. Look at Christ; see how you come short of perfection, and cry to God to supply what is lacking.

Some are hindered from praying by a want of simplicity of mind. They think it too childlike to come to God about every trivial matter. They fancy they can manage some, at least, of their affairs. The power of God may be needed to destroy Jericho, but surely, so they imagine, they need not trouble God about the few huts at Ai. However, they find that there is glorious victory at Jericho, while there is utter discomfiture at Ai, as well as everywhere else where pride and self-confidence  work.

Beware, young believer, of proud thoughts. They are an abomination to God: "Be clothed with humility." You want God's help in the smallest matters, and He will not withhold it from the prayer of faith. At the bench or in the counting-house, at school or in household duties, seek aid from on high in all your difficulties, and you will find what resources there are in God for the prayerful soul. This will not encourage you in idleness for you must not suppose God will do for you what you yourself are too lazy to attempt. While you ought to pray as if everything depended on Omnipotence, you must also work as if all depended on yourself.

I come now to a more serious hindrance to prayer, namely, indulgence in sinful thoughts and feelings and ways. Supposing you have allowed yourself to become very angry or peevish or sulky, do you pray in such a frame of mind? You know that, on the contrary, you often retire to rest without so much as falling on your knees. Satan whispers to you, "How can you pray in such a state as you are? You cannot expect God to hear you." And instead of straightway confessing your sins and receiving faithful and just forgiveness and being restored to happy communion, you are led further astray by listening to the subtle suggestions of the enemy.

You may be assured that your adversary will ever aim to keep you from the throne of grace. But his reasons for your staying away should be yours for hastening there. That alone is the place of power for you against yourself, the world, and the devil. "Satan trembles when he sees The weakest saint upon his knees."

Shame is sometimes a hindrance to prayer. I will illustrate this by a circumstance, for the accuracy of which I can vouch. A young Christian accustomed to sleep alone, had on one occasion to share his room with an unconverted friend. At night came the test. Should he go on his knees, and thus let his friend know he was a Christian? He hesitated, and was caught in the snare. That night and two or three other nights he went to bed prayerless. He was so ashamed of himself, however, that he then tried to compromise matters by quietly kneeling down after he had put out the light, hoping his friend would not discover his little artifice. He was deceived, however, for this Nicodemus was told the next day that his unconverted bedfellow knew what he had been doing, and despised him for his cowardice and want of faithfulness to his Master.

I will add nothing to this now, save a reminder of God's word to Eli, "Them that honour me I will honour, and they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed." (1 Samuel 2: 30.)

What various hindrances we meet

In coming to a mercy seat!

Yet who that knows the worth of prayer,

But wishes often to be there?

Prayer makes the darken'd cloud withdraw,

Prayer climbs the ladder Jacob saw,

Gives exercise to faith and love,

Brings every blessing from above.

Restraining prayer, we cease to fight;

Prayer makes the Christian's armour bright;

And Satan trembles when he sees

The weakest saint upon his knees.

Have you no words? Ah, think again,

Words flow apace when you complain

And fill your fellow-creature's ear

With the sad tale of all your care.

Were half the breath thus vainly spent

To heaven in supplication sent,

Your cheerful song would oftener be

"Hear what the Lord has done for me."

Olney Hymns.

4. Humility of Mind.

If you have made any honest effort to cultivate Christian humility, I am sure you must have discovered very quickly what a difficult task is before you. And yet this grace is one which must certainly characterise everyone in whom the life of Jesus is manifested in any degree. It behoves you, therefore, to watch very diligently and to pray very earnestly that you may be blessed with a humble spirit and a lowly demeanour.

The first thing necessary is that you should learn what is true humility. This you can only do in one way. You must learn of Christ. It is useless to think that you will be able to understand true humility either by the light of your own reason, or by the study of the maxims and examples of men around you. The world is guided by a different principle altogether. Every man seeks to make it very clear that he stands at the head of his class. His tea, or his mustard, or his boots, as the case may be, are the best in the world. This he flaunts in his shop windows, on the hoardings, and in the newspapers. This spirit is not conducive to humility, but the contrary.

Now you remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how He said, "Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart." And in Philippians 2 we are taught a great deal concerning the unparalleled character of the humility displayed by that blessed One. There never was such humility as His, for the simple reason there never was another such Person as He. None stooped so low, for none was so high. He Who was God submitted to the death of the cross. Consider, therefore, the exhortation, "Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 2: 5).

To this end study the life of the Lord Jesus as found in the Gospels. I do not mean glance over the chapters, but read, search, ponder, meditate, compare. I remember a question given to some Bible searchers on the meekness and gentleness of Christ. And one was struck with the fewness of the examples given in reply. I have thought that perhaps some found them so numerous that it was difficult for them to make a selection. Just as when you endeavour some clear night to count the stars, and even while you are counting you observe a great number you had not noticed before, until at last you give up your task as impossible. So is it in reckoning the beauties of Christ; they are infinite in number and character.

Let me advise you to take a "penny Testament" (which at six times the price is not expensive, even if spoiled), and go slowly through the Gospels several times, marking with a pencil every passage which in any way illustrates the humility of Christ. I am sure you will then feel what need you have to pray that the lowly mind of Christ you everywhere see shining forth in His words and works, may be reproduced in you.

Another thing you must carefully note is that scripture lays great stress upon humility or lowliness of mind. The phrase occurs in Acts 20: 19 Ephesians 4: 2; Philippians 2: 3; Colossians 3: 12; 1 Peter 5: 5; from these recurrences you will gather its importance, in these its necessity is so repeatedly insisted on.

But there can be but one competent judge of a humble mind, and that one is God. Other people may judge of your humble words, humble looks, and humble ways. God, however, views the heart. So that you must begin there in this, as in all matters. "Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord" (James 4: 10). In your private devotion, allow the light of God's word to stream into your soul and show you your true place in His presence. This is the only cure for proud thoughts and self-satisfied feelings, and the only way to become lowly in mind.

It will be found that those who are humble before God will, as a matter of course, be humble before men. At any rate I would beseech you not to strive to appear humble to others. Be unconstrained. Do not pretend to be in manners what you are not in mind; for that is hypocrisy. True, Christlike humility, that thinks nothing of self, is perhaps the most beautiful of all virtues; but the spurious kind, that is secretly proud of itself, is detestable to both God and man.

It is a wise rule for you to avoid saying anything of yourself, either good, bad, or indifferent; anything good savours of vanity; anything bad, of affectation; anything indifferent, of silliness. The entire forgetfulness of self is the perfection of humility.

Do not think more highly of yourself than you ought. Do not adopt airs of self-importance, as if you feared people would otherwise overlook who and what you are. In a field of corn the full ears droop, but the empty ones stand erect and stiff, as if to claim attention by their jaunty appearance. The latter, however, never succeed in impressing the farmer with their importance. We hope the lofty carriage and imposing bearing assumed by some young persons is not so indicative of the emptiness of their heads and the vanity of their minds as their demeanour would lead us to suppose.

Never set up to be a wiseacre or a know-all. Recollect and be warned by the history of that personage who gave out that he himself was "some great one." The humble-minded is not ashamed to say "I don't know," except when he feels he ought to have known a good while ago. But he never pretends to know what he does not.

On the other hand, do not always be dinning into people's ears that you are a mere nobody. They will suspect, and probably rightly, that you are fishing for a compliment. While you appear very assiduous in slighting yourself, you are secretly hoping that your croakings will provoke your hearers into saying that you are really a person of considerable worth. This is deceit and dissimulation on your part, and a long way removed from humility.

I mention these dangers because they are pitfalls which lie on the right hand and on the left of the narrow path of humility; and I do so with the earnest hope that you may heed the warning and escape the snare. My last word is that true humility thinks nothing of self and everything of Christ.

"O Lord, with sorrow and with shame,

We meekly would confess,

How little we who bear Thy name,

Thy mind, Thy ways express.

We wonder at Thy lowly mind,

And fain would like Thee be

And all our rest and pleasure find

In learning, Lord, of Thee."

J. G. Deck.

5. Remembering the Words.

In order to derive a good measure of the practical benefit of the scriptures for your souls, it as of importance that you should have its words resting in your memories. It is not always practicable in times of sudden difficulty and need to turn to the word of God itself, and there seek for counsel and guidance. In such emergencies the advantage of having the mind, to any extent, stored with the letter of the word is realised. Hence the necessity, one might almost say, the absolute necessity, of acquiring familiarity with scripture.

We shall discover that this principle, of which we now speak, is recognised in the holy writings themselves. We have there recorded instances of spoken or written words being brought to remembrance, and used with salutary effect upon the conscience and heart. These examples will illustrate the truth to which I wish to draw attention.

Take the familiar case of the Apostle Peter. When, on the night of the Paschal supper, the Lord spoke to His disciples of the sorrowful scattering about to ensue, the son of Jonas expressed his own determination of remaining faithful to the Lord, whoever else might deny Him. The Lord, however, warned the self-confident man that before cock crowing that same night he would thrice deny that he so much as knew his Master.

And it was so. The warning words of the Lord appear to have faded from Peter's memory. And three times the apostle, with all possible emphasis, declared that Jesus was utterly unknown to him. It was then that the stillness of the night was broken by the crowing of the cock. It was then too that the eyes of the Lord encountered those of Peter. And the word of the Lord hitherto forgotten was brought afresh before his soul in all its living power: "Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice." Poor Peter remembered this (Luke 22: 61), was convicted of what he had done, and went out weeping bitterly. The word and the look of the Lord wrought repentance in his heart, and, unlike Judas, he was restored.

Again: when the Galilean women came to the sepulchre, and found not the body of the Lord Jesus, they saw two angels who reminded the seekers of what Christ had said in Galilee, that on the third day He would rise again. "And they remembered his words" (Luke 24: 8). These words coming to them at that juncture, confirmed what the open grave proclaimed, and what the angels declared, "He is not here, but is risen."

In like manner, after His resurrection, the disciples remembered that Jesus had said to the Jews, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up. Only then did they discern that He referred to the raising up of His body, and they "believed the scripture, and the word which Jesus had said" (John 2: 19-22).

Another instructive example is to be found in the Acts of the Apostles. While Peter spoke the words of the gospel to Cornelius the centurion, and those with him, the Holy Spirit fell on those who heard the words. And the apostle forthwith commanded them to be baptised the name of the Lord (Acts 10: 44-48). But when Peter was relating these circumstances to the brethren in Jerusalem (Acts 11: 16), we learn from him what passed in his heart at the time, and we see the reason for his promptness in commanding that the Gentiles should be baptised. He said that when he saw that the Spirit had fallen on them, "Then remembered I the word of the Lord, how that he said, John indeed baptised with water; but ye shall be baptised with the Holy Ghost." This was the very word suited to the occasion, and coming before him at that moment provided him with the needed guidance and authority in the public reception of the Gentiles into the company of believers.

Now in these instances we observe how words known beforehand were brought opportunely in mind to serve some useful purpose. In this lies the practical value of the scripture; but before it can be so used in any case it is necessary to have read the words previously. If you are in danger of being drawn away after earthly pursuits, and such a text as, "Set your affection (mind) on things above, not on things on the earth" (Col. 3: 2), comes to your aid, it is because you are familiar with that verse from past reading.

So that if you commit portions of the Bible to memory, it is evident you prepare yourself to receive some help and comfort from the scriptures when you most need them. For instance, the verses you read or learned this morning may not have a direct application to you today. Days and weeks may elapse; and then in a moment of sharp trial they will come to you, like the arm of a strong man, to lean upon. But they would not so come to you, had you not previously learned or read them.

Committal to memory is of great assistance in quoting the words of holy writ with exactitude. In no other book is the importance of rigid accuracy so essential. The difference of a word may be the difference between truth and error. Nay, we find that even the difference between the singular and the plural in an Old Testament promise is made the basis of argument as to New Testament truth. (Gal. 3)

The apostle is showing that Christ is the true seed of Abraham, to Whom the promises were made. This he establishes, by pointing out that the terms of the ancient promises mentioned "seed,". and not "seeds"; so that one person, not many, was in view. This person therefore was Christ, and not the sons of Israel. (Gal. 3: 16.)

We ought, therefore, to be very jealous for the exact expressions of God the Holy Spirit, lest we add to His words, like Eve who added, "Neither-shall ye touch it," to the prohibition (Gen. 2: 17; 3: 3). The apostles, too, thought that John was not to die; but, "Jesus said not unto him, He shall not die; but, If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee?" (John 21: 23). Read the warnings against this snare (Prov. 30: 5, 6; Rev. 22: 18, 19).

Accustom yourself to check your own quotations with the Bible itself, and verify also the references of others. It is not uncommon to hear, "Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sins of the world" (John 1: 29); "It is appointed unto all men once to die" (Heb. 9: 27); "Come unto me, all ye that are weary and are heavy laden" (Matt. 11: 28); "Unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we can ask or think (Eph. 3: 20). Not one of these misquotations is unimportant; and you can easily multiply similar instances if you watch what others speak or write. But be very sure you watch yourself, and that you make no mistakes.

6. Eye-service as Men-pleasers.

In this series of letters I am taking it for granted that you are each zealously striving to please God above all things.

Such, of course, is always the true Christian spirit. Nevertheless there is a continual danger lest this pure and lofty desire should be clouded or lowered in its aim through the deceitfulness of the heart or the devices of the adversary. Hence the importance of being careful to cultivate proper motives.

Now one of the most powerful motives for piety and godliness is to have the fear of God before your eyes in every action, however insignificant it may appear. This is the principle applied by the apostle Paul as a corrective against eye service.

Addressing the bond-servants in Colosse who believed in Christ, he says, "Servants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh; not with eye-service, as men-pleasers; but in singleness of heart, fearing God." (Col. 3: 22).

Some idea of the cruelties which Roman slaves had to endure from their lords may be gathered from the following extract: — "The bondsman was viewed less as a human being, subject to arbitrary dominion, than as an inferior animal, dependent wholly on the will of his owner. The master possessed the uncontrolled power of life and death over his slave. He might, and frequently did, kill, mutilate, and torture his slaves, for any or for no offence, so that slaves were sometimes crucified from mere caprice." You can easily understand that the profession of Christianity by any of the slaves would be made a reason by their inhuman owners for yet greater barbarities, if possible.

But mark the counsels of grace under these exceptionally bitter circumstances. They are not to plan and plot to cast off their shackles and assert their rights. They are not to give way to sour, sullen, and vindictive feelings, but to become, on the contrary, patterns of faithful and diligent service. They are to be the more scrupulous to obey their lords in every particular. They are to throw their whole hearts into their work, doing it as unto the supreme Lord and not unto man. They are to avoid being punctilious merely in what meets the master's eye and slovenly in everything else. Such inconsistent conduct may befit men-pleasers, but it is a disgrace to Christians who are God-pleasers. Even in the extreme case of slavery, unrighteousness in the master would not excuse unrighteousness in the servant.

What do we find then is given as a safeguard against this men-pleasing eye-service? The elevating and ennobling thought that we serve the Lord Christ. Our work is for the eye of the Lord in heaven, not alone for the eye of the master on earth. Suppose it to be the common drudgery of the most menial of slaves, it should, nevertheless, be done for the Lord of all.

How it brightens and beautifies the daily round of duty to be looking for the approval of Christ! What a difference it makes in posting a ledger, or in planing a cross-grained plank, or in mastering the conjugation of a difficult verb, to realise that our loving and patient Lord stands at the elbow to mark our efforts and to reward our diligence.

It preserves, too, against the not uncommon fault which the apostle calls "eye-service." The Christian who is earnestly endeavouring to please the Lord will display as much activity and fidelity behind his employer's back as before his face. He will not idle his time because his master is away, or the foreman is in the next room. Neither will he put an extra polish on the boots he makes, because the soles consist largely of brown paper.

You may say these are trivial matters; but allow me to remind you that there is hardly one of the inspired Epistles that does not enforce Christian consistency in such practical details of life; for it is by these ordinary matters that the world judges the believer, and where loyalty to Christ is seen thoroughly to permeate the whole conduct of a Christian it becomes a weightier testimony than the logical argument or the impassioned discourse.

Moreover you cannot all be deep thinkers or powerful speakers, but you can all be faithful and consistent livers. And this responsibility you cannot escape; for Christ "died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto Him which died for them, and rose again" (2 Cor. 5: 15)

Let us then not seek to please men, nor to please ourselves, but to please Christ. May it be true of us that:

"Not to ourselves again,

Not to the flesh we live;

Not to the world henceforth shall we

Our strength, our being give.

No longer is our life

A thing unused or vain;

To us, even here, to live is Christ,

To us to die is gain.

Not to ourselves we live,

Not to ourselves we die;

Unto the Lord we die or live;

With Whom we sit on high."

Extracts.

"Let us never for one moment forget that it is our high privilege to be divinely guided in the most minute details of our daily life. Alas! for the one who is not so guided. He will have many a stumble, many a fall, many a sorrowful experience. If we are not guided by our Father's eye, we shall be like the horse or the mule which have no understanding, whose mouth must be held in with bit and bridle — like the horse, impetuously rushing where he ought not, or the mule obstinately refusing to go where he ought. How blessed to move from day to day, in the path marked out for us by our Father's eye; the path of holy obedience, the path in which the meek and lowly will ever be found." — C. H. Mackintosh.

"Teach me, my God and King,

In all things Thee to see,

And what I do in anything,

To do it as for Thee.

A servant with this clause

Makes drudgery divine:

Who sweeps a room, as for Thy laws,

Makes that and th' action fine."

G. Herbert.

7. Piety at Home.

It is rather singular that some young believers have a difficulty in discovering what they consider a suitable sphere for the exercise and development of their spiritual energies. They imagine that if they were only going out as missionaries to the deadly Congo or to some lonely Pacific Isle, they would have opportunity to display to the world such Christian heroism and self-sacrificing devotion as have rarely been seen. They are overwhelmed by the fact (we all are for that matter), that of the 1,500,000,000 inhabitants of this world, it is computed that only 400,000,000 profess the name of Christ, a proportion of a little more than one in every four. But because they seem as yet unable to originate and carry out some gigantic scheme for the blessing of mankind generally, they are still waiting for an opening to take part in some grand Christian enterprise.

Allow me to say to such ambitious souls that the first thing expected from you is to "show piety at home." You must not expect to begin at the top rung of the ladder. You should remember that David, who was eventually raised to be king over Israel, commenced his career by keeping his father's sheep. So that you have not to travel thousands of miles to find your sphere. You are already in it.

I recollect the first time I came to London from the country, asking a policeman where Hyde Park Corner was. The officer, with imperturbable gravity, pointed above my head where I read for myself "Hyde Park Corner" in big capitals. I was already there.

So is it with many young persons with more modest aims than the above. They are very desirous of something to do in the way of Sunday School teaching or of preaching. But they altogether overlook the apostolic injunction, "Let them learn first to show piety at home" (1 Tim. 5: 4).

Are you saying, "Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?" Here you have your work. You need not so much as look out of the window to find it. "Show piety at home."

In the verse quoted (1 Tim. 5: 4) "piety" has the sense especially of that affectionate duty and respect, which is so becoming in young believers towards their elderly relatives, and the more so where (as in the text) that relative is a widow. The apostle wrote, "If any widow have children or nephews ['descendants' is said by scholars to be the better word], let them learn first to show piety at home and to requite their parents: for that is acceptable before God." From the general terms used, it may be seen that the apostle, without specially mentioning anything, refers to whatever is due from the younger to the elder members of the family.

I am quite prepared to hear that some of my young readers think it is quite unnecessary to call attention to this subject. They say, "We all know how to behave towards our parents We knew that before our conversion." But I think I shall be right in supposing that these objectors are the very ones who have not conscientiously sought to "show piety at home."

Nay, my young friends, you forget that however obedient and dutiful you may have been when you were unconverted, you could not have displayed the life of Christ. When born again, you received a life entirely new, which manifests itself in the ways of Christ. I am sorry if you have not yet learned that unless you are watchful it is self that rises to the surface and not Christ. The same thing may be done either for self or for Christ. I mean that you may, for instance, obey your parents in order to please yourself, or to please Christ. The latter is showing piety at home. The spirit of Christ is then displayed in all your filial relationships, and all the household can see it.

I do not wish to undervalue in the slightest degree teaching or preaching or missionary work. But I venture to say that piety at home is more important than a class in the Sunday School or speaking at the corner of the street. And the reason for saying so is found in my text, "Let them learn first to show piety at home." And what God has put first, it is always wrong for us to put even in the second place. How much more to neglect it altogether!

It is a feature of the present day that young folks set themselves up to know a good deal more than their elders. The young shoulders claim to have old heads on them. Mr. Timothy Novice thinks that his father is very deficient in the knowledge of scripture, and that he is not at all clear as to the difference between Babylon and the Beast. And when his mother says that in her young days young persons were not so forward and presuming as he is, he frowns and replies somewhat haughtily that she has forgotten what exceptional advantages he (Mr. T. N.) has had, and so on. Is this a godly spirit? It is not the spirit of Christ. Read the last three verses of Luke 2.

My young friends therefore must be careful not to give themselves lofty airs in the house. Don't exalt yourself even at home. Be clothed with humility. Remember too, that the great secret of showing piety at home is in the exercise of self-denial. Love yourself and please yourself last. To be a sturdy Christian you need a thorough training in such unselfishness. And the best place for this is the home circle.

Why is home the best place? Because there you are more off your guard than anywhere perhaps. You know that if you are denied your own way, you fly into a tantrum more quickly at home than elsewhere. Because for some reason you are not allowed to go to the preaching, or some other meeting, you are suddenly attacked with a fit of the black sulks. You don't mind "showing off" before your parents. But why should you keep your sweetness for your Christian friends and your sourness for your family? You must first learn to show piety at home. It will make you a better teacher of children, and a better disciple of Christ in every respect.

8. Ejaculatory Prayer.

I hope you have experienced the joy of receiving an immediate reply to a prayer which was, as it were, forced from you by stress of the circumstances in which you found yourself. I mean such a prayer as was put up by Peter from the raging waves of the Galilean sea. He was walking on the water at the bidding of the Lord, but seeing the wind boisterous he became afraid. Beginning to sink, he cried out in accents of despair, "Lord, save me!" And immediately Jesus stretched forth His hand and caught him (Matt. 14: 28-31).

This prayer, the shortest recorded in the scriptures, is an example of the kind I wish to refer to. I have already drawn your attention on a former occasion to the importance of making an habitual practice of seeking aid from on high; but it is also of importance to remember that we have access at all times to the throne of grace, and that we can never make application at an improper or unfavourable time (1 Tim. 2: 8; Heb. 4: 16).

Simon Peter found himself sinking beneath the waves. We can hardly suppose that a fisherman of his experience was unable to swim; besides we hear of him casting himself into the sea in his impetuous haste to be the first to reach the Lord (John 21: 7). But here he was, no doubt through the novelty of his circumstances, stricken powerless with terror; hence his brief but energetic appeal, which, though it was animated with but little faith, was in no sense disregarded by the Master.

Are there not times through the day when you are unexpectedly called to undertake some new duty, or to perform some difficult task, or to decide on some important step? There is neither time nor opportunity to retire to some private place, and there bend your knees in secrecy before your God and Father. Perhaps you are so pressed as to be unable to frame your need in suitable words.

What is to be done? Are you obliged to forego the benefits of prayer, and act on your own unaided judgment and resources without reference to God? Not so; even in such a case you are at liberty to lift your heart upward in earnest, though brief and silent, desire for succour and support. Words may fail; but "Prayer is the soul's sincere desire, uttered or unexpressed." Let there be but the upturned eye and the deep yearnings of the spirit, and answers will come.

We have another example in the history of Nehemiah. He was cup-bearer to Artaxerxes the king in Shushan; but his heart's affections were in Jerusalem, the city of the great King, now laid waste and defenceless. He earnestly desired that his captive people might be restored to their own land, and that his beloved Zion might be rebuilt. Day by day he besought that the heart of the king might be moved to the accomplishment of these things. "Prosper, I pray thee," were his words, "Prosper, I pray thee, thy servant this day, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man."

At length there came a day when Nehemiah had opportunity to bring the subject before the king. And Artaxerxes was not unfavourable, saying to Nehemiah, "For what dost thou make request?" Here was the critical moment. Everything appeared to hang upon the sort of reply Nehemiah should make. It was then that Nehemiah, distrusting his own wisdom, "prayed to the God of heaven" (Neh. 2: 4). His request was next made to Artaxerxes who graciously acceded.

Here we have a prayer offered in the interval between the king's question and Nehemiah's reply. The interval must necessarily have been brief, for Eastern monarchs were not in the habit of waiting long for their cup-bearers to answer them. But there was time enough for the prayer to ascend and for help to come. The case was urgent and the relief was instantaneous.

In like manner, my dear young friends, accustom yourselves to solicit fresh supplies of grace when you find yourselves in difficulties, whatever the hour of the day, or wherever you are. It is in this way you, will have abundant instances of what a real thing it is to trust in God.

Extract.

"There is not a single thing within the entire range of our necessities that is not treasured up for us in Christ. Do we want sympathy? Who can sympathise with us like our most merciful High Priest, who is touched with the feeling of our infirmities? Do we want help of any kind? Who can help us like our Almighty Friend, the Possessor of unsearchable riches? Do we want counsel or guidance? Who can give it like the Blessed One Who is the very wisdom of God, and Who is made of God unto us wisdom? Oh! let us not wound His loving heart and dishonour His glorious Name by turning away from Him. Let us abide hard by the fountain, and we shall never have to complain of the streams. In a word, let us seek to live by faith, and thus glorify God in our day and generation." C. H. Mackintosh.

"O Lord, we would delight in Thee,

And on Thy care depend

To Thee in every trouble flee,

Our safe unfailing Friend.

Why should we thirst for aught below,

While there's a fountain near —

A fountain which doth ever flow,

The fainting heart to cheer?

O Lord, we cast, each care on Thee,

And triumph and adore

Oh! that our great concern may be

To love and praise Thee more."

J. Ryland.

9. Confessing Christ.

It is a very poor sort of Christian discipleship (if, indeed, it has any right at all to the name) that is sought to be carried out in secret. There were some in the days of the Lord who believed on His name, "but because of the Pharisees they did not confess Him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue; for they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God" (John 12: 42, 43).

They were able to listen quietly to the malignant plottings that were going on among the priests and rulers against the person of Jesus Christ. They carefully repressed every sign of emotion when foul calumnies and vile aspersions reached their ears against the name and character of Him Whom they believed to have come from God as the Messiah of Israel. They studied to avoid every word or look that would cause any of the other chief rulers to charge them with being followers of Jesus of Nazareth.

They were anxious to stand well with their fellows. And in their circle it was not considered a respectable thing to have any dealings with the Nazarene. They feared therefore to confess Him; for the Jews had agreed that if any man did confess He was Christ, he should be put out of the synagogue (John 9: 22).

I suppose you will allow that it would not be a commendable thing in a son to stand by in silence and hear the name of his mother spoken lightly of, and false accusations brought against her. You probably think a son's love for his mother, would, under such circumstances, send the blood tingling through the body of the most timid young man so that he would be bound to speak. The son that silently acquiesced in what was thus falsely declared in his hearing even nature itself teaches you to condemn.

Nevertheless it is not an unheard-of thing that there are young Christians who are sufficiently craven-hearted to hear the name of the Lord Jesus traduced without so much as uttering a word of protest. They permit the sneer or jest against Christ to pass without remark. Nay, they even appear to join the unholy mirth, lest they might be charged with being disciples of Christ, and the laugh raised against them as well as against Christ.

If I am addressing one who has been guilty of such unworthy conduct, I beseech you to consider what a wrong you are doing the Lord. Think of His love unto death. Think of His tears and blood for you. You know how He loves you. You know from what He has delivered you. You know He is the chiefest among ten thousand and the altogether lovely One. And yet though you know all this you have not a word to say for Him. The Lord Himself said, "whosoever shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven" (Matt. 10: 32).

I have thought that some mistake the real meaning of confessing Christ. Merely to tell others in so many words, or to give them cause to think, that you are a Christian, is to fall short of what is due to the Lord. As the apostle wrote, "we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord"; so is it far better for you to speak of the Lord than to speak of yourself. It is of small use for you to mount a pedestal, as it were, and look down upon others who are unbelieving, with airs of lofty superiority. If you display such a spirit you will have no influence for good whatever. It is testimony concerning Christ that is blessed of God.

No, no; it ought not to be necessary for you to inform your companions you are a Christian; they ought to be able to see it in your ways. If you have to label yourself, it must be because you are rather a doubtful specimen. Depend upon it the world knows a Christian when it sees one. Make it a rule therefore to talk as little as possible about yourself, and as much as you can about Christ. Always seek to say a good word for the Master. That unintelligent pieman witnessed a good confession before men who is reported to have been in the habit of reiterating, "I am a poor sinner, and nothing at all; but Jesus Christ is my all in all." The desire of his simple heart was to exalt the Lord.

Do not be ashamed to own Him. Remember the scripture has said that whosoever believeth on Him shall not be ashamed. It is the unbelieving that will know everlasting shame and contempt. What have you to be ashamed of?

The Spirit of God closely connects confession with the lip and faith in the heart: "If thou shalt confess with thy mouth Jesus as Lord, and shalt believe in thy heart that God raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved" (Rom. 10: 9, R.V.). It is not enough to own the Lordship of Jesus when, in your chamber, you bend before Him as Lord of all and your Lord. Do you also tell the unbeliever that He Who died is risen and glorified? Are you prepared to maintain the perfect purity and holiness and glory of His name and person against every adversary?

I should like you to read the following extract concerning a clever medical student in one of the London hospitals not a great many years ago. "His hospital career subsequently was a most successful one; and the combination of his acknowledged attainments with the simple fearless witness he bore to the name of Christ made the presence of such a man among the students a conscious power for good. Everyone soon got to know that S—'s Christianity was of a different stamp from that which was professed more or less by those around him. It had a true 'ring' about it. His heart was full of the love of Christ; and he was not backward in speaking of that love to others, when he could wisely use the opportunity of serving the Master."

Here then is the secret of bold confession of Christ. Get your soul saturated with a sense of the excellencies of the Lord. Let Him be before you ever as the One Who loved you and gave Himself for you. And out of the abundance of your heart your mouth shall speak.

"Jesus, and shall it ever be

A mortal man ashamed of Thee?

Ashamed of Thee whom angels praise,

Whose glories shine through endless days?

Ashamed of Jesus! that dear Friend

On Whom my hopes of heaven depend!

No, when I blush be this my shame,

That I no more revere His name."

J. Grigg and B. Francis.

10. Concerning the Collection.

I hope you do not suppose that the collections do not concern you. Those of you who have not yet learned the privilege, not to say obligation, that lies upon you to devote a portion of your substance to the Lord, ought, without any loss of time, to give the subject your careful consideration.

In turning to the word of God for this purpose, you can hardly do better perhaps than refer to Paul's first Epistle to the Corinthians. Towards the close of that letter the apostle reminded them of the collection that had been set on foot among the Gentiles for the benefit of the poor saints in Jerusalem. And in the course of his brief reference to their duty in this respect, he laid down two principles which are as useful for your guidance today as they were to those he was addressing. Indeed, you will find this Epistle was directed not only to the saints in Corinth, but also to "all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord" (1 Cor. 1: 2).

The words that the apostle uses are, "Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him, that there be no gatherings when I come" (1 Cor. 16: 2). From this passage the least that is clear is that their contributions were to be made (1) regularly — upon the first of the week, and (2) conscientiously — as they had been prospered.

These two principles — regularity and conscientiousness — are very simple and easy to be understood; but they are not on that account less likely to be overlooked. You will therefore do well to lay it seriously to heart that whatever sum you set aside week by week, whether it be a penny or a pound, it ought to be the outcome (1) of the regular habit you have acquired of so doing, and (2) of a real effort to make that sum a just and generous proportion of your income.

It will be observed that the day named is the first of the week, the Lord's Day, This was the day on which the early disciples assembled to break bread (Acts 20: 7). On that day they were called to remember in an especial manner how the Lord gave Himself up on the cross for them. The day, therefore, was particularly full of hallowed associations and memories of the Lord Jesus, which were calculated. to awaken feelings of love and benevolence as nothing else was.

But I do not wish, on this occasion, to dwell so much on the motives that should animate you in giving, as on the necessity for regularity in this practice. The Lord has associated it with the first of the week. There is therefore invariably a weekly call to dedicate a portion of your goods to Him.

It ought not to be necessary that the collection box should be thrust before you to remind you of your duty. The amount of your weekly offering should be ready beforehand; and it would be better for you to omit to take your Bible and hymn book than to overlook your gift to the Lord.

I fear that some often forget that in the collection they are giving to the Lord, else the box would not so easily be forgotten. It is true that as a matter of pounds, shillings and pence, it is better to contribute a shilling a week regularly than a half-sovereign three or four times a year promiscuously. But if you think the Lord Himself is passing round the basket, you would not be so thoughtless and careless in the matter and make no response because you forgot to bring any money.

However, while the occasion of laying by in store comes round regularly once a week, it is not expected that the same fixed sum should always be reserved. The amount is to be regulated by your prosperity. It is well to see that the Lord has not laid down the proportion to be set by. He has not asked you to give half of your goods to the poor as Zacchaeus was in the habit of doing, nor a tenth as in the case of Israel. But it appears to me from the word — "every one of you" — that each, however poor, is bound to give something. How much that is you must each settle for yourselves before the Lord. Only be sure to be before the Lord about it. Say plainly, "Here is my sixpence, Lord; it is all I can spare Thee this week;" and then wait to see whether conscience cries, "Shame" at you or not.

Of course it should be borne in mind that if you purpose to give a shilling there is nothing to hinder you increasing your donation to two, if you feel moved to do so. But it is a serious thing to reduce it without adequate reason. You must remember there is such a thing as robbing God (Mal. 3) of which you must beware.

I can fancy that some of you may possibly be thinking that because you are not in receipt of a regular income these remarks have no reference to you. But surely you have a few pence weekly which you are free to use at your own discretion. That amount therefore is yours, and the Lord should have such a part as you are ready to yield Him. Whatever the amount of your contribution, let it be your own; young people sometimes make a point of asking their elders to give them something for the collection.

A servant of Christ relates a circumstance which illustrates how true faith and love acceptably serve the Lord in a humble way, and it may perhaps set some of you thinking. A woman who was known to be very poor, came to a Missionary Meeting and offered to subscribe a penny a week. "Surely," said one, "you are too poor to afford this." She replied, "I spin so many hanks of yarn a week for my living, and I'll spin one hank more, and that will be a penny a week for the missionaries."

Self-denial for the sake of Christ is of great value in His eyes. And it is a small thing to give Him only what you do not miss, or what costs you little. It was not said of a true Christian, that he was "ready to act the good Samaritan, without the oil and the two pence."

Before closing, I would like to add that there are other calls upon the pocket than those on the first of the week. There should therefore be, as our verse implies, a store for special need. It must not be supposed that when you have placed your coin in the collection box, you are to resist every further demand. Your heart and your purse should ever be open for the help of the needy. Of course, I mean as far as you are able. I am sure many of you are far from being backward in this grace but we ought to remember that:

"We all can do better than yet we have done,

And not be a whit the worse;

It never was loving that emptied the heart,

Nor giving that emptied the purse."

11. An Undivided Heart.

You should earnestly seek to be whole-hearted in your Christian life and testimony. Observe how many times the phrase, "whole heart," occurs in Psalm 119. It embodies the thought that thoroughness must characterise all who have to do with God.

This was pre-eminently so in the Man, Christ Jesus. He could say, in the fullest sense of the words, "The zeal of thine house hath eaten me up." He was literally consumed with the desire to do the will of the Father Who sent Him.

So was it with the apostle Paul. Few servants of Christ, if any, had so many strings to their bow as he had. Yet he writes to the assembly in Philippi, "This one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those that are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.''' He compares himself to a runner in the stadium, fastening his eyes upon the goal ahead where the prize is in view, and straining every nerve to be foremost in the race. He bends and concentrates his entire energies upon the attainment of the object before him. To relax his attention even for a moment would be to court failure.

So if you would gain any distinction whatever in the path of Christian faithfulness, you must be unswerving in your aim and effort. Set the Lord always before your face; fasten your eyes upon Him; firmly close your lips; and go forward, "cleaving to the Lord with purpose of heart." Even in ordinary matters of knowledge and action, the principle to which we now refer is recognized. For a man to accomplish anything of value, it is found to be absolutely essential that he should devote the whole of his powers to one end. The student commonly selects one science, which he follows exclusively. It may be geology, or botany, or any other, but no person hopes to attain eminence in more than one. Indeed, it is often found that a branch only of a single science is sufficient to occupy the studies of a lifetime. Life is so short, the ramifications of knowledge are so complicated, and man's mental abilities are so limited, that whatever the range of research may be, unless the results are collected and used for the elucidation of some particular point, time and energy are practically wasted.

Our present concern, however, is with spiritual things, and divine exhortation is independent of support from the practical wisdom of the world. I do hope you will lay it well to heart that you should make absolutely everything you engage in subserve to the interests of Christ. The one thing you are here for is to testify for the Lord. Therefore in all your reading, in all your pursuits, in your companionship and society, see that everything is made to help to a bright and faithful witness for Christ.

Remember it is the double minded who are unstable in their ways. You may have many advantages; but if you are unstable like Reuben, you surely will not excel. You cannot serve God and mammon; so the Lord Himself warned. If you seek a name and fame in the world, you will miss a place of honour in the roll of saintly worthies.

Infirmity of purpose characterised the ten revolted tribes of Israel. They were feeble-minded, and were drawn away into the heathen idolatries around. So Jehovah said of them, Ephraim hath mixed himself among the peoples; Ephraim is a cake not turned (Hosea 7: 8). The figure is an expressive one. In the process of baking, the Orientals turn their cakes over and over that they may be thoroughly and evenly exposed to the influence of the heat. An unturned cake is burnt not baked, and it is of course useless, unless both sides are equally baked.

So you should remember that any attempt on your part to serve two masters must end in disastrous failure. Demas allowed his heart to set itself upon the world, and soon the difficult path of testimony grew irksome to him. The end of it was that he forsook Paul, the aged prisoner of Jesus Christ. And so will it be with you. Directly the love of the world and its things enters the soul, love for Christ and for the things above is sure to wane. It is so easy to drift into the world where there is want of watchfulness.

Bear in mind that declension always commences in the heart. Hence the exhortation, "Keep thy heart with all diligence, for out of it are the issues of life." But it is also written, "Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also." Let Christ be before your heart as your treasure. Let Him have supreme sway over the powers of your whole being. An undivided heart is the secret of true  and faithful testimony for Christ. Watch therefore against anything that seeks to intrude between your heart and the person of the Lord. Upon the first sign of anything that displaces Christ in your affections, confess it at once that you may be restored. Is not the Lord worthy of the service of your whole self? Depend upon it there is no one nor anything else that is worth living for.

"There's nought on earth to rest upon;

All things are changing here,

The smiles of joy we gaze upon,

The friends we count most dear;

One Friend alone is changeless,

The One too oft forgot,

Whose love has stood for ages past;

Our Jesus changeth not.

The sweetest flower on earth,

That sheds its fragrance round,

Ere evening comes has withered,

And lies upon the ground;

This dark and dreary desert

Has only one green spot;

'Tis found in living pastures,

With Him Who changeth not."

12. Deaf Sheep.

We are not usually very complimentary in our remarks upon the sagacity of sheep when compared with that of other animals. We hand it about from one to another as a kind of proverb that sheep are silly; and when we are enumerating a person's virtues we do not include "sheepishness" as one of them.

Nevertheless, in scriptural usage, the figurative references to sheep are numerous but not always with a derogatory sense. Their own defencelessness and consequent dependence on the guardianship of the shepherd aptly illustrate the feeble condition of the people of God in the world, thrown as they are upon resources not found within themselves. On this occasion however, I wish to bring before you one of the qualities of the sheep, which I have called its deafness, and which is really one of its safeguards.

You will, I know, recollect at once that a good deal is found in John 10 about the Shepherd, the sheep and the sheepfold. Among the several things stated with regard to the sheep, it is there said that they hear the voice of the shepherd but that they do not hear thieves and robbers (John 10: 8).

You are aware, of course, that in Syria, a sheep, when called by its name, will run out from the flock to the shepherd to be caressed, just as we are accustomed to see a dog run to its master. But if a stranger calls, the sheep are utterly heedless.They continue to browse with entire disregard to the unknown voice. The shepherd they hear and follow; but to the stranger, or to thieves and robbers climbing "up some other way" they are completely deaf. They know one voice — that of the shepherd; all other voices must be from strangers, and to such they close their ears.

Clearly, in this lies one of the means of their safety. Let them only refuse to listen to the calls of unscrupulous men who would decoy the flock away to its own destruction, and they are safe.

So it is with the sheep of Christ. There are times when they should be as though they were deaf. Such seasons are particularly when Satan, the great enemy, comes with the seductive voice of the stranger. There is no mistaking him when he comes as the roaring lion, or the destructive wolf. But when he adopts an artful manner, and comes with fair speeches and deceitful words, it is then the sheep must turn a deaf ear to his insinuations lest they be led astray into paths of danger and death.

Oh, do beware of your cunning adversary. When a thought or suggestion arises, either from within yourself or from some outward source, refuse to entertain it for a single moment if it does not coincide with the voice of the Good Shepherd It is the parleying with evil thoughts that is so very dangerous.

Eve listened to the voice of the stranger, when he said, "Hath God said, ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?" You know with what result.

Satan put it into the heart of Ananias to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land (Acts. 5: 3). He hearkened to the subtlety of the enemy, and was stricken down with sudden death.

Had they but refused to hear, how different the result! The tempter's voice came to Joseph in Potiphar's house. But he resisted the devil. "How can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?" He was a deaf sheep; for none are so deaf as those who will not hear.

It will be an excellent attainment on your part if you are able, on certain occasions, suddenly to become stone deaf. Saul was to be commended for this just after he was anointed king. The children of Belial despised him, saying scornfully, "How shall this man save us?" Moreover they accentuated this formal opinion of theirs by sending him no presents. But, we are told, Saul was as though he had been deaf (1 Samuel 10: 27, marg). If the son of Kish had always acted as wisely as he did then we should have had to read a very different history of him.

Depend upon it a deaf ear is quite a valuable member to possess. For instance, a person comes to you and starts a long rigmarole of Brother So-and-so's bad ways. Give him the deaf side at once. Keep as quiet as you can while the abuse goes on. Make him feel he is getting just as much encouragement out of you as he would out of a gate-post. You will be surprised how soon he will tire himself and change the subject or walk away. If you doubt this, go and talk to a post yourself for ten minutes, and observe carefully the effect it has upon you.

Always use the deaf ear for sceptical arguments against God and the Bible. As a Christian the truth of God's word is a matter within your own personal knowledge. No healthy person wishes another person to assure him by arguments that he is alive. No believer ought to require a book of "Christian evidences" to convince him of the divine power and authority of the scriptures. He is in a sorrowful state, if such be the case.

Evidences have their worth, but do not forget it is perfectly unnecessary for you to be able to unravel the sophisms of the infidel before enjoying the Bible. I am reminded of an old proposition amongst school-boys which stated that "Every cat has at least two tails." The mode of demonstration is familiar to the sceptic. It is laid down (1) that no cat has two tails, and (2) that every cat has at least one tail more than no cat. Then the bold inference is drawn that every cat has at least two tails This is very absurd, of course, and the boy who stated it seriously in the logic class would probably incur a flogging and be sent to examine the housekeeper's tabby. And yet this is the kind of reasoning that is served up by the class of people referred to. Don't listen to them.

If a person told you that in a half hour he could prove that two and two are five you wouldn't waste the thirty minutes. And if a man says he can prove the Bible is a collection of fairy tales, give him the deaf ear and the cold shoulder. Such men as he are but thieves and robbers.

The other day I came across some lines which I copied years ago; I think you will like to read them. They are on studying the Bible.

"Read; mark; learn;

Its pages turn and turn;

And for reward you'll find the Lord,

And your heart within will burn.

Dig; search; explore;

With labour more and more;

And for your toil in this rich soil,

You'll find the golden ore.

"House of treasures! Here I find

Food and medicine for the mind;

Sword to wield against the foe;

Helm and shield to ward his blow;

Garments for the heavenly-born;

Gems, the spirit to adorn;

Songs of praise in sunny hours;

Dirges when the tempest lowers.

But I need not thus go on

Naming treasures one by one;

Why should I the rest recall?

Christ is here, — and Christ is all."

13. Speaking Unadvisedly.

No doubt you have observed the very striking phrase used in the book of Numbers concerning Moses. We do not find our attention particularly drawn to his skill as a leader and a commander of the people, or to his wisdom as an administrator of the law, great and honoured of God as he was in these qualities. But it is the extraordinary meekness of his spirit that is esteemed worthy of special mention. "Now the man Moses was very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth" (Num. 12: 3).

The circumstances calling forth this expression concerning Israel's lawgiver are such as add to its significance. They show that in a moment of very great provocation Moses maintained an unruffled serenity and sinned not with his lips. His brother and sister, Aaron and Miriam, moved with envy, murmured against him, saying, "Hath the Lord indeed spoken only by Moses? Hath he not also spoken by us?" This was surely enough, speaking after the manner of men, to rouse his spirit. For nearly forty years he had been with the people leading them on through the desert to the promised land. And now the members of his own family unite to accuse him of taking too much upon himself! As a rule we are capable of enduring less from relatives than from strangers. Persons pour out the vials of their wrath upon their own households with but little compunction. Moses however refrained his lips. Then it is we have the remarkable testimony to his meekness which has been quoted above. And Jehovah interposed on behalf of His silent servant, reproving both the malcontents, and smiting Miriam with leprosy.

Very shortly after this incident we read of a scene in which the conduct of Moses appears in strange and painful contrast with that just alluded to. The children of Israel came to the desert of Zin, and found themselves without water. This was not a new experience for the people. And during their long passage through the wilderness they had numerous opportunities of proving Jehovah's power and goodness in providing for them.

But the people chode with Moses and murmured against him, and through him against Jehovah. Then Jehovah in His wonderful patience bade Moses take Aaron's rod that had budded, which was laid up before the Lord (Num. 17: 10; Num. 20: 8, 9), and to speak to the rock that water might flow to supply the needs of the congregation.

Moses obeyed, inasmuch as he took the priestly rod from the sanctuary. But as he stood before the rock he was so angry that he rebelled against the commandment of Jehovah (Num. 27: 14). Instead of speaking to it, the furious man lifted up his hand and smote the rock with his own rod, not once only but twice. The force of his passions, held in check for many a long day, now compressed itself in a dozen words or so which must have stung like so many scorpions, "Hear now, ye rebels; must we fetch you water out of this rock?"

Could this be Moses, that very meek man, yielding to an explosion of temper in this fashion after a long life of exemplary humbleness of mind for nearly six score years, so soon after the brilliant moral triumph referred to above? It was indeed Moses; for absolute perfection was only to be found in One Who had not then come.

And his failure is placed on record that we may take heed lest we fall. It was but for a moment that he left the "door of his lips" unguarded (Psalm 141: 3), and the burning words of passion flew forth, for ever beyond recall. For a moment he was off his guard; for a moment he failed to watch; and his unruly, rebellious tongue spoke those unsanctified sentences that cost him his inheritance in the promised land. From the heights of Pisgah, the eye of Moses beheld that land flowing with milk and honey, but Jehovah forbade him to enter therein (Deut. 34: 4).

It may seem to some of you a very severe sentence for a small offence. But it was not a small offence; the greater the saint the worse the sin. However, the point I wish especially to bring before you is the exceeding great importance of unceasing watchfulness as illustrated in the example of Moses. Read carefully what James says about the tongue (James 3). The hasty word spoken in anger may cause untold mischief. Is it not when you are unthinking that you find this happens? Something does not please you. You have received a real or fancied injury. And before you are aware, your indignation is fired, and the savage word is spoken, which is speedily followed by unavailing regrets.

Oh, learn, I beseech you to choke your wrath. Weep over your folly and sin in the presence of God. Be resolute in your endeavours to control the workings of your passions within. Firmly refuse to open your lips to utter your words while they are red hot. Let them cool, lest like Moses you speak unadvisedly with your lips (Ps. 106: 33).

Above all things, let the "meekness and gentleness of Christ" be before you as your example. He was "meek and lowly in heart," and we are to learn of Him.

14. Naaman's Little Maid.

One occasionally hears of young believers who are possessed of such ardent aspirations to become distinguished witnesses for their Master, that they express a wish even for the revival of the "good old days" of Queen Mary or of the Inquisition so that there might be a possibility of their being stretched on the rack and burnt at the stake. This zealous spirit, however laudable in itself, is really uncalled for; since we are taught in scripture not to court but to flee persecution (Matt. 10: 23). Though if called, like Stephen, to magnify Christ by death, we are to meet it fearlessly even in its worst form.

The fact is that the great majority of Christians during the far greater portion of their lives are required to testify for the Lord amid the most ordinary circumstances. How many there are, for instance, who hardly ever step out of the routine of the family circle, or the round of relatives and friends, or the circle of business associates. In such cases are there no opportunities to testify for Christ? None, perhaps, that will bring the witness before the public gaze of man; but many the far-reaching influence of which will only be known at the judgment seat of Christ. Who can tell the effect of the loving word and the kindly deed done and said in the name of the Master?

We have in scripture an instructive example of one whose simple and faithful testimony God owned and used and chronicled for our imitation. The person by whom Naaman, the Syrian leper, was directed to the prophet of Jehovah was a little maid in his household.

This girl was snatched away from her relations and her home in the land of Israel by one of the bands of Syrian marauders. She was forced to exchange her liberty for slavery in a foreign clime, and for slavery which was inseparable from temptations and hardships that, without a secret supply of strength, were enough to quench her moral and spiritual life. Besides, this little daughter of Israel found herself in a land where the true God was unknown, and where idol worship was supreme. There was not one in Damascus who was likely to instruct Naaman's little slave-girl in the law of Moses. Can we wonder if she was tempted sometimes to abandon her faith in Jehovah and bow herself in "the house of Rimmon" like all the other slaves in the great general's house? But the fear of Jehovah was before her eyes, and she would have no other gods before Him; she stood firm in her faith.

It was in connection with this terrible disease of her master that an opportunity was afforded her of declaring in that heathen court that Jehovah could do what the skilled physicians and false deities of Syria were unable to do, "Would God," she said one day to her mistress, "my lord were with the prophet that is in Samaria; for he would recover him of his leprosy" (2 Kings 5: 3).

It required some considerable degree of faith in God for her to make such an assertion as this; for leprosy was generally understood to be incurable. But she evidently believed Jehovah could and moreover that He would cure Naaman. Doubtless she remembered what He had done for Moses (Ex. 4: 6) and for Miriam (Num. 12); but how did she know that He would heal a Gentile? This was faith indeed. The little slave-girl laid hold upon the grace of God in a way little known in the Old Testament times.* And what she believed she stated simply and confidently.

{*See the use the Lord makes of this incident in illustration of the grace He came to preach (Luke 4: 27).}

But I pray you not to overlook another feature of her testimony which makes it even more beautiful. The expression she used to Naaman's wife was evidently prompted by a kindly concern for the man whom she might well regard as the cause of her misfortunes. For Naaman, if he did not accompany the expeditions himself, was responsible for them. But the little maid knew what it was in some degree to love her enemies and forgive them. She pitied her leprous master and owed him no grudge for the loss of her home and her country. It was his welfare alone that was before her when she made the suggestion. The spirit of Christ was in her heart; indeed we may say it is never absent from any true testimony for God.

Her words did not fall to the ground. When do they if they spring from a heart full of love and devotion? Moreover her life must have commended her words; for Naaman, shrewd man of the world, would not have started off on a long journey if he considered them no more than a child's extravagant wish, and that child his wife's slave. Whatever his hopes, he went to Samaria, and as we know, he was healed through the word of the prophet.

Now, some of you perhaps are wishing you could do the same as Naaman's little maid. Why should you not? Probably you are not in exactly the same kind of circumstances as she was. But still like her you may be surrounded by godlessness. Be sure, therefore, to let every word and action show to others that you have unbounded faith in God, and that you are animated by a sincere desire that the blessing of God may be upon them, even though they persecute you because you are Christ's.

It is such testimony that God owns and blesses. And it is within the reach of all to speak the simple word pointing out the direction in which salvation is to be obtained, backing up the word with a faithful life. Very few are able to explain to audiences the doctrine of justification by faith and expiation by blood. But everyone can point the sinner to Christ, and say, "That is the One to save you." Only you must give others to see that you have been to Him yourself, and that He has given you something not to be obtained anywhere else.

We see from the narrative in 2 Kings 5 that the little maid was actually of more service to the poor leper than Jehoram, king of Israel, who gave himself up to expressions of impotent despair. So, please remember that the silent influence of a Christian life, and the earnestly spoken desire for another's salvation is more often the means of blessing than the bushels of sermons intended to make the sinner as comfortable as possible in Damascus, rather than to send him down to the waters of Jordan.

15. The Lord's Day.

It is easy to get into loose and slipshod ways; and especially when the practices of others by whom you are surrounded are loose and slipshod. The only corrective in such circumstances is to accept the guidance afforded by scripture. You will never be set right by observing the conduct generally displayed by others. And this is especially true as to the manner in which the first day of the week is usually spent.

I am not about to give you a dissertation upon the distinctions between the Lord's day and the Jewish sabbath. But I do desire to impress upon you at least one fact with regard to this day; and the fact is that the first day of the week is the LORD'S day. And because it is the Lord's day it possesses a character entirely different from the other six. In a broad, general sense, of course all the days are His, as well as all the weeks and all the years. But only one of the days of the week is called the "Lord's," and therefore it is such in a peculiar sense. Just as, though everything in a certain house belongs to the head of it, the father may say, This is my room, or my chair, or my book; and we quite understand that the room or chair or book is in virtue of that claim set apart for the father's particular use. And in this manner the Lord has spoken of the first of the week.

Now if the question is looked at from this standpoint, many practical difficulties that present themselves to those anxious to please the Lord will disappear. For the facts of the case are that the Lord your Master has signified that the day is His, and without giving you a catalogue of what you may and what you may not do, He has left you to gather from His word what will be most pleasing to Him. This is not difficult. It may be difficult to decide what is right and what is wrong, but it is never difficult to please the Lord. And the latter should ever be the object before you.

Now if you are desirous of pleasing the Lord on His day, you will never be led to self-indulgence. It is a very common and erroneous notion that the day of which I speak is one specially ordained by a gracious Providence that man should spend in idleness, which he calls rest, or in the pursuit of pleasure, which he calls recreation. That there are physical benefits derived from the weekly cessation from ordinary duties one would not deny, and in the institution of the sabbath as in Old Testament days this feature is made prominent, and suitably so to that dispensation. But I do hope that none of my young friends will descend so far below the Christian standard as to reckon the Lord's day to be one designed for self-ease and enjoyment. Supposing you have had a busy week, do you think you are a mere machine just to stop "running" until you are wanted again on Monday morning? Besides, you ought to remember that "Absence of occupation is not rest; a mind quite vacant is a mind distressed." Let the time be profitably spent for the Lord and not for self.

It can hardly be supposed that any person would seriously recommend as a proper mode of procedure on the Lord's day to shorten it as much as possible by rising later and retiring earlier than usual, thus cutting off a little from each end of the day. If you are inclined to do so, be sure to have good reason, for it is the Lord's time you are so using. We have heard of persons securing to themselves full twenty-four waking hours on a Bank Holiday; but then that was for self-enjoyment.

The apostle John in the isle of Patmos says, "I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day" (Rev. 1: 10). This expression, "in the Spirit," denotes the normal Christian state, as Romans 8 shows. It implies that the Holy Spirit of God given to dwell in John as in all believers was leading his heart into happy exercise concerning divine things. And so should you seek that it might be with you.

What a suitable time for special study of God's word, and particularly for quiet meditation on it. (I am speaking now of your own private reading). It is on such occasions that the Lord makes known the preciousness of His love. And indeed I think we may well expect that this will always be the case. For what more honouring to the Lord on His day than to be sitting at His feet to learn of Him? Those that honour Him He will be sure to honour.

Ministry to others in the things of the Lord is surely acceptable, and with young persons this may most suitably take the form of conversation. If your topics of talk one with another on the Lord's day are restricted to sacred subjects you will be a help one to another.

Even those necessary duties, domestic or otherwise, which must be performed, may be ennobled by being done with a special sense of the Lord's presence. Why may you not in these things have Him before you, and do them unto Him? By such means you will surely catch the intention of the Lord as to the manner of observing His day.

O day most calm, most bright,

The fruit of this, the next world's bud,

Th' indorsement of supreme delight,

Writ by a friend, and with His blood;

The couch of time; care's balm and bay;

The weeks were dark, but for thy light;

Thy Torch doth show the way.

The other days and thou

Make up one man; whose face thou art,

Knocking at heaven with thy brow;

The working days are the back-part;

The burden of the week lies there,

Making the whole to stoop and bow,

Till thy release appear.

This day my Saviour rose;

And did enclose this light for His:

That, as each beast his manger knows,

Man might not of his fodder miss.

Christ hath took in this piece of ground,

And made a garden there for those

Who want herbs for their wound.

George Herbert.

16. Serving the Lord.

I wish to address a few words of a practical nature to those of you who are engaged in the work of the Sunday School. I trust that any who are not so occupied will bear with the remarks made; and, should they be thereby induced to join in that work for themselves, it will, I am sure, be a happy result. Since wherever one goes, the same cry is raised of the fewness of teachers. As of old, the harvest is great but the labourers few.

If then you are happily employed in this manner, permit me to say at the outset what I hope may be true of you. You ought to be firmly convinced in your own soul that in this service you are serving the Lord, and that it is His will you should be doing what you are doing.

Do not think I wish to unsettle you. If you are already quite clear upon this very important point, it will in no sense injure you to be reminded of it. On the other hand, if you have not seriously considered the matter, the sooner you face the question the better. The bricklayer was angry when his master put his foot to the wall he was building and pushed it over. But he had not a word to say as to the strength of his wall; and, after all, that was far more important than his own feelings. The master was only testing his servant's work, as I wish I could test yours. Believe me, there is no desire to knock down your wall, but only a real anxiety that your structure should prove a solid one.

Do you ask why it is so important that Sunday School teaching should be undertaken as a work for the Lord? Because when we feel we are serving the Lord, the motives for our service are kept pure and constant. What was the secret of the ardour of the apostle Paul? "The love of Christ constraineth us," he wrote (2 Cor. 5: 14). Christ sent him (1 Cor. 1: 17). Christ strengthened him (Phil. 4: 13). And eventually the Lord would crown him (2 Tim. 4: 8). He ever realised that he was not his own; he was the Lord's bond slave (Rom. 14: 8). And the apostle was so constantly under the personal direction of Christ in what he did and in what he did not, that he could place on inspired record that remarkable expression, which is really his autobiography, "To me to live is Christ" (Phil. 1: 21).

Now just as Christ afforded the spring of the apostle's service and life, so let it be with you. As you are engaged with your class from week to week, have it ever before your soul that you are doing it to the Lord and for the Lord. The sense of this personal service will enable you to persevere in spite of the many opposing difficulties connected with this, and indeed with all Christian work.

There are many young teachers who feel that no one ever had such troublesome classes as they have. The dozen scholars under their particular care are the most difficult dozen to manage that ever sat before one teacher. They have tried all kinds of plans to gain attention during the lesson of instruction; but for every one heeding the teacher four others are laughing, whispering, and playing.

What is to be done? They have endeavoured in many ways to preserve order, and win the ears of the children. But all is in vain. They have besought the scholars to be attentive. They have promised marks and prizes for good behaviour. They have threatened great threats against the noisy ones. They have even tried the effect of telling the class a few Sunday School fables, such as, "Little Mary and her dicky bird," "Faithful Rover pulling naughty Sammy out of the water," and others. But the effect was only brief. The teacher found the dozen pair of eyes upon him for a moment or so, but as soon as the tale was over the disorder began again as before.

How disheartened the teacher becomes, as week after week passes with the same result! He feels ready to give up in despair.

If any of my young friends have such an experience, I earnestly beseech you to consider whether your work is of the Lord. If He has given you it, He will sustain you in it; and moreover, He will honour your perseverance in face of such real difficulties as these are, by giving you the joy of His own approval. He will, in due time, allow you to see proofs that He is working by means of you.

Do not, however, suppose that such difficulties are of necessity indications that the Lord has not sent you. The apostle did not think so. He went on with his work at Ephesus, although there was much positive opposition. He writes, "I will tarry at Ephesus until Pentecost; for a great door and effectual is opened unto me, and there are many adversaries" (1 Cor. 16: 8, 9); so that adversaries did not drive Paul from his post. No, obstacles and hindrances should only prove the reality of your purpose of heart and your devotion to the Lord. They should certainly throw you in dependence upon the strength of the Lord. And He will then enable you to overcome all these discouragements that trouble you so.

"But," it is sometimes asked, "how is one to know whether one is sent by the Lord, or not?" This question is one to be settled before commencing the work. It ought to be quite clear to you yourself that it is the Lord's will you should take a class.

How the Lord will make you know what His will is I fear I cannot say. But you must hold fast that if the Master has any service for you to perform, He Himself will send you to do it, and will give you the assurance that you are taking orders from Him. At the same time you must on your part be desirous of hearing His voice. The Lord uses many ways of bringing His work before His servants; by means of  the Scriptures, or the advice of their elders, or the vacant class. but whatever the means, it is imperative that, after earnest, continued prayer, you should find that the Lord by those means is showing to you what His will is.

Don't have it in your mind that you have been a scholar long enough, and that it is now time for you to teach others, because you are too grown up to learn any more. Don't take a class because a dear friend of yours does so. Don't go a long way round to seek your work. If you are really anxious to serve the Lord, and it is His will that you should take up any particular branch of His work, do you not believe that He will open the way for you? Most assuredly He will.

Some who are actually engaged in Sunday School work think that if the Lord were with them they would get on better, and they think of resigning. Now we surely ought to have the Lord's mind in giving up a work as much as in starting it. If it were our own work we might perhaps consult ourselves only. But if the Lord has given us work, we must have the permission of the Master to leave it.

It is well known that teachers do sometimes forsake their classes in a huff. Something offended them. The school is mismanaged. They are not sufficiently consulted. Away they go, turning their backs in a moment upon what they professed to be doing for the Lord's sake. Can there be any real sense of serving the Lord in such cases?

If you have anything to do with Sunday School work let it be begun, continued, and ended as unto the Lord. Let your hearts be in personal communion with Him about every detail of it continuously. And you will then be sure to know the joy of His own blessing in your soul.

17. Knowing the Scriptures.

If you are occupied with a class in the Sunday School, it will be well for you to have a definite aim before you in this work. It is not enough for you to be regularly in your place in the teacher's chair. Nor will it be sufficient for you to struggle lamely through the hour appointed for teaching. You ought to have one distinct purpose ever pressing upon you. And you should bend every energy in the direction of attaining this set purpose. Aimless teachers accomplish nothing.

Let every Sunday School teacher carefully consider, (1) what is to be taught, (2) who is being taught, and (3) how they are to be taught.

In the first place then let us think of what it is your business to teach. In a few words, your business is to instruct your charges in the Holy Scriptures.

I am quite prepared to hear you remark that you are well aware of this already, and you suppose most others are also. And yet from the methods pursued by many, one would hardly suppose their object was scriptural instruction. When, for instance the time is spent in the recital of various anecdotes of doubtful authenticity, or when, stranger to say, the class is invited to listen to some story book read in their hearing, it would be hard to suppose that the teacher is impressed with the responsibility to teach the Scriptures. We could not understand a shoemaker who employed his time in making wooden boxes instead of shoes: neither can we understand a person taking the place of a Sunday School teacher who puts aside the Bible for amusing or "instructive" stories.

Bear in mind, my young friends, that once you lose faith in the Bible as God's word, your work will degenerate into mere philanthropic effort of a very poor quality indeed; and the effects of it will hardly last from one week to another. But on the other hand, if you are used of God to communicate to your scholars a knowledge of the Scriptures, even though it be, comparatively speaking, only a slight knowledge, the result of your work is of incalculable value. A thread of gold is worth far more than a cartload of rubbish. And because of divine character of what is imparted in Bible teaching, its effects abide for eternity.

Possibly you may be thinking that I should have said just now that the aim of the teacher ought rather to be the conversion of the scholars. Undoubtedly this should be very much before every one engaged in this work, so much so as to be the constant desire and prayer. But if you reflect for a moment, I think you will conclude that conversion is really included in the aim I have stated above. For what is the means by which every soul is born anew? Is it not the word of God (1 Peter 1: 23)? Indeed we are expressly told that the scriptures are able to make "wise unto salvation," though, of course, not apart from faith in Christ Jesus (2 Tim. 3: 15). So that by instilling into children's minds the great facts of the Bible, you are providing what may be used by the Holy Ghost at any moment for the eternal blessing of their souls.

The passage last referred to (2 Tim. 3: 15) is doubtless a familiar one to you. It is certainly full not only of interest but of cheer for the teacher of the young. The apostle Paul writes to Timothy, "From a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus."

Here you have two plain facts which will assist you to know that you have the divine sanction in your endeavours:

1. Timothy knew the scriptures from a child. 2. The Scriptures have power to make wise unto salvation.

In the case of Timothy you have an example of one whose instruction in the scriptures began from his very earliest days with the most blessed results. In his childhood, Timothy's acquaintance with the ancient oracles commenced, and by the enlightenment of the Spirit he became not only a living member of Christ, but also an active and honoured servant of Christ. He was trained in the way he should go, and when he was old he did not depart from that way.

Be encouraged therefore. Maybe there is a young Timothy among your tiresome boys. At any rate be as zealous as if they were all Timothys.

In the next place, observe that the scriptures are the means of imparting that wisdom "that is from above." This is the wisdom which is inseparably connected with eternal salvation. What Eve vainly sought in the fruit of the forbidden tree (Gen. 3: 6). is promised in the word of God.

Dear fellow workers, never forget that it is the Bible, not your weekly lessons, that God uses. If you are engaged in teaching passages of scripture, you are like a person planting acorns. The manner of planting is not the chief thing, but whether there is a germ of life in the seed or not. The Lord said, "The words that I speak unto you, they are spirit and they are life" (John 6: 63). So you may be sure in teaching scripture that you are teaching words of life. At any moment the Holy Spirit may use the text learned in Sunday School to the eternal salvation of some of your scholars.

This then may be considered as the answer to the question what we must teach.

"How precious is the book divine,

By inspiration given!

Bright as a lamp its doctrines shine,

To guide our souls to heaven.

This lamp, through all the tedious night

Of life shall guide our way

Till we behold the clearer light

Of an eternal day."

Fawcett.

18. Personal Communion.

I wish to remind you of a privilege that is yours, and of which you should make frequent use. I refer to the liberty you have of lifting your heart to the Lord at all times. I do not at all mean on only such occasions as you are compelled to do so by reason of the great difficulties that surround you. Then you instinctively look above. Even the heathen call upon their gods in the day of trouble, as we find the storm-tossed mariners did in Jonah's day. But it is an excellent Christian habit to "seek the face of the Lord" as much as possible, being moved to do so because of the joy you experience in so doing.

I think I can hear some of you saying that you do not often experience any such joy. But surely the reason for this lies with yourself. Perhaps you content yourself with just a bare enumeration of a few of your more general needs in a formal way; and then you wonder why your heart has not swollen with emotion.

There are those who kneel down at night, for instance, and say in a very perfunctory way, something like this: "O Lord, I thank Thee for all Thy love to me this day; for Thy goodness which has followed me all the days of my life; for Thy grace which saved me and Thy mercy which keeps me. Now, O Lord, help me to live as I ought. Bless me in everything. Give me strength for everything. Save all my friends, for Jesus Christ's sake. Amen."

Please do not suppose that I am about to find fault with this prayer, its brevity, its wording, or its subjects of petition. There is the most perfect liberty of access to the throne of grace, and the most perfect freedom to ask "what we will." Neither are we heard for our much speaking, nor for our fine speaking. At the same time it is much to be deplored if persons continue month after month and year after year, never getting beyond just asking for a small portion of the things they require. Communion means far more than that.

Can you imagine sons or daughters never speaking to their parents except for the purpose of asking for what they want? Because of their relationship in the home they are entitled to converse on family affairs, and to find a certain pleasure in so doing. What concerns the father concerns them. What he proposes to do commands their interest and their attention.

You may see this spirit illustrated in Mary of Bethany, who "sat at Jesus' feet and heard His word." We are not told that she was asking favours, but she grasped the opportunity when the Lord was in the house to place herself in the attitude of a disciple before Him, and to listen to His word. This was pleasing to the Lord. He told Martha she had chosen the good part; and though He Himself would depart as to bodily presence, the part she had chosen of waiting before Him should not be taken from her. After the Lord's ascent and the Spirit's descent she might prove this in a way still more beneficial to her soul.

And so may we. Depend upon it, it would be an excellent thing for you to cultivate the practice of getting away to be alone, so that the Lord may speak to you from His word, and that your heart may be turned upward to Him with regard to the things you find in that word. It will be found that this habit takes you away from being altogether engaged with what you yourself need in your own life and your own circumstances. Self is forgotten for a time; and divine things fill your heart. In this way the new spiritual life grows and develops heavenward as it should do. For the things of self, even the good things of self, should never be allowed to become the centre of any Christian's life. "Not I, but Christ liveth in me," the apostle wrote (Gal. 2: 20). Christ therefore is the central object for each believer's heart.

Oh, draw me, Saviour, after Thee,

So shall I run and never tire:

With gracious words still comfort me:

Be Thou my hope, my sole desire.

On Thee I'd roll each weight and fear:

Calm in the thought that Thou art near.

What in Thy love possess I not?

My star by night, my sun by day,

My spring of life when parch'd with drought:

My wine to cheer, my bread to stay,

My strength, my shield, my safe abode,

My robe before the throne of God!

Unchangeable Thy gracious love

My earthly path has ceaseless view'd;

Ere yet this beating heart could move,

Thy tender mercies me pursued:

Ever with me may they abide,

And close me in on every side.

P.Gerhardt.

O Saviour, blessed Saviour,

Whom yet unseen we love

O name of might and favour,

All earthly names above!

We worship Thee, we bless Thee!

To Thee alone we raise

Our songs of adoration,

Our God and Saviour's praise.

F. R. Havergal.

19. The Thoughts of the Heart.

I have been just wondering and wondering whatever I should say to you on this occasion. And as I was pondering over one subject and another, I suddenly found a landscape unfolding itself to my gaze, just as perhaps you have seen a grey mist rolling back from some hillside, revealing the green pastures and yellow cornfields and waving woodlands. So now a wide vista of trees and fields and homesteads is stretching away for miles before me, while upon the far horizon a streak as of burnished silver proclaims the wondrous sea.

No doubt you are saying to yourself that there is nothing particularly striking in my landscape. Nor should I be surprised if you still failed to think so were I to spend some time in describing what appear to me to be its beauties. I only mention the circumstance here because it is a great puzzle to me how this scene came up before me just now. It is years since I really looked at the place and I am at this moment almost twenty score miles away. And while I am trying to think of some suitable theme for my letter to you, up starts this view — a mental snap-shot come to light out of hundreds of others automatically taken long ago by that most marvellous duplex photographic apparatus which I (and you) received gratis, but which we cannot renew for millions of money. But why did this picture come to light at this particular moment?

I was with some friends the other evening, and the subject of our thoughts was engrossing, and as far removed as the poles from money. But suddenly without warning, like the lightning's flash, some columns of accounts which I had to do with during the day, but which had completely vanished from my memory for some hours, appeared before my mind's eye. It was but a moment before they disappeared, yet in that brief interval I discovered that I had placed a figure in the right column instead of in the left, thus producing a wrong result. Do you wish me to explain this phenomenon? I am not ashamed to confess myself an ignoramus again. I certainly have read that those who profess to know have decided that such automatic actions of the mental organization are to be designated as "unconscious cerebration." This high-sounding phrase, however, like many another of its kind, has not helped me very much. Still, had I wished to conceal my ignorance on the point, I might have used it. I should then have written with all the dignity that self-satisfaction and pride could muster, "Here we have another instance of what is known as 'unconscious cerebration.'" This would have made you about as wise on the point as I am myself, — not a very lofty attainment truly.

No, my young friends; the truth is we are all very ignorant of the movement of our own thoughts. And this is the very point I have been aiming at all the while; so that I hope you will not consider that what has gone before has been altogether in the nature of idle gossip. Hence at this juncture I cannot avoid raising the question, Is there anyone who understands thoughts? And as our thoughts have the unhappy tendency to dart in all sorts of directions unexpectedly and inexplicably, it would be a great comfort to know that someone understands them. Have you ever been left alone a few moments with a great steam engine (say) a hundred horse-power? and have you not felt how powerless you would be to stop the mighty monster in the event of an accident? There were the levers and steam-cocks before you, but you were utterly ignorant how to use them. A person caught in the machinery might be torn to pieces before you could shut off steam. But if the engine-driver is there, a shout from you is sufficient. In a moment the ponderous wheels are at rest. He understands the machine, though you do not. Thank God, I know a Man Who understands our thoughts (don't you?); and a call from us to Him is enough. When the machinery goes wrong, He can control it though we cannot.

The Lord Jesus when upon the earth displayed His knowledge of the thoughts of men's hearts (Matt. 9: 4; Matt. 12: 25; Luke 5: 22; Luke 6: 8; Luke 9: 47; Luke 11: 17); for He is the One Who "searcheth all hearts and understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts" (1 Chron. 28: 9; Ps. 94: 11; Isa. 66: 18; 1 Cor. 3: 20). And the psalmist in the sense of this knowledge throws open his heart for divine inspection, saying, "Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: and see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting" (Psalm 139: 23, 24).

But while the Lord always answers the cry to Him for help and will give you the victory over your fitful self, a responsibility rests on your own shoulders. If you treat the matter lightly and make no efforts of your own, you will find that evil thoughts are more frequently present with you, and that their presence is not distasteful to you. The apostle Paul speaks of "bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ Christ" (2 Cor. 10: 5). He no doubt refers to the thoughts of the Corinthian saints, and He seeks to restrain their fleshly imagination by presenting to them the pure truth of God.

This supplies us with the secret of success. It is just in proportion as the mind is filled with the holy instruction of God's word that our thoughts are trained to flow in proper channels and to be engaged upon wholesome subjects. The apostle makes this point a subject of exhortation in writing to the Philippians, saying, "Whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report, if there be any virtue, if there be any praise, think on these things (Phil. 4: 8). Again, "Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth" (Col. 3: 2). The very words of the apostle imply an effort on your part. You are to provide good subjects for your thoughts. If you do not, the devil will soon provide you with evil ones.

Encourage the mind to dwell upon what is good. "Abstain from all appearance of evil." And thus cultivate a pure and holy mind. Learn to say with the Psalmist, "In the multitude of my thoughts within me, Thy comforts delight my soul."

If we are in constant intercourse with the word of God, the truth acts at once as a guide and a check. As we read in the Epistle to the Hebrews, "The word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart" (Heb. 4: 12). In the scriptures you will find the workings of your mind anticipated and displayed in their true character so that you may not be deceived.

20. Seizing the Lion's Beard.

The stripling David in the valley of Elah confronting the gigantic champion of the Philistines is an instance of the immeasurable superiority which faith in God gives a man above those who lack such faith. Masses of armed men covered the hill tops on each side of the valley — Israelite and Philistine respectively; but God was in the thoughts of neither the one nor the other. The invaders regarded their opponents with the utmost disdain and contempt; while the chosen people of God shivered with fear and dismay at the sight of their foes. The one trembled, the other vaunted, for the same reason: both forgot Jehovah of hosts.

But David did not forget Him. Indeed it was the insult to Jehovah's name implied in Goliath's defiance that roused the pious shepherd lad, and forced him out to stand in the breach. "Who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God?" This expressed David's view of the situation; for he was not at all misled by the words of the giant of Gath who stood and cried, "I defy the armies of Israel." (1 Sam. 17: 10, 26). Nay, whatever the enemy might allege as to the nation's weakness and degeneracy, the armies of Israel were still the armies of the living God. And upon the irrevocable promise and changeless purpose of Jehovah the man of faith took his courageous stand; what power could overthrow him?

Such a position, too, was the nobler in its strong contrast with thousands of his countrymen cowering in craven-hearted unbelief before the menaces of their foe.

But while we admire and long to emulate the faith of this dauntless youth, we ought to recollect that this faith had been exercised by him before. David had already proved for himself what it is to put faith in God. When he went down singlehanded into the valley of Elah to encounter this Philistine colossus, he was fortified by the remembrance of his own past experience of Jehovah's delivering power.

The young shepherd spoke of this experience to the incredulous Saul who doubted the result of the combat. He told the king that while he kept his father's sheep in the wild solitudes of the mountains of Judea, a lion came and took a lamb out of the flock. "And," he says, with all the artlessness of the truth-teller, "I went out after him, and smote him, and delivered it out of its mouth; and when he arose against me, I caught him by his beard, and smote him, and slew him." And the faith that won the victory in the wilderness of Judea would not fail him in the valley of Elah. So David believed; and in the strength of his faith he went forth and conquered. The smooth stone from the brook sped unerringly to its mark in the defiant brow of Goliath. The giant toppled and fell prone to the earth; and with him fell the boastful hopes of the Philistine army. They fled; and the ruddy youth from Bethlehem Judah was the victor that day.

The lesson lying upon the surface in this incident is an important one to lay hold of. Private victories must precede public ones. It is in the privacy of your own personal life and experience that you have to learn to overcome the wicked one through faith. Indeed one of the marks of having advanced from spiritual infancy to spiritual youth is the defeat of the foe. The apostle John describes the young men as those who are strong, having the word of God abiding in them and having overcome the wicked one (1 John 2: 14).

But this conquest is first of all an unseen one. In the secrecy of your own heart the battle must be waged. There you must face the tempter when he seeks to rob you of what is committed to you. Seize him "boldly by the beard," and he will flee from you (James 4: 7; 1 Peter 5: 9). The victory then is yours, though no human eye behold it.

Observe that the occasion on which David so signally proved how sufficient Jehovah's power was to deliver him from the foe occurred in the ordinary performance of his humdrum duties as a shepherd lad. And we too, in our daily lives, must learn how to "resist the devil." You have the more need to be wary, because you have a traitor within you. Self always inclines to yield to the temptation. Faith only enables you to withstand in a courage which comes from above.

You seek to exhibit a spirit of kindness towards those around you, but your efforts are received with unthankfulness and regarded with suspicion. Are you offended? You find yourself the butt of scorn and ridicule, the subject of biting sarcasm, the object of incessant leering and scoffing. On which side is the victory? You possess a propensity to fits of violent temper and sulkiness; you are self-willed and dislike to be interfered with by the advice and experience of others. Do you not see the paw of the lion? You are inclined to vanity; you have persuaded yourself that your personal appearance is highly prepossessing, or that your mental abilities are phenomenal for one of your years, and that consequently you are rapidly becoming the centre of a wide circle of admirers. Do not be deceived; the robber is making a raid upon you — he who comes to kill and to destroy. Retire to your chamber; there seek the power of God. Pray for more vigilance, more resoluteness of purpose, more sense of the importance of keeping back the powers of evil that seek to invade your life, as well as of reckoning yourself "dead" to that which is within you. Seek earnestly to be conformed to Christ in all you do and are.

21. Following His Steps.

There is certainly a right path for your feet here in this world, and I sincerely hope you are every one walking in that path. You, of course, remember the following lines of a beautiful hymn:

"The Lord is Himself gone before,

He has marked out the path that I tread;

It's as sure as the love I adore,

I have nothing to fear nor to dread.

"There is but that one in the waste,

Which His footsteps have marked as His own;

And I follow in diligent haste

To the seats where He's put on His crown."

If there were several roads wherein we might travel there would be some difficulty occasioned. But there is only one, the one in which Christ Himself walked. So the apostle put it when he wrote, "Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example that you should follow His steps" (1 Peter 2: 21).

It will interest you to know that the word used for "example" (hupogrammos) in this passage means the head-line for a writing copy, and this is the only instance of its use in the New Testament.

When a Greek schoolboy was learning to write his Alpha, Beta, Gamma, his master set him a "hupogrammos," which he had to imitate in order to learn how to form his letters correctly.

Now we are told the Lord Jesus has left us a "hupogrammos" as a guide for our steps. Every word and act of His when passing through this world go to make up this copy. These are recorded in the Gospels for our instruction. There we may see what He said and what He did, and also how He suffered. And in this history we have our pattern, the constant model for our lives.

Have you ever examined one of your old copybooks in which you started to form pot-hooks and hangers? There was the "hupogrammos" on the top line in beautifully regular "copper-plate." The next line was your laborious imitation of the "hupogrammos" with the slight angularities and tremulous irregularities that betray the faithful beginner. But as you looked down the page you were struck with the growing degeneracy — angles becoming more acute, lines more wavy, blots larger and more abundant. You, turning back over the experience of your subsequent years, are able to explain why your last line was so much worse than the first. You now know it was because you were so much farther from the "hupogrammos" than you were when writing the first line. Your eyes were not upon the perfect head-line, but upon the very poor copy of it you made yourself; and so you went from bad to worse. The simple secret of success is to observe carefully and minutely the writing given for your imitation.

And as in the above illustration so it is in the text already quoted from Peter's First Epistle. To follow the steps of Christ, you must study His "hupogrammos"; because what He did you are expected to do. The Lord said, "I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you" (John 13: 15). "Take My yoke upon you, and learn of Me" (Matt. 11: 29). The apostle Paul writes, "Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus" (Phil. 2: 5). Another apostle, John, says, "He that saith he abideth in Him ought himself also so to walk, even as He walked" (1 John 2: 6). Notice very carefully how you are exhorted to have the eye on Christ; and, of course, this implies especially on what is chronicled of Him in the word. Indeed, there is no other way by which you can rightly know what He did or how He walked. If you follow another person in any measure, it is only safe in as far as you compare the conduct of that person with that of Christ as known from the scripture. Hence Paul in addressing the Corinthian saints says, "Be ye followers [imitators] of me, even as I also am of Christ" (1 Cor. 11: 1).

But the great snare of which you must beware is that of following some ideas of your own under the mistaken impression that they are the footsteps of Christ. This is almost certain to be the result if, when you arrive at a point of difficulty, you ask yourself the question, "What would Jesus do?" How are you to know what He would do in your circumstances? It would be better if you had asked yourself, "What has He said?" or, "What did He do?" Then an answer on which you can depend would be found in the Bible. But in the former instance you are trusting to your own imagination, which is very unreliable even in an advanced Christian, and very much more so in your case. You can make sure, however, that your ideas, apart from the statements of scripture, of what Jesus would do in any particular situation will be altogether wrong.

When the multitude wanted bread to eat, the Lord "knew what He would do," but the disciples did not (John 6: 6). The disciples thought they knew what the Lord would do when they saw one casting out devils in His name and so they forbade him because he was not one of them; but they erred, and the Lord rebuked them (Mark 9: 38, 39). And again when the infants were brought to Jesus the apostles asked themselves, What would the Master do?" and they rebuked the mothers. Again they fell into error, and the Lord was much displeased (Mark 10: 13, 14). When a certain village of Samaria did not receive the Lord, James and John, assuming they knew what He would do, and quoting scriptural example, asked Him "Wilt Thou that we command fire to come down from heaven, and consume them, even as Elias did?" But they were again rebuked; for whenever these men, so privileged as they were, set themselves to determine what the Lord would do, they immediately came to a wrong conclusion. And you may depend upon it you will do the same thing.

I know the Spirit of God indwells believers since Pentecost; but He will not teach you apart from the written word. He was promised to guide us into all truth; but then the word is truth (John 16: 13, John 17: 17).

I trust my young friends will study this important scripture (1 Peter 2: 21) for themselves. The character of the steps of the Lord Jesus is specially that of suffering. Be careful not to be misled by your own thoughts as to what are Christ's steps; follow the scripture. In the language of our passage, look steadfastly at the "hupogrammos" itself, not on your own imperfect copy of it.

22. On Late-comers.

You may take it for granted that you will not require to put forth a great deal of exertion in order to acquire the habit of being late. Let the stated times of attendance, say at a meeting, become a matter of indifference to you for a while, and you will insensibly, but rapidly, become proficient in that unlovely art of being always behind the time. When you can be five minutes late without regret, it will be but a short and easy step to be ten minutes, and then fifteen minutes late. And so you will continue to decline from punctuality until you will not be disturbed in your self complacency even when you find you have arrived only in just sufficient time to hear the closing benediction pronounced.

To prevent misapprehension I had better say at the outset that there are some persons who are quite unable to avoid being late in their attendance. Such persons are to be pitied rather than blamed. Only it is to be hoped that they do not become so accustomed to their misfortune that it is never a matter of great concern to them.

However, if any of you whom I address cannot help being late, do try to be late properly. Some persons appear to overlook the fact altogether, that on such a deplorable occasion there is a certain etiquette to be observed. They blunder through the door, banging it after them, and stride with heavy tread to their seats, knocking knees and elbows as they pass. And the fact that they have at last taken their places is announced to all present by dropping a Bible or hymn-book on the floor. This is shocking behaviour.

I am not supposing that those who do this kind of thing do so with the express object of distracting others, and to make the fact of their lateness more obvious than it otherwise would be. No, such things are mostly done from sheer want of thought. They do not consider how their carelessness affects others. They should seriously consider the position: "Here is a number of persons assembled together, led by the Spirit of God to meditate on divine and heavenly matters, and if I am not careful I shall disturb them, and cause them to think, There is Brother Sluggard, or Sister Slowcoach, late again; and such a thought will not help them in their devotions."

But there is a more serious consideration even than this. The Lord is present on such occasions, and He is always present at the appointed time. The remembrance of such a solemn fact will surely hasten your steps, if anything will, to be present at the opening of the meeting, and, moreover, cause you to be more comely in the manner of your entrance, particularly when prevented from punctuality.

Do you ever try to remedy your bad habit of coming late? A good plan is to aim always to be early. The Jews were forbidden to give a person more, than forty stripes (Deut. 25: 31). Their practice was to give "forty, save one" (2 Cor. 11: 24), lest they should make an error in counting, and administer one stripe beyond the limit. If you were to strive to be five or ten minutes before the time, you would be almost sure that you would never be late.

No, I do not think you would ensure punctuality by living next door to the meeting room. Certainly everyone could not live so near as that, so that such a suggestion could not be carried out by all. And it has been stated to me by persons of wider experience than myself, and who ought to know what they are saying on such a subject, that those who live farthest habitually come in first, and those who live nearest habitually come last. But I am not myself in possession of a sufficient range of reliable statistics to lay down any rule in the matter.

Still I do say that in my opinion the cause of habitual lateness is not the distance a person's house may be away from the place of assembly, but the distance his heart is away. You may reside within a hundred yards, but you will be none the earlier for that if your affections are a hundred miles or so off. You want something of the Psalmist's spirit, when he said; "My soul longeth, yea, even fainteth for the courts of Jehovah" (Ps. 84: 2).

Are you one of those objectors who say you don't know what to do with yourself when you are so early? You think it a waste of time to be there so long before others! Well, you surprise me. Such language seems to indicate that you scarcely know for what purpose we gather together. You must be aware that it is useless for believers to be together without the felt presence of the Lord. It is He Who by His Spirit bestows the blessing. Is it not fitting, therefore, that you should be there in readiness of spirit as well as of bodily presence to receive it? Is it not more proper, if I may put the matter so in all reverence, that you should wait for the Lord, than that the Lord should wait for you?

There is a passage in Luke's Gospel which speaks of the Lord crossing the lake of Gennesaret on one occasion, and we read: "It came to pass that, when Jesus was returned, the people received [or, welcomed] Him, for they were all waiting for Him" (Luke 8: 40). Are you always when you come to the meeting in such an attitude of spirit to welcome Him? Hardly, if you have been rushing in all of a fluster because you are late.

There is another reason. But, no, I will not say any more on this subject this time.

23. The Lord's Supper.

You have, no doubt, been struck with that emphatic passage in the last book of the Old Testament prophets in which Jehovah expostulates with His people. He says, "Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed Me" (Mal. 3: 8). Does it not seem to you an extraordinary expression — robbing God? And it certainly is so; yet it nevertheless was the truth. The Jews had appropriated to their own use the tithes and offerings that were Jehovah's by right. The portions of the priests and Levites, prescribed by the law (Num. 18: 8-24), were not forthcoming. It was a grave omission on the part of the Jews; more, they were defrauding God wilfully. The priests and Levites were the direct sufferers, but the Lord counted it an offence against Himself. Whatever they themselves may have thought of their ways, such was God's view.

Now, I have no doubt you are wondering what all this has to do with the subject named at the head of this letter. At first sight you may suppose there is no connection; but I believe that there is a common principle, and that you may profit by considering it.

There is no intention of saying much regarding the Lord's Supper itself. The thought before me is simply concerning what is due to the Lord when eating bread and drinking wine in remembrance of Him.

In Malachi, the question was as to flocks and herds, corn, wine, and oil, and such temporal offerings. And, by the way, we should not forget that the Lord has His rights in respect of our temporal possessions too. We are His, and all we have is His; and the portion we devote to His service should prove that we believe this truth. But, putting that matter aside now, let us think of the hour or so we spend, at the oftenest, I suppose, once a week, in the remembrance of the Lord Jesus in His death. Suppose it to be an hour; do you realise that the hour is His?

Be very sincere and practical with yourself. Take occasion to sit down quietly and examine yourself as to whether, when you are at the Lord's table, the hour spent there is His in the most absolute sense of the word, or whether you rob Him of it, or any part of it. I do not speak of what is even more serious — of staying away from the table without any justification but while there, is the Lord Jesus the engrossing object of your every thought?

Surely none of you can think that it is sufficient for you to sit in your place and join in what is audible? What about the heart? What about the thoughts? How do you fill up the silences? Is the Lord Himself before you continually, and the Father's love too? They are precious, golden moments when we are so gathered with the Lord in the midst. Every one of them is the Lord's. "In remembrance of Me" are His words. Will you rob Him of those holy moments, or even of one of them?

You recollect the solemn scene in Gethsemane, when the Lord took with Him the favoured trio, Peter, James and John, into the shadows of the garden, and said unto them, "My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death; tarry ye here and watch with Me." It was such a touching request. And we feel sure they meant to obey. The blessed Lord went a little farther and fell on his face, and prayed "with strong crying and tears," concerning the awful cup before Him. He returned to His disciples, but found them asleep. It seemed such a little thing for Him to ask them to watch with Him; yet it was denied Him. He "looked for some to take pity, but there was none; and for comforters, but found none." Ah! who shall tell the feelings of that lonely Man of Sorrows, as He had to say to those who had even seen Him in the mount of transfiguration, "What! could ye not watch with me one hour"? (Matt. 26: 40) Why did they rob Him of that hour, the last He would spend with them before being delivered into the hands of sinful men?

Is it possible that to any of you an hour seems too long a time to be thinking of Him? I beseech you to be very jealous over the affections of your hearts at such times. Do not allow anything to supplant the person of the Lord before your soul. In He not worthy? Think of His Godhead. Think of His love. Think of His sorrow. Think of His glory. Think of His shame. Think of the spitting, the scourging. Think of the thorns, the nails, the spear. Think of the blackness of the darkness, and the dust of death. One hour! If one hour be too long for you now, what will you do on high in the presence of the Lamb that was slain? One hour out of every one hundred and sixty-eight too much for your "wandering mind "! Alas, if it be so!

But I am not your judge, my young friends. You should be your own (1 Cor. 11: 28). It is however easy through unwatchfulness to slip into such careless ways. May the Lord preserve us all.

24. The Tree of the First Psalm.

You know that the figure of a tree is frequently used in scripture for the purpose of conveying moral and spiritual lessons. The one used in the first Psalm in reference to the "blessed" man is very suggestive. There is no doubt that the only person who ever answered with absolute exactness to the description there given is the Lord Jesus Christ. For it is certain that all which is excellent in a man was found in the fullest perfection in Him, though in no one else. And when we read, "Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate day and night," we know this passage had a prophetical bearing and was to be pre-eminently true of God's coming Man.

Such words could be applied to the Lord Jesus each day and all the days. For He ever kept Himself separate from sinners, and He continually lived by every word that proceeded out of the mouth of God. Jehovah's law was His meditation day and night.

But then, in this pathway of perfect obedience and consequent blessedness, He left us an example that we should follow His steps. So that it is ours  — mine and yours — to go after Him, shunning every evil way and association, and loving to learn the will of God from His word in order that we may do it.

Then in the Psalm we come to what is the subject of my letter; "And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers [streams, R.V.] of water that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper." Here the godly man is compared to a tree. But it is to be observed that the comparison is not with any tree, wherever it may be situated. This tree was planted by the streams of water. And in Eastern countries such a situation was of all others particularly favourable for growth and fruit bearing, rain being so uncertain and infrequent.

You will find Ezekiel uses the figure of a cedar tree to illustrate the power and greatness of the Assyrian empire (Ezekiel 31: 3-7). Clearly the cause of this cedar's magnificence was its proximity to the waters. They formed an unfailing source of nourishment and strength to its roots. So that in point of fact it was the waters that "made him great."

We may gather from this usage the force of the psalmist's comparison of the godly man with the tree planted by the rivers of waters. Like the tree he has a constant supply of life and strength. Underneath the ground the great tree sends out its main roots, each with its multitudinous tiny rootlets exploring in all directions for moisture. By and by they tap the ooze of the river-bed, when every little hair-like filament becomes a greedy mouth to obtain as much nourishment or food (for we may call water food in this case) as possible from the damp soil. Then from the tip of the tiniest root which may be farthest from the stem or trunk this food of the tree is conveyed to the tip of the loftiest leaf on the topmost bough. Cut off the supply of water, and the tree must wither and die. Stint it with an insufficient supply, and the fruit becomes poor and scanty, while the leaves turn from bright green to dull brown. But plant it by rivers of water, and it brings forth its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither.

I am sure you all know the lesson underlying this simile. As believers in Christ you should bear fruit in your season. "A good tree bringeth forth good fruit." To do so you must have your own private and unseen communication with the rivers of water — Christ, as revealed in His word. Love Him, and live upon Him daily, and just as the tree grows and fructifies, quietly, and unconsciously, so will you bring forth fruit for the Husbandman (John 15). But do mark the necessity of secret communion for fruit-bearing.

Fruit is first, as to importance, then the unwithered leaf, which we may take to illustrate testimony. Fruit is for God; testimony is rendered to others who are about us. Such actions and words as commend Christ in the eyes of others are the green leaves of testimony. But if there is no water there will be no greenness. Be careful then, everyone of you, to keep up your prayers and Bible reading.

You may, perhaps, be reminded of the very solemn lesson which the Lord taught in one of His parables. I refer now to the parable of the sower, the seed, and the soils. You recollect that the seed which the sower scattered fell on four varieties of soil, viz., (1) by the wayside, (2) upon rocky ground, (3) among thorns, and (4) upon good ground. And it is the life history of the second class that illustrates by way of contrast what I have been writing to you about.

In this instance the seed sprang quickly into life, and was characterised by very rapid growth. But when the burning rays of the sun shone fiercely upon these luxuriant young plants they were so. scorched that they withered and died. There was a great deal of green stalk and leaf displayed, but there was no corresponding root development. At the crucial moment, therefore, when they needed it most they "lacked moisture" (Luke 8: 6), and so they withered away. They had no subterranean communication with springs or streams of water, such as was the case with the tree of the first Psalm.

We are not left to conjecture the meaning of the parable. This second class represents such as hear the word of God and receive it very readily and gladly. But this condition only lasts for a while; for when "affliction or persecution ariseth for the word's sake, immediately they are stumbled" (Mark 4: 17). There is no inward source of life, growth, sustenance, nor consequently of fruit-bearing — "no root in themselves." And hence there is the melancholy spectacle of the withering leaves.

Think over these things, my young friends, and be sure of this, unless your spirit is in living touch with the "waterbrooks of life" you will be barren and unfruitful, faded and sickly. But we hope and pray for better things.

25. The Field of the Slothful.

A person said to me some while ago that if he had a difficult task requiring unremitting diligence and attention, he always, if possible, gave it to one whose hands were already full of work. This seemed strange, and at first, somewhat self-contradictory. But, on reflection, it was evidently quite consistent, for it is the active and industrious person who can generally find time to squeeze in a little more labour, while by systematic effort he accomplishes perhaps twice the amount of work in half the time that some lackadaisical individual occupies.

I think my young friends should take care lest they fall into slothful ways; and of course I refer especially to spiritual matters. Idle, inactive habits in a Christian breed much mischief. For if the ways of goodness and truth are not laboriously cultivated, the opposite will spring up of their own accord.

"I went by the field of the slothful, and by the vineyard of the man void of understanding; and lo, it was all grown over with thorns, and nettles had covered the face thereof, and the stone wall thereof was broken down. Then I beheld, and considered well; I saw and received instruction. Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep; so shall thy poverty come as a robber; and thy want as an armed man" (Prov. 24: 30-34, R.V.).

It is ever so. Sloth says, "Put off work till tomorrow. Another time will do quite as well." So things are allowed to drift. No weeding. No digging. No sowing. But all the while the nettles are growing; the thorns are silently creeping over the flower beds, and the stone wall is toppling further day by day. Presently there is a crash. You rush out to investigate, and you find your trim garden has become a wilderness. All around you are the consequences of your own sheer neglect.

Can you apply the apologue to yourself in any way? Or shall I put it more plainly? Is it quite clear in this form, for instance? I went to the house of young Mr. Slothful; and lo, his Bible was altogether concealed by many other books, and thick dust had covered the back and sides thereof, and his regular habits of daily prayer were quite broken down. I saw all this and considered it well, and I knew the reason. Young Mr. Slothful had been indulging in a little more sleep in the mornings, and a little slackening off with the usual duties, a little more self-ease in all things. And now spiritual poverty has come upon him like a robber. He is cold in heart and estranged in ways. But it is all the fruit of his own simple neglect. There was first of all just the leaving off the regular habit for once, then the same thing was repeated; and then again, and between each repetition the interval was shorter, until now the well-ordered Christian life has become a disorderly wilderness of evil weeds.

It is well for you to bear in mind that the spiritual life is one of constant activity and effort. If you rest you rust. You are swimming up stream, and if you relax in the struggle you are swept back by the current, and the position you thus lose is not regained without the expenditure of great energy.

Take it as a fundamental principle of your inner life, that the practical virtues to which you are exhorted in the scriptures are not acquired except at the cost of continual self-denial and labour. It is the diligent soul that is "made fat." You must be prepared to sacrifice a good deal of ease and pleasure and worldly advantage in order to make progress in the divine life. The spiritual sluggard shuns all these things for the sake of self-ease, but the result of his slothfulness is that the fruit of the Spirit becomes choked by the works of the flesh (Gal. 5: 19-21). From all these things may you be kept clear.

Extract.

Personal Study of the Scriptures.

Disciplicus Biblicus. — Will you tell me why we do not always find lectures and writings on scriptural subjects very interesting?

Yod. — I like such a question as that, and I will tell you candidly what I think. Young persons do not sufficiently study the scriptures for themselves. If you are yourself earnestly striving to gather from God's word what its teaching is, you are just in the right condition to welcome any help that a Christian teacher can give you, and you will not quibble as to whether he is an elegant speaker or writer or not.

I am sure the great secret of growth in spiritual knowledge and wisdom is personal study of the scriptures. I am sorry for the young believer who has so many engagements that he has no time to be alone for reading and meditation. Even if those engagements are religious meetings, he will assuredly be the loser. Nothing can compensate for personal waiting upon God.

D. B. — But Mr. Yod, you surely do not mean us to think that teachers are not given of God for our help?

Yod. — Certainly not. The mistake is to depend upon them entirely, and to starve your souls because you say they do not make things plain and interesting to you. You ought not to be like a young bird in its nest, with mouth wide open, to receive the fat grub when it is brought. You have wings of your own. Search for yourself. For instance, when you are going to hear an address on any subject, make a point of finding out beforehand all you can on the subject from the word. Then you will find the address interesting, for you will be anxious to see how several points difficult to you are to be explained. And when reading an article or book, always look up what the scripture itself says.

D. B. — Then you advise us to search for ourselves more than we do?

Yod. — Decidedly. In proportion as you aspire to learn to read the scriptures with blessing to your souls, so you will grow in love for them and also for whatever helps you to a better understanding of them.

26. Bible Arithmetic.

A little consideration may show you that the elementary operations in arithmetic are suggestive of some very profitable passages of scripture. I purpose just to point out a few instances, and to leave you to follow the idea further, as you may be inclined.

Addition.

Take first, simple addition. This is a very easy operation; you start with 1 and you increase it to 2 by adding another 1. Now we find a similar principle in spiritual things: "To him that hath shall be given." Another scripture that has, no doubt, already occurred to many of you is found in Matthew 6: 33: "Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." This is an important principle indeed, which you will do well ever to bear in mind. Consider first of all things else the rights of God. Our general tendency is to seek first, food, raiment, with all that are considered the necessities and comforts of this life. But the Lord puts these latter things altogether beyond the range of our anxious concern. "Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness;" and the assurance is that all these things shall be added — that is, that God will add them.

You recollect that in the time of the great famine in the days of Elijah, the prophet was sent to the widow of Zarephath. He found her about to prepare her last tiny meal, and bade her to make for him, as Jehovah's prophet, a cake first, promising that God would so add to her meal and her oil, that her barrel of meal should not waste, nor her cruse of oil fail until the famine was passed (1 Kings 17: 8-16). This is one, and there are many other instances of God's "additions" to those who honour Him by the exercises of faith in Him.

But there also additions that you yourself must make. The apostle Peter sets one such problem before you in his second Epistle. Here is what you have to perform, with all diligence, commencing from the lower line:

Add together:

Love

Brotherly kindness

Godliness

Patience

Temperance

Knowledge

Virtue

Faith

Result: You will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ (2 Peter 1: 5-8).

To do this sevenfold addition you must exercise a great deal of perseverance. You have to proceed step by step. And you know that in long "tots" if you forget yourself when near the top you have to start afresh from the bottom. Be watchful and prayerful in your Christian life, lest you undo much of what you have been doing.

Subtraction.

Coming to subtraction, we think of the great act of taking away our sins. "Ye know that He was manifested to take away our sins" (1 John 3: 5). This the Lord Jesus Christ has done so completely that God says to us: "Your sins and your iniquities will I remember no more" (Heb. 10: 17). In the Old Testament ritual, on the Great Day of Atonement, the scapegoat had confessed over him, and laid upon him by the high priest, all the sins and transgressions of the children of Israel. The goat was then led away into the wilderness to an uninhabited place, so that Israel by this ceremony might learn that their sins were gone altogether. Our sins, too, have been removed by Him Who came into this world for that purpose.

Multiplication.

Multiplication increases figures far more largely than addition. If you add 10 and 10 together you make 20, but if you multiply them you make 100. So God promised to Abraham: "In blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply [not simply add to] thy seed as the stars of heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea-shore" (Genesis 22: 17). Our God and Father ever delights to make His blessings abound towards His own. And we are so needy that we require them all. Hence the apostle desires that mercy, peace, and love may be multiplied towards the saints (Jude 2).

We see an instance of rapid increase in the numbers of believers at the beginning of the church's history. To the apostolic band there were added in one day three thousand souls (Acts 2: 41). And the Lord kept adding to them daily (Acts 2: 47). But later on we read that the churches "walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Ghost, were multiplied" (Acts 9: 31). This greater rate of increase we may be sure was because the word of God grew and multiplied (Acts 12: 24; Acts 6: 7; Acts 19: 20).

Division.

Division is the operation of distributing into smaller portions. It was an operation that the rich young ruler could not perform when the Lord invited him to sell all that he had and distribute to the poor. He did not understand what it was to do so for Christ's sake. So he went away very sorrowful, for he was very rich. But there were many in Jerusalem, after Pentecost, who did so. They gladly "sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need (Acts 2: 45). They were fully imbued with the spirit of their Master.

You should do likewise. Be ever ready to share what you have with others, especially with those who have need. This kind of division does not always result in leaving you with less than you had at first. "There is that scattereth, and yet increaseth" (Prov. 11: 24). As the Lord said, "There is no man that hath left house or parents, or brethren, or wife, or children for the kingdom of God's sake who shall not receive manifold more in this present time, and in the world to come life everlasting" (Luke 18: 29, 30).

The Lord divided five barley loaves and two small fishes among five thousand men. They were all filled, yet the fragments that remained over and above what was eaten filled twelve baskets. This is an example of divine, in contrast with human, multiplication and division.

But there are many other instances that will occur to you. Jot them down and meditate upon them.

27. The Two Mites.

It is very easy without watchfulness to fall into an error even with regard to matters with which we are familiar, and the more so if it be an error into which others have fallen, because then we are exposed to the powerful effect which their example exercises.

I make this remark because it is not an uncommon thing to hear persons speak of "the widow's mite"; and, further, there is more than one instance of writers, from whom we might reasonably expect differently, adopting the same incorrect language. This mistake is noticed here not out of a love of finding fault with others, but with the object of pointing out how even such a slight slip (as it may seem to some) seriously mars the beauty and force of the incident given in the Gospels.

You are familiar with the circumstances there recorded. The Lord was sitting in the temple over against the treasury. And He saw the rich cast their gifts into the box provided for such contributions. He also saw a poor widow bring her offering, consisting of two mites, which make one farthing. Whereupon the Lord said to His disciples, "Verily I say unto you, That this poor widow hath cast more in than all they which have cast into the treasury; for all they did cast in of their abundance; but she of her want did cast in all that she had, even all her living" (Mark 12: 43, 44).

Now, to speak of this incident under the heading of "The Widow's Mite" is manifestly incorrect. The widow did not contribute her mite; she gave both her mites — all that she had. And it was her whole-hearted, self-denying devotion in yielding up all her living to the service of God that drew forth the Lord's commendation and approval. Anything that even suggests that the widow kept back part of her possessions like Ananias and Sapphira is unjust as well as untrue.

Besides, the fact of the widow having two coins and parting with them both proves how entire her purpose was. Zaccheus said to the Lord, "The half of my goods I give to the poor;" but this woman gave, not half, but all her goods. If she had had one farthing instead of two mites, she must then have given the whole or none; but having two coins it was within her power to divide her living — to keep one mite, and contribute the other. It is therefore to the widow's credit not to conceal the fact that when she might have given one, she bestowed the two mites. You can imagine the case of a person with the collection box before him and a single shilling in his pocket which he gives. If however he had had two sixpences, the smaller coin would have found its way into the box. Is such an act, think you, of such value in the eyes of Him Who searcheth the hearts, as that of a person who having two sixpences deliberately contributes the two?

It is well to bear in mind that the Lord estimates the value of a gift from what is in the heart, not from what is in the hand. He does not compute in money as we do. In His sight the two mites of the widow represented more than all the liberal donations of the rich put together.

It is not that the Lord will refuse to accept a larger gift. When Mary gave the alabaster box of ointment, worth more than three hundred pence, He caused His approbation to be recorded (Mark 14: 3-9). He looks at the motive that prompts the heart to give, whatever the value of the gift. Mary anointed His body beforehand to the burial. The widow gave her mites for the maintenance of the temple, doomed to speedy destruction. The Lord commended both, though the direct purpose of the gifts was so different.

Another point I must just indicate to you, if you have not already observed it. The Lord attached great importance not so much to what was actually given, as to what remained after the gift. The rich cast in of their abundance, the Lord said. And when they had made their contributions they were still rich. They had even then enough and to spare. They were put to no personal inconvenience because of their donations. But not so with the widow. She was poor. Her total assets amounted to one farthing. Yet if she was poor in pence, she was rich in grace. And like the Macedonian assemblies (2 Cor. 8: 2), her deep poverty abounded unto the riches of her liberality. She could not give more than two mites; she would not give less, though it left her bereft of everything. And you may be sure that He Who marked her noble gift saw her empty scrip also, and ministered to her, as He loved to do.

O Lord of Heaven, and earth, and sea,

To Thee all praise and glory be;

How shall we show our love to Thee,

Who givest all?

For peaceful homes, and healthful days,

For all the blessings earth displays,

We owe Thee thankfulness and praise,

Who givest all.

Thou didst not spare Thine only Son,

But gav'st Him for a world undone,

And freely with that Blessed One.

Thou givest all.

For souls redeemed, for sins forgiven,

For means of grace and hopes of Heaven,

What can to Thee, O Lord, be given,

Who givest all?

We lose what on ourselves we spend,

We have as treasure without end

Whatever, Lord, to Thee we lend,

Who givest all.

Whatever, Lord, we lend to Thee

Repaid a thousand-fold will be;

Then gladly will we give to Thee

Who givest all.

C. Wordsworth.

28. The Use and Abuse of a Concordance.

Some excellent persons regard the use of a concordance as a mark of great spiritual weakness on the part of those that use it, Any desired text, they say, may be found by searching the Bible itself  — if you search long enough. But there really is no merit in taking two hours to do what may be accomplished twenty-four times over in the same time.

Viewed rightly, a concordance is a means of "redeeming the time." It enables you to find quickly texts of which you can recollect only a word or two. This form of usefulness was quaintly expressed in the title prefixed to the first concordance to the English version of the Bible, published in the year 1550. It was compiled by John Morbeck, and entitled:

"A Concordance, that is to saie, a Worke wherein by the order of the letters A, B, C, ye maie redely find any worde conteigned in the whole Bible, so often as it is there expressed or mentioned."

This concordance however was not so useful as the "Cruden's" with which, doubtless, you are all familiar, as the division of the chapters of the Bible into verses had then been barely introduced. At any rate Morbeck does not make any references to verses, using only the letters, A, B, and C, to indicate the beginning, middle and end of the chapters respectively. This arrangement was not a very precise one. If you were wanting to find the words, "Order my steps," you would be directed to Psalm 119: B, that is, the middle of a Psalm of 176 verses. This method is very indefinite compared with the existing system of reference by means of numbered verses. Cruden refers you at once to the exact spot — Psalm 119: 133; and this means of ready reference is the principal use of a concordance.

Do not be induced by reasons of alleged economy to purchase for your use an abridged edition of a concordance, that is, one that only professes to contain the chief of the series of passages in which the words occur. Your probable experience will be that the text you are seeking on a particular occasion is almost sure to be the one that is omitted, and the concordance therefore becomes useless to you in that instance, and the time you have spent in consulting it is quite wasted. Full editions may be obtained very cheaply.

But sometimes a concordance is put to a use that is often imperfect and misleading in its result. I refer now to the notion, not at all uncommon, that in order to ascertain the teaching of scripture on any given subject, say, for example, on love, all that is necessary is to examine every passage in which that word occurs, looking them up by means of the concordance. Such a practice is, of course, bound to be generally helpful, but it leads to a very incomplete result, as you may easily see. An ordinary concordance would not afford a single reference to 1 Corinthians 13 to find anything concerning love; and yet the whole chapter is full of it, from the first verse to the last. Only in those passages the word in our ordinary version is not "love" but "charity," so that the concordance does not help you under the former word. "Charity," however, there, as well as in several other places means love, and nothing else. Further, you must refer to passages, where "beloved" occurs, and "dear," in order to complete your list of texts dealing with this subject.

Supposing however you had made a full table of passages, speaking of love and allied subjects, as, kindness etc., do not fall into the snare of imagining that you have only to study these texts in the form you have tabulated them. No passage can be duly understood apart from its context. In other words, you must ponder upon each one in its connection.

Let us take an instance. The concordance refers you to Romans 5: 5, 8, for "love." In the first text it speaks of the love of God shed abroad in our hearts; in the second it says, "God commendeth His love towards us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." I am far from saying that it will not be profitable to meditate just upon the words found in these two verses. But I do urge upon you the fact that you miss a very great deal of their beauty and force if you do not consider the situation of the verses in relation to what comes before and after them.

You must recollect that the verses are only artificial divisions of the Bible (and so indeed are the chapters also) introduced to facilitate reference to any particular portion. For example, Paul, in writing to the Romans, did not divide his letter into chapters and verses. You should make a point, therefore, of reading each verse in connection with its neighbours.

Now, in Romans 5, carrying out the principle just stated, you will observe that in verse 5 there occurs the first mention of God's love in this Epistle. And the reason for this fact will become clear to you as you read the preceding verses. The apostle is there unfolding the truth as to righteousness for guilty man, which God had brought in by Jesus Christ. This is a question of justice rather than love. But directly this part of his subject is completed, and the believer is shown to be justified by faith, he immediately brings out what invariably enchains our affections — God's love. He says, "The love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost." But there is more than the Spirit's testimony "in our hearts" to this love; there is also the display of that love in the death of Christ quite outside of ourselves This fact the apostle amplifies in verses 6, 7, and 8, in a striking manner, which cannot be entered into here. But every word has its meaning, and adds its lustre to the great central theme of these texts — God's own love as brought out in the death of Christ for us. And the subject is continued in the succeeding verses — a series of golden links, culminating in that rapturous joy in God which can only result from His love shed abroad in the heart, and meditated upon as displayed in the cross of Calvary (verse 11).

This brief reference to an important feature of scriptural study is only made to show you that the use of a concordance is as a guide to the position of a text in the scripture. Bible study only begins when you reach the particular place in the Bible which you are seeking. You have business in Manchester. A railway train will take you there speedily. But, having arrived, you must go to work. So when the concordance has directed you to Romans 5: 5, 8, its service is over, and you must then prayerfully seek God's mind as therein revealed.

29. A Bottle for our Tears.

There are many tender and beautiful figures used in the scripture to express God's loving care and interest in His children. And the one referred to in the heading of this letter is not the least striking. The Psalmist is speaking of the enemies that daily oppress and persecute him. But in the face of all their evil threatenings he looks up confidently to God as his preserver. "What time I am afraid," said he, "I will trust in Thee." And then he gives utterance to his implicit reliance upon the individual interest that God was taking in all his circumstances of trial. "Thou tellest my wanderings; put thou my tears into Thy bottle" (Psalm 56: 8).

The figurative expression is not a difficult one to understand. To put tears into a bottle conveys at once the idea of preserving them as being precious. It appears to have been customary in the East to put up in bags or small bottles, secured with a seal, any small articles of value, such as gold or silver ornaments, or precious stones. Hence the general sense of the words seems to be that of God regarding David's tears as of such value as to be treasured up by Him.

Tears are the outward expressions of inward sorrow and suffering. In a world where sin reigns unto death tears are inevitable. None of the children of Adam are exempt. "Man is born unto trouble, as the sparks fly upward" (Job 5: 7). It is therefore comforting to know that there are some circumstances in which tears are of actual value before God, while they also afford occasions in which we may experience what is really so wonderful in itself — divine sympathy.

Much depends on what causes the tears. It is, of course, far too lengthy a task to enumerate here all the varied causes of tears, some praiseworthy and some blameworthy. One or two instances only must suffice, specially in illustration of the subject of this letter.

We see what particular interest the Lord; during the days of His flesh, took in those who sorrowed and wept. You remember the case of the widow woman of Nain, who was met by Him just as she was accompanying the dead body of her only son to the tomb. When the Lord saw her weeping He was moved with compassion, and said to her, "Weep not." Then He gave her back her son. But it was the same love that preserves the tears of the saints in His bottle which first of all, before raising her son, said to her, "Weep not."

Mary Magdalene standing before the opened but empty sepulchre of Jesus was overwhelmed with sorrow. The body of Him she loved and adored was not there. Peter and John went away to their own home. But Mary "stood without, at the sepulchre weeping." Then One marked those tears from afar. He drew near and addressed to her that tender and gentle enquiry, Woman, why weepest thou? May we not say that the tears of that faithful and devoted soul were tears for His bottle?

Perhaps the most striking incident of this kind given in the Gospels is in connection with the bereavement of the sisters of Bethany. It proves most absolutely how the Lord enters into the feelings and circumstances of those who are sorrowing. We read these significant words, "Jesus loved Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus." It was into this happy domestic circle that death came. Lazarus died and was buried. And not until he had been dead four days did the Lord come to the sorrow-stricken home in Bethany. Then the tears of the bereaved flowed at His feet. Should the thought arise even in our hearts whether the Lord was regardless of those tears, His own tears utterly deny such a thought. "When Jesus therefore saw her [Mary] weeping, and the Jews also weeping which came with her, He groaned in the spirit, and was troubled, and said, Where have ye laid him? They said unto Him, Lord, come and see. Jesus wept. Then said the Jews, Behold, how He loved him!" (John 11: 33-36). Every tear was eloquent of the exquisite sympathy of the Saviour. And how precious did He count the tears of those sorrowing sisters! May we not say that they too were tears for His bottle?

Now it is good to bear in mind that the Lord's love and sympathy are the same now as ever. And the inevitable sorrows and trials of this world call them into exercise towards us, affording us opportunity for such an experience of His compassionate grace as we could not otherwise have.

"We thank Thee, Lord, for weary days,

When desert springs were dry;

And first we knew what depth of need

Thy love could satisfy.

We thank Thee for that rest in Him

The weary only know —

The perfect, wondrous sympathy

We needs must learn below.

We know Him as we could not know

Through heaven's golden years;

We there shall see His glorious face,

But Mary saw His tears.

The touch that heals the broken heart

Is never felt above;

His angels know His blessedness,

His way-worn saints His love."

It may be,  through the mercy of the Lord, that your tears have hitherto been few, but they will visit you sooner or later, Remember there is One Who counts your every tear-drop. They may be tears of sorrow in bereavement, or because of the wilfulness of others, or because of the suffering that comes upon you on account of your faithfulness to the Lord and His word. In every case, let them be such tears as He can put into His bottle.

30. The Writer of the Epistle to the Hebrews.

There have been, and are, as you may know, persons who doubt whether the apostle Paul was the writer of the Epistle to the Hebrews. And there have been many more or less wild suggestions made, as to who was the author.

I only draw your attention to this for the purpose of warning you against the danger of guesswork in the things of scripture. The Bible is God's word; and all that we ought to know He has given us there, and what He has withheld is no concern to us. When therefore we begin to guess, we begin to go wrong.

But I feel I should like to put before you in a brief and simple way the principal facts that make it reasonably certain that the Epistle was written by the apostle Paul, and that the usual heading in our Bibles should stand as it does.

You know that Paul wrote letters to seven Gentile assemblies: — Romans, Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, Thessalonians; and in every one of those letters the first word is "Paul," and usually "Paul an apostle." But in the Epistle to the Hebrews there is a marked difference in the introductory phrases. Here we have as the opening words: "God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, hath in these last days spoken unto us by His Son."

Now, from this passage we may see two special characteristics of this Epistle: — (1) the ancient scriptures are used as possessing God's authority, and (2) the Son of God is God's spokesman, for the phrase, "spoken unto us by His Son," implies not only the words of the Lord Jesus, but His works, and indeed, all that He is. These features which run throughout the Epistle explain why Paul said nothing of himself as the writer, nor of his own apostolic authority. To the Gentiles he spoke with an authority which was his as an apostle whom God had set first in the church (1 Cor. 12: 28), and had sent primarily to the Gentiles (Acts 9: 15; Rom. 1: 5; Rom. 11: 13). But in this Epistle he appeals to the Jewish believers through the scriptures, which they all knew and loved and reverenced. There are more Old Testament quotations in the Hebrews than in any of the other Epistles. And the writer does not speak of what was made known to him personally by revelation, as he does when writing to the Gentiles, as for instance, in Galatians 1: 12.

Beside, Christ is shown as the One Whom God had sent to make known and to do His will. In Old Testament times God sent prophets; but in New Testament times He sent His Son. In this Epistle Jesus Christ Himself is called the Apostle (Heb 3: 1). Hence there was no need for Paul to introduce himself as an apostle.

Again, there was another reason:"Paul was the apostle whose mission was specially to the Gentiles and not to the Jews (Gal. 2: 7-8).

I think, therefore, you will see that there would be what some might consider a want of propriety in the apostle of the uncircumcision bringing forward his authority to the believers among the circumcision (at any rate Paul would not give any ground for such objection), while it was perfectly legitimate, and likely to be more serviceable to him to show them the truth concerning Christ and His work out of the scriptures. It was, indeed, in this manner that he habitually spoke to the Jews in the synagogues (Acts 13: 16-41; Acts 17: 2; Acts 28: 23).

It, therefore, may be well understood why Paul the apostle, in a wisdom wherein he was taught of God, refrained from attaching his name as weight and authority to an Epistle in which Christ and the scriptures were the authorities appealed to.

But, perhaps, you are asking how we know that the Epistle was written by Paul, if he did not give his name. The question is a fair one and very natural. And the strongest evidence we find in the scripture itself. We are told by another apostle that Paul did write to the Jews, and that this writing was well known in apostolic days. Peter, who was an apostle of the circumcision and who himself wrote two Epistles to the Jews who believed in the Lord Jesus, refers to what Paul also had written to them, in addition to his other Epistles. His words are: "Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things [i.e. new heavens and a new earth], be diligent that ye may be found of Him in peace, without spot and blameless; and account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother, Paul, also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you [i.e. in the Epistle to the Hebrews]; as also in all his Epistles speaking in them of these things'' (2 Peter 3: 14-16).

It is surely clear from this passage that Paul did write, in addition to his other Epistles, one to Israel's believing remnant. And it is really beautiful to observe from this reference the unity and harmony of the apostles in thus working together under the power of the inspiring Spirit for the edification of the church. Paul the apostle of the uncircumcision, writes to the saints of the circumcision; and so far from any feelings of jealousy or thoughts of interference, Peter, the apostle of the circumcision, commends the letter to them, and tells us who the writer is. Of a similar nature was the divine arrangement that Peter, the apostle of the Jews, should be the first to carry the word of grace to the Gentiles in the person of Cornelius (Acts 10).

There are other reasons which all tend to strengthen the Pauline authorship of the Epistle, but for those who are ready to accept the testimony of scripture this will suffice.

31. Biblical Difficulties.

There is a certain class of persons who endeavour to satisfy themselves and others as well that they are to be excused from believing the scripture because it contains so many things they do not understand, as well as a great many things that appear contrary one to another. They assume very lofty airs of superior wisdom, and affect to regard the Bible as a book which can be of no importance to them, for the very simple reason that it is beyond their comprehension. They lay it down as an axiom that they are to believe only just what they understand. It has been very neatly and properly retorted that the creed of this particular class of individuals must necessarily be very brief.

The fact is there are very few things even in the natural realm that any of us understand, using the word "understand" in its fullest sense. And when we come to God's revelation we ought to be perfectly sure that it contains very many matters far above our ken. The very presence of such "deep things" proves that its origin is not human but divine.

Seeing that the Bible has divine authority, as being the word and words of God, what does it demand from us? Faith, unconditionally. God speaks, and we are bound to listen with reverence. What He tells me, I must accept because He says so. It is no question of waiting until I understand before believing. On the contrary, faith is the very means whereby we do understand. "Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear" (Heb. 11: 3).

The act of creation is of all things a question of faith. To speak of understanding the world or anything in it could be brought into being is absurd. It is just what the most eminent men of science fail in understanding, as in fact they allow. But to the believer it is perfectly simple, because he accepts it as the result of God's omnipotent word and will. "He spake and it was done."

In like manner the man of faith accepts all the marvellous events narrated in the scriptures. They are presented in the way of divine testimony, and however they may appear to be beyond all human power to execute they are nevertheless to be believed because there is always the power of God which can never be circumscribed and which therefore fully accounts for every one. That water should issue from the rock in the wilderness when smitten by Moses' rod is altogether beyond human imitation. Apart from the exercise of the power of Jehovah such a thing was impossible. But receive the fact on this ground, and see what an illustration you have of God's particular regard for the pressing needs of His people, and the effectual way in which He can provide for them.

Obviously, however, it would be useless to ask a dozen questions as to how the miracle was performed and to refuse to believe until your curiosity was satisfied. Because, apart from the circumstances of the phenomenon which are recorded, it is impossible to answer any questions of detail. Faith then, and faith alone applies in this instance as the secret of obtaining the needed instruction from the incident.

But perhaps you are one of those persons who have no difficulty about the miracles. You believe them in spite of the difficulties; yet when it is a question of spiritual truth about yourself, as one of God's children, you attempt to dispose of it by putting it on one side as too difficult for you. You want faith, my friend. Believe God's word about it first, and you will then at any rate be in a more likely frame of mind to learn a little more of what God has revealed in connection with that subject.

You must not suppose that I wish to discourage you in the desire for information, or in the practice of making enquiries for that purpose. On the contrary, an awakened interest in the scriptures displays itself in asking questions. If the question springs from a simple and honest desire to know God's will as revealed, it will result in blessing. But if the question originates from a wish to find objections to the truth it can certainly be of no profit to the soul.

We have many an example in the Gospels of the patience and readiness of the Lord in answering the queries of His disciples and others when they came to Him. For instance, after the Lord had spoken certain similitudes of the kingdom of the heavens to the multitude, His disciples came to Him in the house, and said, "Declare unto us the parables." And we read, "When they were alone He expounded all things unto His disciples" (Mark 4: 34).

The Lord however did not gratify mere idle curiosity. One said to Him, actuated by a desire simply to know something that no one else knew, "Lord, are there few that be saved?" The answer would be of no moral or practical value to anyone; and so the Lord ignored the question but pressed earnest endeavour to enter at the strait gate (Luke13: 23).

On another occasion, the chief priests and elders came to the Lord as He was teaching, and asked Him, "By what authority doest Thou these things? and who gave Thee this authority?" But the Lord knew the workings of their hearts. They were desirous of finding some plausible excuse for their unbelief. By a question of His own He made manifest their incapacity, and then absolutely refused to give them any answer (Matt. 21: 23-27).

I think perhaps that even from these one or two instances a little light may be seen as to the difference between proper and improper questions.