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Spiritual thermometer that tells the temperature of the soul. piritual gift was the attribute of the heroines of the old dispensation, how ch more was it the distinction of the women of the New Testament. he blessed Virgin, the devout Elizabeth, the holy Anne, the careful Martha, he contemplative Mary, the faithful Magdalene, the intelligent Priscilla, he hospitable Lydia, the benevolent Dorcas, were all women of prayer. first assembly of christians after the ascension of the Redeemer, appears to have been a prayer-meeting (Acts i.), at which the mother of our nd was present. The first European Church was formed at a prayerting, where a few women were assembled, and where Lydia was conVeted. Not a merely nominal place had the women of old in the Church. They were active, earnest, intelligent. More than eighteen centuries have passed away. Christianity, like a mighty lever, has raised the kingdoms. where it has been introduced, to splendid heights of civilization and intellectual greatness, society too often ignorant or oblivious of the great moving power that has propelled it; and shall woman deem her work is ended, and that she may wrap herself in the mantle of indifference and slumber while the world encroaches on the Church? Oh, surely not! As of old-aye, more than of old, for the exigency of the Church is as great, and her opportunities now are greater, she should feel it incumbent on her to be "faithful unto death."

There must always be members, female members, in every Church, who, from circumstances they cannot control, are unable to engage in any of the departments of christian duty enumerated, and yet who may contribute to the prosperity and extension of the Church by their conduct. It is too often the case that the idle members of a Church are the discontented members, If they have not leisure for usefulness, they find leisure for murmuring. Now, if people can do nothing else for the cause of Christianity, they can at least, if faithful to their duty, true to their profession, discipline their mind and subordinate their tempers, so that such an anomalous thing as an angry, a gloomy, an abrupt, a censorious christian, shall become obsolete in the Church, Who can doubt that the Church must soon powerfully influence the world, if its members by their urbane demeanour, their mild forbearance, their charitable consideration, constrain observers to say "Behold, how these chrisfians love!" The Church should not only be the hallowed abode whence is obtained inward illumination, but the school of outward propriety, whose rules should

"Lay the rough paths of peevish nature even,
And open in each heart a little heaven."

Thus, without in the slightest degree diverging from what all admit to be the recognised province of woman, we perceive that if she fulfilled her duty in and to the Church, she could train the young, influence the dependent, instruct the ignorant, arouse the indifferent, minister to the afflicted, and produce in the Church an atmosphere of light and love. Let none say, "Who is sufficient for these things?" without also remembering the words, "I can do all things through Christ that strengtheneth me."

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"And Peter said, Man, I know not what thou sayest.' And immediately, while he y spake, the cock crew."-Luke xxii. 60.

PETER'S temptation was foreseen Almost and foretold by his Master. the last words He spoke before entering into the solemn agony of Gethsemane were these-"Simon, Simon, behold Satan hath desired to have thee that he may sift you as wheat." But although thus forewarned, Peter was not forearmed. He went forth from the Passover-chamber flattering himself that he was ready to go with Christ even to prison and death; doomed, however, to find the melancholy verity of His words-"I tell thee, Peter, the cock shall not crow until thou hast denied me thrice."

The story is a familiar one. "Peter followed afar off" to the high priest's palace, and, while the examination of his Master was being conducted, attempted to mingle unobserved with the officers and servants there assembled. In this he failed; his timid, fearful bearing awakened suspicion; his speech betrayed him; and he was accused of his discipleship. Once, twice, thrice, was the accusation made; and once, twice, thrice, did he deny the Lord that bought him, clenching, too, his denial with the oath and the

curse.

I. Look at Peter's criminality and guilt.

He sinned consciously. His sin cannot be excused on the ground that he knew not its enormity. His eyes were fully open to the turpitude of such a crime he was fully alive to its baseness. The very idea of denying his Lord awakened his strongest repugnance, and he would be the foremost in denouncing the cowardice, ingratitude, and criminality of such a sin.

He sinned wilfully. Truly, he was bjected to the strong and subtle

temptations of Satan, but, at the sar

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time, he was drawn aside by his ov lusts and enticed." I see Peter in t sin as much as I see Satan in t temptation. No temptation can ove bear a man's free action in the con mission of sin. Interrogate every tr penitent-interrogate Peter-and yo find strong temptation constitutes : apology for sin. That Satan ha desired to have him to sift him : wheat," would not diminish by or pang the reproaches of his conscienc nor dry a single tear. He sinned at fully.

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He sinned notwithstanding the s solemn forewarning. In words the could admit of no misinterpretation he had been told of the sorrow and misery to which he was hastening How thoroughly should this warning have placed him on his guard! Hov incessantly should he have been on the alert to defeat the uttered predic tion! But in spite of the forewarnin

although the fowler's snare was s clearly exposed-faithless Peter denie his Lord!

He sinned, too, in the face of the most solemn protestations of fidelity In common with the rest-yea, me than the rest was he pledged to faith fulness in the season of his Master's sorrow. His was the avowal-Though all should deny thee, yet will not I; I will follow thee both into prison and to death." And yet in the very face of these professions did he forsake and deny his Lord.

He sinned repeatedly. It was no only once. Had it been, we might have said that Peter was surprised into sin. But the denial was thrice repeated, and repeated after considerable intervals separating each accusal Possibly, off his guard when the first

sal came, the second and third nd him watching; yet still he fell. etween the first and second, between

second and third accusations, he dtime and space for repentance;" #the repented not. Every circumce contributed to his safety; in ry possible way he was fortified inst temptation; yet still it vanhed him. He resembles the citawhich is impregnable by position ad means of defence, but accessible

e its guards are in league with the my. All that could render Peter utwardly strong was done for him; at since his heart was traitorous, he into the enemy's power.

It is important, then, to inquire IL What considerations can account for Peter's fall?

"Satan had desired to have him," and, in part, he had his desire. His Master prayed for him; but, in doing o, sought not his exemption from the emptation, but strength for its endurnce. He consented to the eclipse of fis apostle's faith for the instant, that fterwards that same faith " 'might ppear unto praise and honour and glory." And so "the hour of darkess" to Christ was the hour of tempation to Peter. Then was Satan 'afting him as wheat."

Mysterious power! it brooded over Peter's soul-it haunted his spirit throughout the night of his Master's gony. Subtly it poisoned the springs of thought, and like a spell the victim enthralled.

Peter's reliance, too, was but self-reli. All his resolves were made in is own strength-all his confidence was in his self-ability. What he purposed, that he thought he could do— what he did, that he thought to do by his own unaided strength. He was cere in his professions; honest, fully honest, in his resolves. His

error was in not looking beyond himself for needful grace, in saying, “I can do all things," without adding the great proviso, Through Christ that strengtheneth me."

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Remembering this, our marvel is,

not that "Peter followed Him afur off"," but that he followed Him at all. But no half-and-half discipleship would do in that dread night; and as soon as he began to compromise between duty and safety, his fall was sure-his defection was certain. "All for Christ; Christ all, and more than all; were the only watchwords alike of duty and safety then. When Peter followed afar off, Peter fell.

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His faith, too, suffered an eclipse. is doubtful whether to his own sublime confession he was now true"Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God." A severe shock had overtaken his faith. His Master was arrested, and in the power of His foes. Contrary to his expectations, He had yielded unresistingly. He called no fire from heaven to consume them; He summoned no celestial bodyguard for His defence; He authorized not the sword to be used for His protection, and even censured him that struck the single blow which characterised His apprehension. How strange all this seemed to Peter! How utterly at variance with the idea of His Divine Power-how utterly unlike His pretensions! Do I misapprehend Peter when I say, an eclipse overtook his faith? that then he began to doubt the character of his Master, and the cause he had espoused? that he felt, for the time, that he had committed himself to a losing venture, and that nothing could be gained by continued identification with it? He gave up all for lost; and then, lest he should lose liberty and life, he declared, “I know not the man.'

Loss of faith, a timid allegiance, Satan's strong temptation: these occasioned or facilitated Peter's fall.

III. Let us learn these lessons:1. The frailty of man at his best. The narrative proclaims this most loudly. How weak was Peter's selfknowledge, foresight, virtue, resolve! The blast of temptation came, and, like the fragile reed, he yielded. It is ever so, unless grace interposes. Selfreliance is vain reliance; unaided

strength is but weakness. Herein "even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall!" Repugnance is no sufficient preventive; Peter felt repugnance at the very mention of his sin, and yet he did it. Honest purpose is no effectual safeguard; no purpose could be more honest than Peter's, and yet he sinned. Beware of self-reliance: Let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall." Haste to the rock, where the waves of temptation shall swell around, and you be still secure.

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2. Learn how subtle and insidious is the path of temptation.

The night had far advanced, and before morning the awful sin would be committed; yet Peter was without any presentiment thereof. He felt himself wholly incapable of it; he regarded it as a sin utterly repugnant to him; yet Hamsterley, Durham.

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how rapidly, how easily, did it pa into act! So seductive, so insidious, ever temptation's path! Of it bewa -beware! Pray that ye enter into temptation," since " Man know the beginnings of sin, but knows n the endings thereof."

3. Nor forget the fulness of Christ grace, as seen in His restoration of soul. Wonderful longsuffering endured even this baseness and guil Wonderful mercy that forgave the "iniquity of this sin!" Wond ful grace that compassed and effect so strange a deliverance!

The whole story deprecates boastin "it is excluded." Nevertheless, 1

us solemnly disavow and resolute put from us all complicity with Peter sin.

"Beware of Peter's word,
Nor confidently say,
'I never will my Lord deny,'
But, Grant I never may.'

MURMURING AND CONTENTMENT.

SOME murmur, when their sky is clear
And wholly bright to view,

If one small speck of dark appear
In their great heaven of blue;
And some with thankful love are fill'd

If but one streak of light,

One ray of God's good mercy gild
The darkness of their night.

In palaces are hearts that ask,
In discontent and pride,
Why life is such a dreary task
And all good things denied?
And hearts in poorest huts admire
How love has in their aid

(Love that not ever seems to tire)
Such rich provision made.

Cales and Sketches.

SPECIAL PROVIDENCE.

BY THE REV. DR. GUTHRIE.

NEAR by my old country parish there e from the shelving shore a range iron-bound cliffs, against which, in my weather, the sea dashed with amazing fury. Accompanied by a friend, I one day descended these in Search of anemones and seaweed, in pools which the ebbing tide left at their feet.

While thus engaged, I leaped down on a rock that sloped away into the sea, then roaring and foaming in a strong northeaster. On my feet touching the rock, which was covered, not as I imagined, with dry, but with slippery seaweed, they went out from below me, and I found myself flat on my back, launching away into the sea. All the danger of the position flashed at once into view; the impossibility of wimming, though I could swim, in such a roaring surf, a horrid death by being hurled on the jagged rocks, and the certainty that, though I should get hold of the slipping tangle, it would slide from my grasp and leave me to fall back again, wounded and bleeding, to the deep. My companion could do nothing, but stood petrified at the sight. Yet I was saved to write this paper, and do some little work in the world, by what I believe and, looking our modern philosophy in the face, call God's good providence.

It had been a miracle had a monster of the deep swallowed up a man in such circumstances, and, making for sandy bay, vomited him ashore, safe and sound as Jonah; a miracle had

the sea-birds, that soared and screamed
over the intruder on their domain,
borne him aloft on their white wings
to set him down safe on the top of the
cliffs. The age of miracle is gone;
but not that of the special providence,
which brings about events where reason
can and religion delights to recognize
the hand of God.
In my
circum-
stances, when I was moving off like a
ship from the slips into the deep, life
could only be saved by the arrest of
such a fatal launch. For this purpose
I put on the brakes, to use railway
language, pressing strongly with my
heels against the rock; and when de-
scending with constantly accelerating
motion, my back to the rock, my face
to the sky, my ears filled with the roar
of death, and my feet within less than
a yard of a watery grave, I was sud-
denly arrested. It so happened that
the heels of my boots had been newly
shod with iron. Being rough, one of
them, instead of slipping over, caught
against a small pebble imbedded in the
rock; and I have ever regarded it as a
special providence that, in this hour of
peril, I had, in the rough iron, the
only means which could save life; and
that, my mind being kept as calm and
collected as it is now, I had the self-
possession to remember the rough state
of the iron on my boots, and resort to
the one only possible means of saving
me from a watery grave.

The scene of another case lies in my own country parish and the dell where a decent widow lived, whom I was in the habit of visiting, as paralysis made it impossible for her to attend church. She was tended by a very dutiful

We are requested to mention that one of the articles under this heading last month"The Highland Kitchen Maid"-was a copyright of Messrs. McPhun, of Glasgow. The article was inserted in ignorance of this circumstance. We are glad, however, of the opportity of recommending the series of tracts of which this is one. It is an admirable and most useful series, and is published under the title of "McPhun's Pictorial Series of Popular Narrative Tracts," the price is One Penny for each tract.

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