however hopeful. At the outset, Demas had seemingly so much faith, zeal, and hope that believers never doubted that he was really and truly one of themselves. It was so, too, with the Galatians. How hopefully they began! “Ye did run well," said the apostle; "ye received me as an angel of God." Yet ere long Paul was constrained to say of them: "O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you?"

It is not without reason, therefore, that so many earnest cautions are from time to time given us. Some may perhaps imagine that such language is scarcely consistent with the blessed doctrine of the perseverance of the saints. But it is not really so. In the storm, though Paul had an assured belief that not a man in the ship would be lost, because the safety of all had been expressly promised, he did not on this account idly neglect the use of means. On the contrary, he emphatically said, "Except these abide in the ship, ye cannot be saved;" and by this warning, their lives were preserved and the promise fulfilled. So with believers;-though safe the very moment they come to Christ and enter in, none the less are they warned in varied utterances like these: "If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered;" "No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God;" "But if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him." Indeed, the fear of their coming short is made, through the Spirit, one of the most effective means of preventing it, and of securing their continuance in the faith steadfast to the end.

With regard to the apparently exceptional cases of those who once seemed to be saints, but have afterwards gone wholly back, we can safely use the words of John: "They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us." "Never is it well with me," said John Berridge, "but when I am at home with Jesus."

Little children, abide in him; that, when he shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before him at his coming.-1 JOHN ii. 28. If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.-JOHN xv. 7.

March 20.

ONLY THOROUGHLY BIBLE CHRISTIANS CAN BE
THOROUGHLY STABLE ONES.

CRIPTURE is fittingly called by the apostle

SCRIP

"the

Word of Christ," because it speaks so fully of his person, character, sufferings, and glory. He is the body of all its shadows, the reality of all its types, and the Yea and Amen of all its promises.

Now, rightly to honour this Word, we must not deal with it coldly and suspiciously, as we might deal with a stranger, but must welcome it within, and allow it to reign there and entirely regulate the life; for so does the apostle enjoin when he says, "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom." To secure such an indwelling of the Word, we must read it, not occasionally only, but steadily and systematically; yea, and strive to find day by day our delight and pleasure in it, even as the Psalmist did. "O how love I thy law!" he said; "it

is my meditation all the day;" "The law of thy mouth is better unto me than thousands of gold and silver; yea, sweeter than honey and the honeycomb." The Word, indeed, was all in all to him: his lamp in darkness, his guide in perplexity, his armour in conflict, and the very food and refreshment of his soul in every season of fainting or weariness.

Happily for us, where his Word dwells thus richly in any heart, there the Lord himself dwells also, in all the blessed fulness of his love and power. In this way, the weak become strong and the wavering stable; and when times of trouble and temptation come, instead of turning their back upon the Lord and letting go the faith, they resolutely cleave to him with purpose of heart, and, if need be, prove faithful even unto death.

The Word of the Lord, therefore, is very precious, and its truths not only cheer the soul, but are its indispensable nourishment. "The first source of life," says Dr. Cuyler, "is food; and it must be nutritious enough to produce spiritual bone, blood, and muscle. A Christian's bread is the truth of God. His diet is God's Word - whether studied at home or heard in the sanctuary-and solid books, and heart communings with Jesus. No soul can wax fat on syllabub. All the athletic Christians have been huge and hungry feeders on the Word."

Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.Ps. cxix. 11.

If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed. - JOHN

viii. 31.

To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.-ISA. viii. 20.

WE

March 21.

THE INJURED SHOULD NOT INJURE IN TURN.

HATEVER

be the world's maxim as to forbearmay ance, this is emphatically the Lord's: "See that none render evil for evil unto any man; but ever follow that which is good, both among yourselves, and to all men." This is the Christian law, and it is an all-important one; but it runs so contrary to all the instincts of our fallen nature, that it requires no common grace heartily to comply with it. In ordinary everyday life, indeed, it usually finds but little place in the thoughts of men, and still less in their practice.

This gracious spirit of requiting good for evil was ever exemplified by our Lord and Master. When he was reviled, he reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously." Yea, on the very cross his last and touching words were, "Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do." Accordingly, in the Word this is the spirit everywhere enjoined, -"Recompense to no man evil for evil.” Say not thou, I will recompense evil; but wait on the Lord, and he shall save thee." Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord. Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head."

"

No one ever conquered an enemy's heart by revenge, but many have done so by love. Few hearts are so

obdurate as not to melt, in some degree at least, under the mighty energy of patient, self-denying, burning love. Would that there were more everywhere ready to heap such coals of fire on the heads of those who injure them. It was once said of a saintly man, who had much of this excellent spirit, that the surest way to obtain a kindness from him was to do him an injury. "When Christian charity," said Leighton, "is not encountered by the world's malignance, it hath an easier task, but assaulted and overcoming, it shines the brighter and rises higher; and thus it is when it renders not evil for evil." He adds: "It is a poor glory to vie in railings or in returns of evil; but it is the glory of man, one of the noblest of victories, to pass by a transgression."

It would make the cherishing of such a spirit all the easier, were we oftener to remember how continuously through life we ourselves have been indebted to the forbearing and forgiving loving-kindness of the Lord. Verily, "It is of the Lord's mercies we are not consumed." Those who need mercy themselves should never be slow to show it to others.

Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I am the Lord.LEV. xix. 18.

Let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath: for the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.-JAMES i. 19, 20.

His disciples James and John said, Lord, wilt thou that we command fire to come down from heaven, and consume them, even as Elias did? But he turned, and rebuked them, and said, Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of.-LUKE ix. 54, 55.