wisdom, he would not have gone so readily to Sodom, or have tarried so long in it, or have so narrowly escaped with his life in coming out of it. So has it often been since. Even the wise go where they should not, and become perilously entangled with the world and the things of it.

"A Christian in the world," said John Newton, "should be like a man transacting his affairs in the rain. He will not suddenly leave his client because it rains, but the moment the business is done he is gone; and, as it is said in the Acts, 'Being let go, they went to their own company."

For it came to pass, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned away his heart after other gods: and his heart was not perfect with the Lord his God, as was the heart of David his father.-1 KINGS xi. 4.

I will hear what God the Lord will speak: for he will speak peace unto his people, and to his saints: but let them not turn again to folly.-Ps. lxxxv. 8.

February 6.

WHEN GOD IS FEARED, no other FEAR Need be.

HE words of our blessed Lord have not been un

THE

needed, "Fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul;" for in all ages there has been more or less of persecution for righteousness' sake. "There has been a killing time," says one, “in the experience of most Christian countries: the Waldenses and the Albigenses during the middle ages; the Netherlands under the Duke of Savoy; St. Bartholomew's Day in France; England's killing time under Mary; Scotland's under the Stuarts,-its moors blossom with its martyr graves." Such events, however, in spite of all the

severities with which they were mingled, need not dismay us. The very worst that wicked men can do is to kill the body. To a man of the world this may seem much; but to a true believer it is nothing more than a temporary disrobing of him, a little shortening of the pilgrimage, an earlier home-going, an absence from the body, to be for ever with the Lord.

Happily, no sword can separate the saint from the Saviour, nor fire consume the cords of love that bind them. "I am persuaded," says the apostle, "that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."

When Latimer was royal chaplain, he one day exclaimed, “Thou art going to speak before the high and mighty King Henry the Eighth, who is able, if he thinks fit, to take thy life away. But Latimer, Latimer, remember, also, thou art about to speak before the King of kings and Lord of lords; take heed that thou dost not displease him."

When in lonely and desolate circumstances a martyr loses his life for righteousness' sake, his end seems a hard one, but it is really blessed, the deepest natural anguish being lost in heavenly joy.

"Changeful his lot, like yon vexed sky

When moorland breezes wildly blow,
His weary soul now rests on high,

His body sleeps below.

Rest, weary dust, lie here an hour;

Ere long, like blossom from the sod,

Thou shalt come forth a glorious flower,

Fit for the eye of God."

Fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul; but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.MATT. x. 28.

Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.-REV. ii. 10.

Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God : I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.-Isa. xli. 10.

February 7.

SALVATION BY GRACE IS NOT INCONSISTENT WITH
VARIETY OF REWARD.

T

IT

is thought by some that because persons and services find acceptance solely in Christ, and in unmerited grace, reward is thereby, in every form of it, necessarily excluded. But this is not the case, and the one great truth is in entire harmony with the other. In the parable, all the labourers received the same sum at the close of the day, though some began early and others late. This, apparently, is designed to show that whatever other differences there may be, yet all who believe in Christ and rest upon him are alike forgiven, alike accepted, alike adopted, and finally saved. Without exception, all of them, whatever their time of call, the first hour or the eleventh, not only enter within the gate, but are warmly welcomed there.

But this equality in the great essentials is in no degree inconsistent with the inequality in the reward elsewhere set forth. Indeed we are expressly told that if, through grace, our pound gains five pounds, then rule shall be given us over five cities; and if, through still richer grace, our pound gains ten pounds, then rule shall be given us over ten cities. Yes, the greater the grace,

fidelity, and devotedness here, the greater and brighter will be the glory hereafter.

Doubtless, after all they have done, even the holiest and best of men must yet say, and do say it, “We are unprofitable servants;" but not the less is it expressly written," God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister." The world may forget the services of God's saints, and they themselves, too, may forget them, as is evident from the questions put, "Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?" but the Lord cannot forget them, not merely because they are the blessed product of his own grace, in which he delights, but also because, in nature, purpose, and act, he is so overflowingly generous.

Even in ordinary life, after long years of faithful service, a generous master, in dealing with a trusted servant, never limits himself merely to what bare law or rigid justice might measure out, but often lovingly gives in addition very varied reward. So is it, only in an infinitely higher degree, with our blessed Lord in dealing with his servants; for in spite of all their shortcomings, he is loving and generous to them, beyond the power of words to express.

It has been said, "What better or sweeter reward can God give us than to keep us faithful, to sustain us to the end, and to shed abroad his love in our hearts?" True, this is a marvellous manifestation of grace; but if, in addition, God has been pleased to hold out further reward, in proportion as his own grace is rightly used for his gloryand this he has emphatically done-who shall say that we

have not therein the highest incentive to increased and unreserved devotedness to his service? A military gentleman once said to an excellent old minister in the north of Scotland, who was becoming infirm, "Why, if I had power over the pension list, I would actually have you put on half-pay for your long and faithful services." He replied, "Ah, my friend, your master may put you off with half-pay, but my Master will not serve me so meanly; he will give me full pay. Through grace I expect a full reward.'"

Behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.-REV. xxii. 12.

Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.-MATT. v. 12.

If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.-1 COR. iii. 14, 15.

February 8.

COMPELLING IN LOVE.

T is one of the emphatic words of the great Master,

IT

"Go out into the highways and hedges and compel them to come in." It need scarcely be said that there is no warrant here for the employment of force in the conversion of men. Force may make hypocrites, but it cannot make true and genuine disciples of Jesus Christ. It may compel a profession of faith, but faith itself it can neither implant nor mature. Nay, the more force is used for such an end, the more unbelieving does the soul become, and the harder grows the heart and the more stubborn the will. Plainly, then, the compulsion referred