we must seek his help. "Human corruption," says one, "proves always too hard for human eloquence; it is ever found to have a strong enough footing in the heart to stand out against all the golden sayings of the tongue."

And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins.EPH. ii. 1.

When we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.-Roм. v. 6.

It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.-JOHN vi. 63.

June 11.

THOUGH SLIGHTED BY MANY, CHRIST IS EVERYTHING TO THOSE WHO KNOW HIM.

IT

T was impressively declared by the prophet: “He shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him. He is despised and rejected of men." It proved even so; for when the fulness of time came these words were fulfilled to the very letter. For a season, indeed, eager crowds enthusiastically followed him everywhere, and spread abroad his fame; but in the end the desertion and turning away became general, and the same lips that once shouted "Hosanna!" finally cried, Crucify him, crucify him!" Nevertheless there were always some, like the inquiring Greeks, ready to say, "Sirs, we would see Jesus," or to declare, like Paul, “I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord." And it is the same still. The world to this hour makes light of Christ, and makes light

too of all who trust and love him. His name has no charm for them, nor his work, nor his coming again; and, however tenderly and earnestly he may speak, they turn to him a deaf ear, and think of him with cold and unloving heart.

But, blessed be God! there are always some differently minded, who not only accept the gospel message, but ever make the Subject and the Sender of it their grand hope and joy. He is to them "the one pearl of great price," "the chief corner-stone, elect, precious," "the wellbeloved," "the chiefest among ten thousand," "the altogether lovely," "the great God and our Saviour."

John Brown of Haddington used to say: "I have served several masters, but none so kind as Christ. Many a comely person I have seen, but none so comely as Christ. Many a kind friend I have had, but none like Christ in loving-kindness and in tender mercies."

Verily, then, we can neither overlove Christ, nor overtrust him, nor overserve him.

God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world.-GAL. vi. 14. Of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption.-1 COR. i. 30. Christ is all, and in all.-COL. iii. 11.

June 12.

MUCH MAY INTERVENE BETWEEN THE SOWING AND THE REAPING.

"THE

HE word preached in any place," says an old writer, "doth usually work best at first. After a while men become like birds in a belfry, that can well enough hear the noise of bells and not be frightened." It was

not so, however, at Thessalonica; for while the truth proclaimed worked well at the first, it worked still better afterwards, and the faith, love, and hope of its saints were spoken of everywhere with joyous commendation and delight.

It sometimes happens that, to appearance, the word preached does not work at all for long. Year after year rolls on, and yet no souls awake, no grace reveals itself, no fruit is gathered, and the weary labourer perhaps begins to fear that his every toil has been in vain. Nevertheless, in the very place where all seems so barren showers of blessing may at length come down, and glorious harvests be reaped, in sweet fulfilment of the promise, "He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him."

But even when the faithful sower is not himself the favoured reaper, yet in the time of harvest sower and reaper alike shall join in the song and share the reward. Speaking of one sowing and another reaping, the saintly Bengel says: "In the divine economy there is a wise arrangement of succession; everything earlier is a sowing out of a harvest to follow. Every man is sower with reference to his successor, and a reaper with reference to his predecessor. Into Christ's alone meritorious labour do all his servants enter, and reap what not they have sown, but he; yet, in the mutual interdependency of God's fellowworkers in his field, each one is sower and reaper alike."

If we had but more faith and patience, all of us would sow more diligently and reap more abundantly.

Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap... And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.-GAL. vi. 7, 9.

But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully.-2 COR. ix. 6.

June 13.

SELF-COMPLACENT CONTENTEDNESS.

THOUGH the great apostle of the Gentiles rejoiced in

first principles and ever firmly adhered to them, yet he never made the mere elements and primary beginnings a final resting-place; he was ever progressing onward and upward. And so should it be with us; for though we may be satisfied with less, our Lord never will. He expects a growing as well as a rooting in Christ, fruit as well as blossom, increasing fellowship as well as vital union.

Yet how sadly is this overlooked. Indeed, many dwell so exclusively and self-complacently on experiences and attainments once possessed, that after-backslidings, however grievous, seem never to occasion them much anxiety They forget that the main thing to be considered is not what they were once, but what they are at present; not how they felt and acted on the day of their supposed espousals to the Lord, but how they feel and act now: for it is written, "He that endureth to the end, the same shall be saved." Indeed, a suspicion will justly attach to the whole of our past experience, as after all but a dream and a delusion, if it is not continuous, or at least if there is not a real contrition for any after-backsliding and an earnest and prayerful longing for healing and restoration.

There are others, again, who, comparing themselves among themselves, and not with Jehovah's law and the Redeemer's example, are ever prone to rest complacently in a supposed superiority to those around them. Such measuring is never either wise or safe. Alas! so low

often is the standard of spirituality in the Church, and so rare a true singleness of eye and simplicity of purpose, that even were our attainments very much above anything existing around us, we would have little to justify our boasting. Besides, even for our own peace, we should avoid all such self-complacent thinkings; for, as one says, "We can scarcely, even the best of us, bear a word of praise or thought of self-congratulation. It is pleasant, doubtless, to have self flattered, caressed, and humoured; but afterwards it upsets the balance of the spirit, and stings like an adder." True, it is not required that we should be blind to what the Lord has done either in us or by us, or that we should altogether ignore it; but while humbly thankful for it, we should yet forget the things which are behind, and continually reach forth unto those which are before.

Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus.-PHIL. iii. 12.

We desire that every one of you do shew the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end: that ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises.-HEB. vi. 11, 12.

June 14.

CHRISTIAN CONSISTENCY.

CHRISTIANITY is not a mere speculative theory.

All its revealings and teachings are designed to tell practically on the life; and if they are not employed for this end, the so-called Christianity sooner or later degenerates either into worthless will-worship or dreary scepticism. The man whom we call an architect is not merely