he who can readily discourse about buildings, but the man who has the skill to plan and erect them. So the man whom we call a Christian is not merely he who knows the duties of believers, and can fluently talk about them, but the man who, on the good foundation, builds up the structure of a Christian life. On this account we are constantly urged in Scripture to be practical as well as devout in our religion, and to maintain a sweet consistency between profession and practice; cultivating all that is true, pure, honest, lovely, and of good report; or, as the apostle expresses it, "walking worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing."

We are to do this by looking, not at our own things only, but also on the things of others, and by exhibiting in every relation of life the kindness, forbearance, and unselfishness which would not only evidence our own sincerity, but powerfully influence others to follow our example. "Some believers," said Robert M'Cheyne, "were a garden that had fruit trees, and so were useful; but we ought to have spices also, and so be attractive. Come, thou south wind; blow upon my garden, that the spices thereof may flow out.'"

Happily it needs neither great gifts nor high social position thus to adorn our Christian profession, but simply whole-hearted consecration to Christ.

'Whatsoever thy condition," says an old Puritan writer, “thou mayest glorify God in it, and bring praise to his name. He that grinds at the mill may glorify Him as well as he that sits upon the throne."

Walk worthy of God, who hath called you unto his kingdom and glory. -1 THESS. ii. 12.

Only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ.-PHIL. i. 27.

We beseech you......that as ye have received of us how ye ought to walk and to please God, so ye would abound more and more.-1 THESS. iv. 1.

SIN

June 15.

FRUITLESS EFFORT.

IN is so seldom a matter of anxious thought with men, that that most vital of questions very rarely comes from their lips, "What must I do to be saved?" But when conscience awakes, and the powers of the world to come begin to be felt, it is otherwise; salvation then becomes, in some measure, a real need with them, and if they could only secure it self-righteously, there is nothing seemingly they would not gladly do or suffer. Every effort so made by them, however, is as vain and fruitless as that of the fabled Sisyphus, who had ever hopelessly to begin his weary task anew. They try perfectly to keep the law, but ever fail; they shed many a tear, but find no relief; they pray, and fast, and toil, but, in spite of all, their heavy burden still presses.

And so will it ever be with them till they take God's method of justification, and not their own. The way to get acceptance with God is not to work hard for it, or to work long, but to cease to work at all; just because all that is needed for this end Christ has already thoroughly done. He would have us to believe on Him who justifieth the ungodly; and therefore he does not require us to be godly before we believe, or to be healed before we come to the Physician, but simply to take salvation as the free, unmerited gift of grace, and consent to be saved by Christ alone.

An excellent man was once asked to visit a poor dying sufferer. The messenger could give no account of her state of mind, except that she was a very good woman,

and was now at the end of a well-spent life, and therefore sure of going to heaven. He went, and after a few kindly inquiries about her bodily condition, said, "I have been told you are in a very peaceful state of mind, depending upon a well-spent life." The dying woman looked hard at him, and said, "Yes; you are right. I am in the enjoyment of peace, sweet peace, and that from a well-spent life: but it is the well-spent life of Jesus,-not my doings, but his; not my merits, but his blood." Blessed close to life. May our latter end be like hers!

Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight for by the law is the knowledge of sin.-ROM. iii. 20.

By grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God.-EPH. ii. 8.

Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth. -ROM. x. 4.

June 16.

WHEN NEED IS SOREST, COMFORT IS SWEETEST.

THE cup of some is so full that seemingly they stand

in no need of comfort; while the spirit of others is so proud that, even when there is such need, they scorn to own it. It was never so with the apostle of the Gentiles. As he was so repeatedly in weariness and painfulness, in hunger and thirst, in cold and nakedness, his need of comfort was often great and pressing; and, from his Christian simplicity and manly frankness, he was never ashamed to own this need or to accept the kindness that met it. "Therefore, brethren," he said, "we were comforted over you in all our affliction and distress by your faith."

This comfort of which he speaks did not arise from any brightening of his outward circumstances, or any softening of the world's enmity, for these remained very much as before. What mainly imparted it was the message of Timothy, and especially the cheering tidings he brought of the love, loyalty, and steadfast faith of his spiritual children: it was a comfort, therefore, pure and unselfish in its nature, and wholly unlike that to which the mere worldling clings.

It came very seasonably; not so early as to interfere with needed discipline and the due exercise of faith and patience, and yet not so late as to be of little practical value in cheering his heart. The Lord's timing of things is often specially tender and gracious. As an old Christian once said, "He not only knows the best things to send to his children, but the times for sending them." Besides, the comfort the Lord imparts is so full and allsufficient that, when we get it, we can be joyous anywhere and in any circumstances.

The day before he died, John Holland, turning with his own hand to the eighth chapter of the Romans, bade Mr. Legh read it: at the end of every verse he paused and gave the sense to his own comfort, but more to the joy and wonder of his friends. An hour or two after, on a sudden, he said, "Oh, stay your reading! What brightness is this I see? Have you lighted any candles?" No, it was replied; it is the sunshine. "Sunshine!" he said; "nay, it is my Saviour's shine. Farewell, worldwelcome, heaven!"

Let, I pray thee, thy merciful kindness be for my comfort, according to thy word unto thy servant.-Ps. cxix. 76.

Ye believe in God, believe also in me...I will not leave you comfortless : I will come to you.-JOHN xiv. 1, 18.

IN

June 17.

THE RICHLY FRUITFUL.

N the religion of the Colossians there was more than mere conviction, or emotional excitement, or visible profession; there was, over and above all this, varied and substantial fruit. Speaking to them of the word of the truth of the gospel, the apostle said, "Which is come unto you, as it is in all the world; and bringeth forth fruit, as it doth also in you, since the day ye heard of it, and knew the grace of God in truth." The fruit so commended were those graces of the Spirit which adorn the Christian character, and of which all must more or less be possessed who would really be the Lord's.

Fruit is the Lord's expectation, and it is a grievous sin to disappoint it: "These three years I come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and find none." Fruit, too, is the test of discipleship: "By their fruits ye shall know them." To remain barren and unfruitful, therefore, decisively falsifies our profession. Moreover, when abundant, fruit is specially honouring to the Lord; for it is expressly written, “Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bring forth much fruit." From these and similar statements it is clear that when fruit does not spring up in the life, the word has never truly gone down into the heart. This is ever a perilous condition, for though the Lord may bear long with the fruitless, he will not bear always.

With regard to the Colossians, it is an interesting fact that they were not only richly fruitful, but the word produced fruit in them from the first day they heard it. Like the Bereans, they received the word with all readiness of