doubt comes to us more naturally than loving confidence. This is especially the case when our surroundings are unfavourable, and the moral tone and religious feeling have consequently become lowered. "It is not known," says one, "how hard it is to believe in the midst of a crowd that does not believe;" and often, too, it is no less hard to believe in the midst of troubles whose pressure is severe. Even then, however, their blessed experiences in the past, and the sure promises for the future, should enable every true follower of the Lamb to say, "Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him."

We are told that on one occasion a swallow having built its nest on the tent of Charles V., he generously commanded that the tent should not be taken down until the young birds were ready to fly. Truly, if he, a rough soldier, could have such gentleness in his heart towards a little bird, how much more will the Lord have it to all those who flee to him for shelter in loving trustfulness. "He that builds his nest upon a divine promise," says one, "shall find it abide and remain until he shall fly away to the land where promises are lost in fulfilments." Believers should be the more emboldened to do this, from the fact that what God has already done for them is designed to be a sure and blessed earnest of all the grander things to be done for them in the future. He never lifts any from the pit only to cast them in again. Men may do such a thing, but the Lord never does.

In one of his prized letters, my friend Mr. Hewitson once said to me: "Have faith in God: faith will be staggered by loose stones in the way if we look manward. If we look Godward, faith will not be staggered, even by

seemingly inaccessible mountains stretching across and obstructing our progress. Go forward' is the voice from heaven; and faith obeying, finds the mountains before it flat as plains."

[Abraham] staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God; and being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform.-Roм. iv. 20, 21.

If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth. — MARK ix. 23.

August 16.

PROVING FULLY MUST BE FOLLOWED BY
HOLDING FIRMLY.

THE apostle did not merely say, "Prove all things," but

he added, "Hold fast that which is good." The latter is as much a duty as the former, and therefore every man who, after full inquiry, has found the truth, is bound to embrace it and hold it fast. He is not at liberty to deal with it as a common thing, which he may keep or throw away at pleasure. On the contrary, rather than abandon it, he must be ready to suffer the loss of all things. The counsellings of the Word on this matter are very emphatic: "Hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown "-"Stand fast, and hold the traditions which ye have been taught, whether by word, or our epistle." The world that lieth in wickedness ever did and ever will set itself against the doctrines of the gospel, for it knows not their preciousness and life-giving power; but by whomsoever opposed, the many or the mighty, we must neither abandon nor modify them, but in all their integrity resolutely hold them fast to the very end.

When the pilgrims were in Vanity Fair, one chanced mockingly to say to them, "What will ye buy?" But they, looking gravely on him, said, "We buy the truth." At that there was occasion taken to despise them, the more; some mocking, some taunting, and some calling upon others to smite them. Nevertheless, in spite of all the abuse, these good pilgrims would only buy the truth; and when they bought it, not for any price would they sell it again. Usually, in ordinary merchandise, what we buy we are at liberty to sell; but it is not so here, for the command is express, "Buy the truth, and sell it not." And a most merciful provision it is; for, as one says, "Those who sell the truth sell their own souls with it."

In earlier times, before the word "Protestant" was known, such as opposed the errors of the Papacy were called "Fast Men," in the noble sense of the term, because they held the truth fast in practice and opinion alike,— so fast that they readily imperilled life itself rather than let it go. So should it be with all. Not only the truth, but the whole truth, as the Lord has graciously revealed it, should ever be dear to us. "You start," said Vinet, "at the strange dogmas of Christianity, a crucified God, the punishment of an innocent victim, the mysteries of free will and sovereign grace. They are strange; I dare not make them a little less strange. Yet it was these strange dogmas that conquered the world. It will be all over with Christianity when the world has begun to think it reasonable, or, eliminating the supernatural element, to give it a niche among the philosophies.”

The kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it.-MATT. xiii. 45, 46.

Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good.-ROM. xii. 9.

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August 17.

DISAPPOINTED EXPECTANCY.

EVER was the expectancy of the Israelites brighter than when they found, to their joy, that the Red Sea was no longer before but behind them; yet what disappointment speedily followed! Indeed, scarcely had they finished their song of triumph on the shore, when the Lord, by the hand of Moses, led them out into the wilderness of Shur, and there, for three long days together, not one drop of water could they find. This was no ordinary trial, and it was all the more severe from its being one so entirely new in their experience; for in Egypt, even in the worst of times, water was never a want with them. But though this was their condition on the third day, they had yet bright hope on the fourth, for manifold tokens appeared that at no great distance water would be found in amplest supply. It was even so; but, alas! it was not more plenteous than bitter, and therefore, instead of bringing relief, it only intensified their misery.

grace

All this is peculiarly instructive. It shows not merely how brief sometimes is the interval between seeming triumph and severe trial, but also that sudden changes are often an essential part of the needed discipline by and made meet which alone we can be ripened in for glory. Verily, it is vain to dream of unclouded sunshine here. Even when men get what, for years, they have been sighing for, it often proves not an Elim, with its sweet wells and shady palm trees, but a bitter Marah: and they still cry out with disappointed heart, " Who will "What are the breasts of most of

shew us any good?"

us," says the saintly Leighton, "but so many nests of foolish hopes and fears intermixed, which entertain us day and night, and steal away our precious hours from us, that might be laid out so gainfully upon the wise and sweet hopes of eternity, and upon the blessed and assured hope of the coming of our beloved Saviour."

The hope of the righteous shall be gladness: but the expectation of the wicked shall perish.-PROV. x. 28.

My soul, wait thou only upon God; for my expectation is from him.Ps. lxii. 5.

August 18.

WE MAY AS SURELY LOSE SALVATION THROUGH SELFRIGHTEOUSNESS AS THROUGH NO RIGHTEOUSNESS.

EVER were men more madly set against God's way

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of salvation, or more blindly resolute for their own, than the unbelieving Jews in apostolic days. This was ever a sore grief of heart to Paul, for his countrymen were dear to him, and he yearned intensely for their salvation. "Brethren," he said, "my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved. For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge. For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God." They grudged no effort, or toil, or sacrifice, so long as any hope remained of their thereby securing a righteousness self-wrought, self-approved, and on the ground of which they could claim acceptance with God as a merited reward. But on no other terms would

they deign to accept it.