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October 26.

THERE IS NO PROMISE-KEEPER LIKE THE LORD.

ANY are the things which prevent the fulfilment of human promises. Men often promise hastily, simply to get rid of an importunate applicant, and with no sincerity of purpose to perform. At other times they give their promise deliberately, but in deceit; for they so frame it as to be able to keep it to the ear, while they break it to the sense. But there is no such unrighteousness with God. He cannot lie; even if we believe not, he abideth faithful. He ever means what he says, and does what he means, and therefore his every promise may be confidently relied on. And as he gives no promise that he does not intend to keep, so neither does he ever give one beyond his power to fulfil.

In a changeable world like this, events and circumstances often vary so rapidly that what may be easily done one day cannot be done the next. The will may remain, but there is no longer the power. But never is it so with the Lord. Nothing can at any time interpose between him and his promises to make them void. "Hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?" Nay, more: it is so truly his delight to fulfil as well as to give promises, that he is ever presenting them to our view, impressing them on our memory, and letting us know that it is, as it were, a grief of heart to him when unbelief on our part comes to stay his generous hand. Many have little comfort, because, though they possess the promises, they fail to use them.

When Giant Despair had put his victims into the castle,

Bunyan tells he was wont to beat them with a crab-tree cudgel. Lying in that dungeon, Christian began to think whether it were not better to destroy himself. Yet, foolish man, all the while the key of promise was in his bosom, and he needed not to have been rotting in that dungeon for a single hour. Let every desponding soul take note of this.

There hath not failed one word of all his good promise, which he promised by the hand of Moses his servant.-1 KINGS viii. 56.

For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us.-2 COR. i. 20.

October 27.

THE HUMBLING FAILURE OF ONE DISCIPLE AND THE LOVING FIDELITY OF ANOTHER.

ETER, though a genuine and warm-hearted disciple

PETER

of his Master, was at times so strangely unstable that at Antioch Paul found him so much to be blamed that he withstood him to the face. At first he asserted boldly the right of believing Gentiles to all the privileges of the gospel, and freely mingled with them in spiritual fellowship. But when certain Jews made their appearance, whom he did not wish to offend, he withdrew from the Gentiles, and deliberately resumed his Jewish exclusiveness. By so doing he virtually built again the wall that had been thrown down, made circumcision essential to salvation, and thereby grievously darkened the gospel of the grace of God.

This was Peter's sin; and, unhappily, he did not sin alone. An old writer says, "The sins of teachers are the

teachers of sins." It was so here; for when Peter dissembled, the other Jews dissembled with him, insomuch that Barnabas also was carried away with their dissimulation.

But Paul stood firm; nay more, when he saw that they walked not uprightly according to the truth of the gospel, he said reprovingly to Peter, before them all, "If thou, being a Jew, livest after the manner of Gentiles, and not as do the Jews, why compellest thou the Gentiles to live as do the Jews?"

It is not easy at any time to administer reproof to a friend. Doubtless, the precept is clear and express: "Thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy neighbour, and not suffer sin upon him." Still the duty is one from which all naturally shrink. It is painful to wound one we love, and run the risk of breaking the friendship of years. Nevertheless, Paul proved faithful; and he was all the more resolute in his remonstrance, because by Peter's conduct the whole church was in danger of being led away from the truth as it is in Jesus. On the most vital of points the way of a sinner's acceptance with God-and through Paul's single instrumentality, the Lord preserved the church and the gospel at that critical era.

How much may even one Christian man be honoured to accomplish for truth and righteousness, if only strong in faith and lowly in spirit. It was to Peter's honour that, instead of loving Paul less thereafter, he loved him more.

O Israel, return unto the Lord thy God; for thou hast fallen by thine iniquity. I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely.-HOSEA xiv. 1, 4.

Rebuke a wise man, and he will love thee.-PROV. ix. 8.

Thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy neighbour, and not suffer sin upon him.-LEV. xix. 17.

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October 28.

THE DISCIPLES CENSURE OF MARY.

HEN at Bethany, six days before the passover, Mary took a pound of ointment of spikenard and anointed the feet of Jesus, there was indignation, and they said, "To what purpose is this waste?" Had such words come from the lips of Judas only, we could not have wondered; but for a time, at least, even such true-hearted disciples as John, James, and Peter joined in the rebuking murmurs. Seemingly, as yet, they had scarcely grace enough rightly to appreciate a spirituality so intense and a love so ardent as that of Mary's, and therefore, instead of commending, they keenly censured her.

We often see similar misjudgments in our time among those who cannot appreciate grace in its highest manifestations. When Henry Martyn laid all his university honours and brightest earthly prospects at the feet of Jesus, and gave himself up to be a despised missionary of the Cross to the perishing heathen, he was looked upon by many as a misguided enthusiast, who was throwing himself away. What waste," they said, "of fine talents and rare opportunities!" They should rather have said, What moral grandeur, what Christ-like love and service!

Those who know their Lord, and truly love him, count it sweet to make sacrifices for his sake, and never feel able to praise him enough. "If I had as many angels' tongues to praise," said Samuel Rutherford, " as there have fallen drops of rain since the creation, or as there are leaves of trees in all the forests of the earth, or stars in the heaven, yet my Lord Jesus would ever be behind with me.”

I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ.-PHIL. iii. 8.

But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.-2 PETER iii. 18.

October 29.

CONFIRMATION NEEDFUL.

NOME are bent so exclusively on securing the conversion

SOME

of souls, that they take comparatively little thought about after spiritual growth and development. With Paul and Barnabas, however, it was otherwise; accordingly, after labouring for a time at Derbe with great success, they resolved to return once more to Lystra and Iconium, that they might confirm the souls of the disciples. While at Derbe, Paul was not far from the well-known pass which leads down from the central table-land to Cilicia and Tarsus; but his thoughts did not centre on an earthly home, or if he had any desires at this time to revisit the city of his birth, they were all quenched by higher longings and more pressing claims. Yes, even Lystra, where he was so cruelly handled and fiercely stoned, and into which it might well be thought he would never enter again, had far greater attractions to him than Tarsus itself. And why? Just because, through the Spirit of the Lord, there were fruits of his ministry there, recovered jewels, the Lord's little ones, dear brethren in Christ, whom he could cheer and sustain in their day of need. Indeed, his renewed presence