but also in action, and in all the ordinary business of everyday life. To be complete in their Christian profession they must attend to all the virtues of it, and keep resolutely in view whatsoever things in their present relations are true, honest, just, and lovely, as well as those things which more immediately relate to God and their interests for eternity. In the Word, accordingly, gracious privileges are never dissociated from corresponding duties; indeed, the latter are usually introduced by way of natural and necessary inference from the former. Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved," says the apostle, "let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of the Lord." In like manner, after speaking of the exceeding great and precious promises, Peter immediately makes use of them for practical ends, and urges a careful cultivation, not of one merely, but of all the Christian graces. "Give diligence," he says; "add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; and to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; and to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity. For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ." These various graces are not indeed equally developed in all the children of God, nor even in the same individual; but it is none the less true that all the fruits of the Spirit hang on the same stem, and draw their life and nourishment from one and the same root. Even if imperfect in attainment, therefore, we must nevertheless ever be perfect in aim, otherwise we cannot have any sure and satisfactory token of adoption, and that in very deed we are true and loyal servants of Christ. One has truly said: "No man can have any evidence that he obeys the will of Christ in one particular, unless he sincerely and strenuously aims to obey it in every particular; for the will of Christ is one.” Adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour in all things.--TITUS ii. 10. Let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ.-PHIL. i. 27. Be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity.-1 Tıм. iv. 12. ΟΝΕ December 12. IT IS PRESSURE THAT TESTS MEN. NE of the striking characteristics of the Psalms is their marvellous adaptation to all the ever-changing circumstances and experiences of believers. No matter what they may be feeling or fearing, needing or desiring, they are sure to find in one or other of them some precious words as directly suitable as if they had been written expressly for their own individual case. It may be that it is his own experience the Psalmist is delineating, his own difficulties or deliverances. Nevertheless, in telling these, and the workings of his own heart in connection with them, he is virtually telling ours also. On one memorable occasion, when Saul was seeking the Psalmist's life, his timid friends, alarmed for his safety, urged upon him immediate flight to some distant hidingplace, where he might securely shelter himself from his relentless foe. All such counselling, however, at the time he rejected, and resolutely said, "In the Lord put I my trust how say ye to my soul, Flee as a bird to your mountain?" Here was faith in lively exercise; and it was not put to shame. In peaceful times it is sometimes difficult to distinguish between a Christian and a worldling, because then there is little or nothing to call out very visibly the faith of the one or the unbelief of the other; but when pressure or affliction comes, it is very different. As the same sun that melts the wax hardens the clay, so the same trial that drives the worldling to the mountain, drives the believer nearer to his God in loving trustfulness. When backsliding had begun in the days of our Lord, and many forsook him and went back to the world, he said sorrowfully to his disciples, "Will ye also go away?" To which they at once and unhesitatingly replied, “Lord, to whom shall we go but unto thee? for thou hast the words of eternal life." So it ever is with the truly loyal. As surely as the needle turns to the pole, so do they in all times of difficulty and temptation turn at once to the Lord, yea, and cleave to him also, saying, “Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none upon the earth that I desire beside thee." "In my early days,” said an old Christian, "when trouble came upon me, and I longed for sympathy and help, I used always to go first to friends and neighbours, and especially to fellow-believers, to pour into their ears my varied anxieties. But now," he said, "I take a shorter way and a better; for I go straight to the Lord at once, and never fail to get the help and blessing needed." Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass...He shall deliver them from the wicked, and save them, because they trust in him.-Ps. xxxvii. 5, 40. The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in him, and I am helped.-Ps. xxviii. 7. Oh how great is thy goodness, which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee; which thou hast wrought for them that trust in thee before the sons of men!-Ps. xxxi. 19. December 13. A PLEASING PERPLEXITY. FEW, if any, pass through life without experiencing seasons of perplexity, in which they find it extremely difficult to come to a decision. Such a season had the old patriarch Jacob when there was famine in Canaan, and corn could only be found in the land of Egypt. He was then so placed that he must either perish for want or risk the liberty and life of his beloved Benjamin. Such a season, too, had David after he offended the Lord by the numbering of the people. It was a fearful choice that was set before him: "Go and say unto David, Thus saith the Lord, I offer thee three things; choose thee one of them, that I may do it unto thee...Shall seven years of famine come unto thee in thy land? or wilt thou flee three months before thine enemies, while they pursue thee? or that there be three days' pestilence in thy land?" No wonder that he exclaimed, on hearing these words, "I am in a great strait." But he wisely decided when he said, "Let us fall now into the hand of the Lord; for his mercies are great and let me not fall into the hand of man." And such a season, too, had Paul, the great apostle of the Gentiles, when he said, "I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart and be with Christ; which is far better." In his case, however, the perplexity in which he found himself had this marked peculiarity, that it was not a painful, but a pleasing one; for his difficulty lay not in choosing between two things that were evil, but between two things that were good-namely, between remaining on earth to serve the Master he loved, or departing to be for ever in his beatific presence. Doubtless, had Paul considered only his own personal and immediate enjoyment, he would have been in little or no strait, but would at once have said, "To depart and be with Christ is far better." Believers, it is true, when they die, do not enter on their full inheritance; for while in their disembodied state this is impossible. Till the coming of the Lord the crown promised them is laid up, but not actually worn witness the memorable words of the apostle, 'I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing." But though the full glory is deferred till then, not so the stainless purity and perfect blessedness. These are enjoyed the very moment they are absent from the body and present with the Lord. Why, then, did the apostle hesitate? It was simply because, though to depart and be with Christ would be far better for himself, yet to abide in the flesh was more needful for others; and the latter accordingly was what he preferred. This was a Christlike spirit, and were it more common what a widely different Church and world would we soon have! If you labour to be seen of men," says one, "the spirit of your work will have little rallying power. If you do all things heartily do all things heartily as to the Lord, the |