When Gehazi was sent by his master, Elisha, to lay his staff on the dead son of the Shunammite, he was told to gird up his loins and hasten on his way. So also when Jeremiah was sent on the service of testimony to his people, he was commanded to put a girdle upon his loins. (Jer. xiii. 1.) Above all, when the Son of God, made flesh, performed His lowly service of love to His disciples, He girded Himself with a towel, stooped, washed their feet, and wiped them.

In doing this He looked for a response from His disciples, and looks also for one from us, setting Himself before us as a perfect pattern. "I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you." He expects that we should wash one another's feet, and opportunities for such service present themselves daily, if we have eyes to see and the loving, lowly mind and heart to avail ourselves of them.

The Master has stamped such service with dignity by performing it Himself; its reward in the present is rich, and in the future it will be full and eternal. He seeks this service from every saint, and it is our privilege as well as our responsibility to fulfil it. Although some have more heart for it than others, each saint has heart for it. Let us, then, beloved, gird up the loins of our mind, and address ourselves to this with fresh vigour and holy determination.

The true business of our life is to serve the Lord Christ, but to this unselfish, lowly service nature is ever opposed. It seeks its own and not another's good, and Satan is ever on the watch to strengthen nature's opposition, so that every servant knows that conflict is connected with service, and in proportion to the faithfulness of the service will be the sharpness of the conflict. The servant therefore must likewise be a soldier, and be well girded.

THE SOLDIER'S GIRDLE.

In this connection also the Scriptures help us by furnishing examples. In Deut. i. 41, we find Moses reminding the people of their wilfulness on the occasion of the return and report of the twelve spies. "And when ye had girded on every man his sword ye were ready to go up." Young David, too, when vexed and chafed by Nabal's churlish conduct, and intent upon avenging himself, said to his young men, "Gird ye on every man his sword, and they girded and David also girded on his sword." Once more, in that song of loves (Psalm xlv.), which will have its answer at the introduction and establishment of the Messianic rule in millennial days, and in which the personal glories of the King and the beauty of the bride are described, the word to the King is, "Gird Thy sword upon Thy thigh, O most mighty, in Thy glory and Thy majesty;" and in Isa. xi. 5, this girdle is described: “Righteousness shall be the girdle of His loins, and faithfulness the girdle of His reins."

Beloved fellow-believers, we, too, are soldiers, and have armour provided for us, and each day brings occasion, yea, necessity, for its use. Albeit the principal part of our armour is defensive, there is one offensive weapon-" the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God;" and wherewithal shall we bind this sword to us but with the girdle of righteousness and faithfulness? Let us then gird it closer to our souls than ever, using it only in a righteous cause, in fidelity to God and to His Son. Let us stand, withstand, aud having done all, still stand, strong in the might of the Lord and clad in the armour of God, fighting with conquered foes under the ever-victorious Captain of our salvation. Let us take courage and play the valiant soldier for Christ, assured of the crown at His hands at His appearing.

2A

THE RUNNER'S GIRDLE.

We have not only a warfare to wage, but a race to run, and for this the loins of the inner man must be girded; thought, desire, and hope must be fixed on the goal and the prize. Girt with his leathern girdle, Elijah was able to run to Jezreel before Ahab's chariot, but he failed to keep the loins of his mind girded. In Hebrews xii., where we are all exhorted to run with patience the race set before us, our eye is directed to Him who in this character also is the perfect pattern, who ran His course with unswerving stedfastness, allowing no obstacle to hinder, "who, for the joy that was set before Him, endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God." Our eye must be fixed on Him, and our mind strengthened with the hope of resurrection and glory at His return. And let us not forget the dangers attending this race. We may be tempted to unwatchfulness, discouragement, impatience, and Satan will hang his weights on our girdle, and burden us with unbelief. But let us bear in mind the diversity of character, position, service, and circumstances, and yet the unity of faith of the worthies mentioned in Heb. xi., and whatever be our case, let us press on "toward the mark for the prize of our high calling of God in Christ Jesus."

THE TEACHING OF OUR LORD AND HIS APOSTLES.

We have thus been reminded of various characters in which Christ is to be manifested by us, and in each one the girdle is indispensable, and never more so than in this day when the temptations to distraction and wandering of mind are legion. To this use of the girdle we are called by the Master, and also by His apostles, whose words are ever applicable to us by the ministry of the Holy Spirit, who is also our power for obedience.

When the Lord Jesus was asked to obtain the division of an inheritance between two brothers, He first answered the petitioner, and then took occasion to instruct and exhort His disciples: "Let your loins be girded about, and your lights burning, and ye yourselves like unto men that wait for their Lord." Our treasure being in heaven, our heart is to be there, our mind is to be set on things above, and while waiting for the Bridegroom, our light is to shine down upon the world, above which we are raised, as we hold forth the word of life.

In writing to the Ephesians as his fellow-soldiers, the apostle Paul, well aware of the terrible conflict to be waged with the powers of darkness, and of the need of the whole armour of God, first says, "having your loins girt about with truth." With trueness of spirit we have to discern, receive, hold fast, and contend for the truth," the faith once delivered to the saints," which is being assailed on all sides.

Similar to this is Peter's exhortation to the scattered ones. As strangers and pilgrims he says to them, “Gird up the loins of your mind," and he points onward to the grace that is to be brought at the revelation of Jesus Christ, for which they are stedfastly to hope, rejoicing with joy unspeakable and full of glory. His second epistle warns us of the false teachings and corruptions with which we are surrounded, and the more, therefore, do we now need to be thoroughly girded in mind.

Finally, let us rejoice in knowing that He who walks among the candlesticks, and knows the exact condition of all the churches and of each of those who compose them, still wears His golden girdle, and is ever ready to serve us, to counsel, to rebuke if need be, to help, and to deliver.

H. H.

THE AUTHORITY AND POWER OF SATAN.

REMARKS MADE AT A BIBLE-READING.

In the midst of the deceptions with which we are surrounded, it is well to know what Scripture says about our great adversary. Satan is spoken of by our Lord as "the prince of this world" (John xii. 31., xiv. 30); he is also called "the prince of the power of the air" (Eph. ii. 2), "the God of this age" (2 Cor. iv. 4), and “the accuser of our brethren" (Rev. xii. 9-10); and in Rev. xx. he is given four names, "dragon," "old serpent," "devil," and "Satan."

It is very important for us to see the relation in which Satan stands to our Lord Jesus Christ, and the force of that word, "Now is the prince of this world cast out." In Heb. ii. 14 we read that in order to deliver us Christ took part of flesh and blood, "that through death He might destroy him that had the power of death, that is the devil." In Col. i. 12-13 this power is regarded as an authority: "Who delivered us from the authority of darkness and translated us into the kingdom of the Son of His love." While God is the only source of authority, outside Christ the tempter has the authority of a gaoler. As one with Christ we stand in the same relation to Satan in point of law and justice as that in which Christ stands.

In Rev. i. 17-18, it is Christ who has the keys of death and hades in His hand; Satan's authority is not over us but over the world of which he is the prince. Christ has authority over us, not only by the Father's gift and the possession of the Spirit, but as having redeemed us who were by nature sons and daughters of Adam. We are