DECEMBER 31ST. REVIEW.

Golden Text-Rev. xxii. 21.

HAVE had twelve lessons from the Epistles having reference to the work of Christ in the hearts of men. Golden text sums up all in the word “grace.” Several meanings to the word, partly referring to God's free gifts to man of pardon and love, and partly to the effect of those gifts in man's heart disposing him to good works. Can sum up all the lessons under two heads, viz., God's grace given, and God's grace working.

I. GOD'S GRACE GIVEN. 1. Full of power. (Rom. i. 8-17.)

Seen in turning men's hearts to Him.

St. Paul changed from persecutor to preacher.
Romans turned from idols to serve true God.
Same effects seen in all who believe.
LESSON. By grace ye are saved through faith.
2. Redemption. (Rom. iii. 19-26.)
Law unable to save.

Can only forbid sin and punish sinners.
Christ by his death wrought atonement for sin.
Grace makes man believe in Christ and be saved.
Is God's free gift to all who accept it.
LESSON. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord
doth not impute sin.

Its results seen in man's heart and life.
Peace established between man and God.

Joy notwithstanding all trials of life.
Patience to bear whatever befalls.

Hope for time and eternity.

LESSON. Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace.

II. GOD'S GRACE WORKING. 1. In the life. (Rom. xii. 1-15.)

Each gives himself, a living sacrifice.

As member of Christ's body has duties to others. Love, alms-giving, sympathy, teaching, etc. 2. In self-denial. (1 Cor. viii.) In things lawful. Give up anything likely to lead others to sin, for even Christ pleased not Himself.

3. In liberality. (2 Cor. viii. 1—12.) How to give

Willingly, liberally, voluntarily.

But above all, first give selves to God.
Highest example to be seen in Christ.
LESSON. Freely ye have received, freely give.
4. In imitation of Christ. (Ephes. iv. 20—32.)
Christians new creatures in Jesus Christ.
Put away old habits of theft, lying, anger, etc

Reserved for all in whom grace has worked. 'SSON. Walk worthy of your Christian calling.

NEW SERIES FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT. JANUARY 7TH, 1894. THE FIRST ADAM.

Year.

To read-Gen. i. 26—ii, 3. Golden Text--Gen. i. 27. INTRODUCTION. New course of lessons for New Go back to first chapters of Bible-telling of beginnings of things. What are some of these? Beginning of the world-light, air, animals, food, sea, fishes, man; also of sin, punishment, mercy. To-day's lesson tells of man, his creation, nature, etc. I. MAN'S CREATION. (26, 27.) Notice :1. How made. By the word of God. "Let us make showing more than One Person. "In Our image." Of what does this consist? His soul immortal-germ of everlasting life. His nature holy, pure, and innocent. His mind endowed with reason, will, etc. His body perfect in all its parts and actions.

2. Man the best. See gradual order of creation.
Chaos gives place to regular formation.
Earth, seas, air take shapes and boundaries.
Vegetable life given to herbs and plants.
Animals, domestic and wild, breathe and move,
But man has life, reason and immortality.
Therefore called the son of God. (St. Luke iii. 38.)
3. Man's powers.
He alone develops his nature.

His mind reasons, reflects, increases knowledge. His soul learns, and receives revelation from God. For him angels and God Himself have visited earth.

LESSONS. 1. Man's dignity. Made like God. 2. Man's duty. To walk worthy of God.

II. MAN'S WORK. (28-31.) What has he to do? To people the world-made for man's use. To cultivate the ground-for his food. To have power over sea, air, and land. To subdue all other created things. Notice that at first men were vegetarians. Fruits and grains created for man's food. Herbs and seeds for use of cattle. (Ver. 30.) Flesh not eaten till Noah's time. (Gen. ix. 3.) All creation, like Creator, was "very good." LESSONS OF CREATION. 1. God's almighty power. World made out of nothing.

2. God's eternal wisdom. No mistakes.

3. God's infinite love. All for comfort of man. III. MAN'S REST. (ii. 1-3.) Creation ended. God rested, Why? Not because weary, but

Then soon the garden was as brilliant as it had ever been, the bright scarlet blooms seemed to smile up to the blue sky in very gladness, glowing and laughing in the warm sunshine.

"I am so glad to see the geraniums out again," said the sick man. "I did not know how much they cheered and helped me; the rain seemed as if it would have spoilt them."

"Only seemed," said the friend, looking, not at the flowers, but at the hands that daily grew thinner and weaker.

"It is their afterwards," said the sick man with a smile of peace.

Before the scarlet geraniums fell again, the sick man had ceased to watch and be cheered by them.

He had grown to need no more of earth's cheering, and lay with a white, peaceful face, from which all lines of pain had been smoothed out, in an upper room. Though the blinds were down, the windows were open, and the summer scents and sounds stole in, and there were long shafts of sunshine that would not be kept out, but moved over the room and touched the sleeper caressingly.

Friends brought wreaths of fair white flowers till the room could hold no more, but the friend who had nursed and tended the sleeper went into the garden and gathered the best and brightest of the geraniums, which, with loving hands, he fashioned into a cross. Then, smiling through his tears, he laid the brilliant cross over the white folded hands, saying in a tone that, for all its sadness, had a note of triumph, "AFTERWARDS."

M

CHAPTER V.

ILDRED did not seem to have gained much by her hasty return home. For some days the weather was wet and stormy; she was a prisoner and solitary, for her father had gone from Glasgow to London, and was still there.

The hills were invisible, the whole world drowned out of sight by clouds, smoky vapour, and sheets of rain; the wind howled over the land, shrieked among the trees, and whistled in the chimneys. All outside communication was cut off, excepting through the postman, who brought little for her; the groom who struggled to town with orders; and the milk-boy from the farm; and Mildred found her solitude a little trying after her gaieties. On the one evening when she did manage to get to the night-school, there were but one or two there, and, to her surprise, no Garth. One day she fancied she saw him breasting his way down the hill, cap pulled down closely, hands in pockets; but she was uncertain, and there was no word even of thanks for the flowers. A vague depressing sense of disappointment fell on Mildred-she almost wished she had remained in London; but at last the wind dropped, the rain ceased, the next morning was bright and sunny, and when she came down-stairs she found her father had returned.

"Returned, Elizabeth! When?"

"Early this morning, about seven-by the night mail, I suppose, ma'am."

However, he had come; there he was, standing on the breakfast-room hearthrug, examining his letters, and looking as fresh as if he had just risen from a comfortable bed: as far from travel-stained as if he and railways were total strangers-a good-looking,

portly man, with a strong face and a determination of carriage often seen in those who have taken and kept a successful hold on the world, and with nothing of the harshness Garth has prepared us for. But a grey moustache hides the mouth; and John Caryl at home and John Caryl abroad are two different men, after the manner of the sons of John Bull.

"Ah! Good-morning, my dear "-holding aside his correspondence to allow of Mildred's dutifully raised lips coming between. "How do you do? You should have waited in London, and I could have brought you home, you see. You always are so impulsive, Mildred," blaming her after the fashion of fathers for those qualities derived from himself.

"I was tired of London, papa."

"Or someone there, eh?" and Mildred flushed a little; it was evident he had met someone or other who had given him confidential news-news she had hoped he would never hear. "I wish you had waited. I wired, but missed you by an hour. Yes, I wish I had been there."

"Here is a German letter among these (selecting it). "I don't understand it. I'm nothing of a German scholar, you know. Could you translate it, and let me have it this evening?" Mildred took the sheet a little gingerly, and looked at the cramped, impossible scrawl, so unlike her German master's neat hand, in some distaste. "I'll try, father-and do my best; but don't be vexed if I fail. My lessons were not in commercial correspondence, you know."

"I wish they had been-it would be helpful. Be careful, Mildred; a mistake might be serious."

Mildred saw her father off, going to the door with a gay antimacassar over her shoulders and watching him down the drive; then leaving her breakfast-her father's businesslike meals always spoilt hers-went to her room at once; she meant to go out this fine morning, and had better do this first.

But Mildred did not do it: the handwriting was so difficult to decipher, the phraseology so strange, that she found the task beyond her. Moreover, there were business terms which she had no idea how to render in English. After an hour or two's vain struggle, she grew bewildered, and threw down her pen in despair, deciding that it was a shame to spend this lovely morning indoors; she would leave it until the afternoon, and go and see old Daddy Pack; and accompanied by a small mob of dogs, off she went.

Someone else was out in the sunny weather also. Mrs. Garrickson was surprised by Garth's coming home in the middle of the morning.

"What is it? Are you not well, my son?" "Oh yes, mother, there's nothing amiss. There's business at H-- Mr. Caryl wants me to do, and I thought I would come in and change my coat and walk across country; there's no train."

"I'm very glad; the walk will do you good; you're too much indoors. I wish you 'd get a tricycle, Garth." "Oh, I can't afford it, and there's as much oxygen to be had on foot." and he ran up-stairs. Presently he came down again in his second-best suit, and very spruce he looked.

"So Mr. Caryl is home. Garth," called his mother from the kitchen, as he paused in the passage to brush his hat.

"Yes; by the early train, just to see if the umbrellas were right way up in the stand, and they weren't, so he took on, and Simister nearly gave warning." Mrs. Garrickson came to the kitchen door, her hands covered with flour, and laughed an amused little laugh.

"Oh, that pleases them, and it needn't displease you."

Where's the key of the end gate, mother?" "Miss Mildred has it: she came in for a drink of milk on her way to Mr. Pack, and she had forgotten her own, so she took it. You can go by the shooting range."

"Oh. I can jump the wall." and he was going. "Shall you be back to dinner. Garth!" she called after him.

"I don't know. No-yes-don't wait." What did he know of the pie his mother was making and the remnant of meat?

He ran down the steps and out at the gate, clashing it behind him, and went off across the field by the

straight broad path: on his right the slope of the hill and the plain of Lancashire, scores of smoking chimneys already sullying the storm-purified air; on his left a reach of pasture-land, with a farm here and there, his master's land; and from this direction the breeze came sweet and fresh, for between here and Derby was no considerable town; all the Peak district and Dovedale between. On he went, with long, even strides, until the path met the road, a tall iron gate between. Supposing this to be locked, he jumped the wall forthwith, and turned up the rough country road. And now he began to search the land with keen, far-seeing eyes, but no one could he see. Miss Mildred was evidently already on the other side of the hill, and he strode on whistling that little tune of his. But as he neared the top of the hill, where, just past a row of cottages, a lane led off to the left, a clear lilting voice took it up

--and the next moment the dogs rushed round the corner, barking and leaping upon him joyously—they knew Garth-and Mildred followed; while the women, attracted by the noise, put their heads out of their doors, said "Good-morning," and stood respectfully, within possible earshot-the reason, perhaps, why Mildred was a little embarrassed, Garth more than a little stiff. "Why, Garth!" in surprise-it was so unusual to see him out in the morning-"Why, Garth! What is it!"

Your father has come home, Miss Mildred." "Ill? Hurt, Garth!"-in alarm.

"No, no; nothing is the matter-no indeed, Miss Mildred."

"But I knew he had returned; he came to breakfast." "Oh, I did not know; I thought he had come from the station and you could not know, or you would be at home, perhaps."

"At home? Why at home? I am not housekeeper." "Are you not, Miss Mildred?"

"Certainly not, Mrs. Williams would give instant notice if I presumed to interfere. I have been with blind Lucy; now I am going to Daddy. I meant to go over the hill and down through the wood, but it was so wet I had to turn back."

Garth still looked away in grave doubt.

"You managed at the gate, I hope ?" "I got over the wall."

Mildred laughed. "Without trying the gate? How characteristic! It was unlocked."

Garth did not laugh. He said "Well, goodmorning. Miss Mildred; I must go on," pulled off his hat, and crossing the road, struck into a fieldpath, giving her no time for reply.

Mildred turned in a little pique, and pursued her way down the hill. What a simple fellow Garth was. after all what odd notions he had! Of course all his ideas of household economy pointed to there being twice as much provision for two as for one; and of daughterly duty, to her tucking up her sleeves and, if not killing, certainly cooking the fatted hen for her father's consumption. Of course she knew better;