66 But perhaps the two thoughts of all others which connect themselves in our mind with "lilies are royalty and purity. How their names seem to mean a crown! The "Crown Imperial" of the Holy Land, our own "royal" lily, and the sacred Eastern lilies -they sit as queens among their peers. The most regal king "in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these (Matt. vi. 29) said the KING, who yet as a lily" beholds and calls His Church; now as a "lily among thorns" (Cant. ii. 2). Have you ever put one there, in a handful of briars, and seen how soon the tender petals are cut and the outward beauty marred Presently she will be with Him where He is a crowned lily! closes at night. It must see the sun to live a mani- fulness of life, but life out of death. He would fested life. Yet the lilies which have been gathered never have us forget that the place of death is the (Cant. vi. 2), and the lilies which sleep awhile, we only birthplace of life. When we ignore this law, know shall open once more never to close again, for how dry and lifeless we become! And as those lilies there is "no night there." One more, the little lie there so low, "drinking in the water from below, day lily," comes and goes, breathing its breath of and opening out to the sunlight above," they gaze fragrance, as a child-life, only for a day; for what up, and ever upward; as "the lily work" on perfume comes with the lilies! the Temple pillars (1 Kings vii. 22) into heaven, meeting the eye of God; and I think the lily flowers have deep teaching for us here. They lie low, but they look up! "Lord, keep us looking up while we lie low," some one prayed the other day; and the words have woven themselves into my thoughts ever since. It is a blessed thing to be low: we cannot be low enough. I believe the heights of God which we have to climb are like mountains reflected in a crystal lake, the highest peak is the deepest down ; the first step upwards is a step down; we must follow our Leader as He went before. "Now that He ascended, what is it but that He also descended first into the lowest parts of the earth" (Eph. iv. 9). But lying low we are not to be looking low! there is a danger here: when we are cast down, Satan and self would have us gaze at our low place, be occupied with our lowness, till we get almost satisfied with it, instead of outside of it with the Lord, and thus it can become to us a very hill of pride or abyss of despair. Let me not be mistaken: there is a difference between self-imposed discipline and Godgiven discipline. I believe there may be seasons in which God, in dealing with some individual soul, may suffer that soul to rest in seeming darkness for awhile; in which He may judge it in things for I have just one thing more in my heart to say, which it has not accepted its judgment in the and that is about our own water lilies, which do person of Christ; if we will not learn by faith He seem to repay all the considering the Lord meant us will teach us in other ways. such is not His to give them. Coming out and resting on the first purpose or will concerning us. It is that when surface of the water; they so seem a very picture of we are laid low, we may gaze up; right up into resurrection-life. "Buried with Him by baptism the face of our "Sun of Righteousness" as do the unto death" (Rom. vi. 4). Under water, yet water lilies, in peace and joy and great gladness. emerging from it just above it into life: the lilies To Joshua even after defeat came the words, "Whereare exactly on the surface, a very sudden freshet of fore liest thou thus upon thy face?" water only will find them submerged, for in their Lying low, and looking up! And the more we stem is a power to rise or sink; a spiral coil which look up the lower we shall lie; it is the natural expands and contracts according to their need. And consequence. "Mine eye seeth Thee, wherefore I if through any circumstance they rise higher, how abhor myself." "Woe is me.. for mine eyes tiny and dry and withered they become directly have seen the King." It is the LORD who doeth they leave the top of the water; it is contrary to both, if they are really done. "He bringeth low their law of nature. "As the lily"! I think the and lifteth up," and when thy face is up "unto Lord would keep us just there, on the surface; in God," then, "when thou art cast down And for purity! What depth of whiteness there is in a lily corolla- tinted only with its golden dust! "Shall grow as a lily," "made white," (Rev. vii. 14), and "they came out of great tribulation," they had been "among thorns." Of "the sea for the priests to wash in" in that first grand typical Temple, we read: "The brim of it (was) like the work of the brim of a cup-like a lily-flower" (2 Chron. iv. 5; marg.). As if to show how purity was hidden even then under that lily symbol! And "His lips" are "like lilies" (Cant v. 13). But thou shalt say, There is lifting up" (Job xxii. 26, 29, unproved deductions, she then becomes inimical to see marg.). the Bible. There is abundant room for genuine honest research, without any conflict with the word "He feedeth among the lilies" (Cant. ii. 16). The King is satisfied, refreshed among His lilies! | of God. Is it so? The Father gave Him that promise"He shall see, . . . and shall be satisfied" (Isa. liii. 10), and His word cannot fail. "Lord Jesus, we would not have dared tell Thou wouldst be satisfied with anything so frail, and worthless, and weak as we are, but Thy Father hath told Thee; and we have heard it, and so our faith is rising to praise Thee and to claim it possible that THOU SHALT BE SATISFIED according to Thy word; for Thou hast promised I will not leave thee until I have done, until Thou art satisfied!'" B. G. L. H. HOW SHOULD THE BIBLE BE READ?* (PART I) "Take heed what ye hear: with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you: and unto you that hear shall more be given. For he that hath, to him shall be given: and he that hath not, from him shall be taken even that which he hath."-Mark iv. 24, 25. WHO is to be supreme in the domain of human thought and life? Is the Bible, or the Pope, or Natural Science, with Culture, as it is called, to be the guiding star of the present and of the future? This is the burning question of the day. That the Papacy is the enemy of the Bible, is abundantly proved by its deeds and its decrees. Pius VII. says in his Bull :-"The dissemination of the Scriptures is ruin. It is the crafty device through which the foundations of religion are under mined; a pestilence which must be arrested and exterminated; one of the most destructive defile ments of faith in the soul of man." And in an That Natural Science should be a confederate of Popery in its opposition to the Bible, would not be inevitable, if Science would remain in her own sphere; but when she declines to do this, and nega * An Address delivered at the Annual Meeting of the Bible Society, held at Basle, June, 1881. Beside these two external adversaries, the Bible is still further pressed upon by the natural foe it finds in the heart; I mean the inborn enmity of the human will to the Divine. "To be carnally minded is death," and every human heart is by nature carnal, and not spiritual, and exalts its own pleasure and inclination above the will of the living God. Thus on the one side Popery, with its human doctrines and institutions, and on the other Science, with its popular semi-cultivation, entice the multitude. The masses sway between these two forces without any independent investigation, and bow before their authoritative utterances. To all this comes a double influence adverse to the Bible. The first is the critical spirit in which many theologians approach it, constituting themselves its judges, instead of submitting to the Word of God and being judged by it. The second opposing element proceeds from the mass of ephemeral literature which comes in the way of the reading of the Bible, absorbing not only the time, but the taste, for the study of Holy Scripture. But in spite of all this the Bible remains in its glory; in the mighty power which it has exercised from the beginning, and which it still displays. It continues to be the revelation of Divine and saving truth, and is the basis of civilisation, leading to the development of man's highest moral and spiritual faculties. Its influence among the most degraded and savage peoples is always on the increase, subduing barbarism and superstition, and introducing material benefits, as well as the pursuit after the things of the kingdom of heaven. How should the Bible be read in order that it may be best understood, valued and loved ? Putting aside the Apocrypha we have sixtyfive books in the Bible, thirty-eight in the Old, and twenty-seven in the New Testament. As we lay them down before us on the table, we might employ the simile of entering an extensive wood, or a vast park containing a great variety of scenery. Some parts are lighter and more open, some more thickly planted than others. And yet its multitudinous parts form one united whole, and examining it more closely we find that the same air blows through the leaves; that the same perfumes exhale from them, and that every part is animated by the same directing, informing spirit. But let us penetrate farther into the wood, and inspect it more minutely. be discouraged, but read on. I should like to dwell on three ways of reading reading the Bible as they are in prayer. Do not give up till you have read at least one chapter. the Bible. I would call the first the straightforward way. A man goes straight into the wood, proceeds from one part to another, reads one chapter after another, and having finished the Old Testament begins at the New; or he reads a chapter of the New Testament in the morning, and of the Old in the evening, so as to get into the wood on both sides the same day. When the whole is read through, some (though certainly not many) begin at the end and read backwards towards the beginning. By adopting this method, the stream, to employ another simile, is traced from its mouth to its source, and then followed down the current and investigated again. I have myself found it interesting and edifying, first to read a chapter from the beginning, and then to begin at the end, and read it back again. We are led to ask, "What says the chapter at the end, what at the beginning, what in the middle?" and so to get a better general view and a clearer insight, and to see the connection between the various thoughts; for in reading the Bible many people commit the opposite fault to Lot's wife. She looked back upon burning Sodom; but many Bible readers, though they read further on, never look back upon what they have read, and (in the worst sense) forget what is behind. If we read the Scriptures straight through, and its individual books from the beginning to the end, it is highly necessary to look back at what has been read, or else the reader misses the connection in which the chapters stand to one another. And yet it is just the insight into the connection, and the progressive thoughts, that make the heart glad. In this way attention is kept awake, and the words of our text are fulfilled: "Take heed how ye hear, or what ye read.” If we bring zeal, attention, and longing for the truth to our reading of the Bible, we shall find God's Spirit ministering to us much understanding and knowledge of it, and if we hold fast that which we have gained, we shall have more given us in our continual reading, till we arrive at the full measure which God has promised us. If, in reading the Scripture, we come to some apparently barren and unattractive parts, let us not II. We now come to the second way of reading the Bible, in which the whole wood is not traversed step by step, but various parts are visited, the lighter and clearer spots are sought out, and the heavier and darker left for awhile. Portions of the Bible are selected which carry their own explanation with them, or are calculated to make a special impression on heart and mind. This will be done more particularly on special occasions, such as a birthday, or other anniversary, a parting, a meeting, a happy reminiscence, or when placed in a solemn, and perhaps sad and anxious position. At such times a portion of God's word embodying our gratitude may be chosen, or some part containing petitions for instruction, guidance, or consolation. A Bible calender can also be used, and in this way there is the consciousness of being in communion with a large portion of the Christian Church, and the feeling of brotherhood is vivified and strengthened. The third way of reading the Scriptures is neither going straight through the wood, nor visiting individual places, but taking a separate detached portion for thorough study and investigation, and becoming acquainted with it according to its position and arrangement. In this way we master the contents of the portion we have selected, in all its extent and bearings, making the thoughts that run through it less of a study, than the external connection of the various parts. As with an interesting house, or an old castle, which we first consider from the outside, contemplating its walls, its position, its windows, its towers, its external form and apparent capabilities, and afterwards enter to examine its rooms more in detail, with the furniture and decorations,- so may we take the several books of the Bible, and study them with regard to their outward construction, and the relation of the chapters to one another. It is not necessary to enter now into the history of the division of the Bible into books and chapters. We take it up and read it in the form in which it lies before us. We thus form an external [acquaint The third little book, containing Psalms 73 to 89, concludes with the doxology, "Blessed be the Lord for evermore: Amen and Amen." We find in it eleven psalms of Asaph, and it begins with the ance with it, and prepare ourselves for a more intimate knowledge of its contents. This is an excellent plan to adopt with children either at school or at home. Permit me for a few moments to illustrate my remarkable psalm concerning the happiness of the meaning, as if we were in a school. Let us take up the Psalms. Children are generally told that there are psalms of praise and thanksgiving, of petition, penitence, complaint, consolation, instruction and admonition, and also Messianic psalms. These divisions are certainly correct, but a great confusion remains, notwithstanding, in the children's minds. The Psalms appear to them like a heaving sea, with glittering waves, and not like a well laid out garden, with defined beds and paths. It would be far plainer if we said: The Psalms fall into five little books, each concluding with a doxology, or ascription of praise to God, and a double amen or hallelujah. The first book extends from the 1st to the 41st Psalm, which concludes with, "Blessed be the Lord God of Israel from everlasting, and to everlasting. Amen and Amen." The children eagerly find this out, and their attention can then be drawn to those Psalms which stand forth as high mountains: like the 2nd Psalm, which proclaims the Kingdom of the Son of God; the 12th, which describes the revolt of man from God; the 22nd, which prophesies the sufferings and death of the Son of God; and the 32nd, which expresses the blessedness of the man whose sins are forgiven. The children's favourite Psalm, the 23rd, will also be pointed out-"The Lord is my Shepherd." The second little book embraces the Psalms between the 42nd and the 72nd, at the end of which are the words, "Blessed be the Lord God, the God of Israel, who only doeth wondrous things, and blessed be His glorious name for ever; and let the whole earth be filled with His glory. Amen and Amen." If the first of these little psalters began with the words, "Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly," the second opens with the longing cry, "As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after Thee, O God." It has at the beginning seven precious songs "for the children of Korah." And just in the middle five golden jewels of David, Psalms 56 to 60. But the most striking Psalm in this collection is the grand penitential Psalm, the 51st, "Have mercy upon me, O God, according to Thy lovingkindness." wicked, and the sorrows of the righteous, "Truly God is good to Israel." The fourth book, from Psalm 90 to 106, ends with the words, "Blessed be the Lord God of Israel from everlasting to everlasting; and let all the people say, Amen, praise ye the Lord." Its first psalm is the glorious, sublime prayer of Moses-the Man of God-"Lord, Thou hast been our dwelling-place in all generations." It appeals to us as one of the oldest psalms, and the outpouring of the heart of one of the mightiest men of history. The fifth book begins with the 107th Psalm, "O give thanks unto the Lord, for He is good; for His mercy endureth for ever." In this division is the 119th Psalm, which declares the glory of the Divine Word, and, according to the letters of the Hebrew alphabet, is divided into twenty-two portions-each eight verses long; so that the preciousness of the Word of God is celebrated 176 times. Children generally show a great pleasure in thus studying the Psalter, and easily learn many of the psalms by heart. They know their way among them, so to speak, and their pleasure in reading them alone is much increased. (To be continued.) WE HAVE TO DO WITH JESUS.* BY PASTOR STOCKMAYER. THERE is one passage, that links itself with others, -I would bring before you, 1 Tim. ii. 5, 6, R.V., "For there is one God, one Mediator also between God and men, Himself man, Christ Jesus, who gave Himself a ransom for all; the testimony to be borne in its own times."-"I am thy God who brought thee out of the house of servitude." One God and one Mediator, Jesus Christ; and what I should like to tell once more is simply this-we have to do with Jesus in all things. We have to do with Jesus in all questions. "The Lord is my Helper, I will not fear what man shall do unto me." "They shall be all taught of God." We receive, instruction, direction, food, keeping, protection, all from Him. We have to do with Jesus. The Lord has given Him as a Mediator. "There is one Mediator," and Notes of an Address delivered at Keswick, July 31st, 1881. this Mediator is jealous; He gives not His sheep into other hands, He keeps them under His special care; for every day's work, every difficult region of life, in every sorrow and trial, we have to do with Jesus. The most degraded with whom we ourselves would not come in contact, could approach Jesus, they were received, answered, helped, when they came into contact with Jesus. "We have to do with Jesus." "What shall we then say to these things?" What is our conclusion? What are the consequences? "If God be for us, who can be against us? He that spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not also with Him freely give us all things?" (Rom. viii. 31, 32). Freely, mercifully give, without merit, to people who are not worthy to receive anything, or to come in contact with Jesus. God gave Him to us, and what He has given up God cannot keep. He cannot withhold any good from His people, His heart does not permit Him. The Father's heart of God constrains Him. We will take some instances from the old Testament. Once more let me remind you of Israel before Ai. Jericho had been conquered by them, and now they were defeated before Ai. Why? Because they must have to do with God, and we must have to do with the Lord Jesus. If we find we have no victory over sin, or that we cannot go through the day's work, there must be some real reason for it, hidden perhaps from us, but He knows it. We must go to Him, humble ourselves before Him, ask Him to show us the cause. The Father is always ready to tell His children the reason if they do not know it. If the passage is not open to His heart, that matter must be settled first. Israel could not stand against the enemy because they had accursed things with them, which must be taken away. We must get into the attitude of a soul that is consecrated to God, and has nothing to do with the world; then there is victory. Turn to the life of Jacob (Gen. xxxv.). He went back to Bethel; the moment was come that he was about to build an altar to God. "Then Jacob said unto his household, and to all that were with him, Put away the strange gods that are among you, and be clean, and change your garments." Then we read, "they journeyed; and the terror of God was upon the cities that were round about them, and they did not pursue after the sons of Jacob" (vers. 2-5). Now you are about to go home, and you see a multitude of cities-difficulties which look as if they would not permit you to get through; then remember you have only to settle all between you and the Saviour. When you made a full surrender of yourself to Him, then He undertook to keep you. Let enemies be ever so many, we have to do with Jesus, and not with our enemies. It is His affair; and when we are resting, trusting Him, He will take charge, and none will be permitted to pursue us. His terror, His mighty hand, shall come between us and the difficulty. Only let us be open to Godward, everything discovered before His eyes, and our enemies will let us go through, and in safety. Take 1 Sam. vii. Samuel was judge, and Israel had been oppressed by the Philistines twenty years. They cried, and they suffered, and Samuel said, "If ye do return unto the Lord with all your hearts, then put away the strange gods and Ashtaroth from among you, and prepare your hearts unto the Lord, and serve Him only, and He will deliver you out of the hands of the Philistines" (ver. 3). They did so. Then came the enemies. When you go home from the Convention, and see all the difficulties rising up, and the devil says, "You shall not get the victory," remember we have nothing to do with the devil; we have nothing to do with the evil of our own hearts, or with enemies, visible or invisible, but only with Jesus, for the past and for the present, and the Lord will make His thunder heard. Then Samuel offered a burnt offering, and as he was offering, "The Philistines drew near to battle against Israel "—they often come near after days of blessing-" but the Lord thundered with a great thunder on that day upon the Philistines, and discomfited them; and they were smitten before Israel" (ver. 10). The last passage, from the New Testament, I will bring before you is 1 Cor. iii. 21-23: "Therefore let no man glory in men, for all things are yours.” We have to do with Jesus, we have not to do with men. There is one Guide, one Mediator; we have to do personally with Him. If you are Christ's youare redeemed, and so become His property for ever; if you are Christ's in a plain, full sense, then all things are yours. There are many children of God who have been delivered from fear of death, but they fear life-they have a fear of following. There is that visitor coming! You do not know how you shall testify before that cousin, or relation, who has authority over you. You are Christ's. Do not fear"all things are yours": "The world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come "-all |