confidence in Abraham was given : “I know him, sbalt not covet.” At the beginning, therefore, God's that he shall command his children and his house - person ; at the end, man's evil desires. hold after him, and they shall keep the way of the God, who created the heavens and the earth, Lord.”

stands before us in all His supreme greatness and The Ten Commandments, the compendium of all majesty, and at the same time in all His wonderful morality, are chiefly negative; they are for the most condescension to the special work which He has part prohibitive. Evil is nearer to man than good, resolved to accomplish with regard to the world as all experience teaches, notwithstanding the asser- and to mankind. This point can be traced out tion of some theorisers and idealists to the contrary; through the whole Biblo. Wo have no timo or therefore in any scund code of morals the evil of space for it now. humanity must be acknowledged, and be contested, And on the other hand, there is the teaching or else virtue will only be a baseless structure upon regarding man. The conclusion of the Decalogue the slough of sin. And yet the positive command describes him as a being beset by guilty desires, of love is contained in the Decalogue, as the blossom while it was previously said of him that he was in the plant. The two great lines of lovo are indi- made in the image and likeness of God. Herein is cated in the books of Moses, though they do not his glory, and also his deep humiliation, from which unite as yet : “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God the necessity of a redemption becomes clear. But with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with of this, too, we cannot now say more. all thy might;" and "Thou shalt love thy neighbour Wo may proceed a little farther, and point out as thyself."

that the Bible is also the book of Divine miracle If we proceed on these principles through the pro- and of human sin. God's miracles and man's sin phetical books, we shall find the Ten Commandments correspond with one another. He interrupts for a developed, and placed in clearer light, and also the moment the ordinary course of things, not to two lines of the law of love brought out into fuller supersede the laws of nature, but to bring them and radiance. We shall also see the righteous judgment mankind into the right way. of God against sin made more plainly manifest, for But the sins of men must not only be described without anger and zeal against sin there can exist in words, they must also appear in all their enormity 110 real love and mercy for the offender.

in special histories. Sin may be called the miracle At last the morality of the Bible attains its con- of man, by it he breaks through the order established summation. The moral law, written originally on in himself and in nature, not to restore again, but stone, becomes, in Christ Jesus, a personal life. All hopelessly to ruin it. In order to represent the the prohibitions are in Him concentrated in holy enormity of sin, which man's unaided reason is indefiance of evil; all the commandments glow in the sufficient to grasp, the Bible must of necessity light of self-renouncing love to God and man. relate the most dreadful instances of it, so that,

Thus we recommend the intelligent Bible reader becoming aware of the deadly foe that slumbers in first to consider the book as a compendium of morals. his own heart, man may learn to awake to his He will bring his conscience face to face with it, and danger, and repent of his sin. will find that the Bible is in very deed the deepest, The consideration of these two points will lead us and most glorious, and utterly divine revelation of on to two others, the prophecies of God, and the morality.

earnest longing of man. The diligent reader of the But two other views of truth will have uncon- Bible may represent to himself two kinds of trees, sciously presented themselves to the student of the placed side by side in the wood, the one showing the Word of God - the revelation of God concerning exceeding grace of God, the other the abounding Himself, and concerning the human race. God's misery of man; both point to the redemption of revelation of Himself joins the first sentence of humanity by Christ, and to the transformation of the Decalogue to His declaration in Paradise : "I the earth and mankind into the kingdom of God. am the Lord thy God."

It remains for me just to indicate the wonderful, The other line of revelation regarding man con- but, on the part of the writers, the unintentional nects itself with the conclusion of the Decalogue, harmony that runs through the Bible. It especially and the words spoken in the Garden of Eden: "Thou lies before us as a fact, in the accordance of the

a

cess.

first three and the last three chapters. In the third I would like to quote, as far as I can remember, chapter, we have the appearance of the serpent, of the words of one on this side the Channel who is sin, and of death. The last but two records the also well known and loved on our English side. casting-out of the devil, the removal of sin, and the He said, “If any one says he has got anything resurrection of the dead. In the second chapter of more (we have not so much, but) we do well to the Scriptures, we read of Paradise; in the last but listen to what he has to say.” That is the spirit one, of the new Jerusalem, that comes down to of “a little child"; to whom the Lord will reveal earth, as a compensation for the first Paradise. In great and hidden things. the first chapter, the creation of the heavens and I. Whal is then this cleansing, and why are we, the earth is related; in the last, as the continuation the people of God, who should be a clean people so of the last but one, that of the new heavens and afraid of it? “Now ye are clean through the word the new earth is recorded.

I have spoken unto you." I quote the whole verse Read the Bible with zeal and devotion; consider lest any should be stumbled. I cannot see in what it as to the outward form of its books; investigate abstract sense we can speak of the word as cleansing, its deep, its high, its divine contents; read it for otherwise than that it is God's means of revealing the sake of your own soul, for the sake of your to man his sin and sinfulness, and at the same time household, your church, your nation, for the social the remedy for sin and way of purification. As has welfare of the whole community and of humanity. been shown by many, possibly we have the same Make it the foundation of your conflict and suffering, thing in symbol, in the "laver” made of the of your hope and your future glory. “The Word “looking glasses,” or again in “The laver of water of God remaineth for ever!” Therefore take heed with the word” (Eph. v. 26, marg. R.V.). Neither how ye hear, and how ye read. “With what is this cleansing, though complete, a completed promeasure ye mete, it shall be measured to you; and

There is inore to follow. A little further on unto you that hear shall more be given." Amen. we read, "Sanctify them in Thy truth” (John xvii.

17, R.V., marg. consecrate). And in the words of Paul, in the passage to which I have referred, “ that

He might sanctify it, having cleansed it.” It is “NOW YE ARE CLEAN."

not the end, but the beginning; not the consumWONDROUS words from One of purer eyes than mation, but the very commencement of all real to behold iniquity, and purer lips than to speak sanctification. deceit! From One who knew what was in man, I will again repeat on this subject of " being and could analyse the thoughts and intents of the cleansed” and yet “clean,” the words of the one heart, discerning the hidden purpose, and weighing before alluded to, --referring to an illustration in the the secret motive. From One whose eternal God- testimony which appeared in the Christian of head made it an impossibility that He could err or be February 23, written in the very spirit of the Master; mistaken, as regards person, or time, or anything else. he said, “ While the bar of the water-cart is under

“Now ye are clean.” In a very primary sense, the water being cleansed, whatever we say of it, it it may have been. Still the words are recorded, would not be a very wise thing to say it is not written twice over for our learning (John xiii. 10 clean ; by the side of the rest of the cart it would and xv. 3), and written at a time when we might not show the highest wisdom to say it was dirty !” not have expected them, and where we certainly Perhaps this may help some, as it did me, to undershould not have placed them.

stand, and not misunderstand, this side of the truth. In these days we hear and read a great deal about For if the water of the cart were worth anything at this word “clean”; an "old" treasure brought out all—any of the purifying power attributed to it—the of the "storehouse" into the light with new power the bar could not be anything else but “clean” as and freshness? Some think so, and others shrink long as it remained in that position. Speaking to back terrified and affrighted because someone's faith those who believe there is cleansing power in the has dared to inscribe God's great NOW" over | blood of the Lamb: in the same way, may it not another blessing; new to them only because they be an imputation to the power of the blood of have had no eyes to see it before,

Christ to cleanse, if we dare say of a soul abiding

in and under the blood that “it is not clean;" in which we may somehow wake up into in glory; and the measure that it so abides. So it seems to me. to possess it a moment before that time would be Should we not rather say, “ being cleansed, and not only wrong, but absolutely dangerous. Now, therefore clean, yea, kept clean because of the con- the question is,tinual cleansing.” That is, if the purifying stream II. Where does God place this blessing? If has any of the power at all that it claims to have; Jehovah says of anything now, we have no right to and HOW MUCH MORE, if it indeed possesses all the say afterward; if He stamps it for Time, we have power to purify with which God has endowed absolutely no right to say Eternity. This is evident. it, and which we confess in words at least to believe I quote now from the brother referred to above. On that it has ? I know there are grander unfathomable this question of a clean heart he said, “ God would depths of meaning to this truth, as to all other, never bid us pray for what He would not give us." which is infinite and divine; I know the blessed He never holds out to us what we may not have. cleansing current flows on and in, and ever will tlow Never! He does not pile up blessing for us, and on and penetrate into inmost recesses of being, not then put an impassable barrier between us and it; reached at the surface, and not touched all at once to laugh us to scorn while we vainly attempt to perhaps, till it enters into, steeping in its purifying attain it. Would He be the God He is to do such medium all the elements of our nature, thus pre- a thing? An omnipotent fiend might devise such a paring place for the Spirit-power that is to follow ; plan; but our God never-a thousandfold never ! for on the blood was poured the Holy Oil ; with What then means such language as this : “ He that man's flesh it might in no case come in contact. hath clean hands and a pure heart," he “shall Still, clearly at its very onset, it has the same cleans- ascend into the hill of the Lord,” see God face to ing property as at the end ; as far as it penetrates face, and “ he shall receive the blessing of the it makes pure, and the result is, and must be no Lord;" or the New Testament version of the same other than this,—"Now ye are clean.” We have truth," the pure in heart shall see God.” What learnt when God is keeper He keeps; and we means it if the whole thing is a myth-an impossihave renounced the God-dishonouring fear which bility ? Rather than fear and doubt, or cavil over dare not say to the glory of His grace that we are words and definitions, let us lie low on our face kept. Why should we fear to say, “ because He before the Lord and ask Him to teach us; lest, percleanseth, therefore we are clean," in a little measure adventure, in our zeal “ about questions," we lose it may be, compared with His mighty thought ;- for ourselves and for the Church some mighty I believe there are depths of purification of which impetus of the Holy Ghost we may never receive we know nothing; still, because He is doing it, it again. cannot be an imperfect work; therefore when He in the words I have chosen we see Jesus speaking

Where, then, does the Lord place this blessing? says, “Now, are ye clean,” shall not we be one with to His disciples-surely not at a very cxalted epoch Him, and shall not our hearts say, if we are sub- of their history; their human frailty and weakmitting to the cleansing, “ Yes, Lord, to the praise of ness was about to be tested and proved a failure Thy glory”? It is the beginning of so much, of such to its utmost capacity of being so tested and new life, thus to agree with God! No wonder the proved, yet just then, very simply and clearly, He Arch-enemy of souls, at the sight of the blessing taken-says: “Now ye are clean.”.

—the Lord, who could not lie, or even be mis

We should which he knows is to come, stands at the entry to have said impossible. After the humiliation of the baffle us with terrible fear and doubt, and tell us

" denial
and the "

forsaking' had been done with all the effrontery of the Evil One that it is away, and after the power of the Holy Ghost over“not for us," or even dares to contradict the eternal been brought from darkness to light, so that it was

shadowing them had come, and many souls had word, and mutter at least “Not now.” Shall we manifest to all that mighty work had been done ; listen to him who is "a liar,” or shall we forget then it might be they had some pretension to our fear and believe in God?

be clean.” We should have put it out there, I think one great cause of this trembling fear brethren; we do often—but Jesus, who knew, and among honest-seeking souls is that they put this who knows, says, at another place and another time,

“ Now are ye clean.” blessing where God does not put it; they make it

France.

B. G. L. H. the end—a grand mercy attained on a death-bed, or

(To be continuerl.)

(John x. 28). The second is to bestow the power to walk and work according to His will (Heb. xiii. 20).

4. As the Good Shepherd He knows His sheep (John x. 14, 27); calls them by name (John x. 3); guides them (John x. 4); feeds them (John x. 9); cherishes them tenderly (Isa. xl. 11); and, finally, gathers them together in one great flock (John x. 16).

How many thoughts crowd the mind as we ponder these things," He knows them." Is this true, believer, that in thy weakest moments, when threatened with temptation on every side, He knows? Yes, most true. You are not only not lost in a crowd, but each one is known to Him under all circumstances, whether of sorrow or joy. And so of all the other blessings. He calls thee, guides thee, feeds thee, cherishes thy weak faith, and shelters thee in the storm; and you will one day hear His voice acknowledging your name before His Father's throne.

THE titles given to and taken by our Lord are all instructive. Especially are they very helpful to those who seek to follow Christ fully. "What is thy Name?" was the question put by one of old when meeting with the Great Conqueror who, having defeated him, then blessed him (Gen. xxxii. 29). And the question was repeated afterwards once and again when the same Deliverer appeared to succour His downcast people, or to lead them on to victory (Judges xiii. 17; Joshua v. 13). Nor is this to be wondered at. The name of a great king, a great conqueror, a great deliverer, is suggestive of power, 5. But His office of Chief Shepherd has yet to and imparts courage to those who are in need. The be manifested (1 Pet. v. 4). It is as the Chief Shepsubject is large, and well worth a close study. It herd that He is to bestow the crown of glory upon will be found that the name of Christ is a power of all who have faithfully fulfilled the trust committed far deeper significance than most of us have hitherto to them. A crown of glory-this is the rewardthought. whatever may be meant by it. "Enter thou into At present let us look only at the title above the joy of thy Lord" (Matt. xxv. 21), seems to given-The Great Shepherd.

1. It was one of the earliest titles foretold. In the blessing given to Him who was to be the representative of the suffering and triumph of the Church, Christ is spoken of as the Shepherd and Stone of Israel-the source of strength, as well as the Protector-Gen. xlix. 24; Isa. xl. 11; Ezek. xxxiv. 23; and Zech. xiii. 7. All give Him this title of Shepherd.

2. Three adjectives are prefixed-Great Shepherd (Heb. xiii. 20); Good Shepherd (John x. 11, 14); and Chief Shepherd (1 Pet. v. 4). Let us look at

each of these in order.

3. Great Shepherd is used with reference to the everlasting Covenant of Atonement for sin, sealed by His own blood, and the bestowal of the blessing of which this is the starting point of all that believe. To obtain this power, and to give these blessings, He laid down His life for the sheep (John x. 11, 15). The first of these gifts is eternal life

Well may our joy be full at the reception of such a position as this.

indicate its character in some measure. The joy set before Him was the salvation and restoration of His Church.

Towards the accomplishment of this purpose, all are shepherds in their measure and according to their capacity. To save and to restore. This is your commission, believer. Saved yourself, and in process of being restored to the image of God, hand on these blessings to others. Let no efforts suffice; let no opportunity be lost. The return of the Chief Shepherd is near. Let the exulting joy of pleasing Him and of receiving His approval be your strength in all your labour and service of love.

HENRY F. BOWKER.

REAL living Bible Christianity has nothing to conceal. She says to all forms of investigation and inquiry, as Philip said to doubting Nathanael, "Come and see."-Johnston.