made many laugh at consecration. They see nothing of the kind among ordinary Christians, and they have got to think it quite enough to get through life respectably, and get to Heaven at last through the blood of Christ. Oh, what an unworthy thought: to be content to get to Heaven at last, without living a consecrated life! Here we have a view of what we are called to be in Christ, and of what He is able to make us, and came to make us; which, if it was really understood, received and enjoyed, would make a consecrated life to be not merely a thing to be imagined as possible, yet beyond the reach of most people, but would show it to be the only proper life for a Christian to live. We are told here" as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name." The word translated sons" here, in this place, and in the First Epistle of John iii. 1, is quite a different word from the word used by Paul in Rom. viii. 14, Gal. iii. 26, and Gal. iv. 6. The latter word expresses the idea of the adoption and standing of Christians; but this denotes the derivation and origination of our life from God. "As many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons, i.e., children of God," so that they should partake of the Divine nature. Now what a thought that is. The very being of God, as it were, introduced into our nature! Oh, what possibilities of holiness, purity and righteousness are implied in that! God's children! God's children ! Everything that is holy, and pure and good is, then, intended by God to find a place in us, will find a place in us, if we only exercise the faith here spoken of, if we receive Him, and receive Him in all He is. "Even to them that believe on His name." The passage agrees very much with that passage in Gal. iv. 6, "Because ye are sons (that is, "sons" in the Pauline sense; because you have got that standing as justified believers before God in Jesus Christ) "therefore, God hath sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts crying, Abba, Father," that you may be children indeed, as "His Son" was. This is what God has called us to have, to enjoy. This child-spirit, this most wondrous union in life with God Himself, in His blessed Son. And if we read on (verse 14), " and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the Only Begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth;" and again (ver. 16), "Of His fulness have all we received," then, my friends, what ought we to be! If His glory shone forth through the tabernacle of flesh when He was on earth, ought not that same glory (not another), "His glory," the glory of the Incarnate Son-ought it not to be shining through us? Is not that the very object of our consecration meetings? that this glory may find vent through us by our receiving Him, and so manifesting to the world what Jesus is. Oh, is it possible? Can I, sinner as I am, can I, born in sin as I was, can I thus manifest the glory of God in Christ Jesus? Oh, my friends, if so, shall I ever be satisfied without it? Shall I not pray? Shall I not seek that that nature may so take possession of me, so fill me, so expel the old nature, that nothing but Christ may be seen in me? THE NINETY-FIRST PSALM. BY PASTOR T. MONOD. (Read vers. 1-4).--God has to take one precious thing here and another there, to show what He is to those that trust Him. No one thing in nature can fully set forth what God is to us, so that He has to use a variety of illustrations. Feathers are very soft and very warm, but not very strong; so the Psalmist also says, "He is my refuge and my fortress." Our Fortress is a very rock of granite, high and impregnable; and yet, to us who have found our refuge there, it is neither hard nor cold: iron-plated without, it is feather-lined within. (cf. Ps. 61, vers. 3 and 4.) 66 Surely He shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence." Not only from open assault, but from all the hidden snares which thou canst not see. God sees them for thee. "He shall cover thee with His feathers, and under His wings shalt thou trust. His truth shall be thy shield and buckler." Strength and gentleness again. "Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night, nor for the arrow that flieth by day, nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness, nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday." Perhaps after we have ceased to fear the destruction that wasteth at noonday, we are still afraid of the terror by night; but the Lord says, "You shall not be afraid of that either, if you will trust in Me." "Because thou hast made the Lord, which is my refuge, even the Most High, thy habitation, there shall no evil befal thee, neither shall any plague . come nigh thy dwelling." What is your habi- "Thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder"-two and honour him. With long life will I satisfy him, and show him My salvation." Does not this sum up the whole desire of our heart, as it is the desire of God's heart for us? There may be a good deal of discussion about what kind of blessing we want, but will we not all agree to sum it up in this prayer, Show us Thy Salvation! Show us at what cost we are saved. Do you think we know that? What it cost Him? Do we know out of what we are saved, and into what we are saved, now and hereafter? A child standing on the shore, looking at the ocean, says, "I see the ocean." So he does, in a sense, and we do not contradict him; but, after all, is it the ocean that he sees, or only a very small portion of its edge? Thus do we speak of knowing God's "Because he hath set his love upon Me, therefore salvation. Oh, let us ask Him to show it to us! will I deliver him; I will set him on high, because Showing it to us means making us hunger and thirst he hath known My name." Oh, think of this! for it, and then satisfying us; giving us, not "the think of God distinguishing a man, a woman, a second blessing" only, but blessing number three, child, "because he hath set His love upon Me," as and four, and five, and fifty, and one hundred, and being a rare thing. What do men set their love one thousand. Showing us how "His salvation " upon? Upon what is empty and vain, not to say includes forgiveness, peace, light, strength, cleansing upon what is vile and loathsome; at best, upon conquest, heaven, "all things." "His salvation "– parent, children, husbands, wives, friends, whom we it is such a grand thought that it is His salvation. deem worthy of our love. How many are there It is ours, but that is the narrower aspect of it. It who say, "I am in love with God! I have set my is His salvation. And looking at it in that light, is love upon Him; He is altogether lovely." Ah, like gazing into the infinite heavens. Oh, consider God wants our love. His love calls us to this, His salvation. "All the ends of the world shall see that we should set our love upon Him. And when the salvation of our God." In Psalm 1. we read— we have done this, He gives us all He has to give," He that offereth praise glorifieth Me, and to him and seems to say, "What shall I do for thee, that ordereth his conversation aright will I show because thou hast set thy love upon Me? I will the salvation of God." Oh, after our much talking deliver thee, I will set thee on high, I will honour of being consecrated, and delivered, and kept, and thee." purified, and guided, and blessed, let us not forget that it is "to him that ordereth his conversation aright," that is to say, who goes on in humble obedience in the daily path of duty, that God will show His salvation. "Because he hath known My name." His name, that is Himself. You remember who it is who has declared God's name unto us. Jacob said, "Tell me, I pray thee, Thy name," but the Lord would not. "Wherefore is it," He said, "that thou dost ask after My name?" But we hear Jesus say, "I have declared unto them Thy name, and will declare it, that the love wherewith Thou hast loved Me may be in them, and I in them." His name, then, is the name of Love, the name of Father. Do you know God is love? Can you look up to Him and call Him Father? That is knowing His name. "He shall call upon me, and I will answer Him." Remember this then: a prayer meeting, if it is a true prayer meeting, will result in an answer-meeting. "I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him FAITH IN A LIVING CHRIST. BY REV. W. HASLAM. "Let us pass over to the other side" (Mark iv. 35-41). The Lord Jesus Christ, standing on the shore of the Lake of Galilee, where He had fed and taught the multitude, said to His disciples, as He points to the opposite shore, "Let us pass over to the other side." He did not come into this world only to redeem and save us from our lost condition, but also to lead us onward to the glory. Has He saved you? What is the next thing He has to say? own terms and in His own way. It is "Follow Me." We read that the disciples took Jesus, "as He was, into the ship," then they hoisted the sail and proceeded on their voyage. This is the point I wish to bring you to, and to wish you to make a definite venture of faith upon the Master's word. Any one can see that Christian religion does not consist in merely assenting to doctrines and remaining in the world! We must venture and set out for the other shore. Accordingly multitudes set out, and really think they are doing the right thing in so doing; but unhappily they do not take Christ with them. They go out like the people in "the other little ships." Oh! how many embark on the voyage of Christian life without the loving Pilot! They resolve to steer themselves by the chart of the Word, and they intend to protect themselves by their own watchfulness and care. This is not the Lord's will or way. He desires that we should take Him to be our leader and protector; and embark with Him into a new life. He would show to the world a reality and power of grace which they do not know. There is a hymn which says: "My head above the waves He'll bear." I do not agree with this. I do not think we are to be drawn through the waves like this, but rather ride above them with the Master. He would have us walk and live in newness of life. Are we saved? We are like the people on the shore. Have we set out to live a Christian life without a living Christ for our guide? We are like the people in "the other little ships." Have we embarked with Christ? This is right and well ; but we must remember, we have not taken it, but Him! It is with Him we sail who has all power in heaven and on earth, a safe Pilot, and one who is worthy to rule and direct our ways. He is worthy to be obeyed and relied upon whereever He is present. We have all the more liberty when we are under His command. To be free does not mean to be free to do just what we like; this is a carnal idea of freedom, and is indeed the greatest bondage. The service of God is the only perfect freedom. True freedom is real bondage to Christ, for we are bound with stronger chains than those which held us when we were in the chains of sin. We are bound with chains of love to Him who has loved us so well-bound to do His will on His The disciples had to learn this lesson, self-evident as it may appear, by a terrible trial of their faith. They had embarked with Christ bravely enough, and doubtless they were happy in so doing; but soon a hurricane came down upon the sea, and the waves beat into the ship so that it was ready to sink! Peter, being afraid, runs to Christ and finds Him asleep in the hinder part of the ship, where the helmsman ought to be. The Lord is asleep, -Why? Because the disciples' faith in Him as a present guide and deliverer was asleep. They took Christ into the ship, but they did not continue to trust Him. We should not rest on the fact of our surrender, or our taking of Christ, or in anything that we do, or are, but in the living, risen, present Christ. He has conquered the world, and is able to keep us, and make us more than conquerors. Because the disciples had lost sight of this truth, the Lord permitted the waves to beat into the ship; and that is why trials come to us. People come to Keswick and get a blessing, and go away with it instead of Him-the blessing instead of the Blesser. If the storm of temptation or trial comes, and you are ready to sink, do not give it up till the next Keswick Convention, but go, like Peter, to the Master, and tell Him of your fears-tremblingly, it may be, but nevertheless open a communication with Him. You will find that the loving Lord is not unmindful of you, and He knows all about the storm! At Peter's cry the Master rose and rebuked the wind, which was the cause of the waves, and said to the sea, "Be still," and there was calm. What a solemn calm it was! Ask any one who has ever fled to Christ what a wondrous calm has come to his soul, while he has thought-How could I trust the gift and forget the Giver. The disciples were astonished at their sudden deliverance, but to enforce His lesson the Lord asked them two questions: "Why are ye so fearful?" and "How is it that ye have no faith?" Why so fearful? Is it possible that the ship can sink while the Lord is in it? Did the Lord invite them to pass over all the way to the other side, and will He let them sink in the midst of the sea? "Why those fears? behold 'tis Jesus Holds the helm and guides the ship; The man who wrote these lines had the true and living faith which every one who takes Christ for a leader should have. Secondly, How is it you have no faith? Faith does not consist only in taking Christ, but is a continuous thing. The Lord did not say, How is it that you had not faith, but, How is it you have no faith? Let us embark with Christ and continue to trust Him. Let us trust in Him alone, strong in the strength which is in Him. Let us be confident because He is strong-strong in self-despair if you like, but strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. How long is this overcoming guidance to last? Till we reach the other shore, that is the glory to which we are called. Here, it is our privilege to be taken if we take the Lord, and to be carried by Him. Let the world see how He can carry us and keep us in perfect peace. Beloved, the Lord Jesus Christ is a real living person who has power. He can dwell in you and keep you, not only give you grace to keep your besetment under, but enable you to ride triumphantly over these waves. The Apostle says, "I know in whom I have believed, and I am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I have committed to Him till that day." May the Lord bring the teaching of this simple story to our heart, that we may understand how the Lord Jesus Christ undertakes to be a present Saviour. If trials come, be sure they will not come alone. His grace will come with them: His grace, which is sufficient for us. God's children may go on their way singing, for they have cause to rejoice and be glad. Put 'yourself confidingly into His hands, and you will see what a joy and rest it will be; what a peace you will have, a peace which passeth all human knowledge. We cannot explain it, but you may know it by experience, and tell others of it. It shall keep, or garrison, your heart and mind through Jesus Christ. The Rev. C. A. Fox's Address on "Guidance and going," which was delivered on this day, is unavoidably omitted for want of space. We propose printing it in full in our next issue.-ED. BIBLE READING S. TUESDAY. WHO DID HINDER YOU? OR, ISRAEL DEFEATED. BY PASTOR TH. MONOD. rated those meetings. Out of the Oxford and Brighton Conferences grew these annual Conventions at Keswick. Now if there was one prominent characteristic of the Oxford meetings, it was that we did not know what we were about to do; we were in the position of children; we had to get all our guidance from God. We must continue in the same spirit, if we are to be blessed; and God is ever ready to lead us on from one truth, from one grace, to another. Have we all been thus going from strength to strength, being changed into the image of the Lord from glory to glory? And if not, why not? Are any complaining that their life, instead of moving steadily onward and upward, has been a succession of " ups and downs"? Have some, it may be, gone so far as to seek for an excuse and a sort of wretched consolation in the idea that the Christian course must needs be such? . . . . What ! you exclaim, are we to understand that there are no 'ups and downs" for a faithful follower of Christ? Let us be clear upon this point, my brethren. There are UPS AND DOWNS, .... which we must expect, and others which we need never know. The first are of the Lord's sending, to try and to strengthen us; the second are but another name for unbelief and disobedience to the Lord. As one crosses the ocean, one may have "ups and downs," inasmuch as the weather may be in turns fair or stormy; but no passenger understands by "ups and downs" that he shall find himself alternately on the ship and in the sea. Likewise, being in Christ we shall have to go through sunshine and through darkness. He will carry us through temptation and through tribulation; then through times. of peace and deliverance. These are our "ups and downs," but not our being now with Him and now without Him; now in Him, and now beside Him; now within the ark, and now alone amid the billows. In another sense also, one may say that the Christian life is one of ups and downs, inasmuch as no mountain is reached except through a valley, no higher plane except through a lower depth of humiliation. This holds true at every stage, beginning with forgiveness itself, and going on to whatever progress the soul may accomplish in faith, in purity, in power, in patience, in love. There is a darkest hour before the dawn," an empty (Reading of Gal. iv. 28 to v. 25.) We were reminded a moment ago of our meetings at Oxford. None of us who were present can ever forget them, nor must we forget to bear on our hearts and in our prayers the friends who inaugu- | ever ing before the filling, a going down before being lifted up. "He that descended is the same also that ascended" (Eph. iv. 10); so it is said of our Lord, and such is the motto of everyone who would follow Him. It must be our motto at this time, if we would be blessed in deed and in truth. There surely is a longing in many hearts. We yearn to be baptised with the Holy Spirit and with fire, with purity and charity, and power for the service of God. And yet we may be shrinking from the very grace we pray for; willing that the flame should warm and cheer us, hardly ready to let it be a consuming fire, burning into our inmost being to separate us from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit. O to be willing, even as God is willing! Have we not had enough of " ups and downs" of the wrong sort?—of crooked courses, of half-hearted service, of slothfulness, which, we tried to persuade ourselves, it may be, was "the rest of faith," whereas it was the sleep of selfish ease. We speak of our being "members of Christ;" what does this imply if not being used by Christ continually? We expect to use all our members just as we want them. If my foot is my member, I am going to walk with it. If my hand is my member, I am going to work with it. If my tongue is my member, I am going to speak with it. If we are members of Christ, Christ is going to work by us, to walk by us, to speak by us. The substance of the Law and the Gospel is not, "take it easy," as the enemy would have us believe, when he can no longer hold us under the iron yoke of self-effort; the substance of the Gospel is the loving service of God and man. Have we failed in that service? After having "run well," have we been "hindered," and have we, more or less, ceased to "obey the truth"? What has been the matter? Perhaps we may find it out by reading over a page of the Old Testament. Look at the Book of Joshua, chapter vii. verse 8. We see there a strange scene indeed. The lesson of it was pointed out to us lately at Lausanne, by our friend Pastor Stockmayer. I will, as nearly as I can remember, give you what we received from him. Here, then, we have Joshua, who had been so greatly honoured of God: Joshua, to whom after the death of Moses, the Lord had said, "There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life; as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee, I will not fail thee nor forsake thee. Be strong and of a good courage. . . . Be thou strong and very courageous." God had opened up the way before His people; they had triumphed over the kings of the Amorites and the kings of the Amalekites, over Sihon, king of the Amorites, and Og, the king of Bashan. They had "passed clean over Jordan "-"forty thousand prepared for war passed over before the Lord unto battle." (Observe, it was "unto battle" that they passed over Jordan. It will not do, therefore, to say that Canaan symbolises heaven.) On the other side of Jordan, at Gilgal, God "did away with the reproach of Egypt." And then, just by Jericho, came a messenger from heaven, and Joshua went to him and said, "Art thou for us or for our adversaries?" The answer was, "Nay, but as captain of the host of the Lord am I now come; as much as to say, "I have not come to fight against you, nor yet to take my place among your soldiers; I am going to be the Commander, and you only the subordinate officer.". Then Joshua fell on his face and worshipped, and said, "What saith my Lord unto His servant?" Joshua took his place as the servant, and bowed before the Lord. Then came that wonderful siege of Jericho, and you remember how the walls "fell down flat," so that the people went up into the city, every man straight before him. After this great victory, Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai that they might go and view the country. They came back and reported that they need not take much concern about Ai,-"Let not all the people go up; but let about two or three thousand men go up and smite Ai; and make not all the people to labour thither, for they are but few. So there went up thither of the people about three thousand men ; and they fled before the men of Ai." Where do we find Joshua now? "Joshua rent his clothes and fell to the earth upon his face before the Ark of the Lord until the eventide." Hearken to his words, "Alas, oh Lord God, wherefore hast Thou at all brought this people over Jordan, to deliver us into the hands of the Amorites, to destroy us? would to God we had been content and dwelt on the other side of Jordan! Oh, Lord, what shall I say when Israel turneth their backs before their enemies?" What was the reason of their failure? Is not this the important question for us? Have we never turned our backs before our enemies? And why? |