"IMMORTALITY cannot be demonstrated, like a problem from Euclid, on a blackboard. How can I prove the spirituality of Beethoven's music to one who has never cared for music? Life comes first, beliefs afterward. Stars were before astronomy, flowers before botany, lan guage before grammar, and religion before theology. We must live before we can believe."- From The Other Room.

9-23 UNFATHOMABLE KNOWLEDGE-THE KING

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And He shall bear the glory, and shall sit and rule upon His throne; and He shall be a priest upon His throne. Zech. 6: 13.

Dear Love, that heeds the bird in nest,
The singing bird, the dead in wood;

Great Love! that smiles from east to west,
And fills all places as a flood.

Avenging Love! But who shall call,
Avenge me, Lord. O Christ, we see
The lifted hands have wounds! we fall
In silent shame to worship Thee.

-Caroline Chesebro.

I

T is certain that Jesus rules this world; that his pierced hand is on the sceptre of the universe, and that his will is law in heaven above and on earth beneath. Jesus Christ has never abdicated his throne. No mandate of materialism can ever banish God from his universe. He walks amid his stars in sublime majesty; but he walks amid his grape vines and rose bushes in creative power and ornative glory. He threads the milky way in unique splendor; but no less does he walk in the lowliest vales trodden by his humblest saints. Loftier than all the thrones of earth and mightier than all the sceptres of czars, emperors, and kings, is the august throne and resistless sceptre of the Christ of God.

We give Thee thanks, O Lord God, the Almighty, who art, and who wast; because Thou hast taken Thy great power, and didst reign. Amen. Rev. 11: 17.

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. I John 1: 9.

I bow my forehead to the dust,

I veil mine eyes for shame,

And urge, with trembling self-distrust,

A prayer without a claim.

I see the wrong that round me lies,

I feel the guilt within;

I hear, with groan and travail cries,
The world confess its sin.

-John Greenleaf Whittier.

HESE words have given comfort and inspiration to

many doubting and fearful hearts. They have often come as a message from God himself to sinful and struggling souls. They sing themselves in our hearts now as strains of sweet and heavenly music. They will never lose their meaning nor their inspiring ministry until this sinful world is fully converted to God. They stand in the Scripture in close connection with the assertion that if we say we have no sin we are guilty of deceiving ourselves, and thus we prove that the truth is not in us. But while we are obliged to confess that we have sinned we may cherish the joyous hope of being cleansed from all unrighteousness. No man in his senses dare say in the sight of God he is without sin; but every penitent soul may confess his sin, and rejoice in God's forgiving grace.

I acknowledged my sin unto Thee, and mine iniquity did I not hide; I said, I will confess my transgressions unto Jehovah; and Thou forgavest the iniquity of my sins. Amen. Ps. 32: 5.

9-25

CONFESSION OF SIN-OBEDIENCE

Whatsoever He saith unto you, do it. John 2: 5.

I am so glad to think

I am not bound to make the world go right,
But only to discover and to do

With cheerful heart the work that God appoints.

-Jean Ingelow.

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NE of the sweetest words spoken by any woman in the New Testament, was spoken by Mary, the mother of Jesus. Yonder the guests were assembled at the wedding in Cana of Galilee. A perplexity had arisen about the wine. The supply is failing; the hosts are extremely anxious; the servants know not what they shall do; but the mother of Jesus goes to them and says, whatsoever he saith unto you, do it." She was not inspired, she was not divine; she does not deserve the idolatrous worship often ignorantly or wickedly offered her, but she uttered a wholesome and sublime truth at that wedding feast. Why stand hesitating when Jesus speaks? He is King in Zion. not what men may say, care wholly what Jesus says.

I have sworn, and have confirmed it, that I will observe Thy righteous ordinances. Teach me, O Jehovah, the way of Thy statutes; and I shall keep it unto the end. Give me understanding and I shall keep Thy law: yea, I shall observe it with my whole heart. Amen. Ps. 119: 106, 33, 34.