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And whosoever shall give to drink to one of these little ones a cup of cold water only, in the name of a disciple, verily, I say unto you he shall in no wise lose his reward. Matt. 10, 42.

God, who registers the cup

Of mere cold water for His sake,
To a disciple rendered up,

Disdains not his own thirst to slake

At the poorest love that ever was offered.
And because my heart I proffered

With true love trembling at the brim

He suffered me to follow Him.

-Robert Browning.

OME think it beneath the character of God to note the sparrow's fall and to count the hairs of our head. Christ did not so teach regarding His Father's notice of His children. We utterly misunderstand God if we magnify His greatness by setting Him apart from our sorrows in the daily walks of life. If God is our Father then all the concerns of His children are dear to His heart. Away with the idea that you honor God, when you enthrone Him in some dreamy existence like that imputed to Buddha by his followers, who make him in many ways indifferent to the call of his worshippers. I honor that conception of God which gives Him the heart of a mother and the arm of divinity.

Who is like unto Jehovah our God, that hath His seat on high, that humbleth Himself to behold the things that are in heaven and in the earth? Ps. 113: 5, 6. Show Thy marvellous loving-kindness, O Thou that savest by Thy right hand them that take refuge in Thee. Amen. Ps. 17: 7.

2-18 TRIFLES NOTICED-A WORKING RELIGION

49

Where hast thou gleaned to-day? and where hast thou wrought? Ruth 2:19.

Not the days that are passed amid songs and flowers

In dreary, inactive leisure,

But the days that are strong with the stress of toil

Are those of the truest pleasure.

Then let us patiently bear the cross,

Our service and love confessing,

For the life of labor and faith and love

Is the only life of blessing.

-Marianne Farmingham.

CTIVITY in business is likely to take our affections

from God. Every duty should be begun, continued and ended with reference to the will of God. We are constantly in danger of separating too widely between what we call secular and sacred things; we too often put asunder what God has joined together. According to this creed religion is the business of ministers, and business the religion of all other men. Religion is very well for sanctuaries and sabbaths; but it is not suited to the activities of business and the enjoyments of social life. With the locking up of the church and the laying aside of the Sunday garments the duties of religion are also too often locked up and its responsibilities are laid aside. It degrades business and dishonors religion. It is possible to be diligent in duty and yet to serve God.

Righteous art Thou O Jehovah, and upright are Thy judgments. My zeal hath consumed me, because mine adversaries have forgotten Thy words. Thy word is very pure; therefore Thy servant loveth it. Amen. Ps. 119: 137, 139, 140.

Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? And such were some of you; but ye were washed. I Cor. 6: 9.

How much preventing, God, how much I owe
To the defences Thou hast round me set,
Example, custom, fear, occasion slow,
These scornéd bondmen were my parapet.

I dare not peep over the parapet

To gauge with glance the roaring gulf below,
The depths of sin to which I had descended
Had not these me against myself defended.

-Ralph Waldo Emerson.

IN proportion as man is nobler than the animal, he may

become viler than the beast. Made in the image of God, he may sink to a level lower than that of creeping things. We have seen men so fallen that they might be called the devil's castaways, every noble instinct degraded, and every high ideal destroyed. One almost feels justified in turning away from such vile creatures with mingled pity and contempt. But the religion of Christ teaches sentiments nobler and diviner. Even the most degraded of men were made in God's image; that image may be greatly defaced, but it is not entirely effaced. Even the most degraded of men were made to have glorious aspirations. They may yet become god-like. Christ stoops down to the most degraded specimens of humanity with the hand of a brother and with the love of a Saviour. No case is beyond the reach of His love and salvation.

Oh let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end, but establish Thou the righteous. Amen. Ps. 7:9.

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Yours of the 19th inst. is received.

I enclose a selection. I do not know who is

DAVID J. BREWER

photograph.

I LIVE forarge thuloveyours,

For those who know me true,
For the heaven that smile above me
And awaits my spirit o

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For the wrongs that need resistance,
For the cause that needs assistance,
For the future in the distance,

And the good that I can do."

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