When the life-blood is congealing,

When the heart and brain are reeling,

Christian! cast an anchor,

Wishing for the day.

When the icy hand of sorrow
Lays its grasp upon thy heart,
And the very thought of thinking
Makes thine inmost being start,
When the pulse of hope is failing,
When the last faint star is paling,

Christian! cast an anchor,
Wishing for the day.

When the One who's gone before thee,
In the bitter thorny road,

Bids thee trace the bleeding foot-prints
Of the wounded Son of God !—
When the willing spirit chooses,
And the writhing flesh refuses,

Christian! cast an anchor,
Wishing for the day.

When the corn of wheat is dying
In its dark forgotten tomb,

And the glowing golden harvest

Scarcely glimmers through the gloom, When the hand that sows is weary,

And the barren land looks dreary,

Christian cast an anchor,
Wishing for the day.

When the sound of coming judgment
Falls on many a startled ear,
And a voice is on the mountains,

Lo! the Bridegroom draweth near!
When earth's bravest sons are quaking,

And the world's foundations shaking,

Christian! ride at anchor, 'Tis the break of day!

"THE TIME IS SHORT."

I COR. vii. 29-32.

WHAT a practical doctrine is the prospect of the immediate return of our Lord Jesus Christ! Observe it in these passages. "The time is short." The Apostle's meaning here needs to be understood. The time for everything is limited. There is a time for childhood; but it is soon over, and it passes into youth. There is a time for manhood; but its years are few, and quickly it passes into old age. There is a time for weeping, for rejoicing, for buying and selling; but it has narrow limits. It is passing quickly.

out.

God

So with this dispensation. It is "short." has put a limit to it, and now it has all but run "His times" (1 Timothy vi. 15) are coming, and man's day will be over. Then "a King shall reign in righteousness." It is this outlook that should now fill every Christian's heart, for "the time is at hand."

What are the practical conclusions the Apostle draws from this truth?

The first refers to all domestic relations-for home

influence is the sacred source which gives character to everything in life" they that have wives be as though they had none." The dearest ties and associations of life must not detain the heart. It must be taken up only with Jesus, and every affection must be kept in subjection to Him. There must be a sitting loose to the nearest and dearest for His sake. This must be the test of everything, and must give its character to every domestic duty, and to every affection of the heart.

Secondly, "they that weep as though they wept not." There are the sorrows and trials of life. These too must take their tone from this truth. They are now nearly filled up. We are not like Mary to continue at the sepulchre, but to speed with messages of love to the weeping ones. We must sit loose to our sorrows, for sorrow will soon end.

Thirdly, "they that rejoice as though they rejoiced not." There are joys, but they must not detain the soul. There are hours of delight. God plants flowers in our way; yea, many that are sweet. But to all we must sit loose. The one Rose of Sharon has won our hearts, and this must impart its fragrance to every other. Christ is our joy.

Fourthly, "they that use this world as not abusing it," or "not using it to the full." It does not mean abusing it in the sense of perversion, but only the right use of what is according to God's will. We are to engage in its business, its duties, its call

ings; to use its money, its air, its opportunities for good-to "use" them all for the Lord. Without Him nothing; with Him all things according to His will. And why? "The fashion of this world passeth away." The word "fashion" is here used of the masks the actors wore on the stage. They were masked, or represented other characters-not their Thus everything in this world is masked. It is unreal. It is deceiving and untrue. It cheats and mocks its votaries. It never shows its true side.

own.

But its day is nearly over. The mask shall be torn off. The true, the real, and the beautiful shall shine forth from the brow of the King of kings, and be reflected in everything under heaven. for that day of glory and beauty!

Oh

One more word. "I would have you without carefulness"-not without sorrow; not without trial. No; for "through much tribulation we must enter the Kingdom." But" without carefulness." Christian, cast your care upon Jesus. He can, He will, bear it all for you all the way. Carefulness makes us anxious, distracts and disturbs us, makes the "hands hang down and the knees feeble." Cast it all on God and look up. "The time is short:" "the Lord is at hand;" "lift up your head, for your redemption draweth nigh."

When we reach our peaceful dwelling,

On the strong, eternal hills,

And our praise to Him is swelling

Who the vast creation fills

When the paths of prayer and duty,
And affliction, all are trod,
And we wake and see the beauty
Of our Saviour and our God.

CHORUS.

Oh! 'twill be a glorious morrow
To a dark and stormy day,
When we smile upon our sorrow,
And the streams have pass'd away.

With the light of resurrection,
When our changed bodies glow,
And we gain the full perfection
Of the bliss begun below-
When the life that flesh obscureth
In each radiant form shall shine,
And the joy that aye endureth
Flashes forth in beams divine,

CHORUS.-Oh! 'twill be, &c.

While we wave the palms of glory
Through the long, eternal years,
Shall we e'er forget the story

Of our mortal griefs and fears?
Shall we e'er forget the sadness,
And the clouds that hung so dim,
When our hearts are fill'd with gladness,
And our tears are dried by Him?
CHORUS.-Oh! 'twill be, &c.

Shall the memory be banish'd
Of His kindness and His care,
When the wants and woes are vanish'd,
Which He loved to soothe and share?

All the way by which He led us,
All the grievings which He bore,
All the patient love He taught us,
Shail we think of them no more?

CHORUS.-Oh! 'twill be, &c.