Nor have a single plan apart

From Him, the Sovereign of her heart;
But hang upon His every word,
And treasure up each accent heard,
Each tone of love, each-less than tone,
Each look of love that said, "Mine own!"
And never, never turn away

From so much love, and coldly say,
"I have not time for Thee to-day!"

O JESUS! Wondrous, loving Lord!
Untired still! Be Thou adored!
Thy patience with Thy fickle Bride
May well attract her to Thy side!
Oh that she may Thy whisper hear,
"Return! return! for I am near!"
And ever henceforth taste and see
That all her Fresh Springs are in Thee!

From "Fresh Springs,"

by the Author of the "Old, Old Story."

THE WORD of God.

ISAIAH lv. 10, 13.

MARK the design of God in giving us His Word— "that it may give seed to the sower and bread to the eater.' "Bread to the eater -thus Christ and His Word are to be taken in as food. "Seed to

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the sower"—thus Christ and His Word are to be given out. This is the double purpose in the gift of Christ and His Word. We are to take Him into our souls first of all. "I am the bread of life." "He that eateth Me, he shall live by Me." "Thy words were found and I did eat them." After we have thus taken in Christ ourselves, we are to make him known to others. "Cast thy bread upon the waters." If Jesus be indeed your bread, if you are living upon Him, then make Him known to others. You are the " sower; the "seed" is Christ. Go sow this seed in some

heart around you. But in order to do this, you yourself must be living on Christ. Only those who are living on Christ can speak for Christ. If, reader, your daily life be not a continued taking in of the Bread of Life to your own soul, you are no witness for Him to others, though you be a Christian.

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Your life is a blank. You are living to yourself; and when the Lord comes, shame and confusion will cover your face. You feel that He has died for you, and that you are saved from wrath through Him. This perhaps is all that concerns you. His glory you have not deeply at heart. Go through the hours of the day, and ask yourself, In how many of them have I been anxious for my Saviour's glory? What cross have I taken up for Him? What pleasure denied for Him? What desire given up for Him? What hasty word or temper held in check for Him? What are you doing for Jesus in this way? Does each day see some secret conflict waged with the flesh for His sake? Are your besetting sins battled with? Are you struggling with some secret propensity, or habit, or inclination, in His strength and for His sake? What are you doing for Christ? What are you suffering for Christ? Again, let me remind you if there is no conflict can there be any real spiritual life? If there be no taking up of some daily cross for His sake, can there be any love to the Saviour, or any concern for His glory? Oh, see to it, reader, that while you have a name to live, you are not dead.

Secondly,-Observe in these words the natural fruit of the heart-"thorns and briers." Mark the fruit of the Spirit-the "fir-tree" and the "myrtletree." Which of these is thine? Unless a great change has passed over you, you are bearing fruit that must be burned. There may be much that is

beautiful in your natural character, much about you that even the Saviour, were He here, might say, as He did of one of old-"Jesus beholding him, loved him." But with all this you are "dead in sins," "having no hope, and without God in the world." Have you been convinced of sin? Have you in your soul any sense of your utter ruin? Is there within you any breathing after God, any longing for more likeness to Christ? Are you very little in your own eyes, and is Christ very, very precious to you ? What say you to these questions, reader? The Lord expects an answer to them. in His name to your heart this day. you grace not to pass over them. you to thought; may thought lead may prayer lead you to Christ. know what it is to "go out with joy and be led forth with peace."

I put them May God give May they lead

you to prayer ; · Then will you also

Unconverted one, lover of pleasure more than lover of God, bringing forth only "thorns and briers," what shall I say to thee? I will speak no word of mine, but leave my Master's with thee. Oh, may God write it deeply on thine heart!"That which beareth thorns and briers is rejected, and is nigh unto cursing; WHOSE END IS TO BE BURNED (Heb. vi. 8).

Christ never asks of us such heavy labour

As leaves no time for resting at His feet;
The waiting attitude of expectation

He oft-times counts a service most complete.

He sometimes wants our ear-our rapt attention,
That He some sweetest secret may impart;
'Tis always in the time of deepest stillness
That heart finds deepest fellowship with heart.

We sometimes wonder why our Lord doth place us
Within a sphere so narrow, so obscure,

That nothing we call work can find an entrance;
There's only room to suffer-to endure !

Well, God loves patience! Souls that dwell in stillness,
Doing the little things or resting quite,
May just as perfectly fulfil their mission,
Be just as useful in the Father's sight,

As they who grapple with some giant evil,
Clearing a path that every eye may see:
Our Saviour cares for cheerful acquiescence,
Rather than for a busy ministry.

And yet He does love service, where 'tis given
By grateful love that clothes itself in deed:
But work that's done beneath the scourge of duty
Be sure to such He gives but little heed.

Then seek to please Him, whatsoe'er He bids thee,
Whether to do, to suffer, or lie still :

"Twill matter little by what path He led us

If in it all we sought to do His will.

ANONYMOUS.