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but with no room for God. Time still rolled on, its ponderous wheels revolving ceaseless change in life's brief pageant and "passing fashion." Business prospered. Free to roam the wide, wide world, M. S. now entered upon a course of travel. From France to Germany and Switzerland, thence to Rome, Vienna, and Constantinople. Still the eye was not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear with hearing, nor the appetite with tasting. The break from the soul's anchorage had taken place, and with it that dread restlessness which finds its highest exponent in the history of him who, answering the Divine inquiry, Whence comest thou, Satan? replied, "From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it." How truly is all this depicted in Ephesians ii. 2: "Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience." Such was the later history of M. S. Poor fellow! Little did I think that I had seen that well-known form for the last time when the converse narrated above took place, but so it proved. The next recall to my friend was in vivid portraiture, and transpired upon opening the black-edged envelope and mourning card which told of his death at sea. Upon this sombre missive was written, memory of M. S., aged 34." At the bottom of the card, right across in small capitals, the striking and fearfully suggestive words were printed

BURIED AT SEA.

"In

I trembled as I held the card. It seemed but the other day that I had heard his prayer filled with expressions which seemed to tell of dependence upon God. Then came the poison of the Broad Church school; next the blank, black scepticism, then the wallowing in the mire of fœtid selfishness, and then the end, and as I mentally heard the splash of that weighted corpse sinking beneath the dark waters of the Chinese Sea, the words came again, re-echoed with awful significance, Buried at Sea—

Buried at SEA. Ye guilty apostles of so-called modern thought, how think ye of your terrible work? Know ye not that it is written, "Whosoever shall cause to fall one of these little ones that believe in Me, it is better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck and that he were cast into the sea"? And again: "It is impossible but that offences must come, but woe to that man by whom the offence cometh " (Mal. xviii. 6-7).

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Satan giving Testimony.-What light is thrown upon the statements of Scripture by a careful examination of the context. Certainly the Word of God is its best expositor. A remarkable illustration of this is found in the history of Job. "Doth Job fear God for nought?" said the malignant foe of man, when the Lord called Satan's attention to the character of Job as one who "feared God and eschewed evil” (Job i. 8). That the devil, who for so long had lived upon evil, should be confronted with a man who utterly eschewed it was more than this lover of iniquity could bear; he therefore replied, Doth Job fear God for nought? Isn't he greatly interested in this question of "the fear of God"? doesn't it pay that he is found eschewing evil"? But put forth thine hand and touch all that he hath, and he will curse thee to thy face (v. 11). "Hast thou not made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? Thou hast blest the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land" (chap. i. 9, 10). What a splendid testimony! Verily it may be said that if the devil had known that his words were to be printed and circulated amongst the generations following, he would have kept his tongue between his teeth. Certainly it is noticeable, the Bible itself being witness, that after so early a date Satan never trusted himself to do anything more in that direction. His forte since then has been in misquoting and misapplying Scripture, a notable example of which is found in Luke iv. 3-12. Observe! "An hedge about Job, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side." Well said Satan; for once we accept your testimony without any

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reservation whatever. Here, then, is Job in a divinely defenced position, His Lord guarding his personal, relative, and property interests, and the devil himself a witness to the fact. Nevertheless, in his defenced position Job was the object of Satan's intense jealousy and hatred; his malignant desire was to break down the hedge in order to attack, and at any cost effect his overthrow. Well may he be called "your adversary the devil" (1 Peter v. 8).

An Objection Answered.-Christian young men who are engaged in business often find its restraints irksome. They imagine that if they could give all their time to Christ's service they would get on much better. I am not disposed to admit this. Numbers of Christian men can bear witness to the fact that when they had but two or three hours a day to devote to the Lord's service they had a measure of zest and energy which somehow passed away when a'l their time was thus engaged. This need not occasion surprise. The change of occupation which involves variety of service and work is a famous help. The "bent" in any direction for too long a time is not healthy. Besides, why should it be supposed that business pursuits have no relation to Christ's service? This is a melancholy mistake. I hold the common idea involved in the use of the term "Secular " to be most mischievous. Hearken. Whether, therefore, ye eat or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God." This is the kind of secularism the Scriptures teach, enforce, and allow.

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Card Playing.-A lady professing to be a Christian, and enamoured of that modern form of liberty which makes the friendship of the world a thing to be desired, went to reside in the city of L. She was not there long before her pleasant manners and agreeable liberalism (?) brought her in contact with several well-known Christian families. Pleasant evenings, with nothing particular to engage attention, suggested the introduction of cards, and foremost amongst the apologists for

the game was the lady in question. "I am no Puritan," she said. "Indeed, we must relax our views, and not be narrow." The pleasurable pastime soon excited the young people who gathered night after night, and just to give a little zest to the game, "what harm could there be in playing for a very small

stake?"

The Leaven Corrupting.-In this insidious way were cards introduced by this ladylike professor into some of the Christian families of the town. Of course the spirit of prayer and joyous interest in God's Word could not live in such an atmosphere; and so exciting did the game become that again and again the cards were being shuffled at midnight. How fascinated those young players became! What a fire was kindled as the knave of hearts cleared the pool! But a few months passed, and these young men—ay, and women, too— were gambling for larger sums, and to my knowledge hundreds of pounds were lost and won in the feverish and degrading arena of the card set, who were none the less depraved because refined in manner, fashionably attired, and elegantly circumstanced. Covetousness, gambling, and the greed of gain, lose none of their deadly virus by the card-table being set amid the surroundings of social respectability.

What Harm is there in it ?-A great deal more than appears at first sight. Christians are witnesses, God's witnesses against the world, its principles, policy, and fashion. When a Christian man is found in the friendship of the world, he at once loses his place and testimony as a witness. Suppose a case of supreme interest to exist between a plaintiff and a defendant, the one representing right and truth, the other sin and error. Would it be seemly that the witnesses for the plaintiff should be found "hail fellows well met " with the counsel, witnesses, and friends of the defendant? Of what value when presented would the evidence given by such witnesses be in the minds of the jury? The Christian cannot afford to compromise

his testimony. Separated we must be, for "what fellowship hath light with darkness?" "Whosoever, therefore, will be a friend of the world, is the enemy of God."

Taking Him Down.-It is said that at the Centennial Exhibition held in Philadelphia, a certain member of the City Council arrived on the morning of the opening day in elegant attire. With a capacious chest, which displayed white vest, spotless linen, and heavy gold watch-chain, the new-comer evidently intended to impress everybody with the importance of his civic dignity. Addressing the keeper of the turn-stile, who evidently had taken stock of the elaborate "get up" of the official, he remarked, "I'm Councillor Thompson." Quietly eyeing the man of aldermanic girth from head to foot, the gate-keeper replied, "Ah, well, you'll do. Pay your dollar; you may pass in."

The Tay Bridge Catastrophe.-Opposite the window where I sit is the River Tay, and directly facing is the great fatal gap where about three years since the Edinburgh train en route for Dundee was driven by the fierce tempest into the depths below. Though everything is calm this quiet afternoon, the mind, as I write, assumes deep interest and no small measure of excitement in the scene without. You can well imagine the overborne piles and the terrific leap into sudden death, and as you notice the abrupt and jagged ends where the bent irons are still visible, you feel ready to ask, "Are you sure that the drivers on the other side are warned?" The very thought of another train again coming along that well-known way, with its freight of priceless lives, to be hurried into the remorseless waters, is simply appalling. Emphatically that line now leads to death. In how solemn and true a sense do we here see illustrated the primal way to God overthrown and broken by man's disobedience and sin. Fallen in the sin of Adam, and what is worse, endorsing by individual experience the way of transgression, every man

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