FEBRUARY 25.

I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.-PHILIPPIANS iii. 14.

Look not to the right hand or to the left, but look right forward; for the things on the right hand and on the left are idols; they are the hopes which, being uncertain, make the heart sick; but Christ is the true God; He is the assured hope that is not deferred, therefore He is the tree of life. Every hour brings His glorious kingdom of righteousness nearer. Look at His coming. "He will come, and will not tarry." He is our portion and our King now, even now; and although you may have been taught to sell all and buy Him, yet who hath known His preciousness? Every thought within us reproving unbelief and calling to holy and blessed confidence and fellowship with God is the word of the living God-the Christ of God speaking in us. May the Lord give you to realize much of His love and Spirit within you; and may He teach a blessed dependence for every thought and every feeling, yea, every breath, so that you may ever rest on the bosom of Jesus, waiting for His glorious appearing. -T. ERSKINE.

E

FEBRUARY 26.

The crown of the wise is their wisdom.-PROVERBS xiv. 24.

Beware of a counsellor, and know before what need he hath; for he will counsel thee for himself. Consult not with one that suspecteth thee; and hide thy counsel from such as envy thee: neither consult with a woman touching her of whom she is jealous; neither with a coward in matters of war; nor with a merchant concerning exchange; nor with a buyer of selling; nor with an envious man of thankfulness; nor with an unmerciful man touching kindliness; nor with the slothful for any work; nor with the hireling of a year for finishing work; nor with an idle servant of much business; hearken not unto these in any matter of counsel. But be continually with a godly man, whom thou knowest to keep the commandments of the Lord, whose mind is according to thy mind, and will sorrow with thee if thou shalt miscarry. And let the counsel of thine own heart stand; for there is no man more faithful unto thee than it. For a man's mind is sometime wont to tell him more than seven watchmen that sit above in a high tower. And, above all this, pray to the Most High that He will direct thy way in truth.-ECCLESIASTICUS.

FEBRUARY 27.

Thou hast made us for Thyself, and our heart is restless till it resteth in Thee.-ST. AUGUSTINE.

Once give yourself to God, and without doing much, whatsoever you do will be well done. You will be fearless as to the future, desiring His will only; give yourself to the present fulfilling of His will, and do not seek beyond the good and evil of this present time. This daily fulfilling of God's will is at once the coming of His kingdom within, and our daily bread. It would be mere faithlessness and heathen mistrust to seek to penetrate into a future which God hides from us; leave it to Him; He will make it bitter or sweet, short or long; let Him do as seemeth good in His sight. Let the future be what it may, no preparation is so perfect as dying to our own will, and living to God. Our vexations cannot forward God's work, nor can we approach nearer to the God of peace by destroying our inward peace. 'Martha, Martha ! why art thou troubled about so many things?" But one thing is needful; to love Him and remain patiently at His feet.-FENELON.

FEBRUARY 28.

Be ye angry, and sin not.-EPHESIANS iv. 26.

Anger is one of the sinews of the soul: he that wants it hath a maimed mind. This anger is either heavenly, when one is offended for God; or hellish, when offended with God, or goodness. Be not angry for any without a cause; neither be mortally angry with any for a venial sin. He will make a strange combustion in the state of his soul who at the landing of every cock-boat sets the beacons on fire. To be angry for every toy debases the worth of thy anger; for he who will be angry for anything will be angry for nothing. "Let not the sun go down upon your wrath." Let us take the Apostle's meaning rather than his words-with all possible speed to depose our passion. He that keeps anger long in his bosom giveth place to the devil. And why should we make room for him who will crowd in too fast for himself? Heat of passion makes our souls to crack, and the devil creeps in at the crannies.-FULLER.

MARCH 1.

Man goeth forth to his work and to his labour until the evening.
PSALM Civ. 23.

Come, Evening, once again, season of peace;
Return, sweet Evening, and continue long!
Methinks I see thee in the streaky west,

With matron step slow moving, while the Night

Treads on thy sweeping train; one hand employed
In letting fall the curtain of repose

On bird and beast, the other charged for man
With sweet oblivion of the cares of day:

Not sumptuously adorned, not needing aid,
Like homely-featured Night, of clustering gems!
A star or two, just twinkling on thy brow,
Suffices thee: save that the moon is thine
No less than hers, not worn indeed on high
With ostentatious pageantry, but set
With modest grandeur in thy purple zone,
Resplendent less, but of an ampler round.
Come, then, and thou shalt find thy votary calm,
Or make me so. Composure is thy gift:
And, whether I devote thy gentler hours
To books, to music, or the poet's toil;

To weaving nets for bird-alluring fruit;

Or twining silken threads round ivory reels,

When they command whom man was born to please,

I slight thee not, but make thee welcome still.

COWPER.

MARCH 2.

Give what Thou canst, without Thee we are poor;
And with Thee rich, take what Thou wilt away.

COWPER.

We must all know, if we pause and think, that no outer thing did ever truly and sufficiently satisfy our needs; that we have never yet known any worldly joy which we should be content to keep without change or addition as our portion for eternity. That is, none ever did satisfy us, and none ever can. For we have capacities and powers to which they cannot reach; we are too great to be