LET THE LIFE OF CHRIST. 105 ET this mind be in you, which was also in Christ 66 SUCH Christians as have high and dear thoughts of the life of Christ, which is the life of "God manifested in the flesh,”—they that have it most in their eye, and are most affected and enamoured with it, these Christians are most visibly bettered, and differ eminently from others. There is a more excellent spirit in them; they are more poor in spirit," more "pure in heart," more "meek" and "merciful," more obedient and resigned to the will of God, and every way more exemplary; more of "God" is in them of a truth. Oh! what a transcendant privilege and advantage it is, that they have the Spirit and life of Christ set before them!-Worthington. My dear Redeemer and my Lord, Be Thou my pattern; make me bear More of Thy heavenly image here, That God, my Judge, may own my name Early in 1852, there was a gathering of 120 New Zealanders in the district of Kaitotehe, when one of the chiefs present, Levi Mokora, observed-" There is but one great thing. It is the Gospel, which invites all to repentance. Why have we left off eating one another? It is because the Gospel has come to us. Why have our evil practices been given up? It is the Gospel. Why do our quarrels end without bloodshed? It is from the Gospel. The Gospel is good for the body, as well as for the soul; say, therefore, let us be zealous to send the Gospel to that island where the natives are eating one another." Tarapahia, another chief, also said-" We had become more wicked than others, even eating one another; then this new thing came-the Gospel, to root out our wickedness. Let us, then, magnify the Gospel, receive it ourselves, and send it to others." 106 PRAYER IN SEARCHING THE SCRIPTURE. OPEN Thou mine eyes.—Ps. cxix. 18. WE are all too little in the humble seeking and begging for Divine knowledge, and this is the cause why we are so shallow and small proficients. "If thou cry and lift up thy voice for understanding, search for it as for hid treasures;" sit down upon thy knees, and dig for it. This is the best posture to fall right upon the golden vein, and go deepest to know the mind of God in searching the Scriptures,-to be directed and regulated in His ways, to be made skilful in ways of honouring Him and doing Him service. This neither man nor angels can teach thee, but God alone.-Archbishop Leighton. O Lord! vouchsafe, I most humbly beseech Thee, to breathe into my heart Thy blessed Spirit, that He may renew the senses of my mind, open my mind, reveal unto me the true understanding of Thy holy mysteries, and plant in me such a certain and infallible knowledge of Thy truth, that no subtle persuasion of man's wisdom may pluck me from Thy truth, but that, as I have learned the true understanding of Thy blessed will, so I may remain in the same continually, come life, come death, unto the glory of Thy blessed name. Amen.-King Edward VI., Primer, 1553. The heavenly page of Gospel grace Lord! we draw near to seek supplies, (Aleppie, Southern India.)—“I have recently established a Bible class for the younger members of this congregation. They come to me every Thursday morning, when we first implore the blessing and presence of God, and then proceed to read a chapter of the New Testament. I sincerely hope that this may be found a means of grace to us all. Many of them already possess a considerable knowledge of the Divine Word. I hope they will so treasure it in their hearts, that it may operate as a spirit of holiness, of comfort, and of spiritual might."-Rev. J. Harding. THE SPIRIT OF SANCTIFICATION. 107 BEING sanctified by the Holy Ghost.-Rom. xv. 16. THE Spirit of God is, of His nature, all holy-yea, holiness itself; that is to say, He is the only Ghost or Spirit, which, with the Father and the Son, is, was, and ever shall be, the author, causer, and worker of all holiness, purity, and sanctimony, and of all the graces, comfort, and spiritual life which is wrought and cometh into the heart of any man, insomuch that no man can think well, or do anything that good is, but by the motion, aid, and assistance of this Holy Spirit. Neither is it possible that the heart of any man can be purged, purified, sanctified, or justified, without the work and operation of this Holy Spirit.— A Necessary Doctrine, &c., 1543. The Spirit always guides and instructs before He saves; and as He brings to happiness only by the way of holiness, so He never leads to true holiness but by the paths of knowledge.-South. O Spirit! Lord of life and light, Oh, turn, turn not Thy face away, Collett. The New Zealanders use very figurative language. After asking one how he felt, he said, "The Holy Spirit has begun to dig at the top of my heart, but works downwards very slowly; he seems to need a spade, that he may more effectually work down to the many roots which are there; sometimes, there is a great dust in my heart."-Rev. R. Davis. TO Jesus Christ, let Thy Spirit come to us, to preserve our hearts, and to drive out the evil spirit. Soften our hearts by Thy Holy Spirit! Cleanse our hearts by Thy blood, O Jesus Christ, our Master! Thou didst purchase us, Thy servants, O Jesus Christ, our Lord, the Son of the almighty and everlasting God!— (Written by Ouru, who had been long seeking to make himself useful to his New Zealand fellow-countrymen.)-Rev. W. Williams. HE E that contemneth small things shall fall by little and little.-Eccles. xix. 1. WHENE'ER I read of that sad night Because it is a little sin! A hasty thought, a passing deed, A word we would not speak again, To endless misery may lead, And rend my soul with ceaseless pain. As little blows will fell a tree, So little sins destroy the soul; O blessed Lord, I come to Thee, From little sins to make me whole. Behold a conflagration. With what dreadful fury it rages ! The largest houses are devoured by it in a moment; the strongest fall victims to its uncontrollable power. Yet this fire, which now resists the united wisdom and power of man, originated from a small spark, and might at first have been extinguished by a child. "Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth!" No one becomes extremely wicked at once. Little sins are but steps. Watch against the beginnings. The spark may soon be extinguished. The law of God requires that the evil principle itself be mortified and annihilated.-Jno. Venn. He that is grown in grace and in the knowledge of Christ, esteems no sin to be little or contemptible, none fit to be cherished or indulged. The well-grown Christian is careful that no spot or taint sully the virgin whiteness of his robes.-Bp. J. Taylor. TO Lord, most holy, grant me to remember, not the smallness of the law, but Thy justice, Thy purity, and Thy greatness, who art the Lawgiver. And endue me with Thy grace and Holy Spirit, that I may loathe the least sin as well as the greatest; and behold in every "mote" a "beam." My sinful heart trouble me: me stand like a man that take billhook, and go to bush, and cut big tree. He cut little and little, till, by and bye, he throw it down. So me stand: sin cut me little and little, till, by and bye, it throw me down into hell.-Confession of an African-Mr. C. Taylor. THEY have sought out many inventions.—Eccles. vii. 29. 66 WHEN God had sent His only Son to heal our infirmities, and to reconcile the world unto Himself by His death, the devil instantly changed the institutions of Christ into human traditions by his minister, the Pope. . . . He cannot belong unto God, or be His servant, whilst, under the pretence of religion, and the command of God, he usurps unto himself the authority of Christ, as appears in all his works. (King Edward VI., " Primacy of the Pope," 1549.) Our religion consists not of old customs, or the usages of the fathers, but in the Holy Scriptures and the Divine Word, and that is older than the world, if you think antiquity and custom makes a thing good: for God is the Word, who was without beginning, and shall continue without end. And if you think truth ought to be obeyed and followed, all truth is contained in that book, . . . Moreover, our God, and Saviour, and Redeemer, Jesus Christ, said, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life:" He did not say, "I am the old custom."-Edward VI., against the Primacy of the Pope. In vain poor man to darkness flies, (North-American Tradition.)-Man was at first created by a divinity, named Etulupass; but he was originally imperfect. His mouth was not divided, his eyes were closed, and his hands and feet immoveable. In short, he was a statue of flesh rather than a living being. A second divinity, called Ecannum, more benevolent, seeing man in this imperfect state, took pity on him, and, with a sharp stone, opened his mouth, unclosed his eyes, and imparted motion to his hands and feet. Not satisfied with these gifts, the compassionate deity taught man how to make canoes, paddles, nets, and domestic utensils. He also overturned rocks into rivers, which, by obstructing the progress of fish through the waters, enabled them to take sufficient to satisfy their wants.Cox's "Columbia River," &c. |