says to them, "This is the way: walk ye in it." God's Spirit is good; He leads them along the narrow path, and "guides them with His eye." They also enjoy the hope of future glory. "It doth not appear what we shall be, but we know that when He shall appear we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is " (1 John iii. 2): like him, being perfectly holy. Elsewhere we are told we shall be "with Christ; " that means that our happiness shall be perfect. God's children, however, have their duties: "Go work." This is what we all must do. When we turn from serving the devil, repent of our sins, and give ourselves to God, God, for Christ's sake --not for anything that we have done or can do receives us as His children, and says, "Son, go work." All of us have our daily work. Some work with their hands, some with their head; but we must all do our duty in that state of life in which it has pleased God to place us. Whatever we do in word or deed, we must do it well, remembering it is the work God has been pleased to appoint us to do. You children who are at school, every day you should learn your lessons thoroughly, and take great pains with whatever your parents may require you to do. You girls, who have mostly to remain at home and assist your mothers, should perform all your little duties with care. You boys, who are in 'place," when set to work, of whatever kind, should do it," not with eye-service as men-pleasers, but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart; with good will doing service as to the Lord and not to men: knowing that whatsoever good thing any man doeth, the same shall he receive of the Lord, whether he be bond or free" (Eph. vi. 6). It matters not what or how humble the work may be that is set us, we must do it with all our might. And why? Not because we expect to obtain praise from men, but that we may glorify God, that we may show our love to Him; that, and that alone must be the motive that must make you strive to be good boys and girls. Men may see the out side; but God looks into our heart, and He thinks more of the motive than of the action. Whatever our work therefore, but one safe rule exists for us to follow: "Whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by Him" (Col. iii. 17). Most of you are fond of gardening I dare say. Suppose now a kind friend were to give you each a plot of ground for a garden of your own, and at the same time offered to give you any kind of fruit trees or seeds you might desire. Well, if each of you had a garden what would you do? I can imagine one boy working hard every day and all the day; he would first of all dig up the ground ready for the trees and seeds, then he would go to the kind friend and ask him for the trees and seeds, and have them planted. What pleasure he would take in well manuring, and properly pruning them every year! Would any weeds be allowed to grow in this garden? Oh no! as soon as ever one made its appearance, it would be immediately pulled up. How beautiful in time would the trees and flowers look. It was to be expected; the boy had worked. I can imagine another boy too: I see him digging up the grass, going for the trees and seeds, and planting them. But this is all he does; he gives his garden no further attention, and so the things will not grow but die off, and in their place come up weeds. These he is too lazy to pull up, and so the garden very soon is a complete waste. But you cannot think what harm that garden may do; for the weeds, when they have flowers, will put forth seed, and these will be carried by the wind into the other gardens, and there they may take root. Now which of these boys do you think you would imitate? The first I hope. Well, God has given us all a garden our heart. In it naturally grow evil things; these must be dug out. And what must be planted in their stead? All good things: love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, kindness, goodness, faith, meekness. But from whom are these good things to be obtained? From God; " every good gift, and every perfect gift, is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights" (Jas. i. 17). "If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God" (Jas. i. 5). But as the trees or plants will not grow without water, so will not these things grow in our hearts without the Holy Spirit; yet if we ask we shall receive, and just as the weeds will readily grow so must we be ever ready to root them out, ever watching, ever working, not relying on Our own strength however to do so, but on the strength of God. This then is the work all God's children have to do. Every man that hath the hope of being like Christ, of being with Christ," every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as He is pure" (1 John iii. 3). Create in us clean hearts, O God, and renew a right spirit within us (Ps. li. 10). 66 M. T. THE WORK OF GOD'S CHILDREN. No. II. "They that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever."-Dun. xii. 3. THERE is another kind of work which God's children have to do, but which I did not speak of in my last address: listen, and I will tell you what it is. When you hear any good news, what is the first thing you generally do? Why, you run straight home and tell your friends. It is quite natural you should do so when happy ourselves, we wish others to be also. But, dear children, when you hear the best of all news, that "God so loved the world that He gave His only-begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on Him should not perish but have everlasting life" (John iii. 16); when you hear that if we love Jesus and serve Him we shall be happy here, and that He is now preparing a home for us in heaven where soon we hope to be with Him-when you hear all this, should you not go and tell others? Yes, for it is your duty. The 66 II. By precept. We can tell to others. Do you not remen little maid" who was the n Naaman being cured of his lep telling him of Elisha and of God? Well, there is not one of little to do likewise; and just t a moment what an honour it i allowed to direct a fellow-si Him by whom alone our soul's s may be secured. God could do out us, but He allows us to be together with Him. What a pr Should we not do all that lies power? Perhaps some of you ma a boy or a girl who does not a Sunday-school: if you do, bring her with you next Sunday. may know one who does not God's house if so, take him wi next sabbath. Is there any old or woman whose sight will not him or her to read, then take bible, whenever you have time read to them. Are there any who not read or write, who perhaps had an opportunity of learning, bu wish for one, if you know of these render them assistance. In these a hundred other ways, we ca directly or indirectly of Jesus. Our money again is a talent give by God, and should also be used fo purpose. We may contribute to urchase of bibles to give ve none, and for various ; and remember this, - we do for others Jesus of it as though we had help to spread the gospel here are numbers upon we cannot reach to tell ill we can pray that those g to do so may by God's sful. We read in the nstances of God hearing at last night before our ucified He prayed with nd for them. We are and also that God will rs. Oh, if we only could t good things we could urselves and for others, y oftener than we do. His Holy Spirit into our us how to pray! , there are many who, so wning in the ocean of this cannot save them, but children we must not -hilst there is a rope to ope that saves is Jesus. ust strive, day by day, to ation of others, by expt, and by prayer; this work of our lives. And r reward? "They that ghteousness shall shine ever and ever." now Christ's wondrous love, ow, sit idly down? reach heaven above, ear a starless crown. - of me be said, saved by grace Divine essings on my head, estinies with mine." THE WORLD? ings xviii. 21. ude were gathered toant Carmel-all Israel. o have a most momentdecided-Who is the or Baal? But had it there are idols, not so vastly different from those of Elijah's time, which we may and do worship. What was the last warning the apostle St. John gave to his disciples in his 1st Epistle (v. 21)? He was not writing to heathens; yet he knew that those to whom he did write needed to be guarded against that sin which seems so natural to the human heart. What is the Baal to which we may pay homage? Anything which takes our heart from God. And do we not need warning about halting, about being undecided for God? Hear Christ's words to the Church of the Laodiceans (Rev. iii. 15, 16). We may gather from them that lukewarmness is even more displeasing to the Lord of hosts than decided opposition: "I would thou wert cold or hot." 66 We find many warnings against this double-mindedness (Jas. i. 8). In Ps. xii. 2 a "double heart," or as it is in the margin, "an heart, and an heart," is ascribed to those who are unfaithful; and in the sermon on the mount (Matt. vi. 22) our Saviour mentions a single eye; "if the eye is not single, there is confusedness of sight. Our God, whose name is Jealous (Exod. xxxiv. 14), will not have a divided service; He will not accept half a heart; He asks for "All our heart or none, And yet He will accept a broken one." "Our (Prov. xxiii. 26; Ps. li. 17.) duty towards God is to love Him with all our heart, all our mind, all our soul, and all our strength." St. Paul says (Rom. xii. 1), Present your bodies a living sacrifice," meaning your whole selves; the word includes the whole man, body, soul, and spirit, and such sacrifice only is acceptable to God. The Lord Jesus requires the same. "He that loveth father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me" (Matt. x. 37); and "He that is not with Me is against Me" (Matt. xii. 30). What is it that alone will keep us from halting between two opinions, and help us to be decided for God? A sense of the love of Christ-that must constrain us (2 Cor. v. 14, 15); nothing Other short of it will or can. might lead men to shut them in monasteries, and seem to lives up to God in prayer and m but all the while their hearts very far from God, and not yie a sacrifice at all. How can we show that we v decided?-By acting as God's forsaking all that which does tribute to the honour of God a we cannot feel brings us neare Again, by being particular in t of friends and companions : is known by his friends." See Paul says on this subject (2 14-18). But why is God thus anxiou poor weak hearts to be given Why is He jealous of our lo He, the High and Holy On vantaged by our weak notes o Oh no! it is for our sakes tha our love, our hearts. He know never be happy if we reject His offers. Would heaven be a dwelling-place to one who did the worship and praise of H reigns there? Would not its ments soon become wearisom service an intolerable burden? And so God is now setting b this choice, just as He did to Moses' days (Deut. xxx. 19) He did at the time of which I fi to you in my address: "therefor life." If you give yourselves w the Lord, it will be a sacrifice be regretted. You will always to say "Oh happy day which fixed my c On Thee, my Saviour and my Choose now, do not wait till older or not so strong and Jesus is knocking at the door hearts now; but He may not k ever, not even as long as life is Open to Him then- "Just as thou art; without one tr Of love, or joy, or inward grace, Or meetness for the heavenly pla O guilty sinner, C F. THE PATH OF THE JUST. "The path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day."-Prov. iv. 18. THE Course of all our lives, whether long or short, lies in one of two paths,the broad or the narrow. These paths have different endings. "Wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction; and many there be which go in thereat; "Strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life; and few there be that find it" (Matt. vii. 13). In which of these roads, dear children, are you walking-the good or the bad? We are either getting nearer heaven or nearer hell every day that we live. Oh! if there are any of you who are walking in the broad way, who are serving the devil, turn I beg of you, turn into that narrow way now whilst you have time; it is the best, the safest, and it ends in heaven. Who are the just ?-Our Saviour Jesus Christ was the only truly just man that ever lived. He died, "the just for the unjust" (1 Pet. iii. 18), that we might be saved. He is "the Lord our righteousness. His righteousness is imputed, or given to us. We must put off our own righteousness, which is as filthy rags; and we must put on Christ's: then we can stand just before God. we do not this, if we trust in our own goodness, we shall be like the man in the parable of the marriage feast who had not on a wedding garment; we shall be cast into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. The just then are God's children, those who walk in the narrow path. If Some of you, I dare say, have often been up very early in the morning, and have seen the sun rise. He does not, as you know, rise all at once, but little by little; he rises seemingly out of the earth, higher and yet higher, brighter and brighter, until it is perfect day. Well, this is what the path of the just is like. There are also other comparisons we can make. Think of the various things that God has made. They each progress by degrees. The world itself was not formed all at once, but gradually, until at last it was ready for man. The corn, you know, is not up and fit for the harvest in one day. No; "first the blade, and then the ear." The trees in the woods, the grass in the fields, the flowers in our gardens, all come up by degrees. You can almost see them grow. So must the just grow in grace. Even yourselves, your bodies, they grow. I can remember some of you being very small, and now you are nearly as tall as I am myself. I trust that many of you are like Him who increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man. But you would never have grown so tall if you had not eaten food. If you had not partaken of nourishment, you Iwould have died. In like manner, if you have not God's Holy Spirit in your hearts, they will die too. Further: as by watering and attending to your flowers you can make them grow faster, just so can you help yourselves to grow in grace. In this, as in teaching others, we are workers with God. "Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure" (Phil. ii. 12, 13). Now how can we help ourselves? There are many ways. I will tell you of some of them. All 1. We should read our Bibles. of you have Bibles of your own; but do you use them? Every day you should read a little, even if it is only one verse; that is better than none. And we must not only read, but think of what we read, and follow up the blessed truths set before us. 2. We must watch and we must pray, pray for God's Spirit; not only say our prayers, but pray in our hearts. If you get up and forget to pray, the devil is apt to get hold of you on that day. The devil is strong: with God's help, we can resist him; without it, we are weak. O children, never forget to pray. it were the very last thing I had to say to you, I would tell you to pray, for if you don't you will never get to heaven. "Go when the morning shineth, If |