people were in the path of duty; and the presumptuousness was to doubt that God could and would deliver them. Let us be sure that our difficulty occurs in the path of duty, following the leading of God's providence, and trust him for the issue. He never brought his people into a strait from which he did not deliver them with more benefit to them, and more honour to himself than if the difficulty had never occurred. My dear Ashley, I often fear that some of us, Christians, have very short memories."

"How so? Yet your fear is very just, as my conscience testifies, for we do too often forget who it is that is interested in all our concerns, however insignificant."

"I fear we often take it for granted that a circumstance is providential,' which, if traced back a little way, would prove nothing more nor less than the natural consequence of our own self-will. Then we are frightened at our responsibility, and cast about to prove that the thing is 'providential,' that is, that we are not answerable for it, and, if it turns out badly, ought not to bear the blame."

"To know, and to do the will of God in the daily walk of life is no easy matter after all, Elliot," remarked Mr. Ashley. "When you and I decided to become his servants, we thought our path would be easy, safe, and happy, eh?"

"And why should we be disappointed, Charles? We decided to be God's servants, that is, we resolved to serve the Lord; but did not he decide for us something better? 'Behold what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God.' He knew the place of willing duty. He knew the power of instinctive love; for every servant is not a happy, affectionate child; but every happy, loving child will be a dutiful and obedient servant. To obey one we dearly love is not so very difficult; to obey the wise and holy God must be safe; and to believe that he loves us, and makes everything contribute to our good, is surely happy."

"But with all this, Elliot, we must not forget that we are responsible creatures. When God makes a man a Christian, he does not deprive him of sense, judgment, taste, feeling, reason, will, and the power to prefer, to choose, to plan, to act."

No, Charles; but he supplies him with another faculty by which all those gifts of the intellectual and moral nature should be ruled and exercised, and, I may add, consecrated to their lawful use. I need not say that faculty is faith.

If there is one fine feature in the character of a follower of Jesus, which blends with my study of the example of the Lord himself, it is that attainment of the apostle, The life that I live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.' Living by faith in him, we realise our position as sons, children of God. The servant may feel duty a drudgery, but to the son it is 'meat and drink,' as the very sustenance of his life, to do his Father's will; and if that will sometimes costs him something, so much the sweeter and purer the offering of filial affection."

"My dear Elliot," said his friend, "one might almost imagine that you forget the miserable old nature that, in spite of God's Spirit within, yet causes many a conflict and struggle in the experience of the converted man."

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No, I don't forget it. I know and feel that the traitor within is always ready to help the enemy without; but I do also know that, if believers would really believe, and really trust God as they profess to do, the church of Christ would hold a far happier place for herself, and a far higher one for the honour of her Lord, than she does now. It is the practical unbelief of believers that brings religion into contempt among men."

"The unbelief of believers!" repeated Mr. Ashley; "that is a curious anomaly.”

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Well, you know we call ourselves believers, when by the grace of God we are conscious of trusting our eternal salvation to the finished work of Christ. We have accepted God's terms; we believe that Jesus died for our sins and rose again for our justification; and a great revolution of thought and feeling has taken place in our view of ourselves as sinners, and of God as our Saviour; and, if any one ask us, do we believe the record he has given us of his Son,' we unhesitatingly answer yes; and all besides that he has been pleased to record for our learning, whether of doctrine, history, precept, or example. Is it not so?"

"Yes, assuredly, for experience, reason, and evidence combine to prove that his word is and must be truth."

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nay

Well, then, so far we are justly entitled to the term 'believers.' But look further. I need not name persons, I dare not think that I am free from the charge myself; and if you say, 'Pull the beam out of your own eye first,' I can only say that, God helping me, it is my daily desire and effort to do so; and I only make the comment on others

because it is a growing mischief, and true Christian charity should not be blind to it."

"You are going to say, 'Follow some, many (shall I add, most?) professing Christians into daily life, and see how they maintain the character of believers,"" said Mr. Ashley, biting the top of the pen which he was intently twisting to pieces. Do it. I have, and will tell you the result of my observation. The same sort of talk, the same greed of gain, the same backbiting tongue, the same deference to fashion, the same pretensions to consequence, the same touchiness of temper, as among the most worldly with whom they mix. Why is that gentleman waiting for you, Ashley? said a young beginner in business to me the other day. I replied that he is one of the honorary secretaries to a certain society, and that we were going to a public meeting together. Indeed!' he rejoined, with a sneer; 'I scarcely thought he could be one of your friends, for he did his best to overreach me in a matter, because doubtless he thought I was not knowing enough to detect him yet.' I felt the blood tingle in my veins. The man is believer in enough to escape punishment as he thinks, but not in enough to give up mammon, and unreservedly honour God's commands."

"Well, Ashley, you perceive all I meant to say. Do we or do we not believe that solemn word 'Ye are not your own; ye are bought with a price? What a price! And dare we forget the injunction that duly and naturally follows, Therefore glorify God in your bodies and your spirits, which are his.' Shall we in the morning kneel and say, Thy will be done,' and by evening be unable to remember that we have consulted God's will in anything we have done? Shall we read with our families, 'Be ye holy, for I am holy.' Be ye perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect;' accepting the precept from lips that spoke with an authority to which we reverently bow, and then go out and be as unholy, as imperfect, as if the words were but empty sound, read as a mere form, and having no power upon our conscience, no rule for our practice?"

"Is it not forgetfulness? Surely unbelief is not the real cause; for a few minutes' thought reminds us of Him in whom we believe for our soul's salvation."

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Yes, if we give the few minutes; but do we believe only enough for salvation? Escape from punishment is surely not all the Christian's creed; and it is the practical

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unbelief exhibited in our inconsistent lives that is our point now. I sometimes think we rather misjudge Satan when we sing that

'Satan trembles when he sees

The weakest saint upon his knees :'

for he must often have the satisfaction of seeing even believers on their knees, who prove that they have forgotten their own prayers, and are neither thinking of, nor looking for an answer."

"It is too true; I know it. But, Elliot, there is one thing to be borne in mind in all Christian charity, and sometimes I have silenced myself with the fact, that some Christians are more warm-hearted and devotional than others; more spiritually minded, perhaps, and carry into religion all the enthusiasm that would otherwise expend itself on earthly things."

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Forgive me, Ashley, if I say that we have no right to make the infirmities of our physical temperament the rule or limit of devotion and spirituality. It is not written, " Unto you who are warm-hearted and enthusiastic, Christ is precious,' but unto you who believe, he is precious.' And God's mind about lukewarmness is too solemnly revealed to leave any doubt of its inconsistency with true religion. In the things of this present world, its pursuits, its pleasures, its lawful claims, let your moderation be known unto all men;' but in the things of God, the very fact that the first commandment bids us love the Lord our God with all our heart and mind and soul and strength,' proves that the believer can never go too far' in the zeal and devotedness of filial obedience."

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Well, we must have a little more conversation on this subject, Elliot. I feel inclined to tell you of my perplexity at this time, but I must examine it a little deeper first, and then I will ask your opinion."

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My dear friend, look at the matter fairly in the light of God's word, with genuine desire to do his will, and perhaps you will need no conference with flesh and blood. It is written,' was enough for the Master: happy the servants who abide by the same guidance; and blessed the 'sons' who confide in the same paternal love.”

THE TWO PROMISSORY NOTES.

GRANDFATHER DURIE, a retired surgeon of the navy, and a hearty old man, was an especial favourite with all his grandchildren, who used on winter evenings to gather round him, asking him all manner of questions, and listening with great interest to his stories of former days, in which above all things he delighted to trace the goodness of that God, of whom, like old Jacob, he loved to speak as "the God which fed him all his life long, unto this day, the angel which redeemed him from all evil."

On one of those occasions, Alfred Hamilton, a brighteyed boy of twelve years of age, referring to a term he had met with in his "Elements of Arithmetic," asked, "What is the meaning of a promissory note, grandpapa ?"

The old gentleman was always on the watch to impress on his grandchildren lessons of heavenly wisdom, and having explained the meaning of the business term which was puzzling his young friend, he said, "The mention of this reminds me of what a good old woman once said to me in early days when I was tossed with waves on the rough sea of life, I am sorry I have no silver or gold to offer you, but I will give you two promissory notes from One whose bills are never dishonoured: the one is, " Casting all your care on Him, for he careth for you " (1 Pet. v.7); and the cther, "My God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus" (Phil. iv. 19).'

"And I suppose, father," said Mrs. Hamilton, the mother of the young group, "you have found in your experience that these promissory notes are genuine."

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Again and again I have done that," the old man replied with much warmth, "and to this day I am proving it."

"Ah! I remember, grandfather," said James, the eldest of the little circle, now in his sixteenth year, 66 once being with you by your father's grave; and as you stood before it, you exclaimed, Ah! the promissory notes.' I asked what you meant, and you promised to tell me some other time. Will you do so to-night?"

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Well, James," said Grandfather Durie, "I can now answer both Alfred and you, and will now give you the story of the two promissory notes.

"I was one of a large family, and was early deprived of the care of my mother, who died when I was a mere child.