not wither, and he grows in beauty as the years pass on. built of cut stone, and took shape but slowly. An ugly framework of untrimmed planks surrounded it, rising with its growth, and hiding much of its beauty. But one day I saw that this outer shell had broken up and vanished, and the fair proportions of the building were clearly seen. The house was finished, and the scaffolding was required no more. There is a large lamp in one of our public squares which shines brilliantly all night long, but it stands so high that one wonders how it can be lighted. There is a pretty device which covers the difficulty. The burners are so arranged that when the great blaze is turned out in early morning, a tiny flame springs forth, so small that it is scarcely visible, and burns all day; and when the shadows fall, at the touch of a spring, it kindles the great flame again, and instantly dis-roundings and the changes of earth and appears. That lamp pictures to my mind what a human life ought to be, in its relation to men around. We are all meant to be lightbearers; it is not safe to let the flame of kindliness and watchful sympathy ever go out, for it may be needed at any moment. But it is in hours when the darkness of pain or sorrow wraps the little world we move in, that our light should spring into full brilliance and turn night into day. The lamp of human sympathy and brotherly help, bright enough in seasons of prosperity, burns often low at the very hour when its rays are needed to scatter the darkness of disappointment and of pain. Christ loved His apostles always, and His presence brightened their life; but it was at the darkest hour in their history that His love shone most brightly forth, in those blessed words of consolation, which John records, and which have cheered so many thousands of sufferers in every age. I will try to live so that my light shall be brightest when most required; and perhaps I may be able thus to turn the night of some mourner into day, by leading him to One who is the life and the light of men. A building of considerable size was rising lately in one of our streets, and my walks often led me past it. It was This earthly life of ours is little more than a scaffolding. Our joys and sorrows, our gains and losses, the lessons we learn, the worries we have to bear, all the sur time are but a framework, in the midst of which, and by means of which the Great Builder seeks to raise for each of us a holy character, a perfect light which shall shine forth with unfading beauty throughout eternity. Sometimes the scaffolding may vex and incommode us; let us remember it is necessary, and will not be kept up a moment too long. Sometimes we are told to look on the scaffolding, as if it were the real building; let us think how terrible it would be if when the framework were removed no building were found within in which either God or man could find pleasure! Yet is not that the case with many? Take away the scaffolding of business or pleasure of the companionship of men or books, is there anything remaining that could be spoken of as either beautiful or good? No nobility of character; no calm self-control; no holy enthusiam; no likeness to Christ. The whole life wasted; its work and its sorrow in vain; the building of life only fit to be burnt. God help me to build on the true foundation with patience, faith, and prayer! Yea, may God Himself take charge of my life, and build it after His own good pleasure, so that, when the scaffolding of earth and time is removed, my spirit may shine forth in perfect beauty, fit to be the temple of God through all eternity. 16 "THE LORD WILL INTERFERE WITH YOU SOME DAY." The Lord will interfere with you some Day." BY THE REV. P. B. POWER, M.A., "LET me alone!" "Mind your own business!" "What's that to you?" "Don't bother me!"""Tis no affair of yours!" "Who asked you to interfere?" Be off with you!" These sayings are common enough in daily life. They are generally spoken with temper, generally when people know they are in the wrong; or, at any rate, when they suspect it, and want to go their own way at any price. "Let us alone," was what the evil spirit cried in the poor demoniac. Let us alone was what the silversmiths of Ephesus wanted, when Paul, by telling them about the true God, would have spoiled their trade in making silver shrines for a false God. But we need not go back to those old times to find folk who do not like to be interfered with on any matters connected with religion generally, but with their their own souls particularly. Perhaps you may be one of those folks yourself; but at any rate, I know of one of them. This man was a drunkard, a blasphemer, and a Sabbath-breaker, and only two months before he was brought to know God had one of his eyes knocked out, while fighting with his own son-in-law. A friend who knew this man well saw him scrubbing his table one Sunday morning, and asked him "why he did it on God's day?" "Mind your own business," said the surly fellow, "and don't you interfere with mine." "My friend," said the person who had spoken to him, "the Lord will interfere with you some day, perhaps to your sorrow." This sentence stuck in the man's mind, and the man who had made use of it often kept saying a word to this poor fellow about his soul, of which he used to complain to the neighbours, saying, "What does that man want bothering me for? I wish he would stop away.' But, "thank God," said he, when talking about the matter full nine years after, you did not stop away." Well, when the eye was knocked out, this bothering man came, and prayed God to preserve the other eye, and moreover to open the eyes of this poor fellow's understanding. "After that prayer," said he, "I felt so miserable, I didn't know what to do, I could not rest. I went in and out the next room, and told the man there how miserable I was. I went in and out of doors, and could get no rest. I then made up my mind that, by the help of God, I would lead a different life, and do as you have often wished me; and, bless the Lord, I have done so, and He has pardoned a wretch like me, and I hope and trust I shall never do wrong any more." It was at the cost of his eye that that man was brought to himself that was God's way of interfering with him-it was the Evil One who raised the passion of his son-in-law, and made him strike out his eye; but God interfered, and overruled the evil to blessing the man in body and in soul. You may set it down as a certainty that, every one must be interfered with. God did not make any man to be independent, and run his own way to the end; and have his own way at the last. Man's own way would be to sin all his life, and then go to heaven when he died, and could sin no more. We cannot get out of God's having to do with us, some way or other. When Conscience pricks, those are interferences of God. When, by hearing, or reading, you have the thought brought before you that you are a sinner, and that "THE LORD WILL INTERFERE WITH YOU SOME DAY." 1 17 you can only be saved by another, even light," was, "By-and-by-shortly-let Christ the Saviour, that is an interference let me alone a little-these were the of God. Many providences-even many answers of my heart." He prayed to bewhich have happened already to you- delivered from a sin; but he said, "Grant. have been such interferences. The laying not my request immediately." He did a man aside by illness, giving him time not like to be interfered with all at once. to think-the motions of God's Holy Spirit making him uneasy about his soul -these are all interferences. God grant that some interference may bring you to Him, if you have not come to Him already; for the last interference will be, when He sends for you away from life, and you must go, whether you like it or not, and it will be a terrible thing for any man to go unreconciled to God. There are many different ways in which these interferences of God may be taken. Some take them impatiently; they are irritated that they cannot go, and do, and be just as they like. And some take them impudently. They have no shame at being checked. And more take them defiantly; they dare God to do His worst; and more just take them neglectfully, they won't bother themselves," as they say, about such things. St. Augustine tells us in his Confessions that the answer he gave to the words, "Awake, thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee There was a man who was conspired against by a number of people who had banded themselves together to take away his life, and a paper was handed to him telling him of it; but, he said "Pleasure to-day, and business to-morrow." He did not wish to be interfered with—and on the morrow he was dead. But you may receive God's interferences with you thoughtfully, and gratefully, and say, "It is my heavenly Father." David was interfered with, and he humbled himself." Saul was interfered with, and he said, "Lord, what wilt Thou have me to do? ”3and both were forgiven and blessed. Instead of saying, "I do not want God to have anything to say to me," say, "O my God, do not leave me to myself; interfere in everything belonging to me; advising me, restraining me, helping me, saving me from my sins and from myself; interfere with me now for my safety— not hereafter to my sorrow.' 1 Eph. v. 14. 2 2 Samuel xii. 3 Acts ix. 6. FOR THE YOUNG. ROSIE'S REST. If you go among our village children, either in work-time or play-time, you will find two words very often spoken among them-two words that at first seem to our ears to have no special meaning in them-these two words are "Rosie's Rest." They appear, as we listen, to apply at the same time to a place and a person, and we are quite at a loss to tell how this can be. "I shall never learn my lesson to-day," says one curly-headed little lad, leaning across the desk at school, and whispering into the ear of a companion, "the morning is so hot, and I want to go after that butterfly. I know it's naughty, but I can't get my mind into my lesson." "Go to Rosie's Rest in the dinner-hour," answers A TRUE STORY, the other, "and you'll learn it there in five minutes." "I am sure you don't play that game fairly, Katie," cries one tiny maiden to another in the playground, in a somewhat sharp, shrill voice. "My way is as good as yours," replies Katie, stamping her small foot resolutely. "You always think you know best, Hilda." "I tell you what we will do, Katie," she says, we will both go to Rosie's Rest, and she shall decide for us." 66 What can this "Rosie's Rest" be, we wonder? What can it be, and where is it? It must certainly be a place worth going to see, as it can have such varied effects upon those who visit it. Such thoughts and such questions employed us busily, as one day we followed a little band of girls who had just expressed, with an air of importance, their intention to go to "Rosie's Rest" to study a complicated new sum which had just been set them. We were determined to find out what "Rosie's Rest" might be, and as we went we tried to picture to ourselves what it was, but were quite unprepared for what we saw when we reached "Rosie's Rest." It was a cottage kitchen, full of the bustle of every-day life, and a little figure lying stretched on a low couch, covered with a clean but shabby rug, on which were folded two small thin hands, while a pale childish face rested on the pillow. "But where is Rosie's Rest'?" we asked, looking blankly round us, our glance straying now to the mother of the family, hastening hither and thither about her household work, and now to the cradle where a baby was whimpering uneasily. "Here," cried the children in chorus, as they surrounded the couch. "Here?" we repeated incredulously, yet drawing nearer. "And this is Rosie?" we went on to ask, as we gazed more earnestly at the little one lying there. Yes, there was rest-rest that would be rest in the midst of a city's loudest din: rest that would be rest in the midst of stormiest trouble. More than earthly rest on that serene brow, and in those sweet eyes. A few years ago Rosie had skipped over the fields the merriest and most active child in the village, when an accident had stretched her on a bed of pain for life. But she made something that is better than health and strength her own. She found her way to Jesus, and to the rest that is in Him. Thus it came to pass that all the children who were in any difficulties came to Rosie to help them, and when they came, called it coming to "Rosie's rest," for the rest she had found herself made her able to show others the way to it. Dear children, while you are still in the fulness of your youth and happy strength which God has given you, try to find your way to the rest which little Rosie found, and then there will be rest and sunshine for you whatever may be the trials and troubles and clouds of your lives. ALICE KING. A BIBLE WORKING FOR GOD. FOUNDATION text. "Go work to-day in my vineyard." Who gives the call? The master of the vineyard (Matt. xxi. 28). To whom does He give it? To all that are "standing idle" (Matt. xx. 3-6). He appointeth "to every man his work" (Mark xiii. 34). True service is to do the particular work God gives you to do that work and no other; as Christ said, "I have finished the work which Thou gavest Me to do." All true work for Christ proceeds from true love to Christ. "Lovest thou Me?" "Feed My sheep; feed My lambs" (John xxi. 15, 16). Work for God presupposes life; full, active, healthy life; for if a man is only barely alive, he may exist, but he cannot work. Therefore, seek first for spiritual health, for if you are well and strong and willing, and standing ready, God will not leave you idle. lodged strangers, washed the saints' feet, relieved the afflicted, diligently followed every good work" (1 Tim. v. 10). "Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do" (Eccles. ix. 10). TESTIFYING WORK. Andrew found Simon and said, "We have found . . . the Christ." Philip found Nathaniel-"We have found Him, of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets did write, Jesus of Nazareth" (John i. 41-45). The woman of Samaria said to the men of her city, "Come, see a man, which told me all things that ever I did: is not this the Christ? (John iv. 29). The duty of "holding forth the word of life" was impressed on the Philippians by the Apostle Paul (ii. 16). Christ prayed alone (Luke ix. 18). Christ prayed for Peter (Luke xxii. 32). Christ prayed for His disciples (John xvii.). Christ prayed at Gethsemane (Luke xxii. 41). PRAISING WORK. All the people praised (1 Chron. xvi. 36). Four thousand praised (1 Chron. xxiii. 5). Praise before victory (2 Chron. xx. 1922). At the building of second temple (Ezra iii. 11). "It is the Lord; let Him do what seemeth Him good" (1 Sam. iii. 18). "The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away" (Job i. 21). "In afflictions, in necessities," &c., &c. (2 Cor. vi. 4-10). "I take pleasure in infirmities" (2 Cor. xii. 7-10). "These are they which came out of great tribulation" (Rev. vii. 14). EARNEST WORK. "So we laboured in the work" (Neh. iv. 21). "Always abounding in the work of the Lord" (1 Cor. xv. 58). "I labour, striving according to His working" (Col. i. 29). "Real work for God is downright hard, laborious, though blessed labour. Real work for God will be modelled after the work of Christ." "I must work the works of Him that sent me while it is yet day, for the night. cometh when no man can work" (John ix. 4). WE MUST WORK FOR GOD GLADLY AND HEARTILY. "I will very gladly spend and be spent for you" (2 Cor. xii. 15). "With goodwill doing service" (Eph. vi. 7). "Whatsoever ye do, do it heartily," &c. (Col. iii. 13). The Lord give us the power, for His name's sake. "Thy work is before thee, Soon, soon shall come o'er thee E. M. BECK. N.B.-The writer is indebted to an address The heavenly host praised (Luke ii. 13). given by Mr. ARCHIBALD BROWN for most of the Shepherds praised (Luke ii. 20). above remarks. |