sober-minded."

women likewise, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things; that they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children, to be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands;" and " young men to be And it is remarkable that he ends this exhortation with urging the same reason as is given in the verse after the text: "Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of our great God and Saviour Jesus Christ" (Tit. ii. 2-13). In like manner he says, that Christ's ministers must shew "uncorruptness in doctrine, gravity, sincerity, sound speech that cannot be condemned;" that they must be "blameless, not self-willed, not soon angry . . . . Lovers of good men, sober, just, holy, temperate" (Tit. i. 7, 8). It is observable, too, that this was foretold as the character of Gospel-times, by the prophet Isaiah : "The work of righteousness shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness, quietness and assurance for ever. And my people shall dwell in a peaceable habitation, and in sure dwellings, and in quiet resting-places" (Is. xxxii. 17, 18).

Now, then, let us consider more particularly what is this state of mind, and what the grounds of it. These seem to be as follow: the Lord is at hand; this is not your rest-this is not your dwelling-place. Act, then, as persons who are in a dwelling not their own; who are not in their own house; who have not their own goods and furniture about them; who accordingly make shift and put up with any thing that comes to hand, and do not make a point of things being the best of

their kind. "But this I say, brethren, the time is short." What matters it what we eat, what we drink, how we are clothed, where we lodge, what is thought of us, what becomes of us, since we are not at home? It is felt every day, as regards this world, that when we leave home for a while, we are unsettled. This, then, is the kind of feeling which a belief in Christ's coming may create within us. It is not worth while establishing ourselves here; it is not worth while spending time and thoughts on such an object. We shall hardly have got settled when we shall have to move. St. Paul says, "Be careful for nothing;" and St. Peter, "casting all your care upon Him" (1 Pet. v. 7); or as He Himself, "Take no thought," or care, "for the morrow, for the morrow will take care for the things of itself" (Matt. vi. 34). This, of course, is the state of mind which directly follows on the belief that "the Lord is at hand.' Who would care for any loss or gain to-day, if he knew for certain that Christ would shew Himself tomorrow? No one. Well, then, the true Christian feels as he would feel, did he know for certain that Christ would be here to-morrow. For he knows for certain that at least Christ will come to him when he dies; and faith makes the time of his death present, just as if that distant day, if it be distant, were past and over. One time or another Christ will come for certain ; and when He once has come, it matters not what length of time there was before He came; however long that period may be, it has an end. Judgment is coming, whether it comes sooner or later, and the Christian realises that it is coming;

"

that is, time does not enter into his calculation, or interfere with his view of things. When men expect to live out their plans and projects, then they care for them; when they know they will come to nought, they give them over, or become indifferent to them.

So, again, it is with all forebodings, anxieties, mortifications, griefs, resentments of this world. "The time is short." It has sometimes been well suggested, as a mode of calming the mind when set upon an object, or much vexed or angered at some occurrence, what will you feel about all this a year hence? It is very plain that matters which agitate us most extremely now, will then interest us not at all; that objects about which we have intense hope and fear now, will then be to us nothing more than things which happen at the other end of the earth. So will it be with all human hopes, fears, pleasures, pains, jealousies, disappointments, successes, when the last day is come. They will have no life in them; they will be as the faded flowers of a bouquet, which do but mock Or, when we lie on the bed of death, what will it avail us to have been rich, or great, or fortunate, or honoured, or influential? All things will then be vanity. Well, what this world will be understood by all to be then, such is it felt to be by the Christian now. He looks at things as he then will look at them, with an uninterested and dispassionate eye, and is neither pained much nor pleased much at the accidents of life, because they are accidents.

us.

"The

Peace is part of the same temper also.
of God," says the Apostle, "which passeth

peace

E

all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." There are many

things in the Gospel to alarm us, many to transport us; but the end and issue of all these is peace. Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace.' The Christian has a deep, silent, hidden peace, which the world sees not, like some well in a retired and shady place, difficult of access. What he is when left to himself and to his God, that is his true life. He can bear himself; he can, as it were, joy in himself, for it is the grace of God within him, it is the presence of the Eternal Comforter, in which he joys. He can bear, he finds it pleasant, to be with himself at all times," never less alone than when alone." He can lay his head on his pillow at night, and own in God's sight, with overflowing heart, that he wants nothing; that he " is full and abounds;" that God has been all things to him, and that nothing is not his which God could give him. More thankfulness, more holiness, more of heaven he needs indeed, but the thought that he can have more is not a thought of trouble but of joy. It does not interfere with his peace to know that he may grow nearer God. Such is the Christian's peace, when with a single heart and the cross in his eye, he addresses and commends himself to Him with whom the night is as clear as the day. St. Paul says, the " peace of God shall keep our hearts and minds." By "keep" is meant "guard" or "garrison" our hearts, so as to keep out enemies. And he says 66 our hearts and minds," in contrast to what the world sees of us. may be said of the Christian,

Many hard things and done against

him; but he has a secret preservative or charm, and minds them not.

66

These are some few thoughts on the character of mind which becomes the followers of Him who was once "born of a pure virgin," and who bids them, as new-born babes, desire the sincere milk of the Word, that they may grow thereby." The Christian is cheerful, easy, kind, gentle, courteous, candid, unassuming; has no pretence, no affectation, no ambition, no singularity, because he has neither hope nor fear about this world.

“ Thou hast been a strength to the poor, a strength to the needy in his distress, a refuge from the storm, a shadow from the heat, when the blast of the terrible ones is as a storm against the wall."--Isaiah xxv. 4.

A mighty river, flowing

Through dry and herbless sand;
A rock, its shadow throwing
Across a weary land ;
Such, blessed Saviour, now,

While in noon-day heat we toil,
Through life's parch'd and barren soil,
Such to Thy Church art Thou.

A covert from the beating
Of stormy wind and rain,
The way-worn pilgrim greeting

On some bleak wintry plain;
Such is Thy Cross's shade:

There, while round God's judgments sweep,
Calm, as in health's sweetest sleep,

Thy faithful ones are laid.