To ill.u.s.trate and bring out into bold relief each of these precious stones, each cla.s.s had prepared portions of Scripture, hymns, or poems to recite as each subject was announced. It must have repaid the Superintendent for all the trouble he had taken, and given the friends much pleasure to hear the manner in which the different cla.s.ses acquitted themselves, the Young Men's Bible Cla.s.s especially. Throughout the entire proceedings, hymns, specially selected for the occasion, were nicely sung by the scholars, and contributed much to the heartiness of the gathering.

The school-room was decorated in the usual manner, namely, with garments destined for distribution among the deserving poor. These garments have been made, as in former years, by the scholars and friends--in fact, the School Dorcas is now an established inst.i.tution, and shows what may be done by kind hearts and nimble fingers.

The meeting was brought to a close, shortly before nine o'clock, with the usual acknowledgments, the singing of "Shall we meet beyond the river?" and prayer, every one feeling that another pleasant and profitable meeting had been held.

C. E.

OUR BIBLE CLa.s.s.

PSALM x.x.xII.

With our Bibles open before us, dear young friends, we will try to make a few comments on this portion of Scripture. But let us first turn to Psalm li., for there is the sad confession of sin which went before this joyful song of "Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven." This first verse is a shout of joy and grat.i.tude. Oh, the happiness--the indescribable happiness--of the forgiven sinner!

Four words are used to describe wrong-doing and guilt: _transgression_, or trespa.s.s--a venturing on forbidden ground; _sin_--a failing, or falling short of goodness; _iniquity_ (second verse), wilfulness, rebellion; and _guile_--deceit and falsehood.

And here are four pictures of G.o.d's saving love. _Forgive_ means "forth give." Pardon flows forth freely and fully from the heart of G.o.d to all who truly confess their sins and entreat His mercy. Sin is _covered_, for Christ is the _Propitiation_ for His people's sins, and these two words carry us back to the tabernacle's most holy place, and bring to view the covering, or lid, of the ark, the mercy-seat, sprinkled with atoning blood and bright with the divine glory. Jesus has died, and His blood cleanseth from all sin. To Him David looked, and was saved, and faith now looks back to His perfect Sacrifice, and rejoices in Him alone.

Then iniquity is not imputed to the pardoned one, for "it is G.o.d that justifieth." "Impute" or "reckon" reminds us of an account book, with its columns of debt and credit entries. G.o.d will not charge His children with iniquity, for Jesus paid their debts, and Christ's goodness and merits are reckoned in their favour, and they shall receive all blessings for His sake.

And then these blessed ones are _made_ as well as "reckoned" righteous.

In their "spirit there is no guile." They, through G.o.d's Spirit, become honest and sincere. Oh, how blessed are these forgiven ones!

Then David, for the sake of contrast, presents another picture--his own attempts at covering his sin. What clumsy, miserable failures! He tried to cover one stain by another blot, and then threw the cloak of falsehood over all. But the weary months pa.s.sed on, and brought him no relief from the unspeakable wretchedness that filled his heart and wore out his body by day and by night, till Nathan, the prophet, was sent by G.o.d to reprove him, and then, with a full heart, David acknowledged all, and received the free pardon of his Heavenly Father.

Now, David would be useful to others, and warn sinners against the evil ways they are pursuing (see ver. 10, first clause), and would encourage all who are seeking the Lord to hope in His mercy, who had been so merciful to him. G.o.d had often been his Hiding-place (ver. 7) when he fled from Saul into rocks and caves of the earth. His sure defence was the Lord Himself. He preserved him from death; and now he had afresh experienced His loving-kindness. And as we read this verse, are we not reminded of the sweet lines--

"Rock of Ages, cleft for me, Let me hide myself in Thee"?

The Lord Himself is the great Instructor and Leader of His people, and He guides them with His eye always upon them, watching and protecting the objects of His care (ver. 8). But David would tenderly exhort all who heard, and still hear him, to dread sin, and be afraid of all wayward, self-willed feelings. "Be ye not as the horse, or the mule, that have no understanding" of their owners' will sometimes, but will, if possible, get their own way, and need to be steered and restrained.

"I have been like them," David seems to say, "and I was allowed to take my own course; and oh, how fearfully I went astray! Be warned by my fall, and learn, with me, to pray, 'Hold Thou me up, and I shall be safe.'"

"Many sorrows shall be to the wicked, but they that trust in the Lord,"

though they are weak, and foolish, and imperfect, "shall be compa.s.sed about with mercy." Therefore, "be glad in the Lord, ye righteous: and shout for joy, all ye that are upright in heart," for He is good and faithful, and will preserve you; He is gracious, and will forgive; He is holy and almighty, and He will cleanse you from all unrighteousness, and fill and crown you with His glory for ever.

May we be kept by the power and providence of G.o.d from falling into sin and evil, but since we have sinned and come short of His glory--since we need pardon and cleansing--may we be led to pray, with David, "Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Create in me a clean heart, O G.o.d, and renew a right spirit within me." Like him, may we know the joys of divine forgiveness, and then be helped to show forth our Saviour's praise, not only by our words, but in our lives, by walking in the way of His commandments, and "cleaving to Him with purpose of heart."

Our next subject will be, John xvii. 22.

Your loving friend, H. S. L.

DO those things that you judge to be good, although, after you have done them, you may be disesteemed, being regardless of the praise or blame of the vulgar.--_Pythagoras._

PRIZE ESSAY.

WHAT KIND OF SERVICE IS MOST ACCEPTABLE TO G.o.d?

G.o.d accepts that service which is prompted entirely out of love to Him with greater pleasure than any other. If we obey our parents and serve G.o.d only with a view of being praised by men, He does not accept our service, and we may be compared with the scribes and Pharisees washing the outside of the platter and of the cup, but leaving the inside unclean. Jesus says, "Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!

for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess" (Matt. xxiii. 25). Jesus means by this that the scribes and Pharisees gave heed to all the outward ceremonies of religion, and were, to all appearance, good and upright; but they did not really love G.o.d in their hearts. G.o.d looks upon the motive which prompts any little kindness to any one. He does not look so much at the action. He says, even a cup of cold water, if given for Jesus' sake, will be remembered and rewarded (Matt. x. 42; Mark ix. 41).

Jesus says that even the widow who put her farthing into the treasury, gave more than the scribes and Pharisees, who put in large sums of money. He means by this that the widow put in all she had. She must have had great love to G.o.d to give her last farthing for the use of G.o.d's house, and the Pharisees were really prompted to put in their large sums of money because of the praise of man. In obeying our parents, and in whatever we do, we should do it as unto the Lord.

Paul says, "Not with eye-service, as men pleasers; but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of G.o.d from the heart; with good will doing service as to the Lord, and not to men" (Eph. vi. 6, 7).

"Only a kindly action, Done to a child of G.o.d; Not done to cause attraction, But as unto Christ the Lord."

When Mary poured the precious box of ointment on Jesus' head, and anointed His feet, and wiped them with her hair, she did it out of love to Him, and Jesus accepted her service; and when some were angry at what they termed the woman's waste of ointment, Jesus reproved them, and said, "She hath done what she could."

Oh, that we may have our sins forgiven through the blood of Jesus, and be enabled to serve Him acceptably, so that we may have the joy of hearing Him say, at the last day, "Come, thou blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world"

(Matt. xxv. 34).

"Search me, O G.o.d, is my desire, Nor let me from Thy ways depart; To love and serve Thee I aspire, Enriched with Mary's better part."

MABEL ELLEN DENLY (Aged 11 years).

_197, High Street, Hounslow._

[We have received several good Essays this month, especially those from E. B. Knocker, Jane Bell, Margaret Creasey, L. Rush, and P. Rackham. We hope all of them, as well as the very young friend who wrote the above, will feel encouraged to persevere.]

[The writer of the above Essay receives a copy of THE SOWER for 1887.

The subject for April will be, "Who are they that will Stand Perfect in the Day of Judgment?" and the prize to be given for the best Essay on that subject, a copy of "The Life of John Newton." All compet.i.tors must give a guarantee that they are under fifteen years of age, and that the Essay is their own composition, or the papers will be pa.s.sed over, as the Editor cannot undertake to write for this necessary information.

Papers must be sent direct to the Editor, Mr. T. Hull, 117, High Street, Hastings, by the first of March.]

"LET NO MAN DESPISE THEE."

Does the injunction to Timothy and t.i.tus respectively--"Let no man less despise thy youth," and "Let no man despise thee"--give any sanction to self-a.s.sertiveness? Let it not be thought so. Am I eccentric for the sake of eccentricity, or for the sake of attracting notoriety? Am I tenacious of my own rights, while sublimely indifferent to the rights of others? Do I try to pa.s.s myself off for better, wiser, richer, or n.o.bler than I am? Then I deserve to be despised. But if, in the vindication of unpalatable truth, or in the steadfast and unostentatious discharge of duty, I encounter scorn, be scorn my portion. The sum of the matter seems to me to be this--While, on the one hand, I must be willing, for conscience' sake, to endure reproach, opposition, buffeting, and contempt, I must be equally concerned, on the other, to avoid every questionable act or thing that, with any show of reason, may cause me to be despised, and may thus materially mar my influence for good.

Herein does the poet of the "Night Thoughts" hit the mark--"Revere thyself, and yet thyself despise." Let self be "of no reputation," but, at the same time, do thou faithfully and prayerfully pursue intrinsic worth, and let not "a good name" be of no account in thy regard.

THOMSON SHARP.

EGOTISM and self-a.s.sertion are unamiable traits.