of meditation as these, and a thousand more all converging on one point, command us, constrain us, compel us to "consider Jesus." EDITOR.

Hebrews viii. 10. (Twenty-third Sunday after Trinity.) "I WILL PUT MY LAWS INTO THEIR MIND, AND ON THEIR HEART ALSO WILL I WRITE THEM." WHATEVER we believe about a Bible for man, it is clear that Old and New Testament writers believed also in a Bible in man. Indeed, all the great realities of Christianity, as an outward system or history, have their counterpart in Christian experience. Thus with the birth of Christ; He is to "be born in you, the Hope of glory." Thus too of Resurrection and Ascension. And thus concerning the Bible; for though we put into circulation a million copies of Holy Scripture, what the better are men unless Holy Scripture be "put into their mind," and written on their hearts. Every true Christian is an embodied Bible, printed, bound, circulated. Noting the analogies and contrasts between the written Scriptures of our Bible, and the embodied Scriptures in a godly life, we observe―

I. BOTH HAVE A WRITER AND READERS. The Writer is God. For whether it be in the tran

scribing true teachings for the Book, or the producing holy impressions on human lives, men are but the agents, the penmen, God is the great Source of all that is lofty in thought and pure in life. If "holy men of old spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost," it is as indubitably certain that all strong, gracious, devoted Christian souls trace to God whatever virtues they possess. How, we may not always discern, but sometimes directly, and sometimes indirectly, God puts laws into the mind and writes them upon the heart with unmistakeable legibility and indelible impression. The Readers are many. Many, in many languages, read the written, printed Bible; but myriads more, in the universal character of daily life, read the embodied Scriptures. "Living epistles" are known and read of all men. The sage and the little child, the savage and the philosopher, are, perhaps, equally apt students of the literature of human conduct.

II. THE EMBODIED SCRIPTURES ARE MORE LEGIBLE, CONVINCING, AND PERMANENT THAN THE WRITTEN SCRIPTURES. Our argument is not a disparagement of the written Scriptures, but an exaltation of the embodied Scriptures. For are they not (1) more legible? No lexicon needed there; no commentary in demand. Honesty,

purity, kindness, do not involve grammars, and exegesis, and theologies. (2) More convincing. Truth in sentences, specially such sentences as John's, or Paul's or of our Lord, is convincing; but truth in a single action, and consistently enshrined in a whole course of conduct, is far more convincing. "The life is the light of men." (3) More permanent. Pages can be torn; Bibles burnt. The figures of speech, the modes of thought become antiquated, not to say obsolete. But living goodness is fresh as a constant dawn, a perennial springtide.

CONCLUSION. Study both books God is writing for you; the outward and inward Scriptures.

EDITOR.

James ii. 14-26. (Twenty-fourth Sunday after Trinity.)

"WHAT DOTH IT PROFIT, MY BRETHREN, THOUGH A MAN SAY HE HATH FAITH, AND HAVE NOT WORKS? CAN FAITH SAVE HIM? IF A BROTHER OR SISTER BE NAKED, AND DESTITUTE OF DAILY FOOD, AND ONE OF YOU SAY UNTO THEM, DEPART IN PEACE, BE YE WARMED AND FILLED; NOTWITHSTANDING YE GIVE THEM NOT THOSE THINGS WHICH ARE NEEDFUL TO THE BODY; WHAT DOTH IT PROFIT? EVEN SO FAITH, IF IT HATH NOT WORKS, IS DEAD, BEING ALONE. YEA, A MAN MAY SAY, THOU HAST FAITH, AND I

HAVE WORKS: SHEW ME THY FAITH

WITHOUT THY WORKS, AND I WILL

SHEW THEE MY FAITH BY MY WORKS.
THOU BELIEVEST THAT THERE IS ONE
GOD; THOU DOEST WELL: THE DEVILS
BUT
ALSO BELIEVE, AND TREMBLE.
WILT THOU KNOW, O VAIN MAN, THAT
FAITH WITHOUT WORKS IS DEAD?
WAS NOT ABRAHAM OUR FATHER

JUSTIFIED BY WORKS, WHEN HE HAD OFFERED ISAAC HIS SON UPON THE ALTAR? SEEST THOU HOW FAITH WROUGHT WITH HIS WORKS, AND BY WORKS WAS FAITH MADE PERFECT? AND THE SCRIPTURE WAS FULFILLED WHICH SAITH, ABRAHAM BELIEVED GOD, AND IT WAS IMPUTED UNTO HIM

FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS: AND HE WAS YE SEE

CALLED THE FRIEND OF GOD.

THEN HOW THAT BY WORKS A MAN IS JUSTIFIED, AND NOT BY FAITH ONLY. LIKEWISE ALSO WAS NOT RAHAB THE HARLOT JUSTIFIED BY WORKS, WHEN SHE HAD RECEIVED THE MESSENGERS, AND HAD SENT THEM OUT ANOTHER WAY? FOR AS THE BODY WITHOUT THE SPIRIT IS DEAD, SO FAITH WITHOUT WORKS IS DEAD ALSO."

THE faith condemned here is a spurious faith,-"if a man say he hath faith"; the faith enjoined is a genuine faith.

I. SPURIOUS FAITH. Concerning this spurious or semblant faith we are here led to notice that it has three distinguishing faults, either of which is enough to condemn it, the three together render it completely accursed. (1) It has no energy. It is simply and utterly inoperative. "Without works." (2) It is without benefit. The satire here is very cutting that describes spurious faith as simply saying to the naked and the homeless, "be clothed, be warmed," and effects nothing whatever for their good. (3) It has no merit. Demons have it. All it does, whether for the demons or the orthodox, is to make them "shudder."

II. GENUINE FAITH. The true faith that, quite as much as

Habbakuk or Paul, James enjoins (though he scathes spurious faith with more force than they had done), is recognisable by the very opposite characteristics to those of its counterfeit. (1) It ever finds practical expression. The true believer ever says, not with lips but in his daily conduct, in all the crises of his life, "I will show my faith by my works." E.g., Abraham, &c. (2) It is essentially beneficial. (a) On a man's self. By it he realises that he is "a friend of God"; by it, too, his character is developed, for "by works is faith made perfect." (b) On society. It tells for good on others. E.g., Rahab and the messengers. Such living faith is of incalculable advantage to the individual soul and to society.

Matthew xxi. 1.

EDITOR.

(First Sunday in Advent.)

IT is not difficult to find reasons for the selection of the "Palmentry" as the subject for the Gospel of to-day. There are points of difference yet also of similarity between our Lord's entry into Jerusalem and His "Advent" into this world. The Collect for the day gives us the key, for it speaks of a wonderful combination of humanity and divinity, humility and divinity, the temporal and the eternal.

Note the similarity: e.g., (a) the human and Divine. Christ the Teacher, &c. : as a mere man entering Jerusalem. Still what proofs of divinity as seen in His superhuman knowledge as to the existence, &c., of the ass in the neighbouring village. Christ "the first begotten" of the Father: before all worlds, &c. Born at Bethlehem, subject to all the limitations of our nature, &c. (b) Lowly yet majestic. With what signs and surroundings of lowliness Christ entered Jerusalem. But yet He was in the highest sense a King. So with the first Advent. (c) The temporal and the eternal. In both instances there were remarkable fulfilments of ancient prophecies. Consider this passage

as

I. DECLARING CERTAIN TRUTHS CONCERNING CHRIST. Every incident in our Lord's life declares certain special truths. Combining them, we then see the harmony and greatness of His character. Here we get truths concerning (1) His nature. (a) Super-human knowledge (point out proofs here given of this). (b) The greatness of His claims: He sent His disciples for the "ass" whereon He should ride. The Lord had need. What a combination of authority and yet poverty. (c) The perfection of His emotional nature. He gave

sorrow.

Himself up for a time to the joyfulness of the hour. He did rejoice. He entered into the enthusiasm of the multitude. But still He saw the depths beneath, &c. He could weep also at what was a just cause for (c) His calmness and self-repression. He could have been crowned King. He might have led on the people to higher bursts and deeds of enthusiasm. But He repressed all this. He came to die. (2) His influence. As in other cases, and through all His history on earth, and even in His spiritual ministrations now, there was (a) attraction. Multitudes brought into His train. Loud rejoicing, gladsome songs. How Christ attracts now. every department He is drawing men, &c. (b) Repulsion. Opposition of the Pharisees. So still. (illustrate.)

a

vast

In

II-ILLUSTRATES CERTAIN PHASES OF HUMANITY. (1) Gladly enthusiastic. Wonderful sight to see crowd swayed by deep feeling. Here an enthusiastic multitude aroused upon a spiritual subject. (2) Bitterly malignant. Not all in that assembly were favourable to Christ. There were those plotting His death. (3) Stolidly neutral. Those who would not commit themselves to either side. (4) The fickle. What a change in a

short time passed over the crowd. Contrast now and the time when they cried, "Crucify," &c. So the same classes to-day are seen in everything relating to religious and spiritual life and truth. (Apply this.) Cf. "Julius Cæsar," Act III., sc. 2nd, for illustration.

III-SYMBOLIZES CERTAIN SPIRITUAL FACTS. This entry into Jerusalem symbolizes many things specially bearing upon the truths we consider this Advent. We now call to mind the Advents of Christ. Christ has come, is coming, and will come. See how these facts are here symbolized. As regards (a) the historical past. Christ has come into this world. Came in our nature, with majesty and humility. (b) The visible present. He is still coming. He is still going on His kingly procession through this world. He is still entering into our individual, social, and national life. (c) The unrevealed future. He will come again. A certain prophetic fact linked on to the historical fact, He will come to reign, purify, destroy, and to receive a redeemed world's glad tribute of praise. Receive, then, this coming King now with devotion of heart, reverence of grateful wonder, and the willing offerings of heart and life. JAMES FOSTER, B.A.

AUTHORPE RECTORY,

LINCOLNSHIRE.