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SOMETHING NEW.

"SOMETHING NEW."

BY THE HON. EMILY KINNAIRD.

SHALL not be very far wrong in saying that the world is always running after new things-"something new" is its cry. It seeks this, and succeeds in the search sometimes, but only to find that this grows old too soon, and has to be replaced by "something new." Does not this happen again and again? What catches our eye as we go about the streets, or as we turn over the paper, "A new fashion," "A new amusement," "A new invention?" Perhaps you will read this letter because it is " something new." We hope it will soon become an old friend to many, and be a link to bind us together but we shall try and have "something new" to tell you each time, or you will grow tired of it. It is the world's way this, the world's search. Is it not yours too? Do you not often long for some new thing? It is but natural we should. The mistake we make is in the search, we think we shall find it in the world, but the world has nothing new to give. Here God meets our need as He does every human need. "Behold, I make all things new"-" old things are passed away, behold all things are become new." "Something new " is the world's attraction, "all things new," God's promise! Which is best?

"All things become new." What a strange word! Yes, very strange, unless you have experienced it. If you have, you know how true it is! I remember being told by one to whom all things had been made new, how true he found it. One night God's Word went home to his heart, and he felt the old things must pass away. If ever a new life was to begin for him, he saw that he must be made a new creature" in Christ Jesus. I remember his saying that as he went to work next morning every thing seemed new; the very sun shone brighter, the grass was greener, and the toil lighter. In his heart there was a new life. No wonder the world looked brighter, it was his Father's handiwork ;—no wonder the toil was lighter, his Saviour had toiled before him.

I dare say you will be thinking you never felt like that, or that it is an impossible experience, an exaggerated one! Everything is the same to you as it ever was; the name of Jesus your Saviour strikes no chord in your heart, to do God's will is no pleasure, to live in His Presence no joy" all things continue as they were from the beginning." And you think it does not very much matter, you will change some day. And if

you do not change you will be no worse off than many other people. But remember, this may go on a little too long; you may live like this all your life, till one day you find you are past change. Nothing new then. The old way of living will cling to you, your character will have become permanent, you will always like what you have liked here, and dislike what you have disliked. You will go into eternity unchanged, to be unchanged for ever; if sinful, sinful still; if unsaved, unsaved still (Rev. xxii. 11). We do not quite like the thought of that, do we?

If this is true, and it is what God says, what is the secret of everything becoming new? It is to become new yourself. In answer to the prayer, "Create in me a clean heart," comes the promise "A new heart will I give you." Not a new feeling first, but a new heart. Our hearts are often cold enough, are they not? No matter, God undertakes to change them if we come to Him. He will soon make all things new.

First, He will show you yourself, and a new way of looking at yourself. You will find he says "Ye are not your own," therefore you have no right to live for yourself; "Ye are bought with a price," therefore you have no right to live for any one but for Him who paid the price for you. And you have forgotten this, have you not? You never thought that in living for yourself you are wasting what is not your own to waste. You never thought it was wrong. Now don't you see it is a sin, and you are a sinner? This will lead at once to a new way of looking at Jesus. You will see He loves you, loves you so much that He died for you, lives now at God's right hand to plead for you and help you. You will see that He longs for your love, waits for your service. Can you see Him caring so much for you and not thank him? Dying to redeem you, and not yield yourself to Him with a hearty "O Lord, I am Thy servant; Thou hast loosed my bonds. What shall I render to the Lord for all His benefits?" Thus then will follow a new way of looking at life. "Unto the Lord” now--not unto ourselves-with the will of God as our rule, the love of Christ constraining us to will it, and the Holy Spirit enabling us to do it. No waste now, for "whatever ye do in word or in deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus." No dulness or halfheartedness now, for " whatsoever ye do, do it heartily as to the Lord and not unto men." No want of interest now, for your interest is the glory of God and the spreading of the knowledge of His glory. "Do all to the glory of God." Will not this make even every day and every hour fresh and new?

Don't be content with anything short of such a thorough change. It will not bring you happiness. You know when a new invention threatens to take the place of an old one, many set to work to try and improve the old one, in order to make it last as long as possible, because they fear the new will replace the old. Just now you see in the streets of London how they improve the gas, lest electricity should win the day too soon. Now it is just so with us. The world sees we are tired of its ways and want a change. It suggests some improvement, "something new," a little more reading of your Bible, Sunday better spent, some sinful pleasure given up. And on we go again, but soon to be disappointed with such a poor remedy. Yes-Nothing will answer but becoming 66 a new creature in Christ Jesus."

But don't be disappointed if this beautiful experience is not yours at once. Be content to begin at the beginning, but don't be content not to begin at all. Beware of that! Know yourself a sinner, Jesus a Saviour, the Holy Spirit a Renewer. Never fear failure with such a prayer on your lips: "Renew a right Spirit within me." God will not fail you. All things will become new. A new way of living-for Christ; a new way of working-with Christ; a new way of dying-in Christ. Then all things verily shall be new.

[The above is one of the monthly letters written to the members of the Young Women's Christian Association, but we thought it too good and stirring to be seen only by them! So we give it to our readers, with a few words about the Association. It is "to form a link between young women of all classes of society, and, by uniting them in friendly sympathy, to promote their moral and spiritual welfare." This object has wonderfully succeeded, and we cannot reckon the number of young women who owe their conversion to the link thus formed.

In many large towns this Association is established, having their own rooms, which are open every evening for the use of members, and where Sunday and week-evening Bible classes are held, and some have beds, where girls from the country can have a safe and happy home.

The Association is needed everywhere, but more especially in large towns, where young people arrive in search of work, utterly ignorant of the perils that will meet them, and knowing no one to whom they can turn. Lord Shaftesbury has for long given his earnest and hearty help to the work.

We hope all our readers will take some steps to interest themselves

about it. If they are young women, who are thinking of coming up to London or any large town, a note to the Central Secretary, Miss Weitbrecht, 17, Old Cavendish-street, London, W., will procure them the address of the Association in whatever town they may be going. If they are those interested in young women, and who are anxious to care for them, we earnestly hope that they will find out from the same lady what they can do, and get papers which will stir their deepest interest.]

"NOTHING TO PAY."*

BY C. N.

Na home in Scotland, some time ago, the Spirit of God was very manifestly at work. One by one the members of it gave their hearts to the Lord Jesus, and yielded heart first, and then life to His love.

But there was still one who would not submit to that atoning love. No sense of sin oppressed him, so there was no desire to know the "Lamb of God, who taketh away the sin of the world." For this brother the brothers and sisters earnestly besought the Lord; and his mother above all, yearned, and prayed, and worked, that her last unsaved son might be found of Jesus, so that they might be an unbroken family in Him.

There was no response and no sign that the prayer was heard. The young man went to Australia, for he loved sport, and fun, and adventure. From there he wrote constant and long letters home, for he was a loving son, and not one like many who throw over every thought of home when they go away, and forget their parents' love and anxiety, and keep silence for months and years. Strange return for all the years of care and love spent on them! And young men think such conduct manly and independent. Truly, the same independence which brought sin into the world. But this young man was not of this mean sort, and in every outward way he was all that could be desired. But still no thought of eternity checked him, and he went on in his merry, careless, godless way, as if there were no eternal future.

They wrote to him constantly full of home news, with the yearning through all they wrote that he was safe. Letter after letter came from him, brimming over with enjoyment, telling of the sport and the fun he was having, and still no sign of a change. 'We will pray on," they said; and so they did, eagerly watching for some token that the prayer was being granted.

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* A true incident, heard from a clergyman.