sinful natures, and are children deserving

God's wrath. we are no longer children of wrath, but children of grace. We are made one with Jesus Christ. His punishment is put to our account, so we are pardoned: His goodness is put to our account, so we are entitled to heaven. Our own sinful nature is changed by the power of the Holy Ghost, and thus we are born again, we are created anew in Christ Jesus, we have new desires, new motives, new thoughts. This is being born of the Spirit; our first real heartfelt prayer is a sign of our spiritual life. Nicodemus, though a master in Israel, could not understand how such a change could be wrought. Our Saviour condescended to explain the mysterious truth, by pointing to the wind, which cannot be seen, but is known by its effects. So is every one that is born of the Spirit.' A converted person is a person thus changed. This world is no longer the chief object of affection. Christ has taken up His abode in that heart, melting it with His love, humbling it by His power, conforming it to His own image, by

When we are born again,

C

the renewing of the Holy Ghost. Have we experienced that change? Do we hate sin? Do we love and strive after holiness? Do we delight in prayer and praise? These are some of the marks of being born again. Every converted person has the witness in himself.' He feels he is a sinner, and rests his hopes for salvation on the promise that 'Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners,' this is the inward witness of every child of God to himself, and the witness to others is a holy life, which proves to those around that God is fitting him for heaven. Are we known by our outward life, and by our inward witness to be the children of God? If we are, let us be encouraged to persevere in our prayers and our efforts, remembering that it is promised 'He which hath begun a good work shall perform it.'

If we have not yet been turned from darkness to light, if we are still careless about our souls, let us stop and consider, let us think and pray, for, unless we are born of God, we shall never live with God; unless we live to please God on earth we shall not dwell with God in heaven.

Tuesday Evening.

FOR

2 CORINTHIANS, V. 10-21.

OR we must all appear before the judgment-seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad. Knowing, therefore, the terror of the Lord, we persuade men: but we are made manifest unto God; and I trust, also, are made manifest in your consciences. For we commend not ourselves again unto you, but give you occasion to glory on our behalf, that ye may have somewhat to answer them which glory in appearance, and not in heart. For whether we be beside ourselves, it is to God: or whether we be sober, it is for your cause. For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead: and that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again. Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more. Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; to wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses

unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. Now, then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God. For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

THE EFFECTS OF BEING BORN AGAIN.

May the fruits of the Holy Spirit appear in our life.

OUR Saviour's teaching to Nicodemus, on being born again, is confirmed by St. Paul in these verses, and we learn how the love of Christ, in dying to save sinners, constrained him to preach, urging men to repent. For, knowing that we must all appear before the judgment-seat of Christ, to give account of all that we have done, he tries to persuade men, telling them of God's great mercy in providing a Saviour who took man's sin and suffered for it; so, God is reconciled to man through His dear Son, whom He gave up, out of love for sinners, and now all that is wanted is for man to be reconciled to God. St. Paul is inspired by God to write His message of

entreaty for us, just as he preached it to the Corinthians, and says to us, 'I pray you in Christ's stead be ye reconciled to God.' He reminds us of all that Christ did for us, -how He died for us, that we might live for ever. He shows how such a sacrifice, and such love, should stir us up to live no longer to ourselves, but to Him, and then he adds, that those who do thus live to Him, know Him and others no longer after the flesh; that is, they know Him in a very different way to what they did before; they had long heard of Him as a Saviour, but now they know Him as their Saviour; they knew their relations and friends with earthly knowledge, but now they look deeper, and their souls are the chief object of interest. Is this the case with us? We have long known Christ by the hearing of the ear, but have we taken Him into our hearts? If we have, then He dwells in us, and we dwell in Him. 'Our life is hid with Christ in God,' and we have new desires, new aims, new hopes; for the life of Christ makes us alive to all that is good and holy. The Holy Spirit awakens in us heavenly resolutions,