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EXCEEDING NEED-EXCEEDING Love.

crowded to hear him. He got into regular shopwork, and so rapidly improved as to become very useful in Christian efforts.

"A few years passed, when a gentleman who required a lay agent to work among a rough population in a Midland town, engaged him for that office. Though many years have passed, he continues in well-doing, and his labours in the Gospel are much blessed. His wife is a working Christian, and they are much honoured in their son. He did well at a public school, persevered afterwards in the necessary requirements, and he has recently been admitted to Deacon's orders in the Church of England. In this solitude it is a source of joy to know that from my old districts it pleased the Lord to raise up a seed to serve Him."

"Our Veterans " tells of noble and unflinching service, and of many more such victories. "Some difficulties have been experienced in making selections from a great mass of materials. Each Veteran whose work is nearly done, has deposited at the Mission House records of absorbing interest; while the activities of those who 'rest' would form a volume." "I rejoice," says Lord Shaftesbury, "to have been oftentimes associated with them in their work, for thus I can bear testimony to their zeal, piety, and truth. I now rejoice to have my name finally associated with theirs, in this record of their labours; and safely may I adopt the language of Scripture, and say, on their behalf as well as my own, to every one who reads these pages, 'Go thou, and do likewise.'

"EXCEEDING NEED

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"EXCEEDING LOVE.”

BY M. E. MADDEN.

My Saviour I have nought to plead,
On earth beneath, or heaven above,
But just my own exceeding need,
And Thine exceeding love.

The need will soon be past and gone,
Exceeding great, but quickly o'er,
The love unbought is all Thine own,
And lasts for evermore."*

HAT volumes do these lines express! They tell us of some-
thing wanted so intensely. A want so pressing, it must be

attended to at once. They also tell us of what will supply the want. Love overcomes all things, this love even exceeds the need. To what need, and to what love do these lines refer? "Exceeding need," of what? Why of everything! It means that you and I are utterly destitute of any good thing in the sight of a holy God. That we have no power whatever to do anything that is right. That we are more helpless than a new-born babe. That we want everything, and have nothing. Do you think these expressions too strong? "Thou art wretched and miserable and

*These beautiful lines were dictated to a friend by a dying child of God, Jane Crewdson, in the midst of terrible suffering.-Ed.

EXCEEDING NEED-EXCEEDING LOVE.

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poor and blind and naked" (Rev. iii. 17). These are the words of God, before whom we must appear.

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That looks like "exceeding need," does it not? By "need we understand something we want and cannot do without. Yes, we are indeed very needy. But this same very need is turned into a blessing. "I am poor and needy," says David "yet the Lord thinketh upon me. Our sad, destitute condition aroused the love of our Blessed Saviour, and that is the "exceeding love" we plead. Love that began long before we knew our need, love that has carried us on till now, and will never leave us. In Ezekiel xvi. we have a wonderful picture of the exceeding love of our God and Saviour. The child is described as being loved when it was still in its pollution-loved with an everlasting love. And it is this love which alone can meet the need. You have the need, have you realised the love? "I have loved thee with an everlasting love." What could be stronger? They are the words of the Eternal One! Plead your need, and that love, and you will never be refused.

"The need vill soon be past and gone,

Exceeding great, but quickly o'er;
The love unbought is all Thine own,
And lasts for evermore."

Yes, the need will truly soon be over. What comfort this thought brings! Soon will the time come when we shall have done with sin. What a thrill this truth sends through the heart of the believer! To have done with the fighting, the neglecting, the careless nature that we bear with us here. Never to be troubled any more with wandering thoughts in prayer and praise; never to be weary or discouraged in the Master's service. We shall soon have done with sorrow and care. No tears dim the eyes of those who are in the presence of their Heavenly King.

What are the seventy or eighty years of time in comparison with the endless ages of Eternity before us? The need is at present indeed "exceeding great"; it is also "quickly o'er." But the "love" remains. We could not live without it even in Heaven. It is all God's own, and, therefore, eternal as He is. Blessed thought! We shall leave behind us "exceeding need," but we shall take the "exceeding love" with us through the dark valley, and find it before us in our heavenly home, greeting us and remaining with us for ever. "It lasts for evermore." What restful words are these! They seem to give us a vision of being absorbed into the love of God, and then all is satisfaction. "God is love."

"When I awake up after Thy likeness, I shall be satisfied with it."

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UNDER THE THRESHOLD.

"UNDER THE THRESHOLD."

BY CECILIA HAVERGAL.

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"Behold waters issued out from under the threshold of the house eastward."-Ez. xlvii. 1.

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SOMETHING PRECIOUS.

SOMETHING PRECIOUS.

BY S. R. G.

255

AVE you anything precious to take care of?" said Mrs. Appleby to her friend, " because I feel it such a burden to have to take care of a sealed up desk which my poor girl that died left with me to give her sailor husband when he returns from Australia. His ship has been gone nigh a year now, and he wrote lately saying, now that the worst had come, and Janie was gone, and the baby too, he was in no hurry home.

"Well, you know it's six months since that dark cloud fell upon us. You will remember, for right neighbourly you were, coming and sitting up and helping me so kindly when I was well nigh worn out with the long watching and the hoping against hope, after the poor little baby died, and Janie was one day better, another worse, until we didn't know whether to hope or fear most, until the last five weeks, when we wondered could she last another hour day after day. Ah! but that was a terrible time. Well, as I was saying, one day she got me to give her her desk and keys, and to leave her alone, and the next day she gave it to me all tied up and sealed and said, "keep that safe, mother, for John. It's very valuable-a great treasure is in it, never lose it or open it, but keep it safe till my dear, good man returns, and then give it to him. Oh mother, as you love me your poor dying girl, do as I ask you, and if anything should ever happen to you, give it into good keeping for John till he returns."

moment.

"I can't tell you how that possession has troubled me ever since. It really comes between me and my rest. I often get up at night to see if it's all safe, and when the white-washers were in I hadn't an easy I'm not fit to take care of a treasure-a poor lone woman like me. The cottage is so open, and I have no lock up place, and yet, Mrs. Smith, I must carry out my dead child's words, though that treasure will be the death of me yet, for I'm always thinking of it, and considering if any harm will happen to it, and what will become of it if John Williams stays out in them foreign parts and I should die.”

"Now, Mrs. Appleby, you really must not fidget yourself in this way," said Mrs. Smith kindly, "I'm sure you are quite right to take all the care you can of poor Janie's treasure, whatever it may be, but you must not let it become such a burden on your mind or you'll get no peace at all.

And by the way, I want to ask you why you have never come to the Mothers' Meeting since Janie's death? You and she used to come before she was taken ill, and I know she loved all she heard there. Mrs. James looks quite sad when she calls out your name Tuesday after Tuesday and you're never there."

"Indeed, I've no heart to go there or anywhere, and so I told the

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SOMETHING PRECIOUS.

Vicar and Mrs. James when they called, and beside, to tell you the truth, I'm afraid to leave the cottage more than I can help while I have charge of that desk."

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Well, now, what do you say to carrying it over to my house on Tuesday and locking it up in my strong box; you shall keep the key, and we'll go to the Mothers' Meeting together."

"Thank you kindly, that will do very well," said Mrs. Appleby.

The next Tuesday they went together. That day a lady who was staying at the Vicarage came in to speak to them. She attracted them all by her bright happy-looking face. "Let us first read together these two verses," said Miss Lyons: "St. Mark, viii. 36; 1 Peter, iv. 19: For what shall it profit a man if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?' 'Commit the keeping of their souls to Him in well doing as unto a faithful Creator.'" She began after reading these verses to say, "I once had a treasure, it was most valuable; and once I understood and realised its value, I had not an easy moment, I was so fearful lest it should get lost; day and night the tremendous value of my treasure weighed upon me. I got worn out trying to keep it safely myself, and oh! my friends, I can't tell you the joy and relief I felt when I found I had by my side a powerful Friend, who offered to receive my treasure and keep it safely for me. I put it into His hands, and ever since I have been like another person, so calm and peaceful. You too have each one of you the same wonderful treasure, of more value than anything else you possess in the whole world, your precious never dying souls. You can never know the value of one soul, but the Lord Jesus Christ knows, and He comes and offers to keep your treasure safely for you; He has a right to it for He died to save your soul, He has shed His precious blood to cleanse and to keep it clean. Don't, I implore of you, try to keep yourselves any longer yourselves, do as the verse says, 'Commit the keeping of their souls to Him.' He is able, He is willing, He is waiting, He is faithful; with Him and with Him alone are our souls safe.

"I remember once reading a story that touched me much, of a poor Scotch half-witted boy whom a clergyman seeing near the door of an inn where he was spending a night, made friends with, and asked him did he know how to write.

666

'Na,' said Sandy.

"Did he know how to read?'

"Na,' again replied the boy.

"But you know you have a soul?' said the clergyman.

"Na,' said Sandy again.

"The clergyman shook his head and said to those near him, 'How shocking to let this poor fellow remain in such woful ignorance!'

"Again he said, 'Did you never hear of the Lord Jesus, my boy?'

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'Ya,' said Sandy, his whole face brightening; 'He's the gude Mon that tuck ma soul, for I had a soul once but I didn't ken how to take eare o' it mysel', so I gied it to Him, and I've na soul now.'

"Won't you do the same?"

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