test. If Christ is our King, we must be loyal subjects, and permit Him to reign in our hearts, bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.'* Perhaps there is nothing in the Christian life which calls for such a terrible exercise of the will as in this matter of 'sinful thoughts.' Many who successfully curb their inclinations to outward forms of sin, fail in this respect. Faith alone can enable us to overcome. 'This is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.'† That is to say, an intense realization of God's presence ever with and around us is the only true secret of a successful conMan possesses a power of self-control of which he frequently does not avail himself. For instance, many a swearer, excuses himself on the score of temper; he says he cannot control himself. The true secret is that he does not will to do so, and therefore makes no effort. Follow such a one into the presence of his superiors, or into ladies' society, and you will find, if he be fit for society at all, that their presence is sufficient to deter him. But God's presence is ever around us. 'In Him we live, and move, and have our being.' The reason that the Divine presence does not control the swearer so much as the presence of some poor fellow-sinner, is that he has no faith. To him God is an abstract Being of whom he knows nothing, and whose presence he does not realize. Not so with the man of strong faith. He ever grasps the fact of the Divine presence, and hence seeks to please Him, and to lead a holy life, even though unseen by mortal eye. However great the temptation may be, he says, 'How can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?' Faith enables him to overcome because he endured, as seeing Him who is invisible,' and to look to Him for strength to overcome. Let the believer, then, assaulted with sinful thoughts and temptation, pray, 'Lord, increase my faith.' † 1 John v. 4. Acts xvii. 28. || Heb. xi. 27. 2 Cor. x. 5. In a single chapter it is impossible to say much on such an important subject as the Christian life. I here take the liberty of mentioning in a note a few books* which I have found most beneficial to my own soul, so that any reader who wishes to follow up the subject may obtain them. As in this chapter I have dealt with the Christian's duty to God, I feel that I cannot do better than close this chapter with an extract from an eminently good man,† showing the Christian's duty towards his fellow-creatures : 'I wish to live in the way which brings most honour on religion, and does most good to others. When the worldly see that religion makes a man cheerful, diligent, alive to the wants of others, and careless of his own; not censorious, but disposed to make excuses for the faults of others, and freely confessing and really sorry for his own; doing every part of duty with mildness, patience, meekness, and activity, whether our superiors be present or absent; neither covetous, selfish, vain, nor proud: they will be sensible that a religion which does such things must be true, must be powerful, must be from God. They will strive to imitate it, they will perhaps be converted, and glorify God; at any rate, they cannot speak against religion as vain.' Or, on the other hand, 'If men see, in spite of the religion I profess, that I am gloomy and discontented, slothful and indifferent to the wants, to the desires, the troubles, and the happiness of others; glad to find and to point out faults, and impatient and irritated when my own are pointed out; proud, captious, and slothful in business, striving to show my diligence in the presence of my superiors, unwilling to take a share in fatigue, and going about it with grumbling; fond of money and self-gratification—they will perhaps impute it to my religion, *Thoughts on Personal Religion,' by Dean Goulburn; 'Holiness,' by Bishop of Liverpool; 'God's Way of Holiness,' by Dr. Bonar; 'Christ our Example,' by Caroline Fry; 'Thoughts on the Christian Life,' by Hetty Bowman. + Rev. E. H. Bickersteth. and possibly may say—and justly, too—that my religion is vain. In such a case, I am a stumbling-block in the way of others, my religion is mere hypocrisy, giving occasion to others to blaspheme and to continue in their sins, and bringing condemnation on myself.' CHAPTER XVII. MEANS OF GRACE. 'Take unto you the whole armour of God that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day.'--EPH. vi. 13. THE HERE is nothing the young Christian should be more careful to do than 'systematically* and diligently to make use of every means of grace.+ Many lose all their practical usefulness in life by neglecting at first the right use of the divinely appointed means and ways of sustaining and cultivating the spiritual life. In the first love of the young Christian, he is often so conscious of a sincere love to Christ, that means of grace seem unnecessary. And were the heart ever to remain in that state, it might be so; but the Apostle, knowing the human heart, warned his converts about an 'evil day,' a time when the assaults of the Evil One would have special power, and the Christian would possibly be found off his guard. * Take heed that you are diligent in the use of every means of gracediligent in your private communion with God-diligent in your daily watchfulness over time, temper, and tongue-diligent in your private Biblereading-diligent in your own private prayers. It is vain to expect spiritual prosperity when we are careless about these things. Let those who will, call it over-precise and legal to be particular about these things. I only reply, that there never was an eminent saint who neglected them.'-BISHOP OF LIVERPOOL. I feel that I cannot do justice to the subject of Holy Communion and Confirmation, as means of grace, without considerably enlarging this book, so I have omitted all reference to either. PRAYER. The first thing the new-born babe does, is to cry; and so the first thing the young believer, who has just experienced the 'new birth,' should do is to cry to God in prayer, or, as the Apostle puts it, 'Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit." What breath is to the body, so is prayer to the soul. There can be no life without it. If the breathing of any child becomes heavy and slow, or hurried and irregular, at once the physician is sent for; and so if prayer be not regularly maintained, we may be sure something is wrong, and the sooner the aid of the Great Physician of souls is sought, the better. Prayer is not only a privilege, and a means of sustaining spiritual life, but is moreover a duty we owe to God. 'Prayer is designed not only to be serviceable to man, but honourable to God. It is a tax (redounding indeed with unspeakable benefits to the tax-payer, but still it is a tax) laid upon our time; just as almsgiving is a tax laid upon our substance. And if we would render unto God the things that are God's, the tribute-money must be faithfully and punctually paid. This indeed is the inner principle and spirit of the fourth commandment (concerning the day of rest). God says we must keep a certain portion of our time clear from secular occupations. That time is to be devoted to the observance of His ordinances, and to attendance upon His worship. It is true that we reap priceless blessings from this observance and attendance. But the blessings are not the sole point to be considered. All our time, from the cradle to the grave, is due to God. Therefore, one day in each week, and, on precisely the same principle, a certain portion of our leisure each day, must be fenced round from the intrusion of secular cares and secular business, and reserved for devotion, in acknowledgment that we hold all from Him.'t * Eph. vi. 18. † Dean Goulburn. |