cannot please God. But those who have been born again, have been created anew in Christ Jesus, who have been translated from darkness into God's marvellous light, who have passed from death unto life, and have put on the new man which, after God, is created in righteousness and true holiness, the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made these free from the law of sin and death, and the righteousness of the law is fulfilled in them, for they walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. Their delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law do they meditate day and night. They can say, -0, how we love Thy law, because we love Thee; both Thou and Thy law are holy, just, and good. The Lord

is our law-giver.

The LORD is our King. The children of Israel sinned against the Lord in asking for a king to reign over them when the Lord was their king; but the upright saints of the Most High-although they will yield to none in loyalty to the powers that be-choose the Lord for their King, and His Word for their law. They have set their King on the holy hill of Zion, and, as children of Zion, they are joyful in their King; and each of them can say with joy,-I will extol Thee, my God, O King, and I will bless Thy name for ever and ever; every day will I bless Thee, and I will praise Thy name for ever and ever. I will speak of the glorious honour of Thy Majesty, and of Thy wondrous works; and they can join with the multitudes that went before and that followed after, saying,-Hosanna to the Son of David, blessed is the King that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest! Hail! King of kings, and Lord of lords! He shall reign for ever and ever; the Lord is our King!

He will save us. But do those who walk righteously, and speak uprightly; whose place of defence is the munition of rocks; whose Judge, and lawgiver, and King, is the Lord-do these still need saving? Yes; they need perpetual salvation; they need a strong rock-a place of defence, very high; and the name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous runneth into it, and is safe. Had the upright not this place of refuge, they would be continually in danger, for they have

opposition constant, powerful, and invisible-the prince of the power of the air; the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience; principalities and powers; the rulers of the darkness of this world; spiritual wickedness in high places. Their vigilant, sworn enemy, the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour; wherefore they have to take unto themselves the whole armour of God, that they may be able to withstand in the evil day; and having done all to stand—yes, to stand! having their loins girt about with truth, and having on the breast-plate of righteousness, and their feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith they may be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked; and the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God: praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication in the holy name of the Lord, and He will save. There is also this present evil world to combat with, and resist; and whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world; and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith-our faith in the Lord, who will save. And then there is the sore conflict with self; the flesh lusting against the spirit, and the spirit against the flesh; the deceitful heart, ever ready to start aside like a broken bow, and to cleave unto the dust. But there is One greater than the heart and the flesh, and the world, and the powers of darkness: the LORD is our Judge, the LORD is our law-giver, the LORD is our King; He will save us.

THE WALK TO CAPERNAUM.

MATT. XVIII, 3.

"Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye cannot enter into the kingdom of heaven."

If we carefully observe the words and ways of mankind, we shall find ambition to be the ruling passion of

almost every one.

So it was in the beginning; ye shall be as gods was the bright idea that took; and so it has been ever since. Ambition was a very prominent feature even in the character of our Lord's disciples; so much so indeed, that on one occasion mothers' fondness was engaged in its schemes; and nothing was thought too. difficult to do or to suffer in order to accomplish its deep and earnest desires, chap. xx, 20-23.

There was one occasion upon which this disposition was so manifest, and so apparent as a human weakness, that we cannot but advert to it, especially as it shows how soon ambition can obliterate and forget every previous impression when it has its own selfish purposes in view; for the occurrence to which I am about to allude took place almost immediately after Jesus had been foretelling his own sufferings and death, which so affected the disciples that they were exceeding sorry, chap. xvii, 22-23; but it seems that avarice and ambition had soon chased their sorrow away.

It happened one day that Jesus and His disciples passed through a part of Galilee from Cesarea Philippi to Capernaum, Mark, viii, 27; ix, 30-38; xvi, 13: xvii, 24. It seems that the Redeemer had chosen to walk, not exactly amongst the disciples, but a little before or after them, so that they had an opportunity of discoursing among themselves; and it appears they had indulged themselves in disputing which of them should be greatest. We are not favoured with a detail of this conversation; but we may very easily, and very innocently, imagine what sort of a colloquy it would be.

As Peter was generally the first and readiest speaker, I may suppose that he would begin the dialogue something in this way :-" Well, the time will soon come when the Lord will assume His kingly power as the root and offspring of David, and throw off the Roman yoke, and restore the kingdom to Israel. Of course, He will then have His court, and His special favourites and attendants; of these, some, of course, must be the chief, and as I cannot see any so likely to form His cabinet as His present disciples, I hope you will not object to give me and my brother the presidency; for you will all recollect that we were first called from our fishing-nets to

attend upon Him in His humiliation; and you will not have forgot the intimacy with which He has favoured and honoured me; and above all, His promise to give me even the keys of the kingdom of heaven. You will all see, at once, that I have the first claim: only allow me to be the greatest, and I will assure you I will do my utmost to promote your interests in every possible way."

Peter having thus made out his case, I suppose that John would say in reply,-" What Peter has said is all very good; but I beg leave to observe that I and my brother have been honoured with as close an intimacy

with the Lord as he has; and you all know the post I hold at all our repasts. Is it not likely that I, who now lean upon His breast, shall do the same, and be His confidant and counsellor when He takes to Himself His power and glory? I have no doubt but I shall then, as I do now, hold the honour of His principal favourite; and favourites, you all know, occupy high places. Besides, you must all know that I and my brother are relatives of His, our father having married His half-sister, according to the flesh. But, however, there is no doubt but there will be posts of honour for us all; and I have no objections that we should all share in the glory of these days; but it seems likely, and, indeed, reasonable too, that I should be the greatest!"

Probably Matthew the publican would reply,-" The claims that these two brethren have to presidency seem plausible enough; but yet it seems to me that it would be rather impolitic in a wise prince to promote his former associates and relatives to places of trust and honour merely because they are such. In my view it

appears more likely that our Lord and Master will act according to the dictates of wisdom and prudence, and prefer those who are the best fitted for such offices; and perhaps Philip, or Bartholomew, or Thomas, may have as good abilities as Peter, Andrew, John, or James; and as for my own part, sitting so long as I did at the receipt of custom, you will agree that I must be as likely to manage the affairs of the treasury as any other

man.

James the less, I suppose, would speak the next:"There is certainly some weight and reason in what you

have each and all of you said; but yet I think, with all deference to you, that I, and Jude, and Simeon, have a superior claim to any of you. It has been hinted that princes always promote to great honour those who are of the blood royal; therefore, as we are the nearest relatives of the Master, is it not most reasonable and most probable that we should occupy the places of the highest rank and dignity? Remember we are own cousins, and styled His brethren; our claim, therefore, is so just and proper, and so in accordance with the acts of almost all princes, that I think you can none of you raise the least objection to it."

Finally, the last puts in his claim, and it is by no means the least powerful. "No matter," says Judas Iscariot, "whether they be friends or relations, or not, a wise and prudent prince will not forsake his old, true, and faithful servants. I have ever had all the thought and care of the bag, now when it is often but very light; is it not most reasonable to suppose that when the Lord takes the government upon His shoulders, I shall then have the choice of the Royal treasures? Yes; and the Royal coins shall have the emblem of freedom on one side, and an exact image of the Lord on the other; and there shall be abundance of them, and you shall all have plenty and to spare; and what do you think of that? will it not be very fine to "- But now they enter Capernaum.

It is not at all improbable that the Redeemer might have overheard some of this discourse, for in the heat of the debate I suppose they would talk rather loudly. Whether He really did overhear any of it or not I cannot tell; but, however, we are told by St Luke, chap. ix, 47, that He knew it, and the motives which led to it by His own omniscience, for He perceived the thoughts of their heart; and after they had been awhile in the room, He asked them in His usual familiar and affectionate manner,-"What was it that ye disputed among yourselves by the way?" But they held their peace; and indeed, well they might, for this was a question they did not expect, nor were they at all prepared to answer it. They had too much honesty about them to deny the truth, and too much self-esteem to confess it. They