High God? It is the one who will by no means willingly dishonour his Father or wound a Father's. heart. It is the one that turns away from any word or action that will grieve a Father's love, or cause Him to withhold His favour and approbation.

Look through your daily life and ask yourself if this be your spirit. Is it a real pain and sorrow to you when you have hastily dropped a word that ought never to have been spoken? When other schoolfellows are making light of sin or turning Bible texts or subjects into ridicule, do you show by your silence, or by a firm but kindly reproof, that you look at the matter very differently? When an older lad would persuade you to break school rules, or to do something which is not quite honest or kind, or to say a word that is not true in the court of conscience, are you ready to brave his displeasure rather than break God's law? Do you prove your sonship, even in the eyes of the ungodly, by refusing to follow a multitude in doing evil?

Be sure that if you would have your Father's property you must show that you are a true son. There are those who are satisfied with their position, and glory in the fact that by virtue of their baptism they are "members of Christ, children. of God, and inheritors of the kingdom of heaven." But baptism will prove of no value to you unless you have the Spirit of God to guide you, and the fear and love of God ruling in your heart. You

may be a son, but not a real son. You may be a son of God by profession, and by your position in the Christian Church, but are you a real son-born of God, like God, loving God, pleasing God? On this everything depends. From such God withholds no good thing. His kingdom, His inheritance, His many mansions, His heavenly treasures -all these belong to His only begotten Son, and to all who are one with Him in faith and love. It was of those who had been baptized that John writes (1 Ep. iii. 10), "In this the children of God are manifest and the children of the devil; whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother."

Never, never be satisfied till you have the witness of the Spirit drawing your heart heavenward, and the witness of a holy, loving, Christ-like life that you are indeed a son of the living God.

IV.

THE CONVERSION OF SAUL OF TARSUS.

"They glorified God in me."-Gal. i. 24.

WELL might the early Christians glorify God for the mighty change wrought in this proud persecutor of the faith. A young man's conversion turned the world upside down. We find him first at the martyrdom of Stephen, one of the fiercest and most forward of his enemies. But Stephen prays and Stephen falls asleep, and from his prayer and death arises one far greater than himself, the great Apostle of the Gentiles, one who for thirty years carried the Gospel message far and wide, and whose Epistles are for all ages the treasure of the Christian Church.

We see Saul on his way to Damascus, with horsemen and soldiers, to do his deadly work. Full of bitter hatred against the name of Jesus of Nazareth and those who bore it, he thought to do God service by rooting it out from the earth. Never was heart more set against Christ and His truth. No Jew of the present day, no bigoted Hindoo, or proud

4th Sunday.]

Mahometan glorying in the false prophet, was ever more determined in his opposition to the kingdom of the Crucified.

And within the city we may well believe the little flock of Christ were trembling and affrighted. "How shall we withstand the shock of his onslaught upon us?" "How shall we be able to bear the loss of all things, exile, imprisonment, death?" "The enemy is near, but what means can we devise to resist the attack?"

They had but one. No carnal weapons were in their hands. No soldier or human defence was within their reach to protect them. But they could pray. And pray no doubt they did. Fervent, believing, redoubled petitions would ascend night and day from the company of feeble Christians; and their prayer, as that of Stephen, had power with God. "Man's extremity is God's opportunity."

Saul draws nigh to Damascus, still breathing out slaughter and threatening against the disciples. But now comes a sudden arrest. It is noonday. The brilliant eastern sun shines forth in all its power. But lo a light brighter still. And a mighty voice is heard. It is a moment of confusion. Some see the light, but know not its meaning. Some hear a voice, yet discover not its purport. To one only the message which of all us?" would they ask.

comes.

"To

"To thee, O

captain!" is the reply. To thee, the head of the persecuting band. Saul, Saul, why persecutest

thou Me?" "But who art Thou, Thou bright and glorious One, that mine eyes can scarce behold Thee?" "I am thy Redeemer, thy Saviour, the despised Jesus the Nazarene, whose name thou hast blasphemed, yea, and made others to blaspheme likewise. Yea, Saul, thou hast thought to persecute a few poor, contemptible Christians, but I tell thee, thou art fighting against Me thy Lord, thy King. Ah, be not so mad! Shall the ox kick against the goad? What shall he gain but bruises and wounds? And what will be thy reward if thou contendest with Me, who hath all power both in heaven and earth?"

There is no further delay. There comes immediate surrender. The mighty fortress of Mansoul is yielded up to its lawful King. The Spirit of God goes with the Saviour's call, and now all is changed. The walls of the city fall down flat. The pride, the envy, the prejudice, the self-glorying-all is gone. Humbled in the dust, the whole man is given up to Christ. "LORD!" O Lord, other lords beside Thee have had dominion over me, but henceforth I am thine! Thou art my Lord, my Master, my King! Only tell me Thy will and it shall be done, and done with all my heart! "Lord, what wilt Thou have me to do?"

And now a touching sight is before our eyes. Along the magnificent Colonnade, amidst those rows of pillars by which he must enter the city, he is led

B