It is not only the rogue, or the cheat, or the liar, or the drunkard, or the debauchee, or the adulterer, that is a sinner. All such are indeed sinners, as the conscience of each will tell him when it speaks the truth to a man, as a living conscience will. But the man whose character would not be described by any of these terms, but who knows that he has sometimes fallen into one or other of the sins they describe-he, too, is a sinner; and, as a sinner, he is in danger of damnation, and is, therefore, in sore need of a Saviour.

Now the Saviour the sinner needs is He "whom God hath set forth to be the propitiation for our sins." Because "God hath set Him forth," He is the very Saviour the sinner wants. It would be of no use to look to one whom God had not appointed and declared to men. He could give no salvation to the needy soul. Since God hath set forth" His own Son to be the Saviour of the lost, there can be no doubt as to His being the very one we need. must meet our needs, for God has chosen Him expressly He must have authority to save us, for God has

for us.

appointed Him.

66

He

As

And every sinner who avails himself of this great salvation feels Christ to be the Saviour he needs. As he beholds Him"bearing our sins in His own body on the cross," the conscience of the man feels Him to be just the Saviour he needs; One who can atone for his transgressions. he looks to Him as the living Lord, "exalted at the right hand of God, a Prince and a Saviour, to give repentance and remission of sins," the sinner gets the conviction that "He is able to save to the uttermost them that come unto God by Him, seeing He ever liveth." As the man comes, to realise the tender sympathy and loving helpfulness of Jesus, he gets the abiding conviction that this is just the Saviour he needs. Such a living apprehension of Christ Jesus has led many a soul to say in words the apostle Paul was the first to use for himself: "I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that He is able to

keep that which I have committed to Him against that day.'

Now, since this is just the Saviour you need, what a grand thing it is for you that this is the very Saviour you may have. He is waiting to save you, whoever and whatever you may be. He needs no persuasion, He is already committed to your interests. He died to obtain salvation for you. He lives to bestow upon you the pardon of sin, and the gift of eternal life. Jesus Christ is not only able to save you, He is ready to save you. If, then, you are not saved, it must be because you are not ready to let Him save you. Why not?

Are you not ready to be saved? Would you rather indulge a little longer in your cherished sins? Ah, it has not "happily come to this" with you, that you are a sinner feeling your need of a Saviour, or you could not bear your sins. You would hate them, and be in haste to flee from them. So long as you are bent on indulging them, it shows that you love them only too well; and so long as you love your sins, you never will be ready to be saved from them. The continued love of sin is, therefore, the soul's ruin.

Let

But these words may be read by one who wishes to be quit of sin, and who believes Christ is ready to save him, but who yet finds some difficulty at getting to Christ. such a one know that the difficulty is certainly in himself, and not in Jesus. There is some reluctance on your part to go to Christ, or there is a sort of strangeness that holds you back from Him, or there is a certain want of understanding of what is required of you, or there is a still more indefinite and indescribable something that is yet strong enough to keep you from giving yourself up to Christ. But whatever it be, it just comes to this, that you are really not in earnest to be saved. If you were, you would break through every hindrance. Nothing would keep a man in a burning house to whom there was any means of escape, that is, if he were a sane man. Nothing will keep a man from Christ when once he feels the devouring flame of his own guilt to

be destroying his soul. He must escape from it, to Him who is able to deliver.

Understand then, sinner, the guilt is all in you; the power to save is all in Jesus. The reluctance is yours, the willingness is His.. The hindrance is in yourself; the ready help is in Him. When once you break away from all that holds you back, or break through all that hedges you in, you will find yourself "safe in the arms of Jesus." Then with you it will happily have come to this, that you are the sinner needing a Saviour, and that you have found the Saviour you need.

Do not suppose that it will do to come to such a definite conviction of need, and such an assurance of Christ being able to meet that need, when you are on your dying bed. Sir James Simpson did not delay his approach to Christ till then no earnest soul can. As soon as he felt his soul's need, he sought the Saviour. As soon as he found Him, he committed himself to Him for salvation. Some years of happy Christian experience, and of delightful testimony to others, followed upon his conversion. And when, at length, he found himself upon his death-bed, he had all the comfort of a soul's loving confidence in its Saviour. It is such a happy case as this that is to be coveted, rather than that of the man who only turns to Christ when death stares him in the face, though he may graciously have found Him then. Away with the notion that salvation is needed only in the article of death, and that it will be time enough to apply to the Saviour then! Such a notion indicates no true idea of the soul's need, of the awful condition of a guilty soul, and of the dire necessity there is to find saving help. It indicates no real appreciation of Christ as the Saviour the guilty soul needs. The man who has a right understanding of himself as a sinner, and of Christ as the Saviour he wants, will be able to brook no delay, but will joyfully come to the conclusion: "Living or dying, Christ is the Saviour for me, and I can no longer do without Him." REV. J. B. FRENCH.

A

From the German.

LL day the stormy sea has tossed,

As though in rage and pain;

But now she spreads and smoothes her bed,
And goes to sleep again.

Above, with soft and solemn sigh,

Quivers the evening breeze,

As if the spirit of the Lord

Were hovering o'er the seas.

With kisses soft the night wind prints

The sleeper's curly head,

And breathes a blessing-" Sleep in peace,

Wild darling, on thy bed!"

REV. F. BOURDILLON.

"Looking unto Jesus.”

L

OOKING unto Jesus

First of all, for peace,

For the bright assurance
That my tears may cease;
For the happy knowledge
That I am forgiven,
Fitted by God's Spirit
To inhabit heaven.

Looking unto Jesus

For the power to serve,
Glimpses of His beauty

Bracing every nerve;
Longing that each action,
And each word I say
May be what He wishes,
Please Him every day.

Looking unto Jesus

In my happiness,

Giving up each pleasure

That He could not bless;
Finding depths of sweetness
In all He doth give,
Joy-that makes me feel it

Worth my while to live!

Looking unto Jesus

If some hidden sin
Springs into rebellion,

Claims the throne within ;
Quick for help and courage
To my Lord I flee,
Then, fresh-armed for conflict,
March to victory!

Looking unto Jesus

Through all suffering,
Laying down my thorn-crown
At His feet as King;
Bearing pain or sorrow
If His love command,
Faith refusing nothing
Offered by His hand.

Looking unto Jesus

Until life be past,

And heaven's longed-for glories
Light my soul at last!
When the hopes of earth-life

Find fruition sweet,

And all hearts that love Him

In one centre meet!

EVA TRAVERS POOLE.

Sour Grapes, and the Children's Teeth set on Edge.

HREE of John Powell's boys went to the Moor Road Sunday-school, in Woolborough. It was the rule of the school that on the Sunday mornings all the

scholars, except those in the infant class, should go to chapel, and a portion of the gallery was set aside for their use. Those children, however, whose parents belonged to the congregation were allowed to go and sit with them, and as John Powell was a seatholder his boys went and sat with him.