We can express our wishes in the same terms, while the feelings that prompt them are as different as light from darkness. "God bless you," is an easy thing to say; we speak it out of mere friendliness, and from the desire to say something kind, and we utter it with quivering lips and gasping breath, when we would almost give our lives in exchange for that blessing, when we feel that it is the only thing that would be of good, when we long for it so intensely that the heart stands still and waits for the answer. "Thy will be done," is another wish of the kind. We utter it in a general way, thinking of the heathen who would be benefited and the world which would be made happier; and we falter it out in quick, sharp cries of our own hearts, looking up to our God through streaming tears, laying ourselves before Him, and knowing that His answer may bring us self-denial, suffering, or death.

We cannot hide from ourselves that our wishes, even those which are the most intense desires of our very souls, are often in vain. We wish, until we are almost consumed with the longing, and yet we are denied. This is no reason for complaint. In very tenderness and love, our Father refuses his children what they cry for, because He knows what is best for them, and sees how foolish they can be. But even when what we wish for is not granted, we are made the better or worse, the stronger or weaker, according as our wishes are good or bad, worthy or unworthy. We may know what manner of persons we are by just looking into our hearts to discover what things we are wishing for.

What do we wish for?

As Christians, as those who wish and who profess to be like Jesus Christ, the Holy One—are we satisfied with our own wishes? He had two wishes-" Father, glorify Thy Name," "Keep those whom Thou hast given Me." His wishes were to honour His Father, and to bless the world. What are our wishes? To get rich, to be honoured and esteemed of men, to fill high places, to win fame, to live happily and comfortably in the world? Oh, if these are our wishes, God forgive us; God help us! We are not Christ-like. If we, even we who profess to be His, could be quite right in our wishing, how different might the world be!

A Reminder.

"FOR ye have the poor always with you; but Me ye have not always." Was it not just like Him-that loving, thoughtful Saviour-who could not let any need escape. Him-to give His disciples this reminder? Selfishness is such an easily besetting sin, that it might have been that even His people should allow themselves to become so engrossed with their own wants, and so happy in their higher sphere, as to overlook the needy. But now, since He has left the poor as a legacy, and given them into the tender keeping of His friends, they are cared for and watched over.

Especially when the winter comes. Those who love the name of Jesus, and wish to do the work He has given them, will look about to ascertain where the greatest need lies, and how far it can be met. For the Christmas joy is already upon the earth, and hearts begin to beat high with glad anticipations, and to grow soft and warm as hearts should be that understand how peace and goodwill may triumph. There are glad tears in tender, motherly eyes, that look forward over the two or three days now lying between them and the happy time when they will hold their dear ones in their arms. Eyes grown tired and dim with watching the changing scenes of life for so many years brighten again at the sight of the holly and mistleAnd thousands of children are glad beyond all expression when they remember that it wants "Only one week to Christmas." Surely now, if at any time, with so many mercies round about us, and so much to render us thankful to the God of all mercies-surely, now that the lines have fallen unto us in pleasant places, we should remember the poor, and give of our plenty to those who have need.

toe.

We are fond of listening again and again for that old song which the angels sang at Bethlehem. But, alas! there are other sounds to be heard here-sounds so much like sighing and wailing that they almost drown the celestial music. If we could stand and listen at some of the doors of our crowded towns, the very thought of peace

and goodwill would seem like a mockery. Sickness, cold, hunger, sin-so gaunt and unlovely are these things that we would fain hide them out of our sight during the glad Christmas time. And so we may, if we can by any means do as our Master did-not overlook, but remove them; not ignore the suffering, but steal it away from writhing forms and weary hearts by giving our aid, and prayers, and kind words. For then, while the December fires burn brightly, and the bells ring, and the song flows, and bright eyes look into ours, and rosy lips give us their love tokens, there will come a deeper peace into our hearts as we hear our Master saying, “Inasmuch as ye did it unto one of the least of these My brethren, ye did it unto Me."

Now, what can we do for Him and for His children during the next few weeks? Into how many sad homes may we enter, drawing back the dark curtains of sorrow and letting in the light of Christian love? How many Christmas fires can we light? How many Christmas dinners can we send to empty tables? Are there no little children to whom the gift of a toy would bring an amazing amount of pleasure? No widows' hearts that might be made to sing for joy? No orphans to comfort? No lonely homes which a friendly face might make less sorrowful? If there are none of these things about us, then indeed our Christmas joy must be overshadowed, for we cannot have all the happiness that we might. But "ye have the poor always with you." God has not taken them away from our midst, singling us out in that way. His legacy lasts longer than that. And we may have, in addition to all other joys, the joy of doing good.

ONE question that we are very likely to ask ourselves is, "What shall we do?" And having asked it, we shall find no lack of replies, for indeed there is so much to be done that the great difficulty seems to be what we can do first, and what we can afford to leave undone. There is clearly no time to lose, and if we would do anything we must begin at once, and keep on every day. Perhaps never before was there such a demand for earnest workers as at the present time. To be slothful now, when the cry of our Master, "Go, work to-day in My vineyard," is ringing in our ears, must surely be a grave offence even in the eyes of our forgiving, tolerant Lord. His enemies are not slothful; day and night they are at work, striving to undermine and pull down the temple of the Lord. Unbelievers, scoffers, foes in the guise of very zealous friends, are striving with a mighty resolution to hinder the great work. The skill of hate, the patience of malice, the power of Satan are brought to bear upon it, and with a vigilance that never ceases, a pertinacity worthy of a better cause, the destroyers work on.

But those who are on the Lord's side are stronger, wiser, more enduring than they. It is worth while to read over again Nehemiah's description of the building of the wall. It shows what can be done "when the people have a mind to work." We live in critical times, but even we cannot do more than they who, "every one with one of his hands wrought in the work, and with the other hand held a weapon." If they worked and fought, fought and worked while building their wall, shall not we be equally earnest and brave who are builders of even a nobler kind? And as they were successful, as, notwithstanding taunt, ridicule, wrath, and fighting, the wall steadily rose high and strong until the great work was completed; so shall the kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ be built up and made strong and beautiful, if only His people have a mind to work.

We can see-even the least observant of us-that there

is a great work ready. Changes are coming which will make our old easy-going performances of our duty altogether inadequate to the wants of the times. We must have skilled workmen for every department of the labour, and no tasks-not even those which seem of the least importance-must be slovenly done. No past successes will suffice for such a future as ours is to be. We must be still more excellent, and earnest, and conscientious in the days to come than in those gone by. Those who are the nobles and the rulers of the minds of the people must be great and good and firm now if they will still be leaders. Sunday-school teachers, to whom the work of the spiritual and even Scriptural education of the young will probably be more than ever entirely entrusted, must study to show themselves good workmen if they would not be ashamed of their part of the wall. And everybody who works for Jesus must be more self-forgetful and devoted in the good days that are coming.

We

There is, indeed, only one thing needed to make this a grand time. It is that the people should have a mind to work. If only a few-and they themselves from a sense of duty merely-go forth to the work, it is so great that it cannot be done. The people, the masses of those who are Christ's, need to be stirred to enthusiasm, and have their hearts in the work, and then the thing shall be done. can but believe that more would have been done long ago, but that many have minded their own things and not those of the Lord. If those only who are nominally the Church of Christ were all builders instead of so many lookers-on, would there not be a mighty change for the better? If every Christian made a solemn resolution, and by God's blessing carried it out, that for one whole year at least, he or she would work for Jesus, what a wonderful influence it would have on the whole world. Of course much has been done already by this mighty army of workers, but are there many who are doing so much that they cannot possibly do more?

Can we do better than take these two words of Nehemiah to our hearts, "So I prayed to the God of heaven," and " So built we the wall, for the people had a mind to

work."