(Rom. v. 1; Eph. ii. 14-17; Col. i. 20), if you can say from your heart that on account of what Jesus has done God in the riches of His grace has given you eternal life (Rom. vi. 23), and that you shall never perish (John x. 28), and shall not come into judgment (John v. 24) -you have received the Lord Jesus-and “ as many as received Him to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name; which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God." (John i. 12, 13.)

Dear reader, which are you? Made religious by man, or born of God!

ACCEPTANCE.

I must know that He

No

THE conscience is made by many the measure of acceptance, instead of God Himself. justifies me by the perfect One having gone down into death under judgment for me as the ground of peace, and what God says about that work in His word as the sure warrant for perfect peace in His presence. doubt the conscience in this way will be purged by the blood of Jesus; but my comfort is, that God accepts and justifies me. It is God which justifieth. A believer is not only justified by faith, but he is called to live by faith.

IF

you look both to the laughing side and the weeping side of this world, and if you look not only upon the skin and colour of things, but into their inwards, and the heart of their excellency, you will see that one look of Christ's sweet and lovely eye is worth ten thousand worlds of such rotten stuff as the foolish sons of men set their hearts upon."-RUTHERFORD.

UNEQUALLY YOKED.

A WARNING.

"Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers."-2 COR. vi. 14. PASSING through a quiet village in Somersetshire, we lately called on a Christian woman now somewhat advanced in life. We found her bright and happy, just beginning, as she said, after well-nigh forty years' knowledge of Christ as her Saviour, to have her soul drawn out to Him as the attractive and commanding object of her heart, and to practically own the authority of His word.

We talked happily together of the blessedness of being in Christ, and the Holy Ghost dwelling in us as "the earnest of the inheritance." But on enquiring after her husband, we quickly perceived that a tender cord was touched. With deep emotion, she replied that he was still unconverted, adding that she had deeply sinned against the Lord in having married an unbeliever, and then went on to say what soul-distress it had occasioned her, and what a hindrance she had felt this unequal yoke had been to her spiritual progress.

"When a young woman, about thirty-three years ago," said she, "my heart was full of the love of God. I was very happy in the Lord, united in fellowship with His people, and took the greatest delight in His service and ways. But a young man came in my way, whom I knew to be unconverted, to whom I gave my company, persuaded to do so by an aged relative. Thus I became ensnared, and one Lord's day evening he asked

me to stay home with him instead of going to the preaching. Though shocked at the idea at first, I afterwards foolishly yielded, hearkening to this unconverted young man instead of obeying the word of the Lord. After this I yielded in one way or other to this young man's solicitations, until one evening he sat down with others of my family to play with cards, and so pressed me to join them that, though I declined at first, I afterwards yielded, and consented to what I knew was very displeasing to the Lord. No sooner, however, had I taken the cards into my hands than an indescribable pang seized me; in an instant I felt as if my body had suddenly swollen to enormous dimensions, and such darkness came upon my spirit as if the Lord had left me. This agony of mind, however, soon left me, and I went on with the game as one who entered into the sinful pleasure.

"At last the time drew near for our marriage, but one day, while sitting in that place" (pointing to a seat in the window), "the words of Scripture, 'Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers,' came with such power to my soul that I could not forbear saying to my father, who was in the room at that time, 'Father, what am I going to do in marrying an unbeliever?' Here again," said she, "I refused the word of God, and began to reason about the matter, so that I foolishly persuaded myself that, after a little while, he would be so benefited by my influence as to be truly converted to God. Thus I again and again deliberately sinned against God, listened to other voices instead of the authority of His word, and at last was married.

"After this," she added, "I became a prayerless soul. Sorrow upon sorrow came upon me. He proved to be a drunken husband, and my life was one of great misery. Within a year of our marriage, I was so unhappy that I resolved on committing suicide. Accordingly I went upstairs fully determined to perpetrate the dreadful act. But, though Satan's power was so great, yet God had said, 'Hitherto shalt thou go, and no further;' for, on reaching my room, I found myself suddenly dropping on my knees before God. Instead of destroying myself, I began to pray. From that moment I was again a praying woman, and began once more to enjoy something of God's love to me in Christ.

"Still my husband was a great sorrow. Drink he would have. My distress about him was sometimes very intense. On one occasion, I was in most earnest prayer to God for him, bathed in tears, for perhaps twenty minutes, and when I rose from my knees, to my astonishment I discovered that he was within hearing. Thirty-three years have passed, and though he is now sober, and does not object to listen to the Gospel, and is somewhat outwardly reformed, still he is unsaved.

"No one but God knows," said she, "what bitter fruits I have reaped for so wilfully disobeying the word of the Lord in marrying an unbeliever. It is, indeed, an unequal yoke. My only reason for naming these particulars to you is, that you may repeat them to others, and warn them against this dreadful snare of the enemy."

Little need be added to the statement of this Chris

tian woman, who often wiped off tears from her face while relating the solemn facts above mentioned. We must remember that God has given to us His word that we may know His will, and by obeying it do those things that are pleasing in His sight. Our minds are very capable of reasoning ourselves into an evil path, and Satan helps such by painting false hopes of the future to beguile the unwary into the present snare; but the word of the Lord endureth for ever, and Jesus said that heaven and earth shall pass away, but His words would not pass away. Nothing can be plainer in Scripture than the path of separation marked out for God's children from unbelievers. Instead of being yoked with them in marriage or partnership, we are to come out from among them, and be separate, and touch not the unclean thing." "What can be the harm," say some, "of intimate association with a moral, well-behaved, upright man of the world, whose kindness, benevolence, and integrity are proverbial ?” Thus man's heart reasons; it is rationalism, instead of obedience. The answer is, because God says it is His word, and therefore His will, "Come out from among them, and be separate." It is, then, simple obedience to do so. Those who decide on reasoning themselves into disobedience must reap bitter fruits, must learn that "the way of transgressors is hard," and that the path marked out in the word of God for us is that of "obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance: but as He that hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy." (1 Peter i. 14-16.)