or ecstasy, on the glow and gleam that die away into coldness and darkness. "Persistence is the sign of reality." Whatever does not persist may be fancy, sentiment, imagination, or hysteria; but it is not the righteousness of God, nor does it avail in His sight. Such emotion is no more real goodness than a dewdrop is a diamond, a gourd a cedar, or a meteor a star.

These brief seasons are all too short to bring to any kind of maturity the faint beginnings of higher qualities and graces. A distinguished traveller tells of a certain region of Asia where the night temperature is below the freezing-point all the year round, with the exception of a couple of weeks in the middle of summer. What may be expected here when for a few days the glass gets above freezing? What flowers will bloom? What kind of harvest will be reaped? What vintage will be gathered? There can be nothing but pathetic, abortive beginnings, dubious signs of life falling back into death and darkness. It is much the same with fugitive penitence. "Herein is My Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be My disciples." And how can He accept those obscure stirrings of life which get no farther than microscopic shoots, cryptogamic vegetation, and low water-weeds?

The spasmodic saint must not rank himself with the true saints of God. The difference between them is simply infinite. It is a curious experience when at sea you behold for the first time the flying fish. They suddenly spring out of the depths, skim the waves, cut the air, and you would not be surprised to see them take to the heavens. In a few moments, however, their power of flight is exhausted, and they flop again into

the depths whence they emerged. It is wonderful certainly, yet it is a mild form of flying. How different with the genuine bird of the air-the lark singing at heaven's gate, the eagle soaring towards the sun, the swallow winging its flight half across the world! Flying fish and mounting bird belong to different worlds, although they may resemble each other for a moment. So the distinction is practically infinite between the ineffectual struggles of the spasmodic penitent and the consecrated life that perseveres through sunshine and storm, through months and years, soaring on eagle's wings, running without being weary, and walking without fainting.

2. How may we convert these awakenings of the soul into abiding goodness? So many fail in the spiritual life because they do not take measures to perpetuate the higher life that these precious visitations. of grace initiate. A French writer observes, "Poetry is not a permanent state of the soul"; and it is certain. that no high, intense mood may long abide. The artist does not continue in an inspired condition, but he understands how to take advantage of it, and by care and diligence to perpetuate whatever he has happily gained. The astronomer finds only a few days in a year when the vision of the heavens is perfect, but he acts so promptly and practically in these privileged hours that they enrich the rest of his lifetime. The great thing is to take care that the times of our spiritual visitation do not exhaust themselves in cries, sobs, tears, and fruitless emotion, but that they are seized, economized, and perpetuated. We must follow on to know the Lord. By wise and practical effort we must

fix the gracious inspiration. Having chosen our part we must abide by it, and pursue it. By good books, habits of prayer, devout companionship, and immediate consecration to some form of social service we must seek to complete our conversion.

L

THE CHOIR INVISIBLE AND

THEIR MUSIC

Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.-LUKE

XV. IO.

I

N the higher universe the true value of things is known, and this peep into glory is most instructive.

We are taught the significance of the individual. "Over one sinner." It is often seen how Christ sets at nought the tyranny of numbers, and concentrates attention on the unit. In His reference to the lilies of the field this tendency is manifest. He does not say that Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like gorgeous landscape or blooming meadow, but he "was not arrayed like one of these." Again, in enforcing unselfishness. "Whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones a cup of cold water only . . shall in no wise lose his reward." And in the text the angels rejoice over "one sinner." We should not have been surprised had the joy been over a penitent orb; but it is not that. A day of Pentecost, with its thousands of penitents, might seem to justify a grand outburst of song; but it is not that. Millennial times might bring

down a cloud of angels filling the sky with hallelujahs; but it is not this. "Over one sinner." Christ discovered humanity; there was no sense of the solidarity of the race before He came : yet He also discovered the individual, for there was no recognition of the value of the single soul before He came. It is remarkable how much Christ individualized-how frequently the word "one" was upon His lip. Let us not permit ourselves to be lost in a crowd; nor must we suffer in our self-respect because of multitudes and magnitudes.

One of the very foremost teachings of Jesus Christ declares the supreme worth of personality. In these days we are ever being dazed by arithmetic; we are bluntly assured that worlds and histories turn on vast hinges, whilst individual lives are the dust of the balances; and society, collectivism, and humanity are most familiar terms of contemporary politics and philosophy, until the individual is well-nigh forgotten. Continents and mountains are always in evidence, whilst the atom remains invisible; and the individual is being similarly ignored in the social mass. Christ writes across the sky in blazing letters, "One." The lowliest must not forget his mysterious greatness nor the fact that in the highest world his fortune is followed with impassioned interest. He knew, who told us this.

A further lesson of the text is that the importance of the individual lies in his moral life. "One sinner." In that world where the true value of things is known we are recognized on our moral and spiritual side. Social status, mental culture, or financial ability is disregarded by the angels; they concern themselves only with our relation to the holy God. The heavenly