THE BIBLE, OUR.

The Bible, God's printed invitation to the sinner.
I believe in the full inspiration of Scripture.
The Scriptures, our only rule for faith and practice.
The key-word of the whole Bible is "Come."
To love the Bible, prove its promises.
Who trusts the promise for salvation?
Who will take Isaiah xii. 2 as theirs?

What the Scripture forbids, avoid; what it affirms, believe; what it commands, do; what it reproves, amend. As many as walk by this rule, peace on them, and on all the Israel of God.-Thomas Adams.

OUR GUIDE

Gems of Thought.

When we have Bible conversations, our lives as rich as diamonds cast a sparkling lustre in the Church of God, and are in some sense parallel with the life of Christ, as the transcript with the original.—Watson.

Don't think you can read the Word of God without incurring responsibility-you cannot; nor can you shirk responsibility by not reading it.

To the complaint, "I make no progress in

TO HEAVEN.

the Christian life," Sarah Martin, the prisoner's friend, made answer, Take your Bible on your knees, plow into it, and you will not stand still.

The Bible must be the invention either of good men or angels, bad men or devils, or God. (1) It could not be the first, for they neither could nor would themselves invent a book meantime lying in saying, "Thus saith the Lord." (2) not the second, for they would not make a book which commands all duty, forbids all sin, and condemns their souls to hell to all eternity: (3) therefore the Bible must be given by divine inspiration.-Wesley.

THE GREAT PSALM-Psalm cxix.

Jesus loves me! this I know,
For the Bible tells me so:
Little ones to him belong;
They are weak, but he is strong.

QUESTION-What saith the Scripture?

It says you are a sinner, and lost, and the Scripture is the word of God, but it also says, "Whosoever believeth on him shall

-Rom. iv. 3.

not be ashamed."-Rom. X. II. It repeatedly says that if thou wilt but call on the name of the Lord thou shalt be saved.

Sayings about Songs.

The Bible says much about singing.

It should be with the spirit and understanding. The soul should go into every note and word. There should be worship in it. Let there be no lifeless music in our churches.

THE LOVE OF JESUS.

Jesus loves me! he who died
Heaven's gate to open wide,
He will wash away my sin;
Let his little child come in.

CHO.-Yes, Jesus loves me,
Yes, Jesus loves me,
Yes, Jesus loves me,
The Bible tells me so.

PROVERB "Hearken unto thy father that begat thee, and despise not thy

mother when she is old."-xxiii. 22.

Theme 4.

PRAYER.

No Christian can live without prayer.

All prayer is based on the fatherhood of God.

There should be public prayer, private prayer, and family prayer.

The great prayer of Jesus is in John xvii.

The man who prays is the man of power.
Who have had answers to prayer?

Who will pray for salvation now?

→Gems of Thought.

Prayer is not conquering God's reluctance, | strength of fire; bridled the rage of lions; but taking hold of God's willingness.- hushed anarchy; extinguished wars; apPhillip Brooks. peased the elements; expelled demons; burst the chains of death; opened the gates of heaven; assuaged diseases; repelled frauds; rescued cities from destruction; and stayed the sun in its course; in a word, hath destroyed whatever is an enemy to man. -St. Chrysostom.

Never was faithful prayer lost at sea. No merchant trades with such certainty as the praying saint. Some prayers have a longer voyage than others, but they return with a richer lading at last.-Gurnall.

Human prayer falls below divine re

sources.

The arrow of prayer that would hit the mark must be drawn with full strength. He that, in prayer for grace, will not be denied, shall not be denied.-Swinnock.

The power of prayer hath subdued the

PRAYER CHAPTER-John xvii.

If tempted not to pray, pray the more. If tempted to postpone prayer, pray at that very time; most probably God has a blessing for you; Satan suspects He has, or he would not be so anxious to persuade you to put off prayer.-Dyer.

QUESTION-Wouldst thou be spoken for to the King?

-2 Kings iv. 13.

Yes, I would, and tell him of my many | thee, and show kindness, I pray thee, unto needs. If thou hast found favor at the me, and make mention of me.-Gen. xl. 14. throne of grace, pray for me. Thou shalt not be forgotten of me.—Isa. Think of me when it shall be well with xliv. 21.

Sayings about Songs.

What an hour that will be when the entire company of redeemed souls shall take up the song "All hail the power of Jesus' name," and sing it to the listening multitude of angels who will line the streets of the heavenly city!

SWEET HOUR OF PRAYER.

Sweet hour of prayer, sweet hour of prayer,
That calls me from a world of care,
And bids me at my Father's throne
Make all my wants and wishes known!
In seasons of distress and grief
My soul has often found relief,
And oft escaped the tempter's snare
By thy return, sweet hour of prayer.

Sweet hour of prayer, sweet hour of prayer,
Thy wings shall my petition bear
To him, whose truth and faithfulness
Engage the waiting soul to bless :
And since he bids me seek his face,
Believe his word, and trust his grace,
I'll cast on him my every care,

And wait for thee, sweet hour of prayer.

PROVERB "Be thou diligent to know the state of thy flocks, and look well to

thy herds."-xxvii. 23.

T

In all points like we are, Christ was tempted.
Thus he knows how to succor the tempted heart.
Christ Jesus was made perfect through suffering.
Whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth.
God will not let us be over tempted or tried.
Who has been delivered in temptation?
Who have found trials a blessing?

EMPTATIONS AND

The hand must be steady. The arm must be strong. The soul should be well armed, so that it may be prepared for every attack, or for every expedient of the enemy. Life, honor, virtue, success, and immortality are before us.

(In persecution.) Let us sing the fortysixth psalm in spite of the devil and all his instruments.-Luther.

For what ends, then, does God permit spiritual heaviness to befall so many of his children? The apostle gives a plain and direct answer to this question. (1 Pet. vii. 7.) The Lord gets his best soldiers out of the Highlands of affliction.-Spurgeon.

CONQUEROR'S

Gems of Thought.«>

CHO. On the other side of Jordan,
In the sweet fields of Eden,

QUESTION-Whither shall I go?

Let us all answer to God, for The eternal God is thy refuge.-Deut. xxxiii. 27. I will sing of thy power; yea, I will sing aloud of

T

Where the tree of life is blooming,
There is rest for you;

When the bright temptaion lies
Glittering in thy dazzled eyes;
When the tempter's voice is near,
Whispering sweetly in thine ear,
Look not on the bright array,
Hear not the deceitful lay-
Christian, rise and flee away.
CHAPTER-Luke iv.

RIALS.

One of the greatest evidences of God's love to those that love him, is to send them afflictions, with grace to bear them.- Wesley.

It was a storm that occasioned the discovery of the gold mines in India. Hath not a storm driven some to the discovery of the richer mines of the love of God in Christ? -Owen.

REST FOR THE
In the Christian's home in glory
There remains a land of rest,
Where the Saviour's gone before me,
To fulfil my soul's request.

Sayings about Songs.

I'm not sure but what in heaven the whistling farmer's boy will repeat his notes after the harvests have all been gathered, as he comes in with his gathered sheaves. It may seem to him as though again he were coming home for rest from work, and the habit of bygone days will creep out on the streets of the fair city.

-Gen. xxxvii. 30.

thy mercy in the morning: for thou hast been my defence and refuge in the day of my trouble.-Ps. lix. 16.

WEARY.

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There is rest for the weary,
There is rest for the weary,
There is rest for the weary,
There is rest for you.

Pain or sickness ne'er can enter;
Grief nor woe my lot shall share;
But in that celestial centre

I a crown of life shall wear.

PROVERB "Hast thou found honey? eat so much as is sufficient for thee, lest thou be filled therewith, and vomit it."—xxv. 16.

UTTERMOST

Christ alone is the author of this.
Saved from depths of sin to heights of glory.
Great to save, and mighty to keep.

When dead in sin, He brought me to life.

Theme 6:

I will shout these words in the resurrection.

Can you say, He saves me to the uttermost?
Who wants to be saved with an uttermost salvation ?

Gems of Thought.

SALVATION.

Christ comes with a blessing in each hand-foregiveness in one, and holiness in the other; and never gives either to any who will not take both.

There are three sources of temptation, and only three-namely: the world, the flesh, and the devil. Provision is made in the scheme of redemption for our overcoming each of these three great enemies.

There are too many Christians now who

BLESSING CHAPTER-Deut. xxviii.

Though troubles assail,
And dangers affright,
Though friends should all fail,
And foes all unite:

QUESTION-Lord God, what wilt thou give to me?

-Gen. xv. 2. shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.—2 Cor. vi. 18.

When we have the Giver, we have all his

A new heart will I give you; and a new spirit will I put within you.-Ezek. xxxvi.

26.

And I will be a Father unto you, and ye gifts.

Yet one thing secures us
Whatever betide,

dwell just inside the dividing line, so to speak, who are Christians, but of such a limp and feeble sort that they must be upheld continually, instead of helping others. -Congregationalist.

The Scripture assures us
The Lord will provide.

"Beyond! beyond! oh, blest beyond!
Ŏ heaven, eternal, peaceful, free!
O home on high! I haste from bonds
To find God's boundless rest in thee;
And saints beyond

Shall crowd thy gates to welcome me."

Sayings about Songs.

Think of listening to the morning stars as they sing together. The hum of ten thousand thousand spinning worlds all set to music will make shouting Methodists of every soul in heaven. Hallelujah!!!

THE LORD WILL PROVIDE.

The birds, without barn

Or storehouse, are fed;
From them let us learn

To trust for our bread:
His saints, what is fitting,
Shall ne'er be denied,
So long as 'tis written,
The Lord will provide.

PROVERB-"He becometh poor that dealeth with a slack hand: but the hand of the diligent maketh rich."—x. 4.

ADOPTION-THE CHILDREN

Members of the household of faith.

Christ our elder brother, hence God is our Father.

Beloved, now are we sons of God.

It doth not yet appear what we shall be,
We know, at last we shall be like Jesus.
Who can say, "I am a child of God?"
Who will say, "I want to be?"

God has promised to feed us with the heritage of Jacob our Father; but I find the thorns of affliction and briers of disappointment grow plentifully thereon; consequently such things should be expected: "In the world ye shall have tribulation."

The truest proof of a man's religion is the quality of his companions.-Baile.

Man, being as he is, must have a Church. Christianity without order and authority is a dream, an enthusiasm, a desolation.- Wilson. |

Gems of Thought.

There is room.-Luke xiv. 22.

In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.-John xiv. 2. Heaven is big enough for the whole

CHRISTIAN'S CHAPTER-1 Peter ii.

QUESTION-Is there room in thy Father's house for us?

-Gen. xxiv. 23. world, and furthermore God wants the whole human race to dwell there with him. The invitation means all; it says, "Whosoever will may come."

CHO.-Singing glory, glory,

Sayings about Songs.

Mother, wife, and children, when the men folks come home at night, dont let the latchkey get fully turned before the piano plays and you sing. Greet the weary worker for your bread with music, you can drive the tiredness" out with a note of song. Then when you sit down to sup together sing grace, 'twill flavor the meat.

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CHILDREN

Around the throne of God in heaven
Thousands of children stand,
Children whose sins are all forgiven,
A holy, happy band,

OF

Glory be to God on high.

The moment a heart touches the heart of Christ in living faith, he becomes, whether he knows it or not, the brother of every other, in heaven or on earth, who has come into the same relationship with Christ.

All sects are merely pockets in the garments of the Lord Jesus Christ. And it does not make any difference whether you go to heaven in a side-pocket or in a skirtpocket. To get into heaven is the main thing, after all.-Beecher.

PROVERB "Say unto wisdom, thou art my sister; and call understanding thy kinswoman."—vii. 4.