of its varying phases God is still at hand, watching over His own and doing all things well.

The imperial singer begins with prosperity, of which he gives this picture taken from the pastoral life: "He maketh me lie down in green pastures; He leadeth me beside the still waters." This is, as someone has said, the most complete picture of happiness that ever was or can be drawn.

But why does he begin with this? Why does he describe the experience of prosperity before that of adversity? Someone has answered, Because it is the commoner state. The lot of God's people is, on the whole, one of happiness. Seasons of suffering there are, indeed; and they are vividly remembered-just as an obstruction in a river makes a great show and causes a great noise; but the life of the Christian is for the most part like a tranquil stream, which flows deep and does not invite attention.

Lord Bacon has the aphorism that, while prosperity was the promise of the Old Testament, adversity is the blessing of the New.

But is this true? There are doubtless many weighty words of the New Testament which speak of the cross which Christians must bear and the persecutions they may have to suffer: "Whosoever doth not bear his cross and come after Me, cannot be My disciple"; "Marvel not if the world hateth you; ye know that it hated Me before it hated you." Such words abound among the sayings of our Lord and His apostles. But they do not stand alone; and, when quoted alone, they convey a misleading impression. What said the Master Himself? "Verily, I say unto you, there is no man who hath left house, or brethren or sisters, or father or mother, or wife or children, for My sake and the gospel's, but he shall receive a hundredfold more in this time, houses, and brethren and sisters, and mothers and children, and lands, with persecutions; and in the world to come eternal life." Similarly an apostle declares: "Godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life which now is and of that which is to come." The New Testament is not a sadder book

than the Old; on the contrary, it is far more sunny and melodious; and this is not only because the misery of the present life is to be compensated by the felicity of the life to come, but this life itself is a happy one.

The world's no blank to us

Nor blot; it means intensely, and means good.

1. TEMPORAL PROSPERITY.

This is true in regard to temporal prosperity. The tendency of things is to throw into the lap of God's people the best blessings even of this earthly life.

What are these? Health is one of them. This is a fundamental blessing, on which many more depend. All sights look dreary when seen through the jaundiced eyes of disease, and all pleasures are tasteless when they touch an unhealthy palate. But, when the blood is flowing limpidly through the veins and the brain is fresh and unclogged, God's glorious world, with its sights and sounds, gratifies the senses and awakens desire; things have their natural taste, and

the simple elements of life are enough to satisfy without the condiment of artificial pleasure. Now, health is most likely to be the heritage of those who obey the laws of God. By the excesses of an ungoverned youth, many are sowing in their own bodily constitution the seeds of a debilitated manhood and an early death. They are burning out in themselves the very sense for natural pleasure and creating the necessity for artificial stimulation, which loses its effect the oftener it is applied. Those who listen to the voice of God and follow the path of virtue may be scoffed at, because, during the opportunities of youth, they do not follow the hot and highly seasoned pleasures which others pursue; but their enjoyment lasts longer, and at the period when others are falling bankrupt they are coming into the full enjoyment of their heritage.

Another of the best blessings of life is love. It is by the heart mainly that human beings are made blessed or miserable; and it is a notable evidence of the equality of nature that love is restricted to no class or

grade of culture or fortune. The poorest may feel the glow of pure affection and be loyal to the vows of friendship. Love culminates in the home, and he who possesses a happy home, where the hunger of the heart is satisfied and the voice of innocent mirth is heard, has not missed the best which this earthly life can yield. But to whom does the blessing of love belong? Many prostitute the name by applying it to indulgences which make true love impossible; for impurity "hardens a' within and petrifies the feeling." He who wastes his youth is robbing himself beforehand of the power of giving to a pure woman, should he be so fortunate as to win the love of such a one, heart for heart; he is robbing himself beforehand of the power of looking in his children's faces unashamed; and it is more than possible that his offspring may have to pay with lives of misery the penalty of his sin. If the glory of friendship is that each friend knows the other to be absolutely transparent and true; if love is the exchange of hearts which have been kept for one