one has parted something which must be bound together, and one, the most importunate of all, does not know what he wants. All want a portion, occupation, something to interest, something to absorb. Yesterday's device is stale for to-day. The first suggestion is a failure, the second carries only a minority, the third leaves still a minority. The east wind is sharp without, or the rain is falling, and the sky is lowering. And this task, varied beyond all possible fertility of supposition, was the task of yesterday as well, and must be taken up again to-morrow. Oh, parent, guardian, teacher, are you able to drink this cup? Sometimes the weary nerves and aching head and heart will plead, "Let this cup pass from me!" Do you end your prayer there? There was a "nevertheless" in the form you are following. Try again. Remember it is the cup of Jesus. It will seat you at his right hand; it will make you one with him. He drank of it, and commends it to you. He does not taste cordials, and bid you season your drink with ashes. His cup, his own, he passes on. Raise it to your white, shrinking lips; take up that "nevertheless," -"Nevertheless, not as I will, but as thou wilt." You look upon breaking fortunes, you look upon alienated friendships, you look upon withering hopes, you look upon failing strength, upon the dark shadow of adversity. Are you able to raise the cup perpetually "nevertheless, not as I will, but as thou wilt"? A beloved one droops; languidly the gentle eyes seek yours; whiter grows the thin cheek; a babe moans in your arms, and then is still. A stalwart boy goes up into his chamber and lies down, and comes not forth again. The

desolation of widowhood darkens toward your door. Would you sit with Christ in his kingdom? Will you have, then, this baptism? Go down with him into swiftflowing Jordan, the chill of Hermon's snows in its waters yet. Take his cup, say your grace over it, "Nevertheless, not as I will, but as thou wilt," and drain it off, and you will find your Master at your side. His kingdom has come unto you. He is on your right hand and on your left; you will never more be alone. That last baptism of his was under the cold flood of death. There is something written above the Sufferer's crowned head on the cross beside that which is written in Greek and Latin and Hebrew. Its letters gleam down the ages, and one can read them here and now," Self-sacrifice, the law of Christ"—"the law of Christian living." The thorns are sharp, the nails rend cruelly, flesh pleads off, self-protection protests; but the hand of Jesus beckons. The last taste with Christ is of the vinegar mixed with gall. Oh, are we able? Have we been crucified with him unto this vain world? Do we know always what we ask in our prayers? Is it sanctification? Is it likeness to Christ? Is it unworldliness? Is it poverty of spirit? Oh, but if God answer any of these requests, it will be by a baptism as of fire; it will be by a medicined cup with gall in it. Do we still pray it? Yes, let us venture, for he can sustain while he disciplines. Behold the law of Christian advancement! the way of Christian honor the path to crowns and thrones. It is a way descending into the valley of humiliation. It stoops to service. Our Saviour announced it plainly, "Ye know that the princes of the

Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they that are great exercise authority upon them; but it shall not be so among you, but whosoever will be great among you let him be your minister. And whosoever will be chief among you let him be your servant. Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto,

but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many." If the path climb, it climbs as the path of Jesus did on the day of crucifixion up the slope of Calvary. Let it be our constant prayer,

ee

Master, take us into thy fellowship and strengthen our weakness for thy sorrowful but blessed baptism."

IX.

WAITING.

IT IS GOOD THAT A MAN BOTH HOPE AND QUIETLY WAIT FOR THE SALVATION OF THE LORD.- - Sam. iii. 26.

HERE are countries where the climate of the year

THERE

is divided into "the rainy season" and "the dry." But the former is not one uninterrupted period of "falling weather." Here and there, during its continuance, there are sweet, bright, calm days, with not a cloud on all the face of the heaven. The voice which I have taken this morning out of the old prophetic utterances I found in the midst of the Lamentations of the weeping prophet. But it is a cheerful voice. There is no sob of weeping in it. It was a bright hour amid that rain of tears when this word was written. And the sunshine lingers in it yet. We hear in it an echo of that earlier note struck by the harp of David. "Wait on the Lord, be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart. Wait, I say, on the Lord."

But this word "wait" is a cold word for most human hearing. Even Faith often finds it hard to receive it, and passionate earthly desire meets it as the challenge of an enemy. It is a good word for all times and all hearts.

blench.

As a people

It is especially good for us here and now. we do not find it easy to wait. A chronic fever of impatience is in our land, the universal epidemic. It comes partly of our stimulating climate, partly of our circumstances as pioneers of civilization on a new continent, partly of the rapidity with which we have seen great fortunes built up and golden dreams realized, partly of the straining competition on every racecourse for every goal, and partly of the natural ardor of the soul eager to touch its prize, and enjoy its good without delay. Speak to us any other word than this. Bid us "run," and we gird up our loins at once. Bid us "act," and the day shall not be long enough for our diligence, the season too short for our harvest. Bid us "dare," and no terror shall make us But "wait,”. But "wait,"-that denies all our longings, postpones our hopes, removes the feast to which our hunger hastened, dries up the spring to which our thirst was stooping. The salient, the energetic qualities of character are easily cultivated; the retiring, the passive come hard. Even with those who believe in God, his government, his promises, his faithfulness, his fatherliness, the virtue of patient waiting is of difficult acquirement. God is sovereign, wise, good, and true. He will perform where he has promised; but he is slow, and we chafe against the deliberate process of his providence. fever of impatience burns in all the hearts of our American youth. They fret at all apprenticeship, whether to letters, mechanic art, or trade. They are in haste to graduate from all the preparatory stages, and to be launched at once upon the real, earnest life. They hurry

This