14. "E. J. G.," Jersey. Thanks for your kind note and the accompanying lines.

15. "G. H.," Toronto. Scripture is, as you say, totally silent on the point; and we must ever bear in mind that, where scripture is silent, discussion is useless; where scripture speaks, discussion is closed.

16. "L.," Leicester. The word rendered "rest" in Matthew xi. 22 is not the same as in Hebrews iv. 9. In the former it is avatavou (anapausin); in the latter it is oaßßariopos (sabbatismos). Our Lord says, "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." This is rest of conscience-rest as to our sins, our guilt, our responsibilities as sinners -rest as to everything which might raise a question between our souls and God.

66

But, further, He says, "Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me, for I am meek and lowly in heart; and ye shall find rest." This is rest of heart, as regards our present path-our circumstances, our cares and anxieties, our difficulties and trials. This rest is the opposite of restlessness, and flows from our being subject, in all things, to the will of God, as our blessed Lord was perfectly. He could say, I thank thee, Father," when everything seemed to be against Him. "Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in thy sight." And when we can say with all the heart, done, O Lord," then we "find rest." active, we are restless; if our will is subject, we have rest-sweet rest, rest of heart-the peace of God which passeth all understanding. Precious portion!

Thy will be If our will be

Then, in Hebrews iv. 9, we have another thing altogether. "There remaineth a sabbath-keeping for the people of God." This is the future rest, the rest of glory to which we are on our way. It is God's rest into which He will, blessed be His name, conduct us when all our wilderness toil is over. The Epistle to the Hebrews presents the people of God as pilgrims on their way to rest, and it exhorts them to labour to enter into that rest. The sinner is not told to labour

for rest, but the Christian is. This makes all the difference.

17. "T. S.," Hamilton, Ontario. There is a pamphlet on the subject, written thirty years ago, to be had of our publisher, Mr. Morrish, 20, Paternoster Square, London, E.C., entitled, "Thoughts on the Lord's Supper, designed for Christians in this Day of Difficulty." Also a small tract, entitled, "Hints and Suggestions as to the Lord's Supper, and those who partake of it."

18. "M. M.," Kingston-on-Thames. The question of insurance, whether of life or property, is entirely one of individual faith. If you put your trust in God, you will have no need of an insurance office. The promise of God, which you get for nothing, is better far than an insurance policy for which you must pay. least so we judge; but each one must learn this for himself.

At

19. "J. B.,' Kingstown. Thanks for your kind suggestion. The Lord, we trust, will guide, as He has graciously done for the last twenty years.

20. "Hartest," Suffolk. In 1 Timothy i. 20, the apostle delivers Hymenæus and Alexander to Satan. It sets forth an act of solemn discipline by direct apostolic power. In 1 Corinthians v. the assembly at Corinth is commanded to deliver the evil doer to Satan for the destruction of the flesh. In both cases, we take it to be an act of discipline. A person put out of the assembly where the Holy Ghost ruled, was handed over to the power of Satan in order that his flesh might be thoroughly judged and crushed-serious, but needed work! May we learn, dear friend, to judge ourselves, in secret, before our God, so that the assembly may not have to deal with us. If the roots of evil are judged in private, the fruit will not appear above the surface of our practical life.

CONVERSION: WHAT IS IT?

PART IV.

THE last two verses of our chapter (1 Thess. i.) demand our very special attention. They furnish a remarkable statement of the real nature of conversion. They shew, very distinctly, the depth, clearness, fulness, and reality of the work of God's Spirit in those Thessalonian converts. There was no mistaking it. It carried its own credentials with it. It was no uncertain work. It did not call for any careful examination ere it could be accredited. It was a manifest, unmistakable, work of God, the fruits of which were apparent to all. They themselves shew of us what manner of entering in we had unto you, and how ye turned to God from idols, to serve the living and true God; and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come." Verses 9, 10.

66

Here, then, we have a divine definition of conversion-brief, but comprehensive. It is a turning from, and a turning to. They turned from idols. There was a complete break with the past, a turning of the back, once and for ever, on their former life and habits; a thorough surrender of all those objects that had ruled their hearts and commanded their energies. Those dear Thessalonians were led to judge, in the light of divine truth, their whole previous course, and not only to judge it, but to abandon it unreservedly. It was no half-and-half work.

There was nothing vague or equi

vocal about it. It was a marked epoch in their history -a grand turning-point in their moral and practical career. It was not a mere change of opinion, or the reception of a new set of principles, a certain alteration in their intellectual views. It was far more than any or all of these things. It was the solemn discovery that their whole past career had been one great, dark, monstrous lie. It was the real heart conviction of this. Divine light had broken in upon their souls, and in the power of that light they judged themselves and the entire of their previous history. There was an outand-out surrender of that world which had hitherto ruled their hearts' affections; not a shred of it was to be spared.

And what, we may ask, produced this marvellous change? Simply the word of God brought home to their souls in the mighty power of the Holy Ghost. We have referred to the inspired account of the apostle's visit to Thessalonica. We are told that "he reasoned with them out of the scriptures." He sought to bring their souls into direct contact with the living and eternal word of God. He did not bring mere human influence to bear upon them. There was no effort to act on their feelings and imagination. All this the blessed workman judged to be utterly valueless. He had no confidence whatever in it. His confidence was in the word and Spirit of God. He assures the Thessalonians of this very thing in the most touching manner, in chapter ii. of his epistle. "For this cause," he says, "thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but,

as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe."

This is what we may call a vital and cardinal point. The word of God, and that alone, in the mighty hand of the Holy Ghost, produced these grand results in the case of the Thessalonians, which filled the heart of the beloved apostle with unfeigned thanksgiving to God. He rejoiced that they were not linked on to him, but to the living God Himself, by means of His word. This is an imperishable link. It is as enduring as the word which forms it. The word of man is as perishable as himself; but the word of the Lord endureth for ever. The apostle, as a true workman, understood and felt all this, and hence his holy jealousy, in all his ministry, lest the souls to whom he preached should in any way lean upon him instead of on the One whose messenger and minister he was.

Hear what he says to the Corinthians: "And I, brethren, when I came unto you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God. For I determined not to know anything among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified. And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling. And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power; that your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God." 1 Corinthians ii. 1-5.

Here we have true ministry-"the testimony of God," and "the demonstration of the Spirit"—the word and the Holy Ghost. Nothing else is of any value. All mere human influence, human power, and