one has attained, if the enemy can discourage him, a great step is taken towards the capture of the poor wandering one. Let one become discouraged and he allows his shield of faith to fall, and then the enemy will begin trying on some line, or in some way to put a web of his power around the poor unfortunate one, until everything appears to go wrong and the way begins to grow dark.

Satan says: "Just step into my pitfall of discouragement and listen to my suggestions for a short time, and I will not need to worry about you for a time at least." Yes, there is much truth in thy words, thou destroyer of souls and instigator of evil, nevertheless there is a God who sits on the throne of his holiness who has greater power; yea, he even gives to his children, "power over all the power of the enemy."

"But I will make them believe they are not the children of God any longer, and will so discourage their souls that they can not believe that scripture is for them. I will tell them that the Lord will not hear them; for they have put their hand to the plough and looked back, and are no longer considered worthy of a home among the angels. I will ensnare them and get them to do wrong, then refer them to the word of God where it says, 'If we sin willfully, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sin.' And many other things will I tell them, so that they will not be able to rise above their discouragements."

Ah, Mr. Satan, you generally overstep the mark;

you are so greedy that you do not have wisdom enough to know when to stop. It was poor lost and wretched souls that Jesus came to save; and to comfort just such discouraged ones as you are trying to bind down. He will bind up the broken-hearted, and break every binding chain you dare to put upon them, when they call upon him. He will whisper words of love and encouragement in their ears, amid all your cunning devices, and will tell them that it is written in the Word that Satan "is a liar, and the father of lies." He can easily tell them that you misapply the scriptures in their case in order to discourage their souls, and that Jesus Christ was the great sacrifice "offered once for all,” and if he is forsaken, surely there remaineth no other sacrifice for sin; but they will have to take him again, or do without.

Oh, how true it is that Jesus loves and cares for those who are weak as well as those who are strong, and will give special attention to them when he hears their call for help!

FRIENDS AND ENEMIES.

The way of the cross may well be termed a way of warfare, because there are friends and enemies all the way along. To the one who is thoroughly decided to go through at all costs, with the heart fixed, and the mind stayed upon Christ, it is a line of victories, even

though the enemy may occasionally take his stand by the wayside and give a fierce battle; but victory always crowns a faithful walk with the Lord. In order always to have victory over the powers of the enemy, there must always be a positive decision to go through for God and follow as he may lead and direct. It is those who lose their decision to go through, or drop the shield of faith, who are tossed about by the enemy and his suggestions.

As this change of life makes a change of masters, it also makes a change regarding friends. Often those who were the most devoted and true friends now become the most bitter enemies. Even those of our own household may be among our worst foes. But Jesus says: "He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me."-Matt. 10:37, 38. "And Jesus answered and said, Verily, I say unto you, There is no man that has left house, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my sake, and the gospel's, but he shall receive an hundred-fold now in this time, houses, and brethren, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands, with persecu tions; and in the world to come eternal life."-Mark 10:29, 30.

Here you see that even though you are obliged to start out into the world away from those that are near

and dear to you, all these will be supplied; but "with persecutions," he says. If persecutions are among the blessings promised, or something that must necessarily go hand in hand with these blessings, the Lord will give an abundance of grace, that we may be able to bear them, and even rejoice through them all.

There may be times when it may seem as if all friends had forsaken us; but even should such a testing time come, remember that our loving Master is one who "sticketh closer than a brother," and will "never leave us nor forsake us," even through the greatest trials and afflictions; for when the enemy oppresses on every side, He is ever ready to lend a helping hand.

AN INWARD FOE.

Besides the foes that are without, there is also an inward foe, which causes the newly converted soul no little anxiety at times, and often leads to trouble, unless there is a very close walk with God. This foe is the "carnal mind," spoken of in Romans 8:7, and is "enmity against God;" although a person may have the carnal mind, and yet not be "carnally minded;" that is, led and controlled by it. Paul acknowledged the brethren at Corinth to be children of God, yet he said he could not speak unto them as "spiritual, but as unto carnal." Then he showed them the fruits of carnality among them, such as envyings, strife, and

divisions, and told them that they were carnal. 1 Cor. 3:3.

It is the old nature which is inherited through the fall of Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden. Although it is not imputed as sin unto us, yet it is a sinful nature, or such as naturally inclines the heart, or leads one into the ways of sin as soon as he becomes old enough to know what is sin, and realize its effects The little child knows no sin, and is innocent in the sight of God, yet it has that carnal mind, which is manifest long before it knows anything about sin. Anger is one of the outcroppings of this evil nature in the heart, although there are many other ways in which it is manifest. The sweetest disposition and most loving, innocent child will at times show forth evidence of a nature within that is not in harmony with the real spirit of love and innocence. A woman once publicly declared in a meeting that her little two-year-old babe did not have any such nature, nor any such elements in the heart. But before the sermon closed the minister, who was preaching on the subject, had occasion to stop and call attention to the little one, who had thrown itself upon the floor in such intense anger, before the whole congregation, that the mother was unable to conquer or quiet it until it had fully illustrated the sermon that was being preached. Yet, there was no sin committed by the little one, because it was not old enough to know anything about sin; but the elements manifested there are what lead into the ways of sin, which