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GOD WILLS IT.

The shout has rung out at the word
Of the preacher, whose cry is, 'Deliver!
Deliver the tomb of the Lord!'
And a thousand swords are unsheathed,
And a thousand hearts are aflame
With zeal for Christ's glory and honour,
Or with eager desire for fame.

God wills it! The heroes are leaving
Their home and their loved ones behind;
And swift o'er the blue of the ocean

The white ships fly on with the wind. God wills it! They take for the watchword As their feet touch the sacred strand. God wills it! gives strength to the weary, In the midst of the burning sand.

Should thousands be left in the desert,
Their limbs to hyenas a prey,
Ten thousand press forward, still forward,
With never a thought of dismay.
God wills it! gives wings as of eagles,
And when hope from their spirits had fled,
Lo! the roofs of the Holy City

In the evening sun gleam red.

God wills it! The pilgrims are falling
In the dust at the wondrous sight,
And the Crucified's banner is glowing
Like fire in the evening light.
God wills it! The lances are splint'ring,
And death-blows are falling in showers.
God wills it! The victors have planted
The Cross on Jerusalem's towers.

MARK XVI. 15.

The shields of the knights have long rusted, Their swords and their spears are at rest, And no more is that Holy City

The goal for the hosts of the West; But yet there are warfares as holy

Which God and the Saviour command: Who goes forth to fight and to conquer, Led on by his Lord's piercéd hand? Who heareth the cry of the heathen,

The call to the work of the Lord ? Who gladly goes forth now to venture

His all on the strength of God's word,

'I will cause thee to rule o'er the nations,
The strong I will give for a prey;
Go forth to all lands and all people,
Behold, I am with you alway'?

The people are gathered together

All hushed at the sound of His Word;
And solemn glad hymns have been pealing
Through all the courts of the Lord.
From a heart that with love and with zeal
For His Master's cause is aflame
Come the words of the preacher that call
To do battle for that dear Name.

And quietly before him are standing-
Their young heads in prayer bending low-
The heroes in whose hearts is sounding
The call on God's warfare to go.
'God wills it! and we must go forward,

For the love of Christ doth constrain,
And our hearts are sore for the heathen
In their sin and sorrow and pain.'
'Be heartily welcome, brave comrades,
Take with you the armour of God,
No trust put in chariots or horses,

Nor yet in the spear or the sword.
But take in your right hand the Bible,
In your left strong faith for a shield,
Then away to the holy warfare,

Away to the white Harvest field.'
God wills it! The pilgrims are leaving
Their home and their loved ones behind;
And swift o'er the blue of the ocean

The white ships fly on with the wind.
God wills it! That bears through the breakers
And guides past the dangerous reef;
Still onward they go, for God wills it,'
Is ever their strength and belief.
Before them great palm trees are waving,

And fair is the shore and the flowers; But, see, o'er the jungle the darkness, The smoke from the idol-fires lowers. Then away to the holy warfare,

For the Lord! for the Lord in the fight! God wills it! He'll give you the conquest, And He will uphold the right.

God wills it! Be that as a shadow

From the heat in the thirsty land.
God wills it! give health to the weary,
And power to the failing hand.
And if in the end they may lay you

'Neath the palm trees to quiet rest,
May fond lips be taught to whisper
'God wills it!' we know it is best.

'Honest industry is the duty specially taught in this commandment. It requires masters to give just wages to their servants, and servants to be diligent and faithful to their masters, so procuring and furthering the wealth of each other.'

'But, mamma, I don't understand how the words, Thou shalt not steal, teach all these duties.'

'Read Eph. iv. 28, and I think it will help you to understand this commandment.'

And Nelly read, "Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth."

You know that poverty often tempts men to steal; and in this verse Paul commands those who had formerly been thieves to labour honestly that they might never again be tempted to take what was not their own. You remember Agur's prayer in Pro. xxx. 8, 9.'

I know it, mamma,' said Charley. 'Agur prayed, "Give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with food convenient for me; lest I be full, and deny thee, and say, Who is the Lord? or lest I be poor, and steal, and take the name of my God in vain."

'That prayer warns us against the dangers connected with either poverty or riches, and shews us that in order to avoid being tempted to steal, we ought to earn

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our bread by honest toil. Idleness and waste have led many a one to steal. Now tell me, Nelly, What is forbidden in the eighth commandment?'

The eighth commandment forbiddeth whatsoever doth, or may unjustly, hinder our own or our neighbour's wealth or outward estate."

"This commandment refers chiefly to money, and forbids every practice, however common it may be, by which injustice is done to our neighbour in money matters. It forbids some practices which are so common in trade, that many persons entirely overlook their dishonesty; but God takes notice of every thing we do. Read Pro. xx. 14.'

"It is naught, it is naught, saith the buyer; but when he is gone his way, then he boasteth." What does that mean, mamma?' asked Charley.

'That verse describes a person going into a shop to buy something, and in order to get it very cheap he tells the shopkeeper that it is very little worth, and persuades him to sell it for a sum less than its value, and then he goes away and tells others what a bargain he has got.'

'But that is not stealing, mamma,' said Charley.

'It is not stealing in the world's eye, and worldly people would commend such persons for their cleverness; but God's word condemns them as dishonest. If we cannot afford to pay the fair price for what we wish, we should not buy it.'

'But, mamma, sometimes shopkeepers ask far too dear. Should we always give them whatever price they ask?'

'If they are honest men they will not ask more than the fair price, and if we know that they do so we should not deal with them. It is far better to give our money to honest men. But this commandment forbids idleness as well as dishonesty. Idleness hinders our own or our neighbour's wealth.'

But surely it is not so bad as stealing, mamma?'

'I fear that it is stealing. When a servant idles away his time, instead of being

Often we sin from want of thought, and this shews us how much need we have to hide God's commandment in our hearts that we may not sin against Him, and to pray, "Search me, O God, and know my heart." Do you remember the picture of industry Solomon sets before the sluggard? Pro. vi. 6-11.'

"Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise: which having no guide, overseer, or ruler, provideth her meat in the summer, and gathereth her food in the harvest." I know

"How doth the little busy bes
Improve each shining hour,
And gathers honey all the day

From every opening flower."

The bee is the emblem of industry, and if we are like it there is little danger of our ever becoming so poor as to be tempted to steal. But while always industrious, we must watch against the love of money, for this passion often leads to dishonesty.'

'I heard papa speaking about gambling one day, and he said that it was stealing. How is that, mamma?' asked Charley.

'Gambling is stealing, because whatever money is won by one person is lost by others. It is a very wicked practice, and one which no young person should ever begin.'

1 don't understand why it is so very dishonest, when those who play know that they must either lose or win.'

Gamblers

That is where the sin lies. know that they cannot play without robbing either themselves or their neighbours, and no honest man could agree to such a thing. Many a young man has got into debt and been led to ruin by learning to gamble.'

Is it a sin to get into debt, mamma?' asked Nelly.

'Good men have sometimes got into debt through the misconduct of others without any fault of their own; but to get into debt by gambling, or idleness, or extravagance, or want of forethought, is a great sin. It is taking money which is not Read Rom. xiii. 8.'

our own.

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"Owe no man anything, but to love one another."'

'I did not know there were so many different ways of breaking this commandment,' said Charley.

·

We are surrounded by temptations to dishonesty, and whether rich or poor, we need the grace of God to enable us to overcome them, and to walk honestly as children of the light.'

About one hundred years ago a boy named Adam Clark was apprenticed to a linen draper. He was attentive to his duties, and for a time his master was well pleased with him. One day when measuring a piece of cloth it was found too short, and his master took the one end of the piece in his hand, and gave the boy the other piece, saying, Pull, Adam, pull.' But the boy replied, 'Sir, I can't.'

'You can't,' said his master. 'What do you mean? You must do what I wish.'

'I can't, sir,' the boy again replied, because it is not honest.'

Then you leave my shop immediately. You will never do for a linen draper,' said his master in great anger.

With a sorrowful heart the boy left his situation and went home. When he told his father why he had been dismissed, he commended him for his conduct, and encouraged him to trust God to provide a better situation for him. Adam Clark afterwards became a distinguished scholar and commentator, and never had cause to regret having been dismissed from the linen draper's shop.

Watch against the first temptation to dishonesty. My son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not.' 'Them that honour me, I will honour.'

"Theft will not be always hidden; Though we fancy none can spy; When we take a thing forbidden, God beholds it with His eye.

'Guard my heart, O God of heaven, Lest I covet what's not mine! Lest I steal what is not given,

Guard my heart and hands from sin.'