It preserves our souls from stagnating and breeding corrupt things. It sanctifies and quickens our memories, and prevents their becoming like those ponds where the frogs live, but the fish die.

Let us resolve to talk more to believers about the Bible when we meet them. Alas! the conversation of Christians, when they do meet, is often sadly unprofitable. How many frivolous, and trifling, and uncharitable things are said! Let us bring out the Bible more, and it will help to drive the devil away, and keep our hearts in tune. Oh! that we may all strive so to walk together in this evil world, that Jesus may often draw near and go with us, as He went with the two disciples journeying to Emmaus!

Let us resolve to prize the Bible more. Let us not fear being idolaters of this blessed book. Men may easily make an idol of the church, of ministers, of sacraments, or of intellect. Men cannot make an idol of the Word. Let us regard all who would damage the authority of the Bible or impugn its credit, as spiritual robbers. We are travelling through a wilderness: they rob us of our only guide. We are voyaging over a stormy sea: they rob us of our only compass. We are toiling over a weary road: they pluck our staff out of our hands. And what do these spiritual robbers give us in place of the Bible? What do they offer as a guide and provision for our souls? Nothing! absolutely nothing! Big swelling words! Empty promises of new light! High sounding jargon, but nothing substantial and real! They would fain take from us the bread of life, and they do not give us in its place so much as a

Let us firmly

stone. Let us turn a deaf ear to them. grasp and prize the Bible more and more, the more it is assaulted.

Let us resolve to remember those who have not got the Bible. Let us labour to raise them from their low estate. None are so poor as those who have not the Scriptures. Let us think of them with pity and compassion, and not judge them by the standard of people who have the Word.

Let us deal gently with our Irish Brother. He may do many things which fill us with horror. But he

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errs, not knowing the Scriptures." He has no Bible. Let us judge charitably our Italian brother. He may seem superstitious, and lazy, and indolent, and incapable of any thing great or good. But he "errs, not knowing the Scriptures." He has no Bible.

Let us think lovingly of all Roman Catholic laymen on the Continent. We may feel disgusted by their adoring the Holy Coat of Tréves. We may be shocked at their credulity about the Winking Picture of the Virgin at Rimini. But we must remember that men will eat mice and rats in time of famine, and we must not marvel if souls feed on trash and garbage, when priests debar them from reading the Word. They "err, not knowing the Scriptures." They have no Bibles.

Last of all, let us resolve to live by the Bible more and more every year we live. Let us resolutely take account of all our opinions and practices, of our habits and tempers,-of our behaviour in public and in private,-in the world, and by our own firesides. Let us measure all by the Bible, and resolve, by God's

help, to conform to it. Oh! that we may learn increasingly to "cleanse our ways" by the Word!

Reader, I commend all these things to your serious and prayerful attention. I want the ministers,-of my beloved country to be Bible-reading ministers,-the congregations, Bible-reading congregations, and the nation, a Bible-reading nation. To bring about this desirable end, I cast my mite into God's treasury. The Lord grant that in your case it may prove not to have been in vain!

I remain,

Your affectionate Friend,

J. C. RYLE.

Bave You the Spirit?

READER,

JUDE 19.

"Having not the Spirit."

I take it for granted that you believe in the Holy Spirit. The number of people in this country who openly deny the doctrine of the Trinity, is happily not great. Most persons have been baptized in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Many have been taught to repeat the Belief, or Apostles' Creed, from their youth up. Your lips have probably said a thousand times the solemn words, "I believe in the Holy Ghost."

But notwithstanding all this, I wish you to consider well what you know of the Holy Spirit beyond His name. What experimental acquaintance have you with the Spirit's work? What has He done for you? What benefit have you received from Him? You can say of God the Father, "He made me and all the world." You can say of God the Son, "He died for me and all

mankind." But can you say anything about the Holy Ghost? Can you say with any degree of confidence, "He dwells in me, and sanctifies me? In one word, Have you the Spirit? This is the question I press upon your attention.

Reader, I believe the question to be one of vital importance at all seasons. I hold it to be one of special importance in the present day. I consider that clear views about the work of the Holy Spirit are among the best preservatives against the many false doctrines which abound in our own times. Suffer me then, to lay before you a few things, which, by God's blessing, may help you to answer the inquiry,-Have you the Spirit?

I. Let me explain the immense importance of having the Spirit.

II. Let me point out the great general principle by which alone the question can be tried,-Have you the Spirit?

III. Let me describe the particular effects which the Spirit always produces on the souls in which He dwells.

I. Let me in the first place, explain the immense importance of having the Spirit.

It is absolutely necessary to make this point clear. Unless you see this, I shall appear like one beating the air all through these pages. Once let your mind lay hold on this, and half the work I want to do is already done

"I do not see

I can easily fancy some reader saying, the use of this question! Supposing I have not the