waters!" True, indeed! I thought; but what is this invention of man to save the body from destruction compared with God's plan to save the soul, by the death of His only, well-beloved Son?

Christ is like the strong rope between the ship and the shore, the only way of escape between destruction and salvation! "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life." To the poor, lost, perishing sinner Jesus offers Himself as a Saviour. "Come

unto Me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest."

» 2

Reader! Jesus is the strong rope between your shipwrecked soul and eternal life on the beautiful shore of God's heavenly rest. Have you accepted your Saviour's offer? Have you thrown yourself into His loving, outstretched arms? Do you believe on the Lord Jesus Christ as the one and only way of present peace and eternal happiness? Are you Christ's? Is Christ in you the hope of glory? There are thousands of professing Christians who will readily answer that they do believe in Jesus Christ-believe that He is God's Son, that He was born into the world, died on the cross, made an atonement there for sin, is able to save all that believe in Him. But is this simple belief and confession sufficient? Does the word faith in the Bible mean only this, or more than this? Surely Paul meant more than this when he said to the terrified jailer of Philippi, who asked what he must do to be saved: "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved." 3

If the tempest-tossed mariners in the rigging of the Lena had believed ever so firmly in the strength of the rocket line, and yet remained still clinging to the ropes of the ship, would they have been saved? Assuredly not. If they had not cast themselves, one after another, into the canvas bag attached to the rope, and trusted their lives to its keeping, they never would have been drawn up from their perilous position to the 3 Acts xvi. 31.

1

1 John iii. 16.

2 Matt. xi. 28.

top of the cliff. They believed in the plan of safety arranged for them; but they did more—they trusted themselves to it, cast themselves upon it, and were saved.

So those who simply believe in the love of Christ, in His great work on the cross, His power to save, and rest there, do not fulfil the gospel condition of salvation when it says, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved." The perishing sinner must cast himself on Jesus; must go out to Him, crying, "Lord, have mercy on me, a sinner;" must cry long, if need be, and perseveringly, until he receives an answer of peace in his soul.

Reader, do you simply believe, or have you thus thrown the burden of your sin-cast yourself, a helpless sinner-on Jesus?

This is a vital question; what is your reply?

Now I perceived that the poor sailor fearlessly committed himself to the canvas bag, though he might have felt some doubts as to the strength of the rocket line, or its perfect capability to sustain his weight. But there can be no such doubt or risk in committing our souls to Jesus; for "He is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by Him;"1 and He ❝is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy." 2

When once the lost sailor placed himself in the canvas bag he was safe, provided the rocket line held firm. And if you have gone out to Jesus, and placed your soul in His keeping, you are safe-saved! You cannot be snatched from His everlasting arms of love and almighty power!

I also perceived that when the sailor was in the bag he never moved; he made no effort to assist in the work of his salvation; he left all to those who were working the rocket line, and gradually, little by little, he was silently and safely drawn across the sea from the ship to the cliff, and landed in safety. He himself had done nothing towards his rescue ; was the work of others.

all

So it is with your everlasting salvation. Christ has done all for you-endured the punishment due from you to God's justice; died in your stead; and has by this act acquired the right and power to be your Saviour. You cannot, must not, add any effort of your own to His full and complete work for you. You must rest calmly and confidently in Him, and He will save you. And you will gladly confess that all your fruits of faith and love do not in the smallest degree assist in the work of your salvation, but are only a sign, a blessed sign, of the life that is in you-life begun when you cast yourself on Jesus in humble trust. "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast." 1

But I perceived that, as one of the sailors was being drawn along the rocket line, the ship gave a lurch towards the shore, and the line bending in the middle caused the bag with its freight to dip into a huge wave, at that instant lifting up its white-foamed head on high. For a moment the poor sailor was hid from view; but the next the bag emerged from the water. It had been drawn through and above the wave, and the sailor was being hauled up to the top of the cliff as before. All the while he stirred not, made no cry, and he soon reached the shore in safety.

So may the waters of affliction be permitted to roll over you, even though you be resting in the arms of Jesus; yet you will, by grace, be able to realise the promise: "When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee." 2 And the Psalmist's peace shall be yours: "Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil for Thou art with me; Thy rod and Thy staff they comfort me.

Do not, then, rest satisfied with simply believing what is written about Jesus. Are you hanging on Him, resting in Him, abiding in His love?

And has this resting on a Saviour's love produced in your 3 Psa. xxiii. 4.

1 Ephes. ii. 8, 9.

2 Isa. xliii. 2.

soul a most sweet sense of present salvation, and of security now and for ever, come what may—a wonderful joy, a perfect peace, which the world can neither give nor take away?

This is the good news which the gospel offers to the soul under conviction of sin. And may God the Holy Ghost direct your heart to accept this gospel in all simplicity, that you may taste the Lord's graciousness here below, and enjoy the full fruition of His bliss in the world to come!

Tom Hanson's Drink Bill.

wo months' sickness for a working man, without any wages coming into the house, is a hard trial; and so Tom Hanson's wife found it; for, after all, the heavy end of the burden, in such cases, almost always falls on the wife. I don't know how they could have kept off the parish if Tom had not belonged to a club, from which he received ten shillings a week, besides the doctor's attendance and medicine. It was a great wonder, indeed, that he had the club to fall back upon; for his payments had often been in arrear, and he had many a time been fined; and only about a month before he was taken ill he would have been expelled but for his kind friend, George Harvey. Tom had received due notice that, according to the rules of the club, if his arrears were not paid up on a certain night, he would be finally struck off the roll. With some difficulty he had scraped together the required money, and he had the best intentions of going to the club and paying it in; but about an hour before the time one of his companions called, and proposed that they should have a glass at the "Twyford Arms." There could be no harm in that, Tom thought; especially as the "Twyford Arms" was in the way to the club. And so he consented, telling Ned Gibson, however, that he could not possibly stay more than three-quarters of an hour, and giving the reason. But it so

happened that, soon after they were seated, Tom got into a brisk discussion on some point or another, and he forgot all about the time. At length, hearing a clock strike, he rose up hastily, and said, "I must be off; that's eight o'clock. If I don't look sharp I shall be too late for my club."

"Eight!" exclaimed several voices at the same time. "Why, it's nine!"

"Nine!" said Tom, not a little dismayed. "I'm too late, then. But, anyhow, I'll have a run for it, and see."

The clock Tom had heard was the clock of the "Twyford Arms," and it so happened that it was ten minutes slow. It was twenty minutes past nine when Tom reached the place where the club was held, and then the room was empty, the lights were out, and all the members had dispersed.

Tom was very angry with himself, angry with Ned Gibson, and angry with all the companions in whose society he had forgotten the time. He went back, however, to the "Twyford Arms." He entered the room with a sullen countenance, and his companions saw at once what was the matter. They only laughed and joked about it, told him he was not going either to be sick or to die yet awhile, and bade him take another glass, and forget all about it. Tom sat down; and by-and-by he so far got over his vexation as to join heartily in the talk and fun which were going on; but that night he was later than usual in going home.

We have said that Tom would have been expelled the club but for his friend George Harvey. George and Tom had been fellow-apprentices, and for many years they were close companions. A year or two before the close of his apprenticeship, however, George had been led, through God's great mercy, to feel his need of salvation; and he had sought and found it. He then began a new and better life. He would fain have led Tom in the same way, but Tom did not care to be so led. Although, therefore, they continued good friends, their companionship gradually ceased. It could hardly have been otherwise.

The names of the members of the club were called over