yourselves friends of the mam:non of unrighteousness, that when ye fail, they may receive you into everlasting habitations." Here another difficulty presents itself, as to who are the 'they' here spoken 01. But it is judged to be customary for the evangelist Luke to word sentences in this way, when the sense is made passive or impersonal ;* thus here it would read that 'ye may be received,' and the sense would be, 'Make to yourselves friends by the mammon of unrighteousness [worldly possessions], that ye may be received hereafter into everlasting habitations;' similar to the words, "Lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven ;" "He that giveth to the poor lendeth to the Lord," &c.

Then follows the assertion that the faithful and the unjust in little things will be so also in greater things. And then," If therefore ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches?" That is, who would trust a professed Christian with any spiritual mission that had not been faithful and just in worldly matters? Thus a bishop "must have a good report of them which are without." (1 Tim. iii. 7.)

Again, "And if ye have not been faithful in that which is another man's, who shall give you

* See Luke vi. 38, 'shall men give,' in the sense of 'it shall be given;' verse 44, 'men do not gather,' for ‘are not gathered.' Chapter xii. 20, 'thy soul shall be required,' literally they shall require thy soul;' and chapter xiv. 35, men cast it out' for it is cast out.'

that which is your own." As Christians we are supposed not to have earthly possessions (still keeping up the character of "stewards "), so the goods are here called another man's'; and if we are not faithful in these temporal things, how can we expect the blessings of heavenly things which really belong to us?

We

The parable is summed up by shewing the impossibility of serving God and mammon. are to serve God, and in serving Him we are to be strictly faithful in dealing with that which belongs to others; and also to use what we have, not to seek present ease or advantage in this world, but to lay up for ourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt.

It will be seen then that this parable has not a gospel character, but it was addressed to the disciples, and is rather a call to faithfulness and devotedness in the Christian-in imitation indeed of that One who emptied himself,' and who became poor that we might through His poverty become rich. As we sow so shall we reap (see 2 Cor. ix. 6), and it may be that some of us have not that measure of heavenly blessing that we should have were we better stewards in earthly matters we have not that which is ' our own,' because we have not been using the things entrusted to our charge as stewards, as God would

have us.

May the Lord make us more faithful, spending and being spent for Him.

24

THE CUP OF GOD'S WRATH.

A YOUNG christian friend of the writer, who was an earnest evangelist, was in the country preaching concerning the solemn events which are at hand, namely, the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ for His people, when the dead in Christ shall first arise, and then we (believers) which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air (1 Cor. xv. 51-58; 1 Thess. iv. 13-18; John xiv. 1-3), and go with Him into the Father's house, so that we shall be ever with the Lord; after which God will pour out the cup of His wrath upon the ungodly. Immediately he had spoken the above words, there came out of an adjacent public-house a man with a glass of beer in his hand, and who called out, "I am going to drink the cup of God's wrath." of God's wrath." God's judgment was swift and sure, for directly he had uttered the words he fell dead at the feet of the speaker, ushered into the presence of that God whom he had mocked.

Truly, my dear reader, you will admit that this was very solemn teaching for those around. It plainly shews that God is not to be mocked; remember that all men are responsible to God. Nothing can take away man's responsibility. Have you thought upon the subject, and that all must give an account of the deeds done in the

body, whether good or bad? If a believer, you will have to be manifested before the judgment seat of Christ (in your glorified body), so that your own works-your service-may be tested (2 Cor. v. 10; 1 Cor. iii. 12-15), whether they are gold, silver, precious stones, or wood, hay, and stubble, for the fire must try every man's work.

The believer cannot be judged, for God's word is so emphatic on that point. "He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, shall not come into judgment, but is passed from death unto life." But if you die unconverted in your sins, you have wilfully refused the Object of God's love, namely, the Lord Jesus Christ, who gave Himself a ransom for all; and what is your doom? Hear what God says: And I saw a great white throne, and Him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and heaven fled away, and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead (now raised up), small and great, stand before God, and the books were opened, and another book was opened, which is the book of life, and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.

And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire (Rev. xx. 11-15), prepared, not for you, but for the devil and his angels. (Matt. xxv. 41.)

Now will you, with that awful future before you, refuse God's offer of salvation? Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved." Take God at His word, do not delay, do it now, for" Now is the accepted time; now is the day of salvation."

And you, dear fellow believer, my brother in Christ, are you working out your salvation with fear and trembling? are you walking worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called? are your loins girded and lamps burning-waiting and watching for the Lord Jesus, who says, "Behold I come quickly?" (Rev. xxii. 7, 12, 20.) May our response be, "Even so, come, Lord Jesus." Amen. J. B.

PEACE IN DEPARTING.

IT is related of Martha Hooton, who departed 1847, aged 94 years:-She had long rested in the record of God in Christ for eternal life. A minister visited her a little before her departure, and asked “if she felt her responsibility before God?" She replied she had not for a long time! Indeed,” says he, "why, have you not broken the commandments of God?" Oh, yes, many a time; but the Lord Jesus became responsible, He took them and bore them away on the cross, and I have had nothing to do with them for Thus she fell asleep, triumph

a long time now.

ing in the finished work of Christ. He is our rock-resting in Him.