The devil's children are like them-bond slaves of sin. Believers were slaves to the world, the flesh, and the devil, but are redeemed by Christ, who freed them from hereditary bondage. Christians, though servants, as the sons of a king by regeneration, have a high dignity in the court of heaven; such a servant was Joshua to Moses, Elisha to Elijah. Moses was the servant of the Lord, Jos. I. 2.

Christians are like good servants of Christ being appointed, Is. 40. 10; obedient, Luke 22. 27; trusted, Gen. 41. 42; delight in work; act according to orders, Ex. 25. 40; expect wages; render an account, Mat. 18. 23.

Angels, though far higher in rank, power, and intellect than any kings of earth, yet act as servants. They took charge of a beggar's soul, when only the dogs attended to his body; these angels are called servants, Heb. 1.14; they proclaimed their Master's will to Lot, Gen. 18; to Elijah, 2 Kings 1. 3; to Daniel, 9. 21; opposed God's enemies, so Michael fought with the dragon, Rev. 12. 9; executed God's judgments in Egypt, Ex. 12.23; blinded the Sodomites, Gen. 19. II; and smote a king, Acts 12. 23; defending the godly, they hold the four winds, Rev. 7. 1-3; they protected Elisha, 2 Kings 6. 17; were guides, and carried Lazarus into Abraham's bosom; will be the reapers in the day of judgment, Mat. 24. 31.

The Shield of Faith.-EPH. 6. 16.

As the soul is the life of the body, faith is the life of the soul, and Christ the life of faith. Faith is the master-wheel that sets the other wheels in motion. Faith is also compared to gold tried in the fire, 1 Pet. I. 7.

A shield was made of hides, or even gold, so as to be proof against fiery darts; it was large, so as to defend the vital parts, and movable, to protect the head, arms, and chest.

A shield made of iron warded off darts and sword cuts, so faith, spiritual assaults, 2 Kings 6. 15. Abraham's servant committed himself in trust, Gen. 24; so Moses, Ex. 33. 15; Ruth 1. 16; Paul in prison, Acts 16.25.

Telugu.-Like a gadfly on a tiger's side.

Affliction refines as the Fire does Silver.-MAL. 3. 2.

Affliction like refining silver in eleven points :

This simile is taken from the refiners, who in their crucible separate by fire the dross from the ore; so believers have the fiery trial of trouble, I Cor. 3. 13.

1. A refiner's work is to try and refine metals; so affliction tries people's graces, Is. 48. 10.

2. The metal before refinement is full of dross, Mat. 15. 19, Job 25. 4, so we are by nature sinners.

3. The metal is not pliable before refinement, so our will is stubborn; Job said, God makes my heart soft, Job 23. 16, Jer. 9.7.

4. More fire required to hasten the work; so in heaviness through manifold temptation, 1 Pet. 4. 12.

5. The dross removed makes the metal, though less in quantity, yet of more value, Is. 13. 12.

6. Refining required several times; so silver seven times refined. God has many modes of refining-fires, floods, storm, disease, Ps. 37. 20.

7. The fire is not for wasting the metal, but for purifying it, chastened for our profit, Heb. 12. 2.

8. Fine vessels made by this process, 2 Tim. 2. 20. 9. The refiner refines but a little at a time; God, however, refines a kingdom. Alloy is put in to make metal pliable; but the Holy Spirit is the hammer of God's word.

10. The metal is not left in the fire after purifying. II. The refiner uses fuel; so the wicked are God's

fuel to refine the good; such were Pharaoh, Babylon made a burnt mountain, Jer. 51. 25, the great captains, Rev. 6. 17.

Tamul.-Though gold be put into the fire to be refined, its hue is not lost.

Canarese.-Sandal wood in burning gives off perfumes; so the afflictions of the good, Heb. 12. 11. Tamul.-Rape-seed and sugar-cane are profitable when crushed.

Raghuvansa.-Iron by rust becomes soft; why not the soul by grief? 2 Cor. 7. 10.

Polish. He who does not understand how to pray, learns it when he goes to sea.

Chinese. Though the screen be torn, its form is still preserved. Though the good man be in want, his virtue still remains.

Afghan.-Though the cloud be black, white water falls from it-sic, "a silver lining to the cloud."

What are the Dead sown for ?-I COR. 15. 42.

The Resurrection is called a morning, Ps. 49. 14, after the night of life, it makes things manifest, its sun comes out and joy arises. Wonderful is the progress of the seed from its first to its second life; for it has two lives. During its first life, it grows, and ripens in the plant which bears it, and then falls away to the earth out of which it grew. But it has a second life after its resurrection from the earth; from whence it springs up with a life of its own, and with a new body. From every seed grows a plant of the same kind with that which bore the seed. God giveth to every seed its own body.

The Word of God teaches us to expect two lives. The one is our present earthly life which we have of our parents; the other is the life which we shall have after we have been buried. not an animal one, as

Our body will be a spiritual one, now, having carnal appetites and

desires. For as the seed is not quickened except it die, so

we cannot obtain eternal life, but by the way of death. The grave is as the furrow of the field in which the seed is sown; and as the sunshine of the spring raises the seed to life, so shall the Sun of Righteousness return to raise all those who are buried in the earth. The time is coming when they that are in their graves shall hear his voice, and come forth, as Lazarus came forth from the tomb when Jesus called him. The good seed of wheat and other grain is gathered for use, and laid up in the barn, as the righteous, when they die, are gathered to their fathers; but the evil seeds of the thistle are blown about by the winds, and scattered over the face of the earth.

Our bodies every seven years change every particle; so the seed in the darkness of the ground decomposes, drawing its new body from earth, water, and air, until it becomes like the banyan or cotton tree; so the body in the grave may be like a worm, but it will become like a butterfly. Seeds in Egyptian mummies have germinated after a thousand years. We cast our rice seed into muddy waters, it sinks, but soon a plentiful rice harvest appears. Katha Upanishad. Like corn a mortal ripens, like corn he is produced again.

Who is the Morning Star ?-REV. 22. 16.

Angels are called morning stars, as being made in the morning of creation, Job 38. 7. The dawn said in the Vedas" to be born in the eastern quarter of the firmament, displaying a banner of light bringing health to human habitations, many tinted;" angels as the morning star beautiful, so Stephen's face when dying like an angel's, Acts 6. 15; Satan was called Lucifer-i.e., an angel of light.

The morning star, called the day star, arising in the hearts, 2 Pet. 1. 9; the King of Assyria is so called, Is. 14. 12, as Babylon was the first of kingdoms.

Christ like the Morning Star in nine points :

I. Solid light, twinkles not, fixed in its orb, so no intermission in Christ, his spiritual light the same yesterday, to-day, and for ever, Heb. 13. 8; so Christ will never leave, Heb. 13. 5; Mat. 28. 20.

2. Harbinger of the sun, so when the day-spring came, people that sat in darkness saw the light, Mat. 4. 16; forerunner of the morning of the resurrection, Ps. 49. 14; the night of life is far spent, the day of resurrection is at hand, Rom. 13. II, 12.

3. Ornaments the heavens, beautiful to see, so is Christ above Moses, Ps. 47. I; David in his day said I shall be satisfied when I awake after his likeness, Ps. 17. 15; Paul said I have a desire to depart, Ph. 1. 23.

4. Guides mariners, when they have lost the polar star, so Christ, the light of life, warns against the rocks and shoals of the world, the flesh, and the devil, in the ocean of life.

5. Most useful in wintry darkness; so are Christ's offices, now of prophet, priest and king in this dark world.

6. A star of the first magnitude; John, Peter, James were stars, but Christ, though the offspring of David, was the brightness of the Father's glory, Heb. 1. 3.

7. Terrible to thieves, indicating the departure of darkness, so Satan, at the dawn of redemption, attempted Christ's destruction in the temple, Mat. 4. 5; Jews said, let us kill the heir, Mat. 21. 38; the Jews led Christ to the brow of the hill, Luke 4. 29; so the devils thought he was come to torment them before the time, Mat. 8. 29.

8. The same as the evening star, so Christ is the Alpha and Omega, the author and finisher of our salvation, Rev. 1. 8; Heb. 12. 2.

9. Clouds hinder not its course; so Christ will come and will not tarry, Heb. 10. 37; Galileo said, men may imprison me for believing the earth moves, but it moves.