May 18

1 Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right.

2 Honour thy father and mother; which is the first commandment with promise;

3 That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth.

4 And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath, for bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.

5 Servants, be obedient to them that are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in singleness of your heart, as unto Christ;

6 Not with eye service, as men pleasers; but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart;

7 With good will doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men.

8 Knowing that whatsoever good thing any man doeth, the same shall be receive of the Lord, whether he be found or free.

9 And, ye masters, do the same things unto them, for bearing threatening; knowing that your Master also is in heaven; neither is there respect of persons with him.

10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.

11 But on the whole armour of God, that ye

may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.

12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high Mass.

13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

14 Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness.

15 And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;

16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all thorny darts of the wicked.

17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

18 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;

19 And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel.

20 For which I am an ambassador in bonds; that therein I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.

Among the many valuable lessons in this chapter, none is more valuable than the one on the manner in which we should discharge our duties to our fellow-men. "Not with eye-service." This exhortation is equally applicable to those who are served, as truly as to those who serve. For immediately after addressing himself to "servants," Paul said (ver. 9), "And ye masters, do the same things unto them." Paul had "the same" rule for masters and for servants. "'Eye-service' is either service done only to please the eye, but which cannot bear to be tested; or it is good and real service, but only given when the eye of a master sees it. 'Not with eye-service' is happily associated with that other word 'not as men-pleasers.' For 'eye-servants' care only to 'please men.'"—W. Grant.

"Notice well that the Holy Spirit does not bid us leave our stations in order to serve the Lord. Our Great Captain would not have you hope to win the victory by leaving your post. Grace does not transplant the tree, but bids it overshadow the old house at home as before, and bring forth good fruit where it is. Grace does not make us unearthly, though it makes us unworldly. Grace makes us the servants of God while still we are the ser-

15 vants of men; it enables us to do the business of heaven while we are attending to the business of earth."—C. H. Spurgeon.

Closet Promise.—Behold, the eye of the Lord is upon them that fear Him, upon them that hope in His mercy, to deliver their soul from death.—Psalm xxxiii. 18, 19.

"Thy hand in His, like fondest, happiest child, Place thou, nor draw it for a moment thence; Walk thou with Him, a Father reconciled, Till in His own good time He calls thee hence.

Walk with Him now, so shall thy way be bright, And all thy soul be filled with His most glorious light."