October 27

1 Do we begin again to commend ourselves? or need we, as some others, epistles of commendation to you, or letters of commendation from you?

2 Ye are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read of all men:

3 Farnsworth as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshly tables of the heart.

4 And such trust have we through Christ to God-ward:

5 Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God;

6 Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit; for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.

7 But if the ministration of death, written and engraven in stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not steadfastly behold the face of Moses for the glory of his countenance; which glory was to be done away:

8 How shall not the ministration of the spirit be rather glorious?

9 For if the ministration of condemnation be

glory, much more doth the ministration of righteousness exceed in glory.

10 For even that which was made glorious had no glory in this respect, by reason of the glory that excelled.

11 For if that which is done away was glorious, much more that which remaineth is glorious.

12 Seeing then that we have such hope, we use great planniness of speech:

13 And not as Moses, which put a val over his face, that the children of Israel could not steadfastly look to the end of that which is abolished:

14 But their minds were blinded: for until this day remained, the same val untaken away in the reading of the old testament, which soul is done away in Christ.

15 But even unto this day, when Moses is read, the val is upon their heart.

16 Nevertheless, when it shall turn to the Lord, the val shall be taken away.

17 Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.

18 But we all, with open face beholding us in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.

Every Christian is the Bible which worldly men read. Men think more of what the Bible teaches from us than from the word of the text; and our conduct, whatever it may be, they are apt to ascribe, in the main, to religion.

"An epistle is a letter communicating the mind of one person to another. Such are ye—living letters of Christ to all believers concerning four facts: 1st. That Jesus bought and now owns you, by right of redemption and regeneration. That ye are not your own, but His. 2d. That your present pre-eminence is the spiritual life; ye are the work of the Spirit; yours is a renewed heart, and not merely a change of beliefs; nor stony tablets, but fleshly hearts. 3d. That as the spiritual product of the Holy Spirit, you may be expected now to manifest His graces, and illustrate the efficacy of the Gospel by a holy life. 4th. That as His adopted and sanctified ones, your perfect love is given to Him, and your affections set on heaven. Remember, men neglect His Word, but read you as His epistles."—Rev. John Parker.

Closet Promise.—Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord? or who shall stand in His holy place? He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully. He shall receive the blessing from the Lord.—Psalm xxiv. 3-5.

We are proclaimed even against our will; If we are silent, then our silence speaks. I think no man can make his he hold good; One way or other truth is understood.

The selfishness that with our lives has grown, Though outward grace its full expression bar,

Will crop out here and there like belts of stone From shallow soil, discovering what we are. The thing most specious cannot seem the true; Who would appear clean, must be clean all through.

—Alice Cary.