February 4

1 There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews:

2 The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him

3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

4 Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born?

5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.

6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.

7 Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.

8 The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.

9 Nicodemus answered and said unto him, How can these things be?

10 Jesus answered and said unto him, Art thou a master of Israel, and knowest not these things?

11 Verily, verily, I say unto thee, We speak that we do know, and testify that we have seen; and ye receive not our witness.

12 If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things?

13 And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven.

14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up:

15 That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.

16 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.

17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

19 And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.

20 For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.

21 But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.

"Those who come to Jesus by night with penitent and anxious hearts, will see the morning light with joy."—Selected.

"We must be born again; it is not a dead nature, nor a dead faith, can produce living fruit for God. We may as well read without eyes, walk without legs, act without life, as perform any service to God without a new nature; no, we cannot perform the least; a dead man can no more move his finger than his whole body."—Charnock.

We often make narrow entrances, through which but one at a time can pass, that we may examine his ticket, and see whether he has a right to pass. And, be sure, though we may look respectable on the fashionable broadway of world or church, we cannot enter heaven as those who pass in a crowd. God deals with souls as men deal with sovereigns, which they examine and weigh one by one. Like Nicodemus we must each come to Christ personally. Do not be afraid to bow before Jesus. The testimony of Christ's life, and the mission of his death, and that everlasting love that streams from the cross is, "God so loved the world." God is the sufferer, and not one that makes suffering.

Closet Promise.—Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on Me hath everlasting life.—John vi. 47.

"What does this mean? Just what it says, and nothing less! It means that even if you never believed before—even if you never had a spark of faith or glimmer of hope before yet if you have now given your heart- assent to Jesus and His finished work, you have now everlasting life! That heart- assent is believing; and 'he that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life.'"—F. R. Havergal.

THE CHILDREN'S CORNER.

Breakfast Motto.—My cup runneth over.—Ps xxiii. 5.

Weekly Proverb.—Fast and West, at home the best.—German.

DAILY BIBLE READING—LESSONS THE BIRDS TEACH.

Sunday.—The Stork—Jer. viii. 4-12.

Monday.—The Doves.—Isa. lx. 1-22.

Tuesday.—The Sparrows.—Matt x. 28-42.

Wednesday.—The Fowls of the Air.—Matt. vi. 24-34.

Thursday.—The Eagle.—Deut. xxxii. 7-14.

Friday.—The Owl—Psa cii. 1-28.

Saturday.—The Ravens—Psa. cxlvii. 1-20.

WORTH KNOWING.

A jolly little bootblack, going on his way, And working in all kinds of weather, And valiantly making the best of his day, While juggling his pennies together, Will turn out a man, twenty chances to one, More honored than many another, Whose boyhood is pampered, who lives but for fun, The pride of his father and mother.

Reliance on self, and a spirit to bear Misfortune without any fretting, And pluck that will take him past pitfall and snare. No cheating, no lying, no betting; Yes, these are the traits that will make of the boy A man that is well worth your knowing; Such gold is pure metal, no dross, no alloy - Rich harvests succeed to his sowing. --Mary M. Anderson.

Evil communications corrupt good manners.—1 Cor. xvi. 33.

If you put that in plain language, it means bad company makes bad boys and girls. There are two old Spanish proverbs which I wish you to learn: first, "He that goes with wolves learns to howl;" second, "He that lies down with dogs gets up with fleas." I read something once that shows the effects of keeping bad company. The crows, one spring, began to pull up a farmer's young corn. He loaded his gun, and prepared to give them a warm reception. The farmer had a sociable parrot, who, discovering the crows pulling up the corn, flew over and joined them. The farmer did not see the parrot. He fired among the crows; then went over to the spot; there lay three dead crows, and his pet parrot, with a broken leg. When the bird was taken home, the children asked, "What hurt our pretty Poll?" "Bad company! bad company!" answered the parrot in a solemn voice. "Ay! that it was," said the farmer. "Poll was with those wicked crows when I fired, and received a shot intended for them. Remember the parrot's late, children: beware of bad company." In a few weeks the parrot's leg was all right again. But it never forgot its adventure in the corn-field; and, if ever the farmer's children engaged in play with quarrelsome companions, it would say, "Bad company! bad company!" Children, remember Polly's warning!

THE SPRING OF LIFE.

The artist here represents a spring of water flowing from the side of a rock, and running down into a clear and beautiful stream, from which the children are drinking. The purpose of the picture is to suggest to our minds that "living water" of which the Bible speaks, and which satisfies our longings as nothing else can do. While at every well of earthly pleasure we must day after day draw again and again for a temporary gratification of our thirst for happiness, he who takes into his heart this "fountain of the indwelling Spirit" shall "never thirst" for other draughts, but "with joy shall he draw water out of the wells of salvation." And "every one that thirsteth may come to these waters" and be satisfied.

A certain man, who had been very worldly-minded, was brought to feel that he was a sinner. For some time he concealed his feelings even from his wife, who was a praying woman. She left him one evening in charge of his little girl of three years of age. The little girl noticed his agitation, and asked, "What ails you, pa?" He replied, "Nothing," and endeavored to quiet his feelings, but all in vain. The child looked up into his face, and inquired, with all the simplicity of childhood, "Pa, if you were dry, wouldn't you go and get a drink of water?" The father started as if a voice from heaven had fallen on his ear. He thought of his thirsty soul famishing for the waters of life; he thought of that living fountain opened in the gospel; he believed, and straightway fell at the Saviour's feet. From that hour, he dates the dawning of a new light and the beginning of a new life.

(79)

SIXTH WEEK.

PEARL TEXT.—I will trust in the covert of thy wings.—Psalm 141: 4

His love is wise, His wounds a cure intend;

And, though He does not always smile, He loves unto the end. —Selected.

If a man will make his nest below, God will put a thorn in it—and if that will not do, He will set it on fire—John Newton.

When the threshold of your heart is sore with the tread of departing joys, remember that Christ is emptying you of all else that He may fill you with Himself—Selected.

It is a good sign when the Lord blows off the blossoms of our froward hopes in this life, and tops the branches of our worldly joys to the very root, on purpose that they should not thrive. Lord, spoil my fool's heaven in this life, that I may be saved forever!—Rutherford.

HELPS FOR THE DEVOTIONAL HOUR.