January 7

14 But not long after there arose against it a tempestuous wind, called Euroclydon.

15 And when the ship was caught, and could not bear up into the wind, we let her drive.

16 And running under a certain island which is called Claudia, we had much work to come by the boat:

17 Which when they had taken up, they used helps, undergirding the ship; and, fearing lest they should fall into the quicksands, strake sail, and so were driven.

18 And we being exceedingly tossed with a tempest, the next day they lightened the ship;

19 And the third day we cast out with our own hands the tacking of the ship.

20 And when neither sun nor stars in many days appeared, and no small tempest lay on us, all hope that we should be saved was then taken away.

21 But after long abstinence, Paul stood forth in the midst of them, and said, Sirs, ye should have hearkened unto me, and not have loosed from Crete, and to have gained this harm and loss.

22 And now I exhort you to be of good cheer: for there shall be no loss of any man's life among you, but of the ship

23 For there stood by me this night the angel of God, whose I am, and whom I serve,

24 Saying, Fear not, Paul, thou must be brought before Cæsar: and, lo, God hath given thee all them that sail with thee

25 Wherefore, sirs, be of good cheer: for I believe God, that it shall be even as it was told me.

26 Howbeit we must be cast upon a certain island.

27 But when the fourteenth night was come, as we were driven up and down in Adria, about midnight the shipmen deposed that they drew near to some country;

28 And sounded, and found it twenty fathoms: and when they had gone a little further, they sounded again, and found it fifteen fathoms.

29 Then fearing lest we should have fallen upon rocks, they cast four anchors out of the stern, and wished for the day.

30 And as the shipmen were about to flee

out of the ship, when they had let down the boat into the sea, under colour as though they would have cast anchors out of the foreship.

31 Paul said to the centurion and to the soldiers, Except these abide in the ship, ye cannot be saved.

32 Then the soldiers cut off the ropes of the boat, and let her fall off.

33 And while the day was coming on, Paul besought them all to take meat, saying, This day is the fourteenth day that ye have tarried and continued fasting, having taken nothing.

34 Wherefore I pray you to take some meat; for this is for your health: for there shall not a hair fall from the head of any of you.

35 And when he had thus spoken, he took bread, and gave thanks to God in presence of them all; and when he had broken it, he began to eat.

36 Then were they all of good cheer, and they also took some meat.

37 And we were in all in the ship two hundred threescore and sixteen souls.

38 And when they had eaten enough, they lightened the ship, and cast out the wheat into the sea.

39 And when it was day, they knew not the land: but they discovered a certain creek with a shore, into the which they were minded, if it were possible, to thrust in the ship.

40 And when they had taken up the anchors, they commuted themselves into the sea, and loosed the tender hands, and housed up the mainsail to the wind, and made toward shore.

41 And falling into a place where two seas met, they ran the ship aground; and the fore-part stuck fast, and remained unmovable, but the hinder part was broken with the violence of the waves.

42 And the soldiers' counsel was to kill the prisoners, lest any of them should swim out, and escape.

43 But the centurion, willing to save Paul, kept them from their purpose; and commanded that they which could swim should cast themselves first into the sea, and get to land:

44 And the rest, some on boards, and some on broken pieces of the ship. And so it came to pass, that they escaped all safe to land.

We are all of us, like Paul, voyagers. Sometimes the voyage is calm and prosperous; sometimes it is stormy and disastrous. To be carried safely in a smooth sea is no sign of the favor of God. To be tossed in a rough tempest of fear and anxiety is no evidence of His disfavor.

"Trials and difficulties are disciplinary in their nature and aim. They lead to much prayer. They open rich and refreshing discoveries of Divine grace. In man's extremity God finds His opportunity. Paul sails the Adriatic in a storm. He is a prisoner for his Master's sake. In the deepening gloom he is cheered by a celestial visitant."—Rev. J. Stevenson.

"Whose I am and whom I serve," Paul was not his own master. He was Christ's. So it is with the true Christian everywhere. In the temple or in the field, in worship or in toil, by land or sea, living or dying, in time and eternity, it is his joy, with heart and hand to serve the Lord Jesus. In a lucid interval of fevered delirium the lamented McCheyne called for paper and wrote in substance, that he had planned active and extended work, but God had said, "Lie down on this bed and glorify Me." So we are always to leave our plans for God's revision, serving Him in the way and place He appoints.

"I believe God, that it shall be even as it was told me." "Whatever this day may bring forth, there can be nothing like this for us. Yet even the lesser trials of our own journey may and must be met with the same simple and sufficient secret of calm, simple belief in what God has said. It is strange and surprising even to ourselves how absolutely enough we always do find it, just to believe that it shall be even as God has told us, and 'rest' on His word. The 'it' may be for us one thing to-day, another to-morrow, according to the circumstances He sends; but the 'shall be' cannot be severed from it."—F. R. Havergal.

Closet Promise.—The secret of the Lord is with them that fear Him.—Psalm xxv. 14.

Just to let thy Father do What He will;

Just to know that He is true, And he still.

Just to follow hour by hour As He leadeth;

Just to draw the moment's power As it needeth

Just to trust Him, that is all!

Then the day will surely be Peaceful, whatsoever befall

Bright and blessed, calm and free.

Just to leave in His dear hand Little things;

All we cannot understand, All that stings

Just to let Him take the care Sorely pressing,

Finding all we let Him bear Changed to blessing

This is all and yet the way Marked by Him who loves thee best; Secret of a happy day.

Secret of His promised rest —Frances Ridley Havergal.

THE CHILDREN'S CORNER.

Breakfast Motto.—Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits.—Ps. ciii. 2.

Weekly Proverb.—Little strokes fell great oaks.—Poor Richard.

DAILY BIBLE READING.—WANTED FOR OUR COUNTRY.

Sunday.—Men like Daniel.—Dan. vi. 1-28.

Monday.—Men like Shadrach and his Brethren.—Dan. iii. 8-30.

Tuesday.—Men in Authority like Nehemiah.—Neh. xiii. 15-22.

Wednesday.—Men in the Ministry like Paul.—1 Cor. ii. 1-16.

Thursday.—Men like the Bereans.—Acts xvii. 10-13.

Friday.—Young Men like Jabez.—1 Chron. iv. 9, 10.

Saturday.—Young Women like Ruth.—Ruth i. 1-18; ii. 11, 12.

WHICH SIDE ARE YOU ON?

Come, children, and listen; I'll tell you in rhyme

A story of something that happened one time

There was war in the land, and each brave heart beat high,

And many went forth for their country to die; But words fail to tell of the fear and dismay

Which swept the small village of W—one day,

When the enemy's army marched into the street, And their own valiant soldiers were forced to retreat.

Such hiding, surrendering, and trembling with fear!

When what in the midst of it all should appear But grandmother Gregory, feeble and old,

Coming out from her cottage courageous and cold

She faced the intruders who marched through the land,

Shaking at them the poker she held in her hand

"How foolish!" her friends cried, provoked, it is true;

"Why, grandmother, what did you think you could do?"—

"Not much," answered grandma; "but ere they were gone

I wanted to show them which side I was on."

Now, children, I've told this queer story to you To remind you of something the weakest can do.

There is always a fight twist the right and the wrong.

And the heat of the battle is borne by the wrong; But, no matter how small or unfit for the field,

Or how feeble or graceless the weapon you wield,

O fail not, until the last enemy's gone,

To stand up and show all which side you are on!

—Anna R. Henderson, in "Our Youth."

Enter into thy closet.—Matt. vi. 6.

Dear little friend, I knew a man who had a wonderful canary bird. He had no children, and this canary was a great pet with him and his wife. When they set the table for the meals, they always put a plate for him; and he would take his place on the edge of his plate. He was taught to say "grace." While his master was asking the blessing, he would bend his head down very low. Just as soon as the "amen" was said he would be wild for his food. During family prayers his master would open the big Bible; then birdie would seat himself on the edge of it while it was being read;

2 then his master would put his two hands together in prayer, and birdie would perch himself on them, while the prayer was being offered. As soon as all was over, he would have a good time flying around the room. Now, don't you think that was a wonderful canary? I hope all the little children who read this true story will do as birdie did, and remember to say "grace" and to pray. "Enter into thy closet," said Jesus. He meant by the "closet," the place of prayer. If you try, you can always find time to pray.

THE GUIDING ANGEL.

In this beautiful picture, which is engraved from the group by L. A. Malempré, there is a little child in the dress of a pilgrim. He is walking slowly along a narrow path which is bounded by a terrible precipice. Behind and above the child is an angel with a countenance of mixed tenderness and anxiety. Her right hand is placed above the little pilgrim's head, as if to keep him in the centre of the path; her left hand points upward, as if telling him to look up and not down, that he might not perceive the tempting snares on either side. The child is walking calmly forward, content not to see where he plants each footstep, so long as he feels the gentle and guiding touch of the angel upon him.

This is not a mere fancy of the artist. The Bible, in the 91st Psalm, tells us the Lord "shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways. They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone." When children begin to go, they are very apt to fall and get many a knock; to stumble at every little stone. Now there are many stones of stumbling in our way; but such is the goodness of God, that he not only sends his angels to be our guard, but he sends them to be our nurses, to carry little children, that they may get no hurt.


THE GUIDING ANGEL.

23

SECOND WEEK.

PEARL TEXT. Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus.—Phil. ii. 5.

Mohammed's truth lay in a holy book, Christ's in a sacred life, So while the world rolls on from change to change, And realms of thought expand, The Letter stands without expanse or range, Suff as a dead man's hand,

While, as the life-blood fills the glowing form, The Spirit Christ has shed Flows through the ripening ages fresh and warm, More felt than heard or read. —Lord Houghton.

Make Christ your most constant companion. My fellow-student, five minutes spent in companionship with Christ every morning—aye, two minutes, if it be face to face and heart to heart—will change your whole day, will make every thought and feeling different, will enable you to do things for His sake that you would not have done for your own sake or for any one's sake. Selected.

HELPS FOR THE DEVOTIONAL HOUR.