March 31

1 O Israel, return unto the LORD thy God; for thou hast fallen by thine iniquity.

2 Take with you words, and turn to the LORD: say unto him, Take away all iniquity, and receive us graciously: so will we render the calves of our lips.

3 Arthur shall not save us; we will not ride upon horses: neither will we say any more to the work of our hands, Ye are our gods, for in thee the faintness findeth mercy.

4 I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely: for mine anger is turned away from him.

5 I will be as the dew unto Israel: he shall grow as the lily, and cast forth his roots as Lebanon.

6 His branches shall spread, and his beauty shall be as the olive tree, and his smell as Lebanon.

7 They that dwell under his shadow shall return; they shall revive as the corn, and grow as the vine: the scent thereof shall be as the wine of Lebanon.

8 Ephraim shall say, What have I to do any more with idols? I have heard him, and observed him: I am like a green fir tree. From me is thy fruit found.

9 Who is wise, and he shall understand these things? prudent, and he shall know them? for the ways of the LORD are right, and the just shall walk in them: but the transgressors shall fall therein.

Thank God that He does not let His children go on comfortably when they wander and fall!

"Have we not known (God grant we may never again know!) a wretched mental nausea, a sense of discomfort and restlessness, a misgiving that something is wrong, though we can't say what? no actual pain, no acute attack of anything, but a nameless uncomfortableness, most easily described by a negative, that we are not 'as in months past.'"—F. R. Havergal.

If this is the present state of any, do not remain one day—no, not one hour—in this most dangerous state, the beginning of backsliding, and already a fall from your "own steadfastness" and your "first love." Do not shrink from asking Him to show you how and why it is that you have fallen. "Return again unto me, saith the Lord."

"And why? Five infinitely gracious reasons are given. 'Return! . . . for thou hast fallen by thine iniquity;' the very thing which seemed the barrier to return! 'Return! . . . for I am merciful, saith the Lord.' 'Return! . . . for I have redeemed thee.' 'Return! . . . for the Lord hath dealt bountifully with thee.' 'Come, and let us return unto the Lord: for He hath torn, and He will heal us.' All these gracious words for you! and the Lord Himself waiting that He may be gracious! Will you keep Him waiting till a more 'convenient season?'"—F. R. Havergal.

And then—oh, what wealth of promise to the returning one! what robes and rings and heavenly music! For He hath said, "I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely."

Closet Promise.—I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely.—Hosea xiv. 4.

Return! O fallen; yet not lost! Can't thou forget the life for thee laid down, The taunts, the scourging, and the thorny crown? When o'er thee first My spotless robe I spread

And poured the oil of joy upon thy head, How did thy watering heart within thee burn? Can't thou remember all, and wilt thou not return? —Francis Ridley Haverger

THE CHILDREN'S CORNER.

Breakfast Motto.—The Lord hath dealt bountifully with thee.—Psa. xxvi. 7.

Weekly Proverb.—A quarrelsome Man has no good Neighbors.—Poor Richard.

DAILY BIBLE READING.—THE WINDOWS OF THE BIBLE.

Sunday.—The Window of Deliverance.—Josh. ii. 1-24.

Monday.—Of Communion.—Gen. vi. 14-22.

Tuesday.—Of Prayer.—Dan. vi. 10-17.

Wednesday.—Of Disappointment.—Judges v. 1-31.

Thursday.—Of Destruction.—2 Kings ix. 30-37.

Friday.—A Window Opened to Destroy.—Gen. vii. 1-24.

Saturday.—A Window Opened to Blessing.—Mal. iii. 8-12.

GETTING ACQUAINTED.

I got acquainted very quick With Teddy Brown, when he Moved in the house across the street, The nearest one you see.

I climbed and sat upon a post To look, and so did he;

I stared and stared across at him, And he stared back at me.

I exposed he wanted me to speak, I thought I'd try and see— I said, "Hello!" to Teddy Brown; He said, "Hello!" to me —Sydney Dayre, in "St. Nicholas."

Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry.—Eccles. vii. 9.

Dear children, I wonder if any of you are troubled with a bad temper, so that you get angry with your brothers and sisters, and even your kind parents sometimes? Well, if you will listen I will tell you a good way to get control of it. Good Mrs. James, who was a dear friend of the little folks, tells of a little girl, who, one day, came crying to her grandma, and said, "I have tried and tried and tried, and can't help getting angry. I want to be good, but I can't." Her grandma said, "You can't help it, my dear, because you have a wicked heart; you must ask Jesus to give you a new heart, and He will keep you from getting angry." Soon afterwards little Annie was found on her knees, praying, "Dear Jesus, do please take the naughty all away, and make me good." From that time Annie was so sweet in her temper that everybody noticed the change. One day her grandma heard Annie's brother teasing her, and she looked into the room where they were, and saw the little girl with her finger pressed upon her lips. Afterwards she said, "Grandma, when brother came to worry me, I did as you told me to do, I just put my finger right over my mouth as tight as I could, so that no naughty words could come out, and then prayed to Jesus to help me." And Jesus did help her, and He will help you.

FOURTEENTH WEEK.

PEARL TEXT.—The boary head is a crown of glory, if it be found in the way of righteousness.—Prov. 16: 31.

And when I at last must throw off this frail covering Which I've worn for threescore years and ten, On the brink of the grave I'll not seek to keep hovering. Nor my thread wish to spin o'er again:

But my face in the glass I'll serenely survey, And with smiles count each wrinkle and furrow; As this old worn-out stuff, which is thread-bare to-day, May become everlasting to-morrow. —John Collins.

Woe to the man who becomes old without becoming wise; woe to him if this world shuts the door without the future opening to him its portals. —Tholuck.

As I like a young man in whom there is something of the old, so I like an old man to whom there is something of the young.—Cicero.

HELPS FOR THE DEVOTIONAL HOUR.