"For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away."-JAMES iv. 14.

THE

longest life on earth soon comes to an end. The oldest man has to die at last, and to pass away, so that the place which knew him knows him no more. The life of our body is only for a little while on earth; and when that little while is over, the feeble breath vanishes and dies away. It is like "a vapour." Have you watched the steam coming out of the teaurn? You see it rising a little and a little higher; but you can trace it only for a very short distance, and then it seems to mix with the air, so that you can see it no more.

Such is our life here below. Have you watched the express train rushing along? have you marked the curling wreaths of smoke that it leaves behind? have you seen how they dance, and toss, and whirl, for a few seconds; and how soon they melt away, and leave no mark to show where they were, or what has become of them? Such is the end even of the busiest and most bustling of earthly lives. "What is your life? It is even a vapour."

But it is only our earthly life that is here spoken of. The life of the soul is no vapour. It never vanishes away. It will last longer than earth itself. It will endure for ever. Our short life here is the only time given us, in which to prepare for our long life hereafter. Let us be up and doing. Let us be found ready, so that when this mortal life vanishes, it may be swallowed up in a higher, a better, a heavenly life.

"Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation."-HABAKKUK iii. 18.

IT

T is easy to be glad when all goes well with us,-when not a cloud is in our sky,-when not a sorrow is in our heart,-when not a tear is in our eye. It was not of such a time as this that the prophet spoke. He was thinking of a time when all around him should be darkness and fear, when the beautiful fig-tree should have no blossoms on it,-when the spreading vines should bear no grapes,-when the olivepresses should be empty,-when the corn-fields should yield no harvest, when the sheep should perish in the fold, and the oxen die in the stall. Of such a time even as this, he said, "I will rejoice." Though all these troubles should come, and come at once, " yet," in spite of them all, he said, "I will rejoice."

Do you not see the secret of this? He could go on rejoicing, because He rejoiced "in the Lord." He could still feel joy, because His joy was in the God of salvation." If his joy had been in the fig-tree and the vine, the oil and the wheat, the wool and the herds, he could have rejoiced no longer when all these failed him. Learn from this what is the safest thing to rejoice in. Earthly things may change, and disappoint; earthly things must fade, and pass away; but God knows" no shadow of a turning," and "His years have no end." The joy that arises from the things of earth will be a short-lived joy. The joy which arises from the ever-living God and His never-ceasing love, is a joy that will abide world without end.

"And David went on, and grew great, and the Lord God of hosts was with him." 2 SAMUEL v. 10.

DAV

AVID went on conquering, till he became a great king. It was because the Lord of hosts, the God of armies, was on his side. Yet, if this had been all, David's would have been only an earthly greatness.

Some go on their way through life, and wax greater and greater; but all the while God is not "with" them. He is against them that do evil. He is against all who do not seek Him through His Son. Such men may have outward greatness, but no true inward greatness ;-great wealth, but not the true riches; great knowledge, but not the true wisdom. They are great in the eyes of their fellow-men, but not great in God's sight. David's greatness was of a better sort. He was rich; but he had heavenly as well as earthly wealth. He was wise, and taught Solomon his son in the way of wisdom; but he did not forget that all real wisdom begins in "the fear of the Lord." He was famous, and his fame spread through the countries round about; but it was his best honour that he was

a man after God's own heart." It is true, that he fell into sin, and that he sinned grievously; his greatness was sadly dimmed then; but he repented very bitterly, and afterwards became great in humility and in lowliness of heart.

Let us seek to do God's will, and to teach it ; for Jesus says, "the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven."

"For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that ye, through His poverty, might be rich." -2 CORINTHIANS viii. 9.

YOU

OU "know" the gospel-story well. There is no need to tell you how Jesus, who was rich in glory and in joy, left the bright heaven above, and came down to live as a man of sorrows in a vale of tears;-how He stripped off the raiment of light, and put on Him the form and the dress of a man;-how He came away from the hosts of angels who stood ready to serve Him, and called around Him a little band of peasants, ill-taught and hard to teach ;-how He laid down the crown, and took up the cross.

Is there any need to tell you why He did this? He did it "for your sakes." He did it, "that ye, through His poverty, might be rich." He saw that your souls were poor and needy. He came to supply your wants. He came to make you rich in faith, and in good works; rich in holiness, and in happiness; rich in grace, and in glory.

The riches which He gives, never make men envious of each other. Abraham and Lot could not live together, Jacob and Esau had to dwell apart, because their substance was so great, that the same land could not give food for all. But those whose souls are made rich, are drawn the closer to each other. They wish that all the world were enriched with the same wealth. They tell their neighbours of the riches of God's grace. They make known far and wide the unsearchable riches of Christ their Lord.