AGAINST JESUS.
WHEN it is remembered that Jesus left his glory in heaven, came down to earth, and took on himself the form of a servant, and became obedient to death, even the death of the cross, to save the children of men from that eternal ruin to which they had exposed themselves by sin, it would seem impossible that a human heart could be found that was against him. To be against one who had always sought our ruin would not seem strange, but to be against one who did more to prove his love for us than all beside, is so strange that we cannot account for it in any other way than to conclude that the spirit of the great enemy of Jesus, Satan, must dwell in human hearts.
Jesus himself says, "He that is not for me is against me." To be for Jesus is to believe in the heart that he is what he claims to be, "The Christ, the Son of the living God"—that he is right on all questions upon which he has expressed his mind, and then take a stand with him, advocate his cause, and oppose everything that he would oppose.
How many of us are thus for Jesus I Remember that it matters not what our claims to morality may be, what our profession may be, if we are not over on his side really and actively, we are regarded by him as against him.
Can it be that many of our dear young readers are against Jesus? See once where you are. Oh, do be the friends of Jesus, for he is indeed your dearest friend.
TOUCHING
A LITTLE boy came to one of our city missionaries, and holding out a dirty and well-worn bit of printed paper, said, "Please, sir, father sent me to get a clean paper like that."
Taking it from his hand, the missionary unfolded it, and found it was a page containing that beautiful hymn of which the first stanza is as follows:
—
"Just as I am, without one plea
But that Thy blood was shed for me,
And that Thou bid'st me come to Thee,
O Lamb of God, I come I"
The missionary looked down with interest into the face earnestly upturned to him, and asked the little boy where he got it, and why he wanted a clean one.
"We found it, sir," said he, "in sister's pocket after she died; and she used to sing it all the time when she was sick, and loved it so much that father wanted to get a clean one to put in a frame to hang it up. Won't you give us a clean one, sir?"
The little page with a single hymn on it, had been cast upon the air like a fallen leaf, by Christian hands humbly hoping to do some possible good. In some little mission Sabbath-school, probably, this poor girl had thoughtlessly received it, afterward to find in it, we hope, the gospel of her salvation. Could she, in any probability, have gone down to death, sweetly singing that hymn of penitence and faith in Jesus to her latest breath, without the saving knowledge of him, which the Holy Spirit alone imparts?
—Home Mission Herald.
HE who is false to present duty breaks a thread in the loom, and will see the effect when the weaving of a lifetime is unveiled,