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Thus spotless and pure He presents it to God, Himself bearing suffering and shame

Which is due to the sinner as punishment just, for rejecting His love and His Name.

And, oh! how the arches of heaven's court ring, when a wanderer's brought in to the fold!

For that soul is more precious in archangel's sight, than worlds with their products of gold.

Then, Christians, be doing! work while it is day, to rescue the wandering and lost,

And tell them of Jesus, the sinner's Highway, and what their redemption has cost.

H. D. I.

Rhoda.

A WORD TO BRITISH WORKING MAIDENS.

N all sides we hear of the scarcity of domestic servants. Registry offices close because scores of ladies apply for servants, and no servant for a mistress. To a good office near the writer's home about thirty ladies came within a fortnight, and not one servant. Our young Englishwomen, it seems, will rather starve on needlework, factory-work, or any work that leaves them their "liberty"—their evenings for "pleasure ”—than be "tied" to household-service, even with house, food, and clothes of the best.

To these, who think any path more inviting than the one so open to them, and needing them so much, let me say a few words.

Let us go to the heart of the matter. One's life is spent as one's heart is placed. True service is heart-service. True liberty must begin with heart and soul-freedom. Do you think "liberty" means "having my own way," or "to do as I like?" Oh, what a mistake! The Prodigal1 got his way. Was it freedom? No. Read and see. It was slavery and

starvation. He got nothing.

1 Luke xv.

The rich man1 lived his own way. Where did it lead to? Hell!

Was she free?

And he thus "We all are

Eve thought she would have her way. No; "Led captive by the devil at his will." deceived and ruined the whole human race. children of disobedience of wrath."2 Again: "All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all.' Between those two "alls" you are caught. "All flesh corrupted His (God's) way." And is the sheep free that goes thus its own way?" No. The sheep is the very animal that can never of itself find again "the way" that it has left.

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Then," you say, "where is freedom? It is in the Shepherd's hand. The Shepherd had to seek, find, save the lost. He proclaims "liberty to the captives."4 "If the Son shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed."

If you, reading this, are one who must own herself "captive" to Satan, sin, self, then "to you this Son is given.”5 He is "the gift of God"-eternal life. Receive Him by believing, and you are born into God's familyborn by the life-blood which cost the Giver everything, that He might cost you nothing. Will you obey the word, "Take the water of life freely," and thus enter into "the glorious liberty of the children of God?" Free, as a bird with all heaven to fly in, to praise and serve Him who loved me and gave Himself for me-Christ's freewoman, and then (sweet paradox!) Christ's servant. "Thou hast loosed my bonds -I am Thy slave."7

"In the service which Thy love appoints

There are no bonds for me."

Now, dear friends, for whom this service is so evidently "domestic work," and not the wild life which so many are choosing, I want you to think of "service" as a path that

1 Luke xvi.

3 Isa. liii. 6.

2 Eph. ii. 3; John viii. 44 and Matt. xii. 34.
4 Isa. lxi. I. 5 Isa. ix. 6. 6 John i. 12.

7 Psa. cxvi. 16.

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Christ recognised. How He honours it, and writes of it in His Word. How sweet a life-to serve the heavenly as well as the earthly employer! Read those grand verses (Eph. vi. 5-8, and Col. iii. 22-24) that proclaim this heartservice: "Servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart; with good will doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men.' "For ye serve the Lord Christ." Both pas sages speak twice of the heart. Thus you can serve daily in your "Father's house"-the royal palace-the King's presence. You can say to Him daily, " Rabboni—my Master.” His eye and heart prize and accept each little thing you do “ as to Him." And when you think of Him-once "in the form of a servant" for you—“ of no reputation," and now waiting for the time when "He shall come forth and serve" you (if you are His), and lead you by the living fountains of His Eden yonder-can you not live to Him down here? seeking to be like Him just when, may be, you are in a hard place," "subject not only to the good and gentle, but also to the froward."1 Beautiful words! There are so many froward, fearfully froward, employers, who know neither Christ's service nor Christ's rule themselves. But, "consider Him." Think of your Master as the Gospel of Mark shows Him— in His character of God's servant. Notice how quick He was; "straightway" doing what came in His way to do. How tender! how watchful! how humble He was! Mark speaks so often of His look and His touch. Let us be "true yoke-fellows" with Him.

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Many a girl leaves her place at the first unpleasantness that comes, or "to better herself." If she looked back and up at the One"meek and lowly in heart," and thus caught the spirit of true service, how she would count it honour, not hardship, to follow the gentle Master. What a blessing she would be to others!

Christian servants have a happy lot. One, Helen Z

I know, whom I have never seen at our little gatherings or elsewhere without being made to long for as sweet fellow

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ship with her Master and mine as her face so plainly tells of. Another, Eliza M, with quick, bright, thoughtful ways, gives me, as I think of her, a lesson as to the spirit in which all Christ's servants (mistress and maid) should serve Him. "How much can I do ?" not "how little ?”

Rhoda (Acts xii. 13) was such an one. I have given her name to these lines because God has written it in His Book. Because He wants many like her. So do we.

I don't suppose she no heart and soul How glad she was

Notice how she was joining in the prayer going up that night in her mistress's house for Peter. could be in the room all the time; but was deeper in interest than Rhoda's. when the answer came to prove her Lord's faithfulness! She was looking for it, and flew at once to tell the meeting. They were not so quick of heart to believe as this dear Rhoda. And God valued her trust and love, and has recorded her name for you.

Will you be a Rhoda for Him?

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If these lines have at all put before you the service of Christ and slavery of self, will you "choose you this day whom you will serve ?" "Now" is God's time. To-day." A situation in His house is vacant-wanting you. The door is open. Ah! enter. Come in, and you will know and stand in "the liberty wherewith Christ has made us free;" you will know the joy of His service and "the reward of the inheritance."

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I know that as a servant earnestly desireth the shadow," that she may rest from her labours, even though they be "labours of love," so you will often wearily long for "the rest that remaineth;" but in all the hardest days your heart can rest in Jesus; in peace like the summer evening of folded sheep, folded flowers, and birds with folded wing.

And think, when His day comes, how you could almost die again of joy to hear Him say, bending to you——

"Servant of God, well done!

Rest from thy loved employ:

The battle fought, the victory won,
Enter thy Master's joy."

LADY, now gone to the eternal home prepared for those who love and trust in Jesus Christ, was

once telling me about a servant who had become much attached to her.

Rebecca S was rather an old woman for a servant; moreover, she was not strong, nor was she at all clever; in fact, many mistresses would have been unwilling to take her. But this lady felt a real sympathy for her, and found that she had a willing and affectionate heart; she was humble-minded, too, and glad to be taught and guided rightly. No one ever seemed to have taken much interest in her before, and the kindness she now met with cheered and comforted her, and made her very anxious to do her best in all ways.

Rebecca could hardly read at all; not enough, when first she came to my friend's service, to make out even a few verses in the Bible. Her mistress therefore set aside an hour every evening for teaching her; and a very earnest, though certainly rather a slow pupil she proved to be. Some little progress was made, more or less steadily, and my friend was quite satisfied with the result of her kind efforts.

One evening, so she told me, Rebecca seemed particularly touched by the idea of these lessons going on so regularly, all other engagements, as far as possible, being set aside for the purpose. "I'm sure, ma'am, I can't think why you take such a deal of pains with the like of me," she said; "I'm not worth it."

Not worth it! How the words echo in one's heart; for how little are we worth all that our Lord and Master has done for us? He has done all that could be done; He has given all that could be given. He has given Himself, shedding His precious blood to wash away our sins. And having risen from the dead, that so we might rise with Him to a new life of holiness, and having ascended into heaven, to the Father's presence, there to prepare a place for us,

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