THE KING' S BUSINESS the conversion of many souls; many of whom had been members in the various churches,' although they were not saved. Moody very broadmindedly instructed the new converts to keep up their old church applications, albeit they had profited but little from the connection. He also instituted a question meeting, and had a box placed to receive paper slips containing perplexing queries. This is of course a service for which few are fitted; for to answer questions on the spur of the moment requires ex ceptional ability. Some person who heard Moody advise the converts to abide in their old churches placed this question in the box: ‘Would you place live chickens under a dead hen?’ Moody did not answer the question pub licly, but it staggered him considerably. After the meeting, when speaking of the question to an intimate friend, he said earnestly, “ By God’s grace I will never give the converts the same ad vice again.” For Christians to be found sitting in churches where there are un converted ministers in the pulpit, the similitude of ‘live chickens sitting under a dead hen’ is most appropriate and de scriptive.” ^iii. ^ 14 . A LITTLE SOAP HELPS I have no faith in that woman who talks of grace and glory abroad, and uses no soap at home. Let the buttons be on the shirts, let the children’s socks be mended, let the roast mutton be done to a turn, let the house be as neat as a new pin, and the home be as happy as home can be; and then, when the cannon-balls and the marbles, and the shots, and even the grains of sand, are all in the box, even then, there will be room for those little deeds of love and faith, which, in my Master’s name, I seek of you who love His appearing. Serve God by doing common actions in a heavenly spirit, and then, if your daily calling only leaves you cracks and crevices of time, fill them up with holy service.— Spurgeon.
852 sionately devoted to Him. Love is the flame that makes our faith white hot. To use another figure—without this de votion, born of an ardent love, our faith is like a nut without the kernel—merely a shell. ‘‘What must I do to he saved?” do you ask? Hear God’s loving answer, “ Be lieve on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved.” (Acts 16:30-31.) “ Now is the accepted time.” (II Cor. 6 : 2 . ) -sfe -$¡4. IF THEBE WERE NO JESUS! What would the world be without Jesus? We may, perhaps, have some times made pictures to ourselves of the day of judgment. We may have imag ined the storms above and the earth quakes underneath, the sun and the moon darkened, and the stars falling from heaven, the fire raging over the face of the earth; men crying to the mountains and rocks to fall upon them and hide them, and, in the masses of the eastern clouds, Jesus coming to judge the world. We think it appro priate to add to the picture every fea ture of physical tumult and desolation, every wildest unchaining or tne ele ments; although doubtless tne catas trophe of that day of horrors will fol low the grand uniformity of a natural law, even amidst the impetuosity of its convulsions. Yet the misery and confusion of earth upon that day will have less of real horror in it than the earth without Jesus would have, even though the sun were shining, and the flowers blooming, and the birds sing ing. An earth without hope, or happi ness, without love or peace, the past a burden, the present a weariness, the future a shapeless terror,— such would the earth be if by impossibility there were no Jesus.—Dr. F. W. Faber. CHICKENS UNDER A DEAD HEN Thomas Baird relates the following: “ When D. L. Moody came first to Lon don he was greatly owned of God to
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