WHO IS YOUR HUSBANDMAN ?

ONCE visited a lady who, weary of the bustle and excitement of the city, had retired to her villa near one of the beautiful lakes of Northern Italy. In this charming solitude she enjoyed freedom from the trammels of artificial society, surrounded only by the peasantry, in whose countenances she fancied she discerned more honesty and simplicity.

After dinner, she invited me into her garden, and pointed out to me with satisfaction all that was beauti

ful in this little domain; but when we came near some

splendid vines, covering a long shady walk, she shook her head gravely, saying

"Ah! here are the vines which can produce no fruit, nothing but leaves! I have not had four bunches of grapes from them since I came here."

That is strange," I replied, "for the vines are remarkably fine, and the branches vigorous."

"Yes," she said, "my neighbour cultivates my garden, and he must understand his business, for he has plenty of grapes on his own vines. But this year he has almost promised that I shall at least have some, and not be obliged any longer to purchase them from him."

Whilst the lady was speaking, I confess I had begun to have some suspicion as to the honesty of the good gardener, who had plenty of grapes for himself. So going up close to the vines, I carefully examined how they had been pruned; and I discovered immediately that the peasant's intellect was bright enough, but his conscience very dull indeed. He had carefully removed all the fruit-bearing branches, leaving only those which would bear nothing but leaves! I could find but one branch (left doubtless by chance) which

would bear fruit.

I told the lady how she had been deceived by the artful gardener, who well knew how to prune his neighbour's vines so that they would give plenty of shade, and not interfere with the sale of his own grapes; and I asked her to tie a piece of twine round the one branch, upon which I told her she would have a few bunches of grapes.

With but slender faith she complied with my request, saying, "I can see no difference between this branch you have told me to mark, and all the others."

In the course of the summer I received a letter from the lady, who called me a sorcerer, saying the only grapes growing on her vines were some bunches on the very branch I had made her mark. She had called the gardener and told him all; adding that she could find no words strong enough to describe his treachery, in making her pay him year after year for cutting away all her fruit-bearing branches. He had no excuse to proffer, as the proof of his dishonesty was manifest; so he walked away without saying one word

in his own defence.

Those who know nothing about the pruning of the vine can scarcely fancy that the vine-dresser must work with his head even more than with his hands, so that whilst the pruning knife is making the beautiful long branches fall one by one, he is all the while exercising his judgment to discern between branch and branch.

It is for this reason that not all peasants in vinegrowing countries are good vine-dressers.

If, then, we must be careful to choose the most intelligent vine-dresser to cultivate our vineyards, how much more important is it that we should watch and see

Who is our Spiritual Husbandman?

It was in reading John xv. that this important question presented itself to my mind. Our Lord says:"I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. Every branch in me that beareth not fruit He taketh away; and every branch that beareth fruit He purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit. I have that ye should go and bring

chosen you

forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain (John XV. I, 2, 16).”

As a rule, the fruit-bearing branches are those which spring from the new branches of the preceding season. With very rare exceptions, the branches which grow on the old wood are fruitless. Even so, the old man cannot bring forth good fruit. The vine-dresser's skill consists in removing all the useless branches. Those which cannot bear fruit (with the exception of a few left to re-form the plant) must be mercilessly cut away, and the fruit-bearing branches must be pruned, and often cut very short indeed. All this is done that the vine may bring forth much fruit, to the credit of the husbandman.

There is an important lesson to be learnt from this. God's work is to remove from his children all that they could not make use of for His glory. Not always can the most vigorous or most comely branches be left on

the vine.

Does the Christian thirst for knowledge, and love to make a "fair show in the flesh ?" Satan comes as an angel of light, showing how well he can interpret God's Word, adding to and taking from it at his will, so as to harmonise the old record with the requirements of modern thought.

Does the heart still shrink from the command, "Love not the world." Satan comes to teach how happily it can be reconciled with the love of the Father. To the child of God inclined to neglect the duty of seeking to win souls for his Master, and to satisfy his conscience with efforts to benefit his fellowcreatures in this life, Satan will not fail to show him that he also is intent on doing good.

Oh! infernal wiles of the great enemy! Christian friends, let us open our eyes to the truth, and see that Satan's counsels and his system of culture are only designed to keep men away from God, aye, even to carry God's children away from the paternal mansion, and give them as companions the unclean, and for their salary, the pangs of hunger!

Dear fellow Christian, you who know what it is to be born of God, faint not if the husbandman has cut away many a fair branch you delighted in. The time is short; and ere long we shall see clearly in the light of eternity the preciousness of God's work for us, and His great patience towards us. If we keep His word, letting patience have her perfect work, He will comfort us, and guide us day by day in His paths.

But if we murmur and want to choose our own way, Satan, who is the neighbour always ready at our call, will soon come and prune us. But his husbandry will cost us very dear. Ere long we shall surely reap the bitter fruit of disobedience, yea, even though all men speak well of us. Satan's pruning may transform us into a fine shady bower, under which those who love to sit at their ease in Zion will rejoice, saying-" See what a splendid work so and so is doing! How kind and affable he is! &c., &c. We must have his portrait and his autograph." There is nothing more wanting, but to light candles before that portrait, as they do in certain countries.

Thus will men flatter us while we live, and pay us the last compliment by writing on our tombstone an epitaph which would make us blush, were that possible. All the world has to offer to the disobedient child of God, is, flattery. But of those who accept it, the Lord Jesus has said, "Ye shall have no reward of your Father which is in heaven." These are solemn words.

Satan's grapes are costly indeed. He will suffer good to be done materially, intellectually, morally, by God's children, if they will but stop short of bringing souls to Jesus. He likes very long branches and plenty of leaves-much show and no fruit. But God expects fruit.

I am convinced that Noah pruned his vines on the same principle as vines are pruned now. And when God is our husbandman, He prunes us just as He did the early Christians, that we may be "neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ."

Dear fellow Christian! are you allowing yourself to be influenced by the miserable comforters who are always ready to say to us, "Sow, sow! the next generation will be sure to reap the fruit of your labours." Or, are you asking yourself seriously, why it is that your work is not blessed to the conversion of perishing souls? If the crops of wheat were to follow the rules

laid down by certain prophets, we should all die of starvation. He who plants, does so in order to have fruit; he who waters, does so for the same purpose: and it is written, "In due season ye shall reap, if ye faint not."

But let us be sure who is our husbandman: for he who prunes the vine, if he is malicious, may do so in order that it may produce no fruit. Let us ask these questions seriously, Who is my husbandman now? Of whom am I taking counsel? Whose approbation am I seeking? From whence come answers to those prayers uttered perhaps in the mists of unbelief? Am I bringing forth fruit to the glory of the heavenly vinedresser-the fruit of the Spirit? (Gal. v. 22, 23). Am I leading souls to Christ, so that they will be to me a crown of rejoicing in the presence of Him who said, "I have chosen you that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain ; that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it to you."

Oh! if any one who reads these pages should feel that they have allowed the enemy to enter the vineyard of the Lord, let them say at once to Satan, as the Italian lady did to the dishonest vine-dresser "You shall never enter my garden again." And to the Heavenly husbandman, "Look down from heaven, and behold, and visit this vine" (Psalm lxxx. 14).

Make me Willing.

"Thy people shall be willing in the day of Thy power.

Holy Jesu, make me willing:
Life is slipping fast away,
And I still am so half-hearted;
Oh, put forth Thy power to-day.

For the light of earth is dazzling,
And too often hides from me
The realities beyond it

In Thy fair eternity.

By Thy Spirit bring them nearer;
May I see them as they are;
Let not heaven with all its glory
Still appear so dim and far.

Flash its pure immortal lustre

On these transient things of time; Make the simplest daily duty

In its solemn light sublime!

Shed Thy love in all its fulness

Into this cold useless life; Make me willing for the conflict, Make me earnest in the strife.

CHARLOTTE MURRAY,

GOD PLANTED ME.-Many a time I have seen a gardener point with special pride and pleasure to a dwarf pear-tree which had gathered up its whole little life into one single pear. And if your life's best labour be in circumstances that enables you to bring to pass but a single result, go back to the thoughtGod planted me in this place-and be well content, as you will have a right to be, with the inference from that; He planted me that I might do that one thing.-Dr. Vincent.

THE DIVINE SAVIOUR.

HE following touching little narrative of the way in which one brought up amid the darkness of Unitarianism was led to believe in Christ as a Divine and Personal Saviour by the simple searching of the Scriptures, may prove interesting to the readers of the British Messenger. I give it as related to me by a dear and valued friend:

It was a time of much depression of spirit; it had pleased the Lord to lay His chastening hand upon more than one member of our little circle; illness, even death had been amongst us. Now it was my turn; I was confined to the sofa with the prospect before me of a long and wearisome period of convalescence. How often do we find it harder to lie passive in God's hands than to be up and doing for the Master! Such was my case at least; and many a murmuring thought rose in my poor rebellious heart as I remembered how much must remain undone, while I was constrained to lie there a helpless invalid.

"Did anyone call yesterday, Martha?" I asked of our maid of all work, one morning, as she was tidying my room-we were strangers in the place, and had but few visitors.

"Yes ma'am-Miss Hall." "Miss Hall, who is she?" "She lives beyond the park, ma'am, and she wants very bad to come and see you."

"I am not able to see anybody," I said languidly; then closing my eyes I tried to sleep.

Two days later Martha entered my room looking somewhat flurried; "It's Miss Hall again, ma'am: she says she wants to see you particular; mightn't I show her up just for a minute?"

66

Do what you like," I said peevishly; and laying down my book I resigned myself, as I believed, to a half-hour of weariness and discomfort.

My visitor was a young lady, plain, and of not very striking appearance; yet with a certain touch of pensiveness in face and manner that rather attracted

me.

She seated herself beside my sofa, and began by expressing much sympathy with me in my illness. "Yes," I said, "it is trying to be laid aside thus; yet it is a wondrous lightening of our burden when we can bring all to Jesus."

"You find comfort in the teaching of the New Testament then," remarked Miss Hall; "doubtless Christ has left us the example of a very beautiful and holy life."

"He has done more than that for me," I said, "He has given His life for my salvation."

My new friend was silent; and after a minute or so I continued, "It is worth being brought to this state of prostration and weakness, just to find the Lord Jesus such a real personal friend and Saviour."

"I scarcely understand you," remarked Miss Hall, after another brief pause; "the fact is, I-I do not hold the Divinity of Christ."

"Oh!" I exclaimed, all my interest at once awakened, "you are a Unitarian?"

"Yes," she replied sadly; then added in a lower tone, “if I am anything.”

"Dear friend, I said, taking her hand in mine, "how I wish I could give you an idea of the rest, the joy, the comfort of believing in Jesus; oh, there is no peace without it!"

I suppose she thought I was becoming too excited, for, rising hastily, she wished me good evening, and left the room.

Lying wakeful and restless that night, my thoughts dwelt much on the preceding conversation. There was something so sadly touching in those words, "Yes, if I am anything," and I determined that should my new friend again call on me, I would speak of Jesus, and Jesus only.

To my surprise she came to me the next day but one. She looked troubled and anxious I thought, and after a few minutes spent in mutual inquiries, I contrived to turn the conversation into the channel I so much desired.

"No," she said, in response to some remark of mine, "I cannot acknowledge Jesus as God, or the Son of God: His life and teaching were very beautiful, but His Divinity-I cannot believe in."

I had been revolving a little plan in my mind, and now, with a silent prayer for grace and guidance, I ventured to ask, "You believe in God, the Almighty, the Creator, do you not?"

"Oh, yes."

"And in the Bible as God's Word."
"Assuredly."

"Then may I ask one favour; will you join me in a little daily reading that you and I may try to find out for ourselves whether or not the "Jehovah" of the Old Testament be the "Jesus" of the New?"

I had expected at least some slight hesitation before acceding to such a request, but my friend agreed at once, and apparently with very much pleasure.

"Then let us begin," I said, "and may God the Holy Spirit guide us in our search for the Lord Jesus' sake."

That was the commencement of a series of Bible readings lasting for some weeks, and ending under God's blessing, in bringing comfort and peace to a soul that had been long tossed to and fro in darkness and in doubt. Day by day we searched the Word; and day by day shone out more and more clearly from its sacred pages the wondrous truth-that God who had created heaven and earth, the sea and all that in them is-GOD, before whom angels veil their faces, and the hosts of heaven bow down in adoration, was the same Being, who, having taken man's nature upon Him became obedient unto death, even the death of the Cross.

Our plan was a very simple one-we merely took texts from the Old Testament and laid them side by side with passages from the New, much in this way:

"God the Creator" (Gen. i. 1). "All things were made by Him (Christ), and without Him was not anything made that was made" (John i. 3).

JEHOVAH "God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM” (Ex. iii. 14). Jesus said unto them, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, before Abraham was, I AM" (John viii. 58).

THE LORD GOD-"Forgiving iniquity, transgression, and sin" (Ex. xxxiv. 6-7). "THE SON OF MAN hath power on earth to forgive sins" (Matt. ix. 6).

"I the Lord am thy SAVIOUR and thy REDEEMER" (Isaiah xlix. 26). "The Lord Jesus Christ our SAVIOUR" (Titus i. 4). Christ hath Redeemed us from the curse of the law" (Galatians iii. 13).

"The Shepherd" (Psalm xxiii. 1). Our Lord Jesus Christ, that great Shepherd of the sheep" (Hebrews xiii. 20).

"Mine eyes have seen the king, THE LORD OF HOSTS" (Isaiah vi. 5). "These things said Esaias, when he saw His (Christ's) glory, and spake of Him" (John xii. 41).

Thus day after day we read, and noted, and compared; never opening our Bibles without good old Mr. Dallas's prayer for the teaching of the Holy Spirit, and, as we searched the Scriptures, finding upon every page the truth of the Lord's own words, "They are they which testify of me."

One morning-it was about three weeks after our first meeting-Miss Hall almost rushed into my room; her face beamed with delight, and her whole manner told of some unusual degree of happiness. "Oh!" "Oh!" she exclaimed grasping my hand, "you need take no more trouble with me: I have not a doubt now; the Lord Jesus is indeed my God, my Saviour."

"Thank God," I said fervently; and I do believe that the feeling of gratitude that came swelling up in my heart at that moment, took away for the time all remembrance of the months of suffering which had gone before. How gracious had my loving Father been in that season of weakness, to send me just the work that I could do!

"Oh!" continued my friend after a short pause, "how I wish I could tell you the joy I felt this morning when I thought, I have found Him of whom Moses in the law and the prophets did write. My mother has often said to me, 'Jane will you ever look satisfied? You have everything this world can give, and yet you are always like one holding out the hand for more,' and I was always looking for something more, and I have got it."

At a later period she told me that once, when spending a few weeks from home, she had met a lady who spoke to her of the Lord Jesus as a personal friend and Saviour; she could not understand her then, but the recollection had never left her, and when on our first interview, I had struck the same key-note, she could not overcome the desire to hear more upon the subject. And now, she said, the comfort of being able to kneel down and speak to the Lord Jesus as to a personal friend, was perfect happiness, and what she had been wanting and needing for years. But Her peace and joy were then ecstatic. one day she came to me quite low, saying she had thought she would never sin again, but that Satan was tempting as usual; so she had to learn, to her great surprise, that now the battle had commenced, but that she had the Mighty One always at hand.

Our Bible readings did not end here: we still continued to search the word daily, always with prayer for the Holy Spirit's teaching; but now it was with joy to draw waters from the wells of salvation, to seek fresh light and guidance in the new life of loving service for Him, to whom "give all the prophets witness, that through His name whosoever believeth in Him, shall receive remission of sins."

It is wonderful how God gives His people strength according to their need. Miss Hall's family relations were such as to render the open profession of Christianity on her part peculiarly difficult; but as the Lord had mercifully given her grace to come to Him, so did He now enable her to come after Him. In the face of opposition that was almost persecution, she

firmly took her stand upon the side of Christ, shining in her small sphere, a lowly but faithful witness for the truth as it is in Jesus.

Years passed. We had long left the neighbourhood of, when one day, passing through a distant part of the country, a friend said to me, "You knew Jane Hall, did you not?"

"Oh, yes," I replied eagerly, "can you tell me anything of her?"

"Poor thing, yes. She is in wretched health, only waiting for the call home, but so happy. I think she lives with her Bible in her hand. I never knew one whose life seemed to me such an illustration of David's words, My delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law do I meditate day and night."

Such were the last tidings that reached me of my former friend. former friend. Whether she be still in this world, or have gone to the home above, I know not; but I can lift up my heart in thanksgiving to our Heavenly Father who so signally blessed the little seed, sown in the name of His own beloved Son; and who, by the simple searching of His word, brought this poor doubting, troubled one to believe in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and be saved. HARRIET S. CARSON.

"There's a Silver Lining to every

Cloud."

However deep the shadows fall, However dark the cloud may be, Doubt not that He who made them all, Is still at hand our woe to see.

Each heart at times is worn and sad,
Each life has suffering, pain and care;
Yet there are joys to make us glad,
And God will give us each our share.

Trust on, trust on, through darkest night,
There's light behind the cloud we know ;
And He who made the lining bright,
In His own time the light will show.

M. C. PHILLPOTS,

However dark things may look,

God has not forgotten to be gracious, nor is His mercy clean gone for ever; and when we are walking in darkness and have no light, there is nothing for

it but to "trust in the Lord, and stay ourselves on God,"