Matthew 10:42

Whosoever shall give to drink to these little ones.

By the "little ones" are probably meant Christ's disciples.

A cup of cold water only.

The smallest act of kindness. If done "because be was. disciple," or out of regard for Christ, he should never lose his reward. Good deeds are never lost.

PRACTICAL AND SUGGESTIVE.

Of the man who is so silly as to be ashamed of Christ, Christ will be ashamed. What. proof of. weak mind that. man should be ashamed to save his soul to turn away from hell, and to follow. divine Lord!

Christ will not allow us to be cowards. We must be soldiers, soldiers who keep flags flying and proclaim their calling.

CONFESSION must be made with the lips, and in act. There must be faith in the heart, but it must not be kept in secret. Christ demands. confession of faith in him before men. Too many confess. creed instead of Christ. To the confession of the mouth must be added the demonstration of life. Baptism is. profession; the daily life, attendance at worship, keeping the ordinances, speaking for Christ, all these are acts of confession. Christ made the "good confession" and was sentenced to death for it; we make the good confession and the sentence of death is taken away.

THE SWORD.--The Christian is. soldier. His life is. battle. Sin is aggressive. He must carry the war into Africa and fight sin. Wrong and Right will grapple and he must be for the Right. It is when the battle is over and eternity comes that he shall have peace. Then he shall sing of victory and wear the white robes of. victor.

B EARING THE CROSS.--In The Cross-Bearer,. little book published by the American Tract Society, is. series of illustrations from French pictures, showing the right and the wrong ways of bearing the cross. One picture represents the disciple as sawing off. part of his cross. He would bear the cross, but the one Christ gave him was too heavy. Another is dragging his cross behind him with. cord, being ashamed of it. Another is worshiping his cross, crowning it with flowers, instead of bearing it; praising religion, but not practicing it. At last one comes with his Master before him, bearing his cross, while the disciple walks in the Master's footsteps, and carries his cross exactly like the Master does.-- P.

POINTS FOR TEACHERS.

1. Note the four things spoken of in this lesson as belonging to discipleship of Christ: (1) Confessing, or professing; (2) Fighting; (3) Bearing his standard (the cross); (4) Suffering. 2. Note that these are all duties of the soldier: He must (1) take the oath to his country and leader; (2) Fight bravely, (3) March under the flag; (4) Be willing to endure hardness as. good soldier. 3. Bring out what confession is, point to Peter's confession, that of the eunuch; that of living and dying for Christ; show who the confessors are. 4. Show what denying Christ is; how Peter denied; how Judas denied; how the Jews denied him; how sinners now deny him. 5. Point out how Christ brings war; why the Christian must be. warrior; what sword we must fight with; what we must fight; when peace will come; who are counted victors. 6. Having brought out how the soldier is enlisted, and what weapons he fights with, next point to his banner. Show that the soldiers of every country bear. banner; what that of the Christian soldier is; how he bears the cross; how he prepares to bear it. 7. Show that the cross is borne, not by wearing crosses, or bowing before crosses, or making the sign of the cross, but by following Christ, the great Cross-Bearer, taking his example, denying self, suffering for him, and doing his work.