the way of the enemy of
our souls. He makes us think we are receiving music when he is sending
explosives; he promises life, but his gift is laden with the seeds of
death. He offers us liberty, and he hides his chains in dazzling flowers.
"Things are not what they seem."

And so our enemy uses mirages, and will-o'-the-wisps and tinselled crowns.
He lights friendly fires on perilous coasts to snare us to our ruin. And
therefore we need clear, sure eyes. We need a refined moral sense which
can discriminate between the true and the false, and which can discern the
enemy even when he comes as "an angel of light." And we may have this
wisdom from "the God of all wisdom." By His grace we may be kept morally
sensitive, and we shall know our foe even when he is a long way off.

FEBRUARY The Ninteenth

_THE THOUGHT AFAR OFF_

PSALM cxxxix. 1-12.

"Thou knowest my thought afar off." That fills me with awe. I cannot find
a hiding-place where I can sin in secrecy. I cannot build an apparent
sanctuary and conceal evil within its walls. I cannot with a sheep's skin
hide the wolf. I cannot wrap my jealousy up in flattery and keep it
unknown. "Thou God seest me." He knows the bottom thought that creeps in
the basement of my being. Nothing surprises God! He sees all my sin. So am
I filled with awe.

"Thou knowest my thought afar off." This fills me also with hope and joy.
He sees the faintest, weakest desire, aspiring after goodness. He sees the
smallest fire of affection burning uncertainly in my soul. He sees every
movement of penitence which looks toward home. He sees every little
triumph, and every altar I build along life's way. Nothing is overlooked.
My God is not like a policeman, only looking for crimes; He is the God of
grace, looking for graces, searching for jewels to adorn His crown. So am
I filled with hope and joy.

FEBRUARY The Twentieth

_TAMPERING WITH THE LABEL_

1 JOHN iii. 4-10.

Sin is transgression. It is the deliberate climbing of the fence. We see
the trespass-board, and in spite of the warning we stride into the
forbidden field. Sin is not ignorance, it is intention. We sin when we are
wide-awake! There are teachers abroad who would soften words like these.
They offer us terms which appear to lessen the harshness of our actions;
they give our sin an aspect of innocence. But to alter the label on the
bottle does not change the character of the contents. Poison is poison
give it what