ye died; and the new life which ye now live, ye live by
faith in the Son of God who loved you and gave himself for you."
"Avoid fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness
which is idolatry; for the wrath of God is revealed against all these
things. And ye know that a little while ago YE LIVED AND WALKED IN ALL
THESE THINGS." This last quotation tells what these brethren _had
been_, and the foregoing quotations show what they were when Paul
wrote to them.

After a careful study of these good instructions, these faithful
brethren could not mistake the way in which they were to walk. Paul
not only showed them how to get into the good way in the first place,
but he also told them how to _keep_ in the way. It is one thing _to
get into_ the right road to any place, but it is quite another thing
to keep it. In writing to his Galatian brethren, Paul says: "Ye did
run well for awhile; who turned you out of the way?" Ah, brethren,
there are many by-roads leading off from "the king's highway." I have
known brethren and sisters to start well, to all appearance, and run
well for a time; but by and by the cares of the world and the
deceitfulness of riches, and other things, like the thorns in the
parable, choked the Word in their hearts, so that they brought forth
no fruit unto perfection.

AN ILLUSTRATION.

In my travels among the mountains of our Virginia I have often seen
the laurel holding out its evergreen but poisonous leaves in sprays
of most enticing beauty. Miles and miles of road, in one unbroken
stretch, may there be seen densely hedged on either hand by this
beautiful emblem of sin and death. Herds of cattle and flocks of sheep
are every year driven over these roads. Every herdsman and shepherd
knows the danger to be apprehended from the inclination of some of
either kind to "sidle" off from the plain and beaten track and pluck
the green leaves of the laurel to their own destruction.

Many a time have I overtaken flocks of sheep, some of which were lying
along the road "_down with the staggers_." This last is the name of
the disease which is brought on by taking laurel. The old sheep avoid
it. They will not taste it. The young sheep and lambs are the only
ones that incline first to taste and then eat it. It is hardly
necessary for me to point out to you the lesson of instruction to be
gathered from what I have just said. The _staggers_, by veterinary
surgeons, is said to be a kind of drunkenne