before breakfast, and she is afraid of not having time enough.
Another shuts up her little purse when a call comes to give something for
God's work, because she is afraid she will not have enough left for
another purpose. Another is tempted to look at a key, or to glance over
another's shoulder at a lesson, because without it he would not get the
marks he is trying for. Another is tempted not to tell the exact truth, or
to conceal something which he ought to tell, because he would lose
something by it. Oh, resist the devil, and do what you know is right, and
trust God for all the rest! For "the Lord is able to give thee much more
than this," whatever your "_this_" may be. And His smile and His blessing
will always be "more than this," more than anything else!

"Be brave to do the right,
And scorn to be untrue;
When fear would whisper 'yield!'
Ask, 'What would Jesus do?'"

13. Thirteenth Day.

The Doings of the King.

"Whatsoever the king did pleased all the people."--2 Sam. iii. 36.

David had been giving a proof of his love for one who had long been his
enemy, but whom he had received into friendship; and he had been giving a
proof of his tender-heartedness and sympathy with the people, by weeping
with them at the grave of Abner. "And all the people took notice of it,
and it pleased them: as whatsoever the king did pleased all the people."

This was because they loved their king. They watched him, not as the
wicked Pharisees watched the Lord Jesus that they might find something
against Him; but with the watching of admiration and love, taking notice
of the kind and gracious things he did and said. Do you thus take notice
of what your King does? Does it please you to hear and read of what He has
done and what He is doing? It must be so if He really is your King.

But the "whatsoever" is a little harder; and yet, if it is once really
learnt, it makes everything easy. For if we learn to be pleased with
_whatsoever_ our King Jesus does, nothing can come wrong to us.

Suppose something comes to-day which is not quite what you would have
liked; heavy rain, for instance, when you wanted to go out,--recollect
that your King Jesus has done it, and that will hush the little murmur,
and make you quite content. Ask Him this morning to make you so loving
and loyal to Him, that _whatsoever_ He does, all day long, may please you,
because it has pleased Him to do it. I think He loves us so muc