arked you, and that you have a bitter consciousness that
with all the blessing God has bestowed, He has not made you what you want
to be--a spiritual man? _It is the Holy Spirit alone who by His indwelling
can make a spiritual man_. Come then and cast yourself at God's feet, with
this one thought, "Lord, I give myself an empty vessel to be filled with
Thy Spirit." Each one of you sees every day at the tea table an empty cup
set there, waiting to be filled with tea when the proper time comes. So
with every dish, every plate. They are cleansed and empty, ready to be
filled. Emptied and cleansed. Oh, come! and just as a vessel is set apart
to receive what it is to contain, say to Christ that you desire from this
hour to be a vessel set apart to be filled with His Spirit, given up to be
a spiritual man. Bow down in the deepest emptiness of soul, and say, "Oh,
God, I have nothing!" and then surely as you place yourself before Him you
have a right to say, "My God will fulfill His promise! I claim from Him the
filling of the Holy Spirit to make me, instead of a carnal, a spiritual
Christian." If you place yourself at His feet, and tarry there; if you
abide in that humble surrender and that childlike trust, as sure as God
lives the blessing will come.

Oh, have we not to bow in shame before God, as we think of His whole Church
and see so much of the carnal prevailing? Have we not to bow in shame
before God, as we think of so much of the carnal in our hearts and lives?
Then let us bow in great faith in God's mercy. Deliverance is nigh,
deliverance is coming, deliverance is waiting, deliverance is sure. Let us
trust; God will give it.

THE SELF LIFE.

II.

_Matt. 16: 24_.--_If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and
take up his cross, and follow me_.

In the 13th verse we read that Jesus at Caesarea Philippi asked His
disciples, "Whom do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?" When they had
answered, He asked them, "But whom say ye that I am?" And in verse 16 Peter
answered and said, "Thou art the Christ, the Son of the Living God." Jesus
answered and said unto him: "Blessed art thou, Simon Barjonas, for flesh
and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in Heaven.
And I say also unto thee that thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will
build my church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it."
Then in verse 21 we read how Jesus began to tell His disciples of His
approaching de