ce.

Mr. Spurgeon says: "I never heard of a stork that when it met with a
fir tree demurred as to its right to build its nest there; and I
never heard of a coney yet that questioned whether it had a permit to
run into the rock. Why, these creatures would soon perish if they
were always doubting and fearing as to whether they had a right to
use providential provisions.

"The stork says to himself, 'Ah, here is a fir tree:' he consults
with his mate, 'Will this do for the nest in which we may rear our
young?' 'Aye,' says she; and they gather the materials, and arrange
them. There is never any deliberation, 'May we build here?' but they
bring their sticks and make their nest.

"The wild goat on the crag does not say, 'Have I a right here?' No,
he must be somewhere: and there is a crag which exactly suits him;
and he springs upon it.

"Yet, though these dumb creatures know the provision of their God,
the sinner does not recognize the provision of his Saviour. He
quibbles and questions, 'May I?' and am 'I am afraid it is not for
me;' and 'I think it cannot be meant for me;' and 'I am afraid it is
too good to be true.'

"And yet nobody ever said to the stork, 'Whosoever buildeth on this
fir tree shall never have his nest pulled down.' No inspired word has
ever said to the coney, 'Whosoever runs into this rock cleft shall
never be driven out of it.' If it had been so it would make assurance
doubly sure."

"And yet here is Christ provided for sinners, just the sort of a
Saviour sinners need; and the encouragement is added, 'Him that
cometh unto Me I will in no wise cast out;' 'Whosoever will, let him
take the water of life freely.'"

Now let us come to the Word. John tells us in his Gospel what Christ
did for us on earth. In his Epistle He tells us what He is doing for
us in heaven as our Advocate. In his Gospel there are only two
chapters in which the word "believe" does not occur. With these two
exceptions, every chapter in John is "Believe! _Believe!!_
Believe!!!" He tells us in xx. 31, "But these are written, that ye
might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the son of God, and that,
believing, ye might have life through His name." That is the purpose
for which he wrote the Gospel--"that we might believe that Jesus is
the Christ, the Son of God: and that, believing, we might have life
through His name" (John xx. 31).

Turn to 1 John v. 13, he there tells us why he wrote this Epistle:
"These things have I written u