on the wall and upon the reproduction before the artist.  So far as I could see the reproduction was in exact imitation of the original; but the eye of the artist could see farther than mine.  He kept on applying the brush, giving a slight touch here and a slight touch there, and soon I discovered that the features stood out in more perfect imitation.  So let us stand before the original and let the Holy Spirit work in us that which is pleasing to God, and we shall be continually transformed into a more perfect likeness of God.  This must be your daily life.  Attend strictly to every Christian duty, be obedient to the Word and Spirit of God, and you will become more and more like him and your soul will be rich in grace.

BECOMING.

One translation has rendered Phil. 1:27 in these beautiful words:  “Let your manner of life be becoming the gospel of Christ.”  We speak of anything being becoming when it gives a good appearance.  An article of clothing becomes you when it gives you a better or less awkward appearance.  So your life is to be becoming to the gospel of Christ.  You are to live so that your life will make the gospel of Christ more beautiful to the hearts of men.  You can do this only by living just as the Bible reads.  All the precious truths of the Bible are to read in your life just as they do in the Bible, and thus your life will give a better appearance to God’s Word and make it more real and interesting to the unsaved.

LOVE OF HOME.

[Illustration:  A HAPPY HOME.]

There are but few sweeter words in the English language than the word home.  I have thought the three sweetest words are mother, home, and heaven.  Home is the dearest place in all the world to the Christian heart.  To have a fond love for home is not at all injurious to Christian character.  Those who have but little love for home will never succeed well in the Christian life.  It may sometimes occur that some of the home members are so disagreeable that the Christian for peace’ sake will quit the home roof; but he still loves home.  Sometimes young people think that to enjoy life they must get out from under parental rule and roof.  We have an instance of this nature recorded in the Bible.  How soon we learn of the prodigal’s longing for the comforts of home.  How often he thought of his father’s house, that place so dear to him now.  The love of home is a high mark of integrity.  Show me one who has no love for home, and I will show you one who has but little true manhood or womanhood.  The Bible command to young Christians is to be “chaste, keepers at home.”  When our duty and service to God demand our absence from home we submit and go in the strength of his grace, but lose not our love for home, and return in joy at Father’s will.