anged to have watches at night.
"We became especially careful after what I am about to narrate happened.
During the first night, from sunset to sunrise, we had in turn carefully
guarded our camp. But when the next night came, so impressed were we with
the orderly character of the neighborhood, that we concluded that no guard
was needed until bedtime. Within our main tent the evening was spent in
story-telling, singing and general amusement. When the hour to retire
arrived, it was discovered that our other tents had been robbed and
everything of value stolen. The work was done before we thought a guard
necessary." It is never too soon to begin watching against sin.

NOVEMBER 17.

"The ark of the covenant of the Lord went before them" (Num. x. 33).

God does give us impressions but not that we should act on them as
impressions. If the impression be from God, He will Himself give
sufficient evidence to establish it beyond the possibility of a doubt.

How beautifully we read, in the story of Jeremiah, of the impression that
came to him respecting the purchase of the field of Anathoth, but Jeremiah
did not act upon this impression until after the following day, when his
uncle's son came to him and brought him external evidence by making a
proposal for the purchase. Then Jeremiah said: "I knew this was the word
of the Lord."

He waited until God seconded the impression by a providence, and then he
acted in full view of the open facts, which could bring conviction unto
others as well as himself.

God wants us to act according to His mind.

We are not to ignore the Shepherd's personal voice, but like Paul and his
companions at Troas, we are to listen to all the voices that speak, and
"gather" from all the circumstances, as they did, the full mind of the
Lord.

NOVEMBER 18.

"And He that sat upon the throne said, It is done" (Rev. xxi. 5, 6).

Great is the difference between action and transaction. We may be
constantly acting without accomplishing anything, but a transaction is
action that passes beyond the point of return, and becomes a permanent
committal. Salvation is a transaction between the soul and Christ in which
the matter passes beyond recall. Sanctification is a great transaction in
which we are utterly surrendered, irrevocably consecrated and wholly
committed to the Holy Ghost, and then He comes and seals the transaction
and undertakes the work. Our covenant for our Lord's healing shoul