ure. Presently he began to read: "In My
Father's house are many mansions;" but MacLure stopped him. "It's a
bonnie word," he said, "but it's no' for the like o' me. It's ower guid;
a' daurna tak' it." Then he bid Drumsheugh shut the book and let it open
of itself, and he would find the place where he had been reading every
night for the last month. Drumsheugh did as he was bidden, and the book
opened at the parable wherein the Master tells what God thinks of a
Pharisee and a penitent sinner. And when he came to the words, "And the
publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes to
heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a
sinner," once more the dying man stopped him: "That micht hae been
written for me, Paitrick, or ony ither auld sinner that hes feenished
his life, an' hes naething tae say for himsel."

Nothing to say for ourselves--that is what it comes to, when we know the
truth about ourselves. And when at last our mouth is stopped, when our
last poor plea is silenced, when with penitent and obedient hearts we
seek the mercy to which from the first we have been utterly shut up,
then indeed we

"have found the ground wherein
Sure our soul's anchor may remain."

"Not by works done in righteousness, which we did ourselves, but
according to His mercy He saved us."

* * * * *

CONCERNING RIGHTEOUSNESS

"I spend my whole life in going about and persuading you all
to give your first and chiefest care to the perfection of your
souls, and not till you have done that to think of your
bodies, or your wealth; and telling you that virtue does not
come from wealth, but that wealth, and every other good thing
which men have, whether in public, or in private, comes from
virtue."--SOCRATES.

* * * * *

IX

CONCERNING RIGHTEOUSNESS

"_Seek ye first_ ... _His righteousness._"--MATT. vi. 33.

Righteousness, as it was understood and taught by Christ, includes the
two things which we often distinguish as religion and morality. It is
right-doing, not only as between man and man, but as between man and
God. The Lawgiver of the New Testament, like the lawgiver of the Old,
has given to us two tables of stone. On the one He has written, "Thou
shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul,
and with all thy mind "; and on the other, "Thou