unfeeling men "the children," and this tender yearning
woman the "dog"!

When the Lord used the disciples' word they began to be ashamed, and in
the fire of their shame their self-conceit was consumed. He turned with
impatient longing to the woman, "O, woman, great is thy faith; be it unto
thee even as thou wilt."

SEPTEMBER The Seventh

_EXPERIMENT AND EXPERIENCE_

HEBREWS xi. 1-6.

I like the marginal rendering of the introductory sentence of this great
chapter. "_Faith is the giving substance to things hoped for._" Faith
converts cloudy castles into substantial homes. Faith substantiates the
unseen. Faith sucks the energy out of splendid ideals, and incorporates it
in present and immediate life. Faith unfolds the eternal in the moment,
the infinite in the trifle, the divine in the commonplace. Faith
incorporates God and man. Yes, faith gives substance to "things hoped
for," it brings them out of the air, and gives them reality and movement
in the hard and common ways of earth and time.

And faith is also "_the test of things not seen_." By a test faith gains a
conquest. By an experiment faith acquires an experience. By a great
speculation faith makes a great discovery. "Try me now herewith, and prove
Me!" It is an invitation to humble and sincere assumption. Try if it
works! Make a hallowed experiment with the powers of grace.

Lord, incline me to make the gracious test! Let me stake my all upon the
venture! Let me dare all in order that I may gain all! Let me sow
bountifully, and so reap a bountiful harvest.

SEPTEMBER The Eighth

_THE BRACING AIR OF PUBLICITY_

ROMANS x. 1-13.

There is a belief which never registers itself in confession. It never
exercises itself in the strong, bracing air of publicity. It is a
cloistered belief, and suffers from want of ventilation. Such Christians
are always anaemic; indeed, they are always puny, and never get beyond the
stage of spiritual babyhood. "Ye are yet babes!" Belief which is never
oxygenated by open confession can never nourish the soul into vigorous and
exhilarant health.

But there is a belief which expresses and confirms itself in confession.
"_With the mouth confession is made unto salvation._" Such confession is a
means of moral and spiritual health. And confession in the early days
meant risk, venture which exposed the life to the shedding of blood. It
meant a frank defiance of the world, and an eager challenge of the devil.
And i