nough, part their other ends by a world. Our way may go
off from the ways of the Lord at a very acute angle. There may be
scarcely any consciousness of parting company at the beginning. Let the
man travel on upon it far enough, and the two will be so far apart that
he cannot see God or hear Him speak. Take care of the little divergences
which are habitual, for their accumulated results will be complete
separation. There must be absolute surrender if there is to be
uninterrupted fellowship.

Such, then, is the direction in which we are to look for the reasons for
our low and broken experiences of communion with God. Oh, dear friends!
when we do as we sometimes do, wake with a start, like a child that all
at once starts from sleep and finds that its mother is gone--when we
wake with a start to feel that we are alone, then do not let us be
afraid to go straight back. Only be sure that we leave behind us the sin
that parted us.

You remember how Peter signalised himself on the lake, on the occasion
of the second miraculous draught of fishes, when he floundered through
the water and clasped Christ's feet. He did not say then, 'Depart from
Me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!' He had said that before on a similar
occasion, when he felt his sin less, but now he knew that the best place
for the denier was with his head on Christ's bosom. So, if we have
parted from our Friend, there should be no time lost ere we go back. May
it be true of us that we walk with God, so that at last the great
promise may be fulfilled about us, 'that we shall walk with Him in
white,' being by His love accounted 'worthy,' and so 'follow' and keep
company with, 'the Lamb whithersoever He goeth!'

SMITTEN IN VAIN

'Come to Beth-el, and transgress; at Gilgal multiply transgression;
and bring your sacrifices every morning, and your tithes after
three years: 5. And offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving with leaven,
and proclaim and publish the free offerings; for this liketh you, O
ye children of Israel, saith the Lord God. 6. And I also have given
you cleanness of teeth in all your cities, and want of bread in all
your places; yet have ye not returned unto Me, saith the Lord. 7.
And also I have withholden the rain from you, when there were yet
three months to the harvest; and I caused it to rain upon one city,
and caused it not to rain upon another city; one piece was rained
upon, and the piece where