The natural life is not sinful; we must be apostatized from sin, have nothing to do with sin in any shape or form. Sin belongs to hell and the devil; I, as a child of God, belong to heaven and God.

It is not a question of giving up sin, but of giving up my right to myself, my natural independence and self-assertiveness, and this is where the battle has to be fought.

It is the things that are right and noble and good from the natural stand point that keep us back from God's best.

To discern that natural virtues antagonize surrender to God, is to bring our soul into the centre of its greatest battle.

Very few of us debate with the sordid and evil and wrong, but we do debate with the good.

It is the good that hates the best, and the higher up you get in the scale of the natural virtues, the more intense is the opposition to Jesus Christ.

"They that are Christ's have crucified the flesh" - it is going to cost the natural in you everything, not something.

Jesus said - "If any man will be My disciple, let him deny himself," i.e., his right to himself, and a man has to realize Who Jesus Christ is before he will do it.

Beware of refusing to go to the funeral of your own independence.

The natural life is not spiritual, and it can only be made spiritual by sacrifice.

If we do not resolutely sacrifice the natural, the supernatural can never become natural in us.

There is no royal road there; each of us has it entirely in his own hands.

It is not a question of praying, but of performing.

In one of Ralph Conner ’s books he tells the story of Gwen. Gwen was an undisciplined and strong-willed girl, always accustomed to having her own way. One day she had a terrible accident that crippled her for life, leading her to become even more rebellious. Once while in a complaining mood, she was visited by a local “sky pilot,” or mountaineer missionary. He told her the following parable about the canyon:

“At first there were no canyons but only the vast, open prairie. One day the Master of the prairie, walking across His great grasslands, asked the prairie, ‘Where are your flowers?’ The prairie responded, ‘Master, I have no flower seeds.’

“The Master then spoke to the birds, and they brought seeds of every kind of flower, scattering them far and wide. Soon the prairie bloomed with crocuses, roses, yellow buttercups, wild sunflowers, and red lilies all summer long. When the Master saw the flowers, He was pleased. But He failed to see His favorites and asked the prairie, ‘Where are the clematis, columbine, violets, wildflowers, ferns, and the flowering shrubs?’

“So once again He spoke to the birds, and again they brought all the seeds and spread them far and wide. But when the Master arrived, He still could not find the flowers he loved the most, and asked, ‘Where are my sweetest flowers?’ The prairie cried sorrowfully, ‘O Master, I cannot keep the flowers. The winds sweep fiercely across me, and the sun beats down upon my breast, and they simply wither up and blow away.’

“Then the Master spoke to the lightning, and with one swift bolt, the lightning split the prairie through its heart. The prairie reeled and groaned in agony and for many days bitterly complained about its dark, jagged, and gaping wound. But the river poured its water through the chasm, bringing rich, dark soil with it.

“Once again the birds brought seeds and scattered them in the canyon. After a long time the rough rocks were adorned with soft mosses and trailing vines, and all the secluded cliffs were draped with clematis and columbine. Giant elms raised their huge limbs high into the sunlight, while at their feet small cedars and balsam firs clustered together. Everywhere violets, anemones, and maidenhair ferns grew and bloomed, until the canyon became the Master’s favorite place for rest, peace, and joy.”

Then the “sky pilot” said to her, “ ‘The fruit [or “flowers”] of the Spirit [are] love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, . . . gentleness’ [Galatians 5:22–23 NASB], and some of these grow only in the canyon.” Gwen softly asked, “Which are the canyon flowers?” The missionary answered, “Patience, kindness, and gentleness. Yet even though love, joy, and peace may bloom in the open spaces, the blossom is never as beautiful, or the perfume as fragrant, as when they are found blooming in the canyon.”

Gwen sat very still for quite some time, and then longingly said with trembling lips, “There are no flowers in my canyon—only jagged rocks.”

The missionary lovingly responded, “Someday they will bloom, dear Gwen. The Master will find them, and we will see them, too.”

Beloved, when you come to your canyon, remember!

When God finally conquers us and changes our unyielding nature, we receive deep insights into the Spirit of Jesus. Then, as never before, we see His extraordinary gentleness of spirit at work in this dark and unheavenly world. Yet the gifts of “the fruit of the Spirit” (Galatians 5:22) do not automatically become evident in our lives. If we are not discerning enough to recognize their availability to us, to desire them, and then to nourish them in our thoughts, they will never become embedded in our nature or behavior.

Every further step of spiritual growth in God’s grace must be preceded by acknowledging our lack of a godly attribute and then by exhibiting a prayerful determination to obtain it.

However, very few Christians are willing to endure the suffering through which complete gentleness is obtained. We must die to ourselves before we are turned into gentleness, and our crucifixion involves suffering. It will mean experiencing genuine brokenness and a crushing of self, which will be used to afflict the heart and conquer the mind.

Today many people are attempting to use their mental capacity and logical thinking to obtain sanctification, yet this is nothing but a religious fabrication. They believe that if they just mentally put themselves on the altar and believe the altar provides the gift of sanctification, they can then logically conclude they are fully sanctified. Then they go happily on their way, expressing their flippant, theological babble about the “deep” things of God.

Yet the heartstrings of their old nature have not been broken, and their unyielding character, which they inherited from Adam, has not been ground to powder. Their soul has not throbbed with the lonely, gushing groans of Gethsemane. Having no scars from their death on Calvary, they will exhibit nothing of the soft, sweet, gentle, restful, victorious, overflowing, and triumphant life that flows like a spring morning from an empty tomb. G. D. W.

“And abundant grace was upon them all” (Acts 4:33).

One day at an auction a man bought a vase of cheap earthenware for a few pennies. He put into the vase a rich perfume—the attar of roses. For a long time the vase held this perfume, and when it was empty it had been so soaked through with the sweet perfume that the fragrance lingered. One day the vase fell and was broken to pieces, but every fragment still smelled of the attar of roses.

We are all common clay—plain earthenware—but if the love of Christ is kept in our hearts it will sweeten all our life, and we shall become as loving as He. That is the way the beloved disciple learned the lesson and grew into such lovingness. He leaned on Christ’s breast, and Christ’s gentleness filled all his life.

As John upon his dear Lord’s breast, So would I lean, so would I rest; An empty shell in depths of sea, So would I sink, be filled with Thee.

Like singing bird in high blue air, So would I soar, and sing Thee there. Nor rain, nor stormy wind can be, When all the air is full of Thee.

And so, though daily duties crowd, And dust of earth be like a cloud, Through noise of words, O Lord, my Rest, Thy John would lean upon Thy breast.

“ROSE FROM BRIER” BY AMY CARMICHAEL

Save me from growing hard!

The fruit of the Spirit is love.

God is love: and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.—The love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.—Unto you . . . which believe he is precious.—We love him, because he first loved us.—The love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead: and that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again.

Ye yourselves are taught of God to love one another.—This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.—Above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins.—Walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling savour.

He feedeth among the lilies.

Where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.

If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.

If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love.

Let my beloved come into his garden, and eat his pleasant fruits.—I am come into my garden, my sister, my spouse: I have gathered my myrrh with my spice; I have eaten my honeycomb with my honey.—The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance.

Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.—Every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.—Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God.

No chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.—The fruit of the Spirit.

He stayeth his rough wind in the day of the east wind.

Like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear him.

Though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen.

Though [Jesus] were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered.—In all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.

Joy in the Holy Ghost.—Unspeakable and full of glory.

Sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; . . . exceeding joyful in all our tribulation.—We glory in tribulations.

Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; . . . for the joy that was set before him, endured the cross, despising the shame.—These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be fuIl.—As the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ.

Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice.—The joy of the Lord is your strength.

In thy presence is fulness of joy: at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.—For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.

Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.

The fruit of the Spirit is love.

Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples. As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love. If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love.—Whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected.

This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.—God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.—God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.

Awake, O north wind; and come, thou south; blow upon my garden, that the spices thereof may flow out.

Behold this selfsame thing, that ye sorrowed after a godly sort, what carefulness it wrought in you, yea, what clearing of yourselves, yea, what indignation, yea, what fear, yea, what vehement desire, yea, what zeal, yea, what revenge!

Fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth: proving what is acceptable unto the Lord.

The Comforter is the Holy Ghost.—The love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.

The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace.

In a great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded unto the riches of their liberality.

All these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will.

The Lord passed by before him, and proclaimed, The Lord, The Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering.

The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

Be ye followers of God, as dear children; and walk in love.

The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

This is thankworthy, if a man for conscience toward God endure grief, suffering wrongfully.

If, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God.

Christ suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps: who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously.

Be ye angry, and sin not.

Now the works of the flesh are manifest which are these; adultery, fornication and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.

If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.

The grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity.

The Lord , the Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth.

Walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called, with all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love.

Be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.

The wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.

Charity suffereth long, and is kind.

In due season we shall reap, if we faint not.

Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain.

Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh.

The meek . . . shall increase their joy in the Lord , and the poor among men shall rejoice in the Holy One of Israel.

Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

The ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, . . . is in the sight of God of great price.

Charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up.

Follow after meekness.

Take my yoke upon you and learn of me, for I am meek and lowly in heart.

He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb so he openeth not his mouth.

Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps: who did no sin neither was guile found in his mouth: who, when he was reviled reviled not again, . . . but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously.

Master, we saw one casting out devils in thy name; and we forbad him, because he followeth not with us. And Jesus said unto him, Forbid him not: for he that is not against us is for us.

Lord, wilt thou that we command fire to come down from heaven, and consume them, even as Elias did? But he . . . rebuked them, and said, Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of.

Eldad and Medad do prophesy in the camp. And Joshua the son of Nun . . . answered and said, My lord Moses, forbid them. And Moses said unto him, Enviest thou for my sake? would God that all the Lord's people were prophets, and that the Lord would put his spirit upon them!

The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance.—And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another.

Upon man's flesh shall it not be poured, neither shall ye make any other like it, after the composition of it: it is holy, and it shall be holy unto you.

One Spirit.

Diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit.

Thy God hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows.

God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power.

God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto him.

Of his fulness have all we received.

As the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him.

He which . . . hath anointed us, is God; who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts.

The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

Peace, from him which is, and which was, and which is to come.—The peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Jesus himself stood in the midst of them, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you.—Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

The Comforter . . . even the Spirit of truth.—The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace.—The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God.

My presence shall go with thee and I will give thee rest. And he said unto him, If thy presence go not with me, carry us not up hence. For wherein shall it be known here that I and thy people have found grace in thy sight? is it not in that thou goest with us?

Be ye . . . followers of God, as dear children.—Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; that ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.—Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful.

The fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth.

After that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour.—The Lord is good to all: and his tender mercies are over all his works.—He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?

By grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God.

Without faith it is impossible to please him.

He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.

Whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him.

Faith worketh by love.

Faith without works is dead.

We walk by faith, not by sight.

I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory; receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.

Every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible.

I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air: but I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.

Be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess: but be filled with the Spirit.

If any man will come after me let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.

Let us not sleep, as do others: but let us watch and be sober. For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night. But let us, who are of the day, be sober.

Denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world: looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ.