He would have us to do, we must 'be ready both in body and soul.' I think you all do want 'to be ready both in body and soul;' and if so, pray this prayer most earnestly to-night, and God will soon give you both the heart and the strength to do all these things I have been saying. And if it should happen that any of you are distressed because you have not hitherto been watchful over yourselves in these things, remember that you can at any time bring your souls to Jesus to have all the sinfulness of the past washed away in His precious blood, and that, 'though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be white as snow, though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.' (Isa. i. 18.)

BRANCH FESTIVALS.

ST. LEONARDS-ON-SEA BRANCH.-The annual tea to the Members was given on Friday, January 2nd, and out of twenty-one Associates and sixty Members who belong to this Branch twelve Associates and forty-two Members were able to be present. The evening commenced with Divine Service in St. Paul's Church at five o'clock, when the Rev. Forbes Winslow briefly and affectionately addressed the Members, taking for his text 2 Cor. v. 17. At the conclusion of the service the party adjourned to St. Mary Magdalen Schoolroom, kindly lent for the occasion by the Rev. W. W. Hume, where tea was prepared and the tables adorned with greenhouse plants. The members of Miss Gibbons' Bible Class gave proof of their grateful reception of her instructions by presenting her with a handsome writing-desk. After tea a selection of vocal and instrumental music was beautifully rendered by several kind friends, and the evening was concluded by the whole party joining in the song, 'The Old Friends and the New,' and a few hymns.

down to tea in the large schoolroom soon after five o'clock. At half-past six, about 100 of the girls' parents and friends were admitted by ticket. They listened with much enjoyment to some songs which the girls sang, and to other performances by kind friends, as well as to addresses from the Vicar and the Rev. W. Wilkinson of St. Luke's; and especially to a report of the year's work, which was read by the Secretary. At eight o'clock the whole company proceeded to the church, where the special service was used, and appropriate hymns sung, and a touching sermon listened to with breathless attention from the Rev. A. R. Vardy on the text, 'Ye are my friends.' The church was decorated with banners, and the schoolroom looked pretty hung round with large mottoes and texts, and an abundance of evergreens, sent from the country. The tables also were decorated with flowers and ferns in pots, kindly lent by friends. The entertainment was on the whole very successful, and was very much enjoyed by every one.

Hymns and Songs for G. F. S. Festivals. As the time of year for G. F. S. Festivals is now approaching, we think Branch Secretaries and Associates may be glad to be reminded of the little book (price 2d.) by Lady Baker bearing the above title.

For those who are not aware of it we will also mention that six of the hymns or songs have been printed as leaflets, they are specified in the book itself, and can be obtained at Is. per 100 from Messrs. HATCHARD, 187 Piccadilly, or through any of the Society's Depôts.

The book is advertised with the other publications recommended by the G. F. S.

NOTICE.

For communications for the Reporter see Notices on page 89.

VOL. V.

I

ROM a chapter in Genesis-the xxiii. -we may learn the meaning of this word, now too seldom used. should like you to read that chapter to begin with; the interview between Abraham and the sons of Heth is one of the most beautiful pictures of courtesy ever drawn. Not even in that hour of supreme sorrow, when he realised that the mortal part of Sarah (who had been so 'very fair') must be buried out of his sight, did the friend of God omit those forms of courtesy which we may be sure were his constant habit, or they would not have been remembered at such a time.

This is, in fact, one reason why courtesy has so great a charm. We like, it is true, whatever our condition in life, to be addressed with consideration, to be met with politeness and attention. But the cause of our forming so favourable an impression of those from whom we receive them is, that we feel that their manner is only the consequence of habitual regard for the feelings of others; if it does not give us that impression, it is not 'courtesy.'

They may be polite, attentive, apparently considerate, they may even express exaggerated

No. 45.

gratitude for very small services, but courteous they cannot be without being long accustomed to remember the words of St. Paul, 'Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.'

There are some people of whom we are at once convinced that not only they, but their fathers before them, have lived among people who are thus courteous; and there is no doubt that a home in which loving greetings are interchanged, in which due regard is constantly shown to the relative position of each of the inmates, is the best school of true courtesy. For each home may be so ordered as to show, in its degree, the many lovely qualities that are required to make perfect courtesy, unselfishness, sympathy, dignity, grace, deference; and those who go forth into the world from such homes, however humble, will be at once recognised among the elbowing, jostling crowd: and perhaps when they pass through the gates of death into that better world (if through their faith in our Lord's merits they attain to it), they may find the training not all in vain, which their souls went through in the time of probation, but recognise in those wondrous services to which the blessed company of heaven conform, as described to us in the Book of Revelation, the perfection of what on earth we feebly strive to attain. Let us then gladly fulfil the

apostle's command, 'Be pitiful, be courteous,' taking every opportunity of improving ourselves in that beautiful attribute. It needs practice; nothing more easily falls into disuse, and I sometimes fear that in some places there is a fashion among young girls to be

uncourteous.

Begin by practising courtesy to all the old people you meet with. Make way for them respectfully, try to help their infirmities, and screen their failings. This will soon lead on to courteous ways to others, and probably spread the habit of courtesy to many of your neighbours. (1 Pet. iii. 8. Gen. xxiv. 17, 20. 2 Kings, ii. 23, 25.)

The Footsteps of our Blessed Lord.

CONVERSATIONS BETWEEN A MOTHER AND DAUGHTER.

By the Author of 'Thoughts on the Holy Communion,' 'Thoughts for the Sick,' &c.

III.

HESE are the texts I have found, mother,' said Amy, on the next Sunday afternoon. 'Deut. xviii. 15-19. Josh. i. 16, 17. 1 Sam. x. 1. Dan. iv. 32. Rom. xiii. 1–7. 2 Cor. v. 20. Eph. v. 21, 22; vi. 1, 5-7. Col. iii. 20, 22, 23. Titus, iii. 1. Heb. xiii. 17. I Pet. ii. 13, 14, 17; v. 5.'

Mrs. Merton looked them over and said, 'I see that you quite understood all that I said to you last Sunday, Amy. Will you tell me now what was the point we had reached ?'

'I think it was this, that the Lord Jesus as man obeyed His earthly parents, in obedience to God's own ordinance that parents should represent His authority to their children.'

'Just so; and it will then be no longer a difficulty to you that He was wiser and holier than His parents?'

'No, I see that has nothing to do with it; He obeyed them simply for God's sake.'

'What should you say now was the meaning of "Obedience" as a Christian virtue ?'

'I think I should say it was doing God's will wherever or by whomsoever it is expressed to each individual Christian.'

'And do you think we can find in the Gospels any further traces that this was "the mind that was in Christ Jesus ?”› ?"

'Yes, I think so; in His paying tribute (Matt. xvii. 24), in His constant attendance at the services of the synagogue (Luke, iv. 16), in His exhortations to His disciples to keep all the commandments God had given by Moses and the prophets (Matt. v. 19, &c.), and in His own perfect obedience to God's will for Himself, "My meat is to do the will of Him that sent Me and to finish His work." "I do always those things that please Him." And we can see that it was "unto death, even the death of the cross (as St. Peter wrote), by His words, "Thy will, not Mine, be done;" "the cup that My Father hath given Me, shall I not drink it ?"›

"

'Do you remember the words in the 40th Psalm that spoke beforehand of His willing obedience ?'

Amy thought a minute, and then repeated the verse, 'I delight to do Thy will, O My God: yea, Thy law is within My heart.'

After a thoughtful pause, Amy spoke again; 'It seems to me, mother, that it was in some way a different kind of obedience that our Lord taught to what had been before, but I cannot quite tell what the difference was.'

'Can you tell me what the difference is

between the obedience of a child and of a slave, Amy ?'

'Oh, yes, mother! A child obeys because it loves, a slave obeys because it fears.'

'And did not Christ come to teach us that God was our Father, and to make us God's children by our union with Himself?' 'Thank you, mother; I see. Before our Lord's time, God's people obeyed more from fear; Christians should obey from love and willing choice. Is that what is meant by the "law of liberty?"' (Jas. i. 25.)

'Yes, Amy; and also by the words of the collect, "Whose service is perfect freedom." | The law of Christ is indeed the law of liberty; it is directly opposed to all bondage and slavery; it raises obedience to the highest rank, but it places it, as you said, upon a new footing. It is no longer the obedience of fear, or ignorance, or superstition: it is the obedience of a free and happy child to a Father whom it loves and trusts.'

'There is one more thing I want to ask, mother. Do you think we can find out why God lets human beings represent Him to us, instead of our always and only obeying Himself?'

'I think we can, dear. I think we may see that it is one of God's laws for us as human beings that we should always be led upwards, step by step, from lower things to higher, from lower motives to higher ones, from earthly to heavenly love, from things human to things divine. So our Lord, Who became man, and was subject to all the laws of humanity, trained Himself (if most reverently we may so speak) in His cottage home in that obedience which was perfected in His death. And now, my child, I think you will feel that we may indeed pray from our hearts that God would give us grace "daily to

endeavour ourselves to follow the blessed steps of His most holy life." It is in the quiet paths of our daily life that we must look for those footsteps, not by seeking great things for ourselves, great duties, or a high sphere of action, nor by trying to love God more by loving man less: not in such ways as these do those footsteps go before us. No, it is in our home life, surrounded by the dear ones that God has given us, in the faithful fulfilling of every-day duties, in loving obedience to those whom God has set over us, that we shall be treading in those blessed steps. Happy those who learn this lesson early, for to those who have early gained the habit and spirit of obedience, will come more easily, and with a less hard fight, that yielding up of the whole man to do the will of God which is perfect freedom and perfect joy.'