THE FAMILY ALTAR

August 8.

"The fruit of the Spirit is temperance." Gal. 5:22.

The Word of our God often admonishes us to practise tem-

perance; but by "temperance" it does not understand the strict

abstaining from all intoxicating liquor. On the contrary, the Bible

exhorts us to be temperate in all things, in eating and drinking,

in dress and in speech, in a word, not to give way to our carnal

passions, but to exercise self-control. So the word is understood

in our text here. May God's Holy Spirit be with us to-day and

help us to practise self-control in the trials and temptations we

shall meet with in our calling. May we succeed above all in

guarding our tongues that they sin not and controlling our tempers

under all arising vexations and disappointments. A good Christian

farmer who had an uncontrollable temper and often regretted his

sinful weakness was told by his pastor quickly to begin saying

the Lord's Prayer to himself before he gave way to his passion.

The advice helped. Where God's Spirit really dwells in the heart,

there the earnest desire lives to conform your life in word and

deed to the will and command of your God. Though in the weak-

ness of our flesh we may give way in an unguarded moment to the

temptation, we will not make light of it, but sincerely repent of

it, ask our Savior's forgiveness, and implore His Holy Spirit's

help to amend our ways. "They that are Christ's have crucified

the flesh with the affections and lusts." Then let us daily walk

in the Spirit, as the apostle admonishes. Blessed, indeed, shall

we be if we heed his counsel and advice. "If ye through the

Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. For as

many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God."

(Rom. 8, 13. 14.)