October Eighth.
JESUS PURIFYING THE TEMPLE.
"And Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of thems that sold doves."—Matt. xxi. 12.
THERE is much now transpiring in the world which is looked upon with carelessness or indifference, but which, if examined by the light of Divine Truth, would be found of a character and tendency to need purification, equally as much as the temple on the memorable occasion just read from the gospel. "Let us imagine, for a moment, that the Lord should descend from heaven in a human form, and visit one among the many temples dedicated to His service, and should go to one of the worshippers, and say to Him, "What doest thou here, calculating thy exchanges, and weighing thy profits of worldly gain? Is it not written, 'My house shall be the house of prayer for all people?' but such as thou turn it into a den of thieves: depart hence, make not my house a house of merchandize." The Lord our Saviour is an Omnipresent as well as an Omniscient Lord, and He will make His voice to be heard, at times, even by the most guilty, and by some unexpected appeal, let fall a truth upon the conscience, which may, like a spark of fire, set the whole selfish mind in a flame, and, ultimately, purify and save it by the fire. Let us look within for a few minutes, and see whether we can make any practical application of the subject. Let us permit the Lord to wield the scourge of small cords— those pure and sacred truths which discover our evils
