A rebuke from the Lord duly regarded will lead us into safe paths, whilst a rebuke not heeded is the forerunner of sharp correction. The heavenly Conscience never says, "_Must_ I give up this? _must_ I give up that" for this pleases not the heart of Christ. Have I faith and a good Conscience? then I can leave everything to God—let Him give, or take, or withhold as He pleases. A pure Conscience is a conscience so thoroughly purged by the blood of Christ, that it makes the soul, as it were, a mirror wherein is seen the face of our heavenly Father. A tender Conscience concerning unbelief and its slightest stirrings, will greatly help us in our path of obedience, and in our walk with God. We ought to be ever trying our Consciences by the Word of God, and helping our neighbours to do the same. It would indeed be a blessing to the saints, were they to exercise themselves in judging everything by the Scriptures. A child of God may walk unblameably in men's eyes, yet have little of the mind of Christ, and little of the spirit of communion: his Conscience may be in so small a measure guided by the word of God, that as to edifying others, he is little better than a piece of lumber. The Cross of Christ The Cross of Christ is the life of all true communion with God, and those who draw nearest to God best know the mystery of that Cross. If the sufferings of Christ, who humbled Himself and became obedient unto death—the death of the Cross, be much in my heart, I shall see my worst enemy to be pride, especially pride of wisdom, and pride of righteousness. I shall charge my soul, as did the king of Syria his captains: "Fight neither with small nor great, save only with the king of Israel." In my soul's warfare let pride be subdued, and every other sin is held in chains. It is the secret of the prevention and cure of all evil to begin, and go through, each day, with the Cross of Christ. (John 6:56.) The precepts of Scripture are given to guide the life of a Christian, and their claims are all founded on the Cross of Christ. In the Cross of Christ is life; in the way of His precepts, liberty. Let us take up every cross that lies in our way—cut off the right hand and pluck out the right eye: the blessing must come down. By the Cross of Christ the world is crucified to us, and we are crucified to the world; whilst we, through the Spirit, are mortifying the deeds of the body, we are gaining by all our losses, and have good success even by that which the flesh accounts bitter disappointment. There is virtue in the name of Christ to make this vale of tears a fruitful, pleasant place.