Beware of encouraging what indisposes to prayer--going to the audience chamber with soiled garments, the din of the world following you, its distracting thoughts hovering unforbidden over your spirit. Can you wonder that the living water refuses to flow through obstructed channels, or the heavenly light to pierce murky vapors! On earth, fellowship with a lofty order of minds imparts a certain nobility to the character; so, in a far higher sense, by communion with God you will be transformed into His image, and get assimilated to His likeness. Make every event in life a reason for fresh going to Him. If difficulted in duty, bring it to the test of prayer. If bowed down with anticipated trial,--"fearing to enter the cloud,"--remember Christ's preparation, "Sit ye here while I go and _pray_ yonder." Let prayer consecrate every thing--your time, talents, pursuits, engagements, joys, sorrows, crosses, losses. By it, rough paths will be made smooth, trials disarmed of their bitterness, enjoyments hallowed and refined, the bread of the world turned into angels' food. "It is in the closet," says Payson, "the battle is lost or won!" "ARM YOURSELVES LIKEWISE WITH THE SAME MIND." Tenth Day. LOVE TO THE BRETHREN. "And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us."--Eph. v. 2. "Jesus," says a writer, "came from heaven on the wings of love." It was the element in which he moved and walked. He sought to baptize the world afresh with it. When we find Him teaching us by love to vanquish an _enemy_, we need not wonder at the tenderness of His appeals to the _brethren_ to "love one another." Like a fond father impressing his children, how the Divine Teacher lingers over the lesson, "This is _My_ commandment!" If selfishness had guided His actions, we might have expected him to demand all His people's love for himself. But He claims no such monopoly. He not only encourages mutual affection, but He makes it the badge of discipleship! He gives them at once its measure and motive. "Love one another, as I have loved you!" What a love was that!--it reached to the lowliest and humblest,--"Inasmuch as ye did it to the _least_ of these, ye did it unto _Me_." Ah! if such was the Elder Brother's love to His younger brethren, what should the love of these younger brothers be for one another! How humbling that there should be so much that is sadly and strangely unlike the spirit which our blessed Master sought to inculcate alike by precept and example! Individual Christians, why these bitter estrangements, these censorious words, these harsh judgments, this want of kind consideration of the feelings and failings of those who may differ from you? Why are your friendships so often like the summer brook, soon dried? You hope, ere long, to meet in glory. Doubtless when you enter on that "sabbath of love," many a greeting will be this, "Alas! my brother, that on earth I did not love thee more!"