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To-day only, to-day is yours; to-morrow belongs to God, and you have no right to take it for granted that He will certainly give it you. What if He does not? An incident occurred some years ago which illustrates this point in a manner so exceptionally startling that I should not venture to relate it to you if it had only come to me by hearsay. I am able to relate it as a fact on the authority of a gentleman who was acquainted with the person referred to. A young lady of good family, a woman of the world, and a devotee of fashion, came home from a religious service, which she had been induced to attend, evidently profoundly impressed. On returning to her chamber, and turning over in her mind all she had heard, I suppose she felt under the force of a mighty influence that was drawing her towards better things. Moved no doubt by a spiritual impulse, she sat down by her table, and took pen, ink, and paper, and wrote down these words: "If God spare my life for six months from this time, I will give my heart to Him." She signed her name, and then I suppose a misgiving must have crossed her mind, for she drew her pen through what she had written, and she wrote again underneath, "If God spares me for three months from this time, I will give my heart to Him." Once again the voice within, I apprehend, urged the danger of delay. "Are you sure that you will live three months longer?" And a second time she drew her pen through what she had written, and once more she wrote, "If God spare me for one month from the present date, this day month I will give my heart t, Him." The day before that date there was to be a great fancy dress ball, and she had made up her mind she must go to that ball at all costs; something, I conclude, told her that it would not be consistent to go if she were a real Christian, so she fixed the date just one day beyond this last scene of dissipation. "If God spare me one month from this time, I will give my heart to Him"; and she signed her name, and she went to her bed. The next morning her lady's maid came to call her as usual. She tapped at the door, but there was no answer. She threw it open, entered the room, looked at the bed. There upon the bed lay her young mistress, a cold corpse, and by her side was a sheet of paper, and on this sheet of paper were written the words, "If God spare me for one month, I will give my heart to Him." God did not spare her for one night. She had heard God's voice, but, alas I there would seem to be too much reason to fear that she had done what I entreat you not to do. "To-day if ye shall hear His voice, harden not your hearts." One more illustration, and it shall be on the brighter side. Some years ago. at the close of an evangelistic service, a rough sort of man — a collier he was — came up to the minister who had preached. "Sir," he said, "do you mean what you told us in your address to-night?" "What did I tell you?" "Why, sir, you said that if we were determined to seek and find salvation, we might have it to-night." "Yes," said the preacher, "I did mean that." "Very well, sir; then I want to find it. It must be settled to-night with me; it must be settled now." "Thank God," said the preacher, "I am glad to hear you say that. Now let me try and show you how you may get it." Well, they had a long talk together. The preacher set before the poor ignorant man as plainly as ever he could the way of salvation; and then they got to their knees, and there they knelt praying and crying to God together, while the preacher sought to direct the seeking soul to Christ. Time was creeping on, and at last the clock struck eleven. The preacher was very weary, and naturally enough, having his own home duties to care for, he said to the collier, "My dear fellow, I think now that perhaps you had better go home and consider what I have been saying. I don't see that we can get very much further to-night"; for the poor man was very ignorant and full of unbelief. "Sir, didn't you tell me that it might be settled to-night?" "Yes," said the preacher. "Very well," then he said; "I have made up my mind if it can be settled to-night it shall be settled to-night; I don't rise from my knees until it is settled." "Very good, then," said the preacher, "if that is so we will stay together." The clock struck twelve, still they were kneeling together; one, and still they were kneeling together; two, and still they were there. The summer's sun was just rising, daylight was just beginning to dawn, the poor man was thoroughly worn out. Like Jacob wrestling with the angel, he had no strength left. The moment of our weakness is the moment of God's power. Fairly exhausted and wearied out, at last he was fain to trust himself in the arms of Christ. He might have done so at first as well as at last, but it was only after these hours of anguish that he was brought to the point of utter helplessness and self-despair, and so at length he just rested his weary soul on Jesus, and in a moment the burden was gone. He sprang to his feet with a joyful shout. "Glory be to God," he cried, "it is settled at last; it is settled at last!" With a happy heart he went on his way rejoicing. In the middle of that day there was a hue and cry raised in the neighbourhood that there had been an accident down in the coal-pit, and, as is the custom in colliery districts, everybody rushed to the pit to know what had happened. The tidings soon spread that a portion of the earth in the pit had fallen in, and there was every reason to fear that a man was buried under the rubbish. Half a dozen stalwart colliers were soon at work, working with all that heroic determination which distinguishes those men under such circumstances. For many a long hour they continued their toil, until at last they got near to the place where the unfortunate man was imprisoned. Gently and carefully they prised up the superincumbent mass, and freed one shattered limb after another, and at last lifting the weight off the man's breast, they dragged him out all crushed and shattered as he was. As he felt the load taken off him, he opened his eyes for the last time. A smile came over his begrimed countenance as he gasped out, "Thank God it was settled last night!" and he fell back and died. To-day, to-day, to-day!

(W. Hay Aitken, M. A.)

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KJV: Wherefore (as the Holy Ghost saith, To day if ye will hear his voice,

WEB: Therefore, even as the Holy Spirit says, "Today if you will hear his voice,