and princes, joined hands with them, and gave them God's sanction of their sins.

Verses 29 to 31. "The people" followed the example of their priests and princes, robbed one another and oppressed the stranger, who had no helper. Amid this scene of corruption, no man could be found who could avert judgment, and the sword fell. Thank God for Christ who "stands in the gap" for us, and saves us from "the wrath which is coming." (1 Thess. i. 10.)

From Dr. Parker:

Christianity has only one purpose-holiness. Christianity ends in conduct. Christianity begins in motive, but it ends in character, in manhood. We are to be perfect men in Christ Jesus; we are to be as He was on the earth; we are to breathe His Spirit, repeat His deeds, follow His footsteps, and represent Him to mankind, so that we can not be Christ Himself, but we can be Christ-ones, Christians, and we ought to be able to say, There you see as much of Christ as it is possible to see here and now.

Christianity has only one test-service: To die for Christ, to work for Christ, to be always repeating Christ's great mission to the world. One time, now; one way, believe; one purpose, conduct; one grand test, service. Lord, what wilt thou have me do?-watch a door, light a lamp, or preach thy Word? Wouldst thou make me a great thundervoice to the age, or wouldst thou have me teach what little I know of the kingdom by patient suffering, by heroic patience? Not my will, but thine, be done; only dismiss me not thy service, Lord!

Text for the day, verse 30.

Saturday, December 31st.

Ezekiel xxiii. 1 to 10.

Verses 1 to 3. This parable of the two sisters is a representation of Israel and Judah, and a review of their history in the continued provocations they had given to God by their sins. There must have been many of the exiles of the ten tribes in the region around about Chebar, or Ezekiel would not so often have spoken to them in his prophetic addresses. Note how the evil contracted by their long residence in Egypt clung to them and is mentioned centuries after as the beginning of their course of evil. "They committed whoredoms in Egypt; they committed whoredoms in their youth."

It is in youth that the seeds of sin begin to germinate and develop. We cannot be too careful as to the influences that surround our children in their youthful days. If we make our home among the worldly, and those who live godless lives, we expose our children to a contamination that shall cling to them through all their days, and that, in the majority of instances, will work the destruction of their souls. Let us seek to make our homes happy, holy, and joyful Christian households, and then keep our children under our care beneath the sheltering roof, leading them early to trust in Christ, and to seek His grace to be kept from sin. As a rule, it is those who are held in their youth who are held through life.

Verses 4 to 10. "Aholah," "His tabernacle," is the name given Israel (ten tribes), and "Aholibah," "My tabernacle in her," the name given to Judah. Both were thus betrothed to Jehovah, and both bore His name. The apostasy of Israel in setting up the golden calves, and in worshiping Baal and gods of the heathen, is represented in the picture of the harlot "doting upon her lovers," and the punishment of Israel, by the picture given of the judgment upon the harlot, which all men approve. The picture is true of us all. Sin has stripped us. It is only by Christ that we can be clothed. "Naked, come to Him for dress." God help all, as this old year closes, to so come.

From Dr. Owen:

The apostle tells us that "without shedding of blood there was no remission" (Heb. ix. 2); that is, God, to demonstrate that all forgiveness related to the blood of Christ from the foundation of the world, gave out no word of pardon but by blood. Now, I have shown that He revealed pardon in the first promise, and therefore there ensued the shedding of blood and sacrifices, and that testament or covenant was dedicated with blood; verse 18. Some think that the beasts of whose skins God made garments for Adam were offered in sacrifice. Nor is their conjecture vain; yea, it seems fitting that their nakedness which became their shame upon their sin (whence the pollution and shame of sin is frequently so termed) should be covered with the skins of their sacrifices; for in the true sacrifice there is somewhat answerable thereto; the righteousness of Him whose sacrifice takes away the guilt of our sin, is called our clothing, that hides our pollution and shame.

Text for the day, verse 5.

HE SATURDAY EVENING POST is the oldest journal of any kind that is issued to-day from an American press. It has been read with interest by millions of Americans in six generations. It first made its appearance when North America had less of an English-speaking population than the city of Philadelphia has to-day; when that city was proud of its 18,000 inhabitants; when there were not more than twenty newspapers throughout the Colonies; when William Penn had been but twelve years in his grave; when George II sat upon the throne of England; when the great Samuel Johnson was still struggling as a Grub Street hack, and when Benjamin Franklin was determined to make his way as editor of the best journal of his time -even if he had only a bowl of porridge for his meal.

In nearly one hundred and seventy years there has been hardly a week-save only while a British Army held Philadelphia, and patriotic printers were in exile-when

appearance on October 2, 1729. All of Keimer's elaborate title was dropped except "Pennsylvania Gazette," and under that name it immediately began to interest people by reason of its better type and better press-work, and also by what its editor called his "spirited remarks."

Franklin promised to make the paper "as agreeable and useful an entertainment as the nature of the thing would allow," and he more especially looked upon the paper as "a means of communicating instruction." The only other paper in the city was old William Bradford's Mercury. But Bradford was the postmaster, and Franklin-who thus had difficulty in using the post

the paper has not been put to press regularly. To-day it is published, as it has been for upward of a century and a half, within almost a stone's throw of Franklin's old printery, his home and his haunts; and across the way its editors and printers now look down daily on the ancient churchyard which holds his grave.

When Franklin, at the age of twenty-two, sought employment as a printer, he fell in with a very eccentric character, one Samuel Keimer, who, during Christmas week, 1728, began the publication of a weekly paper under the most pretentious name of the Universal Instructor in all Arts and Sciences, and Pennsylvania Gazette. Keimer printed thirty-nine numbers, was unable to obtain more than ninety subscribers for it, and finally sold it for a trifle to Franklin, who, in the meantime, had set up in business for himself. The first number under his direction made its

for his papers-had to bribe the riders to take them privately on their routes. He had no hesitation to wheel his white paper through the streets on a wheelbarrow.

Franklin was the foremost of American publishers. No other man who, in his time, wrote for an American newspaper, understood so well the American taste and American homes. His journal was the most enterprising periodical of its day; it was a strong power throughout the Colonies, and his Poor Richard's

publisher, a politician, a scientist, an inventor, a philanthropist and an educator, the amount of work he performed is astonishing, even to this busy century, and all was accomplished while he was still in control of his newspaper, which he did not give up until he was nearly sixty years of age, and was about to enter on

his extraordinary career abroad as a philosopher and diplomatist.

Franklin continued to edit the paper until 1765, when it passed into other hands.

The title was changed to The Saturday Evening Post in 1821, while it still occupied the old office of The Pennsylvania Gazette-in the rear of 53 Market Street, Philadelphia.

It was printed from the same presses, and the "old Franklin type," as it was called, was preserved. In the Patent Office at Washington may now be found the old hand-press on which Franklin had labored many a day and night, and which was in the press-room of The Saturday Evening Post.

From that time on it gradually brought about a revolution in the weekly journalism of the country. For several years, however, it was still largely local in its character.

Among the early contributors to the Post were Edgar Allan Poe, Mrs. Henry Wood, Edwin Forrest, Bayard Taylor, Mrs. Sigourney, N. P.

THE PRESENT PUBLICATION OFFICE

THE SATURDAY EVENING POST
AS IT IS TO-DAY

A good magazine is a good newspaper in a dress suit. It should have all the brightness, interest, enterprise and variety of the newspaper, with the dignity, refinement and poise of the magazine.

The Saturday Evening Post, the oldest periodical in America, is a high-grade illustrated weekly magazine, equal in tone and character to the best of the monthlies. It will give the best stories and general literature, and keep its readers thoroughly abreast of the times. In addition to the best original matter obtainable, the Post will present each week the best in the newspapers, periodicals and books of the world. It will aim to be to contemporary literature what a Salon exhibit is to art, bringing together the choicest bits of literature from all modern sources, and giving them a deserved place together, "on the line."

The program planned for readers of the Post cannot here be more than suggested. It will be progressively revealed in its issues from week to week. Besides its fiction and a strong editorial page, and novel and interesting special articles, some of the regular features may be here commented on, in passing.

Short Stories Nearly one-half of each issue of and Sketches the Post will be given to fiction. The stories will be selected wholly for their interest, variety and literary value, and not because of the name or fame of the author. Most of them will be written expressly for the Post, while those that are reprinted will be the most fascinating of the tales from all sources. Every story will be fully illustrated by the Post's artists.

The Professor's Daughter

-a story of life in a Rhode Island village-will undoubtedly prove to be the strongest novel of the year. It is written by Miss Anna Farquhar, whose "Inner Experiences of a Cabinet Member's Wife," published recently in The Ladies' Home Journal, caused the sensation of the season by its vivid picturing of life behind the scenes at Washington. The characters are drawn from life, with a wonderful strength and simplicity, and the romance itself is a new one of the sort that holds the interest from beginning to climax.

The illustrations will be unique in character, profuse, and will add immensely to the interest in this great story. They have been drawn by Mr. Henry Hutt, for the most part from life, for the characters are real. It will begin in an early number of the Post.

The

The Best Poems The poems in this series will in the World be admirably illustrated, and, wherever possible, there will be given a sketch of the life of the poet, with a portrait, and the story of how each poem came to be written. poems will be selected, not from the standpoint of the ultra-literary man or woman, but for their appeal to lovers of sentiment. They will be poems of the emotions, those that appeal to the heart; poems that tell a story, those that are filled with human interest. They belong to what may be called the "Pocket-book School of Poetry "those poems that one; cuts from newspaper and carries in the pocket-book till they are worn through at the creases.

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American Kings and Will tell the stories of the Their Kingdoms

several greatest moneymonarchs of our countryhow they acquired and how they retain their power-written by their close acquaintances and personal friends.

The Post's Series of Practical Sermons

By the great preachers of the world; it gives real, personal, nonsectarian help toward better

MINIATURE OF ILI USTRATION IN" BEST POEMS" SERIES"POE'S RAVEN," BY LEYENDECKER

cles of little-known phases of life along the Atlantic

coast.

I. THE LIGHTS ALONG THE SHORE will describe theloneliness and isolation

of our lighthouse keepers; will tell of the wondrous changes in lighting, and of the perfect system by which our Government takes charge of the thousand and more lighthouses of the nation.

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II. WHEN THE FISHER FLEET GOES OUT SEA. The thrilling dangers of a class seldom heard of-the Nova Scotia fishermen in their daily lives, their hardships and suffering. A graphic story of a brave and hardy class of men who seem to have no fear of the perils of the sea.

III. WITH THE LIFE-SAVERS ALONG THE COAST will tell of the every-day lives of those brave men who dare death and darkness in their angriest forms showing the workings of a system that saves thousands of lives yearly.

IV. THE MEN WHO WRECK SHIPS. It is popularly supposed that wreckers no longer exist; this article will tell of well-organized bands of wreckers who lure on to rocks, by means of false signals, rich vessels for the sake of their treasures.