"Thanks be unto God for His Unspeakable Gift"

2 Corinthians 9:15.

The Father sent the Son a ruined world to save;
Man meted to the sinless One the Cross—the grave.
Blest Substitute from God, wrath's awful cup He drained;
Laid down His life, and e'en the tomb's reproach sustained.
The new and living Way stands open now to Heaven;
Thence, where the blood is seen alway, God's Gift is given.

Among the twenty or more names which Peter uses for believers in his first epistle are these two, "strangers and pilgrims." God wants us ever to remember that since we have been redeemed by the blood of Christ we have no home here—we are strangers. But we do have a home there—we are pilgrims. We are pressing on to glory; we have a better country, that is, an heavenly, wherefore God is not ashamed to be called our God. We are, however, going through the wilderness. But our God provides for every need and is able to give us power and grace to overcome and triumph in every difficulty and danger.

—A. Van Ryn

"And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God." (Romans 8:28).

The story is told of an only survivor of a wreck who was thrown on an uninhabited island. He managed to build himself a hut, in which he placed all that he saved from the wreck. He prayed to God for deliverance and anxiously scanned the horizon each day to hail any passing ship. One day he was horrified to find his hut in flames; all he had went up in smoke. But that which seemed the worst was in reality the best. "We saw your smoke signal," said the captain of the ship that came to his rescue. Let us remember if our lives are in God's hands "all things work together for good."

Books of the Bible Puzzle

In these remarks are hidden the names of 15 books of the Bible. It is a real lulu—kept me looKING So hard for facts I messed the real revelations. I was in a jam, especially since the names were not capitalized. The truth will come to numbers of our readers—to others it will be a real job. For all, it will be a most fascinating search. Yes, there will be some easy to spot and others hard to judge. So, we admit it usually results in loud lamentations. One lady says she brews coffee while she puzzles over it. One book is in bold type to help you start. Can you find the other 14?

—Contributed by a reader