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must press the suit. He must earnestly desire and seek success. This importunity supposes the importance of the object sought. Sensible persons are not importunate for mere trifles, but for things deemed valuable. The blessings God offers to praying souls are all of immense importance. They must be obtained, or we shall be lost for ever. He offers a free pardon to the penitent, the cleansing influences of his Spirit to the unholy, eternal life to all who receive his Son. He can give strength to the weak, health to the sick, wisdom to the perplexed, comfort to the sorrowful, eternal salvation to the perishing. The blessings of the Gospel are of immense worth, and their attainment involves vast consequences. Importunity in prayer includes frequency of application, earnestness of manner, variety of argument, and resolute perseverance. The importunate widow applied to the unjust judge again, and again, and again, until he attended to her case, and granted her suit. And so it is with the earnest suppliant at the throne of grace. solved on success. He has a pressing sense of need, confidence in the mercy, power, and faithfulness of God, and he is encouraged by the success of others. He feels he must obtain mercy, or be lost for ever. He looks to the scenes of Calvary, the great High Priest within the veil, the instructions of Jesus, and presses his suit in the court of heaven. He feels that this is the day of salvation, and it is now or never. Hence he is earnest in manner, like Daniel, when

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he prayed for the captive Jews. Hearken to the expression of his importunity: "O Lord, hear! 0 Lord, forgive! O Lord, hearken and do! defer not, for thine own sake, O my God! for thy city and thy people are called by thy name,” Dan. ix. 19. The importunate suppliant is earnest in his spirit and manner, his prayer is crying to God, and crying prayers prevail, Jas. v. 16. He pleads with God. He pleads the Divine glory, the name of Jesus, the precious promises, the urgency of his case, the success of others. He pleads and prevails, for God has said, "Then ye shall seek me and find me, when ye seek for me with your whole heart." He resolves to persevere, for he knows that God is pleased with perseverance, and that he often keeps us waiting for a season, to test our faith, sincerity, and humility.

There are hindrances to importunate prayer. There is the unbelief of our hearts: "I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?" He looks for faith in prayer, but finds much unbelief. Satan is a great enemy to faith in general, and to faith in prayer. He tempts us to doubt its utility. He tempts us to entertain such thoughts as the following: The decrees of God are immutable; the prayers you have offered have met with no answer; what difference is there between your case and the case of those who never pray? Hence he tempts us to give up what he would persuade us is an unprofitable ex

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ercise: Why persevere in that which is so profitless? Some yield to these suggestions, and restrain prayer before God; but the faithful resist, and get the blessing. Success in prayer requires faith, Jas. i. 6. Another hindrance is, want of success. The seed has been sown, but apparently in vain. God has appeared deaf to our cries, and we are tempted to give up in despair. And the cares of life are apt to hinder us. These distract the mind, and expose us to danger. They often unfit the mind for an exercise so spiritual as prayer. The cares of life sometimes become excessive through unwatchfulness. And spiritual declension is another cause of the neglect of the throne of grace.

The soul has lost its relish for communion with God. And has not the spirituality of the Divine essence an influence upon us in this matter? God is unseen with our bodily eyes; hence his reality, greatness, and goodness do not impress us as they ought to do, and this in consequence of our inattention, carnality, and dulness of apprehension. The words of our Lord imply danger, and our duty to watch against it.

The parable teaches us the success of importunate prayer: "Shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them?" The Scriptures show our grounds of hope of success. There is the paternal character of God. The widow was successful with an unjust judge through her importunity, and shall not a child of God be successful with his Father in

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heaven? His eye sees his child at his throne. He has a heart to feel, and a hand to help. Faith makes use of his paternal relationship, and cries, Abba, Father." His promises encourage hope of success. The poor widow had no promise to encourage her application, but we have many, and they are all faithful. And the mediation of Christ encourages hope. The widow had no friend to plead her cause, but we have a merciful and faithful High Priest in the court of heaven, 1 John ii. 1. And then we are encouraged to press our suit by the command of God, his infinite resources, and the numbers who have been successful.

The parable was uttered by the Great Teacher, and is recorded by Luke, to encourage us to pray, and to continue in prayer. Jesus was well qualified to instruct and guide us. He had the words of God. Here let us see the true character of God's people. They are a people that cry unto him, as children to a Father. The life of religion is a life of faith. This overcomes all difficulties. The character of God, the mediation of Christ, the work of the Spirit, encourage us to pray. "Seek, and ye shall find."

CONTENTMENT.

H. H.

I should marvel that the covetous man can still be poor, when the rich man is still covetous, but that I see a poor man can be content, when the contented man is only rich; the one wanting in his store, whilst the other is stored in his wants. I see, then, we are not rich or poor by what we possess, but by what we desire.-Arthur Warwick.

Biblical Illustration.

PRESSING TOWARD THE MARK.

"I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus." PHIL. ii. 14.

THE most remarkable parts of the stadium were its entrance, middle, and extremity. The entrance was marked at first only by a line drawn on the sand, from side to side of the stadium. To prevent any unfair advantage being taken by the more vigilant or alert candidates, a cord. was at length stretched in front of the horses or men that were to run, and sometimes the space was railed in with wood. The opening of this barrier was the signal for the racers to start.

The middle of the stadium was remarkable only by the circumstance of having the prizes allotted to the victors set up there. From this custom Chrysostom draws a fine comparison :-"As the judges, in the races and other games, expose in the midst of the stadium, to the view of the champions, the crowns which they were to receive; in like manner, the Lord, by the mouth of his prophets, has placed the prizes in the midst of the course, which he designs for those who have the courage to contend for them."

At the extremity of the stadium was a goal, where foot-races ended; but in those of chariots and horses, they were to run several times round it without stopping, and afterward

conclude the race by regaining the other extremity of the lists from whence they started. It is, therefore, to the foot-race the apostle alludes, when he speaks of the race set before the Christian, which was a straight course, to be run only once, and not, as in the other, several times without stopping.

According to some writers, it was at the goal, and not in the middle of the course, that the prizes were exhibited; and they were placed in a very conspicuous situation, that the competitors might be animated by having them always in their sight. This accords with the view which the apostle gives of the Christian life: "Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended; but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus." L'Enfant thinks the apostle here compares our Lord to those who stood at the elevated place at the end of the course, calling the racers by their names, and encouraging them by holding out the crown, to exert themselves with vigour.

The Counsel Chamber.

THE ANTI-TOBACCO REFORM.
(From the American Teacher.)

1. It is a fact that many clergymen see the evil of using tobacco in a new light, and say so; and more clergymen have renounced its use within seven years than any other branch which the Education Society has educated.

2. It is a fact that ecclesiastical bodies are beginning to denounce the use of this fashionable poison, as thirty years ago they denounced intoxicating drinks.

3. It is a fact that many doctors, lawyers, teachers, deacons, and

others—a great company in allhave dropped the habit in all its forms, and are right glad they have done it.

4. It is a fact that storekeepers, to some extent, have relinquished the sale of this pernicious article, regarding it as immoral as to traffic in strong drink.

5. It is a fact that bequests to public institutions now made are often restricted to students who are pledged against tobacco and kindred evils.

6. It is a fact that books and tracts, in unprecedented quantities, showing the frightful cost and deadly effects of this narcotic, have been spread-spread as far as there has been a dollar to do it with.

7. It is a fact that newspapersreligious and secular-rebuke this nuisance with more frequency than aforetime. They begin to treat it as no joke, but a national miasma and curse,

8. It is a fact that many have found this drug a powerful absorbent of religious sensibility, an idol in the place of God; and on giving it up, they have become happier and more active Christians.

9. It is a fact that preaching the truth on this subject has been blessed to many; in some cases producing convictions of sin which have sunk deeper and deeper into the soul, and hopefully resulted in salvation.

AND MORE:

10. It is a fact that many ministers acknowledge that the use of tobacco is a foolish, ungentlemanly, and unbecoming habit, and yet continue in it!

11. It is a fact that many ministers of the gospel of Christ demand of sinners, in the name of the Lord, that they leave their sins, and abandon habits deeply based in their moral nature, and threaten them with the wrath of God if they do not do this, and yet have not the strength and grace to quit this pernicious habit.

"NO TIME TO READ!" How often is this exclamation heard from the lips of those engaged in business and manual labour! No time to read, no time to think, no time to meditate, no time to study, no time to improve the mind-in fine, no time for self-culture. You all find leisure to do, or indulge in, what you most desire, what you really hunger and thirst for. You experience and will bear testimony to the truth of this. And yet, notwithstanding these facts, you continue to assert, "I have no time to read;" adding, perchance, "Neither have I any money to invest in papers and books, provided I had time." Yet that same objector spends money daily for things to pamper the appetite, that serve to enfeeble the body and enervate the mind; things that should therefore be entirely eschewed. Time and money are both wasted also in fashionable extravagance in dress. Not one word is uttered against all necessary attention to dress, for this is important. But, in the words of an apostle, let "women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety; not with broidered hair, or gold, or

pearls, or costly array, but.. with good works;" "whose adorning, let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel; but let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price; for after this manner in the old time holy women adorned themselves."

Would that the same degree of anxiety and good taste were displayed in adorning the mind, and keeping pure the heart, that is manifested in the adorning of the body. Then would there be more social happiness, greater personal pleasure than falls to the lot of such as waste their substance, mis-spend their time, and fritter away the choicest affections of the heart.

No longer say, "I have no time to read," but resolve that you will devote a portion of each day's leisure to reading and meditating, and ere long you will see the advantage; for "whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap."

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The con

fied with his success. science, quieted by the promise of future effort, ceases to give trouble, and the delay, in numberless instances, proves fatal. Immediate decision, followed by immediate action, is the only safety for a burdened soul. The following incident records the spiritual history of thousands:

"Not yet," said a little boy, as he was busy with his trap and ball; "when I grow older, I will think about my soul."

The little boy grew to be a young

man.

"Not yet," said the young man ; "I am now about to enter into trade. When I see my business prosper, then I shall have more time than now."

Business did prosper.

"Not yet," said the man of business; "my children must have my care. When they are settled in life I shall be better able to attend to religion."

He lived to be a gray-headed old

man.

"Not yet," still he cried; "I shall have nothing else to do but to pray."

And so he died; he put off to another time what should have been done when a child. He lived without God, and died without hope.

The Christian Household.

THE BRIDLE.

'DON'T go without a bridle, boys," was my grandfather's favourite bit of advice.

Do you suppose we were all teamsters or horse jockeys? No such thing.

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