of an unseen and unknown Future. "Foes"-because they stand in the way of, and oppose and rebuke the course of unbridled lusts and pleasures pursued by the votaries of fashion and iniquity. "Fools”—because there appears no sense or reason in "the mystery of the faith" they profess-" for the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness"-and because they (i.e. believers) attribute great importance to what the world accounts but as trifling matters in the way of speaking and acting.

We need not say much on the words

It is a phrase in accordance with Paul's, "If by any means I might save some," Rom. xi. 14; and James', "Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins," chap. v. 20. Salvation, as here spoken of, has no reference to creature merit, or efficiency; but exclusively to instrumentality. God's only Agent in merit is Christ, with His blood and righteousness; His only Agent in efficiency is the Holy Spirit, with His regenerating power. But man becomes an instrumental agent in the Spirit's hands. Yet in the small manner of success-so far as the range of man's efforts are extended-in proportion to his failures, all God-taught men will prove instrumentality, of itself, simply means inefficiency. It is the earthen vessel without the heavenly treasure. It is the trumpet, without the living breathing through it. It is the sword, without the potent hand wielding it. And it only proclaims the truth of Christ's words: "Without Me ye can do nothing." And hence in the opposition offered to the most disinterested and loving efforts there is cause for self-humiliation before the Lord, and more dependent appeals to Him in the face of all discouragement. And it is this Mr. Hart counsels :

"One secret way is left you still,

To do them good against their will:
Here they can no obstruction give;
You may do this without their leave.
"Fly to the throne of grace by prayer,
And pour out all your wishes there;
Effectual, fervent prayer prevails

When every other method fails."

Vers. 3-6.

The tears and declaration of Christian when summoned to go on pilgrimage made no sufficient impression on his wife and children to induce them to accompany him. Bunyan understood this, and so did Hart. And so does every godly parent. "Unto God the Lord belong the issues from death;" and until He works "vain is the help of man.' In the wider connexions of relationship, to which reference has already been made, and in which the subjective state of children to the parents' will (which often curbs what would otherwise break forth into serious displays of animosity) has no influence, there is freedom of speech in reviling frequently indulged in; although in every instance where grace encounters carnality the words equally apply: "The carnal mind is enmity against God for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be." Rom. viii. 7. The godly parent may watch with aching heart and tearful eyes the sullen determination, visible on the face of some of his children, to break loose as soon as possible from what they deem religious constraint. The services at family worship and in the sanctuary of God are tolerated with ill-conceived dislike and mortification: for they see no beauty in the Saviour that they should desire Him. To them, as to the Jews, He is “ root out a dry ground." And in every case in which open opposition is offered to the read, expounded, and proclaimed word of God, both young and old

:

"The Spirit of God resist:"

a

for it is then His testimony, and not man's words that they rise up against. And how utterly the reverse is their state to that of theirs who are poor and of a contrite spirit, and tremble at His word. Isa. lxvi. 2. O it is a blessed sight to see a holy reverence manifested in young persons for the Scriptures: such as that shown by our Edward VI. when he rebuked a companion for placing a bible on a chain to enable him to reach a shelf beyond

his height. Whoever fears the Lord can never lightly tamper with or gainsay His truth in Holy Writ.

But supposing it is so, that such as have ungodly relations whose eternal welfare is close to their heart, are rebuffed and reviled on every occasion they venture to approach them on the hated subject of religion: What then? "The throne of grace" remains. There sits enthroned the Mighty Conquerer of Satan, sin and world; “exalted a Prince and a Saviour" to give "repentance and the forgiveness of sins." Let Him in this "secret way" be appealed to. The captains in the Holy War failed, and were compelled by petition to invoke the personal aid of Emmanuel. He acceded to their requests, and thusthey prevailed. This is how all believers must act. Nor daunted, nor silenced by the working of Satan in those about whose salvation they are concerned, they must only the more exclusively look to Him Who is "mighty to save" and pour out their hearts before Him. True; He may not see fit in every instance to grant them their requests. Their hearts may be fixed where the Lord's is not. They may be praying for them for whom Jesus did not pray. They may will what Jehovah wills not. They may be uttering desires which the Holy Spirit does not prompt. But they must be gainers and not losers by their supplications. Ishmael was blessed and Esau too, providentially, for their fathers' sakes, even though they had not Isaac and Jacob's spiritual portion. And the Lord thus often hears prayer on behalf of a godly man's relatives when He does not save their souls. But forasmuch as His secret purpose is unknown, and can only be known by His Own development of it, let all believers urge their suit, hoping against hope, and remembering,

“ Effectual fervent prayer prevails
When every other method fails."

It has pleased God to give you some foretaste of His heavenly kingdom, by making known to you the way of life; giving you to taste that He is gracious, and making manifest something of His everlasting love to your soul, which doth beget in you a true desire

of enjoying more of the same. can never love God, or desire to have fellowship with Him, only as we are led to taste that He is gracious. The desire of the spouse in the Canticles was, that God would draw her, then she could run. There is no running but by the Spirit's drawing. There is no joy

This can only satisfy you; for we

to us.

in hope, or in faith, but under the droppings of the Father's love. The true drawings of the Father's love are manifest in the heart by producing true desires after Him, by being led to the throne of grace; there experiencing the influence of the Spirit, as the Spirit of prayer, enabling the soul to unbosom all its wants before the Lord; enlightening the soul in the knowledge of Christ; manifesting His name to be precious to the soul; setting forth the glorious fulness of the Father's love as displayed in the merits of His dear Son, and creating a true desire of a personal enjoyment of these saving benefits in the soul. Now as the true light of Christ beaming from Him as the Sun of Righteousness dispels the dark clouds out of the human mind, rends the veil of ignorance from the understanding, and makes us delight in the Lord, so the receiving of Christ, the embracing Him, and trusting to Him, manifests our safety. Experience in Him makes us happy, and all the glorious fulness of His merits will be increasingly opening to our view; our interest in them will be continually unfolding to our souls by the blessed Spirit, Who will be ever testifying of Jesus This will be the joy of faith till we shall experience all joy and peace in believing, which will prove a death blow to unbelief; the worst enemy we can have in our own house. May it be your happy experience to believe on Him Who justifieth the ungodly. The people of God in all ages have been a tried people. It is "through much tribulation we must enter the kingdom of God;" and this hath been the constant experience of the church of Christ. The Lord in His providence has seen fit to place them in such straits and difficulties that none but Himself could deliver them; and all for the advancement of His own glorious grace, and the good of His chosen, that He might teach them to trust Him in the most trying circumstances, and so might learn to live by faith upon His faithful word of promise. Wherever the Lord gives grace He is pleased to try it-often in the furnace. "Everyone whom the Lord loveth He chasteneth." And sometimes under these exercises we are ready to call in question whether the Lord is for us, or against us? But, blessed be His name, He has promised to deliver us, and He is faithful to His promise; which I will endeavour to show you, by bringing such testimony from the word of God as may be a ground of confidence to enable you, in all your troubles, to trust in the Lord.

In the first place, I wish you to take notice of the history of Joseph, where you will find the hand of God from his first dream to the fulfilment thereof, and so on to the conclusion of the history. Secondly, the singular account of Moses, from his birth to his death. Thirdly, read the account of the carrying of the Jewish nation into the Babylonish captivity. Fourthly, observe the death of Haman, how the Lord brought it about, and the preservation of the Jews from the dark and devilish designs of their enemies. My desire in referring you to these accounts is, to show you what the Lord can do for His people in a sovereign way: His power ruleth over all, and He holds the hearts and hands of all men, turning them whither He will. In the next place, I wish to call your attention to the means by which the Lord brings about such great deliverances, and that by His providence, bringing His people into such straits that His hand may be conspicuously seen. All they have to do is, to carry their troubles to a throne of grace, and lay them before the Lord, looking only to Him for deliverance. This you find was the conduct of the children of Israel at the Red Sea. They cried to the Lord, and He heard and delivered them, and destroyed their enemies. He was with them in the cloud-in the pillar in the manna-in the rock--and in the brazen serpent ; and so with them till they obtained the land promised to them many hundred years before. "O that men would praise the Lord for His goodness, and for His wonderful works to the children of men!" Look again at the three children in the fiery furnace, where they had only to look to God by prayer, and the Lord was with them by His personal presence to preserve and comfort them, and to destroy their enemies. You find Daniel in the same state making his prayer three times a day unto the Lord, and his perfect safety in the lion's den. Many other instances might be found of the Lord's singular deliverance of His people in a way of providence, but the great blessings He has manifested in a way of grace will be a greater encouragement to you to take all your wants to the Lord, even the worst of all your thoughts, words, and ways; entering into His presence only in the merits of Christ Jesus, our alone Saviour, having your eye fixed on that only sacrifice for our sins. Paul, the jailer, and the three thousand who were pricked in the heart, all cried to the Lord, and He heard their cry, and delivered them in the knowledge of Jesus Christ. Manasseh being in sore trouble cried unto the Lord, and He saved him. David, after his fall, cried to the Lord for a fresh sense of His pardoning love to be manifested to him. Hezekiah withstood the Lord's prophet Isaiah, and looked only to the Lord (by prayer) who cured his body, and cast all his sins behind His back. Rebel Jonah cried out of the