in faith-seek to grow in holiness: that is the way to secure that the peace of God shall keep the heart and mind. Sensible at once of the obligation that lies on him, to be perfect in all the will of God, of the close connection there is between his doing the will of God and enjoying tokens of the favour of God,of his own utter incapacity to do God's will in every good work-in any good work, and of the disposition of God to give good gifts to them who ask them, let his prayer be: "O that my ways were directed to keep Thy statutes. Teach me the way of Thy statutes. Enlarge my heart, that I may run in the way of Thy commandments. Make me to go in the path of Thy commandments. Hold Thou me up; so shall I be safe. Let Thine hand help me. And that it may be so, work all my work in me. Work in me to will and to do of Thy good pleasure. Incline my heart to Thy testimonies. Thy law in my heart; write it on my inward parts. Thy grace sufficient for me, and perfect Thy strength in my weakness."

Put

Make

And let us remember that we are but mocking God in presenting such supplications to Him for ourselves, if we are not diligent in the use of all the means appointed by God for obtaining that preparation of the mind that is necessary for the acceptable service of God. He who expects these blessings, while neglectful of, or negligent in, the duties of reading the word of God, meditation, careful observance of the dispensations of divine providence, and regular waiting on the instituted public ordinances of divine worship, cherishes a presumptuous expectation. He is like a man professing to have a great desire to reach a particular place, who, though the road lies plain before him, stands still or moves in an opposite direction. It is in spiritual as in worldly affairs. The hand of the diligent makes rich; the mere talk of the lips, however specious, tends to poverty. It is they who "wait on the Lord" in prayer, and in the use of means, that "renew their strength." It is they who "put on the whole armour prepared by God," and prove it by habitual exercise, that will approve themselves good soldiers of Jesus Christ, be made more than conquerors, and meet the complacent smile and kind invitation of their Lord at last : "Well done, good and faithful servant," thou hast done My will; enter into My joy.

And while we present this prayer for ourselves as individuals, let us also present it for all our brethren in Christ Jesus. How often did the Apostle show his love to his brethren by praying for their progressive sanctification! Let us imitate his example. If we do not, is there not indicated either a want of love for the brethren, or an unduly low estimate of the value of spiritual blessings, or a deficiency in our confidence in prayer, or rather in the Hearer of prayer, or something of all these united? Let us often "bow our knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ," the common Father of us all, for "the whole family on earth called by the same name," that they may be "filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Christ Jesus, to the praise and glory of God;" that they may "walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God;" and that for this purpose they may be "strengthened with all might, according to God's glorious power;" that God may "work in them, both to will and to do of His good pleasure;" that "the very God of peace may sanctify them wholly, and preserve their whole spirit and soul and body blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ;" that "the God of all grace may make them perfect, stablish, strengthen, and settle them;" and that "He who is able to keep them from falling may present them faultless before the presence of His glory, with exceeding joy." Such prayers for the brotherhood would bring down. blessings on ourselves.

And let us be encouraged, in presenting such prayers for ourselves and others, by remembering that God is the God of peace who was angry, but whose anger is turned away-and who delights in bestowing benefits, especially spiritual benefits; that the blood of the covenant which sprinkles His throne is of infinite atoning virtue; that Christ, the great Shepherd of the sheep, has laid down His life for us-has risen from the dead-ever lives to make intercession-able to save to the uttermost all coming to God by Him. With full assured faith, and with confident hope, let us thus draw near to the throne of grace, and ask these and all other heavenly and spiritual blessings in the all-prevailing name.

And while we seek blessings, let us not neglect to render praise. In all our prayers, as our Catechism teaches us, let us

praise the great object of our worship, "ascribing kingdom, power, and glory to Him." Let us declare our sense of His infinite excellence, and our desire that that excellence may be universally perceived and felt, and worthily acknowledged by all intelligent beings. And in testimony, equally of our confidence that our prayers for ourselves and our brethren shall be heard, and that our earnest desire that the universe may be filled with His glory as the God of peace shall be fully gratified, -let us say, AMEN, AMEN, and AMEN. Nor let Christians, when praying for themselves and one another, that God would prepare them for doing His will in every good work, by working in them that which is well-pleasing in His sight, forget those who still are what they once were-vessels "self-fitted for destruction." He who has made you what you are, can create them anew. He can make them, too, vessels fitted for glory. He can arrest a man in the full career of rebellion, and convert him into a loyal subject. He converted Saul the persecutor into Paul the Apostle, and made him who seemed, if ever man did, bent on fitting himself for destruction, "a chosen vessel to Him, to bear His name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel." And what He has done, He can do. His power and His grace are unchanged, unchangeable; and the prayers of the Church are one of the means to be employed for the conversion of the world. Lift up, then, unceasing, ardent prayers in behalf of your perishing brethren, who are every day becoming fitter for destruction. Oh Thou who canst do all things! of these stones raise up children to Abraham. The valley is full of bones-very many, very dry. But these dry bones can live. For thus saith the Lord, Behold, I will cause breath to enter into them, and they shall live. But we, who by God's mercy already live, must prophesy unto these bones, and must say to the Spirit, Come! come from the four winds, O Spirit, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live. And as we prophesy and pray, we have reason to hope that the breath will come into them, and they shall live and stand up on their feet, an exceeding great army-prepared by the God of peace, who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, working in them that which is wellpleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ-prepared to do His will in every good work-all ready to give glory for ever and

ever to their divine Benefactor. O that it were so! "Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen."

INDEX.

PRINCIPAL MATTERS.