has called for the rod, as Solomon says, 'A whip for the horse, a bridle for the ass, and a rod for the fool's back' (Prov. xxvi. 3).

"I must say to the honour of the Lord that He never suffered me to fall foully, and I think there never was a Saturday that I did not find the power of this worldly spirit leave me till the Monday; so that I learnt the spiritual meaning of Aaron and his sons having garments for glory and for beauty' (Exod. xxviii. 2), which they were to put on when they went into the holy place while they ministered, and then left them there when they came out" (Lev. xvi. 23).

While living at Mitcham he was privileged with occasional visits of the late much-esteemed Mr. W. Sharp, of Brighton, in whose conversation he says he felt a sweet sanctifying power, and felt himself, to use the Apostle's words, "filled" with his company; and as heart was knitted to heart, and they could see eye to eye, they realized what it is feared many never do who make "the communion of saints a part of their creed Happy would it be for Christians, to whatever party they belong, thus to commune from time to time of the Lord's dealings with their souls, for, if union is not created by communion, it is certainly strengthened thereby, and is one of the fruits resulting from an inseparable union to Christ, the living Vine.

This friendship was a link in the chain of God's providence to lead Mr. Clark to visit Brighton, where he was invited to preach the "Word of life" to Mr. Sharp's people occasionally when the latter was from home. There he found many warm-hearted friends, who received the truth in the spirit of meekness, and who showed by their liberality that, in partaking of spiritual things, they were ready to minister their carnal things. Once in particular the people heard well, and loaded him with their gifts, so that when he went to bed he counted the money, and felt it. was too much for his poor services, while he blessed the Lord for so inclining His people towards him. The greater part of those dear people are now in glory, as well as their beloved pastor. The funeral sermon for the latter was preached by Mr. Clark, at the Huntingtonian Chapel, Union Street, Brighton, on Sunday evening, March 4th, 1855, and was reported the same week in the Brighton Pulpit.

We have often observed a great difference among the children of God in obtaining promises or portions of Scripture in answer to prayer. Some get a word of instruction by the application of a passage from the Bible, which is to them a sure word of prophecy, whereunto they do well that they take heed; while others, no less soberly and graciously exercised, are led to throw themselves upon the Lord in His providential guidance, relying upon the

general scope and tenor of God's Word to comfort those that are in distress. It will have been observed that our friend was often directed in the former manner, and the following is another instance of his having been so instructed.

His son, who had married, and who was employed and lived in London, was visited with typhus fever, and as he and his wife were in great distress, Mrs. Clark went up to London to take them some food and nourishment. After she had left, Mr. Clark poured out his heart before God in prayer on behalf of his son, when these words came to his mind, "Women received their dead raised to life again" (Heb. xi. 35); and he answered, "Yes, Lord, they did; let my son live;" and immediately the words came to him, "Thy son liveth" (John iv. 50). Thereupon he was filled with joy and gratitude, for he felt God had been gracious to him. His wife returned the following day, and, upon his making inquiry respecting his son, she said, "Oh, John, it is wonderful! The fever left him at such a time yesterday;" which our friend remembered was the very hour that he was pleading with the Lord for him, and when the words came, "Thy son liveth."

The next day he went himself to visit his son. When he entered the room, the latter said, "Oh, father, it is wonderful! The doctor cannot make it out, for he said I should be worse before I was better;" to which his father replied, "Well, my boy, it is well for you that you have a praying father;" to which he answered, "It is, for I cannot pray for myself." It would be a mercy if he were one day brought to pray for relief from a greater malady than that of typhus fever, and that he were brought to know his father's God as his God.

After this the subject of this memoir had to wade through many sore temptations-so much so that he says he could find no one in Scripture so correctly to answer to his case as the man among the tombs, out of whom the Lord cast a legion of devils. He says he felt fit for no society, and craved to be alone. Some of his friends thought he had never had a clear deliverance from the law, otherwise he would not have come into such a condition, but these friends perhaps as much mistook his case as did Job's friends his. The Lord often keeps His servants in a low place for a time, that they may be well skilled in tracking out the pathway of the tried and tempted children of God, and so have the tongue of the learned, to be able to speak a word in season to him that is weary. However, such were the feelings working within that he actually feared he should fall into some sin that would bring him before the bar of his country. It happened through an unforeseen circumstance that he was prevented from preaching at Cobham, one Lord's day, and, having heard of

the late William Tiptaft, he thought, as he was then supplying at Zoar Chapel, London, he would go and hear him. As he entered the dear man of God was in prayer, and, singular to relate, he uttered these words, "Lord, we think we may be left to do something that will bring us before the bar of our country." This exactly fitted our friend's case, after which Mr. Tiptaft preached with much unction and savour, and our friend left the chapel like a different man, rejoicing in God, and blessing Him for the instrument He that day made use of to his soul's deliverance.

(To be continued.)

A LOVING CONGRATULATION.

MY DEAR FATHER,--My dear wife reminds me that it is your birthday to-morrow, so I write for us both, and congratulate you, and to tender our best wishes for you temporally and spiritually. You are fast approaching the three-score years and ten, but even before then you may have had an abundant entrance into heaven, where are pleasures for evermore, and where you will not have the furrows, feeble gait, and grey hairs of old age, but bear the likeness of your God and blessed Redeemer. When old age brings with it such bright anticipations; when failing health strengthens the good hope within, and gives new life to the soul, then it were vain to wish you merely earthly joys and pleasures, beyond such as may take away anxious care; the rather we wish you on your birthday, and for the time on earth still allotted you, a clearer and a brighter hope in Christ; a stronger and a more lively faith; a deeper and a more self-denying love; yea, a healthy growth in every grace of the Spirit, and a daily conformity to the life and teaching of your risen Lord. That God may grant to you the first born's share, a double portion of His blessed Spirit, is our daily prayer. We desire that your last days may be your best ones, so that by your life, conversation, and death, we younger ones may have encouragement and be strengthened. May self be crucified in you, and Christ more exalted daily in your heart's affections. May you "live Christ," then death will indeed be gain to you. Gain, because you will lose. Lose what? Sin, sorrow suffering, and all dross. Gain, because you will gain what "eye hath not seen nor ear heard," &c.

With best love, I am, your only boy,

Stalbridge, August 4th, 1880.

WILLIE

You that have filled the book of God with your sins should

fill the bottle of God with your tears.-Dr. Goodwin.

THE WATER OF LIFE.

THE Lord Jesus Christ is superior over all the world. He speaks and says, "If any man thirst, let him come unto ME and drink." Look at that poor man dying on the cross; it is his just desert for his crimes, yet he thirsts; he has been brought to cry alone to the Lord Jesus Christ for mercy. Satan would hinder him from drinking, but he has been made to thirst deeply for this water, and the Lord says even to such, "Let him come unto Me and drink." Again, there was a woman "which was a sinner," who approached Jesus; Simon, the Pharisee, said immediately, "This Man, if He were a Prophet, would have known who and what manner of woman this is that toucheth Him; for she is a sinner." The devil would insinuate she surely must not drink, but blessed be His holy name, He knew all about her, that she was a sinner; but He saw her thirst and knew it was the drawing of His Father, else she had never come to Him, for He says "No man can come to Me except the Father which hath sent Me draw Him." Yes, He knew she thirsted for the water of life, and He says, "If any man thirst," even the greatest sinner, who thirsts indeed, "let him come unto Me and drink." How sweet, how refreshing would this glorious truth, this precious declaration, be to her, "THY SINS ARE FORGIVEN.”

"A King shall reign in righteousness; and princes shall rule in judgment. And a Man shall be as an hiding-place from the wind, and a covert from the tempest; as rivers of water in a dry place." Rivers of water! Who is this MAN who shall be as rivers of water? Only, the "MAN more precious than fine gold" (Isaiah xiii. 12). The MAN of SORROWS (Isaiah liii. 3). The MAN who is Jehovah's Fellow (Zech. xiii. 7). The MAN-the peace of His people (Micah v. 5); and "Jesus of Nazareth, a MAN approved of "God" (Acts ii. 22). De mark this -how the streams come to those in deep, deep need! "A dry place." Has your heart ever been to you a dry place? Have the world, your own sins, and the temptations of the devil made it so dry that there is not a single drain of moisture in it? And now you dread coming to that awful place of which we read there is not a drop of water to cool the parched tongue. Oh, unless you have been brought to this, if sin is not a heavy burden too heavy for you to bear, if you die without Christ (oh, solemn thought), there is no hope but that you must one day come to that awful place, where not one drop of water can ever cool your tongue in a never ending eternity! God forbid that you or I should ever be left to that awful state! Oh, how we long, if it was His blessed will, that He would send His Holy Spirit to create this thirst and give this longing, and then cause your willing souls to

take of the water of life freely. Yes, the Lord Jesus Christ is as rivers of water to every thirsty soul.

In the thirty-sixth Psalm, at the eighth verse, it is said: "They shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of Thy house; and Thou shalt make them drink of the river of Thy pleasures." Jehovah's first great Pleasure is the Lord Jesus Christ; in Him He is well pleased, He is His Elect in whom His soul delighteth. Oh, what a river of pleasure it is to hear of His righteousness and blood; His righteousness to clothe me when I feel my nakedness, and His blood to cleanse me when I feel my filthiness and to atone for all my guilt. It is not "They may drink," but "Thou shalt make them drink." What! Will He indeed make them drink? Dare they not, can they not drink except He makes them? Oh, what love that Jehovah should condescend to make them drink! He alone can give the thirst, and He alone can satisfy that thirst. Yes! The Lord Jesus Christ is God's Pleasure, and every stream of grace and glory flows from Him.

Again, the doctrines of divine truth are Jehovah's pleasures, so when your heart and mine finds delight in them, surely we are brought to the same mind with Him and can drink of these rivers of His pleasures. So Paul, in his Epistle to the Ephesian Church says, that the doctrines of election and predestination are “according to the good pleasure of His will.” Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ; according as He hath chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love; having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will” (Ephes. i. 3-6). To the natural mind there is no pleasure in these precious doctrines; indeed the carnal mind hates them, but the Apostle Paul says, "Blessed be God" for such precious truths. Many, even young children of God, say they do not like them; but in the Lord's own time His people shall be willing to receive His truth wherein He takes pleasure, and they shall take pleasure in it too. Yes! "The heart of these rash ones who speak against these truths shall understand knowledge, and the tongue of these stammerers shall speak plainly" (Is. xxxii. 4). Their tongues may for a time stammer out a yea and nay Gospel, but the Lord will teach His own children to speak plainly and to give forth a certain sound. I find also the Lord Jesus Christ thanking His Father for these very truths, "I thank Thee, O Father, LORD of heaven and earth, because Thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes. Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in Thy sight" (Matt. xi. 25, 26).-Extracted from a Sermon by W. L. Rolleston, M.A.