If there is only the beginning of good things in your soul-if there is but a feeling of earnestness, ever so slight-if there is a waking up to the great realities of eternity-if there is a desire, however faint, to live for heaven-may He, who "despises not the day of small things," help you on your way! May He, who knows your difficulties better than I do, bring you through them all; and enable you from this time to stand forward as heaven-bound travellers, as those whose hearts are bent on reaching a better home!

DURING the twelve years that I have preached in this Church, I have not taken more than three texts from this Book. And yet it contains passages, from which a really spiritual mind may derive the truest comfort. This Song of Solomon is very difficult and mysterious and none, I believe, can read it with any profit but those who are under the guiding of God's Holy Spirit.

Here we have Christ brought before us as the Husband and Lover of His people. And we have His Church as the Bride. We

may learn from it the tender affection of Christ for His followers, and their loving attachment to Him as their Lord.

Look at the chapter before us. In the first verse a seeking soul is described-a seeker who has not yet found the Saviour

-one who is on the search, but has not yet discovered" the pearl of great price." "By night on my bed I sought Him whom my soul loveth I sought him, but I found Him not."

With the utmost anxiety and eagerness is this search carried on-"I will rise now, and go about the city; in the streets and in the broad ways I will seek him whom my soul loveth: I sought him, but I found him not."

In the third verse the Watchmen, or Ministers, are described as finding this earnest inquirer, and helping him in his distress. "The watchmen that go about the city found me: to whom I said, Saw ye him whom my soul loveth?"

And then, in the fourth verse, we see

that promise fulfilled, "Ask, and it shall be given you; seek and ye shall find." For the inquirer exclaims in the joy of his heart, "It was but a little that I passed from them, but I found him whom my soul loveth."

May you and I be blest with the same happy experience! For of this I am certain, that the Lord never yet said to any of His people, "Seek ye me in vain."

I spoke last Sunday of God's converting power-of a soul being quickened or new-born by His grace. Now, where does the living soul find strength? From whence comes its supplies? How does the new-born man live?

In himself he is powerless. Within all is emptiness. He has been awakened, it is true; but he will fall back into sleep again— he has been raised as it were from the dead; but death will soon seize him again— if he has no life but that which springs up from within himself.

Let us see how it was with St. Paul after

his conversion. Hear what he says in his own case, "I live, yet not I, but Christ liveth in me." Hear what St. John says, "He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life." And now let us hear what Christ Himself says, "I am the Life," "the resurrection and the Life;" the way, the truth, and the Life." "Because I live, ye shall live also." Christ then is the Life of the renewed soul.

Look at one of those trees, which cast their shade on our churchyard. In summer how fresh and vigorous are its branches! And even at this dreary season, when every bough seems dead, if you cut one, you will soon see there is life in it. Why? Because there is life and vigour in the stem.

Or look at one of those strong steady arms that hold the plough, or fells the oak. Whence comes the power, the activity, the strength? It comes from the body, in which there is life and health. What would the branch be, if cut off from the tree?