Divine Answer:- -God is

Lead us not into temptation. Matt. vi. 13. faithful; who will not suffer you to be tempted above what ye are able, but will, with the temptation, also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it. 1 Cor. x. 13. Ps. lxvii. 2.

THE nearer to Heaven the higher the mountains, the deeper the valleys, and the sharper the conflicts. But be not discouraged; it is only for the trial of our faith. God gives also more strength, carries us through all, as he has done from the beginning, and suffers none to be ashamed who trust in Him. Sometimes we may seem to be tempted above measure, and are afraid of being confounded; but far from it, it is quite impossible we should. Here thou hast the plain words of the Lord. Take hold on them, and wait His time; for since the world stood, none have been confounded in any thing who have waited for His promise; and surely he will not make thee the first instance of the failure of his word. By no means. Phil. i. 10.-Isa. liv, 10. “ Rather shall the mountains depart and the hills be removed, says the Lord, that hath mercy on thee."

Our God, how firm his promise stands,
E'en when he hides his face!

He trusts in our Redeemer's hands
His glory and his grace.

Then why, my soul, these sad complaints,
Since Christ and we are one?

Thy God is faithful to his saints;

Is faithful to his Son.

Beneath his smiles my heart has liv'd,
And part of Heaven possess'd;
O, praise his name for grace receiv'd,
And trust him for the rest.

O satisfy us early with thy mercy. Ps. xc. 14. God's Answer: Open this mouth wide, and I will fill it. Ps. lxxxi. 10. For my people shall be satisfied with my goodness. Jer. xxxi. 14. The river of God is full of water. Ps.lxv.9. With joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of Salvation. Isa. xii. 3. This is the Fountain opened for sin and for uncleanness. Zech. xiii. 1.

My Soul, keep close to the Gospel; there only is a fulness to supply all wants; food for the hungry, and raiment for the naked soul, and every thing in plenty. Whosoever will, may come and be fed and clothed, without money and without price. Therefore let not the law hinder thee from eating and drinking, rejoicing and adorning thyself in a gospel manner.— The law, as one justly observes, brings in a great bill, but nothing wherewith to discharge it. It sets the soul a working, but so as to neglect the proper nourishment necessary for it. No wonder, therefore, that she is destitute of sufficient strength; that she faints, and never comes to the right mark. There is no such thing as making amends by the law; we must go directly to Christ, and receive first the grace and strength required out of his fulness by faith.

Let ev'ry mortal ear attend,

And ev'ry heart rejoice;
The trumpet of the gospel sounds
With an inviting voice.
Rivers of love and mercy here
In a rich ocean join ;
Salvation in abundance flows,

Like floods of milk and wine.

Dear God, the treasures of thy love
Are everlasting mines;
Deep as our helpless mis'ries are,
And boundless as our sins.
The happy gates of gospel-grace
Stand open night and day;
Lord, we are come to seek supplies,
And drive our wants away.

Fear not, daughter of Zion. John xii. 15. But greatly rejoice and shout, O daughter of Jerusalem, behold thy King comes unto thee; he is just and having salvation. Zech. ix. 9. For the Lord has taken away thy judgments; he has cast out thine enemy: the King of Israel, even the Lord, is in the midst of thee: thou shalt not see evil any more. Zeph. iii. 15. Behold, they shall surely gather together, but not by me; whosoever shall gather against thee shall fall for thy sake. Isa. liv. 15. Let them return unto thee, but return not thou unto them. Jer. xv. 19.

How strong soever thine inward enemies, thy corruptions, may be now, fear not, and be not discouraged. Thy King is bound by his office, love, and promisc, to help thee with strength to overcome; even the hardships of a Christian work together for his good in this world, and brighten his crown of glory in the world to come. Too oft, instead of casting and leaving a burden on the Lord by faith at once, we parley with temptation, and undertake to heal ourselves by a thousand false contrivances, the effect of which is to make a conflict long that might have been short. 2 Chron. xvi. 7, 8, 9. Lord, give me grace to be watchful, and to keep on the armour of faith, that, as I pass from conflict to conflict, may pass on conquering and to conquer, daily pressing forward, and experiencing Jesus every hour, my mighty King and Saviour!

My Lord, my Conqu'ror, and my King,
Thy sceptre and thy sword I sing;
Thine is the vict'ry; and I sit

A joyful subject at thy feet.

Great Prophet, let me bless thy name;
By thee the joyful tidings came,
Of wrath appeas'd, of sins forgiv'n,
Of Hell subdu'd, and peace with Heav'n,

Thou shalt not be afraid of them, but shalt well remember what the Lord thy God did unto Pharaoh, and unto all Egypt. Deut. vii. 18. Be ye not terrified because of them, for the Lord your God is he that goes with you, to fight for you against your enemies; to save you. Chap. xx. 3, 4. Hitherto shalt thou come, and no further; and here shall thy proud waves be stayed. Job xxxviii. 11.

THE assaults of original sin will ever return; and we must not be surprised, when one conflict is over that another arises. This contest is unavoidable, for the enemy is within us. It makes us more careful and humble to know this, than if we believe that we had only to encounter with sin from without and not from within: and if we desire to feel less evil in us than God suffers us to have, we may be assured this desire proceeds either from pride, seeking to glory in our own righteousness. or from an impatient wish to get rid of the trouble of striving always against sin; whereas it should be enough for us that God suffers it, lays it not to our charge, and carries us through all dangers.

Let the redeemed of the Lord.
The wonders of his grace record;
Israel, the nation which he chose,
And rescu'd from their mighty foes.

He feeds and clothes us all the way;
He guides our footsteps lest we stray;
He guards us with a pow'rful hand,
And briugs us to the heav'nly land.

Verily, thou art a God that hidest thyself, O God of Israel the Saviour. Isa. xlv. 15. All the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth. Psa. xxv. 10.— The Lord of hosts is wonderful in counsel, and excellent in working. Isa.

xxviii. 29.

Gon is wonderful in all his doings! his ways are past finding out: at the end we can see best the wise and gracious steps he took with us: therefore, when things take such a wonderful turn that we are quite at our wit's end, and do not know which way to go, we may believe the hand of the Lord is in it, and some good will come of it at last. As we experience the name of Christ to be wonderful at such times, we may well expect that he will show himself to be our Counsellor and mighty God also. At first every thing may seem to be against us, and go quite contrary; but at last, we see plainly that it was highly needful it should go contrary to our corrupt nature, and that thus it went well; for though the ways of God are marvellous, yet they are glorious.