we read such words as these,-"As deceivers, and yet true; as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, yet possessing all things," they are ready to say, How can such things be, save in idle dream or mystic imagining? Nevertheless, they were true to the very letter in the lives of the apostles; and are true more or less still in the lives of all God's saints. They are poor, yet rich; weak, yet strong; sad, yet joyous; rarely out of conflict, yet never without victory. It was once said of David Brainerd: "Most wonderful man, what conflicts, depressions, desertions, strength, advancement, and victories are within thy torn bosom! I cannot express what I think when I think of thee."

This seeming contrariety of experience is not sufficiently borne in mind by believers; and so, when they find that it is not one battle they have to fight, but many, and that their whole life is a warfare-nature ever warring with grace, the flesh with the spirit-they are often at their wits' end, and know not what to do. Amid all this trial and buffeting, however, when trusted, the Lord so lovingly sustains and comforts them, that they not only hold on, but find even in severest conflicts their sweetest experiences. A well-known missionary tells us of a poor African woman, who once said to him, groaning heavily, that she had two hearts, a new and an old, and they were so constantly contending, the one saying, "Come to Jesus," the other saying, "Stay away;" the one bidding her do good, and the other bidding her do evil,-that she knew not what to do. He read to her the seventh chapter of the Romans, and showed that the apostle felt the same things. When he came to the verse, "O wretched

man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?" she said, "Ah, massa, that me; and me know not what to do." And when he afterwards added the words, "I thank God, through Jesus Christ," and explained them, she burst into tears of grateful joy. What comforted her may well comfort all similarly tempted and sorrowing ones.

Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other; so that ye cannot do the things that ye would....If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.-GAL. V. 16, 17, 25.

If ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.-ROM. viii. 13.

March 6.

GOD UNKNOWN, YET WELL KNOWN.

A CHRISTIAN sailor, when referring to his conversion

in early life, once told me that, when he was a boy about twelve years of age, his brother, who had never before spoken to him on religious subjects, gave him this advice: "If you want anything, ask God for it, and he will give it you." This greatly surprised him; all the more as never before had the thought entered his mind that prayer was a reality, and not a mere form. As it so happened, however, that at that very time there was something on which his heart was greatly set, he resolved to act on the counsel given him. He prayed, and God answered. This, which proved the turning-point of his whole life, was such a new experience to him, that, young as he was, he said to himself, "There is a God, and I have not known him."

With all their know

It is still so with multitudes. ledge, they know not God; but this ignorance, so far from being a surprise to them, or a sadness, as with the sailor boy, or a motive for seeking after him, is contentedly accepted, for they desire not the knowledge of his ways. In these times, God, to large numbers, is little more than a great, resistless, impersonal Force, without love or sympathy, with whom they cannot have communion, and from whom, in their difficulties and sorrows, they can get no help. How strange such darkness, and how mournful! "That which to us is the greatest reality," says Mr. Saphir, "appears a vague and doubtful abstraction to unbelief: it regards as obscure what is to us light, manifesting itself and making all things manifest; it deems inadmissible and far off what is constantly around us, nay, lives within us, a well of water springing up into eternal life."

Yes; though the unbelieving may not know him, God is well known to others; so well known, indeed, that as children with their Father they daily commune with him, and trust him and love him, and in answer to their prayers continually receive from him blessed sympathy and aid. They would as soon, therefore, doubt their own existence, as doubt the being, faithfulness, sympathy, and tender loving-kindness of their God. Like the Psalmist, they can confidently say, "This God is our God for ever and ever: he will be our guide even unto death." When he had reached his last hours, Mr. Day of Bristol said: "O my God, my portion, my all! Blessed be thy name, thou hast said unto me, 'I am thine,' and never hast thou failed me." Then stretching out his hand to his family around his bed, like a patriarch on

the threshold of heaven, he added: "Shine forth in thy Thou wilt never leave them."

glory on these dear ones.

To speed his children on their homeward way.

He guides the winds. Faith, love, and hope all say,

'God doth not leave his own.'

This is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.-JOHN xvii. 3.

Acquaint now thyself with him, and be at peace; thereby good shall come unto thee.-JOB Xxii. 21.

N

March 7.

WHEN REQUESTS ARE RASH, DENIALS ARE KIND.

EVER was suppliant more rash than Elijah when

"he requested for himself that he might die; and said, It is enough: now, O Lord, take away my life; for I am not better than my fathers." He had too much light and godly fear, himself to take away life. Doubtless the very thought of such a thing would have been utterly abhorrent to him. But in his sore disquietude he had not submission and faith enough calmly to wait and say, with the patriarch, "Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him." He demanded instant relief, and in his own way. "O Lord God," he said, " take away my life; for I am not better than my fathers." How strange to be so fearless once, and so fearful now; so lately contending for the truth and honour of God before many enemies, and now setting up his own thoughts against God's thoughts, and rashly declaring, "It is enough," when it was not enough!

Elijah had yet many lessons to learn, fuller testimony to bear, and richer privileges to enjoy. "If the Lord," as one says, "had taken him at his word, and also said, 'It is enough,' Elijah's history would have wanted its crowning glory." When, therefore, with fretful impatience, he asked for a speedy termination of his seemingly fruitless labours, the Lord in very kindness denied his request.

He might have been excused, in some degree, had high spiritual reasons alone influenced him; but vehemently to desire death through mere vexation and disquietude was entirely unworthy of him. Though it may not be wrong to say, "Oh that I had the wings of a dove, that I might flee away, and be at rest!"-for the desire is a very natural one, and it is a relief at times to the weary spirit to give utterance to it-yet we should take heed lest there be more of nature than of grace in a too frequent expression of such feeling. Paul longed to depart, for to be with Christ is far better; yet he was heartily willing to abide, because it was more needful for others. So should it be with us.

At a private meeting of friends, on one occasion, George Whitefield, after adverting to the difficulties attending the gospel ministry, said that he was weary with the burdens of the day, and declared it to be his great consolation that in a short time his work would be done, and he should depart and be with Christ. He then appealed to the ministers present, and asked if they had not entirely similar feelings. They generally assented, with the exception of Mr. Tennent. On seeing this, Mr. Whitefield, tapping him on the knee, said: "Well, Brother Tennent, you are the oldest man among us; do you not rejoice to think that your time is so near at hand when you will be