"bruised reeds," who, in speaking of their God, would fain say my," but are afraid to say it, and who consequently go on their way with saddened heart and weeping eye; but they are God's jewels notwithstanding, and shall yet sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. But though not indispensable to safety, such an assured hope is yet so essential in many respects to strength, and joy, and blessed usefulness, that we are ever urged to give all diligence to secure it.

When Dr. Fisher, bishop of Rochester, came out of the Tower of London, and saw the scaffold on which he was to be beheaded, he took out of his pocket a Greek Testament, and, looking up to heaven, he exclaimed, "Now, O Lord, direct me to some passage which may support me through this awful scene." He opened the book, and his eye glanced on the text, "This is life eternal, to know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent." He instantly closed the book, and said, "Praised be the Lord! this is sufficient for me and for eternity."

O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is.-Ps. lxiii. 1.

The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust.-Ps. xviii. 2.

IT

January 24.

THE TRUE SECRET OF STRENGTH.

T was one of the marked peculiarities of Samson's history to have his birth announced beforehand by an angel of the Lord: "Lo, thou shalt conceive, and bear a

son; and no razor shall come on his head: for the child shall be a Nazarite unto God from the womb: and he shall begin to deliver Israel out of the hand of the Philistines." He was thus from his very birth consecrated to the Lord for worship and service; and in all likelihood this consecration, in the beginning, at least, was inward in part as well as outward. When reading and thinking of his marvellous exploits, we almost instinctively invest him in our minds with the outward characteristics of some mighty son of Anak, for this seems the readiest and easiest way of accounting for his mighty deeds.

In judging thus, however, we miss entirely the real secret of his strength, which lay, not in the mere shape or build of his physical frame, but in the helpful presence of his God. It is not from mere uncertain inference we gather this, but from express declaration. Thus it is written: "The Spirit of the Lord began to move him at times in the camp of Dan;" "The Spirit of the Lord came mightily upon him, and the cords that were upon his arms became as flax that was burnt with fire." It is plain from this that he was a mighty man mainly because he was a consecrated Nazarite, set apart for God's service, and relying on God's help.

So is it more or less still. If we are to be spiritually vigorous and helpful, we must be heartily the Lord's, and thoroughly consecrated. So long as we thus feel and act God will be with us, and make gracious use of us. Though in ourselves utterly feeble, and in the world's eyes, it may be, the very weakest of weaklings, yet united to the Lord, on whom we lean, we become giants in spiritual might, and can remove mountains.

Blessed are they who can so trust the Lord. With men," says Bishop Hall, "it is a good rule to try first, and then trust; with God it is the contrary. I will first trust him as most wise, omnipotent, merciful, and try him afterwards. It is as impossible for him to deceive me as not to be."

If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master's use, and prepared unto every good work.-2 TIM. ii. 21.

Be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.-EPH. vi. 10.

I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.-PHIL. iv. 13.

January 25.

HOPEFUL THIRST.

HERE is an inward want in all men which is ever

THERE

prompting the cry, "Who will shew us any good?” They themselves may be unable to define this craving, but it exists, and is inseparable from their very nature. It characterizes the worst no less than the best of men; even when they are breaking through every restraint, and violating every law, the one main thing ever stimulating to this is a burning thirst for imagined happiness.

But besides this thirst which all feel, there is a thirst of another kind peculiar to the awakened. Having their eyes opened in some degree, they not only see the world's emptiness and insufficiency, but realize the existence of something truer and better, which if possessed would for ever satisfy their every longing. It is, therefore, life they now long for, more than pleasure-a place in the kingdom, more than social elevation or evanescent glory. A thirst like this is always hopeful and full of interest,

because it is so usually a near precursor of blessing. It is like the refreshing greenery occasionally met with in the desert, and which is ever the gladdening token to the weary traveller that water is near. Of all such thirsters it may be emphatically said, "They are not far from the kingdom."

But there is another thirst still, which is peculiar to those who have already found pardon and acceptance through the blood of the Lamb. It mainly consists in an intense and continuous longing for a fuller knowledge of God, and a closer intimacy with him, and a more entire conformity to his mind and will. It is of this thirst our Lord speaks when he says, "Blessed are they who hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled;" and, generally speaking, its intensity in believers is in proportion to their growth in grace. "The next best thing to living in the light of the Lord's countenance," says one, "is to be unhappy till we have it, and to pant hourly after it."

As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God. My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God?-Ps. xlii. 1, 2.

Oh that I knew where I might find him! that I might come even to his Beat!-JOB Xxiii. 3.

My soul longeth, yea, even fainteth for the courts of the Lord: my heart and my flesh crieth out for the living God.-Ps. lxxxiv. 2.

January 26.

THOUGH WE KNOW LITTLE, OUR LOVING LORD KNOWS ALL.

IF

F we are made sure of anything it is of this, that as nothing is too hard for the Lord Jesus, so nothing can be hid from him: "He knoweth all things." This great fact

of our Lord's omniscience is one of no ordinary weight and impressiveness, especially when linked in our thoughts with human responsibility and the great day of account, of which again and again such decisive mention is made in utterances like these: "We must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad." "And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works." Being omniscient, the Judge will know the secrets of every soul, and none can void the summons that calls to his judgmentseat.

There is peculiar solemnity in this thought, and it may well prove powerfully operative in preserving from sin, and in stimulating to duty. But there is also peculiar sweetness in it, especially in seasons of bitter reproach and persecution, when men say all manner of evil against us falsely for Christ's sake. Looking up at such times, and appealing from the erring creature to the unerring Lord, maligned believers can calmly and trustfully say, The world misjudges, but thou, Lord, knowest all things."

This was many a time a precious and sustaining comfort to Paul. Every evil thing was said of him. He was denounced as a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes, a pestilent fellow, a mover of sedition, a rebel against Cæsar, and therefore in every way worthy of death. But such falsehoods did not disturb him. On the contrary, with the most blessed calmness he simply said, "With me it is a very small thing that I should be judged of you, or of