grandest litany to which I ever listened. Such an outpouring of confession, and broken by sobs; such pleadings of the precious promises and the precious blood of Jesus; such trust, hesitating at first, but rapidly growing to strong assurance in salvation to the uttermost, and grace to the chief of sinners; and then such wonder, such quiet joy in salvation, or rather in a Saviour so unexpectedly, so suddenly, and yet so surely found."

Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.-MARK xi. 24.

This is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us.-1 JOHN v. 14.

If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.-JOHN xv. 7.

August 4.

THE SEEN IS THE SHADOWY, THE UNSEEN THE REAL.

THE

HE good things of this life-its riches, honours, and pleasures are with many their all in all, and to secure them in ever-increasing abundance is their constant aim. They deem this truest wisdom, mainly on the ground that such things are present, visible, and substantially real.

This may be their estimate, but it is not the Lord's; for he expressly says, "A man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth." Neither is it in harmony with facts. Indeed, even at their best, earthly things not only fail to satisfy, but never can they be surely counted on for a single moment; for though ours to-day, they take wings to-morrow; or if they con

tinue, we ourselves may not: for what is our life? It is even as a vapour, that appeareth for a little while, and then vanisheth away. Yea, the world itself passeth away, and the lust thereof; and only he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.

Verily, then, the things shadowy are the things seen and temporal; while the world to come, the heavenly inheritance, the far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, unseen though they be, are, nevertheless, the things real and abiding. Moreover, their attractive and sanctifying powers are every day felt by the children of God; and so strongly, that with such a better and enduring substance in prospect, they would deem it utterly unworthy of them to set their eyes or hearts on what, after all, is but a fashion that passeth away.

On one occasion, a passer-by, seeing a blind boy seated on his father's steps, holding in his hand a kite-string,the kite flying far away in the air, said to him, “Is that any satisfaction to you, my lad, to fly that kite when you cannot see it?" "Oh yes," he replied; "I can't see it, but I can feel it pull." So out of this dark world," says one, "and amid this blindness of sin, we feel something pulling us toward heaven; and though we cannot see the thrones, and cannot behold the joy, and cannot yet gaze upon the coronation, blessed be God we can feel them drawing us heavenward."

While here, we should ever feel as strangers, and declare plainly that we are seeking a better country, even a heavenly. "As you walk through a flower-garden," said a saintly man, "you never think of lying down to make your home among its roses; so pass through the garden of this world's best joys. Smell the flowers in passing, but

do not tarry. Jesus calls you to his banqueting-house; there you will feed among the lilies, on the mountains of spices."

We walk by faith, not by sight.-2 COR. v. 7.

Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. ...By faith he [Moses] forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king: for he endured, as seeing him who is invisible.-HEB. xi. 1, 27.

Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory.-1 PETER i. 8.

August 5.

THOSE WHO RIGHTLY TURN WILL PATIENTLY WAIT.

THE

THE early Christians did not only turn from idols to serve the living and true God, but "waited" also, we are told, "for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come." It is implied in these words that Christ, who died and rose again, and ascended into heaven, is to return to this earth; and that, meanwhile, it is the duty and privilege of every believer to wait expectantly for his coming.

It has, indeed, been said, Were they not deceived in this expectation? was not their waiting a very fruitless expenditure of desire and patience? for since then eighteen centuries have run their weary course, and still the heavens retain him. To this, however, it has been justly replied: "In so far as they or any of them held it as a matter of faith, or even of opinion, that the Lord should certainly return in that age, to that extent, of course, they were mistaken. But if they simply believed that his coming was, in general terms, a thing near at hand, and if not

knowing precisely how near it was, they felt it to be at once their duty, their interest, and their delight to be ever waiting for it, and preparing for it, then they were not mistaken, but just did what their inspired teacher and the Lord himself required of them." Accordingly,

wherever the grace of God then appeared, it taught men, as one grand motive to all sober, righteous, and godly living, to look for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of our great God and Saviour Jesus Christ; yea, to look for it as possibly near, as a thing to be loved, and hastened, and waited for, at all seasons, whether of sorrow or joy.

All are familiar with these passages: "The coming of the Lord draweth nigh"-" Now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand"-" For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry". "Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh; and what I say unto you, I say unto all, Watch." The coming of our Lord from heaven, therefore, may well be much in the thoughts and affections of all the redeemed.

"The loving wife longs for her husband's return," said Angell James. "Oh, when will he come back! is her frequent exclamation. Wife of the Lamb, Church of the Saviour, where is thy waiting, hoping, longing for the second coming of the Lord? Is this thy blessed hope, as it was of the primitive Church?" Similar in spirit was the utterance of Thomas Chalmers :-" In the attitude of habitual service and of habitual supplication would I wait for Thy coming to our world. Come quickly, Lord Jesus; and, to prepare me for this coming, let thy grace be abundantly bestowed, and thy power rest upon me."

Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.-ACTS i. 11.

I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.-JOHN xiv. 3.

August 6.

WITH US, BUT NOT OF US.

T is one of the memorable utterances of John in his

IT

First Epistle, "They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us." These words have something saddening in them, for they clearly show that it is quite possible to have a name to live and yet not be living, and to be mingled with the saints even long and closely without ever being united to the Saviour. It was so with Judas, and with Simon Magus; and it was also so, alas! even with Demas. The name of Demas occurs several times in the Sacred Volume, and in honourable fellowship. "Luke, the beloved physician, and Demas greet thee "-"Marcus, Aristarchus, Demas, and Lucas, my fellow-labourers." Manifestly,

therefore, Demas not only came out of heathenism, and all evil companionship, and cast in his lot with the Lord's people, but became to all appearance so full of zeal for the cause of Christ and the conversion of souls, that he was openly recognized as a fellow-labourer of Paul himself. In spite of all this, however, Demas in the end forsook the apostle, renounced his ministry, and turned back to his old ways. "Demas hath forsaken me," he mournfully