candle will give no light-so as long as conscience is kept in the dark, and the enemy blinds the mind he is just like a person in a dark room : there may be a candle, but he cannot see for want of its being lighted, and that is the reason men are so insensible and unconcerned, though the "wages of sin is death."

But

Let us consider for a moment the swarms of evil thoughts and evil dreams that rise in our minds, and yet we are insensible of them and even pleased with them, but the time will come when men must account for those things and receive the punishment of them, which is death and everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord. But the Lord, in His mercy, is pleased to send His Spirit into his people's hard rebellious hearts to give them the light of the living, and then they begin to know that in them dwells nothing good, but everything evil. The apostle distinguishes between himself and his flesh, because he was favoured with grace, and therefore corrects himself. If he were asked, "Paul, in thee dwells there nothing good? is not your body the temple of the Holy Spirit? is not Christ in you, the hope of glory? and yet you say there dwells nothing good in you?" he would answer, My meaning is, that in my flesh, but it is the seat of every sin, the root of all bitterness. And when these spring up in mere professors they become the bitterest enemies to the truth, cause and people of God. But to prevent this in His own God favours us with that knowledge of our sinful, helpless, ignorant condition: for men may have an understanding to discover the literal meaning of this, and so far be partakers of the Holy Spirit in His natural illuminating power; but this is distinct from grace. the Holy Spirit's teaching strips a man of all he takes pride in, and it is a constant lesson, "I know," at this time, "that in my flesh dwells no good thing," and this is on purpose that they may have a discovery of the Lord Jesus Christ, His sin-atoning blood, the pardon of all sin through His blood, and the justification from every charge by the everlasting righteousness that this Holy One brought in. "He was obedient unto death," and "brought in righteousness," by fulfilling the law and paying the penalty due to Divine justice. By the law is the knowledge of sin the wrath of God is revealed therein and David says, "Blessed is the man whom Thou chastenest, O God, and teachest him out of Thy law:" for when a sight and sense of sin oppress the conscience, it produces fear of wrath and a dread of death and judgment, the soul wants a physician, a hiding place. Then the gospel sets forth a crucified Saviour as such: that He, having borne the wrath of God has delivered His people from wrath to come, having obeyed His heavenly Father's will and done all things pleasing in His sight; then God places that righteousness to the account of, and gives it to those who believe in His name: Thus it is "to him that worketh not but believeth." He acquits the ungodly from every charge, not only unjust but true charges. "Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect?"

(To be continued).

A faith that publicly vaunts its confidence in Divine providence, merely to flaunt itself in rage or pride before the eyes of men, is not that which is the gift of God, and will, if closely watched, be often seen to resort to all kinds of human shifts and expediency to secure its aims and ends, having no humble and real trust in the God of providence, ANON.

THE SAINT'S STEADFASTNESS.

Steadfast by grace poor sinners stand,
Sustained by God's unerring hand;
Sav'd, fed, and led in wisdom's way,
Both watch'd and kept lest they should stray.
Steadfast, predestined so to be,
On Christ the Rock; entirely free
From galling yokes that bind the soul,
O'er which vain man hath no control.
Steadfast in life, that gift of God,
This living way all saints have trod,
From this dark world to brighter lands
To walk on golden-flashing strands.
Steadfast in faith, as martyrs stood,
With armour dyed in Jesu's blood :
They bore the cross, despised the shame,
And died triumphant in His name.
Steadfast in hope, they anchored sure:
The same shall to the end endure:
Through floods and flames did onward press
And sang, "The Lord our Righteousness.
Steadfast in love, supreme of names;
As God is love, that greatness claims,
And loves us till we love in turn,
Like holy fire in censers burn.

Steadfast in truth, a valiant race,
All saved of God, and called by grace,
To fight by faith and watch and pray,
Till Christ shall crown with victory.
Steadfast in peace, that princely gem
That shone so bright at Bethlehem ;
The sonnets sung by angels then

Were, "Peace on earth, good will to men."
Steadfast in light's meridian ray,
Shed from the burning orb of day;

To pilgrims, heat and health imparts,
Dispels the gloom and cheers their hearts.
Steadfast, immovable, are they
Whom God in Christ hath taught to pray;
The Spirit's power to these is given
To lead and guide them safe to heaven.
Steadfast in life's rough journey here,
Through chequered scenes of doubt and fear
Afflictive dispensations prove

How God refines His gold in love.

Steadfast, as rocks and mountains be,
For 'tis Jehovah's firm decree

That all who come through Christ alone,
Shall faultless stand before the throne.

Steadfast in life, steadfast in death,
When pulse shall cease, and mortal breath
No more respire; the work is done,
The battle's fought, the victory's won!

DEW DROPS.

(Concluded from page 80.)

ARROWMAKER.

When the adorable Lord, the kind, loving, gracious Spirit of God, is pleased to condescend to come, as He sometimes does, (though not so often as we wish) in the night season, when deep sleep has fallen upon us, and that not only in the form of dew upon the grass, but as a plentiful penetrating shower, when the fleece has become so saturated that we may wring it out-when He has in this powerful, blessed, heavenly manner manifested to our souls the glorious majesty of King Jesus in His Person and work, the soul may then defy devils, men, or aught else to persuade it that it was a mere illusion, a dream, a fancy of the brain. No, there is such a superhuman grandeur, glory, majesty, and power in what the soul then apprehends, yea, is made to realize, that language fails to give utterance to, the soul has it in itself, but cannot express it. Nevertheless, it cannot keep it all within, but its language is, "O come hither and hearken all ye that fear God," for it is very jealous over these precious dew drops, these pearls of great price, these glorious visitations,

it will not cast them down to be trampled on by sinners' feet; it is to the " ye that fear God" it says, "I will declare what He hath done for my soul." The soul thus favoured with spiritual vision sees in the Person, work, and words of Jesus, in His ministry here on earth, such a glorious majesty, such penetrating almighty power, such glory, (and what is more feels it too) that it stands amazed, surprised, astonished, filled with inexpressible admiration, the highest adoration, the deepest reverence, a sense of the lowest humility. Love, grace, gratitude, penitence, compunction, self-abasement possess it. It is filled with a joy, too, that is unspeakable and full of glory. It is a joy from being able to appropriate this mighty Jesus as its refuge and strength, to claim Him as its own Lord, God, and Saviour. It understands the meaning of the "I in them, and Thou in Me." The "full of glory" too is known. It is the glory of Jesus resting upon the soul, not the essential glory which no mortal eye can see, but the glory of Christ, the God-man Mediator in the divine majesty of His wondrous Person, His words and works, His life in detail, His sufferings, His agony and bloody sweat, His bitter cries and passion, His glorious conquest over death and the grave, and all the powers of hell, the glories of His resurrection, and the loveliness of His Person, as He stands and says, "Peace be unto you;" I ascend to My Father and your Father, to My God and your God. The soul thus overshadowed by the Holy Ghost, and enlightened by the Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Christ, confesses that, whereas before it had heard of Him with the hearing of the ear, now its eye sees Him, and seeing His beauty, glorious majesty, almighty power, His wondrous dignity, grace, love, compassion, and tenderness, it feels by contrast its own littleness, helplessness, unworthiness, poverty, guilt, and shame, and the need it has for such a great Saviour, and like one before Solomon, confesses the half of His greatness had not been told." "And behold a greater than Solomon is here." And we beheld His

glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. This is the glory which God's children are sometimes favoured with a sight of, some in a greater and others in a less degree: and none but they are so favoured. They are His servants, His children, His babes, and the measure is imparted to each out of the fulness of Jesus, according to the sovereign and good pleasure of the Allwise dispenser to the body of Christ and members in particular, as they severally have need. And yet we only "see in part, and know in part:" for now 66 we see through a glass darkly," but what we do see has a transforming power on the soul and the spirit. "For we beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord." And, O beloved in the Lord, what a blessed season that is when the dear and gracious Lord takes us aside privately, though it be in a desert place, and comes and talks with us as a Friend; making known to us the love and power and grace of His heart, revealing all with power! 'Tis heaven begun below, 'tis a foretaste of joys

above.

The happy soul says, "It is good for me to be here." There is reciprocity of love: Jesus giving, the soul receiving; Jesus smiling, the soul ravished with His love; Jesus looking on, inviting, and caressing, the soul absorbed in the contemplation of His great beauty; Jesus speaking, and the soul lying at His feet all attention to His gracious

voice; the soul bathing His dear honoured feet with tears of compunction, love, gratitude, and filled with ineffable bliss, Jesus receiving sinners and eating with them; the soul fainting through the excess of bliss, Jesus imparting strength; Jesus saying, Be of good cheer, I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name, thou art Mine, the soul saying in all the fervour and truthfulness of its heart, I am not worthy, but Thou knowest all things Lord, Thou knowest that I love Thee, yes, indeed, indeed, I do love Thee, my precious Lord, my adorable God and Saviour, my dearest Friend and Brother. Thy love not only kills me, but it revives me, it emboldens me, it strengthens me, in Thy joy is my strength; no name can I find sufficiently full enough to express my soul's feelings of adoration, reverence, love, gratitude, and all else I cannot name; no name is too great for my Jesus.

“I charge you, O ye daughters of Jerusalem," that ye intrude not here. Let not our communion be disturbed. "I charge you that ye stir not up, nor awake my love till He please." Hence! world, and all its vanities: hence! sinful thoughts, evil heart, unbelief: and hence! too, thou arch fiend, the author of all my woes and the cause of all my dear Lord's griefs, pains, and sorrows; all hence! They are gone. My soul is left alone with Jesus. Who can understand it?

Dearest Lord, Thou shalt see of the travail of Thy soul and be satisfied. Thou hast laid hold of my soul. O matchless grace! O wondrous condescension! Thy holy, rich, and priceless blood shed for me. The drops thereof my faith views trickling into my conscience, purging it. În Thy glorious all-perfect righteous obedience I stand justified without spot or stain: for though black as the tents of Kedar I am comely in Thy comeliness. O blest season of soul strengthening, stablishing, and settling.

"I'm lost in wonder when I see

His grievous bitter smart :
And how He lived and died for me,

This breaks my stony heart."

And establish Thou the work of our hands.

What can this mean?

The work of OUR hands, my Lord! the work is Thy own.

"Thou mak'st the believer and giv'st him his crown,"

which we will cast at Thy feet as unworthy to receive it, Thou_dear and glorious Lord. Our work! surely it must mean THY work. Our works are all polluted and defiled with sin. Well, perhaps, and indeed it must mean the work Thou givest us to do for Thee, for am I not Thy servant? Then, dear Lord, give Thy servant wisdom to go in and out and find pasture; and strengthen Him with might by Thy Spirit in the inner-man, and enable Him to go in and out before Thy people, "to feed them with knowledge and understanding," and let them be established in "the truth as it is in Christ Jesus," so shall Thy work appear unto Thy servants, and Thy glory unto the children whom thou shall be pleased to give them in making them Thy children. So shall the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us, and the glory of the Lord in our midst. "And the Lord will create on every dwelling-place of Mount Zion, and upon her assemblies, a cloud and smoke by day, and the shining of a flaming fire by night; for upon all, the glory shall be a defence." Every child of God is His dwelling-place. There is a blessed encouragement in this for poor little faith. Dost thou not come in among one of the

dwelling-places, one of the all assemblies? and dost thou not feel thy need of a cloud and smoke in the day of fiery trial, scorching and withering persecution; a shadow from the heat, a shelter from the rain? Well, God says it shall be on you. Listen! a man shall be such, Isa. xxxii., that glorious God-man, Christ. Yes, and thou needest the flaming fire by night, to guide thee in seasons of darkness, doubt and perplexity. This Glory-man shall be for a defence to thee, protecting thee, and guiding thee to God's holy hill of Zion above. Amen. Eastbourne, December 22nd, 1877.

W. P. C.

THE BIRTHRIGHT AND THE BLESSING. September 22nd, 1873.

HIS morning, after reading the 62nd chapter of Isaiah, the subject of the birthright came into my mind in a moment, and thought after thought flowed in so that I sat down and wrote them. As I was walking through St. James Park a few weeks since, it came into my soul, further opening. Reader, I here give you what I humbly hope the Lord revealed to me, and send it to the Editor, for his approval or rejection, as his good judgment may think fit. If I have any motive of my own in so doing it is this: the reproach we so often hear from professors cast upon poor worm Jacob.

The history of Jacob occupies a prominent place in the word of God. The little family of whom he was a member, only consisted of four persons, Isaac and Rebecca,-Esau and Jacob. I hope it will not be profitless to meditate briefly on each person, before entering on the special subject. May the Lord be pleased to give wisdom to write soberly, according to the revealed word. 1. Isaac. He was Abraham's son given him in his old age to be his heir, of whom the Lord said to Abraham, "I will establish My covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, and his seed after him." "And Isaac went out to meditate in the fields at the eventide," Genesis xxiv. 63. We may suppose this was a practice with him, being recorded, and as he was near forty years of age, he had much to meditate upon-what his father had told him of the Lord's marvellous dealings with him; also the wondrous mystery manifested on Mount Moriah, and the voice that spoke to Abraham there so wondrous was this sacred scene, it is written, "In the mount of the Lord it shall be seen to this day." Oh wonderful words! more than once or twice have we realized this in the house of the Lord, when the Lord's servant has been deeply entering into the sacrificial work of our dear Redeemer, so that our soul has echoed, "In the Mount of the Lord it is seen to this day." Bless the Lord, O my soul. I hope, dear reader, you can respond to this; it is a precious moment when realized. It has pleased the Lord to give unto His people, more or less, a meditative mind. Our brother David would say, I have not forgotten the hill Mizar, nor the land of the Hermonites. Oh no! these special seasons are never wholly forgotten, the seal of the Eternal Three rests upon them.

"Art thou a son for sin distrest,

Doth guilt lie heavy on thy breast?
In Christ the Lamb, deliverance see,
His blood's a peaceful sign to thee.