David's Prayer.-How long wilt thou forget me, O Lord? PSALM Xiii. 1.

Divine Answer.-Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? Yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee. Behold I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me. ISA. xlix. 15, 16.

THE wickedness and the evil of our hearts, and

the great heap of our actual transgressions which we daily transgress against the LORD, are no easy matters to get rid of. We need to wrestle and strive like Jacob, and hold the LORD till he bless us with his pardoning and his purifying grace. Were all our sins and afflictions easily to be prayed away with a few words, whence these sad and repeated complaints of David? Why should GOD advise us to wait for him, and persevere in hope? And how could faith and patience be exercised? In our closets we may be lifted with high speculations, seem to be strong, and able to leap over all the walls; but in great distress we see how dejected and distrusting our hearts often are (Ps. xxx. 7, 8), but the LORD preserves us.

GOD's is an unchanging love,
Higher than the heights above,
Deeper than the depths beneath,
Free and faithful, strong as death.
Thou shalt see my glory soon,
When the work of grace is done;
Partner of my throne shalt be;
Say, poor sinner, lov'st thou me ?
LORD, it is my chief complaint,
That my love is weak and faint;
Yet I love thee, and adore;
O for grace to love thee more!

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David's Prayer.-Show me thy ways, O Lord, and teach me thy paths. PSALM XXV. 4. Moses' Prayer.-Show me now thy way, that I may know thee. EXOD. Xxxiii. 13.

Divine Answers.—I will instruct thee, and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go. I will guide thee with mine eye. PSALM XXXii. 8. My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest. EXOD. xxxiii. 14.

LORD, suffer me not to step aside one inch from thy way, much less to fall away from thee, the true Vine and Fortress of my soul, by the plausible insinuations of my own brain and imagination. May I never run, before thou hast called me, to the hurt of my soul; but constantly and confidently abide in thee, always drawing first the necessary light and strength from thee, by never-ceasing supplications. Grant that, my eye being fixed continually upon thee, I may be guided into all truth, my doings being attended with thy blessing, and my whole life be a constant progress towards Heaven.

CHRIST'S ANSWER.-I will keep thee as the apple of mine eye, that no evil shall come near thee. As a careful mother watches over her child, so have I undertaken to teach thee my path, and guide thee with my own eyes. Whatever faintings and failings may befall thee, yet will I be ever faithful, raising thee up again, and leading thee on evermore in thy ways. Nay, as a good Shepherd, I will carry thee in my own arms whenever thy increasing weakness shall require.

My honour is engaged to save

The meanest of my sheep;
All that my heavenly Father gave,
My hands securely keep.

By these (books), my son, be admonished. ECCLES. xii. 12. But, as new-born babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby. 1 PET. ii. 2.

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[EW-BORN babes must not self-conceitedly be desirous of high things, and strong meat. Such have more need experimentally to understand the first oracles of CHRIST, and taste the milk and saving power of the Gospel. This would best make them grow in grace, and wean them from the world; since a sucking child esteems nothing else in comparison of its mother's breast; and those that delight in more lofty vain imaginations than the Bible, do not follow the right spirit, and at last must come to their catechism again; for the more a Christian is approaching to his end, and desires to be duly prepared for heaven, the more he walks in deep humility and godly simplicity, placing himself on the lowest bench of weak and little children. And thus they are the fittest vessels of grace; they will certainly be enlightened, and have the mystery of CHRIST revealed in their hearts. Matt. xi. 25.

There was an hour when CHRIST rejoiced
And spoke his joy in words of praise;
Father, I thank thee, mighty God,

LORD of the earth, and heaven, and seas!

I thank thy sov'reign power and love,
That crowns my doctrine with success;
And makes the babes in knowledge learn
The height, the breadth, the length of grace.
But all his glory lies conceal'd

From men of prudence and of wit;

The prince of darkness blinds their eyes;
And their own pride resists the light.

Father, 'tis thus, because thy will
Chose and ordain'd it should be so ;
'Tis thy delight t' abuse the proud,
And lay the haughty scorner low.

I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, &c., that he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened, &c. EPH. iii. 14-16. Read on to verse 21.

THIS

HIS is a prayer, and a form fit to be used by all Christians. It may be used as a daily prayer; we should offer it up in faith, without apprehending that the favour we ask is too great. GOD will do exceedingly more for us than we can either ask or understand. Whatever we ask, he will grant us still more; for though we are sinners, yet Jesus hath received gifts even for sinners; and to every one of us (v. 7) is given grace according to the measure of the gift of CHRIST, that we may enjoy all things richly, CHRIST being rich towards all them that call upon him. O GOD, thou art our Father, reconciled to us in CHRIST; grant us therefore power, great power, according to the riches of thy glory, not according to the narrowness of our hearts. We stand in need of great power, for we have great enemies. Strengthen us by thy Spirit, LORD JESUS, do thou dwell in our hearts, and grant us to be rooted in thy love, that we may know it more and more, and that it may be shed abroad in our hearts, and that we may be filled with all the fulness of GOD. To thee, my GOD, I daily sigh, But not for golden stores; Nor covet I the brightest gem On the rich eastern shores.

No pleasure's soft enticing charms

My fond desires allure;

Far greater things than earth can yield,
My wishes would secure.

Those blissful, those transporting smiles,

That brighten heaven above;

The boundless riches of thy grace

And treasures of thy love.

Thy word have I hid in my heart, that I might not sin against thee. Stablish thy word unto thy servant, who is devoted to thy fear. Then shall I not be ashamed, when I have respect unto all thy commandments. Therefore, remember thy word unto thy servant, upon which thou hast caused me to hope. I will run the way of thy commandments, when thou shalt enlarge my heart. PSALM CXix. 11, 38; and ver. 6, 32, 49.

“THAT HAT the word may become effectual to salvation, we must attend thereunto with diligence, preparation, and prayer, receive it with faith and love, lay it up in our hearts, and practise it in our lives." (Shorter Catechism.) Gospelcomforts sweetly and powerfully urge us to obedience; and law-terrors check us from resting on that obedience. Both are needful, to guard us from security and legality. Whosoever despises or neglects obedience, entertains a false notion. of the Gospel, and is running headlong into licentiousness and ruin; and he who relies on his obedience to justify him, defeats the design of the Gospel, and frustrates the grace of GoD, making it of no effect. May the LORD lead and keep us in the right way!

Laden with guilt, and full of fears,

I fly to thee, my LORD;

And not a glimpse of hope appears
But in thy written word.

This is the judge that ends the strife,
Where wit and reason fail;

My guide to everlasting life,
Through all this gloomy vale.

O! may thy counsels, mighty GOD,
My roving feet command;

Nor I forsake the happy road

That leads to thy right hand!