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are travelling to Canaan, and of those who are going the direct contrary way. There are but two roads-the broad, which leadeth to destruction; and the narrow, which opens into life. Travellers all mankind are, and travellers at a very swift rate. The grand point is, Where art thou travelling to? Art thou desirous of knowing whither thy footsteps tend, and towards what country thy face is set? Consult the way-marks. Look at the directing-posts. Have recourse to the Scriptures of truth. But study them on your knees, i.e., in a spirit of prayer, and with the simplicity of a little child.

Suppose, for instance, we consult John xvi. 8, where Christ thus describes the office of the Holy Ghost, and the effects which His converting influence has on the human mind: "When He is come "-when the blessed Spirit visits and renews the chosen and redeemed world-"He shall convince the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment;" i.e., He shall (first) feelingly demonstrate to them their absolute sinnership, and their total helplessness, working in them a deep sense and real hatred of self and sin. He shall (secondly) lead them to rest on Christ, and on His righteousness alone for justification; and He shall (thirdly) spiritualize their desires, refine their tempers, sanctify their lives, and make them ready to every good word and work.

Now, has God the Spirit done these things for you? Has He wrought, or begun to work, this three-fold conviction in your soul? If He has not, nor so much as kindled a groaning desire of it in your breast, I dare not give you the right hand of fellowship. I dare not salute you as one of my fellow-travellers to the kingdom of God. No. You are yet in Egypt; and you will quickly be in hell, except the Holy Ghost take you by the hand, and take you by the heart, and lead you in Christ to Zion.

But, if you have ground to hope that this work of grace is experienced by you, in some degree, two things are particularly needful for you to observe :—

1. That the world will endeavour to turn your feet out of the narrow way. If the wicked are so muzzled by Providence that they cannot bite, they will snarl at least. If they cannot do you real injury, they will, probably, pelt you with scandal, and sneer at you for being, in their opinion, righteous over much. But let not this discourage you. Regard it no more than a traveller would mind a little dust upon his shoes. Imitate the blind man in the Gospel, who, the more he was exhorted by the multitudes to hold his peace, cried out so much the more, "Thou Son of David, have mercy on me!"

2. Beware of sin. Shun the remotest appearance of evil. Think it not enough to be, for the main, in the right way; but endeavour to walk steadily and erectly in that way. Though a truly

regenerate person cannot fall, so as to turn back finally, and perish everlastingly, yet, not heeding the admonition, "Watch unto prayer," he may lose his [felt] peace and joy in believing, and forfeit that inward testimony of the Holy Spirit, that felt fellowship with God, and that sweet tranquillity of conscience, without which living scarcely deserves the name of life. Though he cannot lose his soul, yet a fall may break the neck of his comforts, dislocate his frame, and make him go halting to his journey's end. "The devil," as one justly remarks, "is never better pleased than when he can roll a child of God in the dirt." Beg the Lord, therefore, to hold up your goings in His paths, that your footsteps slip not. Yet, if you fall, be humbled, but do not despair. Pray afresh to God, who is able to raise you up, and to set you on your feet again. Look to the blood of the covenant, and say to the Lord, from the depth of your heart

"Rock of Ages, cleft for me,
Let me hide myself in Thee!
Foul, I to the Fountain fly:
Wash me, Saviour, or I die!"

Make those words of the Apostle your motto: "Perplexed, but not in despair; cast down, but not destroyed." It has been justly observed that "it is one thing to fall into the mire; another thing to lie in it." Away to the cross of Christ and to the Spirit of God for cleansing and for healing. Your covenant Father will sprinkle you from an evil conscience, and make you recover the time and the ground you have lost; and, when thus graciously restored, look upon sin as the bitterest calamity that can befall you, and consider those who would entice you to it, or be your partners in it, as the very worst enemies you have.

As a

Soon shall we arrive where not only sin, but every temptation to it and every propensity toward it, will cease for ever. good man once said on his death-bed, "Hold out, faith and patience, yet a little while, and I shall need you no longer." When faith and patience have done and suffered their appointed work, the disciples of Christ shall ascend from the wilderness to paradise. With joy and gladness shall they be brought, and shall enter into the King's palace, singing as they mount, "Lift up your heads, ye celestial gates; and be ye lifted up, ye everlasting doors, that the heirs of glory may enter in ! We are they, some of whom came out of great tribulation; but all of whom have washed our robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Stirred up by His effectual grace, we went forth to go into the land of Canaan; and, clothed with His righteousness, and preserved by His power, into the land of Canaan we are come." Even so. Amen.

Sleaford.

"FEAR NOT!"

(ISAIAH xliii. 5.)}

"Fear not" the many dangers great
Which in the path abound;
Those souls who do on Jesus wait,
In safety will be found.

"Fear not" the furnace heated hot,
Thy Lord will bring thee through;
For in the fires He'll leave thee not,
But will thy heart subdue.

"Fear not" the scornful frowns of men,
As o'er thy head they ride;

Their triumph is but short, and then
The Lord is on thy side.

"Fear not " the storms on every hand,
Thy peace is most secure;

On Christ, the Rock of Ages, stand-
A Refuge high and sure.

"Fear not" the long and gloomy night;
The Lord will hear thy cries;
The darkness shall be turned to light
Before thy wandering eyes.

"Fear not!" although thou art but dust,
Jehovah's arm is strong;

Lean, LEAN on Him-thy Saviour trust ;
He will appear ere long.

"Fear not" temptation's dreadful hour,

Thy Lord will make a way;

Thou shalt escape its utmost power,

And be sustained alway.

"Fear not," though earthly friendships fail,

And creature ties all end;

Alone, through God, shalt thou prevail;

He is a faithful Friend.

"Fear not " the day of woe and grief,
The chosen, tried must be ;

Thy Lord is near to bring relief—
A present Help is He.

E. C.

If our feet are to be kept at the disposal of the Lord, our eyes must be ever towards the Lord for guidance. "The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord. Very often we find that they have been so literally ordered for us that we are quite astonished, just as if He had not promised.

THE CHARACTER OF A CHRISTIAN IN PARADOXES AND SEEMING CONTRADICTIONS.

A CHRISTIAN is one who believes things which his reason cannot comprehend; who hopes for that which neither he nor any man ever saw; who labours for that he knows he can never attain, yet, in the issue, his belief appears not to have been false. Hope makes him not ashamed. Labour is not in vain.

He believes Three to be One, and One to be Three; the Father not to be older than His Son, and the Son to be equal with His Father, and One proceeding from Both to be fully equal to Both.

He believes in one nature Three Persons, and in One Person two natures.

He believes a Virgin to have been a mother, and her Son to be her Maker.

He believes Him to be born in time who was from everlasting, and Him to be shut up in a narrow room whom heaven and earth could never contain.

He believes Him to have been a weak child carried in arms who is the Almighty, and Him to have died who only hath life and immortality in Himself.

He believes the God of all grace to have been angry with One who never offended Him, and that the God that hates all sin reconciled him to Himself, though sinning continually, and never making or being able to make Him satisfaction.

He believes the most just God to have punished a most innocent Person, and to have justified himself, though a most ungodly sinner.

He believes himself freely pardoned, and yet that a sufficient satisfaction is paid for him.

He believes himself to be precious in God's sight, yet he loathes himself in his own sight.

He dares not justify himself even in those things wherein he knows no fault in himself; yet he believes God accepts even those services wherein himself is able to find many faults.

He praiseth God for His justice, and fears Him for His

mercies.

He is so ashamed that he dare not open his mouth before God, yet comes with boldness to God, and asks anything he needs.

He is so humble as to acknowledge himself to deserve nothing but evil; yet so confident as to believe God means him all good. He is one that fears always, and yet is bold as a lion.

He is often sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; often complaining, yet always giving of thanks.

He is the most lowly-minded, yet the greatest aspirer; most contented, yet ever craving.

He bears a lofty spirit in a mean condition; and when he is aloft, thinks meanly of himself.

He is rich in poverty, and poor in the midst of riches.

He believes all the world to be his, yet dares take nothing without special leave.

He covenants with God for nothing, yet looks for the greatest reward.

He loses his life, and gains by it; and even while he loses it, he saves it.

He lives not to himself, yet of all others is most wise for himself.

THE NEW YEAR.

"The Lord bless thee, and keep thee

from the beginning of the year even unto the end of the year."-NUMBERS vi. 24; DEUTERONOMY xi. 12.

It is a solemn thought that we are daily and hourly hastening to the end of our mortal life; and our commencing another year seems more forcibly to remind us of this, and the solemnity and importance of the fact appear for the time to increase. The past we look back upon, but feel we cannot recall it; it has fled into eternity. The future we know nothing about; it is the Lord's. The present only is ours-the present moment-but that, too, is fled ere we can call it our own.

But, whilst we think of the past year, and try to pray the Lord to forgive the sins of omission as well as those of commission which we have been guilty of, the remembrance of which may cause us to weep before Him, we desire also to thank Him for all His mercy, for we must acknowledge it has been "rich in mercy," though "poor in grace." For every temporal blessing we have received, our daily food and raiment, our home and friends, all demand our heartfelt gratitude, and this we desire and pray the Lord to help us to give. But yet we feel there have been blessings greater than these, even spiritual blessings; and we would bless Him for every glimpse of His dear face, for every visit of His love, and for every longing desire we have had after Him. These are blessings that will last for ever, and a greater share of which we ask for the future-for this New Year.

May it be indeed "A Happy New Year" to all who love the Lord, and may that happiness consist in knowing and loving Him more, that our hearts may daily burn with greater love to Him who has so loved us, greater love to Christians, and greater love to our poor fellow-creatures who are destitute of God's love mani

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