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SPECIAL PROVIDENCE.

THE writer has for many years had the privilege of enjoying the friendship of a dear Christian brother, who resides in the village of R, in Essex, whose life affords so many striking instances of an overruling providence, and so many wonderful, and indeed miraculous, answers to prayer, which, if laid before the Christian public, would tend, under the divine blessing, to strengthen the faith of the Lord's deeply-tried family, that he (the writer) has often wished for an opportunity to commit a few of the most remarkable incidents to writing, for the benefit of those who are passing through deep waters, and who may be saying, "The Lord has forsaken me." But, not having had as yet an opportunity of hearing them from his own lips in anything like consecutive order, we will content ourselves at present with one incidert in particular, which goes to prove that the Christian's God is indeed about our path and about our bed, and spying out all our ways, and that His ear is ever open to the cry of all such as call upon Him faithfully.

Some sixteen or seventeen years ago, the dear friend of whom we speak had a severe fall, which injured his spine to such an extent that he has been able to do but little ever since towards obtaining "the bread which perisheth," and, consequently, has often been reduced to great straits in providence. But, as "man's extremities are the, Lord's opportunities," these straits, although painful, have been the means of putting his faith to the test, and of proving to all around the truth of the dear Master's promise, "Whatsoever ye shall ask in My name, believing, ye shall receive."

His eldest son had been a cripple from the age of three years, at which time he sustained an injury of the hip-joint from a fall, and from that time till his death (which was a triumphant one, and happened shortly after the circumstance about to be narrated took place) he continually suffered from abscesses, occasionally having several of them at the same time. Through constant and great exhaustion, caused by these abscesses, he of course required a great deal of nourishment, although it was but little that his father had the means to procure.

The dear boy had given evident tokens of being a partaker of the divine life from an early age, and at this time he was nearly sixteen years old, although in appearance quite a child, as, from the effects of his affliction, he had not grown in stature in proportion to his years.

On the evening in question, he was sitting in his little armchair by the fire, and his father sat on the opposite side. It was about seven o'clock. Tea (or supper, as they call it there) was over,

and the rest of the family had gone out of doors. The dear boy sat for some time in silence, evidently engaged in prayer, when presently the watchful father noticed a deathly paleness overspread his features. This was succeeded by a flush, and again a death-like paleness. Our dear friend knew the cause-it was faintness, produced by pain and exhaustion-and those only who are parents, and have watched over a suffering child, can understand the father's feelings, and how his bowels yearned over him, as he said in his homely, yet loving way, "You feel faint, Tommy. You want a drop of porter, don't you, my dear?" The suffering boy looked up with a smile of loving affection, and replied, "If I can have it, I do, father." This answer cut his father to the very heart, and, with a tear trembling in his eye, he replied, "I know you do, Tommy; but you can't have it, my boy, for I'm penniless! But you must look up, Tommy. The Lord is as able to support you without the porter as He is with it; but, if He knows it is needful for you, He can send us the means to get it." Tommy replied, "I do, father, I do try to look up; but the feeling of pity and compassion which yearned in his father's bosom can only be faintly imagined, as there rose from the bottom of his soul the cry, "Lord, I am oppressed: undertake for me!"

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Soon after this the dear boy seemed to revive, and the rest of the family returning, they sat engaged in conversation until about nine o'clock, at which time a knock was heard at the door, and, on opening it, the minister of the chapel which our friend attended stood before them. They expressed their surprise at his visiting them at such an unusual hour, and hoped he was not the bearer of bad news; but they were still more surprised when he entered, and, stepping up to our friend, said, “Mr. Shas sent you half-a-crown, Joseph. I do not know what for, but he desired me to give it you to-night." Joseph, who was the only one not taken by surprise, asked the minister, Mr. B, to tell him particulars, and, if possible, the exact time that Mr. Sgave him the half-crown. Mr. B- replied, "I took tea at B Hall this evening, and, after tea, while engaged in conversation, all at once your name was mentioned, I cannot tell why; and at the same time Mr. S- put his hand into his pocket, and, taking out half-a-crown, handed it to me, expressing a wish-in fact, making me promise him-that I would leave it with you on my way home. I cannot tell the exact time that your name was mentioned, but, as it was some time after tea, I should imagine it was about seven o'clock." "That," said Joseph, "is what I want to know, for that was just the time I asked for it." Then, turning to the dear boy, he said, "There, Tommy, the Lord has sent you some porter. I knew He was able either to

support you in your sufferings without porter, or send me some money to get some."

And here for the present we will leave them, though, should we be favoured with the opportunity, we may record (I trust to the glory of God) many instances almost unequalled in the experience of any Christian of whom we have heard, with the exception of William Huntington, in his "Bank of Faith "

"Blest is the man who feels and knows

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God is his Father and his Friend;

To whom his soul for comfort goes
When danger's near, or storms portend.
Though to the worldly-wise unknown,
Though they excel in every art,

Yet doth He hold His awful throne
In every contrite sinner's heart."

G. N.

A FEW OF THE MANY WANTS OF A CHRISTIAN. (Verses composed by the father spoken of in the foregoing narrative.)

I want to praise redeeming love,

I want to feel its power;
I want the Lord to rule my heart
And keep it every hour.

I want the Lord to guide my way,
I want His presence there;

I want my murmuring thoughts all gone,
And sweetly lost in prayer.

I want to pour my soul in prayer,

I want to embrace my

God;

I want to view my Saviour near,

With His atoning blood.

And when my soul these gifts can trace,

Springing from Jesus' love,

Of earth I feel to want no more,

I want to dwell above.

J. R.

THERE is no earthly pleasure whereof we may not surfeit; of the spiritual we can never have enough.-Bishop Hall.

THE changes of weather show the unsoundness of men's bodies, and the changes of times the unsoundness of their souls.-Flavel. It is impossible to churn happiness out of a chest of gold; it will never come. You can never make unfading crowns of fad

ing flowers.-Case.

THINGS WORTH KNOWING.

AN EXTRACT FROM THE MEMOIR OF THOMAS BOSTON.

IN the midst of his public and official labours, Boston watched -sometimes, perhaps, with an unreasonable degree of jealousyover his own soul. He seems, however, amidst many scruples of conscience and many penitential retrospects, to have entertained the persuasion that he was one of the children of God. The following passage on that subject is interesting and instructive. It relates to the year 1709 :

"Last Lord's day night I had some thoughts as to evidences for heaven, which I resumed this day.

"1. I am content to take Christ for my Prophet-to be taught by Him what is my duty, that I may comply with it. I am conteat to know what is my sin, that I may turn from it; and, by grace, I know something of what it is to make use of Christ as a Prophet in this case; and I desire to learn of Him, as the only Master, what is the will of God, and the mystery of renouncing my own wisdom, which I reckon but weakness and folly.

"2. I know and am persuaded that I am a lost creature; that justice must be satisfied; that I am not able to satisfy it, nor any creature for me; that Christ is able, and His death and sufferings are sufficient satisfaction. On this I throw my soul with its full weight. Here is my hope and only confidence.

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My duties, I believe, the best of them, would damn me—sink me to the lowest pit-and must needs be washed in that precious blood, and can have no acceptance with God but through His intercession. I desire to have nothing to do with an absolute God, nor to converse with God, but only through Christ. I am sensible that I have nothing to commend me to God, nor to Christ, that He may take my cause in hand. If He should damn me, He should do me no wrong. But the cord of love is let out, even the covenant in His blood. I accept of it, and at His command lay hold on it and venture. This is faith in spite of devils; and my heart is pleased with the glorious device of man's salvation through Christ, carrying all the praise to free grace, and leaving nothing of it to the creature.

"3. My soul is content of Him for my King; and, though I cannot be free of sin, God Himself knows He would be welcome to make havoc of my lusts, and to make me holy. I know no lust that I would not be content to part with. My will, bound hand and foot, I desire to lay at His feet; and, though it will strive, whether I will or not, I believe whatever God does to me is best done.

"4. Though afflictions of themselves can be no evidence of the Lord's love, yet, forasmuch as the native product of afflic

tions and strokes from the hand of the Lord is to drive the guilty away from the Lord, when I find it is not so with me, but that I am drawn to God by them, made to kiss the rod, and accept of the punishment of my iniquity, to love God more, and to have more confidence in Him, and kindly thoughts of His way, and find my heart more closely cleaving to Him, I cannot but think such an affliction an evidence of love.

"I have met with many troubles, and the afflictions I have met with have been very remarkable in their circumstances. Often have I seen it, and now once more verified in my lot (1 Cor. iv. 9), ‘For we are made a spectacle unto the world, and to angels, and to men,' &c.

"Now I am as a weaned child, through grace, in the matter. Let the Lord do what seemeth Him good."

A NOT UNCOMMON FAULT.

A LADY who was present at the commemoration of the Lord's Supper, where Mr. E. Erskine was assisting, was much impressed by his sermon. Having inquired the name of the preacher, she went next Sabbath to his own place of worship to hear him; but there, to her surprise, she felt none of those strong impressions. she experienced in hearing him before. Wondering at this, she called on Mr. Erskine, and, stating the case, asked what he thought might be the reason of such a difference in her feelings. He replied, "Madam, the reason is this-last Sunday you went to hear Jesus Christ; to-day you have come to hear Ebenezer Erskine."

SENSE of the guilt of sin may consist with faith of its pardon and forgiveness in the blood of Christ. Godly sorrow may dwell in the same heart, at the same time, with joy in the Holy Ghost; and groaning after deliverance from the power of sin with a gracious persuasion that sin shall not have dominion over us, because we are not under the law, but under grace.—Dr. Owen.

How zealous an indignation did the Son of God express against the obdurate Pharisees! "Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?" (Matt. xxiii. 33.) They, in despite of all His miracles, the equal expressions of His goodness and power, resisted His authority, blasphemed His Person, and slighted His salvation. Now, though other sins are of an inferior nature and of weaker evidence, yet obstinacy added to them, makes a person unworthy and incapable of mercy. Hence the misery of the damned is without redemption, without hope, without allay for ever.-Bates.

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