in thine heart: for the Lord is with thee.” The thing seemed so ob ously right and good to Nathan, that he did not wait to give it furth consideration ; and instead of saying, “I will pray about it, and se to learn the will of God concerning it,” he ventured at once to pled Divine approval and blessing to it. He thought he had “ the mind the Spirit," and mistook the promptings of his own heart for a voi from heaven. It is a most instructive case of the fallibility of a always good and ofttimes inspired man. It is frequently difficult t distinguish between the inclinations of our own wills and the guidano of God's hand. It is so easy to mistake the bent of our own desin for the intimations of Providence; and when our own hearts are i favour of a thing it requires little logic to convince us that God is i favour of it too. No matter how wise or right any course may appea to be, if we would be always safe we must always distrust our own u aided judgments, and cherish the dependent and obedient spirit whic cries, “ Lord, what wilt Thou have me to do ?”

Nathan went home to his evening prayer, and his nightly rest, ang was speedily made aware of his error. -" It came to pass that night, tha the word of the Lord came unto Nathan saying, Go and tell my servan David, Thus saith the Lord, Shalt thou build me a house for me to dwe in ?" In after-days, Nathan was sent of God to rebuke David for hi sin ; and he went to the offending monarch with a holy courage an fidelity which did him honour. Now he was sent on what was a ver different, and in some respects a more difficult errand; not to chid David for a fault, but to recall his own words, and to confess that h had spoken as in God's name, when he had not God's authority fo what he said. Many have written in glorious strains of Nathan rebuke of David. His wisdom was as great as his fearlessness What point and power in the parable whereby he got the roya! sinner to unwittingly sit in judgment on himself! What noble forgetfulness of everything but his duty in that home-thrust, “Thou art the man!” How it pierced the strange callousness of David's spirit, awoke his sleeping conscience, and made his hitherto impemtent heart to bleed with a godly anguish! Still I have often thought that if I had the artistic skill to paint a gallery of Scripture portraits and if I were to delineate that one scene in each man's life in which he most displayed the beauty and glory of his saintliness, I would depict Nathan in the presence of the king, not when he said to David, “Thou hast sinned,” but when he said, “I spoke in haste yesterday; I had no warrant for saying that the Lord would be with thee in this purpose. He has shown me my mistake, and I am come to confess and to correct it.” Who does not know that to take even a mote out of his own eye is a greater proof of saintly skill than to help to take a beam out of another's eye? Are not the words, “I was wrong,' three of the hardest in the language for any one to utter? .

Most of us might live for centuries, and never have an opportunity of imitating the fearlessness of Nathan in telling a king of his sine. None of us can live for many years, without having frequent opporo

lities of imitating Nathan in the frankness with which he acknowged his error and his fault as soon as he was made conscious of m. “Confess your faults one to another,” is a Divine injunction,

it would not be easy to exaggerate the mischief that arises from disobedience to it. Hearts that once seemed inseparably bound ether are estranged and made the seat of dislike; men that once ed each other now stand aloof in mutual coldness and hurtfulness; ilies are rent asunder and churches are enfeebled because those have been foolish or faulty have not the manliness to avow it, to seek the forgiveness which confession is so certain to secure. oth secular and spiritual communities, unconfessed faults are like ms which are left in the flesh, they have pierced till the wound ers, and the blood becomes feverish, and foul disease threatens to ad over the whole body. All honour to the man who, when he has idered or sinned, will honestly acknowledge it with becoming ow! The curse of the offender may have rested on him for a e, but the blessing of the peacemaker shall be finally his. God be sed for the grace of confession which He gives to His guilty Iren! It is the sign of returning wisdom. It is the precursor of on, and the pledge of reformation. It is often the dawn of an lasting day. 1.- We have next to look at the reasons for which David's desire denied, and at the facts and promises which God set before him concile him to the denial. These must be reserved for a separate r, for they are fraught with much instruction, both as to man's and God's kindness. While they show us that it is God's will no one man shall have all the greatness and success and honour is possible, but that there should be a distribution of blessings ; also reveal to us the wondrous considerateness and gentleness 'еwith He sought to persuade His servant that it was from no of love He refused him that on which his heart was set. It will je the fault of the history if from our further study of it we fail id much to foster in us that spirit which so becomes us in suppli

“Let faith each meek petition fill,

And waft it to the skies ;
And teach our hearts 'tis goodness still

That grants it or denies."

THE SPEECHLESS ONES. HILE reading a few days since be dumb with despair and anguish t the speechless guest at the at the judgment day. marriage-feast, I was reminded A friend and relative of the writer, me speechless ones with whom who was “a widow indeed,” one who I been acquainted in days past; trusted in God, and continued in [ thought how much better it is supplications and prayers day and

speechless with astonishment | night, was once brought into cire Divine goodness here, than to I cumstances of peculiar straitness

and trial. She had two daughters, | Mr. M- , sat at his fireside abon who exerted themselves with their a mile away, surrounded by ever needles to earn a livelihood; and at / bounty and comfort needed to che that time they were so busily en his heart, save the companion of b gaged in trying to finish some work youth, who had long rested in hop that had long been on their hands, beneath the clods of the valley they had neglected to make pro with his only daughter sitting vision for their ordinary wants, his side. For a long time not until they found themselves one word had been spoken, and he has winter's day in the midst of a snow seemed lost in silent meditation, ti storm, with food and fuel almost at length he said, “Mary, I wan exhausted, at a distance from neigh- you to go and order the cattle yoked bours, and without any means of and then get me a bag. I must g procuring needful sustenance.

and carry some wood and flour The daughters began to be a sister C- " larmed, and were full of anxiety at “Why, father, it is impossible fo the dismal prospect, but the good you to go; there is no track, and i old mother said, “Don't worry, is all of a mile up there. You would girls, the Lord will provide; we almost perish." have enough for to-day, and to The old man sat in silence a few morrow may be pleasant;" and in moments, and then said, “ Mary, this hope the girls settled down must go.” She knew her father to again to their labour.

well to suppose that words woul Another morning came, and with detain him, and so complied with it no sunshine, but wind and snow his wishes. While she held the ba in abundance. The storm still raged, for him, she felt perhaps a little un but no one came near the house, and easiness to see the flour so liberall all was dark and dismal without. disposed of, and said, “I wish yo Noon came, and the last morsel of would remember that I want to giv food was eaten, the wood was almost a poor woman some flour, if it ever gone, and there were no tokens of clears off.” The old man understood any relief for their necessities.

the intimation, and said, “ Mary, give The girls became much distressed, all you feel it duty to, and when and talked anxiously of their con the Lord says stop, I will do so." dition; but the good mother said, Soon all things were ready, and “Don't worry, the Lord will pro the patient oxen took their way to vide.” But they had heard that thewidow's home, wallowing through story the day before, and they knew the drifted snow, and dragging the not the strong foundation upon sled with its load of wood and flour which that mother's trust was About four o'clock in the after builded, and could not share the noon, the mother had arisen from confidence she felt. “If we get her work to fix the fire, and looking anything to-day, the Lord will have out of the window she saw the oxel to bring it Himself; for nobody else at the door, and she knew that the can get here if they try,” said one Lord had heard her cry. She said of the daughters, impatiently. But not a word,—why should she? she the mother said, “Don't worry;" was not surprised ;- but presently! and so they sat down again to their heavy step at the threshold caused sewing, the daughters to muse upon the daughters to look up with astotheir necessitous condition, and the nishment, as Mr.

M strode un mother to roll her burdens on the ceremoniously into the room, saying Everlasting Arm.

“ The Lord told me, sister While this conversation was going that you wanted some wood adu on, an aged servant of the Lord, I flour."

" He told you the truth," said the , some distance, and who knew nodow, “and I will praise Him for thing of their previous conversation, r. What think you now, girls?”. | called to inquire after their prosļ continued, as she turned in perity. emn joy to her unbelieving After the customary salutations, ghters.

he said, “You have been sick here They were speechless; not a word a long time, and I thought I would aped their lips; but they pon come round and see if I could not do ed that new revelation of the something for you; thought perhaps vidential mercy of the Lord, by this time the girls needed someil it made upon their minds an thing." Then turning to the younger ression never to be effaced; and sister, he said, “How is it, aren't 3 ago they learned to trust in your shoes worn out ?” n who cares for the needy in the She dropped her eyes, blushed ir of their distress, and who, from deeply, and, perhaps a little coni boundless stores, supplies the science-smitten, "answered not a its of those who trust in Him. word.” Nothing was said of the nother incident presents itself previous conversation, though it ay mind. In an humble cottage was not forgotten by those who

two sisters were watching heard it. r and caring for a much-loved The brother soon saw for himself cher, who for many long months enough to satisfy him, and said no

been upon a bed of sickness. more, but went away. The next day length the younger of them be two pairs of shoes were sent round

to be discouraged. She was to her, and with them came to her endent for her clothing upon her heart a lesson which she never forur; her shoes were worn out; got. She lived many years after

how should she get another that, but was never heard to mur, unless she could leave the sick mur in that way again; and often , and go away from home and said, that the two pairs of shoes k and earn some money ?

taught her to wait, hope, and trust, Well," said the mother, “I know even before she learned implicit conneed a pair of shoes, but don't fidence in Him who sendeth blessry, the Lord will provide.”

ings on the just and on the unjust. Do you think that the Lord will The last time she alluded to the ocle down from heaven and buy me currence, she said, “I was speechless vir of shoes ? " said the younger then, but by the grace of God, I will er, with an expression of dis not be in the world to come.” She ragement and vexation on her rests in hope of everlasting life at ntenance.

the resurrection of the just, and a No," said the mother; “but seat at the marriage-supper of the haps He will put it into some Lamb when Jesus comes to reign. y's heart to buy you a pair.” And this story is recorded with the Perhaps He will, but I don't desire that it may lead some impaeve it,” said the discouraged girl. tient one to wait and hope and trust, Well," said the other sister, who and perhaps be a little more patient I a little more hopeful, “ you with these blessed mothers, whose i't get them any quicker by fret hands are so filled with cares and 1, so you might as well be quiet." burdens, but whose hearts, though hus the subject dropped, and the often weighed down with sorrow and passed as usual.

grief, are yet fixed, trusting in the Is the shades of evening were Lord. hering, a brother, who lived at

NOTES OF A SERMON BY THE REV. JOHN RYLAND, M.,

PREACHED, JULY 7, 1771.* . “ Unto you therefore which believe He is precious.”—1 Pet. ii. 7. WHEN a man has divine faith, it makes him see the beauty and glor of the gospel. He flies from self to the Son of God. Many of God' people set the evidence of grace too high; they think there must be vain thoughts, etc. But how do you know that you are alive? Don you feel your heart beat? Then how does your heart beat toward Christ?

This is a text, I won't say it has ever been worn threadbare, but it i a text familiar with the ministers of Christ.

How do believers discover Christ to be precious to their souls ?

I. They discover this by being filled with indignation at seeing Him slighted and insulted.

If I were to form my estimate from the generality of the world, I should conclude He had no existence, or was one of the most worthless beings in the world.

There is another set of people that remember Him, but it is to de Him mischief.

It is impossible for you to go home to-day, but you see people thal slight Christ.

II. By being cordially pleased at seeing His kingdom and interest prosper in our world.

III. By being extremely pleased by any fresh discoveries made of Himself, by the preaching of the gospel in public, or the gospel read in private.

In the field, shop, or warehouse, they are glad to see Him.

IV. By repairing to Him in all the most dismal trials of human life. (Broken bone-Fever-Sickness of wife, friend-Fire, etc.)

If the heart be ready to break about future events, in all this do you find that vital faith leads you to the Lord Jesus Christ?

When you are particularly in spiritual troubles, let me tell you from my own experience, there is nothing will relieve you but going to Christ. For a believer to break his bones is not near so bad as to have his heart out of place, to have hard thoughts of Christ. I have been wretched, unruly, and I was going to say, I had rather drop down dead this minute than be in such a frame again.

Christ has a compassionate heart, and He will say, “Let that Deggar come in." The Lord's heart is vastly tender, and He says to the Holy Spirit, “ Bring that beggar in, and I'll clothe him, and I'll love him." Perhaps you may be half-starved and half-frozen to death before He takes you in. But if you search the hearts of the godly, you will find there is a little party within them for Christ at the worst of times.

* Communicated by the Rev. Richard Hall, B.A.