And may we not say, with an old writer, that "Even hell itself is paved with good resolutions"?

Ought we not then to make resolutions in our sickness? Certainly we ought. But our fault is, that we are apt to make them in our own feeble strength; and then they prove to be worthless. But if we distrust ourselves, and throw ourselves upon God's strength-if we are conscious of our weakness, and entreat the Lord to help us—then He will enable us to carry out our resolutions, He will grant us the needed strength, and will give us grace to go and sin

no more.

Remember then, whatever you resolve to do, let it be done in simple reliance upon God's gracious help.

CHAPTER VI.

DIFFICULTIES IN PRAYER.

WHEN we are in health, and especially if we are much taken up with worldly business, we are apt to imagine that the days of sickness are especially favourable to Prayer. Is this the case?

In some respects it is. For then we are called aside from the world, and we have ample time for serious thought, and for religious exercises. At such a season too the nearness of God, and of the unseen world, are forced as it were upon us.

But who that knows what true

prayer is does not feel the difficulty,

even then, of lifting up the heart to God? The world still presses its claims upon us, though not in the same way that it did when we were in health. It comes rushing in upon us in some other shape. Even the sick-room is not beyond its reach. Satan too is as busy now as ever, plying his temptations, and taking every advantage of our weakness.

It sometimes happens that even real Christians feel prayer to be irksome. Our minds at times are sorely harassed by wandering and distracted thoughts. Or our souls feel dry and barren, and we are tempted to leave off praying. Prayer does not seem to open the gate of heaven; and so we turn away from it, and give up knocking. At such times we should remember that, very likely, the prayers which cause us the greatest difficulty are the most acceptable to

God. We should think of Jacob for our encouragement. He wrestled with the Angel, and said, "I will not let thee go, except thou bless me." Or we may bear in mind the case of the Syrophenician Woman, who persevered in her petitions, until at length Jesus said unto her, "O Woman, great is thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt.”

As you lie upon your bed of suffering, or are confined to your chamber, bear in mind that there are difficulties; and you must make a deliberate effort to overcome them.

You need to have your special hours of devotion in sickness, quite as much as when you were well. It may be thought that as you have now so much leisure, this will be unnecessary. But sure I am that if you have no fixed times for prayer, your devotions will be very desultory and

pointless. A duty, which we fancy we may engage in at any moment, is sure to be badly done, if not left undone altogether.

And again, now that you have so much time for drawing near to God, it will be very helpful to you to vary the subject of your prayers. For instance, at the beginning and close of each day, your prayers might be general. At noon you might pray especially for others-for your Parish, your Minister, or any Individuals whom you may desire to mention before God. For we must not think merely of our own wants and struggles but we should remember the trials and difficulties and temptations of our brethren, and bear them on our hearts before the Throne of Grace. Then at some period in the afternoon, you might devote a time to prayer for a direct blessing on your afflic