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has been mercifully made for our safety and for our comfort—in Truth is safety, and in Truth is happiness, and in Truth is holiness.

"Look unto the well whence ye are hewn, and to the hole of the pit whence ye are digged." Look back to Eden, and behold the expulsion from its happy garden. Listen to the curse, bringing as sin's just recompence of reward, misery and death. There we see ourselves, for in Adam all have sinned. We look back and we see a noble vine planted, and then becoming a degenerate plant of a strange vine-who can alter this, "who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean?" But God has found a means, he has looked down and visited his vine, in his love and in his compassion he has pitied us. And we turn from the sight of man's natural corruptions to the work of God in the second creation-the renewal of the soul. The scriptures speak of a peculiar people, without blame, purified from all iniquity, spotless before the presence of God's glory. How can this be explained? Was it their own remorse and repentance, and good resolutions, and persevering efforts, that brought down mercy from on high? Was their iniquity taken away by their washings with nitre and much soap? No-it was the power of the Triune Deity that was needed to raise the soul. It was the Father's love who sent his Son to die, the just for the unjust. His blood alone can cleanse from sin, and is the only fountain in which sinners may wash their robes and make them white. But dead in trespasses and sins, insensible to danger, it needed the Holy Ghost to quicken, to convince of sin, to lead to Jesus. All is of grace, for where is man in all this? The Bible asks "what" he is, and furnishes likewise the reply-" a thing of nought," as clay in the hands of the potter; for do we

see him awake, having light and life? Christ gave them to him. Is he brought to Christ? It was the Father who drew him.-Does he know the Father? It was the Son who restored him.-Does he confess Jesus to be the Lord? It is not of flesh and blood, but by the Holy Ghost. Has he gained access into the faith of the gospel? it is through Jesus. Is wisdom and understanding his? they came from the Lord. Has he faith? not of ourselves, but the gift of God. Is he furnished with the wedding-garment? It is written, “perfect through my comeliness, which I have put upon thee, saith the Lord God." Does he bring forth fruit? It is God who worketh in us, both to will and to do" their righteousness is of me, saith the Lord God." "And it is written, if any man be in Christ he is a new creature. Old things are passed away, all things are become new." And all things are of God. (2 Cor. v.)

We are in the position of him, who with the withered arm, is told to use it. Jesus speaks, and "he that has the power to heal, gives also the power to obey." In proportion as trust is placed in God, and the mind be withdrawn from self and the things of sense, so will be the increase of our comfort. We shall have every thing we can possibly want or desire in God. This was the experience of God's people, as recorded for us in the scriptures. The Psalmist traces both his own success and that of others beyond second causes. (Psalm cxviii. 7.) The Lord's right hand and his holy arm hath gotten the victory. They got not the land in possession by their own sword, neither did their own arm save them; but thy right hand and thine arm, and the light of thy countenance. (Psalm xliv.) "Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but unto thy name give glory." The forgetfulness, the annihilation of self, is one of the

prominent features in the portraiture of the children of God; for to God they owe everything in their present condition, or in their future prospects. It is the Lord alone who has made them to differ, and who provides and adapts for all the multiform changes which occur to them in life. Are they in conflict? God girds them with strength to the battle. (Psalm xviii.) Does the enemy oppress? God is the deliverer. It is the Lord who holds up our goings in his paths, else would our footsteps slip. If our hill be made ever so strong, God has but to turn away his face and we shall be troubled. (Psalm xxx.) Of God we must seek for light and truth, for teaching and guidance, and help in trouble-with God is the fountain of life, and in his light shall we see light. (Psalm xxxvi.) Amazing thought! that we have a throne of grace to which we may come with boldness, and obtain mercy, and find grace to help in every time of need! It pleased the Father that in Jesus should all fulness dwell. There is in Him unsearchable riches, and besides a fulness of mercy and compassion toward us, he waits to be gracious-He is ready and willing to relieve, to help, to bestow. The believer has every thing in his reconciled God-a buckler, a rock, a high tower, a strength; He is his guide, his defender, his Shepherd, his light, his salvation, his Father, his all in all. "Blessed is the man who trusteth in the Lord." May our trust in Him gain strength daily. May the Holy Spirit be continually taking of the things of Jesus, and showing them to us. May we in seeing our true state, our natural wretchedness and helplessness, be more and more filled with gratitude; and as we recognize the Lord's power in first raising our souls, so may our eyes be constantly fixed on him still to uphold us, believing that we shall receive a full answer to our

prayer, "Perfect that which concerneth me-forsake not, O Lord, the work of thine own hands."

While clothed with the whole armour of God, Satan may attack in vain. While in our refuge, prayer, we shall be secure. While leaning upon God we shall be strong. While we look to Jesus, we shall have faith, and shall possess "joy and peace in believing.” In seeking the Holy Spirit it shall be given us, and we shall bring forth the fruits of the Spirit, our souls shall be raised. But we are prone to forget wherein our safety and our happiness consist, consequently we fall from our high position, "it needs no force to sink the soul." The moment we cease to take God at his word, we let go the tie which connects us to every bright hope and prospect. We dissever the connection between our nothingness and the freeness of God's gifts, and all that is left us is uncertainty and fear, and lamentations over our deservings. But no one is left in this state of despondency. How cheering is the thought that the Bible is not merely filled with beauties suitable to those alone who are by God's grace ever with him, enjoying the light of his countenance. But it makes provision for every state of fallenness, for every phase of experience: it is "a sovereign balm for every wound." O how gracious is this provision of our

Father's!

Faith is often feeble, and many there are, actually the objects of God's love, who are yet fearful: dark clouds hover about them, they are in heaviness through temptations; but, from the depths to which their souls have sank, God's power, by his word, would raise them. To such it might be proposed, that the desire to be God's, the wish to be holy, originated in the Holy Spirit, and the comfort therefrom to be deduced is, that God

being "faithful," will not only begin, but finish the good work. Jesus is the author and the finisher of our faith. Should the soul, however, refuse to be thus comforted, the Bible is nevertheless not exhausted of its treasures, for it will meet us at the very place where we station ourselves. We shall find it on our part impossible to exaggerate the misery of the situation of the sinner as set forth in the book of Truth. Upon this no human fancy or language can enlarge-"gone out of the way-children of wrath-sitting in darkness, and in the shadow of death." Do we recognize ourselves in this description? Oh the happiness to think of the truth, that God's power is sent to raise us! We admit the fact that we are lost; then we are the very persons Christ came to seek and to find. Are we in darkness-bound in prison-deprived of liberty-looking for punishment-absorbed in wretchedness, are our eyes fixed upon the ground? O why are we found in this deplorable situation? Has not the sound reached us of one who is mighty to save, and who has actually proclaimed liberty to the captive, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound ?-this is the acceptable year of the Lord-this is the Gospel dispensationthese are the days in which God speaks unto us by his Son, proclaiming peace-announcing reconciliation, bestowing the supply of every need; and this, not for works of righteousness which we have done, but of his mercy he saveth us. We cannot imagine ourselves to have a deficiency which may not be supplied—a besetting sin, which by God's strength we may not lay aside— an unsuitableness which may not be removed. Prayer is the remedy, and in simply asking for the Holy Spirit. What good thing does not the gift comprehend!

God has set before us, as in a pattern, his manner of

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