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fore to God." (James iv, 6, 7.) "Woe unto him," said Isaiah, "that striveth with his Maker." His woe is that of helpless struggle, sure defeat, and inevitable ruin. It was so with Pharaoh, and Zedekiah, and Caiaphas, and thousands of others. Who art thou, O man, that repliest against God? Hath not the potter power over the clay? What can we do? Wisdom lieth not in resistance, but in acquiescence, and this is pleasing to God. A French officer was once brought into the presence of Nelson, and boldly walking up to the great admiral, held out his hand. Nelson drew back. Give me your sword," said he, "and then I will take your hand." God asks our surrender. His arms are extended to receive submissive souls. To contrite, yielding man he gives not only his hand, but his heart of infinite love, and his gracious providence. Never yet did he oppress the contrite spirit. "A bruised reed shall he not break, and smoking flax shall he not quench." His wrath is in store only for the haughty and unyielding, the wicked and incorrigible. It behooves us to make diligent application of ourselves to his mind and will. What does God want of us? How does he open the way before us? By what word or deed or spirit or bearing can we serve his cause? pleasure or comfort or gratification do I seek, but the will of my Heavenly Father.

"Welcome alike the crown or cross;.

Trouble I can not ask, nor peace,
Nor toil, nor rest, nor gain, nor loss,
Nor joy, nor grief, nor pain, nor ease,
Nor life, nor death, but ever pray,
'Father, thy only will be done!" "

There are those who live thus. show them that the meaning of submission to the will of God. sentiment when she wrote:

Not my

They have had experience enough to life and its highest joy are found in Hannah More voiced their heartiest

"Lord, I submit. Complete thy gracious will,
For if thou slay me I will trust thee still.
O, be my will so swallowed up in thine,
That I may do thy will in doing mine!"

HUMILITY.

Humbleness of mind is an excellence which the Scriptures enjoin us to put on. "Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up." "For thus saith the high and lofty One that

inhabiteth eternity, whose name is holy: I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones." Again: "If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sins, and will heal their land." We are told that God gives special grace to the humble. "Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble." "When men are cast down, then thou shalt say, There is lifting up; and he shall save the humble person." "Lord, thou hast heard the desire of the humble: thou wilt prepare their heart, thou wilt cause thine ear to hear." The humble person is the person God exalts. "A man's pride shall bring him low: but honor shall uphold the humble in spirit." Humility is especially becoming to the Christian. He receives much from God. He is noticed, cared for, helped, saved, and constantly blessed by the Most High. This should humble him. He is unworthy. The honor he receives is all of grace.

The saints in light are humble. They "bow down" when they worship. They ascribe all honor to Jesus. They praise him day and night, saying, Thou art worthy. The flight of ages does not lift them up in their own opinion. Christ is the Alpha and Omega of all their thought.

Angels are humble. They neither boast of their perfect obedience to the will of God, nor glory in their exalted rank, nor claim any other honor. Off come their crowns, and down they fall at the feet of the slain Lamb, at the very asking of the question, "Who is worthy?"

Man alone is proud and lifted up. And how strange that a mere creature, born in sin, a stranger to God, living on earth but a day, should exalt himself in his own eyes, and even consider himself meritorious of Divine favor! There are those who even think it hard if, in their unregenerate state, they are not, by virtue of some good word or work, accorded a title to the unfading inheritance. They seem to imagine that religion is a point, the mere perception of which is salvation; that at most it is a name, the assuming of which is a certain passport to eternal joys. Not so with those who have learned Christ. Never satisfied with their attainments, they press on to greater heights; unboastful of graces and gifts received, they still crave richer blessings, counting themselves unworthy of any reward. This is the poverty of spirit that gains the kingdom of heaven. a man to heaven's gate, but only humility will find admission."

"Pride will carry

HOPE.

The Christian should be full of hope.

He should always be able to say: "The Lord is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him;" "It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord." Well may any believer inquire: "Why art thou cast down, O my soul? And why art thou disquieted in me? Hope thou in God; for I shall yet praise him for the help of his countenance;" "For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for? But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it;""Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind; be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ."

The hope for which the Christian waits is the hope laid up for him in heaven, whereof he has heard in the Word of truth. This is the hope which is "as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which entereth into that within the veil." It is " a strong consolation" to those who 66 have fled for refuge." It is built upon "two immutable things," in which it is "impossible for God to lie." The two immutable things are "his partyship and his mediatorship; his position as promiser and as juror." The believer's hope of glory is the absolutely pledged veracity of God in Christ. The Lord is not as man, that he should lie, and this is the rock on which we build our hope.

The Christian's blessed hope lights up the gloom of life, soothes all care, bids fear depart, assuages grief, binds up heart-wounds, and "guides us still, through faith and love, to endless peace in heaven."

"Hope, of all passions, most befriends us here;
Passions of prouder name befriend us less.
Joy has her tears, and transport has her death;
Hope, like a cordial, innocent though strong,
Man's heart at once inspirits and serenes,

Nor makes him pay his wisdom for his joys."

"Hope," says Thomas Watson, "is an active grace; it is called a lively hope. Hope is like the spring in the watch it sets all the wheels of the soul in motion. Hope of a crop makes the husbandman sow his seed; hope of a victory makes the soldier fight; and a true hope of glory makes a Christian vigorously pursue his course. Here is a spiritual touchstone to try our hope by."

TRUST.

Several German princes were once extolling the glory of their realms. One boasted of his excellent vineyards; another of his hunting grounds; another of his mines. At last Abelard, duke of Wurtemburg, took up the subject, and said: "I own that I am a poor prince, and can vie with you in none of these things; nevertheless I, too, possess a noble jewel in my dominion; for were I to be without attendants, either in the open country or wild forests, I could ask the first of my subjects whom I met to stretch himself upon the ground, and confidently place my head upon his bosom, and fall asleep without the slightest apprehension of injury." Was not this a precious jewel for a prince? asks Gotthold. 'But," he adds, "I have something better; for I can rest my head and heart in the lap of God's providence, and upon the bosom of Jesus Christ our Lord, with a perfect assurance that neither man nor devil can touch me there."

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Gotthold's trust was in accordance with Bible truth.

"It is better

to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man. It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in princes." "None of them that trust in him shall be desolate." For he saith: "He that putteth his trust in me shall possess the land, and shall inherit my holy mountain." "He that trusteth in his own heart is a fool," "but he that putteth his trust in the Lord shall be made fat." "Blessed is the man that maketh the Lord his trust, and respecteth not the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies." "They that trust in the Lord shall be as Mount Zion, which can not be removed, but abideth forever." "Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the Lord our God," "who is the Savior of all men, especially of those that believe."

It is man's duty to trust in God. Trust is a part of Christian obligation. God requires it. He says: "Offer the sacrifices of righteousness, and put your trust in the Lord." It must be exceedingly offensive to the Most High to find his creatures living in unrighteousness, and trusting in other gods.

Man is safe only when trusting in God. "Other refuge have I none." Life is uncertain. God, in whose hand our breath is, alone can keep us. In his hands we are secure. Come health, come sickness, come pleasure, come pain, come prosperity, come adversity, come life, come death, our God will take care of us. He whose heart is fixed, trusting in the Lord, shall not be afraid of evil tidings.

PRAYER.

We are to pray as well as trust.

What we want we are to ask for. They that ask shall receive. Duty and privilege are here happily combined.

Many passages enjoin the duty of prayer. "Seek the Lord and his strength, seek his face continually." "Watch and pray." "Be careful for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God." "Pray without ceasing." "Seek ye the Lord, and ye shall live.”

Faith is one condition of acceptable prayer: "What things soever ye desire when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them." Holy living is another condition: "If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you." Deep sincerity is another: "Ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart." Patience is another: "I waited patiently for the Lord; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry." Perseverance is another: "Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance."

We should pray in secret. Jacob was alone when he wrestled with the angel, probably Jehovah. Elisha "shut the door" upon himself and the child when he prayed for life to return to the dead. Cornelius fasted as well as prayed in his own house when he saw the beautiful vision. Jesus said: "When thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father." When he himself prayed and communed with his Father, "he went up into a mountain apart."

We should pray also in public. Prayer is an important part of public worship. The Bible abounds with examples of public prayer. We should pray with our families. Household piety is especially pleasing to God. There is no sight on earth more beautiful than that of a Christian family kneeling together around the domestic altar. The attitude of prayer is not specifically enjoined in Scripture. When King David went in to cry out, "Who am I, O Lord God, and what is my house, that thou hast brought me hitherto?" we read that he "sat before the Lord." (2 Sam. vii, 18.) When Phinehas asked God whether he should again go out to battle, we are told that he stood before the ark of the covenant. (Judges xx, 27, 28.) When Job worshiped he "fell down upon the ground." (Job i, 20.) When Solomon