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peace of God-the legacy bequeathed by the risen and exalted Saviour to all who love him with sincerity and serve him with fidelity.

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Peace is the portion of the penitent, the possession of the pardoned, the patrimony of the pure. There is no peace, saith my God, to the wicked, but great peace have they that love thy law. Mark the perfect man, and behold the upright, for the end of that man is peace. Christian, be faithful to your Lord, and your peace shall flow like a river until you enter the haven of eternal blessedness and joy. Perhaps the reader is a total stranger to all spiritual and divine things, perhaps, an obstinate sinnerr—an incorrigible transgressor-one who scoffs at religion and makes a mock at sin. O, wicked man, do you vainly imagine that you can successfully contend with your Almighty Maker who can crush the mightiest monarch like the feeblest moth? It is folly to barter away the soul for the momentary gratifications of the flesh. It is madness to sport with eternal death. Do you prefer the perdition of ungodly men to the glories of the heavenly state? Be not deceived -God is not mocked."—"Though hand join in hand, the wicked shall not go unpunished." "The wicked shall be turned into hell, with all the nations that forget God." "The soul that sinneth it shall die." 'Knowing the terrors of the Lord, we persuade men." Be reconciled to God." ye Why will die? why will ye die ?" As I live, saith the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live." "Come now and let us reason together, saith the Lord, though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson they shall be as wool." "Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts, and let him return unto the Lord and He will have mercy upon him, and to our God for He will abundantly pardon." Despise not the long-suffering of Jehovah. Continue no longer in a course of sin. Seek the Lord while he may be found. Delay not your soul's eternal welfare another moment, lest you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. Now is the accepted time, behold now is the day of salvation." To-morrow death may close your eyes and fix your destiny for ever. Hasten then to the fountain opened for sin and uncleanness. The uplifted cross is still before you, and He that hung, and bled, and groaned, and died thereon, is able to save to the very uttermost all who come unto God by him, and for your encouragement, however depraved, however

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unworthy, He kindly declares that whosoever cometh unto him he will in no wise cast out. Come then to the Saviour of the lost. The Spirit and the bride say come. Come, sceptic, come. Come, scoffer, come. Drunkard, fornicator, liar, thief, blasphemer, come. Chief of sinners, come. Whosoever will let him come. Reader, come. Come, O, come-come and welcome to the Cross of Christ.

London.

THOMAS JOHNSON.

ESSAY ON PRAYER.

(Continued from p. 8.)

THE language of PROFESSION is a renewal of our self-dedication. We thus remind ourselves that the vows of the Lord are upon us! And it is well also to ask ourselves as to the performance thereof. Let a man examine himself, and so let him come to the propitiatory, and to the table of the Lord. Do we open our lips with the word Father? We thus profess to be His children; to be regenerate; to be separate from the ungodly; to be servants of God; followers of Jesus, and living stones in the temple of the Spirit! (1 Cor. iii. 16; 2 Cor. vi. 16.) We profess to praise and shew forth the praises of Him who has called us out of darkness into light; and to cause our light to shine before men. All this, and much more may be properly expressed in our addresses to our heavenly Father.

We call serious attention to this department of worship, under the conviction that, in modern times, it has been much lost sight of. Numerous examples might be quoted from the writings of David and others, as also from David's Son, and David's Lord; our Teacher and our Exampler. John xvii. &c.

THANKSGIVING is another department, occupying no small space in the entire area. We have, indeed, very much more to give thanks for, than to ask for. Much of a temporal character, (for what have we which we have not received?) and still more of a spiritual character. We hear of wars, and rumours of wars, but let us give thanks for peace in our own land! The earth around us yields its increase, and commerce flourishes; and it is meet that we should praise God in the enjoyment of these and other blessings of a national character; as also for favours of a personal or relative nature,

Not more than others we deserve,
Yet God has given us more!

If we are unmindful of the divine goodness, we shall fail to imbibe or to preserve a thankful spirit. Ingratitude is sinful -sinful and foolish; for we are happy in proportion as we are grateful. We have much to be grateful for. Let us cherish the spirit, and give expression to it in drawing near to God. Psalms xcii. 1-3; xcv. 1-7; xcvi. 1, 2, 6, 9; ciii. 1-5; cvi. 1, &c. CONFESSION is also to be included in prayer-not "the confession" that "Jesus is the Christ." (John xx. 31; Rom. x. 9, 10, &c.,) but confession of sins into which Christians fall. Forgiveness upon confession is an eminent privilege of "the household of the faith." Note this, for some of us may lose much through ignorance of, or, inattention to our privileges as children of God. Prayer is one of those privileges. And it was to his fellow-christians, as such, and not to his fellow-men, as such, that the beloved apostle said, "If we confess our sins, God is faithful and just to forgive us," &c. It is a mischevious error, though so generally taught, that a sinner can obtain forgiveness by confession and prayer before entering the church, for we have not a single precedent to support such a dogma from the commencement of the Christian Institution (Acts ii.); and it is required of us that we labour to correct this error, as we have opportunity to do so. Have you a child, a friend, or a neighbour under this delusion? Make it your business to expose the error, warning such against the danger of resting on an un-christian basis. We received the forgiveness of sins on entering the house, or family of God, (Acts ii. 38-41, &c.); but when freed from the guilt of past sins, we were not freed from exposure to temptation; nor from the liability of being overcome thereby. (1 John i. 8, 9: ii. 1, &c.) Have we sinned in thought, desire, word, temper, or action? Let us not fail to confess it at once. We need not, and ought not to be in any unpardoned state a single hour. David says, I acknowledged my sin unto thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid. I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord; and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin. And Solomon says, He that covers his sins shall not prosper; but whoso confesses and forsakes them, shall have mercy. If we cover our sins-if we fail to confess and forsake them, we have no interest in him who is, emphatically, our covering, or propitiatory. (Rom. iii. 25; iv. 7; 1 John i. 8, 9; ii. 1, &c.) We must uncover them by confession, &c., in order that we may be covered by the Lord our Righteousness. Let us understand this that we may appreciate it, and rejoice in it. And to make

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confession let us "enter into the closet," for it is peculiarly personal.

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INTERCESSION is also an interesting part of prayer; and it is a precious privilege. Jesus our Redeemer and our Lord, is also our Mediator and Intercessor. Every believer thinks upon him in his intercessory character with deep interest and unfeigned delight. He our great High Priest, has made us both kings and priests to God, even the Father. How delightful to think that we are permitted to intercede for one another. Are we sick, or distressed in body or in mind, personally, or relatively? We know that intercessory prayer will be offered by the brotherhood on our behalf; as also by individuals whom we love, and who have "power with God!" When Dorcas died, Peter offered "the prayer of faith”—intercessory prayer, for her revival. (Acts ix. 40, &c.) And when Peter was imprisoned, the church convened for "instant and earnest prayer" on his behalf. (Acts xii. 5, &c.) "Praying always with all prayer and supplication, in spirit; and watching thereto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints; and for me." Eph. vi. 18; Col. iv. 2-4, &c. ; John xvii. &c. In 2 Thess. iii. 1, 2, we have an example of intercession: and DEPRECATION. Matt. v. 44, is also an example of deprecatory prayer, 'Bless them who curse you; pray for them who despitefully use you, &c." For their conversion ? That God would give them faith, or repentance, or convert them to Himself?' No-for God commands and entreats such to believe, to repent, and to turn to Him. ("Repent and turn yourselves from all your transgressions; so iniquity shall not be your ruin." Exek. xviii. 30-32.) Let us pray for such as Jesus did, and as the first Christian Martyr did: Father, forgive them! Lord, lay not this sin to their charge! We may not desire that those who injure us should suffer for so doing; but deprecate the punishment which those who persecute may thus bring upon themselves, and labour to serve and benefit (or bless) them. We bless or curse others, by cherishing and expressing desires for good or evil upon them. Some, indeed, are prone to say, 'I hope that such an one will be made to suffer;' and many around us are ever ready to take the sword; to retaliate; to say, in effect, Vengeance is mine, and I will repay; for in childhood and youth they were trained to return (not a kiss, but) a blow for a blow! Jesus expressed his desire that those who persecuted him might not suffer for that offence. That desire was fulfilled, in such as repented and accepted the

remission of their sins upon his name; but the impenitent were miserably destroyed! Matt. xxi. 41; Acts ii. 23, 37, 38; iii. 14-19, &c. But did not David and other men of God pray by inspiration, for vengeance upon their enemies?' So our translators understood them, and hence the heading of Psalm lxix, "David devoteth his enemies to destruction." But we have not so learned the Christ the Son of David, nor David himself. From Rom. xi. 8-10, we learn that David predicted

the character and conduct of the enemies of the Messiah and his kingdom. Compare Ps. lxix. 21, with John xix. 28-30; and Ps. lxix. 25, with Matt. xxiii. 38. In my thirst they will give me vinegar to drink ;-their table shall become a snare ;* their habitation shall be desolate, &c. And so 2 Tim. iv. 14, "The Lord will reward him."

"If thy enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink; for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire upon his head!" Bless, and curse not!

(To be continued.)

EVANGELISATION.-No. 1.

THE kingdom of heavenis an aggressive empire. Established amid a world of rebels, it seeks nothing less than their absolute and universal conquest. What it seeks it shall obtain, one way or other. Conquer it must. If it overcome not by the potency of its message of peace, it, doubtless, shall by the omnipotence of its Sovereign's power, when he comes with the angelic legions of his might to yield vengeance on every unyielding rebel. But meantime, by order of Sovereign grace, the sword is sheathed, and the silvery tones of the trumpet of truce, sound along the entire length of the enemy's lines. Peace is proclaimed to those who are far off, as also to those who are nigh. This, however, not by the Sovereign in person, but by his heralds. His command to them is-" Go ye into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature; he that believeth and is baptised shall be saved, but he that believeth not shall be condemned." With this for marching orders the Apostles went forth. Accompanying them were other brethren, evangelists and others. Each convert to the faith was an addition to the staff; each congregation was a centre for the diffusion of the Gospel. The church at large is the pillar and stay of the truth. It is, therefore, to the church as a whole, and to her sons as individuals, that we must look for the evangelisation of the world.

So far, no accurate student of scripture can have any doubt. None such can for a moment think of trusting the work either to the men

*"Michaelis shews how exactly this was fulfilled in the history of the final seige of Jerusalem. Many thousands had assembled in the city to eat the paschal lamb, when Titus unexpectedly made an assault upon them. In this seige the greater part of the inhabitants of Jerusalem miserably perished."

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