ly, let us pity the state of the church and the world around us,-and then let us act upon his word by the prophet, "Ask ye of the Lord rain, in the time of the latter rain; so the Lord shall make bright clouds, and give them showers of rain, to every one grass in the field." Let us not attempt to excuse ourselves, throw the entire blame on others, or unjustly ascribe our low condition to the Sovereignty of God; but let us act honestly toward the Lord,-let us carry out our profession,-let us fulfil our covenant engagements, and we shall soon see a change, even as the Lord has said, "Bring ye all the tithes into my storehouse, that there may be meat my house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it."

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Dear young friends, one loving word to you before I lay down my pen. You have professed Christ, you have dedicated yourselves to the Lord, you are therefore not of the world; do, do then, come out from the world, and be ye separate. God bids you, the Lord Jesus calls upon you, yes, we beseech you by the mercies of God, that ye yield your bodies a living sacrifice holy and acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. We pray you in Christ's stead, that you would walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called,

"for what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming ?" Tempted you will be, but resist the tempter, and he will flee from you. Be not half-andhalf, but be thorough christians. Let God have the heart, the time, the talents. Avoid the very appearance of evil. Try not how near you can approach the line of separation without danger, but keep as far from it as possible. "For ye were sometimes darkness, but now ye are light in the Lord, walk as children of the light (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, and righteousness, and truth); proving what is acceptable unto the Lord, and have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather re

prove them." "Watch and pray, lest ye enter into temptation; and take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God. But exhort one another daily; while it is called to-day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin."

A GOOD CONFESSION.

THE doctrine of salvation by free and Sovereign grace alone is very offensive to the carnal mind. Man in his natural state revolts at it. The proud philosophie professor cannot bow to it. What, is he to renounce all his good deeds! Are all his supposed virtues, of which he is so proud, to stand for nothing! Must he be saved in the same way as some prostitute, or thief, or dreadfully depraved character! Is grace to do all the work, and receive all the glory! Must man be nothing: a mere cipher! Must he depend on another's sufferings and plead another's righteousness. How can proud

human nature brook this? How can the learned lay aside all his learning, and stand on a level with the illiterate? How can the noble born and noble bred, renounce all his nobility, and go hand in hand to heaven with the poor peasant, who descended from parents poor and unknown? To strip man of everything, and shut him up to mere mercy; to speak to man as fallen and depraved, however distinguished from his fellow men, and tell him that he must be saved as an act of sovereign grace, is galling to his flesh, and

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rouses up the enmity of the heart. the Jews stumbled, they went about to establish their own righteousness, and refused to submit to be saved in, and on the account of, the righteousness, which God had provided by the life and death of his Son, and presented to them in the everlasting gospel,

This was the case with a learned philosophic professor of religion in France, who was considered the first mathematician in his country. In vain, for a considerable time, did a man of God endeavour to lead him as a little child to Jesus. He set before him the truth, he compared every statement with God's word, but the strong hold of science, the high things of philosophy refused to give way, There was a struggle within; but proud nature, supported by false principles, refused to yield. At length the Lord laid his hand upon him: in his affliction, the Holy Spirit became his teacher, in the light of eternity things appeared to put on a different face, one false principle after another gave way, prop after prop was cut from under under him, and he was obliged to cast himself as a poor sinner into the arms of Jesus. In his affliction his friend came to visit him, and what a change did he behold; the proud dogmatical professor was a little child; the learned mathematician was a poor sinner, relying on a precious Saviour. Grasping the hand of his friend, he exclaim

ed with emotion, "I AM A GREAT SINNER, BUT I HAVE A GREAT SURETY." He, like a poor debtor, deserved punishment, because he had voluntarily brought himself into dif ficulty; ashamed of his conditon, and seeing no other way of escape, had fled to Jesus, and cried as David did before him: "Be surety And that precifor thy servant, O Lord.” ous Saviour, who never refuses a poor contrite sinner, listened to his cry, granted his request, set him at liberty, and gave him peace. He paid nothing himself, but Jesus paid all. He did nothing himself, but Jesus did all.

His ransom, was the blood of Jesus. His righteousness, was the obedience of Jesus. His life, was the death of Jesus. To him, Jesus was a Surety, who undertook all, did all, paid all, and engaged to answer for all. Precious view of the Saviour this! If anything will silence the accusations of Satan, if anything will quiet a guilty conscience, if anything will bring peace to the heart, and sweet assurance to the soul, this will. Jesus is "the Surety of the better covenant," even the covenant of grace, revealed in the everlasting gospel. "I am a great sinner!" Thus felt the polished and learned Frenchman, and this confession he made to the He saw not his sins once. he was a great sinner once.

glory of God. He felt not that Nor could man

convince him of it, for his were not so much sins of the life, as sins of the heart.

But