"Now will I arise." Ah! Lord God, we need thy interference, for, truly, "vain is the help of man." Do not, therefore, dear Lord, delay another moment, but send help from the sanctuary. "Our eyes are up unto thee;" delay not for thine own name sake; "our help is in the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth."

O Lord, my help, do now arise,

My eye is up to thee;

Do not, dear Lord, my prayer despise,

But, O remember me !

Give us help from trouble; for vain is the help of man."

Had we no

soul trouble and heart anguish the word of God would be of no use to us; for in reading it we could not possibly see and feel Christ to be the sum and substance of it. Hart's words are sweetly appropriate here:

"A faithful friend of grief partakes ;

But union can be none

Betwixt a heart like melting wax,

And hearts as hard as stone;

66 Betwixt a Head diffusing blood,
And members sound and whole;
Betwixt an agonizing God,

And an unfeeling soul."

Who is it that adopts the language, "Give us help from trouble, for vain is the help of man ?" He who has by feeling experience proved the weakness of man's arm, the emptiness of man's council, the foolishness of man's wisdom, and the treachery of man's heart. Such an one can truly say, "VAIN IS THE HELP OF MAN."

London, May 31, 1859.

THE YOUNGER BROTHER.

WALKING IN CHRIST.*

A Sermon preached by A. Triggs.

" As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in Him; rooted and built up in Him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving."-COLOSSIANS ii. 6, 7.

ALTHOUGH there is such a diversity in unity in the word of God, yet, read where we may, we shall read of Him who is our soul's chief delight, our life, our everlasting light, our God, our glory. Unspeakably precious are the truths you have been singing concerning Christ and the Church:

"Clad with His vesture bright and fair,

She's like the Holy One.'

How marvellous, yet how precious! for Jesus Christ saith to us, "As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father;" and, "as Thou Father art

in

me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us." However blessed the union of the Church is manifested, though in distinct personality, as creatures, we love each other, and cannot do otherwise, yet you see the union in unity is in and with our most glorious Christ, who saith, "I and my Father are one." These are matters for faith; for the moment a poor creature begins to speculate on them, he troubles himself, and will rise up in enmity against God. Now mark two things with me :-God's revelation is received and known by faith, and God's children have faith given to them to believe they are sinners, and to believe God's revelation, though they cannot Hitherto unpublished.

suppose

I mean

comprehend it. Here is another simple mercy, and a blessed one it is, as the Lord is leading us on day by day, every grain of our knowledge of the deceitfulness of our hearts, the depravity of our nature, the carnality of the mind, is all by love and in love, by the Spirit of revelation; for the mystery of iniquity is understood by none but those that are fools for Christ's sake, living new creatures in Him. We can read and talk about it, but there is nothing we know concerning ourselves but what is the effect of God's love by the work and ministry of the Spirit. Let me stop a moment here. What would all prayers, thoughts, and desires be were we not one with Christ, who is touched with the feeling of our infirmities! We are made partakers of a divine nature; then whatever mind we may have as creatures, as believers we have no mind but the mind of Christ. Do we really understand the blessedness of this truth? If so, there is another sweet mercy arising from it: as we live and walk by faith, so, in Christ the Way, we walk in peace with God through Him. All the religion in the world, with sentiments, doctrines, and profession will be of no avail to any one if they have not peace with God through Christ Jesus our Lord. Do not mistake me, and peace in one's self, or with one another; for thousands may have that, and know nothing of the peace I am now noticing, for that is only known by those who are in union with Christ, and have an heart-felt experience of the love, blood, salvation, preciousness, and work of our most glorious Christ; and being joined to the Lord, and adopted by God the Father in Him, they are the children of God, and walk in humility as obedient children in Christ Jesus. As the children are thus indulged, "Jesus only" will satisfy or give comfort. We have many comforts naturally that we call creature comforts, and we bless the Lord for them; yet, let it be remarked, all such have a final; but union with God, peace with God, salvation in Him with eternal glory, being accepted and complete in Him, is like Himself, without variableness or shadow of turning, "because as He is, so are we in this world." Pause and ponder over these glorious mercies. I hope they are more than sound, and I hope you have more than notions of them. What the mercy we shall have to notice if time will permit; and we shall now make a few remarks on certain parts of the text. Who are they that walk uprightly? Those that love the Lord Jesus Christ, as it is said, "The upright love Thee." We have no need to run round the town to seek for evidences; for if we love the Lord Jesus Christ, it is personal. We never should have loved the Lord Jesus Christ, if He had not first loved us. Where is it we love the Lord Jesus? Christ is in us the hope of glory; and Christ in us is our life! Is that the foundation of our life? No, but inseparably connected with it; because, being in Christ, God the Father gave us eternal life in Him. Do think over these divine realities; for to simply believe these truths with faith and hope in God, is the greatest mercy I expect while I am in the lower house. I love to talk to you of this. There was a time when I thought all my happiness was made up by enjoyments; but I find now that Jonah could sing salvation at the bottom of the mountains; the Hebrew children could walk loose in the fire; and, if I mistake not, Daniel could sleep quiet in the lion's den. Why? "My God hath sent His angel;" so in every state and in every circumstance, no matter what the state may be, our hearts may be bursting and overflowing with sorrow,-yet here is the antidote, I am with thee to deliver." Then, our fitness for deliverance is a

is

it

daily mercy, and our fitness to be comforted, to be strengthened, to be instructed and made wise unto salvation, are daily mercies and daily blessings. Every grain of affection or love goes out to the Lord, whether in sorrow or joy, whether in peace or war, whether on the heights or in the depths; for here is the mercy : we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, and are the called according to His purpose." Now suppose anyone was to say to you, you are not one of the called of God. You would be ready to tell him it was a falsehood; yet in our apparent sinking into ourselves, what things we do say about ourselves, that there is not a grain of truth in, as if the Lord did not know us; when at the same time, be the circumstance what may, He is guiding us with His eye. But then what will be the result as He is thus guiding us? “That where I am, there ye may be also." Some of us may have had many very untoward things since we last parted; but when we come to sum up matters, it has always connected with it the word, well. 66 Say ye unto the righteous, it shall be well with him." Let us make a remark here concerning the blessedness of it, as well as the fulness of blessing of Jesus Christ dwelling in us and working in us. What is it? He is the way of life. We may walk in natural ways, and they may appear plain and pleasing to sight and sense; and we may have the mind attracted with certain things we may meet in the way; yet, every way short of Jesus Christ, the Son of God and man, the Man Christ Jesus, will end in death, and is the way of death; and the only living way we have to walk in is the Way Christ Jesus. What a simple truth this is; for every one of us who are walkers and walk in the light of His countenance, walk in Him the way of life, and shall never be brought into condemnation before God.

(To be Continued.)

A FURNACE TESTIMONY.

MY DEAR BROTHER IN JESUS OUR RICH ELDER BROTHER,-" He, who was rich, for our sakes became poor, that we through His poverty might be made rich;" so that, though in self I am poor, yet in Christ I am eternally rich. I find by daily experience I can do nothing without Christ; but through His strengthening me I can do all things, and bear this continual suffering.

I received your sweet and savoury letter, with the post-office order, quite safe; for which accept my warmest thanks.

By the help of the Lord I will once more bear my humble testimony to the love and faithfulness of Jesus our never-failing Friend. Though I am fearful my sickness will not allow me to say much, still, notwithstanding the burning pain so hard to endure, I feel anxious to testify of the faithfulness of my God; for the Lord hath dealt with me in much mercy: "His left hand is under my head, and His right hand doth embrace me. How great is His

goodness to me a sinful worm! His grace has ever been sufficient for me; and, in felt weakness, His strength has been perfected. O why should the dear Lord look upon me in sovereign love and mercy? Why manifest Himself unto me other than He does unto the world? What a mercy, dear brother, that we should be favoured to have such a Friend as Jesus! He

was afflicted for our sakes, and is ever touched with the feeling of our varied infirmities. O the blessedness of being built upon the Rock of Ages, which is proof against every assault, and, though the rains of temptation, and floods of persecution, beat against it, yet it falls not.

I was thinking this morning, before your letter came, with sweetness, on that precious promise, "But my God shall supply all your need, according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus." Bless His dear name, I can say, "Not ONE THING hath failed." My shoes have been iron and brass, and as my day my strength has been. Yesterday the words of our dear Redeemer were very sweet to me: "Now are ye clean through the words that I have spoken unto you;" and many precious promises given to me by the Lord were by the blessed Spirit brought to my remembrance. My soul, indeed, dwelt on high, my place of defence being the munitions of rocks; my meditation of Him was exceedingly sweet, while richly feeding on love and blood by the power of the Holy Spirit. Sweet were the moments of communion with the Lord. I enjoyed such nearness of access, that I embraced Him in the arms of faith, saying, with the Church, "A bundle of myrrh is my Wellbeloved unto me; He shall lie all night betwixt my breasts."

"A few mornings ago I was much favoured in meditating on the love, grace, and mercy of our Covenant God. I feared to open my eyes lest I should lose my Beloved's sweet presence. These words dropped sweetly into my soul, "Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love Him. But God hath revealed them unto us by His Spirit." So precious were the words spoken unto me, that my soul was like wax before the sun. After musing for some time, I took the bible to read, but the sweetness was gone; there was no unction with the word. I read on to the 12th verse of 1 Cor. ii., the enemy then came in with a fiery dart, saying, "I had not the Spirit of Christ. My soul sank within me; my heart was wounded; I said, with David, and David's Lord, "He hath smitten my life down to the ground." For a time, in agony of soul, I groaned and wrestled; but, blessed be the Lord, He again proved Himself faithful to His word, "When the enemy cometh in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord lifteth up a standard against him;" for He dropped this precious portion into my heart, "I have blotted out as a thick cloud thy transgressions, and as a cloud thy sins; return unto me, for I have redeemed thee." Thus the wound was healed, Jesus was very precious, peace flowed into my soul, the devil was gone-" Sing, O ye heavens, for the Lord Himself hath done it," and I could sing with dear Kent,

"In my Surety I am free,

His dear hands were pierced for me;
With His spotless vesture on,

Holy as the Holy One,"

This is my comfort in my affliction, thy word hath quickened me; "Thy testimonies have I taken as an heritage for ever; for they are the rejoicing of my heart."

"I ever in His light shall shine;
I ever more shall call Him mine."

At another time I was much shut up in mind while waiting upon the Lord

severely tried and tempted, and knew not what to do, presently, as though a gentle voice spoke to me, saying, "Thy faith is weak, thy foes are strong." I answered, Yes, dear Lord; increase my faith. My soul was then melted in sweet contrition, my heart was warmed, and drawn forth in love and prayer to Jesus, when these verses of Toplady's came with power and sweetness to my mind:

"A debtor to mercy alone,

Of covenant mercy I'll sing;

Nor fear, with thy righteousness on,

My person and offering to bring.

"The terrors of law and of God,

With me can have nothing to do;
My Saviour's obedience and blood

Hide all my transgressions from view.',

These sweet verses were followed by this precious promise: "Thy sun shall no more go down; neither shall thy moon withdraw itself; for the Lord shall be thy everlasting light, and the days of thy mourning shall be ended." O, my brother, if the foretaste of heaven is so sweet and precious, what will glory be! It was a most blessed season; I longed "to depart and be with Christ, which is far better." I could say, with the Church, "Make haste, my Beloved." Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me bless His

holy name;" for,

Farewell, for this time, my dear brother. The Lord bless thee and keep thee, is the sincere desire and hearty prayer of thine afflicted brother,

Starry, near Canterbury.

SAMUEL FOSTER.

[Though we intended, before transcribing this letter, to have passed it over in silence, yet we feel necessitated to drop a word or two in praise of the ONE Beloved of the Church for endearing Himself so much to our much afflicted friend. Truly He is a Brother born for adversity, and is exceedingly precious in the furnace of affliction. In the depth of His all-wise arrangement, He is pleased to discover Himself in the heights of His love and affection toward the objects of His choice.

it

The Lord is often pleased to take advantage of bodily affliction in making a means of real benefit to the soul. How frequently we meet with the bloom of youth shattered and driven away by a sudden hurricane of disease; and then instead of the gay and thoughtless child hunting after earth's pleasing toys, there is to be heard an unmistakable cry of" What must I do to be saved;' or, "God be merciful to me (however young) a sinner."

Yes,

Though-as our readers must acknowledge-the case of our brother is one of extreme suffering, yet, who can read his letters without being constrained to say that, the heart communion he is favoured to hold with the Lord, ten thousand times more than compensates for all the pain he endures! beloved readers, go and visit that sick saint, and we are sure he will from the bottom of his heart corroborate all-and much more than all-we say. If you cannot visit him in person, write him a love letter, and see if he does not say, in praise of His most glorious Christ, "He hath done all things well." Any of our readers who are inclined to still fulfil Mark ix. 41, we shall esteem it a favour to forward of their liberality to our afflicted friend.—ED.]