succour them that are The walls of your

fold not up and lay aside "the letter" of dark tidings, but "spread it before the Lord," so shall you know that in Jesus you have "a Friend that loveth at all times, a Brother born for adversity," Prov. xvii. 17; one "Who in that He Himself both suffered being tempted is able to tempted," Heb. ii. 18. secret chamber that bear witness to your tears and prayers, shall also testify to your songs of praise," the joy of the Lord shall be your strength." Nor is peace the only blessing you shall reap. Deliverance shall be yours. This Hezekiah found; his case was past help in man's view, but "that which is impossible with man is possible with God," the prayer of faith prevailed; "that night the angel of the Lord went out and smote in the camp of the Assyrians an hundred fourscore and five thousand," "the zeal of the Lord of hosts performed this." Go then, poor, burdened sinner, and cast all your care on the God of all grace, the cry of heart-felt want shall bring relief; weary not of prayer; in the name of Jesus and by faith in him it shall prevail; your foes shall be overcome; sloth, and selfishness, and discontent, "and fleshly lusts that war against the soul," and love of the world,

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and lofty pride, these, with a legion of other evil spirits, shall be cast out; God will "turn them back by the way by which they came" in answer to the prayer of faith; deliverance shall be yours.

My brethren, do you know what it is, thus solemnly, earnestly, trustfully, as Hezekiah did, to spread your case before the Lord; can you say from happy experience, "It is good for me to draw near to God?" Psa. lxxiii. 28.

In going up to the house of the Lord, in making your "common supplications before Him," is the wandering eye restrained, the energies of your mind collected, and with the solemn conviction "this is none other but the house of God and this the gate of Heaven," do you there spread your wants before the Lord?.... In family prayer, and in asking God's blessing at your meals, do you watch against carelessness? have you a holy fear lest these seasons should at any time cease to be a "praying in the Holy Ghost," Jude xx., a “worshiping God in spirit and in truth ?".... In special

1 Gen. xxxii. 26; Exod. xiv. 15; xvii. 11'; 1 Sam. xxx. 6, 8; 1 Chron. xx. 12, 24; Nehem. ii. 4, 8; Dan. ii. 17, 18, 19; ix. 23; Jonah ii. 1, 8, 10; Matt. xv. 22; Acts iv. 31; xii. 5. How "good" was it for these "to draw near to GOD!"

times of need, is prayer your resource? God, our reconciled Father in Christ Jesus, is "a very present help in trouble," do you know Him as such? Do you in every "fiery trial" go at once and spread your case before the Lord? In social intercourse with friends, does prayer form part of that intercourse? surely the joy of meeting shall be more bright, the sorrow of parting be soothed, the time spent together be precious and leave a blessing in the remembrance, if it has been sanctified by the word of God and by prayer. Finally, in secret are you much in prayer? Matt. vi. 6. How often did you go to God yesterday in secret prayer?.... Oh the blessedness of secret prayer! prove that blessedness: how refreshing the dew on the drooping plant! more reviving the Spirit's influences on the praying soul. "They that wait on the Lord shall renew their strength," "Wait I say on the Lord," let prayer sanctify all you do; is the fire kindled on the altar of your heart, in your private supplications in the early morning and in family prayer? keep up that fire throughout the day by the breathings of thy soul heavenward; are you on a journey? pray; are you engaged in labour either of mind or body? prayer will sweeten the toil and bring

a blessing down; blessed, thrice blessed they, who are taught of the Spirit "always to pray and not to faint," who " in every thing, by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, make their requests known unto God; the peace of God which passeth all understanding shall keep their hearts and minds through Christ Jesus," Phil. iv. 6, 7. That day is approaching that shall lay open the hidden things of darkness, when the prayerless soul shall find that its secret sins are set in the light of God's countenance, and that the time is past for spreading them before Him, through the precious blood that now so freely speaketh pardon and peace. At that day, my praying brother, shall you enter into that city, whose "walls are salvation, and whose gates are praise;" here you have spread your sins, your cares, your sorrows, before the Lord, and He will there spread His joys before you; your prayers will be ended, your praises will be but begun. "The redeemed of the Lord shall return, and come with singing unto Zion; and everlasting joy shall be upon their head: they shall obtain gladness and joy; and sorrow and mourning shall flee away," Isa. li. 11.

XV.

"PLUCKING OUT THE RIGHT EYE."

ST. MATTHEW v. 29, 30.

"And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell. And if thy right hand offend thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell."

A "PLUCKING out,"-a cutting off, this we like not; we are ready to cry, "This is an hard saying, who can hear it?" we would rather be told of "peace and joy in believing,' of "the crown of glory," of "the New Jerusalem." Brethren! of these indeed it is our privilege to hear and to rejoice in the consolation, but let us not forget that both go together, the precept and the promise, "the fiery trial" and "the exceeding joy, reproach of Christ" and "the recompense of

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2 1 Peter iv. 12, 13.

the