II.-Things Conditional. Repentance, which is giving up sin, is a necessary condition. Other things, such as sorrow and confession, are included in repentance, but they are implied in giving sin up; and all else, without ceasing to do evil, will go for nothing. God's love induces man to repent, &c. Christ is "exalted as a Prince and a Saviour," to give repentance, &c. Prayer is another condition. It is "the contrite sinner's voice," &c. Everyone who would be blessed with "life and godliness" must pray. All can pray, &c. The Lord teaches man to pray, &c. And faith also is a condition. This is the hinge on which salvation turns. God gives power to believe, and the Holy Ghost help by showing the fulness and freeness of salvation, &c. (Philip. i. 29.)

III.-Things Restorative. Pardon or justification. This is what God does for the sinner, for Christ's sake. It is forgiveness, &c. This is what man needs to make him happy, &c. "Being justified by faith," &c. "No condemnation,' &c. Then there is regeneration. This is what God does in man by His Spirit. It is called being born again, and made anew. "If any man be in Christ," &c. The result of renewal is adoption into the Divine family. This is what God does with the new-born soul, &c. The prodigal's return and reception illustrates these restorative things, &c.

IV. Things Preserving. Perseverance, &c. Man may fall, &c. "Take heed," &c. "Stand fast," &c. "As ye have received the Lord Jesus," &c. "By faith ye stand," &c. "Who are kept by the power of God through faith," &c. "Be thou faithful," &c. "Work out," &c. Persevere in all good things. "Giving all diligence, add to faith," &c.

CONCLUSION.-Christ is the greatest gift, &c. He fills the Bible, He promised the Spirit, His love leads to repentance, we pray in His name, and He is the object of our faith; we are pardoned, renewed, and adopted for His sake, and by His help we can do all things. Truly He "is all and in all." "For God spared not His own Son," &c.

Amen.

PERSONAL INIQUITIES.

S. STUBBINGS.

"For innumerable evils have compassed me about: mine iniquities have taken hold upon me, so that I am not able to look up; they are more than the hairs of my head: therefore my heart faileth me. Be pleased, O Lord, to deliver me: O Lord, make haste to help me.”—Ps. xl. 12-13.

THERE are three classes of persons in regard to sins,-the impenitent, who has no concern about them-the penitent, who is deeply affected by them—and the believer, who rejoices in their forgiveness. The text expresses the feelings of the penitent in relation to his own personal sins.

I. His sins in their number. "More than the hairs of my head." Many comparisons to show the number of sins-sands on sea shore-stars-dew-drops-blades of grass. More than we can speak, think, imagine. Sins of omission-commission -neglect-private-public-sins of youth, &c. Sins against God, &c.,-against light, grace, ourselves, others. Commit sins we never think of. God knows them all. Life, in every possible view of it, is sin against God, while the will is hostile to Him.

II. His sins in their tenacity. "Mine iniquities have taken hold upon me." They have awoke from their slumber; have sought me; found me; seized me.

As bees-vipers-evil spirits to pull him into perdition-bailiffs or police-as fearful diseases-demand reparation-demand substitution-hold me responsible.

Taken hold of my conscience-my memory-my feelings-my apprehensions.

Cannot get rid of them. Will not go at my bidding-my hand cannot wipe them out or turn them away-no medicine can purge them-no pleasure can absorb, &c.

Cannot leave them in any place. Go with me-sleep with me-wake with me, &c. Illustrated by David's experience, as expressed in many of his Psalms.

III. His sins in their results. "Innumerable evils have compassed me about." Like thistle seeds, or all seeds of badness, sins are most productive.

Sins bring their own punishment in the person-familybusiness-associations-"compass "-surround, as disturbed dust in a room—as enemies—as waters a drowning manas walls of prison a prisoner.

A Rajah charged his servant not to take the stone from the mouth of a certain cave. The servant disobeyed, and there came out lions that tore him in pieces. Thus we, by disobeying God, are compassed with evils that threaten to destroy us. IV.-His sins in their influence. "So that I am not able to look up: my heart faileth me."

1. Weakening: not able to look up for the want of strength. 2. Make ashamed before God. 3. Degrading to one's soul. 4. Depressing to one's hope. 5. As one sees and feels his sins, the heart fails of confidence in itself: is nigh unto fainting, and dying of broken feelings.

V.-His sins in their removal, or in their forgiveness. How is this to be done? Despondency in one's self, &c. "Be pleased, O Lord, to deliver me: O Lord, make haste to help me.' There is hope and relief in going to God.

1. Be pleased-a recognition of grace-all of grace-no claim. 2. Here is an exhibition of deep feeling-the heart is smitten and wounded. 3. A sense of great dangers-"Deliver me."

4. An abandonment to God. No help anywhere else. 5. No time to be lost. "Make haste." Case--urgent-perishing, &c.,

a dying man.

Encouragements. 1. Divine thoughts of pity, love, and God inclining, hearkening, coming. 2. Atonement. All your iniquities laid on Jesus-" Behold the Lamb of God." God has power and will to save. 3. Invitation. 4. Examples. David in horrible pit. Prodigal, &c., Publican. The rich lord who forgave all that came. Pleasure to save. Mountain and drop of blood. Writing on glass with diamond. Now. Would that every sinner had the feeling of the text.

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ALPHA.

SUGGESTIONS ON TEXTS FROM PSALM CXIX.

'BLESSED are the undefiled in the way, who walk in the law of the Lord." (verse 1.) Undeflledness or perfection, is walking or living in the way of life, according to the law of the Lord. Such a life brings with it happiness.

"Blessed are they . . . that seek Him with the whole heart." (verse 2.) Whole-heartedness in seeking the Lord succeeds in finding Him, and so secures happiness in Him.

"Then shall I not be ashamed, when I have respect unto all Thy commandments." (verse 6.) Universal obedience to the Divine commands gives confidence and boldness everywhere and in everything.

"I will keep Thy statutes: O forsake me not utterly." (verse 8.) A good resolution, accompanied with a prayer against a dreaded evil.

"Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed thereto according to Thy Word." (verse 9.) An important question proposed and a wise answer given.

"Thy Word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against Thee." (verse 11.) The thing that is done, and the reason for doing it.

"I have rejoiced in the way of Thy testimonies as much as in all riches." (verse 14.) The subject of rejoicing, and the degree of it.

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'I will meditate in Thy precepts, and have respect unto Thy ways." (verse 15.) Meditation and its subjects; Respect and its objects.

"I will delight myself in Thy statutes: I will not forget Thy Word." (verse 16.) The subjects of personal delight; the use or exercise of a good memory.

"Deal bountifully with Thy servant, that I may live, and keep Thy Word." (verse 17.) A wish to live; how the wish is to be realised the object for having the wish.

"Open Thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things

out of Thy law." (verse 18.) God's Word contains wondrous things. Man's mind is naturally blind to the perception of them. To see these wondrous things, God must open man's eyes. This God does in answer to prayer. When man's eyes are opened then he sees the wondrous things; not till then." "Thy testimonies . . . are my counsellors." (verse 24.) The Scriptures are our best counsellors in all things.

"My soul cleaveth unto the dust; quicken Thou me according to Thy Word." (verse 25.) The downward tendency of the soul. Its arrest and its elevation by God. The way of doing this, and the measure of doing it. BETA.

TERMS AND PHRASES DEFINED AND EXPLAINED.

DISTINCTION is the expressing, in words, some difference which has been observed. To make a distinction without a difference, is, therefore, to utter an unmeaning proposition; as if one were to say, "I deprived you of your rights; but I did you no wrong."

DISTRIBUTION is the assigning of things to the places or compartments which have been prepared to receive them. There must already have been a classification of some kind, when a distribution is made. Minds fond of classification and of order think very much by the method of distribution; that is to say, whatever new subject is presented to their consideration, they rid themselves of perplexity, not so much by a strict and true analysis of it, as by distributing the parts of which it seems to consist, according to their customary mode of classifying all things.

DIVISION is the separating one and the same thing into parts, or parcels, one of which is of the same quality as another; it is therefore distinguished from analysis, which is the separation of the unlike component parts of a compound body.

DOUBT is some degree of belief, or supposition, that what has been affirmed is true. Disbelief is knowledge that it is not true. To admit a proposition carelessly, or without regard to evidence, is credulity: to affirm such a proposition positively and authoritatively, is dogmatism. To refuse assent to evidence, proportioned to its force or validity, is scepticism; that is to say, it is to prefer doubt or ignorance to knowledge, in some instance where a degree of certainty is actually attainable. For any one to profess to disbelieve a proposition when he does not know that it is false, is an absurdity of the same sort as to embrace opinions without evidence: it is a real dogmatism concealed under the affectation of avoiding dogmatism. ANA-LYSIS, from ana, again, and luo, I dissolve. The separation of a compound into the parts of which it consists. To

analyse a compound word is to distinguish the etymon or rootthe prefix-and the desinence or termination. The opposite to Synthesis.

ANA-THEMA, from ana, apart, and thema, a thing put. That which is put apart for holy purposes, a victim for sacrifice, a person sacrificed as a victim to a particular cause, a curse, a person separated (put apart) as being under a curse. Anathema is also used to denote the curse or censure pronounced in excommunication. Excommunication is the act of excluding a person from the participation of holy mysteries.

ANA-TOMY, from ana, apart, and temno, I cut. Dissection; or the act of separating and examining the parts of animal bodies. ANCHOR, from agkura (kurtos, a curved hook for fishing), a curved iron instrument, which, being fastened to the ground, by means of a cable attached to it, keeps a ship from driving.

ANDRO-IDES, from andros, of a man, and eidos, form. A term under which some scientific writers have classed all the automata made to imitate the human form.

ANGEL, from aggello, I deliver a message. A spirit employed by God to manifest His will (that is, to deliver His orders) to human beings.

AN-ODYNE, from a, not, and odune, pain. A term applied to substances which assuage pain.

ANT-AGONIST, from anti, against, opposite, and agonistes, a combatant. One who opposes another.

ILLUSTRATIONS OF TEXTS AND SUBJECTS.

[The Illustrations under this head are given as original, or such as are selected for the first time from their respective authors, unless otherwise stated.]

FULNESS OF DIVINE LOVE.

THEY tell us that the sun is fed by impact, from objects from without, and that the day will come when its furnace-flames shall be quenched into grey ashes. But this love is fed by no contributions from without, and will outlast the burnt-out sun and gladden the ages of ages for ever.

All generations, all thirsty lips and ravenous desires, may slake their thirst and satisfy themselves at that great fountain, and it shall not sink one inch in its marble basin. Christ's love, after all creatures have received from it, is as full as at the beginning, and unto us upon whom the ends of the earth are come, this precious and sweet, all-sufficing love pours as full a tide as when first it blessed that little handful that gathered round about Him on earth. Other rivers run shallow as they broaden, but this "river of God" is as deep when it wraps the world as if it were poured through the narrows of one heart.-Dr. Maclaren.