FAITH.

ST. LUKE, Xxiii. 46.

"And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, He said, Father, into Thy hands I commend My spirit; and having said thus, He gave up the ghost."

MORE unspeakably soothing are these words than even the blessed promise of Paradise; more so because they tell not of rest after conflict, which, perhaps, we can scarcely picture to ourselves, but of rest in the midst of conflict, which is what at this moment all who are striving to serve God must more or less be yearning after. One of the sternest lessons to be learnt at the outset of our Christian life is the necessity of continual exertion. Το labour, however vigorously, for a while, and then to cease, seems within our power; but to labour till death, is a prospect at which the heart, aware of its own weakness, must always tremble. Many there are who can never bring themselves to the state of steadfast resolution which such a necessity demands; whose Christian life is always beginning, and whose whole course is in consequence a succession of feeble and, too frequently, unsuccessful

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struggles; whilst the progress which they may really making is hidden from them by the consciousness of the infirmity of their will. To such persons religion, with all its blessedness, must be, in a measure, dreary, because it is infinitely disappointing; and so, also, is it dreary to those who imagine that they can find in their own strengththe firmness of their own purpose-that witness of a good conscience without which there is no peace. The strength of the strongest resolution, the firmness of the most earnest purpose, what is it? Pray, strive, watch, we may, indeed; yet must there be still the frequently recurring sense of defeat, the perpetual falling short in our duty, and the ceaseless battle with self. How we bear it as we do we may well marvel! God's Spirit, doubtless, supports even those who are labouring with imperfect views of their true position, with efforts misdirected, though earnest; but notwithstanding the support given us, we can never know the repose of Trust, until the thought present to our Redeemer, when sinking under the weary anguish of the Cross, comes to us also in the weariness of our daily conflict with sin.

"Father, into Thy hands I commend my spirit." What we give to God He will assuredly keep, and what He keeps must be in safety. There is no rest for the soul except in this confidence. The strictest watchfulness, the most unwearied exertion, can only bring out more clearly to view the need for increased repentance, and renewed care, until the

helplessness of human nature sinks overwhelmed by such a prospect. But to commend our souls to Christ, whether we call the act Faith, or Trust, is to turn aside from all this anxiety, and to seek for repose where only it can be found,-apart from ourselves.

The feeling need not necessarily be accompanied by any crushing sense of guilt, though it will be generally connected with the perception of infirmity and danger. At times even physical weakness will cause the same burden of anxiety to fall upon us, bringing with it the same craving for repose; and we are not called upon to examine whence it comes. The prayer of trust, which gives us rest, gives us at the same time the consciousness that we are not wilful self-deceivers, and, therefore, without a claim to it. No one can calmly and steadfastly commend his soul to Christ's keeping who does not at the moment—whatever may be his usual infirmity of will -fully desire to serve Christ. The faith which gives itself to God is inseparable from the loving gratitude which can only be satisfied with striving to please Him. The child who looks up to its mother before closing its eyes in sleep, and with an earnest truthfulness commends itself to her care, cannot have the heart of an alien; if it had, it could not trust; and if aware of any hidden fault, any cloud which had arisen to shut out love, it could not rest until the fault had been acknowledged and the resolution of amendment made. It is, indeed, quite possible to deceive ourselves on this point. Nothing is

more easy than to say that we trust in Christ, and cast the burden of our sins upon Him; and, rejecting our own righteousness, look to him only for salvation. And the words may come so readily, that we may have no difficulty in persuading ourselves that we have embraced the right doctrine, and that, therefore, our souls are safe. Or we may, under the influence of some sudden impulse or overpowering conviction of our sinfulness in God's sight, grow frightened at the thought of being in any way responsible for our salvation, and turn with thankfulness to the promise, that if we will commit ourselves to Christ, the responsibility will be taken from us. But the formal words, as being mere words, can give no rest to the conscience; and the feeling which has been suddenly awakened may as suddenly pass, and leave us as we were before. The faith which commends itself to God, and finds rest, is faith in the midst of conflict; which does not escape from the struggle with sin, but is exercised in the fiercest hour of battle. The keener, the more constant, are our efforts after holiness, the deeper will be our sense of the rest of faith. We commend our souls to God, because we find that we have no power to guard them ourselves. That is a truth which we can never learn until it has been taught us by the warfare against the evil in our hearts; but when it is learnt, the battle which we are waging will no longer oppress us. True, the fight must continue unceasingly on this side the grave; but one thought,-that Christ

is guarding us, that we are safe because we pray Him to keep us so;—and let the trial be what it will, we shall have peace. We may struggle, but when the struggle is over, we shall turn aside from the painful recollection of the weakness we have shown, and, commending our souls to Christ, feel that, whatever may be the infirmity of our purpose, in Christ's keeping we are secure. Even after defeat there is the same comfort, though it may not be found with the same ease. To be defeated implies, at least, that we have in some degree fought; and with this one condition, we can never seek without finding that which we long for. For labour and struggle are essential to the very perception of rest; and as the necessity of faith can only be taught by the experience of our own sinfulness, so as the struggle against evil grows stronger, the power as well as the need of the rest of faith becomes greater.

What words that were ever spoken give so deep, so abiding a sense of security and repose as those of our most Blessed Redeemer, uttered in His last conflict with Satan and with Death? From that overpowering anguish His Spirit turned to His Almighty Father; and when He had commended His soul to Him, He entered upon rest for ever. So may it be, also, even now with ourselves, under the anguish of a reproachful conscience, or the heart sickening dread of failure. The words, "Into Thy hands I commend My spirit," may at such seasons recur, to tell of love