Thy soul is straitened in the seige; is there no Bichri? no traitor, whose head is to be thrown over the wall, in order that Joab may raise the seige and recall his forces ?

Lastly, you say you cannot pray as you once did. Be exhorted to ascertain what it is that hinders thy enjoyment in prayer; whatever this may be, it must be found out. Say with David, "If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me. What I know not, teach Thou me." Say with Ephraim, "What have I to do any more with idols?" Say with Cowper

"The dearest idol I have known,
Whate'er that idol be;

Help me to tear it from Thy throne;
And worship only Thee."

And then with him you may add

"So shall my walk be close with God,
Calm and serene my frame;
So purer light shall mark the road
That leads me to the Lamb."

This is the case of conscience, and "herein I give my advice concerning it." Of what I have spoken this is the sum. It will be well for us to walk so as to please God; but when otherwise, it will be well to be sensible of it, and humbled under it, and say with David, "Thou didst hide Thy face and I was troubled." "Thou hidest thy face"-that was bad; "and I was troubled"—that was well, as it was "a token for good," and implied that a better state of mind was experienced. Jeremiah represents a similar scene, "A voice was heard upon the high places, weeping and supplication of the children of Israel: for they have perverted their way, and have forgotten the Lord their God." "Return ye backsliding children, and I will heal your backslidings." Behold we come unto Thee, for Thou art the Lord our God." Happy children, to respond, "Truly in vain is salvation hoped for from the hills and from the multitude of mountains; truly in the Lord our God is the salvation of Israel." Long as Christians continue here, they will find the Divine life a warfare; "the flesh lusteth against the spirit, and the spirit against the flesh." They are now in the "vale of tears," and will have their complaints while they continue in it; but O, what a state is heaven; there will be no complaints, no fighting there, no fears within. Then that which

is perfect will be come, and that which is in part shall be done away. Here you will often have cause to say with David, "My soul cleaveth to the dust; quicken Thou me, according to Thy word." But ever prayer will prevail over every fear and doubt, and a life of prayer end in an eternity of praise. You will soon join the burden of the song with those who are gone before you to dwell in God's house above and are still praising Him.

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XXXV.

OUR WEAKNESS AND OUR STRENGTH.

(Delivered on Monday Evening, February 23rd, 1852.)

"Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of His might." EPHESIANS vi. 10.

WHEN the Apostle speaks of strength or might, he means not physical strength, but spiritual; not mental, but moral; not strength for the body, but for the soul; not for the things of time, but for those of eternity.

It is here implied that we want strength, as we have none; and it is here declared that there is strength in another, and that we may and ought to avail ourselves of it.

According to some, religion is a very easy business, and so it is if their views of it be true, that it allows the retaining of every worldly passion; that it requires no privations or sacrifices; that it enjoins no strenuous exertions or self-denial. But this is not the way in which the Scriptures speak of it. No! and therefore we read, "Strive to enter in at the strait gate; for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, but shall not be able." "Labour for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give unto you." "Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God that worketh in you to will and to do of His good pleasure."

Can a Christian question whether he wants strength, and whether he wants it continually? Why, are you not called to work in the vineyard of the Lord? Are you not enjoined to be always abounding in the work of the Lord? and are you not required to deny yourself, to take up your cross, to follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth; to deny all ungodliness and worldly lusts, and to live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present world? Are you not required to mortify the deeds of the body, to crucify the flesh with its affections and lusts, to

live with your conversation in heaven? At the thought of which you have doubtless often exclaimed:

"Lord, can a feeble, helpless worm
Perform a task so hard?

Thy grace shall all the work perform,
And give the free reward."

Can you question whether you want strength? Are you not racers, and can you obtain the prize without running? Are you not required to lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily besets you, and to run with patience the race set before you? Are you not travellers, strangers and pilgrims upon the earth? And have you not a journey before you far more difficult than the ten thousand Greeks under Xenophon, or the Jews under Moses in the wilderness, on their way to the promised land? And do you not find in this journey much up-hill work? Do you not often say with David, "My soul followeth hard after Thee, yet it seems as if I should never overtake Thee"? Are you not warriors? and are you not called upon to "wrestle, not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places"? Did you never reflect upon the power, the number, the malice, the skill, and the success of these enemies? Why, when you look at them, and then look at yourself, it is enough to make a hero turn pale. But when you look at them, and then think of the Captain of your salvation, here is enough to make a coward bold ! They looked unto Him and were lightened, and their faces were not ashamed.”

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Every Christian finds that without are fightings, and within are fears. We allow we have spoken here figuratively, but then all these figures are founded in fact, and these facts are exemplified in this experience of all real holiness.

But while we are reminded that we want strength, we are equally reminded that we have none of our own, or else we should not be required to seek strength in another, instead of looking for it in ourselves.

Now what is the Apostle's representation of our natural state? "When we were without strength," he says, "Christ died for us." We were without strength, we here see, as we were without righteousness. Men do not easily believe this. They are averse to this fact. They more readily acknowledge their guilt than their weakness. They may confess their sinfulness, but never question whether they can repent and believe

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and obey, and therefore they resolve to do this at some future period; but, alas! this time seldom ever arrives. Now the reason is, they are not convinced of their real condition by nature. They perceive not their state, and have not made the trial; for if they had made the trial, and made it in earnest, they would have been convinced and brought upon their knees, and induced to beg for what before they thought of buying. They would no longer rely upon their own worthiness before God, but would look to Him through Christ, and place all their dependence for life and salvation upon the atonement of the Redeemer, feeling that their own strength is perfect weakness.

Even the believer does not learn all at once; he is taught it by degrees From the very first, indeed, he is convinced that without Christ there are many things he cannot perform ; but after a while he is taught the truth of our Lord's language, "Without Me ye can do nothing;" that he cannot perform the least duties aright if left to himself.

It seems a very easy thing for a man to number his days, for our days are not very numerous and who is there that cannot number his days without Divine teaching? Yet Moses prays for this, saying, "So teach us to number our days that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom": we cannot learn that common and moral truth to purpose without illumination from above.

It seems to be an easy thing to read this blessed Bible and to understand it; but the king of Israel kneeled and prayed over it to God, saying, "Open Thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things in Thy law." And it is written of our Saviour, that He opened the understandings of His disciples "that they might understand the Scriptures."

It seems an easy thing to pray: and it is an easy thing for some of you to pray. But what says an inspired apostle in regard to praying in the Holy Ghost? "We know not what we should pray for as we ought; but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us -by making intercession in us-" with groanings which cannot be uttered."

And as the Christian thus finds he cannot of himself do the least duty acceptably without aid from above, so neither can he keep himself from the greatest sins. He once thought little of this: he thought he was in little danger of falling into gross sins, as intemperance, drunkenness, and various other sins; that with regard to his reputation and profession, he should never fall. That, perhaps, is the reason why some of God's most