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such music before-all that it heard before left the sense of unsatisfiedness, for "the ear is not satisfied with hearing." Like the believing Samaritan, the ear would say, "We have heard Him ourselves, and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Saviour of the world." The verse or chapter known by rote, and vainly supposed to be understood, now strikes the ear with thrilling interest. It is as it were the chief organ of the awakened sinner, awakened in his ear to hear as the learned; for "the ear trieth words, as the mouth tasteth meat." It is discord to that ear to hear of human wonders. It is able to detect, however unable to explain, that doctrine which does not honour Christ, and its safety is in turning away from it. Cease, my son, to hear the instruction that causeth to err from the words of knowledge." We dare not presume on our ability to detect the false doctrine and to refute it,our safety lies in not putting ourselves in the way of hearing any doctrine which tampers with the doctrines of grace. The Scripture speaks" of doctrines of devils and seducing spirits," and much which naturally pleases the ear or the imagination comes from this source. But if Satan can no longer pre-occupy the ear which God has opened, he casts every impediment in the way of our hearing to purpose. Sometimes he boldly catches away the word, so that it entirely "slips" from the memory; thus he allows us to be satisfied with a momentary impression. Then he brings in some besetting hindrance which may choke the word and render it unfruitful. If it be important to take heed "what we hear," it is equally so to take heed "how we hear."

ON PROSPERITY.

IT requires more grace to bear prosperity in a right spirit than adversity; one is apt to ensnare-the other humbles us, and teaches us self-knowledge. When all is going on smoothly with us, and we are sitting quite at our ease, we scarcely feel that we are pilgrims and strangers upon earth, and are seldom so earnest in seeking a heavenly inheritance. In prosperity we often slide into a spirit of conformity to the world almost imperceptibly. Many a Christian who has stood his ground boldly against the frowns and persecutions of the world, and passed through deep affliction in safety, has been won by its smiles in the time of prosperity, and brought either to deny his Lord, or has sunk into a state of deadness and lukewarmness of soul. Peter, who zealously stood up for Christ in the garden of Gethsemane in the face of the Roman soldiers, denied Him while sitting at ease by the fire-side in the palace of the high priest! How pure and unblemished was the character of David during the days when he watched his father's sheep, and when he suffered from the bitter persecution of Saul! But when he was exalted to the throne of Israel, when he exchanged the shepherd's crook for the kingly sceptre, and the humble tent of Jesse for the princely palace, he fell into those sins which caused him to water his couch with tears, and the remembrance of which embittered his future days. Oh, how much mercy there is in the failings of the saints being recorded! If they were set forth as perfect characters, we might indeed be discouraged, and almost ready to despair, when we feel our corruptions

strong and our enemies so numerous and powerful. If we read that the father of the faithful lied-that the man after God's own heart became an adulterer and murderer-that the bold apostle, who was so ready to go with his Master to prison and to death, yet so shamefully denied Him-what lessons of humility and watchfulness should it teach us! What tenderness towards our backsliding brethren! when we remember that we are liable to the same temptations, and that it is by grace we stand, and by grace alone that any are kept through faith unto salvation.

WORDS OF TRUTH.

"My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you." (Gal. iv. 19.)

Who is weak, and I am not weak? who is caused to stumble, and I burn not?" (2 Cor. xi. 29.)

"We ought to lay down our lives for the brethren." (1 John iii. 16.)

"If any man desire to be first, the same shall be last of all, and servant of all." (Mark ix. 35; see x. 31, and Matt. xx. 27.)

If these "true sayings" were more on our consciences and hearts, what power we should have to serve the Church of God, which He hath purchased with His own blood! (Acts xx. 28.) When I look at

a saint, what do I see?

A son of God. (1 John iii. 1, 2.)
A member of Christ. (Eph. v. 30.)
A part of myself. (Rom. xii. 5.)

A temple of the Holy Ghost. (1 Cor. vi. 19.)
A living stone. (1 Pet. ii. 5.)

The workmanship of God. (Eph. ii. 10.)

May we all have the mind, heart, and bowels of Christ, about His own, about that, and those, which are His.

ON THE SYMPATHY OF JESUS.
EXALTED to His Father's glorious throne,

Both heaven and earth His high dominion own:
And there as our High Priest He intercedes,
Our feeble prayers accepts-His merit pleads.
No angel could a sinner's trials know,

Or truly sympathize with human woe;

The Glorious God-man Abraham's seed hath worn,
In flesh and blood, our griefs and sorrows borne-
As man He wept, and suffer'd here below,
And still as man He pities all our woe;

Not only as my God my grief can view,
But as a tender Brother feel it too!
And though the Saviour's glory now is great,
He hath not changed His nature, but His state;
And still He bears that gracious heart I see,
That on the bloody cross was pierced for me.
Saints may with Jesus all their cares confide;
He lives to plead for those for whom He died.

THE "NEW COMMANDMENT" (John xiii. 34).— How searching it is, as well as helping! "As I have loved you," is at once the measure of its wealth and its authority. "He that dwelleth in love, dwelleth in God, and God in him." What words! All the love of Christ for us, is also obedience to His Father. Our love to one another, is obedience to Christ. He who so loved us did always those things that pleased God. What a mine is here! What holy love! How inseparable those two words-God is light and God is love!

GOD'S WAY AND OUR WAY.

"His way is perfect." "He maketh my way perfect."-Ps. xviii. 30, 32. How good to know, that whatsoever way He has recourse to, to make my way perfect, His way is perfect in wisdom, grace, faithfulness, love unbounded. Sometimes, in the perfection of His way, He "gently leads;" sometimes "He speaks out of the whirlwind❞— but it is He who speaks; it is He who leads; and whether in storm or calm, He leads, He speaks whose "way is perfect."

How perfect "His we have bettered it?

way" in our salvation! Could We had nothing to do with it, We have nothing

and we know it is well we had not. to do with the means of making our "way" perfect, save to wait on God for increase of faith and grace. We might, very probably, have mercy on our ways, when God, having mercy on us, has no mercy on our inventions. Were it not for the trials which God in His grace sends, who can tell what trials we should bring on ourselves?

I am a crooked one; and, to fit me for the Master's use, I need crooked circumstances. They come, and He who makes my way perfect completes the dove-tail work, and He will plane and polish for His own glory. Ah, beloved! we hear it said, "How deeply the Lord is trying my faith." A little self-searching before God's all-searching eye would end in our saying, " How deeply I have been trying my Heavenly Father's love." What we all need is to wait on God for grace to look more to Jesus THROUGH THE WORD, to Jesus our blessed Lord and Exemplar whose way was perfect indeed, and yet who was dealt with as if He were the sinner. How