thine heart, and in the sight of thine eyes; but know thou, that for all these things God will bring thee into judgment." (Eccles. xi. 9.) There is but a step between you and the eternal world; you walk on a precipice, soon you may fall over, and be for ever ruined, unless you reflect on the consequences of a neglected salvation, and fly from the wrath to come. Are you still unconverted? Then you are lost, utterly lost in this condition-a lost soul, who can describe the meaning? What language can portray it? Can you, do you believe such will be your case if you die without Christ as your Saviour? Can you continue to trifle with the word of God, which declares, that without holiness no man shall see the Lord ? Can you set aside the words, "Except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish ?"—(Luke xiii. 3.) There is no mistake about the matter-the worldly-minded sinner shall never see God and live, if he die in his sins. (Romans viii. 6.) The spiritual character only, formed by God's Holy Spirit, will be admitted to the glories of heaven. "That which is born of the flesh is flesh; that which is born of the Spirit is spirit; to be spiritually minded is life and peace."-(Romans viii. 6.) Here is the distinction of character set forth, which affords a true test of Christian principle, and the reality of religious faith. Two kingdoms contend for you to which do you belong? There is a narrow and a broad road, in which are you walking? You must be in the right or the wrong? Every moment you are either pleasing or displeasing God.

There is no alternative. There can be no mistaking the distinctive and real character you bear. Conscience reveals all stern truth will be heard. You write your own history every day you live; you cannot err in judgment if you read your Bible. All is revealed which is able to make you wise unto salvation. If you resist God's word, and His threatenings against all disobedience, you are lost. Opposition to His will and commands is a denial of His authority, and leads to endless ruin. Where art thou in your own deliberate judgment? what name do you bear? to what class do you belongthe saved or the unsaved; the righteous or the unrighteous? If there be a mistake, it cannot be rectified hereafter. As you live, so you will be the moment after death before the eternal throne. Let the light of revealed truth shine into your heart now, lest darkness overwhelm you for ever. The discovery will then be made in all its clearness and transparency, what you now are as a responsible being in the sight of a holy God. As a man thinketh in his heart, so he is; in the balance of His sanctuary you are weighed, motives and principles of action are ever undergoing a rigid scrutiny, all things are revealed in their true light to Him who pondereth all our goings. We carnot deceive Him who understands the deep secrets of the heart, we cannot arrest this investigation in its constant progress; there is no standing still, no interval in which this search is not going on; and whether you believe it or not, all is recorded, before you come to the

final judgment. Is it not time to awake, to hear the voice from heaven, "Prepare to meet thy God?" Can you dwell at ease when the very next hour may find you a lost spirit for ever? Can you be content to go on undisturbed in the routine of daily business, without any concern for your precious, never-dying soul? Can you dive into sensual pleasure, go with the giddy throng, shun religious truth, scoff at religion, despise revealed truth, or shun it for fear of contempt or ridicule, when the very next moment the summons may be heard, "The Master is come, and calleth for thee ?" It is possible such may now be your case; and if so, what will be your doom, when the pulse shall cease to beat, when the throb of the heart is heard no more, when the light of the eyes shall become dim, when the intellect shall be wrapped in darkness, and another world shall open before you in all its dread reality? "Where art thou ?" is the voice, the still small voice which now breaks on your ear. It is the voice of alarm, of warning, of approaching judgment; take heed to it before it be too late; break away from your evil companions, shun their society, go not near their haunts of vice and misery; break the bonds which have so long chained you to the fascination of evil company, and make a firm resolve to study the Bible prayerfully on your knees, and ask for God's Holy Spirit to guide you into all truth. There is joy in the presence of the angels in heaven over one sinner that repents. Shall the judgments of God awaken no sense of danger?

Shall the sudden and unexpected death of some you knew fail to alarm you? Shall God's ministers plead the truth in vain, and expostulate, "Why will ye die ?" Shall the terrors of the Lord have no result, but to harden you still more and more in your evil course? Yet this once, let the words "Where art thou," so influence the heart, that you may hear the voice of God, and live; and by the help of His Holy Spirit determine no longer to resist His gracious will, lest He swear in His wrath you shall not enter into His rest. "Now is the accepted time; now is the day of salvation." Tiverton. F. S. G.

THE LORD'S HAND. "BEHOLD, the Lord's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save." The hand is an emblem of strength. It is the instrument by which we accomplish our purposes. To shorten or cut off our hand is a symbol of weakness. It is to render ourselves unable to execute our plans. Hence, the above passage simply means that the Lord is in no way disabled from saving the saints out of all their troubles, and sinners from the guilt, power, and doom of their multiplied sins.

Ignorance cannot disable the Lord's hand from saving.-How many persons, though they have hands, are unable to make or repair a watch, to build or steer a ship, or to construct or improve a house. Why is this? They have not the requisite knowledge. As far, therefore, as the accomplishment of any work of which they are ignorant is concerned,

they might as well be without hands.

With Jehovah it is quite otherwise. He is omniscient. "Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in His sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of Him with whom we have to do." "In Him is no darkness at all." Consequently, there can be no blindness in Him to prevent His effecting the sinner's salvation. With the offences of every offender He is perfectly acquainted. To any transgressor He knows how to bring home his transgressions, and thereby render him sensible of his need of mercy. To the awakened he can so present Jesus, the atoning Lamb, as to constrain them to look unto Him and be saved.

Prejudice cannot disable the Lord's hand from saving.-Some who have sufficient means to allow them to help a poor brother, refrain from so doing. What is it that hinders them from bestowing the needed relief? O, some one has spoken disparagingly of his character, and thus biassed their minds against him. Hence, in respect to his case, prejudice may be said to shorten their relieving hand.

None, however, can bias God against any of His creatures. His perfect knowledge of everyone, and His unswerving integrity towards all, place Him at an infinite remove from the slightest prejudice. Satan aimed at prejudicing Him against His servant Job; but he utterly failed in his attempt. Nor shall he be more successful in any other instance. He may try, again and again; but all his trying will be to

no purpose. The Most High is not to be prejudiced against putting forth His arm in the recovery and defence of Adam's fallen, ruined race.

Disinclination cannot disable the Lord's hand from saving.-Numbers who have the hands for benefiting have not the inclination to benefit. Some have hands, but not the disposition to engage in a useful employment; others have well-filled hands, but not the heart to devise and execute liberal things. A full purse and a munificent hand are not always found together. Where, therefore, there are large means for usefulness, without the bent for so employing them, aversion has in effect amputated the hand qualified to accomplish much good.

On Jehovah's part, there is not the slightest unwillingness to redeem men from sin and death. Of this He has furnished numerous proofs. His beloved Son He sent into the world to atone for man's guilt. Amid Jesus's unparalleled temptations and sufferings, He was His support. Christ's sacrificial death He has accepted on our behalf. Men He has always raised up to publish throughout the world the glad tidings of mercy. By His Spirit He has ever been disposing poor sinners to trust in Christ crucified for their redemption. Never has He rejected any who have looked to Him for salvation, through Jesus. Scarcely had a Manasseh-a publican-a harlot— a thief-applied to the Saviour for clemency, before it was abundantly granted. No, no; the Highest is not in the slightest degree disinclined to ransom penitent, believing transgressors.

Ill will cannot disable the Lord's

hand from saving. From causes best known to themselves, some take a dislike to another. The consequence is, that they will not render him the assistance they might and ought. But for the hatred they feel towards him they would do him a good turn. In regard then to supplying his need, antipathy has cut off their hand. They might, in fact, as well be without hands as far as assisting him is concerned.

God entertains no malevolent feelings towards any of mankind. Bad as many individuals are, He does not hate them-only their evil ways. Being infinite love, it is not in His nature to detest His creatures, though they are rebellious. He pities rather than abhors them. Indeed, His making rich, suitable, and free provision for their recovery, demonstrates beyond a doubt that He marvellously loves the world. At the very birth of the Saviour the heavenly hosts sang praises unto Him, saying, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth, peace, goodwill toward men." Accordingly, His hand is not shortened by malevolence, that it cannot save.

Covetousness cannot disable the Lord's hand from saving.-Many there are who "have more than heart could wish." So much have they that it is next to impossible for them to expend the whole on themselves. Objects claiming their charity are being continually brought urder their notice. Hands have they to contribute of their substance to "him that needeth." Yet they are scarcely ever known to give anything away. The reason is

obvious. Their hand for giving, avarice has closed, yea, cut off.

To cupidity the Lord is an utter stranger. He abominates it with a perfect abomination. Verily, He is benevolence itself. The various beings, from the tiniest insect to the mightiest angel, that He has created and is sustaining, are so many gradatory demonstrations of His beneficence. Had He been selfish and covetous, like some persons are, He would have kept all life and every blessing to himself. There would not have been a world or a creature in existence. Niggardliness may shorten the rich man's hand that he cannot relieve the destitute, but it can never shorten the allopulent God's hand, and thereby render Him unable to save miserable offenders.

Distance cannot disable the Lord's hand from saving.-We have hands to reach; but not a few things we desire to obtain are so far off that we cannot come at them. For instance, how we should like to be i by a dying friend in a distant land, that we might smooth his couch, give him a little nourishment, or wipe the cold sweat from his brow. But our hand distance has as good as amputated, in respect to helping him in his last moments.

The Almighty is present everywhere. "Am I a God at hand, saith the Lord, and not a God afar off? Can any hide himself in secret places that I shall not see him? saith the Lord. Do not I fill heaven and earth? saith the Lord." He is near to every one of us. It is "in Him we live, and move, and have our being." Wherefore we are all

within His reach. Distance, consequently, cannot shorten His hand, so as to prevent Him snatching sinners as brands from the eternal burning.

Weakness cannot disable the Lord's hand from saving.-The afflicted,

disease has in many cases so weakened, that although they have hands they are incapable of even doing anything for themselves. They are obliged to depend wholly on the hands of others for the smallest thing they require. To raise, to dress, or to feed themselves, is utterly out of their power. Debility has so completely shortened their hand, that it cannot even render them, much less others, its accustomed services.

God's strength never fails Him. His potency is unbounded, and is the same yesterday, 'to-day, and for ever. "Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary?"

"He giveth

power to the faint; and to them that have no might He increaseth strength." In Him there is no feebleness, and never will be. Impotence cannot then deprive Him of the capability of rescuing the fallen from irretrievable ruin.

Finally, there is everything in the triune Jehovah to encourage sinners to trust in Him for salvation.-With God there is not the slightest hindrance in the way of His saving any, who do by the Spirit look to Him for mercy on the ground of Christ's expiatory sacrifice. This, the foregoing abundantly proves. Should you, therefore, die unsaved,

BE BRAVE FOR JESUS.

A SWEET young girl was dying slowly and painfully of that disease which cuts off so many of the loveliest and fairest in our land. On her, happy, gay, and youthful-the life and sunshine of her home-consumption breathed its icy breath, and she faded slowly, but surely. She loved her Saviour and was prepared to die; she felt Jesus was with her, holding her hand; but sometimes the dark valley seemed very dark, and she dreaded the suffering that was before her. Now and then she would speak of these feelings to her friends, and one trying to cheer her in some of her desponding moments said to her, "Marion, be brave for Jesus." This thought-the idea of being brave for Christ-seemed to comfort her greatly, and she said in reply, "God bless you, my friend, for your strong comfort. God helping me, I will try and be brave for Jesus." These words suggested the lines which follow.

And if any who are suffering should happen to read this, let them take heart; let them remember, if they are Christians, that God holds their sorrow, whatever it may be, in His tender, loving hand; let them know, too, that they may suffer for Jesus, and, like Marion, be brave for Him. She has done with all pain and grief now, and wears her crown, and her