their great Captain, that there is no promise made to build up the church except in answer to prayer. These were not giants. But they wielded a gigantic weapon a weapon increasing in power by use in a geometrical ratio a weapon with which he who wields it may subdue the Lord's enemies though separated from them by mountains, and though the ocean rolls its waters between; a weapon which the invention of man cannot ward off, nor all the helmets furnished by the bottomless pit shield against its influence. Why is it that so few of the soldiers of the cross will lay hold of this weapon in the armory of heaven, which is within the reach of every one who engages in the warfare? The affairs of the spiritual world have come to a crisis. The watchword is onward. Old plans are now being perfected, new plans projected, and means put in operation for the conversion of the whole human family. But the marshalled millions of Israel did nothing without the Lord. They fainted, retreated and fell. When he stood by, a mere handful with trumpets and pitchers and lamps caused the enemies' fortifications to fall, and their bodies to lie slain, heaps upon heaps. The power of the church now as then, is on high. Let there not then be here a Daniel, there an Elijah, and elsewhere a Paul; but let the whole church be thus waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the triumph shall be certain. I do hope and pray that the cloud may disperse.

But really it seems, if there is any dark feature now in the condition of the church, it is that so few are bowed down into the dust on account of the sins of the world, and agonize with God in prayer, as if they felt that God alone can rescue souls from the thraldom of sin, and the horrors of the second death, - wipe off the foul stains of sin from the earth, and impress upon it again his image in its holy purity.

IOTA.

SINS OF OMISSION. The most formidable part of the catalogue of the sins of some individuals will perhaps be found to consist in sins of omission. These generally supply in number what they want in weight, and are more dangerous for being little ostensible. They continue to be repeated with less regret, because the remembrance of their predecessors does not, like the remembrance of formal actual crimes, assume a body and a shape, and terrify by the impression of particular scenes and circumstances. While the memory of transacted evil haunts a tender conscience, by perpetual apparition; omitted duty, having no local or personal existence, not being seconded by standing acts and deeds and dates, and having no distinct image to which the mind may recur, sinks into quiet oblivion, without deeply wounding the conscience, or tormenting the imagination. These omissions were perhaps among the 'secret sins' from

which the royal penitent so earnestly desired to be cleansed; and it is worthy of the most serious consideration, that these are offences, against which the gospel pronounces some of its very alarming denunciations. It is against the tree which bore no fruit, the lamp which had no oil, the unprofitable servant who made no use of his talent, that the severe sentence is denounced, as well as against corrupt fruit, bad oil, and talents ill employed. We are led to believe from the same high authority, that omitted duties and neglected opportunities will furnish no inconsiderable portion of our future condemnation. A very awful part of the decision in the great day of account seems to be reserved merely for carelessness, omissions and negatives. Ye gave me no meat; ye gave me no drink; ye took me not in; ye visited me not. On the punishment attending positive crimes, as being more naturally obvious, it was not perhaps so necessary to insist."

H. Moore.

NO TIME TO THINK.

I knew you. your will?" "My will, serious?"

Have you made

Mr. B. are you

"Never more so. You are yet in the prime of life, to be sure, but men die every day, and as there is no prospect of your ever having any leisure in this world, 't would not be amiss to keep your house in order.' You look surprised, Mr. A., but listen a moment. The last time I spoke with you, (some six weeks since,) you admitted that you had some doubt of your being a child of God-it was your duty, you allowed, to have full assurance of a saving interest in Christ, but, though you had been a professed follow of Jesus, some twenty years, you had not that evidence of being a child of God, which you knew you ought to have, and which you thought some did possess.' Permit me to ask, have you taken any decided measures to remove all doubts in this matter of such immense importance? I anticipate your answer. You have been incessantly occupied night and day, ever since we parted, harassed with conflicting du ties,* no time to think, and so little for reading that you keep

“Well, what is it, Mr. B.?” "I am desirous to say a word to you, on business of some interest."

"Business, Mr. B.! why I have business enough on hand, for a dozen men, with twenty pair of hands."

"I know you have, Mr. A., and always have had, ever since

tor and the Quarterly Observer, only by incessant labor on the Sabbath. The daily papers you are obliged to con, but as for new books and common periodicals, you take them all for the benefit of your family, but don't pretend to read them. You must confess, things don't go on just

right with your children; you have some misgivings whenever the question arises, whether you are bringing them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord; but then you can't get time to look at these matters.' Now, Mr. A., what shall be the end of these things? By and by, you must find time to die; and when you come to lie upon your death-bed, and I come in to pray with you, I shall pray, to be sure, that God would put beneath you his everlasting arms, and that

-

"Jesus would make your dying bed, As soft as downy pillows are: " but shall say to myself all the while, it's almost impossible, for he is resting on thorns. His reflections can only be such as these; Death! Heaven!what are they? I have had no time think. What will become of my wife and children? I have had no time to think. Are my children Christians? I have had no time think. Some of them are professors- I hope my wife is a Christian. Have I done all I could for them? Why yes-no, not exactly; I am a poor, miserable creature to have had the care of immortal souls; but then, I might have taken time, and studied their wants; where there is a will there is a way.'

But enough. Reader, "time is the warp of life, O weave it well." Paul once thought he was verily doing God service, in persecuting Christians; possibly you are erring from the narrow way. Look well to your misgivings. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind.

DISCIPULUS.

Father," said a little girl, who professed to love the Saviour, "can I know whether I am a child of God or not?"

"Why yes, my love, I think SO. It is the duty of every one to know this."

"You read this morning about making our calling and election sure; does that mean that we must be sure that God has called us to be his disciples, and that we are so ?"

'Yes, my love."

"Well, I want to be sure that I love Jesus who died for me, and that he loves me. Are you sure, father, that you do?"

"Why, I hope that I am a child of God, my love."

"But don't you know certain, father?"

"I can't say I have all the evidence I wish, my dear."

"But you said it was every body's duty, father."

"So it is, my love; but I fear it is a duty very few of us meet."

"Then I suppose it must be very hard, but doesn't the Bible tell how long it will take, father?"

Mr. B. made some answer, which little Mary did not quite understand, but as she perceived that her father was in haste, she did not like to ask him to explain.

Little Mary's spirit of inquiry exhibits Mr. W. in a dilemma in which he has remained for years, and in which it is to be feared he is not alone. I am constrained to add, it is a dilemma from which most persons

make little effort to extricate themselves. All agree with Mr. W., that it is a duty abundantly enforced upon us, in the word of God, to know that we are in Christ Jesus. But what can be that person's conception of duty, and of personal obligation, who, by his habitual practice, makes the word of God of none effect?

Let us consider the reason why Mr. W. does not know that he is born of God. It is that he does not consider. Should he think deeply on the subject of the service of God, he would inevitably come to the conclusion, that it is a reasonable, a desirable, a transcendently blissful service. He would be led by God's holy Spirit to entreat earnestly, that these impressions might be indelibly engraven upon his soul. In praying that God would sanctify him through his truth, the good Spirit would whisper an echo "through HIS TRUTH;" and accordingly he would betake himself to the Book of Life.' There he would read, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint; I love them that love me, and they that seek me early shall find me; thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and soul, and mind, and strength. These blessed truths would send him to the mercy seat again. He would wait continually upon the Lord. That the kingdom of heaven should be placed first, is absolutely indispensable. Does any one inquire, what is placing the kingdom of heaven first, said Cæsar, "It is necessary that I

should cross this water, it is not necessary that I should live."

Wait upon the Lord, until you become inbred with this principle; - It is necessary that I should glorify God to the EXTENT of my ability, but it is not necessary that I should live an hour. With such a spirit, no individual will be without a witness within himself, that he is born of God. DISCIPULUS.

GOD.

"Lo he goeth by me, but I see him not; he passeth on also, but I perceive him not."

God is in every place, and all things are full of his majesty. The air and earth and waters, the swift tempest and gentle breeze the storm and cloud and bright sunshine are full of him. Every star that shines, away in the distant universe, moves in him, and is guided by his power. The suns and planets of a thousand systems—all existences of all worlds are full of the all-pervading Deity, and dimly shadow forth the glory of his omnipotence. And the meanest creatures that are perceptible to vision the smallest insect that is animated with the living principle, is not cast out from the presence of its exalted Maker, nor abandoned to the dark and cheerless empire of chance. From the highest intelligence that stands in the presence of God, encircled with the full effulgence of his glory, to the lowest reptile that shrinks from the light of day, all are pervaded by God, and exist in him.

God

is in everything! But alas! we see him not. His presence is always with us, but we feel it not. His Spirit is in our hearts, speaking to us in the language of mercy, but we hear it not. Every hour he is reminding us by his providence of his gracious care and watchfulness, but we understand it not or if we do, too soon forget it. Did we always feel his presence, the least thought or deed or word approaching to sin, would fill us with fear and shame. Could we entirely divest ourselves of the associations familiar to us, and when we go out at evening, instead of listening with a sort of pensive indifference, to the breathing wind, or the murmuring fountain, could hear in them the voice of God, and feel that we were surrounded by him, we should no more cherish unhallowed thoughts than we should use the language of profane impiety, when kneeling to receive a mother's prayer and blessing.

When the tempest is abroad, and God speaks in the thunder

and shines forth in the lightning, none are so careless as to trifle; and those who see in the Deity only an angry Judge, are often filled with trembling and dismay. But is God in the tempest, and not in the calm? Has not he who excited its wild tumult, power to guide or hush it when he will? He who sees in him a Father, knows that he is always in his power, and always safe, and sees nothing to dread in the fierce lightning, more than in the sunshine; and at all times is equally fearful of offending so good a being.

There is fearful peril in forgetting God. The Bible every where inculcates the sentiment, that this is peculiarly offensive in the sight of heaven. To exclude men from eternal life, it is not necessary that they should be openly profane, or immoral, or open violaters of human and divine laws. It is enough that they forget God, and disregard his favor, and the work of their undoing is effectually accomplished. H

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