disciples' souls. How does He illustrate here the meaning of His own words, "One thing is needful." "What shall it profit a man if he gain the whole world, and lose his own soul ?" Who can doubt that the supreme, the infinite importance of His disciples' souls was the uppermost thought in our waking Saviour's mind? He first reproves their guilty fears and weak faith, before He even rose up from His recumbent position. "Then He arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea and there was a great calm." What a majesty is here! Our Lord rebukes the winds and the sea, as a king would rebuke a servant for acting without orders. And at once the stormy elements hear and obey His voice. The winds are hushed: the waves are still: behold, "there was a great calm." No wonder we read in the next verse, "But the men marvelled, saying, What manner of man is this, that even the winds and sea obey Him!"

Dear brethren, it is our unspeakable comfort, as we read this history, to know that we have the same Saviour to apply to in all our necessities, who so graciouslly heard and marvellously delivered His disciples on this occasion. We have recently had a fresh instance brought before us of a signal answer to the prayers of the Lord's people: you remember, prayers were offered up eleven weeks ago, when news came that the cruel King of Dahomey had promised to give to his army during the month of November the plunder of Abbeokeuta and the slaughter of its inhabitants. We suspended our Wednesday evening service, that we might have a special prayer meeting on behalf of that city, the principal seat of our missionary work in West Africa. It was indeed a blessed meeting. We cast ourselves on the Lord, under the feeling that vain was the help of man. Now, mark the Lord's answer. We learn by the last mail that the rivers which run between Dahomey and Abbeokeuta had risen to such a height last November that it was impossible for the Dahomian army to leave Dahomey. While we also learn by the same mail that the commodore on the West African station had gone up with an embassy to Dahomey to ssek to turn the king from his deadly purpose. Surely we must all see the hand of God here. Well may we cry, "Blessed be God, who hath not turned away our prayer, nor His mercy from us."

III. We have to consider two important lessons, which Christ's reply to His disciples suggests to us, as to the fears of believers, and as to the cause of those fears.

Observe, first, Christ's rebuke of His disciples' fears. "Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith ?" Their crying to Him was right, but their fears were wrong and sinful. It is our privilege as Christians, that "we being delivered out of the hands of our enemies, should serve Him without fear, in holiness and righteousness before Him all the days of our life." Then only do we experience the full sweetness and power of the Gospel, when we are enabled thus to serve God without fear in holiness of life. Gospel is the grand device of infinite love and wisdom to give us that peace which is the very opposite of fear and terror. "Fear not, thou worm Jacob; I will help thee, saith the Lord." "Fear thou not, for I am with thee: be not dismayed, for I

The

am thy God. I will strengthen thee: yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness." Such words as these are God's antidotes to the faithless fears of His people. They are every way suited to establish the believer's heart in trials and troubles, and to make him strong in the Lord, and quiet from fear of evil. When Christians fail to realize their own security and strength, and so are ever doubting, fearful, and wavering, it is to their own loss and misery, and to the reproach and dishonour of the Gospel. But mistake me not, brethren: I am not speaking against a holy Christian fear, a fear of sin and temptation, of neglecting duties, and of being barren and unfruitful in Christ's service. This is a gracious and holy fear. With this kind of fear and trembling we ought all to work out our own salvation; for thus to "fear God, and keep his commandments, is the whole duty of man." What Christ censures in our text is the fear of danger, suffering, and death-the fear of losing our souls and perishing for ever. The people of the world may well fear these things; for all their portion is in this life, and they have no security against losing all that they have, and being themselves lost for ever. But when Christians give way to such base and servile fears, they dishonour the Lord, discourage their weak brethren, make void God's provision for their souls' hope, joy, and peace, and justly expose themselves to Christ's rebuke in the text, "Why are ye fearful?"

But our Lord's words bring before us a second lesson for our consideration-as to the source of the fears of Christians. "Why are ye fearful?" He says to His disciples; and then He adds, as though to answer His own question, "O ye of little faith." He intimates that they were fearful, because they were of little faith. They were at this time very young disciples; they knew but little of Christ's power and glory, and of His love and care for His followers. Therefore they trembled at the fury of the storm; the angry elements seemed ready to swallow them up, and they cried out for fear. Even so now, where faith is weak, there are "the hands that hang down, and the feeble knees." Where the glory of Christ, the completeness of His redemption, the fulness of His grace, the sinner's warrant for exercising faith in Him, and the security of the Christian covenant, are but indistinctly seen and feebly realized, there can be but little confidence, or strength, or peace: all dangers and difficulties appear great, and they which are against us-the world, the flesh, and the devil-appear greater than they which are for us. The tried and experienced Christian, on the contrary-the man who knows well the love and power of Christ, the covenant security of His believing people-stands firm and peaceful in the stormy day. His feet are on the rock: he has "an anchor for his soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that within the veil." He knows that, though "the waves of the sea are mighty and rage heavily, yet the Lord who dwelleth on high is mightier.'

As good Archbishop Leighton says, "The soul that is persuaded of salvation, enjoys a calm in the midst of storms and tempests, triumphs in disgraces, grows richer by its losses, and by death itself acquires eternal gain."

Let me now, in conclusion, point out the application of our subject: First, It says to Christians, Would you be peaceful, fruitful, useful? Would you adorn the Gospel? Would you enjoy much of God and of heaven in this life? Would you be strong in the Lord, and in the power of His might? Rest not then satisfied with a weak, wavering faith, but seek to have your faith strengthened and increased. "Give diligence to make your calling and election sure." For what are the promises to prayer given, the Scriptures written, and the means of grace provided, but mainly and especially to strengthen and increase faith? Draw nigh to Christ, then, in all His ordinances, especially in the frequent reception of the Lord's Supper. Seek to profit by the week-day as well as by the Sunday services. Search the Scriptures which testify of Christ. Be much in secret at the throne of grace: cry often and earnestly, "Lord, increase our faith;" and seek to be fruitful in Christian graces and godliness. Every branch in Christ that beareth fruit the Father purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit." These are God's ways of strengthening and increasing faith.

Secondly, our subject speaks to those who are yet not Christ's disciples. It tells you that, though Christ's disciples-yea, even the weakest of them-are safe for eternity, you are in the way to be lost for eternity. The weak Christian is safe, because he belongs to Christ, and is united to Him. But you, while you remain in impenitence and unbelief, have no part or lot in the Gospel. What reason have you to fear and tremble for your souls? He, who would say to the weakest of His disciples, "Why are ye fearful?" would say to you, Why are ye stout-hearted ? Why do ye not "fear Him, which is able to destroy both body and soul in hell?" I beseech you, dear friends, consider your ways. Consider the danger lest ye should die unconverted and unforgiven, strangers to Christ, and children of this world. Consider, too, the mercy of God, who brings His Gospel nigh to you to-day, and beseeches you once more by His ambassador, "Be ye reconciled to God." "Flee from the wrath to come." Oh, dear friends, harden not your hearts against His voice of love! Turn to Him who is "exalted to be a Prince and a Saviour, to give repentance and remission of sins." He delighteth in mercy, and never casts out those who come to Him. May He show you His glory, and draw you to Himself, that you may repent and be converted, and your sins may be blotted out!

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THE NEW COVENANT.

THE happiness of Adam in Paradise, depending on the fidelity of the creature, failed; the national blessings granted to Israel, through their disobedience were forfeited; but in the better covenant the fidelity of God is concerned, and He engages to work in us all that He requires of us. He promises not only not to depart from us, but that we shall not depart from Him. "I will make an everlasting covenant with them, that I will not turn away from them to do them good; but I will put my fear into their hearts, that they shall not depart from me." (Jer. xxxii. 40.) True it is that many who have had right notions of religion, and have made a fair profession, do afterwards "make shipwreck of faith;" and this should guard us against presumption and self-confidence, and make us watchful and humble; but the apostle assures us on this head, "they went out from us, because they were not of us; for if they had been of us they would no doubt have continued with us.' True it is, the sincere servant of God may fall into sin, in which case his transgressions will be punished with fatherly chastisements; yet the promise, even in this case, is, "Nevertheless my loving-kindness will I not utterly take from him, nor suffer my faithfulness to fail : my covenant will I not break, nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips." (Ps. lxxxix. 30—34.) Who that knows and believes such gracious declarations can but admire the infinite goodness and condescension of God, entering into such promises and engagements with His weak and sinful creatures ? What heart but must be

touched and melted with such wonderful love! O how can we hate sin enough, and love our God enough, after all that He has done for us!-From Rev. E. BICKERSTETH'S Treatise on the Lord's Supper.

"OUR FATHER."

REDEMPTION comes in where creation and providence fail-comes in with its glorious promises, and yet more glorious fulfilments, revealing God's fatherly mercy, and communicating eternal life. Contemplate for a moment the first scene that was enacted in our fallen world, when God spake with man in Eden, just after man had transgressed. He pronounced then the primeval sentence on our race, and subjected us to the endurance of those very ills under which we are now daily groaning-for He cursed the ground for man's sake, and doomed him to eat of it in sorrow: He appointed to woman the pangs and dangers of childbirth: He declared that the grave should be the resting-place of them and their children together; that what had been originally dust should return to dust again. Yet, lest these things should tempt us to misconceive Him, He revealed, even at this awful moment, a love which should

prevail against wrath-a mercy which should swallow up displeasure, and turn again to bless us-a fatherly grace which should be a sure ground of hope in this world, and bring us at last to eternal life in a better world to come. This assurance of mercy to man was conveyed in His sentence on the serpent: our tempter's head was to be bruised, and the woman's seed was to bruise it. A mightier than he was to take flesh of our flesh, was to appear as our ehampion, and to destroy the works of our enemy. That enemy's great work was only just accomplished. By prevailing with man to sin against God, he had cut off the human spirit from the blessedness of Divine communion, and destroyed that Divine image which by nature was imprinted on it; he had also brought under the power of death that body which was destined for immortality. But all this was to be undone. The image of God was to be restored to man; the body was to be raised from the dust, immortal; the sorrows of a moment were to be forgotten in the fulness of eternal bliss! Such were the assurances of Eden. They began to be fulfilled when the Son of God, in the fulness of time, appeared as the son of Mary; when He died for us on the accursed tree, and lay down also in our grave; when he rose again, crowned with immortality, and ascended to the right hand of God. And they shall be fulfilled completely when He comes the second time, raising from the dead the whole company of those who have trusted in Him, and receiving them to Himself for ever. In these four mighty acts of the Saviour-the Incarnation, the Cross, the Resurrection, the Second Appearing-the work of redemption consists. Three of them are past, and are the objects of the Christian's faith; the fourth is yet future, and is the object of his steadfast hope. God's sacred name of FATHER is written on them all.-From The Christian Indeed, by Rev. W. TAIT.

ATTENDANCE AT DIVINE WORSHIP.

"FAITH Cometh by hearing;" but it is to be lamented that many who "profess and call themselves Christians," while they are anxious to hear appear so indifferent to the chief acts of worship-prayer and praise. This indifference is too obvious, from the practice of many who are not careful to be present at the commencement of Divine worship, by which they are not only irreverent towards God, but disturb those who attend in time. Does not such a habit give cause for the fear that such persons get very little good from the time they do give, and what they do hear in the house of the Lord? C. W.