library with the thousands of trifles published in the present day; or you will throw in your influence to place it among the books in Zion's library as one suited to the condition and circumstances of its spiritual Readers. To this course of dealing the Author has no dislike; for, if his Work does not answer to its title, and if it is not calculated to effect his intentions, then it ought to be cast aside as spurious, a deception, and a cheat, intended to be palmed upon the simple-hearted of Zion; so on the other hand it ought to receive that support which it merits.

Now, to our Work we have given the title of "THE CHRISTIAN'S COMPANION IN THE NARROW WAY;" and it is our intention, as far as God shall be pleased to help us, to make the Work to be what its title imports,―a Companion with the Christian in the Way of Life, through this wilderness world, to the heavenly Canaan above. We shall, therefore, from month to month, endeavour to journey with the Christian, interpreting the hand-writing of God the Spirit upon his heart, taking up the stumbling blocks out of the way, pointing out the ways of Satan which abut from this, leading into the Covenant of Mercy, the Work of Salvation by Christ Jesus, the union, fellowship, and communion with the three divine persons in one God, &c.; in short, all that we have seen, handled, and tasted, by faith, (and do see, handle, and taste,) of the Word of Life, we shall endeavour to profit by in our undertaking. Consequently, the "Companion" will not aim at filling the mind with mere notions of the way, but will aim at comforting and edifying those whom it will journey with in the way, knowing that the way to Zion is through much tribulation, (John xvi, 33.) and that peace can only be felt in proportion as the traveller is assured he is an object of Christ's tender care; that this assurance becomes more or less firm as the things he experiences make that care more or less visible; and that, to effect this, it is more needful to act in

the capacity of an interpreter and nurse than a schoolmaster and reporter. Besides, knowledge of these and similar things in the bare letter, where required, may be obtained from other sources, in which we see abundant proof of God having given every thing for the perfecting of his church: each in their own peculiar spheres are useful in God's hands, and while he deigns to use an instrument, we are not to cast it aside as not required. But, one cannot fill every office, because God has not given him gifts suitable; hence, in one body there are many members, each furnished for the filling of a certain office peculiar to itself, (1 Cor. xii,) so that apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers, (Eph. iv, 11,) are all helpers of one another.

The "Companion," then, does not entertain the opinion that all which differ from it in character are unprofitable and useless in the church; it merely wishes to be understood that it will endeavour to keep in its own peculiar province, and leave others to theirs, admitting that each, in some measure, is useful; and that its province is, as said above, among the broken-hearted, poor, afflicted, weak, feeble, halting, and needy family of God.

How far the intentions of the Author will be effected, God alone knows; but trusting upon his almighty arm, he ventures to the work, leaving the result with him.

THE CHRISTIAN'S CUP.

THIS term implies a cup peculiar to the Christian, and the idea is at once entertained that other cups besides this have a place among the sons of men. Now, as we believe these cups are often confounded one with the other, the Christian deploring his hard lot that he should have the Worldling's cup, or the Hypocrite's, and the Worldling and Hypocrite rejoicing that they have the blessed lot of the Christian's cup, we shall here endeavour to rectify their blunders by describing such features of the Christian's cup as shall tend to convince them which is really belonging severally to them. For, if we describe one as the peculiar right of one class, the other class must needs take the remainder as their peculiar right; because it is not possible that the two parties can have one and the same cup.

A certain writer says in relation to the term, "It was the custom at entertainments for the governor of the feast to appoint to each of his guests the kind and proportion of the wine which they were to drink; and what he had thus appointed them it was deemed a breach of good manners either to refuse or not to drink up; hence a man's cup, both in sacred and profane writers, signifies the portion, whether good or evil, which happens to him in this world.” God has his entertainments also as well as man, and appoints to each of his guests a certain portion or cup, "Come, eat of my bread, and drink of the wine which I have mingled." Prov. ix, 5. This cup we shall now proceed to a description of. It has two principal features, the one denoting afflictions which he shall have in following Christ, "Ye shall indeed drink of my cup," Matt. xxii, 23; and the other denoting consolations and joys which God will give him as a reward for his toils and sorrows, "Thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over." Psalm xxiii, 5. The Christian's cup, therefore, is a mingled one; not all sorrow and

sighing; nor all joy and rejoicing. In his cup there is a continual succession of adversity and prosperity, sorrow and joy, mourning and rejoicing; hence he is a man of many changes, Psalm lv, 19.

Now it is from this fact being lost sight of that such blunders arise as for the Christian not to know his right, and the Worldling and Hypocrite to claim it. The prosperity, rejoicing, &c., are considered as the true marks of this cup; and the Christian often having to drink largely of adversity and sorrow, and the Worldling and Hypocrite for the most part drinking of prosperity and joy; of course it must follow that these consider they have the Christian's cup, and that the Christian's is the portion of mere Worldlings or Hypocrites. But how different a conclusion on the part of each party, when the trembling Christian is assured that his cup is of two kinds, both a bitter and sweet portion; and when the Worldling and Hypocrite are assured that if their cup is but a portion of sweets, it is not the Christian's cup! The Christian concludes thereby he has room to hope he has the right cup after all, which has, at the bottom, a full and complete salvation; and the others, like Pharaoh, with hardened hearts, rage and rail at such a hypothesis, disclaiming it as unworthy the character of God, and vent their passions in cherishing endless hate to him who shall dare to take the cup from their hands to give it to those; yes, and will not be careful to hide their contempt and hatred from those also who have the cup judged to them. However, this cannot be helped; but it proves more demonstratedly that they are of the seed which persecutes the children of the free woman, Gal. iv, 29. And, of course, the Christian thereby is more strengthened in his belief that he is drinking out of the cup of his dear Lord: "Ye shall indeed drink of my cup." The Lord conveys this same truth in these words respecting the taking up of the cross, "If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; and whosoever will lose his life for my sake, shall find it." Matt. xvi, 24, 25. Hence the drinking of the Lord's cup is in following him: follow those things which are pleasing to our fallen nature, and we at once renounce the Christian's cup. But this cup is given to the Christian, the follower of Christ,-by the great Master of