Our

"He shall not speak of Himself, bus or book of shall hear that shall He speak, and Brilhow,

things to come." John xvi. 13. While it is most usual for our

salvation and call upon the name of the Lord, He uses other means to bring them to a sense of their danger, duty, and interest. Now He edges up their way with thorns to hinder their destruction, and stop them in their mad career of disobedience to God and of ruin to themselves. He sometimes roots them out of their dwellingplaces, sends them from mansions of wealth into cottages of poverty, that they may resolve, while they are removing from the palace into the poor-house, to turn to Him who smites them, and "kiss the rod and the hand that appointed it." And such is often the effect of his chastisements, that, subdued at length with the weight of affliction which He lays upon their loins, men bless Him for all, and love Him for all, and praise Him for all. Such, however, was confessedly the result in the case of the Psalmist: "It was good for me that I have been afflicted, for before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I have kept Thy word."

Sometimes the perusal of religious tracts, magazines, pamphlets, and books is blessed to the salvation of souls.

When I got to that passage," said a young lady to the author of the Better Land, as she held out her hand literally trembling with approaching death, and pointed out the words that arrested her, "When I got to that passage, I cried to Him for pardon; now I am happy ; and now I am going to heaven." "This book," said another under similar circumstances, as she held it out in her hand- "this book has been the means of my conversion to God." We could furnish multitudes of testimonies to prove that conversion has resulted, by the blessing of the Holy Spirit, from the reading of pious books, for hundreds, thousands, and tens of thousands have been savingly affected by means of religious publications.

And this is especially true of the book-the Divine book-"The book of the Lord"-of which the Holy Ghost is the prime author. Its priceless pages were written by his own inspiration, under his own inspec

tion, at his own dictation: "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works." And, as "Whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope," we find the perusal of the holy oracles to be enjoined as a means of grace to our souls; as it is written, "Seek ye out of the book of the Lord, and read; "Search the scriptures;" and, "Blessed is he that readeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book;" for he will arise from its diligent and prayerful perusal saying, "How sweet are thy words unto my taste, yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth; more to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb."

Now, for every warning and every entreaty, for every encouragement and every exhortation, and for every instruction and promise which its immortal lines contain, we are directly obligated to our gracious Comforter: "For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man but holy men of old spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost." And the same is true of the New Testament writings. The facts and circumstances recorded there were not simply entrusted to the retentive faculties of fallible men, but were written under the immediate superintendence and inspiration of the Spirit of God; for, said the Saviour, "The Comforter which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance whatsoever I have said unto you." The sacred writers were simple scribes, acting only as the amanuensis of the Spirit of truth. God the Holy Ghost is the author of the book divine, and it is worthy of Him, and no marvel that millions have made its statutes their song in the house of their pilgrimage, singing of its precious truths

salvation and call upon the name of the Lord, He uses other means to bring them to a sense of their danger, duty, and interest. Now He edges up their way with thorns to hinder their destruction, and stop them in their mad career of disobedience to God and of ruin to themselves. He sometimes roots them out of their dwellingplaces, sends them from mansions of wealth into cottages of poverty, that they may resolve, while they are removing from the palace into the poor-house, to turn to Him who smites them, and "kiss the rod and the hand that appointed it." And such is often the effect of his chastisements, that, subdued at length with the weight of affliction which He lays upon their loins, men bless Him for all, and love Him for all, and praise Him for all. Such, however, was confessedly the result in the case of the Psalmist: "It was good for me that I have been afflicted, for before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I have kept Thy word."

Sometimes the perusal of religious tracts, magazines, pamphlets, and books is blessed to the salvation of souls.

When I got to that passage," said a young lady to the author of the Better Land, as she held out her hand literally trembling with approaching death, and pointed out the words that arrested her, "When I got to that passage, I cried to Him for pardon; now I am happy; and now I am going to heaven." "This book," said another under similar circumstances, as she held it out in her hand-" this book has been the means of my conversion to God." We could furnish multitudes of testimonies to prove that conversion has resulted, by the blessing of the Holy Spirit, from the reading of pious books, for hundreds, thousands, and tens of thousands have been savingly affected by means of religious publications.

And this is especially true of the book-the Divine book-"The book of the Lord"-of which the Holy Ghost is the prime author. Its priceless pages were written by his own inspiration, under his own inspec

tion, at his own dictation: "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works." And, as "Whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope," we find the perusal of the holy oracles to be enjoined as a means of grace to our souls; as it is written, "Seek ye out of the book of the Lord, and read;" "Search the scriptures;" and, "Blessed is he that readeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book;" for he will arise from its diligent and prayerful perusal saying, "How sweet are thy words unto my taste, yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth; more to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb."

Now, for every warning and every entreaty, for every encouragement and every exhortation, and for every instruction and promise which its immortal lines contain, we are directly obligated to our gracious Comforter: "For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of old spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost." And the same is true of the New Testament writings. The facts and circumstances recorded there were not simply entrusted to the retentive faculties of fallible men, but were written under the immediate superintendence and inspiration of the Spirit of God; for, said the Saviour, "The Comforter which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance whatsoever I have said unto you.' The sacred writers were simple scribes, acting only as the amanuensis of the Spirit of truth. God the Holy Ghost is the author of the book divine, and it is worthy of Him, and no marvel that millions have made its statutes their song in the house of their pilgrimage, singing of its precious truths