process in the divine elaboratory, that the Lord watches over him in love, and not in anger-and that the design is to cleanse him of his idol love for his own righteousness, and to prepare his heart for the reception of another righteousness, even the righteousness of God.

Ignorant of any way of pleasing God but by his own doings, he is daily engaged in plugging the holes, and caulking the chinks, in his own righteousness-and the Lord watching over him in love, is daily engaged in plucking up the plugs, and pulling out the caulking. Beset by temptations to sin, and ignorant of any strength but his own, he builds around himself a barricade of defensive contrivances, behind which he hopes to escape the foe; but, in love, the Lord watches to break down his palisades, and throws down his inventions, that he may learn what a poor helpless sinner he is. Wherever he may fly in hope to avoid temptation, whatever he may do to hide from himself the fact that he is an entire ruin, the Lord watches over him in love to destroy the delusion, and beat his soul out of a false refuge of lies. In vain does the man try to reform, and settle down, and be at rest, as in the days when he had no religion at all. Study has lost its charm. Ambition, business, politics, philosophy, poetry, science, society, pleasure, no longer afford rest and occupation to the mind. The wand of divine power has transformed them into vapid, silly, empty, pursuits, as little suited to a spiritual appetite, as dust and ashes to a hungry man. But should the heart cleave to these again for a season, still the Lord is at hand, and watches over "to afflict," and prevent the soul from casting anchor amid the rubbish of a condemned world. Such are some of the means He employs to prepare the soul to receive its Maker as its Husband (Isa. liv. 5). Now when we consider how supernatural it is for a poor sinner to be taken into so sweet a union with Deity, shall we wonder that in the preparations for the nuptials, there is something quite as supernatural? And so it is; grace, and all the ways of grace, are supernatural-nor are any of them more wonderful than the one we have been describing, when the Lord "turneth the heart of man to destruction," preparatory to saying, "return again, ye children of men" (Ps. xc. 2).

When the pride of the soul is slain, its righteousness given to the winds, and despair seems to be its portion for ever— -then the Lord's time to make his mercy manifest is arrived. Who but the Lord can tell how He is adored, loved, and worshipped, by a despairing soul, when He reveals himself in these sweet words, "Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love, therefore with loving-kindness have I drawn thee?" (Jer. xxxi. 3). When this takes place, then we begin to feel and understand, that He who watched over us to "afflict," doth now also watch to "build," and to "plant;" building us up in the faith, and planting us as trees of righteousness.

To His precious name be everlasting praise and glory. Amen, and Amen!

SUCCOUR AGAINST SATAN.

HEB. 11. 18.

JOSHUA LAYCOCK's paper on the "Temptations of the Saints" (Gospel Magazine for August, 1847), brings to my recollection a temptation which sometime ago befel me. I had been daily rejoicing in God my Saviour for the space of nearly six years. So great was my delight, and so full and free my communion in the Spirit, that I had not, during the whole of that time, so much as a care or an anxious thought, either about this world or the next. The wheels of providence seemed to roll around me with matchless skill and wisdom, so that nothing in my view appeared out of order for a moment. By degrees, this Elysium began to vanish, and clouds came over the conscience, and all the signs of a storm appeared on the spiritual horizon. An old besetting sin got the upper hand, and slew me repeatedly. The harder I prayed against it, the more it prevailed-and as if this did not make the furnace hot enough, the particular temptation now referred to was let loose. It was purely satanic and mental, for the object of it was neither near nor visible (as in 2 Sam. xi. 2), but resident at a great distance, and never contemplated as an agreeable object.

ble.

I have had a good many long pulls, and strong pulls, at the throne of grace, but none that lifted me much higher above the earth than the pull on this occasion. For weeks the accursed suggestion haunted me, till my mind was weary of the struggle-dead beat, and most miseraOther trials, of a temporal kind, now came in, so that I was fairly surrounded in fight; the flesh outflanked me— -the Devil took me in front-and the world attacked my rear. I was rather proud of my faith, and of my power to trust in the Lord, having had much experience of his faithfulness-so that though broken and dispirited, I did not fear these things, but kept rallying before the throne of grace, as fast as the enemy shook my position (2 Chron. xiv. 11). The exceeding anguish of soul which these trials caused, made me so absent and distracted in deportment, that my bosom friend (who could not at all enter into my trials) withdrew from my society; so I was left alone without any help but the Rock. "What!" cried I, " dear Lord, must I go through all this again? such was my position years ago, when all thy billows and water-spouts went over me!"

Precious Christ, when I kiss thy hand in glory, shall I remember these sorrows? But what were they to thine, my hallowed, suffering God? Let me not name them. What was to be done? wait in prayer?

But the prayer returned into my own bosom. Wait without prayer? Submit to be damned or saved as God shall will-there was no alternative in the range of eternity, but to be damned, unless Christ appeared. Now came on the severest battle I ever was in, except one. It lasted many weeks, and we fought it out in a solitary place on the top of a hill, during a hard winter and a deep snow. It is impossible to tell how often the field was taken and retaken; sometimes I got a victory, and on these occasions a troop of angels escorted me home. But the appearance of the dear angels was a sure sign of a harder fight on the morrow. At the end of some weeks the Lord gave me a triumph, though he did not then put an end to the war. I had to go out again afterwards, but it was only for a short campaign-to show me, as it were, how feeble the enemy had become. My triumph was a glorious one. In the dark of the winter morning, long before day, CHRIST appeared to me as described in Rev. i. 16: "His countenance was as the sun shining in his strength."

He again appeared to me at noon-day in the heavens, clad in His priestly robe, as described in Rev. i. 13: "Like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps." On another day, God the Father bowed the heavens, and came down, sweetly causing a cloud of the colour of a peach-blossom to hover over my head, while God the Spirit sang in my spirit, "Jehovah ! Jehovah! Jehovah!" And God the Holy Ghost manifested His special presence and love, by causing the eye of faith to see the healing waves of the Spirit, sweeping all around.

That such things should be sent to dust and ashes, that God should in very deed descend, and condescend to dwell with men on earth (Chron. ii. 6-18), let us wonder and admire. Well can I subscribe

to the views of Joshua Laycock, as expressed in a former paper from his judicious pen, and with him regard Satan as the servant of the church. His malice is overruled to force us into the kingdom of God, and when an entrance has been abundantly ministered to us, his malice is again overruled to keep us from being exalted above measure, through the abundance of the revelations vouchsafed. For this purpose, I find he is still suffered to bark at my heels, and I sigh for the day when the Lord's strength shall be made sufficiently perfect in my weakness, to allow the God of peace to bruise Satan under my feet wholly (Rom. xvi. 20).

ASA.

SCATTERED REMEMBRANCES OF PORTIONS OF THE REV. GEORGE W. STRATON'S PRAYERS IN AYLESTONE CHURCH.

OH, thou that changest not, we come
And meekly prostrate at thy throne,
And deeply humbled, we confess,
That 'tis alone of sovereign grace,
And thine eternal changeless mind,
That we are not consumed; but find
A way of access through the blood
Of Jesus, to the throne of God.

Our covenant interest in that blood reveal,
May each its cleansing efficacy feel.

Be with us at this time-who meet,
To worship at thy mercy-seat;
And grant, O Lord, that we may be,
Living epistles unto thee.

If ought be said, not in accord
With thy revealed will and word—
As early dew upon the grass,

Or morning cloud, so let it pass.

But by the blessed Spirit's power apply'd,

Make thy truth steadfast in our hearts abide.

Thy wondrous dealings here below,
With all thy people make us know ;
Draw us from time, and earthly ties,
From creature pomps, and vanities;
And with thy counsel guide us through,
This wilderness of sin and woe.
Make us to hunger after thee,
And thirst for living waters free.

That ocean fulness of eternal love,
Our everlasting rest, prepared above.

Build up thy church-thine own elect,
In their most holy faith; protect
The weak and feeble ones; make straight
The paths for thy disciples' feet;

And hasten, I ord, that glorious day,
When idols shall be cast away;

And all mankind, both high and low,
Thee only, the true God, shall know;
And as the waters cover all the sea,
The earth shall filled with thy glory be.

In that great day when thou shalt come,
Thy saints to gather and take home,
Then when the wrecked world shall call,
To rocks to hide, and on them fall-
May we lift up our heads with joy,
As we the Saviour's form descry-
"This is our God!" then may we say,
"For Him we've waited day by day;
This is the Lord! we will rejoice in Him-
He comes to save us-mighty to redeem "

Thy blessing now upon us send,
And make thy saints to comprehend,
How vast and infinite thy love,
And its abundant riches prove;
And then to thee, the great Three-One,
The Father, Spirit, and the Son,
In thee, and through eternity,
Ceaselessly ascribed shall be ;

Dominion, majesty, and power, most due,
And everlasting praise, and glory too!

Leicester,

February, 1847.

E. C.

COPY OF A LETTER ADDRESSED TO THE REV. J. J. WEST.

SIR,

I beg you will excuse the liberty I am taking in thus addressing you, but I have lately had a little book put into my hands by one of your flock; the title is, "Come, and welcome, to Jesus Christ, in a plain and profitable discourse on St. John, 6th chapter, 37th verse. Written by John Bunyan." I have always understood that the gates of mercy are open to all, and that all are invited, and that our Saviour died for all. I have read the book very attentively; there seems a great deal