that God would undertake to make us all he requires us to be, and to supply us with all we may need, both for body and soul, for time and eternity! Undertake to be a Father unto us, caring for us, protecting us, and daily communing with us. Undertake to be our Surety, discharging every debt, meeting every obligation, and delivering us from all legal responsibility. Undertake to be our Captain, equipping us for the fight, leading us against the foe, and giving us complete victory over every opponent. Undertake to be our Advocate, pleading for us in every court, and pleading in us against every adverse power. Well, Jesus is pledged to be all, and to do all this, for every one that believes on his name, walks with him in fellowship, and labours in his cause. But our faith is so weak, our fears are so strong, our foes are so vigilant, and our hearts are so misgiving, that we doubt, disbelieve, and often fret. Let us, therefore, daily, yea, many times in the day, repair to the throne of grace, and in the prospect of all that tries our faith, alarms our minds, awakens our fears, or disturbs our peace, cry, "O Lord, undertake for me! Undertake for me in prosperity, to save me from its snares; in adversity, to preserve me from its temptations; in health, to make me useful; in sickness, to make me patient; in life, to make me holy; and in death, to enable me to bear a testimony to thy faithfulness, veracity, and love!" Reader, God does undertake for sinners,-for sinners who believe in Jesus. He undertakes for all who honestly and heartily put themselves and their cause into his hands. Has he undertaken for you? Have you requested him? Have you been driven by trouble, or drawn by love, to plead with him to do so? All real christians are brought to this. They all feel too weak, too foolish, too fearful, to accomplish the journey, run the race, conquer the foe, and arrive safe in heaven, of themselves; therefore they are all brought to cry right heartily and right earnestly, "O Lord, undertake for me!" Tried christian, this subject will just suit you; may the Lord make it a blessing to you! You often feel oppressed. You are bowed down greatly. You are in a great strait. You scarcely know what to do, where to go, or to whom to look. You are encompassed with trouble. The waters come in unto you, even unto your soul. Go at such times to Jesus. Go as Hezekiah did. Go often until you obtain present relief, and the assurance of complete deliverance. Plead, plead as for your life, that the Lord would undertake for you. Undertake to be all to you that you need, even a Saviour, Friend, Husband, Deliverer, and Place of Defence, to protect you. Undertake to do all for you that is necessary, even to supply, direct, support, solace, and perfectly deliver you. Undertake to work all in you that is required, washing you, sanctifying you, and conforming you to his own beautiful image, that you may have to say with the church, "Lord, thou wilt ordain peace for us; for thou also hast wrought all our works in us.” Undertake to make you just what you should be, and having done this, to keep you so. Give no place to the foe that threatens, give no place to the fears that frighten, give no place to the unbelief that disheartens, but cry day and night to God, "Undertake for me." Believer, Jesus did undertake for thee in the everlasting covenant; he is under engagements now; his promises are his bonds, he never forgets them, nor can he be false to them; therefore, take courage, look to him, trust in him, converse with him, expect from him, and set thy heart upon glorifying him. Take his yoke upon you daily, undertake to do his will, to seek his honour, to promote his cause, to extend his kingdom, and he will undertake for you, to keep you as the apple of his eye, to feed you with the hidden manna, to strengthen you with strength in your soul, to make his way plain before your face,—in a word, to guide you with his counsel, and afterwards receive you to glory. Does not your heart say, "Then take me, Lord, such as I am, "WE ALSO BELIEVE, AND THEREFore speaK.” There is something in true heroism that commands our homage. Before all real greatness the nobler part of our nature is constrained to reverence. By the pattern of past well-doing, we are roused from our slothfulness to emulation, and the footpath trodden out of the hard rock points to us the way ourselves must tread. There are few things nobler than the firm adherence to a good cause, when it is unpopular and feeble; the determined defence of the truth, when men are trying to put it down and destroy it. And therefore, to my thinking, there are to be discovered few nobler men than the Galilean Fishermen, and the Tent-maker of Tarsus, whose words and deeds are written in the Word of God. I love to think of these men,-and see the might there was in their strong thinking,—their profound and earnest conviction,—their warm love to the truth, their firm and undaunted struggles in its defence;to see how the power that was in them could uplift them above the weaknesses that often characterize humanity, and make them to be, in very deed, partakers of a diviner, even of the Divine, nature. There was Saul of Tarsus. Bound from very childhood in all the trammels of educational prejudice,-taught to believe that certain doctrines and notions were right, because his fathers had believed them, and himself believing them, because he was so taught,-the cold region of Gamaliel's heartless legality and Pharisaism did not freeze up the hot blood in him; so that the warmth of his nature, cast into the mould of his Pharisaic prejudice, made him that worst of mortal abominations, a religious bigot. What notions of the all-loving Father the young persecutor must have had! There was surely need for the Only-begotten to reveal the true features of that unseen countenance, "full of grace and truth!" "Killing men and women was "doing God service". -so the delusion ran! But Truth came down to that heart, and he believed it,not because some human teacher told him that he ought, but because it was God's truth, and he dare not refuse to receive it! And from that hour watch him! Go with him through the marvellous chapters of his strange eventful history, and see how that strong heartconviction moulds and makes him a new man altogether! There is nought of miserable half-hearted wavering there,-nought of false-hearted cowardice, not daring to be true to truth, there, no halting between two opinions,-nothing of that sort. All is earnest. The man has in him that which must come out, whether men like or hate it. It will not stop to confer with their likings and prejudices. "While he muses the fire burns, and he must speak with his tongue." See him at Damascus! Travelling there with murderous commissions from the High Priest, that "if he found any of 'the way,' whether they were men or women, he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem," (Acts ix. 2) to be bound for death, "breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord" (Acts ix. 1),—and then, arriving there, with a glorious change, "straightway he preached Christ in the synagogues, that He is the Son of God." (Acts ix. 20.) See him at Jerusalem, where, brought in by Barnabas, "he spoke boldly in the name of the Lord Jesus, and disputed against the Greecians, but they went about to slay him." (Acts ix. 27-29.) See him at Antioch, where Barnabas accompanied him, when he had found him. "And it came to pass, that a whole year they assembled themselves with the church" (margin reads, "in the church"), "and taught much people. And the disciples were called christians first in Antioch." (Acts xi. 25, 26.) See him preaching the Word of God in Salamis, and then passing on to the isle of Paphos, where Paul, by divine aid, wrought the miracle of striking the sorcerer, Elymas, "blind, not seeing the sun for a season.' "Then the deputy, when he saw what was done, believed, being astonished at the doctrine of the Lord." (Acts xii. 11, 12.) Then at Antioch, in Pisidia, entering the synagogue, and preaching manfully and earnestly to the Hebrews, who asked him to preach again on the next Sabbath; and then "came almost the whole city together, to hear the word of God." (Acts xiii. 44.) And then, "when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with envy, and spake against those things which were spoken by Paul, contradicting and blaspheming. And Paul and Barnabas waxed bold, and said, It was necessary that the word of God should first have been spoken to you: but seeing ye put it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles. And when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and glorified the word of the Lord;" and many believed. (Acts xiii. 45, 46, 48.) Listen to him on Mars' Hill, at Athens, where with few and condensed, but classical and eloquent, words, he unfolded the truths of God, and revealed to them their "Unknown God"! Mark him amidst the idolators of Ephesus crying against him, "Great is Diana of the Ephesians!" and yet his proclaimed truth conquered the men who used curious arts, when "they brought their books together, and burned them before all: and they counted the price of them, and found it fifty thousand pieces of silver. So mightily grew the word of God and prevailed." (Acts xix. 19, 20.) Mark him at Cesarea, before Agrippa, and appealing to Cæsar. "Necessity is laid upon me; yea, woe is me if I preach not the gospel!" "I know whom I have believed!" "We also believe, and therefore speak!" Paul's life and death are the lessons of the words, and a practical sermon on them. They prove to every man that will give them thoughtful and prayerful heed, that earnest conviction should always go before speaking, and strong and true speaking should follow earnest conviction. Let all christians, then, speak tenderly, constantly, manfully, and dependently on God's teaching and helping. Speak because you believe; coin your hearts into words; and consecrate all your energies to Him who bought and redeemed you with the unmeasurable price of His precious blood. "Were there not ten cleansed? where are the nine?" "Let him that heareth say, Come!" And when we can say, "We believe," never forget that "therefore we should speak.' Do those who read these words, believe in Christ? If they do not, oh, let them haste to Him who died for us, and who will not cast out the worst and vilest sinner that comes to Him. If you believe, can you be silent? I write not to ministers, but to all christians-men, women, and children. Can you, if you believe the dear Redeemer died for you and all the world, and that if they will come unto Him they will find salvation, can you be silent? Oh, remember, you are to be "lights of life" in this dark world. Let your spirit, redeemed by almighty Love, be eloquent in speaking to all the lowly and the sinful; and believe that it is the duty which God, and Christ, and the Holy Spirit command and approve, that if "you believe," then also must you "speak" of Him who died for sinners, and with prayer and faith labour to bring the outcast and the unbelieving home! CHRISTIANS AWAY FROM HOME. The summer and the autumn are the seasons of the year when christians, as well as others, are much away from home. Their old habits and associations are broken up. They worship in strange places. They are far away from the usual weekly meetings for praise and prayer. They are far away from many of those influences that restrain and sanctify the heart. These summer journeys greatly affect our churches. Little interest in religion is then looked for, especially in towns. People are absent seeking enjoyment. Would it not be well for those who are about leaving their homes to remember certain facts, and to carry certain things along with them? Thus, in the first place, is it not well to remember, in every place, that you are a professor of the religion of Christ? Forgetfulness on this point may lead you into some places where you ought not to be seen. It may lead you to engage in some of the amusements, common at fashion. able resorts, in which you ought not to participate. If you forget your christian profession, you may be led into things and places that will cause you bitter repentance afterwards. In the second place, would it not be well to take your own familiar household bible? Every christian, probably, has a bible of his own, which he is accustomed to read in his own private devotions. Its very look is familiar to you. You can read in this much more pleasantly than in any other. You have many precious associations connected with that book. Away from home, and among strangers, you will miss the familiar face of your closet companion. A strange bible there will not be half so inviting to you as your old, well-used, home companion; and you will be tempted, through so slight a matter, to neglect it altogether. You need it now more than ever. Everything around has a tendency to call off your attention from your heart and spiritual religion. Your own home-Bible will connect your thoughts and associations with home, with your closet-devotions. It will be a connection between you and the best emotions and exercises of the past. It will invite your perusal. You will take it up more readily than you will any other. When you are packing your trunk for your journey, do not forget to put in the bible that you read at home. In the third place, it would be well to remember that the Sabbath is sacred everywhere. Because you are away from home, and from your own place of worship, you may not slight the Sabbath. If you are in the country, you should be careful what example of Sabbath observance you set before others. There are many places where very loose notions prevail, even among good people, as to the observance of the Sabbath. You will have need to be careful how you carry yourself, lest you sanc tion a wrong. If you are at those places where multitudes spend the summer, you will have need to be doubly careful. You will see worldliness and folly on the Sabbath as well as on the week-day. It may need an effort to hallow the Sabbath amid such scenes. But should you not make it cheerfully? You may do much injury to yourself and to others by carelessness on this subject. Finally, remember that, wherever you are, you are still under God's eye. Therefore "walk circumspectly." Live out your religion every. where not ostentatiously, challenging the attention of the world, far from that-but, let it come out as being a part of your very self; so that, wherever you are, there your religion must be also. Do not leave your religion at home when you go abroad, to be taken up again when you return. Carry it with you; else you may have hard work to find it when you come back. A christian may enjoy God's world. God has fitted it up for our en joyment. Enter, then, thankfully and cheerfully, into the pleasant scenes which God has opened for you. But take care of the dangerous places, and avoid the sinful ones. Let your religious life be sustained away from home. Commune with God in your closet. Away from the cares of the world, you have special facilities for growth in grace. "Walk worthy of God, who hath called you into his kingdom and glory.” COMING TO THE CROSS. "Blessed is the man whom thou chastenest."-Psalm xciv. 12. Oh, Saviour! whose mercy, severe in its kindness, I followed the rainbow, I caught at the toy; The blossom blushed bright-but a worm was below; So, cured of my folly, yet cured but in part, And still did this eager and credulous heart Weave visions of promise that bloomed but to fade. I thought that the course of the pilgrim to heaven I dreamed of celestial rewards and renown; I grasped at the triumph which blesses the brave; Subdued and instructed at length to thy will, My hopes and my longings I fain would resign; There are mansions exempted from sin and from woe, Sir Robert Grant. |