"The

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WHY DO WE MAKE THIS ENQUIRY? Because so few prayers are answered. How many prayers are put up for the world, and for the church; for pastors, and private members; for the masses, and for indi viduals; but how few of these prayers are answered. Oh, how few visible answers to prayer we have. The church languisheth. Our graces languish. We pray for a revival. We sigh for a change. We want to witness a great and glorious work. We want Pentecostal times, we pray for them, but they come not. "Where is the Lord God of Elijah ? God who answered prayer so speedily, so visibly, so wondrously, in his experience? Alas! perhaps we should ask, Where are the prayers of Elijah? Prayers full of faith, full of energy, crowned with fervour. Prayers that would take no denial, but went right to the heart of God. Qh, to be enabled to offer up "the fervent effectual prayer of the righteous man," which availeth much. So few wonders are wrought. We know that every conversion of a sinner to God is a wonder. It is the proof that God is with us, that his power is displayed among us, that he yet hovers in mercy over us. Every conversion is the evidence of a present God. But what wonders were wrought in early times! What wonders have been wrought in later periods! A few preached the word, and great multitudes believed, and turned to the Lord. There were mighty signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God." "Is the hand of the Lord shortened that he cannot save? or is his ear heavy that he cannot hear?" How is it that we preach much, and there is so little effect? That we sow much, and reap but little? "Where is the Lord God of Elijah ?" So little faith is exercised. We have the same promises as our fathers had. The promise of the presence of Jesus, of the presence of the Holy Spirit, and that prayer shall be answered. But where is our confi dence? Our living, working, pleading, expecting, confidence? God faithful? Are not his promises true? Is not the gospel the same? How is it that we have so little faith? Ah, faith is the gift of God,-do we realise this, and ask for it, and cry right heartily with the disciples, "Lord, increase our faith "? Faith, living faith in God, proves the presence of God, the putting forth of the power of God, and such faith prevails with God. It is the want of such faith in its fulness, energy, and results, that leads us to cry out, "Where is the Lord God of Elijah?' Oh, that the spirit of faith may be given us, and a strong, steady, all conquering confidence in God be produced within us! So little concern is felt. It is generally acknowledged that things are low with us. little is done by us. That whether we look abroad over the mission field, nearer home into our village vineyards, or at home on our own lovely gardens, things are in anything but a satisfactory state. We are not making inroads on the territory of the prince of darkness, we are not cultivating the waste lands, we are not building "up the old wastes, the desolations of many generations," we are not taking possession of the world for Christ. Many churches languish. Many pulpits want men full of faith, fervour, and the Holy Ghost. Our schools want teachers, and our village stations want right-hearted, and right-headed, preachers. Who does not admit this? And yet who feels it, so as to stir up himself "to take hold upon God"? Does it keep any of us awake at night? Do we rise up, as Jesus did, "a great while before day," specially to plead with God? Do we gather together, as Israel did, "to ask help of the Lord"? Souls are going to hell by millions. Thousands of professors are at ease in Zion. Many are pleased with themselves, and their puny efforts. Few feel deeply; few are properly concerned for the present state of the world, the church, the ministry, and the school. "Where is the Lord God of Elijah?" Oh, to feel the present state of things, so as to de

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termine, in the Lord's strength, to carry out the Lord's own words, and "give him no rest, until his righteousness go forth as brightness, and his salvation as a lamp that burneth." Are we not very much like Israel, during the dreadful "three years and six months,' -we have no rain? We seem to be just kept alive by a little dew, or a trickling stream at the root. There is no downcoming of the Holy Spirit in power, in demonstration, and with much assurance. "Where," oh, where, "is the Lord God of Elijah ?"

WE WILL GLANCE AT THE ENQUIRY. Where is he? Has it not happened to us, as he threatened Israel of old, "I will go and return to my place until they acknowledge their iniquity; in their affliction they will seek me early." Is not the presence of the Lord, and the power of the Spirit, very much withdrawn from us? Surely no one will deny this. He has returned to his place. What brought him out of his place at the Pentecost? Was it not the intercession of our newly ascended High Priest before the throne, and the prayers that ascended for ten successive days from the one hundred and twenty disciples on earth? God could not rest in heaven then. The kingdom of heaven suffered violence then. Groans, sighs, cries, and tears were mingled then; and thus they were put into the censer of the High Priest, before the golden altar. Oh, for such prayers and such prayer-meetings now! Oh, to see the Lord's people so stirred up, that there shall be no rest on earth, nor rest in heaven, without a revival, a glorious revival, of pure and unde filed religion! "Where is the Lord God of Elijah?" Hear his own testimony: Thus saith the high and lofty one that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is holy, I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones." Does not this testimony speak to us? Does it not say, "Ah, you are not humble enough! You do not lie low enough! There is not deep, daily contrition and sorrow for sin! You need stripping, emptying, humbling, and bringing low, before the Lord God of Elijah can work wonders among you. You would rob him of his glory. You would ascribe much of his work to yourselves. You would boast of the works, and neglect to give glory, all the glory, to his most holy and ever blessed name. "Brethren, in all lowliness of mind, with deep searching of heart, I ask, Have we not thought more highly of ourselves than we ought to think? Have we not been proud of our colleges, schools, talents, and varied means of usefulness, and trusted in these rather than in the preserving power and operation of the. Holy Spirit? May we not have provoked the Lord to jealousy? Are there not with us, even with us, sins against the Lord? Is it not possible that some image of jealousy is set up in our hearts, our homes, or our temples? May the Lord discover it to us, and help us to say,

"The dearest idol I have known, whate'er that idol be,

Help me to tear it from thy throne, and worship only thee." "Where is the Lord God of Elijah ?" In the devoted, active, zealous, unworldly, single-minded church. But where are such churches to be found? Where? Alas, there is a great want of devotion in our worship, and devotedness to God's cause and service in our members. The late attendance of many, the irregular attendance of others, and the want of realising God's presence in more, must be displeasing in the eyes of the Lord. We have some active souls; but are the majority of our church members active? Blessed be God we have some zeal; but is it zeal enlightened by knowledge? Are the mass of professors zealous? Are we unworldly? Look at our dress, at our ornaments, at our spirits, at our customs, and our habits. Have we obeyed the divine mandate, "Come

out from among them, and be ye separate, and I will receive you, and will be a father unto you; and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty." The spirit of the world influences the church; the pleasures of the world please our members; and the fashions of the world lead multitudes astray. Where is our practical testimony to the world, that its spirit, course, and end, are evil? Are we single minded? Is it our one object, aim, and end, to pluck sinners from the fire, to build up ourselves on our most holy faith, and to bring back God into his own world? Is it? If we were thoroughly devoted to God, alive and active for God, zealous and earnest in the work of God, distinct and distinguishable from the world, and singly bent on one thing, even our vocation to "adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour in all things," we should not long have to cry out, "Where is the Lord God of Elijah ?"

TO WHAT SHOULD THIS ENQUIRY LEAD US? To deep and serious self-examination. Every one of us should examine into the state of his own heart, and into his own motives, which influence his religious actions. To earnest, fervent prayer. Personal prayer. Private prayer. Public, social, united prayer. Nothing is so likely to bring back God to us, as heartfelt, confiding, and persevering prayer. To doing our first works. The Lord is saying to us, as he did to the Ephesian church, "Remember, therefore, from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works." How was it with us in the closet, in the family, in the world, and in the church at first? Let us reflect, remember, and seek grace, to return to the days of our youth. To deep humility and penitence before God. Surely we ought to lay low before God, and be sorry, very sorry, that we have "vexed and grieved his Holy Spirit," causing him to depart from us, or at least to withhold the special manifestation of his presence, power, and love. To bury our idols, us Jacob did. When commanded to go up to Bethel, he collected all his household gods, and buried them under an oak. Oh, that we may receive grace to detect, to despise, to bring out, and to bury every idol, every image of jealousy, whether found in the heart, the house, or the church of God. Thou shalt have no other gods before me," is an immutable law, to which we profess to agree, but by which we are not always ruled. May we never be too evangelical to be moral, or pervert doctrine to the neglect of duty. Finally, it calls upon us to attempt great things in God's name as Elisha did. This was his first miracle. It was a great act he sought to perform. He had faith, and he prevailed. Jordan obeyed him, when he acted in the name, and appealed to the power of, Elijah's God. May we look around us and see what needs to be done, and aiming simply at God's glory and the honour of Jesus, let us "attempt great things for God, and expect great things from God," exclaiming, "WHERE IS THE LORD GOD OF ELIJAH?"

Cheltenham,

THE SILENT SABBATH.

Old Asthma having paid his annual visit to the writer, and on this occasion being accompanied by an equally unwelcome guest, named Influenza, they, by their combined force, rudely took away the gospel trumpet from his mouth, and inflicted upon him a silent Sabbath. The two were irresistible; nevertheless, submission softened into acquiescence upon reflecting that, notwithstanding their uncourteous manner, they were only messengers obeying the mandate of Him who "doeth all things well," and the rising rebellion soon yielded to the exclamation, "It is good to be here."

Upon this followed a train of meditation, the outlines of which are now submitted to the reader.

1. It is no "new thing under the sun" for God's ministers and people to have silent Sabbaths. The prophet Jeremiah was silenced when "the princes were wrath with him, and smote him, and put him in prison, and detained him there many days." David, also, had his silent Sabbaths, when banished by the rebellion of his son Absalom "he went up the ascent of the Mount of Olives, and wept as he went up;" and it is well worthy of remark, that on none of those silent Sabbaths did he write a Psalm expressive of his lament for his crown, his palace, or his kingdom; but he did pour out his soul within him, the ruling passion was strong upon him when he wrote, "My soul longeth, yea, even fainteth, for the courts of the Lord; my heart and my flesh crieth out for the living God." The poor captives in Babylon, too, had their seventy years of silent Sabbaths. Well might they hang their harps on the willows, and weep when they remembered Zion, her sacred songs, her divine ritual, her heavenordained priests, her beautiful temple, and her solemn assemblies. And many have been the captives since that time, from the "prisoner at Rome" to the dreaming captive at Bedford, who, blessed be God, though tonguetied, were not always pen-tied, but have given from their dungeon-walls words of inspired truth and spiritual genius, which are destined to instruct and comfort the church of God as long as time shall last. And as to silence produced by ordinary affliction, every Sabbath is a silent Sabbath to many, who can, notwithstanding, look up to their heavenly Father with filial affection, and say, We have loved the habitation of thy house, and the place where thine honour dwelleth."

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2. Silent Sabbaths teach us that God can do without us. They are lessons of humility. How apt are all christians to "think more highly of them. selves than they ought to think." We must occupy till our Lord come;" but when he is pleased to call us from the field of warfare to the land of rest, let us not vainly suppose his cause will suffer from our absence. He sustained it before we were born, and he will be at no loss to carry it on when we are dead. If, therefore, such a proud thought as "What will the church do without me if I am long laid aside, or when I am gone?" should ever possess our minds, we have only to analyze it, and we shall discover therein two great evils-unwarranted notions of our own importance, and dishonouring views of God's all-sufficiency. "My Father! my Father! the chariots of Israel, and the horsemen thereof,' was the unbelieving exclamation at the removal of Elijah. But Israel were gainers instead of losers, inasmuch as a double portion of the ascended prophet's spirit fell with his mantle on Elisha. In New Testament times it is upon record, that "they all wept sore, and fell on Paul's neck, and kissed him, sorrowing most of all for the words which he spake, that they should see his face no more:" all seeming to say, "Alas, what shall we do without him?" Paul, however, had no such self-exalting thoughts, he had crucified them on his Master's cross long ago. His growth in humility is truly striking, and should be exemplary. A few years after his conversion he writes, "Unworthy to be called an apostle." As he advanced in years-"Less than the least of all saints." A short time before his death-" The chief of sinners." Thus the corn bends as it ripens, the sun looks most glorious at its setting, and the christian must stoop lowest as he enters the pearly gates of the New Jerusalem. Let the gaudy poppy lift its showy head on high; but the unassuming violet will conceal itself under its own leaves, only to be discovered by its fragrance. If the cause of Christ still prospers, when prophets and apostles are removed,—if his kingdom is still extending, although the

Fullers and the Careys, the Halls and the Chalmers, the Hills and the Jays, who occupied the high places of Zion, are no more, surely we, whose sphere of labour lies in the nooks and corners of the field, need not pique ourselves on our importance. The Master can do with out us !

3. Silent Sabbaths prepare us to sympathise with the afflicted. The visitation of the sick is so great and so blessed a part of the pastor's work, that he may well hail every event that may better instruct him in that department, as a welcome teacher. We are especially exhorted to confide in the sympathy of Christ under our trials, on the ground that he was tried and tempted on all points, even as we are." In our humbler degree, therefore, when we have had to take the nauseous draught, to feel the surgeon's knife or lancet, to endure the wearisome days and wakeful nights of affliction, we shall be the better prepared in visiting the sick to comfort them with the same comfort as we ourselves have been comforted of God. Every true minister of Jesus has two special places of pulpit preparation, his study at home, and the sick chamber abroad; and the writer has often found, when he has been toiling in the former like the ancient fisherman and caught nothing, on trying the latter he has "cast his net on the right side of the ship." May it never be our infelicity to be addressed with that fearful rebuke, "I was sick, and ye visited me

not."

4. Silent Sabbaths, with their attendant affliction, are designed to deepen our piety. Woe be to us if they do not. If instead of being like the wax which softens under the sun, we resemble the clay which hardens, our afflictions, which are designed to be a blessing, will be perverted by us into a curse. This it is obvious applies alike to christians and chris tian ministers. Sanctified afflictions break the box of spikenard, and fill the house of sorrow with the fragrant odours of the Holy Spirit, whose graces all whisper consolation to the afflicted saint. Faith says, "All is well." Hope, "I shall yet praise him." Peace, "Be still, and know that I am God." Love, "Kiss the rod." Patience, "Even so, Father; for so it seemeth good in thy sight." Thus the sister graces cheer our silent Sabbaths with their heavenly minstrelsy, and give us "songs in the night." The winter is not so pleasant as the summer, but it is as need ful. The stormy winds which howl among the branches, only make the roots strike the deeper. And thus affliction deepens our experience, and both our people and ourselves ought to be the better for them. That good minister of Jesus Christ, John Newton, truly said, "A christian without trials, would be like a mill without wind or water. The mechanism within would be unnoticed and unused without the force to impel it from without; nor would our graces be exercised but for those trials and afflic tions which put them in motion, and so make the whole "work together for good to them that love God, and are the called according to his pur pose.'

5. Silent Sabbaths awaken joyful anticipations of eternal rest.

"There no tongues will silent be,

All will join the harmony."

Not that heaven will be a rest from work, but from sin. It will not be inglorious indolence, but joyous service; not sloth, but unwearied and unwearying activity. Thus we may all regard the present state, with its working or its silent Sabbaths, as the training-place for a nobler service in the temple above. Here our particular stations, whether in the pulpit or the pew, are often vacated by illness; there we shall never be missed from our places in the glorious ranks above." Here in sad silence our