to the Saviour. He rose at once-cast away his garment, nothing to impede him; that is what it means to us any impediment flung aside-and ran straight off through the disciples, through them all, to the Master.

And now just this last of all, about the call of the dear Master Jesus: There is the general call. You know what the general call to us all is: "Whosoever " -"Whosoever will" (what a word that is!) here is the general call. "Whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely" (Rev. xxii. 17). "God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever-whosoever believeth in Him should not perish."

Then there is to every soul the particular call: "Let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely" (Rev. xxii. 17). If you are thirsty in your soul, come to the waters and drink -every one of the waters of life freely, that it may be to you unto everlasting life: "Whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst " (S. John iv. 14). If you are hungry: "He that eateth Me, even he shall live by Me" (S. John vi. 57). If you are weary: "Come unto Me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest" (S. Matt. xi. 28). If you come faithfully, He will not refuse: "Whosoever liveth and believeth in Me shall never die." There is the particular Gospel call.

Then there is the ministerial call: "He told me all that ever I did " (S. John iv. 39), when the Lord spoke to the woman of Samaria. People often say, when they hear the word of God read or preached, “I do not know what it was, but somehow or other he seemed to know all about my soul. He seemed to

pierce through my bones to the marrow. Somebody must have told him all about me. They just fitted me." It was not the preacher, of course, at all; it was the word of God; the Spirit piercing the marrow in our bones. That is the ministerial call which may come in Lent to you.

And then there comes the effectual call of all, which is the crown of all the calls-the effectual call, when God the Holy Ghost makes the word of God to live in your hearts, and takes the Blessed Gospel Himself and shows it to you. That is the effectual call of all. And what I say to you all this Lent is: May the sweet Gospel be to you an effectual call, right on, through the Passion, up to Calvary. Go to the Master, and He will say, "What will you that I should do unto you?" If you are blind, ask for sight. If you are deaf, ask for hearing. If you are dumb, ask for speech. If you have got a hard heart, ask God to take out the heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. "What wilt thou that I should do unto thee? The man had his answer ready. He knew what he wanted. Do you know what you want? "It came to pass.' It just happened. There was a blind man by the wayside, and Jesus passed by. "It came to pass." I can see the blind man by the wayside. I can see myself. You put yourself in the same place, and this Lent cry from your heart, "Jesus, Son of Mary, Son of Mary, have mercy on me."

GOD'S PROVIDENCE IN TEMPTATION

"There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it."-1 Cor. x. 13.

THE text which comes before this-I spoke to you last time about our Lord's being with us in temptation, and loving us because He was tempted, and now I want to speak to you about God's providence in temptation-well, the text before this is written. for those who think that their temptations are past. It is this," Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall." You see the warning at once. There are a great many who think that the old temptations will not come back to them. They think their old temptations belonged to their childhood or that their circumstances are now altogether different, and it is not likely that they will be tempted again. But you and I know, most of us, how futile that is. The greatest revelation of our life within us is the revelation of sin. It comes over and over again. The old temptations keep reasserting themselves. Oh, how often one hears this; how often comes this: "I never should have thought I should be tempted in that way again! It was years ago since such a temptation ever came to me. It took me quite by surprise. I could not have believed it for a moment. It is the

most astonishing thing to me that I should have been tempted in this way again. I thought it was over for ever." Any one of you who knows anything about the agonies of temptation, can understand exactly what I say. It is the revelation of sin within us. We are never safe. "Let him that thinketh he standeth "-you take care-we are never safe from the beginning of our life to the end. We could not pray a better prayer to God than this: "Oh, hold Thou me up, and I shall be safe" (Ps. cxix. 117).

Perhaps many may think this: Why is it that amongst gentle, kind, religious, God-fearing Christians, believers, that God allows such dreadful temptations to come? Haven't you ever asked yourself that question? Why, for instance, should any temptations of sensuality seize those who are within the Sanctuary of God, who come to the Altar, and drink of the Blood? Perhaps, brethren-may I throw out a hint ?-they are not humble enough. Are we quite humble enough to be quite pure? Let us ask ourselves that straight question. There is something worse than the temptations of sensuality, and that is pride. Are you sure that you are humble enough to be spared all temptations that are called sensuality? Perhaps when we become perfectly humble, we may become quite pure. We have to kneel down and say, "God be merciful to me a sinner." I ask you to ask yourselves that question. "Let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall." Let any one who thinks he is perfect in that way, cast a stone-perhaps you can understand it now!

Then, again, there is the difficulty of those who think it is quite impossible to overcome their tempta

tions at all. They say: "I am made in such a way, you know, I cannot possibly help it. I did not make myself, but I know that there are tendencies in me which drive me on, and I cannot help it-man-I sink." Do you recollect Peter when he was on the water beginning to sink: what did he do? He cried, Lord, Lord, save me, save me." And Jesus stopped, and put out His hand, and saved him. And if there is anybody here to-night who thinks he is beginning to sink, I implore you to say: "Lord, save me."

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But do not let sin become habitual. Many have said to me this, who use Confession: "Now, look here, what on earth is the good of going to Confession, if you do the same sins over and over again, and then go to Confession-and go to Confession? What is the good? I tell you what the good is. True, that is the penance of Confession, that is the penance of it, having to say the same things over and over again—at least, I find it so, and I suppose all do who go. But if we give it up, and sin on, and on, and on, with complacency, and say, Well, I can't help it, you know, it is no good, I cannot help it— that is just it—it is my second nature now, I cannot help it." No tears! No repentance! No acknowledgment! No confession! You come to Confession, man, and you will keep your heart pure, though perhaps your body overcomes you. There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man : but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape." Hear! hear! O man! Hear! hear! O, woman! Hear! young man! Hear! everybody-hear the word of

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