tion and the danger? Fly, with such a load of guilt upon him? He cannot fly from himself.

"The mind is its own place, and in itself

Can make a heaven of hell, a hell of heaven."

Shall he return and confess, and if need be die with him who has the words of eternal life? At all events, be the mental process and the purpose what they might, he does return. Is it at this juncture that the high priest asks Jesus "of his disciples and his doctrine"? And does Peter hear the question? If so, why does he not volunteer some statement, as he has so often done before? Ah, he only dreads lest the appeal be made to him. "Ask them which heard me; they know what I have said," are the words of Jesus himself. Perhaps Peter is resolving that he will answer truly and manfully, but he is spared this trial. Nevertheless, that which is appointed comes. And, as Luke tells us, it is but a "little while" after, a little while from the moment when the first cockcrowing fell upon his ear and arrested his footsteps in the porch. "A little while. Oh, how often when we have sinned and fallen does God give to us, as he gave to Peter when the cock crew, some token, some monition, some warning, that tells us at once of our darkness and yet points to the light, and then, after a little while, gives us some opportunity for better things, whereby we may prove that his gracious warning has not been in vain. But, alas, with Peter it is in vain! This time he denies his Master with an oath. As in answer to the Lord's prediction he did the second time the more vehemently declare that he would not deny him in any wise, so now he the more vehemently does it. How is it that he does not now fly? What is it that, in one sense, seems to be drawing him nearer and nearer to the Saviour, so that presently he shall fall even beneath the glance of that still loving eye; and yet, in another sense, is dragging him further and further from the light of holiness and heaven to the guilt and the outer darkness of hell? How is it? It is thus: Satan is desiring to have him; but there is another who is praying for him, that his "faith fail not."

"And about the space of one hour afterwards,"-oh, how much is wrapped up in these words! "One hour!" "I gave her space to repent, and she repented not. And there was space too here. In this one hour what a world of reflection in Peter's mind! Of what infinite moment are the events that hang upon it! One would say it must be the crisis of his life. John tells us of a silence in heaven at some great crisis for "the space of half an hour;" but in this one hour there was no silence in the hell of Peter's mind, but rather, as Bunyan has it, i describing his own experience, "tumultuous thoughts, that like masterless hell hounds did roar and bellow, and make a hideous noise within him." And now the final trial is come. The last appeal is made. "Did not I see thee in the garden with him?" Is there anything in this ques tion calculated especially to prove Peter to the uttermost? What first and most naturally strikes us is, that in the questioner himself will be found a stronger temptation than ever to Peter to deny his Lord, he is "kinsman to him whose ear Peter cut off." But is this all? Is not the hand of God in the very shaping of the question? The garden? "Did not I see thee in the garden with him?" Peter, thou wast with him there, thou and the two sons of Zebedee, called and chosen witnesses of his agony and bloody sweat, that thou with them mightest learn to drink of his cup and be baptized with his baptism as he had promised. And now, Peter, what wilt thou do? The "garden" touches thy heart's core. Confess thy Lord: at worst it is but the prison and death, of which thou hast most sincerely spoken, and then the paradise of God! Did not

angels minister to Him when the struggle was over? Are they not hovering around thee? Repent even now,-cast thy soul now on Him who has been tempted like thyself,-those "masterless hell hounds" shall then be all subdued, and in their place these angel ministrants; the strong man armed keeps thy goods indeed, but near to thee is a stronger, and thou knowest it! Then began he to curse and to swear, saying, I know not the man. And immediately the cock crew. And Peter remembered the word of Jesus, which said unto him, Before the cock crow thou shalt deny me thrice: and he went out and wept bitterly." Brentford.

CONSTANT PRAYER.

A PREDICTION.

BY THE REV. J. T. WIGNER.

"Prayer also shall be made for him continually."-Psalm 1xxii. 15.

"Of whom speaketh the prophet this? of himself, or of some other man?" We reply in the language of the Saviour himself (Matt. xii. 42), "A greater than Solomon is here." This Psalm is generally, if not universally, considered to be a prophecy concerning the Redeemer and his reign amongst men, the wide diffusion of his gospel, and the rich blessings it will bestow, until "the whole earth is filled with his glory.' This opinion will be strengthened if we consider the fact, that many of the predictions contained in this Psalm cannot be made to apply to a temporal prince or an earthly sovereignty: the certainty that many of its most important parts do apply peculiarly and expressly to Christ and his kingdom, the daily increasing fulfilment of several of its predictions in the triumphs of the gospel,-the fact that every convert is a living witness to the truth of that statement, "men shall be blessed in him,"-the hallowed satisfaction of the inspired writer in anticipation of this coming glory, all warrant the application of the Psalm to "David's Son and David's Lord." And believing this it may furnish us with a topic for profitable meditation.

It is well to look at the position which the prediction occupies in the verse-preceded by life and liberality, and followed by praise. "He shall live," his cause despite of all opposition shall flourish. "To him shall be given of the gold of Sheba," the voluntary offerings of those who "have life through his name," and their best offerings, shall be presented ;—and daily shall he be praised," shall the incense of praise ascend from grateful hearts to his throne. "Prayer shall be offered for him continually.". In what way, in the method of Divine wisdom, and in the course of divine grace, is this fulfilled? We submit the following thoughts for consideration on this matter.

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1. The christian man becomes the subject of new desires. Human life has desires inseparably connected with it, even "the soul of the sluggard desires," by nature the "desires of man's heart are only evil," and as life progresses, so these desires multiply, stretch upward and onward. Thus is it with the christian; he has been "created anew in Christ Jesus," "born again," "old things have passed away and all things have become new;" as a man before his conversion he had desires, but now he has new desires. As is the man so is his desire. Is he ambitious? his desire is for fame and power. Is he covetous? his desire is for increasing wealth. Is he carnal ? his desire is carnal too. The christian, however, is a spiritual man; he is quickened "by the Holy Ghost which dwelleth in "

him; hence he has spiritual desires, in full sympathy with the purposes of Christ's grace, and the extension of Christ's kingdom.

2. These new desires discover and exercise themselves in prayer. Prayer is the desire of the renewed soul. Every living thing which is the subject of desire, has, in the wisdom of its almighty maker, the means of making its desires known. The unfledged bird in the nest, "the young ravens when they cry,' ," "the young lions which seek their meat," the babe upon the mother's breast, all know how to express desire. The votaries of Baal vented their desire as they "cried from morning until noon, O Baal, hear us." It is the peculiar and exalted privilege of the christian to express his desires in prayer, earnest, frequent prayer, daily and hourly prayer. Every christian is a praying man, he loves prayer, it is the breath of his spiritual life. "Behold he prayeth," was uttered as an evidence of Saul's conversion, and it is the evidence now of every christian man.

"Prayer is the christian's vital breath,
The christian's native air."

The christian man finds

3. This prayer cannot be confined to SELF. in his daily and hourly experience that he must pray for himself; but as he loves prayer and "continues in it," he will give praver space to breathe, to soar, to expand; his eye will affect his heart. When he first went a suppliant to the mercy-seat, all his desires centred in himself; but now he loves prayer; he has proved that God hears prayer; he reads of Him who prayed for his disciples, and who prayed for his murderers; his praying heart is in full sympathy with the Saviour, and the objects of his prayer multiply. There is his family, they know not God, he must plead their case in prayer. There is the church of Christ,-he must pray for the peace and prosperity of Zion. There are multitudes of men living without God,"his heart's desire and prayer to God is, that they may be Abraham interceding for Sodom, Jeremiah pleading for his country, Paul desiring the salvation of Jews and Gentiles, are the living examples with which his heart finds its truest sympathy. He is a praying man; his desires extend far as the tidal wave of sin hath swept. "Let thy way be known upon earth, thy saving health among all nations."

saved."

4. This love of prayer ATTRACTS HIM to seek the fellowship of praying souls. Up to this point we have regarded the christian as praying ALONE, and he will have his periods of solemn prayer alone, the closet will still be dear to him; but as like begets like, so like associates with like, "the man is known by the company he keeps;" he is a praying man, and he seeks the society of the prayerful and praying. Hence arises social prayer, the communion of saints, the enjoyment of our prayer-meeting, the devotional exercises of our public services. "I was glad when they said let us go into the house of the Lord." The praying man cannot be content with prayer in private, in retirement; his enjoyment of it there has created a desire for social and public worship, and public service quickens his relish for private communion.

unto me,

5. This prayer "made for him" is daily strengthening and increasing. Every fresh convert won to Christ adds to the number of the praying ones; every public and social service and every faithful gospel sermon blest to the soul of the christian, quickens his piety and increases his love to and fervour in prayer. If prayer be compared to the sun, then 'tis daily rising to its meridian, and hasting to unwonted mid-day splendour. If prayer be compared to the "cloud like a man's hand" which the prophet's servant saw, that cloud is expanding and spreading until it shall cover the land, and bring down "showers of blessings."

6. Is not this prophecy daily and hourly in course of fulfilment, and in this way too? Prayer also shall be made for Him continually." Yes, for He who inspired the psalmist to utter the prediction provides for its accomplishment; so that earth is never without some praying men. And may we not indulge the full belief, that, using the term "continually" in its widest and yet most rigid meaning, prayer is always ascending from earth to heaven? That our glorious intercessor is always incessantly receiving and presenting "the prayers of saints ?" That like the sun which never ceases to shine, like the fire on the tabernacle altar which never went out, so prayer, like a cloud of incense, is ever rising before the throne? From the chamber of the child of God,-from the thousands of domestic hearths, from the bed of the afflicted christian,-from the heart of the suffering saint,-from the studies of "God's remembrancers," from the glowing soul of the young convert, and the matured spirit of the aged pilgrim, amidst the varied duties of each day,-the new trials of each day, -the abounding mercies and saddening bereavements of each day,-the disciple in danger,--the servant in work,-the minister in the pulpit, and his people in the pew, in all quarters of the globe and at all successive periods of the day;-and all feeling prayer to be a refuge, a relief,—a privilege, all the saints loving it,-delighting in it,-feeling it a good thing to draw nigh to God?" Surely Now the prophecy is receiving its daily and hourly accomplishment; and as there is not a moment in life when the heart ceases to beat and to send forth the life-giving stream, so there is not a moment when prayer ceases to be made, for the prophecy is, Prayer shall be made for him continually."

Mark these three things. Such prayer cannot be hindered by any earthly power. Persecution may close our sanctuaries, scatter the people of God, stop preaching, prevent the possession and reading of God's Word, or sing ing his praises; it has done all this; it is doing this now on the continent; but prayer evades the sword of the persecutor, and ascends to God from the deepest dungeon. The christian may be summoned before the bitterest foes of his Lord, and even then may be offering prayer; the lips may not move, but he prays; there is the inwrought desire, the throbbing heart, the starting tear, and the prayer of which they were the upheav ings has ascended before God. Oh, glorious fact! we have one mighty precious privilege, which none can touch to injure, none lay hold of to prevent!

Regard the power of prayer. What wonders it has wrought, what victories gained, what triumphs won! These are unparalleled, unequalled by any other influence; silent as the descending dew, life-giving as the sun in its strength, it draws down blessings from on high, and shall fill the world with Christ's glory. Take but one illustration. that bereaved company in the upper room at Jerusalem, all "continuing in prayer and supplication," waiting till they are "endued with power from on high," and lo, they go forth, win thousands to Christ, and fill Jerusalem with the doctrine of the Crucified One!

See

Let us be encouraged to pray more earnestly and with larger expectation. Have we not much to plead before God? Our own hearts,-how little affected by man's misery or Christ's love. Our families,-how many of them are not among the living in Jerusalem. The Church of Christ,how feeble,-what few proofs of the making bare of his arm. Our country, and the efforts now making to rob us of the Sabbath as a day of rest, while the larger proportion of our people live "without hope and without God in the world." The world at large, what huge impostures of evil, what fearful carnage in war, what brutalizing and degrading ferocities. Oh, let us arise and importunately plead. Let us "lay hold

"

of God's strength." No longer let the reproach rest upon us, "Thou hast not called on me, O Jacob, thou hast been weary of me, O Israel.' But let us believe the prediction, and aid its fulfilment, then will the church be girded with fresh strength, and the world won for Christ. "Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting."

King's Lynn.

THE INVITATION OF BOAZ TO RUTH.

BY THE REV. JAMES SMITH.

"And Boaz said unto her, At mealtime come thou hither, and eat of the bread, and dip thy morsel in the vinegar."-Ruth ii. 14.

The simplicity of the book of Ruth is extremely beautiful. It is full of instruction. It suggests as much as it directly teaches. A spiritual mind cannot help seeing shadows of Jesus in it. There is much in the conduct of Boaz that reminds us of him, and we love to be reminded of Jesus. We would rather be charged with finding him where he is not, than pass by and not see him where he is. The whole narrative is delightful; but there is something in the little incident referred to in the text, that is peculiarly touching. The kindness of Boaz, the modesty of Ruth, and the generous invitation given, are all beautiful. But we cannot confine our thoughts to the field of Bethlehem Judah, they will ramble farther; and let them ramble, if in rambling they can meet with Jesus, or find food for the soul. But we must confine ourselves pretty much to the invitation. Let us,

First, glance at THE PARTY INVITED. Ruth, the Moabitess. A poor Gentile, a descendant of the enemies of Israel. One who had no interest in the covenant of Abraham, or part in the promises. A stranger to the commonwealth of Israel. Just such an one as we were by nature. But Boaz looked upon this poor gentile with pity, and lovingly invited her to his board. How like Jesus! We, like Ruth, were in the open field, strangers in a strange land, and Jesus, looking upon us, pitied us, and pitying sent a most free and generous invitation to us. Blessed be hie holy name for ever! Ruth was but just come into the country, and knew nothing of its inhabitants, customs, or privileges, but by report. Ah, we remember when we were first attracted by our friend Naomi toward the land of Israel! We knew nothing of the peculiar characteristics, privileges, or enjoyments, of the Lord's people. All was new and strange to us. We felt ourselves to be strangers in a strange land; but it was in such circumstance that the loving invitation of Jesus reached us. Then he said, "Come unto me." He not only welcomed us to his field, but to his person. He sought our acquaintance before we sought his. He looked upon us and loved us before we loved him, or had any knowledge of him, and, oh, the riches of grace, he brought us into the closest possible union with himself. She was a hungry soul. Her wants were many, and her resources small. She must glean or starve. Just so we. Our souls were in want, we had an indescribable craving within, we needed more than any harvest-field could afford. Indeed no one but Jesus could satisfy our wants, and he, blessed be his name, he gave us leave to glean in the field of his Word, and more, invited us to come and feed with himself. She was related to Boaz; but she knew it not. Just so with us. Jesus was near of kin to us, even our next kinsman; but we knew it not. We suspected it not. He was our loving Lord, who took our nature that he might marry our persons, make over his property