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"shall thirst again: but whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him, shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him, shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life."

Of all the evidences of the possession of saving grace, a steady growth therein is the most conclusive. If we descried, towards the hour of early dawn, a faint gleam of light streaking the eastern horizon, and were not certain whether it was the break of day or not, what would be the best course to be pursued in seeking to decide the matter? It would evidently be to wait a little while.

If it is the light of the day it is sure to increase, and half an hour's patience will be more than sufficient to settle the point. While, on the other hand, if it remains stationary, or, after a few fitful glimmerings, altogether disappears, it may be safely concluded that it is only some meteoric glare, or the reflection of some artificial illumination. And so with the great concern. "The

path of the just is as the shining light, which shineth more and more unto the perfect day." His course is steady, progressive, continuous; and it becomes us seriously to inquire whether ours is of that nature. May He who is able to preserve our goings, grant to us his continuing grace; so that, firmly rooted and grounded, we may never be moved away from the hope of the gospel!

5TH DAY.

"Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full."-John xvi. 24.

The Prevailing ceptable prayer, one of the Plea. chief is that of asking in the name of Jesus. "Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you." As if he had said, When you draw nigh to His footstool, only make use of my name, and you will find it a sure passport to His favour. Make it known that you belong to me, and that my name is dear to you, and all your requests will be granted. Ask what you will-the forgiveness of your sins-the sanctifying influences of His grace-strength in weakness-light in darkness-joy in sorrow-every blessing you need, both for time and eternity, will He give you. So beloved am I by Him, that for my sake He will refuse you nothing.

AMONG the many indispensable pre-requisites of ac

Christian, do you believe this? If you do, act upon it. Draw nigh to the throne of grace with the confidence. which such an assurance ought to inspire. The promise is, "Whatsoever ye shall ask," implying that you can ask largely, and that you need not fear to extend your requests to the utmost limits of your manifold necessities. "Open thy mouth wide, and I will. fill it."

It is recorded that an individual once applied to Alexander the Great for a sum of money, as a marriage portion for his daughter. The king sent him to his treasurer, and ordered him to de mand what he pleased. He went, and asked for an enormous sum. The treasurer, astounded by such an application, said that he could not think of giving so much without an express order, or without consulting the king on the subject. On laying the case before his royal master, he stated that a small part of the amount demanded would be suffi cient to serve the purpose for which it

was required. But what said Alexander? His language was "No; let him have it all; he does me honour; he treats me like a king, and proves, by what he asks, that he believes me to be both rich and generous." Christian! go thou and do likewise.

"Thou art coming to a King,

Large petitions with thee bring;
For his grace and power are such,
None can ever ask too much."

But our requests, whether large or more limited, must ever be presented in the name of Jesus. "For Jesus' sake," must be our only plea. As he is the only medium of approach, so must He be the exclusive ground of our confidence. "For Jesus' sake,"-this is an argument that can never fail. It is the power that opens all the riches both of grace and glory; it is the golden key which unlocks the cabinet wherein is contained inexhaustible treasures. It is only in virtue of His adorable name that the voice from heaven proclaims, "All things are yours, whether the

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