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self! "Faith without joy is like a ship without sails," said a Swiss divine. Just so. And what strength to wrestle with the waves has a sailless ship? - unless a steamer, with the propelling power in her own bosom, her motions and motive power from within, acting against wind, and waves, and tides, from the individuality of her own character. There is little of the steamer about me, these days; rather like the "sail-ship," depending too much upon outward circumstances,- a feeling that must be overcome before the changes that are desirable can come.

The air in one's lungs and the blood in one's veins are two main sources of strength. Deprive the most robust of either, weak as infancy is not the word-DEATH! And what can a dead man do? Faith is a source of strength, but it should have joy for a companion, as the blood to the air in the lungs. Paul speaks of "the joy of faith."Phil. 1: 25. "The joy of the Lord is your strength," says Nehemiah. My "life-blood" runs low; joy seems like the life-blood of one's religion, so to speak.

Well, if I have not gladness, may my soul be full of goodness! If success be wanting, honesty of purpose need not. A decrease in usefulness may be attended by an increase of holiness. If the Lord intend this, through his grace, he shall not be disappointed. If there be no showers from above, let me have the distillings of the heavenly dew. "The dew may fall, though the honey-comb may not drop," as one remarked. "I will be as the dew unto Israel," saith the Lord by Hosea. What the effect? "He shall grow as the lily, and cast forth his roots as Lebanon; his branches shall spread, and his beauty shall be as the olive-tree, and his smell as Lebanon; they that dwell under his shadow shall return; they shall revive as the corn, and grow as the vine; the scent thereof shall be as the wine of

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Lebanon." Hosea 14. What a cluster of figures are here! all of God's own selection, pleasant in the outward letter, spiritually sweet in the inward sense. I must preach upon that text. In the mean time be a dew unto my soul, O Lord! Dew is Nature's ally against drought. It is a God-send, as one may say, in the absence of rain.

There is a temperature at which dew begins to form, called the dew-point; and there must be deep tranquillity in the atmosphere, besides. The soul has her dew-point, also, that precise state when God becomes as dew unto it. I have often realized it, and shall again, through Divine mercy. This, however, is the time when faith must most predominate. It seems God's order,—I must believe, and go forward; the old joy-surprises will not be wanting. The Lord reigneth, and my heart shall rejoice.

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I observed, the other night, that whitish belt which encompasses the sky, the galaxy, or milky-way,—a puzzle to those not familiar with the revelations of the telescope, which is only the commingling glory of a vast assemblage of stars, in a higher planetary arrangement, in other firmaments. I thought of another galaxy, which is like another belt of glory, but drawn across the Scriptures, shining resplendently in Hebrews 11; an assemblage of stars, brilliant characters, eminently attractive in their spheres. They were all signalized in their times for some great quality or other. Noah, for his ship architecture, sacrifices and courage; his ark and his voyage over a shoreless ocean; a mountain-top for a harbor, and monarch of the whole world at last. Abraham, for his wealth. Joseph, as a dream-interpreter, and for his political honors. Moses, for his learning. Samson, for his strength. Joshua, for his courage. Jephthah, for his fidelity to his vow. Gideon, for his victory,-three hundred against an army which "lay along

the valley like grasshoppers for multitude, and their camels without number, as the sand by the sea-side for multitude." David, for his military achievements, regal honors, statesman-like abilities, and for his poetical and musical celebrity. Samuel, for his integrity. Sarah, a joyful mother of a son and heir when ninety years old. Rahab, for her hospitality to the spies. Besides an untold number of lesser and nameless stars, all distinguished, doubtless, in their times, by some particular traits of character, at which the world might gaze with admiration. But mark! no credit is given to Abraham, Noah, &c. &c. Their faith is the honored gem in their character; all other accomplishments are eclipsed by its brilliance. "By faith" they did so and so. Lord Jesus, increase my faith! Surely much faith is needed at this crisis in my ministry; an overcoming faith, ay, and love,—what Mr. Wesley calls "humble, gentle, patient, Christ-like love." But not that diluted, "milk-and-water, wishy-washy" sort of an affection,— a good-for-nothing against sin, the devil and carnality, without vitality and strength, smiling upon everything feebly as a wintry moonbeam on ice and snow, which neither thaws, nor disputes, nor alters the form of anything. But a love that burns or melts, moves, disputes and changes the aspect of affairs; that knows to frown as well as smile, when to oppose and when to yield; a sparkling fountain at the heart's door, fed from the living Fountain above, which will find a way or make it. A love burning in the soul, and beaming out on the tearful cheeks, like that everto-be-remembered burst of sunshine on the wild, dark waters of the Atlantic, in the hour of storm and conflict. O, give me such a love, without which I am but as sounding brass or a tinkling cymbal! separate from which, faith, though mountain-moving, would profit me nothing.

An old writer says, "Faith and love are the two poles upon which all true religion turns,"―ay, and the two poles upon which every true revival turns. They are, besides, two of the mightiest weapons in battling for God and souls. By these Jesus has often enabled me to turn the tide of battle when nothing stared us in the face but disorder and defeat.

over matters.

Past 4 o'clock. Have been walking out and pondering Small congregations all the week. Cannot get the ears of the people, although a fine audience on the Sabbath; their ears are not towards me in the week services. The sabbatical year has come. It has no charms. Spiritual freedom is not desired. They prefer the servitude of sin. And so Satan has bored their ears to his doorposts, by the awl of temptation, to serve him forever.- Exodus 21: 6. God being my helper, their ears shall be troubled or torn therefrom.

There were good indications at first, and sixty-one saved. After that came death. The meetings dwindled,— empty pews in abundance. Buxton Road is the place of trial. "Retreat?"— No! When Greece pledged herself to be invincible, she sent Leonidas, with his three hundred Spartans, to Thermopylæ. Let me make a Thermopylæ of it, though as many devils oppose as Persians against Leonidas, -five millions of them. This is "speaking big," my soul! But, if I be God-sent and God-placed, it is right to be strong in purpose and in hope. If not, woe be to me!

My stand is taken. There is nothing for it but a standup fight for the rights of Christ. The cause is good, whatever becomes of James Caughey. Christ is on our side, and angels are around us. This is my cross. Though it turn into a serpent, I must not run away from it. But more grace is needed to seize the serpent by the tail, like Moses.

It may turn into the rod of God in my hand, and shake the throne of the infernal Pharaohs. Amen.

There may be honey at the end of the rod, as at the end. of Jonathan's stick,-1 Sam. 14: 27,- which I may eat and not die. The cross is heavy and joyless now, as if made of hard wood, yet it is a pledge of joy and of victory, as of old. I would think with that good man in prison for Jesus, but now with him in glory. I know no man has a velvet cross, but the cross is made of what God will have it. Yet I dare not say, O that I had liberty to sell the cross! lest therewith, also, I should sell joy, comfort, sense of love, and the kind visits of the Bridegroom. Amen. If truth falls like seed by the way-side in Huddersfield, I must wait and see. Lord, help me! I am but as a feather in the wind, unless thou dost give me solidity by a weightier baptism of thy love.

This is the fact, the Sabbath sermons created no spiritual appetite for more; a bad sign in me or in them. The preacher was in fault, or the souls of the people are out of health. Jesus gives his blessing to those who hunger and thirst after righteousness, everybody knows, but who cares? who believes him? Christ and the world never do agree in their reckoning,-in nothing more than in this matter of spiritual hunger and thirst. The world little knows, and cares as little, that these restless and often painful appetites are but a means to an end. They are God's methods of calling us to the Gospel feast. They stand in the same relation to the soul, as their namesakes to the body. Why are such blessed? Because of what they indicate. Life, for instance. gers nor thirsts. Returning health. When an invalid's appetite returns, physicians and friends have hope of him' Established health. The Greek of our Saviour's words for

A dead man neither hun

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