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moreover, you see more clearly what can. The good man is the

noblest work of God. "He shows forth the virtues of him who hath called him out of darkness into his marvellous light." He is a new creation. "We are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them." Angels, and principalities, and powers learn from the study of a good man fresh lessons of God's power, and wisdom, and justice, and holiness, and patience, and love. "He delighteth in his way." "To this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word."

III. The life of a good man is divinely protected. "Though he fall he shall not be utterly cast down, for the Lord upholdeth him with his hand."

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Firstly, The possibility implied: "Though he fall." "Though he fall." He may fall. It is not impossible for him to fall into great and grievous sin. may be suddenly and unexpectedly tripped up by some strong temptation, and yet the root of the matter may be in him. Many a vessel gains the port of safety with torn sails and shattered bulwarks. But if a Christian falls into sin, be sure he will not lie there. But I don't think this is the meaning of the Psalmist. I don't think he teaches any comforting doctrine about good men falling into sin; I think he means something like this :-A good man, in this world of changes and reverse, may get prostrated by misfortune and distress; he may sink very low as to worldly circumstances; he may be visited by family misfortunes, or by seasons of sore bereavement, or by seasons of mental depression or mental suffering; he may, like Job, be stripped of everything, or, like Joseph, put in prison, or, like Jonah, be cast into the sea. In this life disasters are to be expected, and it forms no part of God's plan to prevent them. They are intended for the benefit of the good man; they are the soul's medicine; they are the refiner's fire. A good man may faint in the day of adversity, may be stunned by the blow, may fall under the unlooked-for burden. What then? How is a righteous man to console himself? How is his spirit to be sustained? Look at:

Secondly, The truth expressed: "He shall not be utterly cast down." He may fall; he may be cast down; but he shall not be prostrated wholly, not be thrown down for ever. The contrast of a mere fall and a permanent prostration, is intended to express the difference between temporary misfortunes and permanent and utter ruin. The good man must expect to suffer, but not perish. If you look at other parts of the psalm you will see how strikingly this contrast is brought out (ver. 9, 10, 13, 15, 17, 20.) The righteous man falls, but he rises again; the wicked falls for ever. "A just man falleth, and riseth again." He is cast down, but not destroyed. His darkest night ends in brightest day. His temporary prostration leads to higher elevation. His momentary depression conduces to a greater exaltation. He rises from his fall a wiser, stronger, nobler man.

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I have seen the lark soaring towards heaven and singing as he soared, but suddenly, struck by the tempest, his song for a while ceased. But when the storm ceased he soared and sung again, not less sweet and loud, if not more sweet and more loud. So with the Christian; struck down by the storm, his song may cease, but he shall rise again, and surely sing more sweet, more loud, and Christ shall be his song.

Thirdly, The reason: "The Lord upholdeth his hand," or, "is holding him up by his hand," or, "upholdeth him with his hand." "Thou hast holden me by my right hand." God not only sustains the good man in particular emergencies, but He is his constant and habitual upholder (see ver. 12, 18, 21). He has always a hold on his hand. He never lets it go.

Herein lies the mercy and the mystery of the Christian's course. He may pass through much and varied trial; scenes of sorrow may be repeated again and again; dangers of every shape and name may surround him, but he may rejoice in the thought of habitual protection and final safety (see Psa. cxxi. 5-8).

Amidst all the storms without, and all the agitation of the spirit within, the Christian cries, "Hold thou me up, and I shall be safe;" and God says in reply, "Fear not; for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine. When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shall not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee." Courage then, Christian. "As thy day thy strength," &c.

In conclusion, first, Is the life of a good man divinely planned? Then let us try to learn what that plan is, and earnestly strive to fulfil it. How can we learn God's plan? By studying His character, word, and providence.

"Man's weakness, waiting upon God,

Its end can never miss."

Secondly, Is the life of a good man divinely approved? Then let us strive to make it more worthy of His approval by denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, and living soberly, and righteously, and godly, &c. "Add to your faith, virtue," &c. (2 Peter i. 5-8). "Finally, brethren," &c. (Phil. iv. 8). Walk worthy of God who hath called you into His kingdom and glory.

Thirdly, Is the life of a good man divinely protected? Then let us trust Him.

"Judge not the Lord by feeble sense;
But trust Him for His grace."

Resign yourselves to Him. His faithfulness reacheth unto the clouds.
There must be many things in God's plan that I cannot understand.
He says,
"Follow me; fear not." Shall I shrink from following

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when He leads and holds me by the hand? He will not let me go. "The Lord will perfect that which concerneth me." Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ."

"Through clouds, and waves, and storms,

He gently clears thy way;

Wait thou His time, thy darkest night
Shall end in brightest day."

Yes, the Lord will uphold you with His hand.
Biggleswade.

"I AM

THE DEACON'S SINGING SCHOOL.

going out to see if I can start a singing school," said the good man, as he stood buttoning up his overcoat, and muffling up his ears, one bitterly cold winter night. “A singing school," said his wife, "how will you do that?

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meant by starting a singing school. A singing school and the widow— how queer! What possible connection could they have?

At last she grew tired of the puzzling thought, and said to herself, "I won't bother myself think"I have heard of a widow round ing about it any more. He will tell the corner who is in suffering cir- me all about it when he comes cumstances. She has five little home. I only hope we may be children, and two of them sick, and able to help the widow and make has neither fire nor food. So her poor heart sing for joy.' Bennie Hope, the office boy, tells There," she exclaimed,

me.

case."

"Go, by all means," said his wife, "and lose no time. If they are in such need we can give some relief. But I cannot see what all this has to do with starting a singing school. But never mind, you need not stop to tell me now; go quickly, and do all you can for the poor woman."

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I thought I would just be what he meant? The widow's step round and look into the heart singing for joy! Wouldn't that be a singing school? It must be; it is just like John. How funny that I should find it out!" And she laughed merrily at her lucky guess. Taking up her work again, she stitched away with a happy smile on her. face, as she thought over again her husband's words, and followed him in imagination in his kind ministrations. By-and-by two shining tears dropped down, tears of pure joy, drawn from the deep wells of her love for her husband, of whom she thought she never felt so fond before. At the first sound of footsteps she sprang to open the door.

So out into the piercing cold of the wintry night went the husband, while the wife turned to the fireside and her sleeping babes, who, in their warm cribs, with the glow of health upon their cheeks, showed that they knew nothing of cold or pinching want. With a thankful spirit she thought of her blessings, as she sat down to her little pile of mending. Very busily and quietly she worked, puzzling all the time over what her husband could have

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Oh, John! did you start the singing school?"

"I reckon I did," said the husband, as soon as he could loose his wrappings; "but I want you to

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hunt up some flannels and things work, and I do not mean to let you to help to keep it up." do it alone. I want to draw out Oh, yes! I will; I know now some of this wonderful music." what you mean. I have thought There are many hearts which it all out. Making the widow's would be the better if there could be heart sing for joy' is your sing-singing schools started in them. ing school. What a precious Let you and me do all we can. Perwork, John! 'Pure religion and haps others may catch the key-note, undefiled is to visit the fatherless and help to swell the song, until and widows in their affliction.' My many a widow's heart shall be own heart has been singing for joy comforted, and the fatherless be all the evening because of your fed.

VISIONS AND VOICES FROM THE HOUSE OF
PILGRIMAGE.

BY THE REV. R. H. ROBERTS, B.A.

IV. THE VOICE OF THE CHURCH IN THE HOUR OF PERIL.

"And now, Lord, behold their threatenings: and grant unto thy servants that with all boldness they may speak thy word, by stretching forth thine hand to heal; and that signs and wonders may be done by the name of the holy child Jesus. And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness."-Acts iv. 29-31.

CRITICAL indeed was this moment in the history of the Church. It was only in its infancy, and now for the first time it is brought face to face with persecution in the persons of its members. The great captainSaviour had been already assaulted and slain. He had forewarned them "if they have persecuted me, they will persecute you." And at last the time which we had foreseen and predicted has arrived, and they must meet it somehow. In what spirit will they meet it, and what will be the issue? The two apostles and leaders who have endured the brunt of the attack already made have announced their decision, and raised the flag of no surrender. Dismissed by the Sanhedrim, "they return to their own.' The national ties are thus seen to be severed, and a new relationship has been established. I picture to myself the meeting; I fancy I hear Peter saying, "Men and brethren, the hour is come, the king of darkness is mustering its hosts and preparing for conflict. There is a moment's respite, but it is only a lull before the storm. They have commanded us to desist from our work, they threaten us with the most bitter hostility if we persevere. What shall we do?" And, instinctively, as if with one impulse and from one mind, they break out into an act of worship, and call upon the name of the Lord. The details of the scene are not given. Some fancy that they chanted together the Second Psalm, and that Peter, then speaking in the name of the community, applies its most striking

expressions to their circumstances in the praise and prayer which follow. But the details are of no consequence; the general fact is of the utmost interest and importance. There is here a stirring exhibition of inspired faith and divine force, which is so perfectly natural that it authenticates itself and crowns the Church with celestial glory, and the sight and contemplation of which cannot fail to be stimulating and helpful. And especially interesting is the prayer which will be the subject of our consideration now, together with the answer which it immediately received. Let us take up these two points :-I. The prayer. II. The reply,

I. The prayer. Prayer is the natural resource of all God's believing children in the hour of difficulty and danger. When the disciples were overtaken by the squall upon the Lake of Gennesareth, and the waves were breaking over the boat and threatening to sink it, they ran to the Divine-Man who was sleeping at the stern of the vessel with eager, passionate cries for help, and we all feel that it is just what might have been expected. They had seen His power, they felt His commission from heaven, they had learned to lean upon Him and look to Him in all things, and they did what everybody in the same condition would have done when they brought their peril to Him and this, after all, was prayer. And when you have realised a present Deity in the universe, all the instincts of your nature constrain you to seek His face when the storm is raging around. And no philosophy and no science can ever quench these instincts, or prevent man from fleeing to prayer whenever there is upon him a sense of peril or need; and, blessed be God, there is no time when he must stay away from the throne of grace, or when his crying will be of no avail.

"From every stormy wind that blows,
From every swelling tide of woes,
There is a calm, a safe retreat,
'Tis found beneath the mercy-seat."

"If pain afflict, or wrongs oppress,
If cares distract, or fears dismay,
If guilt detect, if sins distress,

The remedy's before thee-pray.”

So that to pray will probably be the first thought which will occur to every Christian when he is in straits. It is not then to be much wondered at, that when Peter and John came to their own and told them what the chief-priests and elders had said, without any sort of consultation or preparation, the souls of the company blended by a kind of spiritual instinct into prayer, and they lifted up their voice to God with one accord; and still, when you come to look at and analyse it, no one can help feeling that it is a wonderful prayer after all-the sublime utterance of a divine inspiration.

1. It clearly enough contains a confession of weakness, indeed of helplessness, in themselves, and so it becomes a recognition of the

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