when a tremendous wave engulphed them, to be seen no more until the sea shall yield up its dead.-As we have opportunity, we must speak to the dying sinner of One who is "able to save them to the uttermost

who come unto God by Him." But it is a happier task to converse with the dying saint concerning the faithfulness of our Lord, and the blessedness of our home. We read: "And Joshua set up twelve stones in the midst of Jordan, in the place where the feet of the priests which bare the ark of the covenant stood : and they are there unto this day. For the priests which bare the ark stood in the midst of Jordan, until everything was finished that the Lord commanded Joshua,.... and the people hasted and passed over. And it came to pass, when all the people were clean passed over, that the ark of the Lord passed over, and the priests, in the presence of the people." On that day the Israelites greatly needed encouragement. They required to be well assured that the God of Abraham and of Moses was present with them, smiling on their enterprise. The priests were priviledged to have something to do with encouraging their brethren. They could not divide the stream. They could not overcome the powerful foes awaiting Israel's approach. They could not pardon past sin. But they could, in the name of the Lord, and in obedience to His gracious command, sustain the ark of the covenant, so that rank after rank, tribe after tribe, could look on that symbol of the Lord's presence and power, as they successively traversed the strange path. Thus it is the privilege of Christian

ministers, and of Christian people, to remind the dying saint of "the blood of the everlasting covenant." No mockery of "absolution " must be pronounced. No words which could be mistaken for such "absolution" must be employed, lest the selfdeception of a dying sinner should be fostered. Yet we may succeed in so uttering words Divine, that the faithfulness of our God shall be the more clearly discerned by the dying saint. We may thus cheer the pilgrim when crossing Jordan. He who, in a little time, will walk with seraphim amid the glories of the celestial city, may to-day derive comfort from Bibletruth uttered by a stripling.

CHAPTER VII.

WORDS SPOKEN BY THOSE AROUND US.

"Take heed what ye hear." (Mark iv. 24.) "Take heed therefore how ye hear." (Luke viii. 18.)

"The man put his fingers in his ears, and ran on crying, 'Life! life! eternal life!'"-PILGRIM'S PROGRESS.

BUNYAN, in "the Holy War," represents "Eargate" as being justly and universally regarded as of special importance to the town of Mansoul. This was the original design of good King Shaddai, and the gate had therefore been suitably built, adorned, and fortified. Here the giant Diabolus made his subtle oration, when attempting to secure the town for himself. When the vile usurper had unhappily succeeded in his wicked invasion, he bestowed especial care on the keeping of this gate. We read : "And, that Ear-gate might especially be looked to, (for that was the gate in at which the king's forces sought most to enter,) he made one old Mr. Prejudice, an angry and ill-conditioned fellow, captain of that gate; and put under his power sixty men called Deaf-men: men suited for that service, for they minded not the words of the captains, nor of the soldiers." We learn, also, that Boanerges, and the other captains, sent by King Shaddai to recover the

town to its ancient allegiance, directed their especial attention and repeated efforts to this entrance. They were convinced that here the victory must be gained over the cruel and usurping tyrant, and the beneficent and righteous sway of the great king restored. Here, at length, Emmanuel triumphed. "After three or four notable charges by the prince and his noble captains, Ear-gate was broken open, and the bars and bolts with which it was fast shut up against the prince were broken into a thousand pieces. . When the prince's forces had broken open the gate, he came and set his throne in it; also he set up his standard hard by, on a mount that was cast up to place the mighty slings thereon. The mount was called Mount Hear-well, and thereon the prince abode."

Now, we who live in this much-lauded nineteenth century have good reason to know that Ear-gate has lost none of its importance. In the war between truth and error, between good and evil, between the good king Shaddai and the wicked tyrant Diabolus, Ear-gate occupies a prominent position. The proper guarding of this entrance is, therefore, a subject of highest importance. In our favoured land we learn nothing by experience of the importance of civic fortifications. The citizens of Chester, York, and a few other places of ancient celebrity, choose to preserve, in whole or in part, their surrounding walls. But the reason why corporations impose and citizens pay the needful levies, is not to secure personal safety, but to retain an ancient distinction. Those

successful traders who, having retired from business, now live at ease outside Micklegate-Bar, feel just as safe from Frenchmen and Russians, as they did when residing within the old walls of Ebor. But they must not be left behind in everything. Places of yesterday, such as Liverpool and Manchester, Leeds and Bradford, Sheffield and Birmingham, may exceed the ancient cities of the realm in wealth and influence; but they have not walls erected around the place where Constantine once held court, whither the Plantagenets were accustomed to resort, and where the warlike nobles of the Red Rose and the White Rose banqueted when victorious, and were beheaded when vanquished. In neighbourhoods where our fathers built no city-walls, we generally attempt nothing of the kind. We seldom go beyond erecting a turnpike-gate, where those who can afford to drive must pay, and poor vagrants who cannot afford to eat are warned they must not beg. This is all the protection deemed needful for ordinary towns. We Englishmen cannot see the use of passports. Why not everybody go where he likes? We decidedly prefer this for ourselves, and are prepared to allow others the same privilege. So long as their fingers meddle not with our personal property, and their feet intrude not on our real estate, we do not wish to be troubled about their migrations. The Continental system appears to us an intolerable interference with free agency; a science invented to give various functionaries, great and small, the opportunity of exacting money, as fees, perquisites,