up the supply can any of His vessels give out to others. What a reason for living very near to God for abiding in Christ-for never forsaking the fountain of living waters. The nearer we live to Christ-the more simply we trust Him-the more will these empty vessels be filled out of His fulness-the more holy will they be and the more useful to Him, and ready for every good work for which He may be pleased to employ them.

HE Master stood in His garden,
Among the lilies fair,

Which His own right hand had planted
And trained with tenderest care.

He looked at their snowy blossoms,
And marked with observant eye,
That His flowers were sadly drooping,
For their leaves were parch'd and dry.

"My lilies need to be watered,"
The Heavenly Master said;
"Wherein shall I draw it for them,
And raise each drooping head?"

Close to His feet, on the pathway,
Empty, and frail, and small,
An earthen vessel was lying,

Which seemed of no use at all.

But the Master saw, and raised it
From the dust in which it lay,
And smiled as He gently whispered,
"This shall do my work to-day."

"It is but an earthen vessel,
But it lay so close to me;

It is small, but it is empty,
And that is all it needs to be."

So to the fountain He took it,
And filled it full to the brim ;
How glad was the earthen vessel
To be of some use to Him!

He poured forth the living water
Over His lilies fair,

Until the vessel was empty

And again He filled it there.

He watered the drooping lilies,

Until they revived again,

And the Master saw with pleasure,
That His labour had not been vain.

His own hand had drawn the water
Which refreshed the thirsty flowers,
But He used the earthen vessel
To convey the living showers.

And to itself it whispered,

As He laid it aside once more,
"Still will I lie in His pathway,
Just where I did before.

"Close would I keep to the Master,
Empty would I remain,

And perhaps some day he may use me,
To water His flowers again.

Dear fellow workers, may we all be empty and weak, holy, and sitting at the feet of Jesus, and we shall be exceedingly useful to Him, and He will have all the glory and the praise of any service or work which we may be instrumental in accomplishing.

From a Parish Address by Rev. Frederick Baldey.

Hinton Rectory, August 9th, 1881.

We were deeply grieved to receive the following letter, and we earnestly entreat the prayers of the members of the C.A.P.U. for Mrs. and Miss Skinner in their sad bereavement.

Sweffling Rectory, Saxmundham.
August 8th, 1881.

My dear Sir,-At Miss Skinner's request, I write to say that her dear Father passed home to his rest on last Saturday night, about 12 o'clock, in time to commence his Sabbath with the Redeemed.

Miss Skinner desires me to beg that you would ask the prayers of your Prayer Union under the circumstance. She and Mrs. Skinner have been much exhausted by long and painful watching.

In Memoriam: The Late Rev. H. Skinner.

(N these days of constant change, it falls to the lot of very few to spend over forty years in a quiet country Rectory. The Rev. Russell Skinner, whom the Lord has just taken home to Himself, was made Rector of Sweffling, Saxmundham, in the year 1835. At that time there were very few professing Evangelical sentiments in the county of Suffolk, but Mr. Skinner quietly and steadily held on his way and won the good opinion even of those who differed from him. He restored the Church, built a School and a Vestry, and enlarged the Rectory house and grounds, and in many ways became the father of his people, who constantly used to say, "When Mr. Skinner dies half the Parish will have to be buried with him." His father was descended from an ancient Norman family, mentioned in "Doomsday Book -that of Sir John Skynner, who came over with William the Conqueror; and his mother was a Fenn, related to the late Rev. Joseph Fenn, of Blackheath. His character was eminently transparent and childlike; in fact, he was one of whom it might well have been said, "Behold an Israelite indeed in whom there is no guile." He had three children, all of whom were born at Sweffling; but there is only one surviving, who is known to our readers as the Authoress of the "Friendly Letters," some of which have appeared in this journal from time to time.

The Record.

REVIEW.

"We would see Jesus, the Great Rock Foundation whereon our feet were set by sovereign grace."

N these days of abounding error, we need to be reminded again and again of the old truths; let us "ask for the old paths," (Jer. vi. 16.) Who can rightly estimate the paramount importance of a saving knowledge of that one truth, "Ye must be born again," so ably set forth in the little book before us?" The Doctrine of Regeneration, with New Testament Illustrations.

Its Author, the Rev. G. T. Fox, of Durham, is too well known to need any commendation by us, and we therefore only give one passage as a

specimen of the whole, which we warmly commend to the attentive perusal of our readers.

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I speak to some who must be conscious that they have never been regenerated by the Spirit of God"... Change entirely the character of your prayers, if pray at all you do; and begin henceforth, with persistent earnestness, to ask God to give you a new nature, to change your hearts, to regenerate your souls, to make you new creatures in Christ Jesus, to give you the Holy Ghost, that you may be born again.

"After this, go on to implore that God would reveal His Son in you, would enable you to close with the offers of salvation, and to make them your own; would give you living appropriating faith, so that you may have assurance of your pardon and acceptance with God, through the distinctive testimony of the Spirit with your own spirit, that you are a child of God."

OUR GREAT GOD: PRAYER TO HIM.

UR great God; "The blessed and only Potentate, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. He only hath immortality, dwelling in the light: no man can approach unto; Whom no man hath seen, nor can see."

His thoughts are not our thoughts; neither are his ways our ways. "The heavens, are not clean in His sight." "His angels He charged with folly."

For His own pleasure, created He man; in His own image, upright. Then was man's communion with God such as in his fallen state he cannot enjoy. Not until "corruptible shall have put on incorruption," can man see God, and live.

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Yet, hath He made His goodness to pass before us. In the Rock of Ages we beheld His glory. 'By whom we have access by faith unto the Father." "Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace." Come boldly, but with reverence and godly fear, for our God, is a consuming fire.

Be careful in your words. Be not rash with thy mouth, nor hasty in thine heart, to utter anything before God. Take time to think! Quiet thyself! Let thy every word have a meaning. So will thy words be few. Cultivate a well regulated mind; avoid affectation.

Be humble in posture. "Let us bow down, kneel before the Lord our Maker;" Who, as our Creator and Owner, has a right to our homage.

Be submissive to His will. The Master in His hour of nature's trial, prayed:-"Not My will but Thine be done." The disciple is not above his Master!

Seek the Spirit's Teaching.

We know not what to pray for as we

ought; so need to be enlightened by Him.

Only as aided by Him-praying in the Holy Ghost, shall we pray, so as to insure a gracious answer: because He maketh intercession in the heart of God's people, according to His will.

Expect prayer to be answered; but in God's way! We pray, to be delivered from the dominion of sin. God often employs trials and afflictions to this end. And that our "faith may be found unto praise, and honour, and glory, at the appearing of Christ-often we are in heaviness through manifold temptations!"

Every prayer should be formed of four component parts. Confession, petition, intercession, and praise.

First, confession of our own sins, then of those of others. The Believer is "washed," yet needs continual washing of his feet. This is, by confession of sin : God being faithful to his covenant in Christ Jesus, Whom He hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in His blood, to declare His righteousness; that He might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.

It would appear to be a christian duty also, to confess the sins of others. Are the sins of those around us nothing to us? Oh! for the spirit of David-which is the spirit of Christ, who said "rivers of waters run down mine eyes, because they keep not Thy law." In the prayers of Daniel (ix. 20,) and Ezra (ix. 5,) examples of confessing the sins of others are left on record for our imitation.

Secondly-Petition. Ask, and it shall be given you. Prayer is both a duty we owe to God and a means of "finding grace," and the supply of all our need. God will "be enquired of, to do it for us."

Thirdly-Intercession. "This is good and acceptable in the sight of God and our Saviour" (1 Tim. ii. 1-5). With this command, God puts the prayer into our mouths, and gives us reason why we should obey. Fourthly-Praise. "Whoso offereth Me praise, glorifieth Me!" As "priests unto God," it is our office to offer the sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving, on our own behalf, and on that of others (1 Tim. ii. 1).

Lastly-Times for Prayer. David said, Evening and morning, and at noon will I pray. Daniel kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed and gave thanks. Peter went up upon the housetop, about the sixth hour (noon) to pray. Few Christians would venture on earth's battle-field without putting on God's armour, and feeding on heavenly manna. But, comparatively few, realise the necessity of a stated time for spiritual nourishment between morning and evening. No wonder that in the heat and turmoil of the day, the weary, fainting soul falls too often an easy prey to the temptations of the world, the flesh, and the devil! Suffer a word of exhortation, Henceforth, deny not thy soul, that thou wouldest not deny thy body. S. J. E.