Christ is ready to receive them and to bless them. Turn to Jesus, and He will forgive now. And let Christians walk very consistently, close to Christ every day-close to Christ. In the midst of life we are in death.' Tuesday night I was well, Wednesday and Thursday passed, and on Friday there was no hope of recovery; but I am most joyful in Christ. His salvation is a far reaching one for all, even the greatest sinner. May you all be as happy in the love of God as I am. Let sinners turn to Jesus now, and God's people must try to be very holy."

Cobweb 4. Want of humility. An ambassador, when successful, must not exalt himself; but his joy should be in that his master's terms have been accepted. He ought not to forget that he is but the servant, and "nisi Dominus frustra." "Mr. D.," said a layman once, when speaking of two preachers whom he knew, "exhibits the orator, and is much admired for his pulpit eloquence; but I hardly know what to say of Mr. C., he always throws himself into the background, and you see his Master only."

It is now time that my little light should be extinguished. Commending this letter to Him, who is graciously pleased to use even the "weak things" in His service (1 Cor. i. 27), I conclude with one text from your Greek Testament, which I hope is your loving, prayerful study, every day. « Ωστε, ἀδελφοί μου ἀγαπητοὶ, ἑδραῖοι γίνεσθε, ἀμετακίνητοι, περισσεύοντες ἐν τῷ ἔργῳ τοῦ Κυρίου πάντοτε, εἰδότες ὅτι ὁ κόπος ὑμῶν οὐκ ἔστι κενὸς ἐν Κυρίῳ.”—1 Cor. xv. 58. Believe me, yours faithfully,

66

V. M. S.

THE CHRISTIAN AUTHORS' PRAYER UNION.

HROUGH the blessing of God on the labours of Miss Skinner, this Union has been revived and reorganised. We believe it is greatly needed, and will be very useful. It supplies a manifest want. The Members of it agree to pray every Monday morning at or between the hours of seven and eleven, for the following things

1st. For increased personal holiness-for "the single eye" to do all things as unto the Lord and not unto men"-that we may be kept from the enticing words of man's wisdom, the wisdom of this world; from man-pleasing, or self-pleasing; and

that "holiness to the Lord" may be inscribed on all our efforts for His glory.

2nd. For increased usefulness; that our God may set His seal on all our publications, and make use of them largely for the salvation of souls and for the bringing on of the Redeemer's kingdom; that they may find a way even among the ungodly and worldly, and thus stem the torrent of infidelity and vice.

3rd. For the Holy spirit to rest on all the members of our Union, whether known or unknown to us (here mention names): that they may be led into all truth, and delivered from all error; that they may write faithfully, boldly, believingly, and lovingly; and that their books may not supersede God's Book to any one. Let us also pray for the increased usefulness of their writings, and the special wants and trials of any of the members with whom we may be acquainted.

4th. Prayer for irreligious authors and for the ungodly press. "The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with us all. Amen."

SPECIAL requests for prayer from any of the members will be inserted Monthly in "WAYSIDE WORDS," the organ of the Union. Miss Skinner sends the following under No. 4, The Conversion of Charles Bradlaugh. Also under No. 3, for French Members (the circular having been translated and sent to Paris), and Members in Toronto, Bombay, &c.

Lists of new members will be printed from time to time in 'Wayside Words." Cards of Membership may be had from the Hon. Secretary, Miss Skinner, Sweffling Rectory, Saxmundham, Suffolk. The price to New Members is 5s., to cover cost of Printing, Postage, Advertising, etc.

O God, forasmuch as without Thee we are not able to please Thee; Mercifully grant, that Thy Holy Spirit may in all things direct and rule our hearts, and abundantly bless this Union to the promotion of thy glory and our usefulness in Thy vineyard, for Jesus Christ's sake. Amen.

A LETTER OF THE LATE REV. DR. HAWKER'S,

HITHERTO UNPUBLISHED.*

Plymouth, Sept. 9th, 1820.

The Lord, even the Most Mighty God, who hath appeared for you in the hour of need, abundantly bless you in Himself and with Himself, and cause you to rejoice in Him evermore, who is the LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS!

I have found new cause to bless Him for His grace towards you, and for His gracious condescension towards me, in employing me on His errand of love, when sending me to you. And now, I beseech you, after so gracious a proof of His watching over you for good, when your forgetful heart had for the moment lost sight of Him, never more allow what you feel, to rob you of your joy in the Lord, for what the Lord is. One look from the Lord is more worth than all your prayers to Him. And as your fears were running away with you, from what you felt, and made you forget for the time, how gracious the Lord is, I charge you never more to be poring over your feelings, to the neglect of God's love. You cannot have a better sense of your safety in Christ, and your oneness and union with Christ, than by living out of yourself, and living upon Christ. It is not, my dear young friend, what you feel, but what Christ is not your personal knowledge of your interest in Christ, but God the Father's approbation of Christ, and the Church in Him. If God the Holy Ghost causeth you by His sweet teaching, to make Christ in your view the same as Christ and His people are in God's view, namely, the First and the Last, the Author and Finisher of Salvation, this will keep you steady, and always living upon Him, as your glorious Head and Husband, in all things. And then you will feel what perhaps often you have read of the blessedness of that sure promise: Isaiah xxvi. 3, 4.

I herewith send you a little book of mine, which I pray you to accept for my sake. And I send my prayers with it, that the Lord, the Holy Ghost may make it an useful instrument in His

* A friend writes: "I wonder if I may ask a little favour? It is that you would be so very kind as to allow the enclosed letter of late Dr. Hawker to appear in W. W. It tells its own tale-not self-but Jesus."

Yours always in our Lord,

We have much pleasure in reprinting it here.-Editor.

J. K.

Almighty Hand, and spread the savour of the Redeemer's Name by it in your heart. And so, commending you to the Lord, I bid you farewell!

ROBERT HAWKER.

GOD COMFORTING AS A

A MOTHER.

"As one whom his mother comforteth, so will I comfort you."-Isa. lxvi. 13.

A

in God.

CCORDING to these words the consolation administered by the Lord our God shall be like the efficient comfort given by a mother to her child. So that God is not only a pitiful father, He is also a comforting mother. The strong man is in God, and the gentle woman is Let us look at God comforting as a mother.

A good mother comforts her child naturally, instinctively. She requires no commandment to do it. She does not hesitate and enquire, "Shall I do it?" She does it.

A good and true mother comforts her child personally. There are services which she may commit to others; but comforting is her special ministry.. None can comfort as she; and she knows it. She does not say when the child needs comfort, "Take the child from me;" but if it be in another's arms she saith, "Give the child to me."

A good and true mother comforts her child by drawing it near to herself. She speaks to it, but she does more than speak or talk. She puts her hand upon it, and she gives it that which the child would desire; but she does more she takes the child in her arms and presses it to her bosom, whispering to herself the possessive pronoun "mine." And the child is comforted by feeling that it is held and fondled and possessed by one who loves it well, and who loves it better than any other.

The consolation which the mother gives has in it all the features of true love. It is free, it is full, it is unselfish, it is patient, continuous, and constant.

"As one whom his mother comforteth, so will I comfort you." God comforts naturally. All that is within Him disposes Him to do it and qualifies Him. It is not strange or foreign to God's nature to console.

God comforts personally. He uses agents and influences and instruments; but in the midst of all these He is the Comforter.

He looks upon us, He listens to us, He puts His hand upon us, He throws Himself into comforting us. The comforting is not on His part an influence only, but a ministry and a service. God Himself consoles.

God comforts lovingly. God is love, and this love of God is put forth in consoling. All that can be received is given, all that can be shewn is expressed. In comforting, God causes His face to shine, He lifts up His countenance while He opens His hand, and makes bare His arm.

God comforts practically. He does not merely say something about comforting, He actually consoles. There are tears; God wipes them from the eyes. There are groans, God quiets them. There are sighs, God causes them to cease. There are wounds, God relieves the smart. The heart aches, under God's hand the pain passes away. The hands hang down, God lifts them up. The knees smite each other, God gives them firmness. There is much trembling, God makes the nerves strong. He keeps the head up in the midst of the flowing waters, and in the midst of the fire makes the raiment fire proof.

God comforts broadly. The mother of twelve children extends her comforting to all-from the baby to the grown-up lad who sobs on his mother's shoulder. The limit of God's consoling is the number of His sons and daughters. Every child is loved with an everlasting love, all are comforted alike.

God comforts constantly. He has always crying children; and He is always comforting, every day and every hour. At hospitals and dispensaries there are "fixed hours" for seeing patients. God has no fixed hours; but He comforts as often as tears flow, and as often as it is good for us He wipes them away.

God comforts effectually. He comforts in the trouble, and He comforts by deliverance out of the trouble. In all cases the comfort is complete. There are "miserable comforters" in the world, and there are efficient "sons of consolation." God is above them all-as far above as the heavens are high above the earth. He is too perfect to fail.

Sorrow is present, sorrow is coming. God intends to comfort, God promises to comfort, and He purposes to comfort after the mother's fashion. He desires you to have distinct ideas of what He will be to you, and of what He will do for you; and that we may see what He will do, He sends us to a home, to a human habitation, and he bids us look upon a woman there-upon the women there- upon the wife and mother. "As one whom his mother comforteth, so will I comfort you.

S. MARTIN.