SIXTH DAY.

Drawn into the Ark.

'Thou shalt come into the Ark.'-GEN. vi. 18.

You

YOU would like to take this great step Out out of danger into safety; but you find it very hard, though it sounds very easy. You feel as if you had spiritual nightmare,-seeing the danger, and not able to stir hand or foot to escape it.'

Perhaps every one who comes to Christ has this sense of utter helplessness about it. This is because the Holy Spirit must convince us that the whole thing is God's doing, and not ours, so that He may have all the glory of saving us from beginning to end. It is not at all because He is not willing to save us, but just because He is willing, that He lets us find out for ourselves that our own will is so numb that it cannot rouse and move without the fire of His love and grace.*

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1 Rom. v. 6.

Isa. xlii. 8; ib. lix. 16.

2 Deut. xxxii. 36.

4 Eph. ii. 1.

Thou

Now just trust His promise, shalt come into the Ark ;' in other words, believe that His power and love are even now being exerted upon you, and that your sense of helplessness is only part of His wonderful way of drawing you to Jesus. God the Father is not willing that any should perish,' but that ali should come to repentance.

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Then why do any perish? Simply because they won't come; because they will not yield to the winning love and the drawing' power which is now being put forth to save you, if, as you read this, you want to be saved. There is no sadder word in the Bible than ' Ye will not come to Me, that ye might have life." But if you are saying, ever so feebly and faintly, I will,' God meets it with His strong and gracious Thou shalt.”

Do not fear to take the Thou' to yourself. Remember the great 'Whosoever will," and look up at this star of promise in the dark, Thou shalt come into te Ark.' Jesus said, 'All that the Father giveth Me shall come to Me." And the Father says, 'I will cause him to draw near, and he shall approach unto Me: for who is this that engaged his heart to ap

proach unto Me?" Whose heart? Is it not yours? You would hardly be reading these pages, if your heart were not at all engaged to approach unto Him. And if it is so engaged, who engaged it? Who but the God from whom alone all holy desires do proceed?

Then go on a few verses farther, and see the word of the Lord to you. 'Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love; therefore with loving-kindness have I drawn thee." Now do not wrong, and wound, and insult that tremendous love by refusing to believe it. He is at this moment giving you the personal proof of it, by drawing" you even for these few. minutes. Do not resist the half-formed wish to come to Jesus. It is very solemn to realize that this is no less than the Father's own drawing of you to His dear Son. Without it you could not come, because you know you would have refused to come; but with it, if only you yield to it, 'thou shalt come into the Ark.

When the dove found no rest for the sole of her foot, and returned to Noah because the waters were on the face of the whole earth, then he put forth his hand, and took her, and pulled her in "(margin,

Jer. xxx. 21. 4 John vi. 44.

caused her to come ') ' unto him into the Ark.' What a beautiful picture is this little helpless tired dove' of our helplessness and weariness, and the kind Hand, strong and tender, which does not leave us to flutter and beat against a closed window, but takes us, and pulls us unto Him,' into the Ark !'

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So we have the willingness of the Father' in one part of the type, and the willingness of the Son in another part,'-willingness to receive you into safety and rest. Then 'Come thou into the Ark!"

1 Isa. lx. 8.
42 Cor. vi. 17.
Gen. vii. 1.

2 Luke xiv. 23.
5 Luke xv. 2

Ezek. xviii. 23. • John xii. 32.

SEVENTH DAY.

Coming for Rest.

Come unto Me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.'-MATT. xi. 28.

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HIS is not your rest." God says so, THI and therefore it is no use seeking or hoping or trying for it. You may as well give up first as last. The dove found no rest for the sole of her foot till she came to the ark; and neither will you. And the end of the dreary vista of unrest all through the years of a life without Christ, is, They have no rest day nor night."

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The people shall weary themselves for very vanity.' Do you know anything about that? 'They weary themselves to commit iniquity. Thou art wearied in the greatness of thy way." Do these words come home to you? Or, But now He hath made me weary; Thou hast made desolate all my company?" Whether it is the weariness of sin or of sorrow,

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