"I am as if to account for her happiness, she exclaimed, going to heaven." This effort having quite exhausted her, she soon sunk into a gentle sleep, and the writer left her with feelings of gratitude to God for his unbounded mercy and goodness. In a few days she closed her eyes to the things of this world, and I trust entered into the joy of her Lord. Thus a poor careless girl was, of God's great love and compassion, led to a saving knowledge of her Redeemer in, as it were, the last hours of life. The grace of God triumphed over the temptations of Satan, and she was rescued from destruction. This act of mercy is the more to be admired from its being seldom witnessed. A life of carelessness is mostly succeeded by a death of ignorance. By neglect of proffered mercies during health, the heart becomes hardened and steeled to all heavenly impressions. There may be serious thoughts of eternity, and there may be a weariness of life, but a satisfactory faith is very seldom indeed seen to spring up in the heart on the bed of death, or during the last stage of a weakening and fatal disease. In this instance of God's love to the soul of a poor factory girl, we are called to admire the infinite power of the eternal Spirit, but not to presume upon the great and continued mercies of God, so as to neglect the salvation of our souls, and defer to a time we may never see, or if we do see, we may be unable to improve, the consideration of all that is really valuable in life, and all that can stay and comfort the soul in the hour of death and dissolution. That same Spirit which enlightened and comforted Rebekah, is able to bestow upon us the peace and happiness which she enjoyed. We must not, however, wait for the closing scene of life to be made thus happy. We may feel in health the joy she felt in sickness; and we may feel and exhibit in our converse with the world, the same happy principles which were implanted in her soul, when she was removed by sickness from its employments, and its duties. We have then a twofold motive to seek the guidance of the Holy Spirit without delay. In the first place, if we seek it earnestly we shall find it, and be happy; and in the second, if we neglect to seek it now, it may soon be too late to do so. Accident may remove us suddenly, or sickness may deprive us of the use of our faculties. Thus, if we continue at a distance from God, we shall know the troubles of life without a comforter; we shall be exposed to temptations without a protector; and approach eternity without a Saviour; but, on the other hand, if the love of God reign in our hearts, we shall find life improved by peace and hopes of heaven, and death without a sting. G. P. HINTS FOR PRAYER. [Abridged from Rev. E. Bickersteth's Christian Truth; published by Seeley and Co. 169, Fleet Street, London.] The following heads of Prayer, for assisting the recollection in our devotions, have been found to be useful for that purpose. 1. THANKS FOR MERCIES. 1 Thess. v. 18.-In every thing give thanks.-For, Each hour's good Each day's My whole life. Temporal. Being, birth, nature, members, faculties, senses, preservation, food, health, clothing, education, home, possessions. Works of Creation. Heaven, earth, sea, creatures, beauty, usefulness. Works of Art. Justification, Adoption, comfort, Means of Grace. Scripture, sureness, fulness, and clearness. Ministers of word, Baptism, Lord's Supper, Christian fellowship, pious books, pious friends. Doctrines, ministry, churches. Providential. Light and air, sun and rain, day and night, heat and cold, seed time, harvest, prosperity, trials. Special Mercies. Deliverance, recovery, upholding, peculiar, in past life." Blessing to others. Being made so, Seeing their good. Family Blessings. Provision, protection, love, sympathy, parents, children, servants, master, friends. National Blessings. Religion, peace, safety, freedom. Prospective Good. Christ's kingdom, Joy of creation, Eternal life. The Giver. How great, good, wise, righteous, holy, forbearing and forgiving. The Multitude. Countless, constant. The Receiver. Unworthy, misusing, most sinful. II. CONFESSION OF SINS. 1 John i. 9.-If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Against the Law. Not loving God, Disobedience. As to God. His presence, truth, power, righteousness, grace, wisdom, love, not duly regarded nor glorified. As to Christ. His person, will, work, life, glory, not looked to, loved, obeyed. As to the Spirit. Not duly sought, led by, depended on; but grieved and provoked, and quenched. Conscience. Slighted, made dull. Easily besetting sin. Self Denial. Wanting in food, ease, studies, honour; ungodliness and worldly lusts. Conversation. Light and vain, idle, man pleasing. Filthiness of spirit. Pride, vanity, wrath, strife, self-will, envy, jealousy, lies, impa tience. Filthiness of flesh. Sensual, impure. Psa. lxxxi. 10.-Open thy mouth wide, and I will fill it. Knowledge of truth. Belief; love of it. Repentance for sin. Free, full pardon. Confidence in God. Victory over sin. Law, delight in, conformity to. Gospel, believed, obeyed, welcomed, and rejoiced in. God, holy love, known, believed, shed abroad, walked with, his will mine. Christ, received, abided, rejoiced in, followed, all in all. Spirit, to guide, dwell in, sanctify, comfort, gladden. Holiness, inward, outward, all acts of. Thoughts, wise, scriptural, peaceful. Affections, pure, holy, spiritual, heavenly. Words, true, kind, right, and edifying. Actions, upright, becoming the gospel, steady, diligent, abounding in good. Grace, sufficient. Word of Christ. A lamp, light, delight in, regulating all. Tempers, meek, humble, loving, patient, holy. Faith, living, strong, conquering. Hope, assured. Charity, unfailing. Fruits of the Spirit. Richly produced. Good works, 2 Pet. i. 4-7. Self-denial, grace to crucify the flesh, not to prefer self nor dulge self. Relative Duties. Grace to fulfil each New Covenant. Laws put in mind, written in heart. God a God to us, in-we to him a people, all knowing him, sins not remembered, God's mercy. Spirit of prayer, praise, joy, and glory. Special love to God's people. Real love to all men, even to enemies. Usefulness, as salt of earth, as light of world. By example, words, writing, giving Enlarged good to my family, neighbours, church, all. Temptations resisted, overcome. Earthly Good. End. God's glory. Day of Christ. Praying always, not overcharged, looking, waiting for ready for Him. it, hasting to it, all Second Coming. Loving his appearing Come Lord Jesus. God all in all. IV. INTERCESSION FOR OTHERS. 1 Tim. ii. 1.-Intercession be made for all men. Family, good of husband, wife, parents, children, inmates, servants, bodily and spiritual. Relations, husband's parents, wife's parents, brothers and families, sisters and families, distant relatives. Careless, opposers, Church of Christ. Our Country. and those under Connexions, authority. guardians, orphans, Universities, friends, neighbours, schools, colleges, minister, church religious societies, officers, civil officers, all aiming to do good teachers, schools, to body or soul. communicants, young, All churches of Christ. aged, poor, healthy, Jews, conversion, sick, widows, dying, peace, restoration. V. SPECIAL ON THE SABBATH. Isa. lviii. 13.-Call the sabbath a delight, the holy of the Lord. Sins. Formal worship, worldly converse, vain thoughts, ministerial sins, people's sins, indolence, pleasure. Wants. God's presence, worship in spirit, fellowship with Christ, large gift of Spirit, quickening, |reviving, growth in Mercies. Intercession. For all ministers, all congregations, decayed churches, newly planted churches. Those in Jewish, Heathen, Papal and Mohammedan destitution, my own minister and church, places destitute of gospel. VI. HINTS MORE PARTICULAR AND PERSONAL. Matt. vi. 6.-Pray to thy Father which is in secret. IN the first year of his monarchy, Cyrus both made proclamations and published them in writing through all his kingdom, wherein he both professed his zealous resolutions, and desired to build up God's house in Jerusalem, and enjoined and encouraged all the Jews through his dominions to address themselves to that sacred work, and incited all his subjects to aid them with silver, and gold, and goods, and beasts. Was it Cyrus that did this? Was it not thou, O God, in whose hands are the hearts of kings, that stirredst up the spirit of that Persian, as if he had been more than a son of thy church, a father? How easy is it for thee to make pagans protectors to thy church; enemies, benefactors! very Not with an empty grace does this great king dismiss the Jews, but with a royal bounty; he brings forth "the vessels of the house of the Lord, which Nebuchadnezzar had brought forth out of Jerusalem, and had put them in the house of his gods." The princely heart of Cyrus would admit of no base sacrilegious thoughts. Those vessels that he finds stamped with God's mark he will return to their owner. Neither his own occasions, nor their abuse, shall be any colour for their detention. O Cyrus, how many close-handed, grippleminded Christians shall be choked in judgment, with the example of thy just munificence! Thou restoredst that TRACT MAGAZINE, NO. 68. AUGUST, 1839. I |