much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask Him?" (Luke xi. 13).

In conversion we must become like "little children." The chief characteristics of a child are trustfulness, helplessness, and unworldliness. Little children do not know what it is to be over-anxious, or troubled about the cares which to-morrow may bring; but they have confidence in their parents, and know that they will be taken care of and provided for, and they feel instinctively that they are safe in their keeping. The power, wisdom, and love of the

parent is never doubted; while it is to them that the child looks for sympathy in its joys and sorrows, and clings to in sickness or danger.

Now, is there the same degree of love and trust between God and our own souls, that there is between a little child and its earthly parent? There should be, and there must be; for conversion is a real thing, and a necessary preparation for our heavenly pilgrimage; and if any who may read these pages, should be still wandering on the dark mountains, change your minds, I adjure

you, before it is too late. "For I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth, saith the Lord God: wherefore turn yourselves, and live ye" (Ezek. xviii. 32).

"Lord, in this Thy mercy's day,
Ere it pass for aye away,

On our knees we fall and pray.

"Holy Jesu, grant us tears,

Fill us with hear-searching fears
Ere that awful doom appears.

"Lord, on us Thy Spirit pour,
Kneeling lowly at the door,
Ere it close for evermore.

"Grant us 'neath Thy wings a place,
Lest we lose this day of grace,

Ere we shall behold Thy face."

VIII.

A CHRISTIAN'S DUTY.

"When thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren."

LUKE XX. 32.

N the preceding chapter I endeavoured to point out

the necessity of a change of heart before we can be made 'meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light." Our text for to-day would teach us an important duty which devolves upon those on whom the converting power of the Holy Spirit has savingly acted.

Every occupation, and each profession has its own peculiar duties. The sailor must undertake the management of a ship; the soldier must fight for his queen and country; the lawyer must plead the cause of the oppressed; the husbandman must till the ground and sow seed; and so on through every grade and class in society.

It is exactly in like manner that there are attendant duties for those in the spiritual kingdom. There are deadly enemies to be fought against; there are rough raging seas to be crossed; there is one to be invoked to plead our cause; there is good