credit when he seems to refuse to appear for us, or deliver us? Will it, when the hand of God appears to go out against us, or to be lifted up armed with a naked sword, as if to strike us, say, "Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him?" God tries the faith of his people severely, even more thoroughly than gold is tried in the fire, that it " may be found unto praise, and honour, and glory, at the appearing of Jesus Christ." He will try our patience, our fortitude, our humility, our hope, our love; yea, every grace he has implanted within us. This year may be a trying year to us. Who can tell how many coffins may be brought into our dwellings-how many losses we may sustainhow many privations we may have to suffer-what temptations we may have to endure-what fiery darts Satan may hurl at us? We live in momentous times. We are surrounded by agencies and instruments of a powerful and alarming character. We need special grace, and what a mercy there is in Jesus special grace for special trials; and now, even to-day, at the opening of this New Year, the voice of mercy is calling to us, in tones of sweetness, with words of love, and is saying, "Come boldly to the throne of grace, that you may find sympathy, and obtain grace to help you in time of need." Blessed be God for a throne of grace, for grace given us in Jesus, and for the promise of grace to help us in every trying day! A New Year will require new efforts to promote God's cause, and glorify the Saviour's name. We have done something; but, alas! how little! How much remains to be done! Never were calls louder, never was the field of labour larger than it is now. On every hand there are calls for help. God has given his people the means to do much, and he is calling them to use the means he has given. As far as instrumentality is concerned, all that is wanting is, the heart. God has given us the Press; but are we prepared to use it, and to use it vigorously? Papists use it; Puseyites use it; Infidels use it; all creeds and classes use it. Will the Church of Christ use it-use it as she might-as she ought? Will individuals use it? Will we? We have Missions,-missions for the villages, missions for towns and cities, and missions for heathen lands. Are we prepared to sustain them, to work them, to work them thoroughly? But what is principally needed is, INDIVIDUAL EFFORT. Our churches contain so many members who do scarce anything, who give little, who appear to feel less. They have never brought one soul to Jesus. They do not appear to realize that it is their duty to attempt it. Sinners perish all around them, but they do not seem to regard it. If they did, would they not speak to them? would they not pray for them? would they not strive to acquire influence, and use the influence they gain over them for their good? Half the Church is asleep, and scarcely any of us are above half awake. Oh, that God would rouse us up! thoroughly rouse us up! Not in wrath, but in mercy; not by a thunder-storm, but by the sweet, gentle, yet powerful working of his own most blessed Spirit in our hearts. Brethren! let us not be satisfied to go on as we have done. Everything is progressing. Everything is improving. Shall not we progress? Shall not we improve? We never had so little time to work as we have now. Every opportunity to give to God's cause, to speak for Jesus, to exert our influence upon sinners for their good, leaves one less. The grave is just before us. The great white throne will soon be placed for judgment, and remember, oh, remember, we are every one of us to be rewarded according to our works! Salvation is a free gift, it is always gratuitous; but being saved freely by grace, the measure of our reward will be in exact proportion to our works. The Judge knows and will remember the talents we possess, the opportunities that are granted us, the profession we have made, the duties we have omitted, and the course we have pursued. Look, I beseech you, at the poor Church, and work for her! Look at this miserable world, and labour for it! Look at the old serpent, the Devil, who deceiveth the whole world, and wrestle against him! Look, above all, look at the Lord Jesus,―at Jesus, who loved you, lived for you, suffered for you, died for you, pleads for you, and is coming to reward you; and labour for him! Labour in some proportion to the love he has shown you, the favours he has heaped upon you, and the glory he has promised you. Live for Christ, not for self. Labour for Christ, not for the meat that perisheth. Live by the faith of Christ, if you would be holy; live in the service of Christ, if you would be happy. Take no man for your pattern, but let Jesus be that. Take no human precept for your rule, but let the word of Jesus be that. Hear him: "Let no man seek his own, but every man another's welfare;" "Do as I have done;" "Imitate those who, through faith and patience, now inherit the promises." The New Year will introduce us to new mercies. The Lord has laid up mercies for us, which he has not yet laid out upon us. Every new mercy lays us under new obligation. Mercies are loving cords to draw us closer to God, and bind us faster to the service of God. If he give us health, we should employ our health for him. If he give us wealth, we should spend our wealth for him. If we are allowed to speak, we should speak for him. If we are able to write, we should write for him. Upon every talent we possess, upon every mercy we receive, we should write, "Holiness unto the Lord." The way to keep our mercies is to hold them as loans from God. The way to enjoy our mercies is to employ them in the service of God. What we spend for God we keep; what we lay up for ourselves we lose. May every mercy we shall receive this year inflame our love, quicken our zeal, deepen our humility, and perfect our consecration to the Lord's service! Oh, to live, to breathe, to speak, to act for God, for God alone! The New Year will afford us opportunities for gaining new victories. How many lusts we have which we have not conquered! How many passions that we have not subdued! How many habits which we have not overcome! Perhaps we have not brought the body into subjection to the soul, the appetites into subjection to reason, the whole person into subjection to Jesus. We have not overcome the world yet, so as to live above the love of its smiles, or the fear of its frowns. Satan is not yet under our feet. Up, then, and let us "put on the whole armour of God;" and trusting in promised strength, pleading for more grace, let us go forth with the great Captain of our salvation, conquering and to conquer! We must conquer, or be conquered. Which shall it be? We must subdue, or be subdued. Which will it be? We can do all things through Christ, who strengtheneth us; and his strength is made perfect in our weakness. Let us, then, set our hearts aright, fix our eyes aright, and make up our minds to be this year more thoroughly the Lord's, more active, devoted, and decided in his cause than we have ever been before. Let our motto be, "I MUST BE USEFUL." And, as we prize our Saviour's smile, or fear his frown, as we love the human family, as we regard God's glory, as we desire the prosperity of the Church, as we would look for and hasten the day of God, let us set our hearts upon being useful. Every morning through this year let us ask, What can I do for God and the good of souls today? And every evening let us inquire, What opportunity of usefulness have I lost? what talent have I hidden in the earth? have I been living to myself to-day, or for Him who died for me and rose again? Brethren! the time is short, our obligations are many, our responsibility is solemn, and the work is great. Let us, then, begin to-day, and every day do something with a view to save souls, and bring about a revival of pure and undefiled religion in our churches! EVIDENCES OF REGENERATION. WHAT are the evidences of regenera- | relied on external obedience, and tion, on which the sinner may safely rely? 1. He must love God supremely. The God whom he loves must be the God of the Bible, and not a creature of his own imagination. He must not make a god possessing only such attributes as please his depraved heart. He may as well worship a heathen idol, as a god who is the fiction of his own imagination. The God of the Bible is holy; he hates and will punish transgressors. He is indeed merciful, and gracious, slow to anger, and yet will by no means clear the guilty. He will take vengeance on them who know not God, and obey not the Gospel of his Son. The whole character of God must be loved, and all his acts approved. When the smoke of the torments of the wicked goes up for ever and ever, the saints of God cry, "Amen, alleluia, for the Lord God Omnipotent reigneth." The renewed soul says to God, "Though thou slay me, yet I will trust in thee." God, holy and just, is the great object of its delight. Its constant cry is, "Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none on earth that I desire beside thee." 2. The regenerated soul justifies the law, which condemns him. Paul was once alive without the law. He thought that he had complied with its demands. When he came to understand that the law extended to the secret thoughts of the heart, his true condition was brought to light. By the law he obtained a knowledge of sin, a knowledge of his heart sins. When the commandment came, sin revived, and he died. The law which condemned him, was holy, just, and good. The law was a schoolmaster which brought him to Christ. This was a genuine case of religious experience. Paul learned this lesson under the teachings of the Holy Ghost. Every soul which is regenerated in view of Divine truth, justifies the law, which strikes him dead. 3. The regenerated soul feels a personal indebtedness to Christ: "Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth." He has obeyed the law, and suffered its penalty. God can be just, and justify him who believeth in Jesus. The renewed soul owes his pardon and justification entirely to the atoning blood of the Lamb. Hence he glories in the cross of Christ. He feels that he owes a debt of gratitude to him who hath redeemed him with his own blood, that he can never repay. He even now begins to sing, with the redeemed on Zion's hill, "Worthy is the Lamb that was slain, to receive power, and riches, and strength, and honour, and blessing." 6. The regenerated soul prays and labours for the conversion of sinners. When Andrew had found the Messias, he brought his own brother Simon to Jesus. After the woman of Samaria had held the conversation with Christ at the well, and was instructed in the things pertaining to the kingdom of God, she went round among her friends, and gave them a pressing invitation to come out and see the man who had told her all the things that she ever had done. She was not satisfied with seeing Christ herself; she wished others to behold and admire him as she did. The spirit of Christ is a benevolent spirit. It prays for the conversion and salvation of the whole world. It puts forth efforts to accomplish this great work. The primitive disciples went everywhere preaching the Word. Let those who have recently hoped in the mercy of God, try themselves by these marks of a regenerated soul. Ask yourselves, Do I love a holy God? Do I justify the law which condemns me? Do I feel my personal indebtedness to Christ? Do I submit to the providences of God? Do I love the brethren? Do I pray and labour for the conversion of sinners? See to it that you build on the Rock; so, when the floods come, and the winds blow and beat upon your house, that then it may stand. 4. The regenerated soul submits to the providences of God. The Bible has given us several examples that confirm this position. When the two sons of Aaron were destroyed for offering strange fire to the Lord, it is recorded of him, "Aaron held his peace." When Samuel told Eli that his house was to be cut off, he said, "It is the Lord; let him do what seemeth unto him good." Job, under his manifold afflictions, said, "The Lord gave, the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord." The convert has a filial confidence in the wisdom and goodness of his heavenly Father, which leads him to lie passive in his Maker's hands, and know no will but his. It must not be understood, however, that he never has any struggles with his own will before it will be submissive. Sometimes, he has to be repeatedly chastised before he will learn the lesson of submission. When he can say, "Not my will, but thine be done," he has a filial spirit. 5. The regenerated soul loves the brethren. He knows that he has passed from death unto life, because he loves the brethren. He sees in them the moral image of Christ, and loves them on this very account. He loves the world with the love of benevolence, but the disciples of Christ with the love of complacency. LET HIM PRAY; OR, POOR They have been redeemed with the same blood, renovated by the same Spirit, and are heirs of the same glorious inheritance. Affection founded on such principles is the fruit of the Spirit. ZEKE. In a wild, sequestered place, quite away from the bounds of my congregation, there lived a very wicked family-a father, mother, two brothers, and three sisters. None of |