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a place among the nobility of heaven. Let each one so be the friend of God

as to be the friend of all; imitators of our Father Which is in heaven.

BIBLE-LESSONS FOR

August 2.-Whom to Trust. PSALM xi. 1: "In the Lord put I my trust."

1. Trusting in man.-Little children are very quickly frightened; often when there is no cause for it. When

no harm is near, it seems to them that they are in danger. At such times whom would you most of all wish to have near you? There is no one like father or mother to give comfort then. Every little one feels safe with them. It is right that children should put their trust in their parents. But do grown-up people ever feel in danger? Do they need some one in whom to trust? Yes, just as much as children do, though it may be for other causes. Trouble and sorrow come upon men and women. Whom shall they trust to help them at such times? Sickness and death must be met by them. To whom may they look for help in these times of need? Many people make sad mistakes in thinking of this. Some trust in themselves, as though they would be wise enough and strong enough to do all that is wanted: some trust in other people, and what they can do for them: and others think not at all about it, but leave these times of their great need to be cared for when they come.

Hear

2. Trusting in the Lord.-David was not like those of whom we have been talking. He was wise and brave, and a warrior of great skill, but he trusted not in himself. He had a strong army, but he trusted not in his men. his words: "In the Lord put I my trust." David knew that riches might go, that armies might fail, that trouble would come which nothing that he had could help him in. He knew that God was above all these, and that nothing could happen in which He could not help. He thought of the many times in which God had helped him, and whether it was in going out against the lion and the bear, or against the giant Goliath, he trusted in the Lord to help him and deliver him. May we

INFANT-CLASSES.

trust in God? Will He let a child do this ? Yes, the poorest and the feeblest, as well as the greatest, may all trust in the Lord. Then, too, David made known his trust. He spoke to others of it, that they might learn to do the same. So let us trust in the Lord for all things; for what we want in this life, and for what we shall need in the life to come. So let us "make mention of the name of the Lord: trusting Him with all our heart; praising Him with voice and with life.

REVISION.-What is it to trust in another? Why do we need to trust? What mistakes do many make about this? In Whom did David trust? Why did he speak about it? Why is it a good thing to trust in the Lord?

August 9.-The Power of God's
Word.

ACTS xix. 20: "So mightily grew the Word of God and prevailed."

1. Trying to stop it.-Many people tried to stop the preaching of the Gospel after the Lord Jesus went up to heaven. Kings and rulers did so, but they could not, for it was the Word of God, and God took care of His own. Word. He raised up men who spoke with wisdom and boldness. He gave them power to cure sickness, and even to cast out devils, so that all might know that they were servants of the Lord, and thus many were made sure that it was God's work, and God's word which these men were spreading. God gave it life, as He has given to the seed which is cast into the earth. Though evil men sought to destroy it, they could not; it lived and grew, and brought forth the fruit of holy words and pure lives in the hearts and behaviour of those who received it. And though by the malice and wickedness of those who hated it, some of Christ's servants were sorely treated, stoned, imprisoned, and even put to death, yet the Word lived and grew, and many believed it, and found their way to Jesus.

2. Trying to imitate it. "God wrought special miracles by the hands of Paul." He was a great preacher and teacher of the Word. God gave him much power in word and in deed. The sick were cured, and even evil spirits went out of those whom they had entered. Some men who knew not God and were not His servants, thought they could do the same, and "took upon them to call over them which had evil spirits the name of the Lord Jesus;" as though, by using the name, they should have the power of Jesus. But God did not own these men, and the diseases and the evil spirits did not obey them. There were seven brothers, sons of the "chief of the priests," who dared to do this with a man in whom was an evil spirit. But the evil spirit refused to obey their voice, saying, "Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are ye?" Here was a reproof even from the wicked one. But this was not all, for the man in whom the spirit was leaped upon them, and beat them severely, "so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded."

3. What men thought of it.-When the folly and the sin of these bad men became known, and what it had brought on them, fear fell on all the people, for they now saw that it was the power of God which Paul had, and many believed. Many, too, that "used 'curious arts," who professed to have power to make evil spirits serve them, brought their bad books and "burned them before all men," to show that they no longer trusted them.

"And

they counted the price of them, and found it fifty thousand pieces of silver!" Yet they knew the truth which Paul taught was worth more than all this to them. "So mightily grew the Word of God and prevailed.' The Word is still growing. Have we got it? Do we think it worth more than every other word? Is it prevailing over us? Showing itself stronger than our tempers and everything else within us?

REVISION.-What is the Word of God? How did men try to stop it? Why could they not do so? What shows its power? How did those in Paul's day show what they thought of it? Why should we value it? What will it do for us?

August 16.-The Two Friends.

1 SAMUEL XX. 41: "They kissed one another, and wept one with another."

1. Love and hatred.-Jonathan was the son of King Saul. He was with his father on the day when David slew the giant Goliath, and saw David as he came to the King's tent and heard him speak to Saul. He was so pleased with what he saw and heard of David, that he "loved him as his own soul." This brought out the love of David for him, and so these two young men became loving and faithful friends. Saul, too, was pleased with David at first, and he had good reason to be so. What had he done for Saul that no one else could do? The people also loved David for the great work he had wrought in killing Goliath. But when they showed their love, a bad and wicked feeling entered into the mind of Saul. What should we do when we find ill thoughts and tempers rising? But Saul did not strive or pray to be rid of them. He cherished them, and let them grow till they filled his mind with envy and hatred against David. How quickly sin grows! How sadly it leads from one ill to another! Saul even tried now to kill David! But the Lord was with David, and kept him safe.

2. Saul's sin.-Jonathan tried many times to bring his father, Saul, to a better mind. He showed him how wrong he was to think so ill of David, and for a time Saul was sorry for the wrong he had done David, and took him into his favour again. How did David behave all this while? The Bible tells us, he "behaved himself wisely" in all he did. It tells us, too, how this was, "The Lord was with him." So he was a good and faithful servant to the King; brave and skilful in war; doing well all that was set him to do. But again the evil spirit entered into Saul; envy and malice and hatred showed in all he did. Again he tried to kill David; sometimes by craft, putting him to work of great danger, and setting his servants against him, and even bidding Jonathan to kill him. But Jonathan would not do this. He risked his own life in speaking for David, and trying to save him from his father's anger, and David

was obliged to flee for his life. Thus Saul lost his wisest and best servant. Sin is a great folly as well as a great wrong. It brings great mischief now, as well as bitter fruit hereafter.

3. The love of Jonathan and David.Jonathan determined to make one more effort to serve his friend. They agreed together how it should be done, and how Jonathan should make it known to David; and they knew that if Saul still kept his hatred, David must go away, and that they must part for all time. This made them both very sad. With solemn and tender words they spake their love one to the other. Jonathan seemed to know that God would raise David to be king, and he asked him to bear love to his children when he should no longer be there. Jonathan went back to his father, and soon found how bitter was the hate he still bore David, for when Jonathan asked what evil he had done, Saul, his own father, sought to slay him. He sought out David for the last time, and with sorrow of heart "they kissed one another, and wept one with another." Then asking the blessing and care of God upon each other, they parted, and it does not seem that they met again, for not very long after this, Jonathan was slain in battle with the fierce Philistines. Think how much this Lesson teaches of the evil wrought by sin; of the blessing of friendship between good men; of the care and goodness of God.

REVISION.-Who was Jonathan? Where did he first know David? How did he show his love for him? What sin did Saul commit? What wrong did he do to David? How did he treat Jonathan ? How did Jonathan and David part?

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they saw Paul, for they knew how great and good a work he had wrought for Jesus. They were pleased to hear his voice and his words of wisdom. He preached to them, and as he was ready to depart on the morrow, he continued his sermon "till midnight." How eagerly they listened to this honoured servant of Jesus! They were gathered in an upper chamber" of the house, and there sat in the window a young man named Eutychus. "As Paul was long preaching" he fell into a deep sleep, and presently he "fell down from the third loft, and was taken up dead." So sad an accident caused a great grief to all who were there. It seemed that nothing could be done but to sorrow for his loss, and to show tender pity for his friends.

2. Restored to life.-God put it into the mind of Paul to do what was strange and wonderful. He went

down from the room in which he had preached, and there lay the dead young man upon the ground, with the troubled, sorrowing friends around him. They could do nothing to bring back the life which was gone. Could Paul? Not of himself, any more than they could. But he had faith in God. So he fell upon the young man, and embracing him, said to those who stood around, "Trouble not yourselves; for his life is in him." "And they brought the young man alive, and were not a little comforted." Who had done this great deed? God only, by means of Paul. Why did God enable Paul to do this? To know this let us learn,

3. What the miracle teaches.—(1) God's great power. Life and death are in His hands. He can give life or take it away. Life is the gift of God. To Him must we give account for the way in which we use it. (2) God's great kindness. He gave back the life of the young man at the prayer of Paul. It was a mercy granted to the man himself. It was a comfort to his friends. (3) The power of faith. Paul believed that God could do it, and that He would do it, and God honoured His servant's faith. (4) It showed to all that Paul was a servant of God. Surely the people listened with more reverent care to the preaching of Paul after this! The Word would come to their hearts with power.

August 30.-Giving and Receiving. ACTS xx. 35: "It is more blessed to give than to receive."

1. The blessedness of receiving.-It is both right and pleasant to receive, when the giver is one whom we love or honour, and when that which is given is needful or good for us. None of us can do without receiving. We cannot supply our own wants. God has made us to depend on each other. Children upon parents; brothers, sisters, friends, neighbours, all must at times take from each other. The wisdom and wealth and help which others can give we at times want, and it is good to receive at such times. No one is so wise or so strong or so rich as to be able to do without the help of some one else. Let us think of this both in what we take and in what we give. It will make us humble, will keep us from despising any, even the poorest and lowliest. For though such may in some way, and for some things, have to receive from us, we in like manner have to receive from others, and we know not on whom we may at some time or other have to depend for what

we should gladly take from them. Think, too, how we all have to receive everything which is good from God. "The eyes of all wait upon' Him every day. "He giveth to all." It is indeed a blessed thing to receive. But now learn,

2. The greater blessedness of giving.— "It is more blessed to give than to receive." These were "words of the Lord Jesus," and when the Apostle Paul was leaving, for the last time, friends whom he dearly loved, these were among the very last words he said to them. It is good to receive: it is better to give. More blessed, because by it we may cause joy and happiness by what we give. Every child has the power to spread happiness every day. Try the difference between keeping for yourself all you have, and sharing it with others. See which will bring more joy to yourself. The Lord Jesus was ever giving when He lived upon earth, and the great and good of all times have sought thus to be like Him. Paul did this, not only teaching, but "labouring to support the weak." Giving what is needed and good is "twice blessed," it brings a blessing to the giver as well as to the receiver.·

REVISION.-Why must we receive from others? When is receiving a good thing? Why is it better to give? Who said "it is more blessed to give"? What did Paul say about it? From Whom must we all receive? Who gives us an example of giving?

HENRY JOHN COX.

THIS paper has been prepared in compliance with the expressed wish of several friends, and not from any desire to bring into prominence the name of one whose natural reserve led him to shrink from publicity; and also with the hope that it may have the effect of magnifying the mercy and love of the Saviour.

HENRY JOHN Cox was born on the 4th of January, 1853, at Stafford. He was the child of many earnest prayers; his life, until eight years of age, having

been frequently in jeopardy from attacks of croup.

In 1861, when a gracious outpouring of the Holy Spirit took place in connection with services conducted by the Rev. George Scott, his father found him one night weeping, underneath a table in a dark room, and on being asked why he wept, his reply was, that others were going to heaven, and he did not wish to be left behind. These strivings of the Spirit, however, did not then result in any decided change, and although he was never known to run into any kind

of sinful excess, he lived still without a knowledge of forgiveness of sin.

Early in the year 1869, a very gracious influence descended on several of the youths connected with the congregation at the Wesleyan chapel, during and after a visit to the town by the Rev. Samuel Romilly Hall, then President of the Conference. Amongst those who participated in these manifestations of Divine love, was the subject of this paper. When he learned that at a prayer-meeting his friend and schoolfellow, the late Wm. Mycock, (who has only preceded him to heaven two years,) had laid hold by faith on the Atonement, he expressed his deep regret that ill health prevented him from attending those meetings, and requested that special prayer should be offered for him; and well do his sisters remember the earnestness with which his father pleaded with God on his behalf, not knowing at the time that it was his own son who craved the converting grace of God. The blessing was not asked in vain; from that time there was a decided change. On many occasions he was overheard earnestly pleading with God, and although he could not state the precise time when he received the forgiveness of sin, his life and conversation presented indubitable proof that he was "born again ;" and those much older in the Divine life have often felt reproved in seeing his love and charity to all

men.

Referring to this period, his Classleader has supplied the following testimony:-"Our departed brother, Henry Cox, joined my Class September 29th, 1869. The account of his religious experience was always careful, thoughtful and serious. In consequence of impaired health, he was unable to attend his Class regularly. The last time he met with us, in the course of his experience, he referred to the happy departure

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of our dear brother, Willie Mycock, and expressed a desire to continue fighting 'the good fight of faith.' From my own personal knowledge of him, I may say he had a deep consciousness of what was proper and right, and to the utmost of his power guarded against grieving any friend, or hurting any person's feelings."

He had a low estimation of himself, very often regretted that he had done so little for Christ Jesus, and his sensitiveness on this point often depressed his spirits. For five years he had to struggle with weakness, and a cough which never left him; but as long as health permitted, he discharged with conscientious attention the duties of librarian in the Sunday-school, and took great interest in the erection of the new building, the ground-plans for which were suggested and sketched by him.

Several times of late he remarked to his sisters that he had no doubt he had. been afflicted in mercy, as he might have grown Godless; and although he always considered himself a weak and trembling disciple, he expressed himself as having no doubt at all that he should be brought safely through at last. And God honoured his faith, for although the end came suddenly, it was a marvel to those about him to behold how the grace of God was magnified in him, so that he who naturally shrank from death, was enabled to speak calmly of it, and to arrange several small matters. The patience with which he endured his last severe sufferings was remarkable, not being able to lie down or sleep from Friday morning, until he slept the sleep of death on the following Monday, at two o'clock in the afternoon, and almost the whole time gasping for breath. Even when the cold sweat rolled down his face, the smile with which he greeted every one who entered his room will never be forgotten by his sorrowing friends.