Eighth Sabbath-Morning.

EARNESTNESS IN RELIGION.

"Seek ye the Lord while He may be found, call ye upon Him while He is near; let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts, and let him return unto the Lord, and He will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon."-Is. lv. 6,7.

The persons addressed are "the wicked and the unrighteous man." The wicked take their own way, regardless of consequences. That way is opposed to God's way, it is an unhappy way, it is corrupting to others, and it leads to death. "There is a way which seemeth right unto a man; but the end thereof are the ways of death." Hence, the wicked man must throw down his weapons of rebellion, and forsake the foolish, and live. "The unrighteous man" may be righteous in his own eyes, and imagine that he is safe, but, destitute of the blood-bought righteousness of Christ, his thoughts are evil, and his evil thoughts produce wicked actions. Reader, if thou art unconverted, unpardoned, and unsaved, thou art wicked and unrighteous, and thou hast need to pause, for the salvation or loss of thy soul hangs on a moment.

The call urged-"Seek ye the Lord," "call ye upon Him," "return unto the Lord." The word of God is a field, there is a treasure hid in that field, and thou art to seek Him there, and thou

wilt find Him. Where wilt thou find Christ, and find peace, but in the Bible? Thou art to seek Him in His house; there His ordinances are observed, and His gospel preached, and His presence promised, and if thou wilt love the habitation of His house, thou wilt dwell in the better house for ever. Thou art to call upon Him. This is prayer-earnest prayer-persevering prayer. How many have come to God by prayer offered in the name of Christ, and have found acceptance and salvation! Shall the publican thus come?-shall the woman of Canaan thus come?-shall the dying thief thus come?-and shall not I? Thou art to return unto the Lord. Thou art to change thy mind and thy conduct. Thou hast loved sin and followed sin, but henceforth thou art to love Christ, and follow Christ. Though thou hast been a wanderer and a spend-thrift, yet, like the prodigal, thou art to return, and a welcome reception awaits thee.

The time specified—“ While He may be found, while He is near." He may be found now, but He may not be found to-morrow; He will not always be found. The young, especially, may find Him now, and the season of youth is the best time. The young mind is more susceptible of religious impressions; the young heart is not hardened by a long course of sin; and the young disciple is likely to have a long course of use

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fulness in the world. And youthful reader, He is near to thee; near in His providence; near in His word; near in His ordinances, and wilt thou not admit Christ's claims on thy love, and make this moment the happiest and most interesting in thy life? "Though the Lord be high, yet hath He respect unto the lowly; but the proud He knoweth afar off." "I bring near my righteousness; it shall not be far off, and my salvation shall not tarry."

The encouragement given "He will have mercy upon him, He will abundantly pardon." That the Lord will have mercy, is evident from His nature, "The Lord is of long suffering, and of great mercy." From his word, "Unto Thee, O Lord, belongeth mercy;" "He is the Lord God, merciful and gracious, long-suffering, and abundant in goodness and truth." And from all his past dealings with sinful men, "All the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth." Saul of Tarsus was the chief of sinners, yet he obtained mercy. God pardons so readily, and so abundantly, that no sinner need despair. "I said not unto the seed of Jacob, seek ye Me in vain." Sins past, present, and future, He is ready to forgive. Youthful reader, wilt thou not seek, call, and return now? Pardoned, thou mayest exult in the prospect of heaven's joys, and with rapturous delight contemplate the place where Jesus reigns.

THE CHILDREN TAUGHT.

"And all thy children shall be taught of the Lord, and great shall be the peace of thy children."-Is. lv, 13.

ALL the children of God are adopted, instructed, and happy.

Think of their adoption-They are born again. They come into the world children of wrath, even as others; but convinced of their sin and misery, the word of God and the Spirit of God lead them to Jesus. They receive Him as their Saviour, and so become the sons of God. Their adoption is spiritual, implying a change of nature and a change of position. Formerly they were the children of the world, now they are the children of the church, and all the children of God, through faith in Christ Jesus. As children, they love their Father, and they love each other, and their love nerves and guides them to sincere, cheerful, and constant obedience. What a happy sight, when the children of God love each other, and dwell in unity! There is but one heaven-one way to it, that way is open to every man, and all the children of God have entered on it, and should be careful not to fall out by the way. As children, they have the bright hope of a noble inheritance, "If children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint heirs with Christ."

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They are heirs of heaven, its honours, its glories, and its blessedness; an inheritance that never can be lessened, and never lost

Think of their instruction-"They shall be taught of the Lord." Jesus is the great teacher, and his instructions are not only free from all error and bias, but exactly suited to the circumstances of His children. He teaches them by His word, which contains milk for babes, as well as strong meat, for those who are of full age. He teaches them by His Spirit, who enlightens, comforts, and sanctifies them, by taking of the things which are Christ's, and showing them unto them. He teaches by afflictions and trials, weaning them from the things of earth, and preparing them for enjoying things above. By these means they are taught to know themselves, to know that they are sinners rescued from destruction, and that, though the men of the world may be proud, they must be humble. They are taught to believe in Jesus, and live a life of faith in His name, that they may be saved by Christ, and by Christ only. They are taught to work for God, in seeking the conversion of sinners, and in giving of their substance for the support of divine ordinances, and for the extension of the gospel throughout the world. And they are taught to give glory to God for all that they are, for all that they have, and for all that they hope for. Thus taught, they are living