hear the words of tender mercy with which he condescends to speak to all who have put their trust in him. "Can a woman forget her sucking child that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? Yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee." (Isaiah, xlix. 15th.) Such is the love and watchful care of God our heavenly Father, who, on another occasion calls himself the "good Shepherd of Israel, who sleepeth not by day, nor slumbereth by night."

From the very beginning of time to the present day, he has made himself known to the world by unbounded, unmerited mercy, goodness, and love, declaring that "he afflicts not willingly, nor grieves the children of men; for like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them who love him." And will you then live in forgetfulness of Him who never forgets you? Will you remain in bondage to sin and Satan, when you are called by the gospel

of Jesus into the glorious liberty of the sons and daughters of God? Will you obey Satan, the enemy of your souls, rather than serve that gracious God in whom you live, and move, and have your being? O! think how great and holy He is, who is Lord of heaven and earth; before whom bright and glorious angels fall prostrate in adoration. Think how he created all things by the word of his power, and upholds them continually.

If he were to command the sun to depart from the heavens, it would vanish if he were to forbid the earth to away; bring forth fruit, we must perish from off it. And will you who breathe his air and partake of the benefits of his creation, will you complain you have had no proof of his love? Will you to whom he has given life for such glorious purposes, be so ungrateful as to forget him, your kind Benefactor? Well might king David the psalmist say, "When I consider thy hea

vens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars which thou hast ordainedWhat is man that thou art mindful of him, or the son of man that thou visitest him?” (Psalm viii. Sd verse.) Above all, remember we have immortal souls dwelling in these bodies-souls which are a spark of life, and must exist to all eternity.

The day will soon arrive when we shall feel that the chief business of this life is to prepare for another and a better world. Then we shall find it signified little whether, in this life, we were rich or poor, learned or ignorant as to this world's wisdom; but the only thing worth our attention will be, whether we have come to the saving knowledge of God in Christ Jesus. our Lord. I believe there never was, nor ever will be a person born into the world, to whom our Almighty Father is not willing to teach the nature of true religion; and if multitudes pass through life without knowing religion, it is because they have

rebelled against that inward conviction which would have led them to a knowledge of themselves, and awakened desires after an acquaintance with God. If then so many may be said to be ignorant of their duty, the fault is their own; for if they have but a sincere desire of knowing what is right, that gracious God, who knows our most secret thoughts, will lift up the light of his countenance on their souls. The Saviour himself sufficiently assured his followers that none, at last, would be able to plead ignorance as an excuse for the neglect of their duty. The apostle tells us that "the grace of God, which bringeth salvation, hath appeared unto all men, teaching them, that denying ungodliness and this world's lust they should live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world." (Titus ii. 11th.) Now all who obey these first teachings, will find an increasing wish to be more and more taught of God; and, as they yield to this inward something which pleads with and

admonishes them in the secret of their hearts, they will discover that they have been mercifully visited by God, with his "Day Spring from on high." They will know what the apostle meant when he declared "The word is nigh thee, even in thy heart." (Romans x. 8th.) And what the blessed Redeemer meant by "The kingdom of heaven is within you.'

It is indeed the privilege of the religion of Jesus Christ, (the gospel dispensation under which we live,) that there is not an absolute necessity for the teaching of men in order to comprehend those truths which relate to the salvation of our souls. The prophet Jeremiah, who lived many hundred years before the appearance of our Saviour amongst men, was commanded by the Almighty to describe the Gospel-Day in this manner, "Behold the days come, saith the Lord, that I will make a new covenant with the House of Israel and

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