THE OVERWHELMED HEART. 155 The heart's exercise.-"I will cry unto thee." God alone, to the exclusion of saints and angels, is the object of prayer. "Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God." Prayer should come from a heart engaged and sincere, and should be importunate and persevering. We should pray to be led to Christ for pardon and comfort, protection and salvation. And every place is suitable for prayer, whether the end of the earth or the centre of the earth, whether the house or the field, whether the closet or the family. Surely that heart makes light of its mercies that neglects to hold communion with God at his throne of grace. APRIL 4. The Test of Assurance. And hereby we know that we know him, if we keep his commandments."1 John, ii. 3. THE direct knowledge of Christ-the reflex knowledgeand the sure test of it, we must shortly consider. The direct knowledge of Christ.-"We know him." The subject of this knowledge is Christ in his person, character, and work; and all who know him, know him as their Teacher, for he taught with authority; as their Saviour, for he came to save sinners, even the chief; and as their Master, for one is our Master in religion, even Christ. This knowledge is not a mere historical or speculative acquaintance with Christ, but acquaintanceship that implies friendship, affection, honour, gratitude, and obedience. "This is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent." To know the world is good, to know the arts and sciences is better, but to know Christ savingly is best of all. The reflex knowledge.-" We know that we know him." The saints generally in times past had this reflex know 156 THE TEST OF ASSURANCE. ledge. David says, "He hath made with me an everlasting covenant, ordered in all things, and sure." Job says, "I know that my Redeemer liveth." The three Jewish heroes in Babylon said, "Our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us." All Christians ought to have it. "He that believeth on the Son of God, hath the witness in himself." "We desire that every one of you do shew the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end." The question is not, Am I sure that the Bible is true? Am I sure that Jesus is the Saviour? but the question is, Am I conscious that I believe? Am I sure that I have received Christ as my Saviour? Without this consciousness, without this assurance, I cannot be happy, I cannot rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. If any have not this assurance, it is their own fault. The Thessalonian Christians knew their election of God (1 Thess. i. 4); and should not all Christians know this? 66 Wherefore, the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure." O my reader, if thou art diligent, thou wilt succeed. The sure test of it." If we keep his commandments." Assurance without this test must be self-deception and hypocrisy. A man's heart may deceive himself; a man's words and professions may deceive others; but the keeping of the commandments cannot deceive. Our obedience should be sincere, from the heart, and realizing the presence of Christ; cheerful, not from slavish fear, but of a ready mind; universal, extending to all his commandments, whether pleasing to us or not; and constant, every day and during the whole of life. How important is a personal interest in Christ, and how important to know it! The grand evidence, the sure test, is the keeping of the commandments. "He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him." MY MOTHER'S DEATH. 157 APRIL 5. My Mother's Death. "One that mourneth for his mother."-Psalm xxxv. 14. SOME die before their mother, some bewail a mother's death, and some have yet to feel this loss. Where is the man whose heart does not warm and beat with tender emotions when he thinks of his mother? Where is the mah who does not feel that he has lost a friend, his best earthly friend, when death deprives him of his mother? Let me think, then, of my mother-my mother's death-and the mourning which such an event produces. My mother. God gave her strength to conceive, and she brought me into the world. For me, unconscious, she suffered only what a mother can know; for me, helpless and useless, she had ten thousand anxious thoughts, and cares, and troubles. She nourished me with her substance, she soothed me when I cried, and she caressed me when I smiled; she watched over me in sickness and in health, by night and by day, and her attentions and efforts extended over weeks, and months, and years. Shew me the man who forgets or disregards his mother, and I will shew you one who has a hard heart, and who has little happiness in store for himself, or those with whom he is connected. My mother! she taught my infant lips to pray; she interested my young heart in the precious truths of God's word; she taught me to love the Saviour, and love the Sabbath; she took me with her from childhood to the house of God; she constantly warned me against wicked companions; she carefully pointed out the danger of sin, and its bitter consequences; and she often prayed with me alone; so that I can say to God, "I was cast upon thee from the womb; thou art my God from my mother's belly." 158 MY MOTHER'S DEATH. My mother's death.-God allowed her to see threescore years and ten, and then gave her kind warnings to prepare for a better world. She said, "My work is done. The Master has come, and he calls for me. I only desire two things; the first is to be with Christ; the second is, in due time, to have all my family with him. in heaven?" Thus she fell asleep. warning voice again; but, though dead, yet she speaks. When father or mother leaves me, God will take me up. I Will you meet me shall never hear her The mourning which such an event produces. Let me mourn over the cause of death. Sin brought death into the world, and all our woe. Let me hate sin as my great destroyer; let me mourn for the loss of friends, but let me not murmur, for God does all things well. Let every death lead me to God's word, for by it he comforts me, as one whom his mother comforteth." United to Christ, we shall meet our friends again in a better world, and meet them to part no more for ever. APRIL 6. Advantages of Religion. "O that there were such an heart in them, that they would fear me, and keep all my commandments always, that it might be well with them, and with their children for ever '-Deut. v. 29. Its seat is the heart. WHAT a beautiful description of genuine religion-the benefits derived from it-and the divine solicitude that we should possess it! Genuine religion. Its seat is the heart. As the heart in the human body is the source whence flows the blood, and from which every organ derives its necessary nourishment; so, in Scripture, that is called the heart which sets in motion all the other faculties of the soul, and from which all good or evil springs. "Create in me a clean heart, O ADVANTAGES OF RELIGION. 159 God, and renew a right spirit within me." The principle of religion is the fear of God. There is the fear of reverence. How great is God, how little am I! How holy is God, how sinful am I! How powerful is God, how weak am I! There is the fear of love-filial fearthe confidential fear of a lowly child for a wise parent. "I will put my fear in their hearts." There is the fear of offending God. "The fear of the Lord is to hate evil," and the man who fears God, remembers that God sees, and this fortifies him against temptation. The manifestation of religion is the keeping of the commandments, all of them, always. As it is reasonable, delightful, and profitable to keep the commandments, let our obedience be sincere, cheerful, universal, and constant; otherwise we give no evidence of the possession of religion. The benefits derived. These are personal. It shall be well with us in body, in soul, in estate, in prosperity, in adversity, in affliction, in death. We shall have faith, hope, and love dwelling in us. They shall have peace of conscience, joy in the Holy Ghost, and unwavering perseverance. They are relative. It shall be well with our children. They are our dearest earthly possessions, though very uncertain possessions. How willingly do we make sacrifices for their temporal welfare, and shall we make none for the welfare of their souls? They are for ever. Religion's joys and blessings are not confined to time; they stretch into eternity. They comfort in affliction; they lighten the dark chamber of death; and they follow us into the world of spirits. The divine solicitude that we should possess religion is very great. "O that there were such an heart in them!" This is the language of complaint. "How often would I have gathered thy children together, as a hen doth gather her brood under her wings, and ye would not!" "Ye will not come unto me that ye may have life." It is the |