in the vineyard of Jehovah. I feel this in my own case; and therefore spared the barren figtree, as an emblem of myself."

The friends of Sheshbazzar felt reproved and instructed at the same time. "If you, father," they said, owe so much to the intercession of the Angel of the Covenant, how much more do

we owe!" My children," said the old man,

"I would not lessen your sense of obligation: your debt is not less, and mine is more, than you. suppose. But let us both, henceforth, study to bear more fruit unto the glory of God, that we may not be cut down as cumberers of the ground: for if God spared not the angels who kept not their first estate, He will not spare those who remain barren in the vineyard of the Covenant."

No. VI.

DEVELOPMENTS BY DEPENDENCE.

IT is but too common to think oftener and more deeply of what God expects from us, than of what we expect from him. He certainly expects and demands much from us, although nothing unreasonable but, how much do we also expect from both His grace and providence! Has God nothing to do-nothing to give-nothing to bear, on our account? True, we have much to do and endure for his sake; and it is not wrong to feel this, nor to say this; so long as we do not count our duties too many, nor our trials too severe but still, we must not forget what God has to do and endure for our sake. Why, there is not one command binding upon us, that does

not bind God to do more for us than he demands

from us. If He exact obedience, he pledges himself to give both the inclination and the ability to obey. If He enforce submission, he binds himself to give sufficient grace for it, and to bring good out of the evils which call for patience and resignation. In regard to whatever God says, "Do this in remembrance of me," he actually engages, by implication and oath, to remember us, more frequently, and more feelingly, than we can remember him.

It becomes us, therefore, to look quite as much at what we need, and at what we expect, and at what we desire from God, as at what God expects and exacts from us. It is all very right to say, when the circle of duty opens upon us, vividly, in all its vastness, "Thy Law is exceeding broad:" so it is; but it is not broader than His glorious Gospel! The promises of His grace are quite as many and as great, as the precepts

of His law. The round of duty is not wider, nor more regular, than the range of gracious privileges and eternal prospects. So also in regard to trials. It is all very well to remember, that " many are the afflictions of the righteous:" but we must not forget, that "the Lord delivereth them out of them all," and sustains under them whilst they last. He has to exercise both sympathy and care towards us, whenever we have to exercise faith or patience towards him. If our eye must look up to heaven, HIS eye must specially look down to the earth, on all those occasions when either our work or warfare is unusually hard.

"the

Thus it is, in fact, only "doing as we would be done by," to keep for ever in sight things we look for" from the hand and heart of God, as well as "the things which accompany salvation," that God looks for from us. And if you will apply this golden rule between God

and yourself, just as you apply it between yourself and others, it will soon assist you mightily, both in obedience and submission to the divine will. Whenever you set yourself to number and weigh" all things pertaining to life and godliness," soul and body, time and eternity, which you need and hope for from your heavenly Father, you will not wonder that he should say to you with great solemnity, "Seeing ye look for such things, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness."

You will be both struck and affected by this question, if you connect it only with the very narrowest view you can possibly take of the grace you are sure to need. Put out of sight for the moment, if you will, all risk of temporal reverses, of satanic temptations, and even of mysterious providences; and think only of the degree of grace you require to keep you alive to the worth of salvation, and able to cherish the hope