I do earnestly call upon Thee for Christ's sake. With all my heart do I call upon Thee. "Lord, help me!"

"I will deliver thee." This is the voice of God. May I take it as the answer to my call? I find it written in the Word, close to the invitation to call; and now I have called, and do call; surely it is the Lord's reply, "I will deliver thee." Now, my soul, do not thou hang back in unbelief; listen not to the tempter, who whispers in your ear that God has not heard your call; believe that He Who told you to call upon Him has heard your cry, and take this as His gracious answer, "I will deliver thee!"

Do not stop to consider how; leave that to Him. Is it not enough for thee to hear Him say "I will"? surely He can, for He is Almighty; and as surely He will, for He says, "I will." Be not surprised at His answering you thus, and so quickly; for how many like words do I find!

"Then

they cried unto the Lord in their trouble, and He delivered them out of their distresses' (Psalm cvii. 6); "The Lord also will be a

refuge for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble" (Psalm ix. 9). "I will deliver thee!" O my God, I humbly believe Thy word. In Thine own way, and at Thine own time, Thou wilt deliver me. But often my faith is weak, and my feelings vary much, and at times trouble prevails over Thy promises: oh, strengthen me to believe and trust fully, and help me never to forget that Thou hast said, "I will deliver thee," and always to call upon Thee in the faith of Thy promise, fully trusting in what Thou hast said.

But now I find an exhortation following the promise, "And thou shalt glorify Me." When? When God has God has delivered me; when my day is no longer "the day of trouble;" when health has come back, and I rise and go about as before. Then I am to glorify God. Now that I am in trouble, and calling upon God, and hoping for deliverance, I feel that, should He deliver me indeed, I shall never cease to praise Him. Never surely could I go back to be what I was before, never could I forget His benefits. I feel as if I could never praise Him enough; and

as if my first desire would be always to live to His glory. But too well do I know the dangers that attend returning health, and how apt I am to forget the mercies of God. Lord, do Thou keep me constant in the desire to live to Thee. Guard me against forgetfulness. I will put no trust in my own resolutions, I will trust in Thee alone. By Thy Holy Spirit fix in me the desire to glorify Thee in word and in deed. Thou hast said, "I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify Me." Oh, give me the double blessing; give me deliverance from trouble, and give me a heart to praise Thy name, and evermore to live to Thee. Grant me to live as one whom Thou hast delivered, acknowledging Thee, cleaving to Thee, loving Thee, and serving Thee in a consistent godly life.

CHAPTER XXXI.

THE SISTERS' MESSAGE.

"Therefore His sisters sent unto Him, saying, Lord, behold, he whom Thou lovest is sick."-John xi. 3.

I AM alone, alone with God; I am not ill myself, but I am alone because I have come from the sick-room for a while, leaving him whom I love asleep. And he too is alone with God, for God is there with him, watching over him while he sleeps.

I love him; Thou only, O my God, knowest how much; but Thou lovest him yet more. I can scarcely realize that, yet I know it is true. Thou dost love him, and he loves Thee; and, O my Father, "he whom Thou lovest is sick."

This was the message of Martha and Mary to Jesus. They were full of anxiety about their brother, and Jesus was not with them;

so they sent this message to Him. It must have comforted them to name Lazarus to Him thus, "he whom Thou lovest." For if Jesus loved him, would He not come, and heal him? They themselves would do all in their power for him because they loved him; and Jesus loved him too; would He not come, and do for him what they, with all their love, could not do ?

O Saviour, Who art still as near as ever, nay, nearer than then; oh, let me tell Thee of my dear one. Thou knowest already, yet let me tell Thee. Thou art not far away, and I want no messenger to reach Thee; my prayers are my messengers, my prayers and sighs and tears, and at this moment they reach Thee. I do humbly believe in Thy love. Thou lovest me, and Thou lovest him. Thou hast shown Thy love to us so plainly and so abundantly, and through grace we have been led to believe in Thee and to love Thee. Now, O my Saviour, "he whom Thou lovest is sick." Oh, come to him and to me! Put forth Thy healing power. In Thy pity and love, come now!