It is not place, it is not friend,
It is not pleasure sweet, nor gain,
My longing heart can satisfy,
Or mitigate its bitter pain.
Nor is it in the power of ill

To take those blessings from the heart,
To rob me of that peace within,
Which Thy blest presence doth impart.
(And yet, my God, for friendships dear,
And every kindness I receive,

I thank Thee; and in them would learn
'Tis Thou, and Thou alone, canst give.
I thank Thee, too, when friendships fail,
That I can hear what Thou dost say,
And, by a deeper lesson learn,
'Tis Thou alone canst take away.)

In near companionship divine,
Both with the Father and the Son,
My joy is full, my cup runs o'er,
My heaven on earth is e'en begun.
My inmost soul may then repose
In Thee, my Saviour and my God;
Who art to me, my Life, my Light,
My only source of every good.

SERVING THE LORD IN SECRET.

Matt. vi. 1-8.

Ir is enough for him who walks with God to know that God rewardeth those who diligently seek Him. To such the praise of men is of no account. It was every thing to the Pharisee and hypocrite to be seen of men. They took no higher ground than this in all their religious performances, which have their miserable reward. The Lord's tempters were obliged to say that He cared for no man, nor regarded the person of men. Of Himself He could say, "I receive not honour from men." Such an One, therefore, could well say, "How can ye believe which receive honour one of

another, and seek not the honour which cometh from God only?" "Tell no man," was the constant word of Jesus to those whom He healed and blessed. He spoke not of Himself, nor did He desire others to do so either. But His fame could not be hid. When the people would make Him king, He withdrew to the mountain apart, that He might, in the secret of His Father's presence, enjoy all the honour He sought. When the Father glorified Him on the holy mount, still His word was, "tell no man." In a word, "He made Himself of no reputation." This was the Father's business, and not His.

His brethren did not understand such secrecy, when they thus addressed Him, "Depart hence, and go into Judea, that Thy disciples also may see the works that Thou doest. For there is no man that doeth any thing in secret, and he himself seeketh to be known openly. If Thou do these things, shew Thyself to the world."

Jesus did go up, but not with His vain-counselling brethren, nor yet openly, but "as it were in secret; ' and only then when His time of service came. How important it is before any service is entered upon, that the soul should first find the refreshing of the Father's presence, then would service be with power and unction. How important to come out of one's sacred hiding-place before we have to do with others. Moses came down full of glory, though "he wist it not," but others felt the power.

The earliest ministry of Christ was to expose the vain-glory, and trumpet-sounding publicity of the Pharisee. So strictly private would the Lord have our

alms to be, that He warns us against letting the left hand know what the right hand doeth. Prayer is to be in the secret of the closet; fasting is to be with anointed head and washed face, so as not to appear to men to fast.

All this is hard work for the vanity of our hearts, that, butterfly-like, would ever float upon the sunbeam of human admiration.

He who walks with God has the constant sunshine of His presence; to him gifts shall flow in their needed measure. No work that is done to God shall be in vain. True love seeks not its own praise, but the weal of its object. It condescends not to make its gift a tribute to self. "Ye have done it unto Me" is its motive, and with such sacrifices God is well pleased. The widow's mite and Nathaniel's prayer, are those precious fruits of the Spirit, which are as incense before the Father; whilst all these noisy and ostentatious exhibitions of self are as though we had offered strange incense in His courts.

Much of the weakness attending on the saints in these days may be traced to the spirit of the Pharisee, through lack of private self-examination, and faithful dealing with one's self in secret, beneath the eye of God. Much more might be said, but I desire briefly to suggest these few thoughts to the attention of brethren, and conclude with this beautiful and appropriate scripture, which opens out what God delights in (Is. lviii. 7, 8, 10): "Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? when thou seest the naked, that thou cover him; and that thou hide not thyself from thine

own flesh? Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thine health shall spring forth speedily: and thy righteousness shall go before thee; and the glory of the Lord shall be thy rereward.... Then shall thy light rise in obscurity, and thy darkness be as the noon-day."

FELLOWSHIP. No. 1.

"Our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ." (1 John i. 3.)

It is most blessed to consider that we are not only, by grace, delivered from the wrath to come, but called unto the fellowship of the Son of God. To have forgiveness of sins is amazing grace, but to be empowered, by the quickening, regeneration, and indwelling of the Holy Ghost, to walk with God now, is an unutterably gracious privilege.

In our unregenerate state, our thoughts, and ways are unlike God's thoughts and ways. (Isaiah lv. 8.) "The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness unto him; neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned." "The things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God." When, however, by the grace of God, we are born again, sealed, anointed, and enlightened by the Holy Ghost, and our consciences purged by the blood of Christ, according to the eternal purpose and choice of God the Father, we are made "partakers of the Divine nature," and have an understanding given us, whereby we are able to think and act, in measure, according to the wisdom and grace of the only wise God.

Blessed be God, "the darkness is past, and the true

light now shineth." God is light. God is love. God was manifested in the flesh. The only begotten Son which is in the bosom of the Father hath declared Him. The One glorious, self-existent, incomprehensible Jehovah-the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy-is now known as three in Persons, yet but One in Godhead. "There are Three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are One. (1 John v. 7.) God hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. By the ministry of the Holy Ghost, we see the Father in Christ, and know that Christ is the image of the invisible God; and, in the Lord's sufferings and death, when it pleased Jehovah to bruise Him, when the sword of the Lord of Hosts smote the Man that was His fellow, when His soul was made an offering for sin, we learn the wonderful secrets of the heart of Him who is "a just God and a Saviour." The blood of Immanuel's cross speaks peace; the Holy Ghost sheds abroad the wondrous love of God in our hearts, by testifying to our souls, that the Son glorified the Father, in dying for our sins.

Oh! such love, my soul still ponder,

Love so great, so rich, so free;
Say, whilst lost in holy wonder,
Why, O Lord, such love to me?
Hallelujah!

Grace shall reign eternally!

Dwelling thus in the knowledge of the living and true God-Father, Son, and Holy Ghost-our souls are happy, for we find everything to inspire us with confidence. We dwell in love, because we dwell in God; for God is love.