THE ANCHOR OF THE SOUL.

It is a noble sight when a gallant ship, with swelling sails and pennant streaming in the breeze, glides out of port, and when amidst the cheers of her crew, re-echoed from the shore, she speeds away on her voyage; her build strong, her shape beautiful, her captain skilful, and everything indicating that in due time she will return in safety, laden with the rich products of far distant climes. But the vessel has not been long at sea, before a storm comes on. It is midnight; she is scudding under bare poles before the tempest; when suddenly is heard the cry of alarm, "Breakers ahead!" A lee-shore, with dangerous shoals and rocks, is at hand, and in a few minutes the beautiful ship must be dashed to pieces. What is to be done? Hark! amidst and above the roar of winds and waves is heard the calm, clear voice of the brave captain-"Let go the anchor!" And from the bows the anchor drops into the boiling surge, and plunging many a fathom down, it grapples with the sandy bottom. Instantly the vessel is arrested in her onward course, she swings round, and soon all fears for her safety pass away. A joyful hope now cheers every heart that when the storm abates and the morning dawns, the anchor shall be weighed, and the vessel pursue her voyage towards the desired port.

When an inspired apostle speaks of the hope of true believers

in Christ, he calls it the "ANCHOR OF THE SOUL," Heb. vi. 19, by which Hope and Anchor is meant Jesus himself. Just as the anchor saves the vessel from destruction when exposed to the furious storm, so does the Divine Anchor save all "who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon" it, from eternal ruin. But many persons fatally mistake the nature of the hope upon which they are resting as their anchor.

There are very few indeed of those who are in a state of alienation from God, who do not cherish a hope that they shall obtain everlasting life. But, alas! their hope is as a reed" whereon if a man lean, it will go into his hand, and pierce it," Isa. xxxvi. 6; for we are assured that "when a wicked man dieth, his expectation shall perish," Prov. xi. 7; and "all the proud-and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the Lord of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch," Mal. iv. 1. Thus there are many persons who are living in constant rebellion against a just and holy God, despising his word, his sabbath, his sanctuary, and his people; and instead of walking in his ways, are taken captive of the devil at his will; and every imagination of the thoughts of their hearts is only evil continually, Gen. vi. 5; and yet, when some alarming occurrence-such as a dangerous illness, or the sudden death of an acquaintance, terrifies their consciences for a moment and troubles them-they hush every fear with the hope that when a dying hour comes they shall seek and find mercy. This to multitudes has proved a "refuge of lies." Men generally die as they live. And if any man abuse the doctrine of Divine mercy as a license to continue in sin, what can he expect but that while a false hope is whispering peace and safety, sudden destruction should come upon him, and that he should not escape? 1 Thess. v. 3.

Others, again, are so blind to the nature of sin as the abominable thing which God hates, that, under the influence of their own deceitful hearts, they imagine that God cannot so strongly disapprove of the indulgence of appetites which he has implanted, and will never punish what they call their little failings with eternal woe. They thus insult God by supposing that he is such a one as themselves, and they make him a liar, since he has expressly declared that "the wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God," Psa. ix. 17; and that if men will not pluck out the right eye, and cut off the right hand-that is, deny themselves to all unlawful and intemperate gratifications, they must be "cast into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched; where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched," Mark ix. 45, 46. If any reader of this tract is making a profession of godliness, and yet has only a mere

THE ANCHOR OF THE SOUL.

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have persuaded the world that you have laid hold of " the anchor of the soul, sure and stedfast," and may have sometimes succeeded in imposing on yourself; but your whole course has been a living lie. Your "hope shall be cut off," and your "trust shall be a spider's web," Job viii. 14.

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Perhaps this tract may fall into the hand of some who is like the Pharisee, and is saying in his heart, "God, I thank thee that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers." You are trusting in yourself that you are righteous. You are resting on your constant attendance at public worship, your blameless and moral life, and your superiority in point of good conduct and reputation to most of your neighbours. But is not this a false hope? Are you not in effect going about to establish your own righteousness, instead of submitting to the righteousness of God? Rom. x. 3. It is very plain from the Scriptures that there is but one way of salvation, and that is through the blood and righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ, John xiv. 6; Rom. iii, 21-26. But you expect to be saved by your own merits. Or perhaps you say, "Whatever is wanting in my obedience Christ will make it up;" which really means, I shall do a part, and Christ shall do the rest." Be warned in time; Christ will not share his glory with another. He must either be a whole Saviour, or none. And if you will persist in refusing "the gift of righteousness," Rom. v. 17, —if you will continue to expect salvation, either from yourself or any other creature,--if you are too proud to come to the door of mercy as a poor, perishing sinner, then be assured that when you pass into the presence of God, you will find your anchor not "sure and stedfast," but a vain hope which shall leave you exposed to "everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power," 2 Thess. i. 9.

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What, then, is the true and only "Anchor of the Soul?" It is "Christ in you, the hope of glory," Col. i. 27, the result of justifying faith. Its reality is evidenced by "the love of God shed abroad in the heart by the Holy Ghost;" and thus it is a "hope" that "maketh not ashamed," Rom. v. 5. Happy the soul that has such an anchor as this !—and such is the hope that animates the children of God, and can keep them in perfect peace under all their trials. They are like the ship at anchor which defies the tempest's fury; and therefore they can say:

Yes! it is "the

'Roll on, ye waves, our souls defy
Your roaring to disturb our rest;
In vain to impair the calm ye try,
The calm in a believer's breast.'

calm in a believer's breast," and in his alone. For faith is like the cable which unites the anchor to the ship.

those only who have believed "with the heart" "unto righteousness can say in the confidence of a "sure and stedfast hope, "We through the Spirit wait for the hope of righteousThe Lord Jesus is ness by faith," Gal. v. 5. 66 our hope," 1 Tim. i. 1; but it is only by "believing" that we "have life through his name," John xx. 31. Reader! have you fled by faith to Jesus?

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The Christian's Anchor is, indeed, "sure and stedfast;" for it is "within the veil," Heb. vi. 19. Jesus "the Forerunner has himself" entered" there; and by his Holy Spirit he causes the soul which trusts in him to fix itself firmly there. What a wonderful and blessed Anchor is this! Dear reader! be in earnest in seeking to have "Christ in you, the hope of glory,' -to have a 66 hope laid up for you in heaven," Col. i. 5, 27. Seek to be filled" with all joy and peace in believing;" and thus you will" abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost," Rom. xv. 13. What are all the hopes of earthly blessing compared to this hope of glory? Oh, be persuaded to set your "affections on things above," Col. iii. 2.

Trusting in Him who "by his own blood entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us," Heb. ix. 12, you will be able in the storm of terror, when Satan may tell you that for so great a sinner there can be no mercy,-when conscience calls up the memory of great_transgressions, —or when crying out, "Thy wrath lieth hard upon me, and thou hast afflicted me with all thy waves," you shall be able to add, "Out of the belly of hell cried I, and thou heardest my voice," Psa. lxxxviii. 7; Jonah ii. 2. Thus freed from the condemnation of the law and the curse of God, you shall be safe; for it is written, "He that believeth on him (Christ) shall not be confounded," 1 Pet. ii. 6.

In the storm of sore trials, if poverty and sickness, come upon you-if beloved ones are taken suddenly away, you will have grace to say, "It is well." And when you come to die, in the tranquillity of a sure and stedfast hope, you will find that God, according to the promise, "As thy days, so shall thy strength be," Deut. xxxiii. 25, will bestow "dying grace for a dying day." Resting in Christ, you may say,

"Amidst temptations sharp and long,

My soul to this dear refuge flies;
Hope is my anchor firm and strong,
While tempests blow and billows rise."

Thus trusting in Christ, "THE ETERNAL GOD IS THY REFUGE, and underneath are the everlasting arms.' Deut. xxxiii. 27.

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THE PRODIGAL SON.

As the emperor Alexander, of Russia, was one day riding with his escort by the side of a river, he saw a poor peasant slip from the bank, and after struggling a little time in the water, sink and disappear. An attendant of the emperor plunged into the stream, and diving beneath it, brought up the apparently lifeless body, and dragged it to the shore. The efforts made to restore animation were speedily successful, and when the chest began to heave, and the heart to beat again, the monarch cried out in the greatness of his joy, "Oh! he is alive! he is alive!" We must be cold-hearted if we are not touched when we hear of this instance of pity and benevolence in a royal breast. But, how much more deeply should we be affected when we learn from the Holy Scriptures that He who is "King of kings, and Lord of lords," the Great Sovereign "whom known and unknown worlds obey," rejoices with all his attendant angels when even one soul is plucked as a brand out of the fire!

When our Lord Jesus Christ was on this earth, he made this truth very plain in the beautiful parable of the prodigal son as