shall I say of the Jerusalem which is above, which lies on the other side of the river of death, where the everlasting palm trees grow, and the still waters flow from the eternal hills, and the angels sing to their golden harps among the trees of paradise? Thither we are journeying, we happy pilgrims, from Jerusalem to Jerusalem. Whilst ye who love the world, and the things that are in the world, are on your way to Tophet, to the valley of destruction, to everlasting night, we are going to full and cheerful day, and on our staff is inscribed, "The citizenship of heaven." And if we sometimes appear to you as those that dream, and you see our eyes glistening with tears whilst looking at the far blue distance, it is because of our longing for home and all you can say is, "They are weeping after Jerusalem !"

;

And who has built us the city, and who has made it so beautiful for us! Jerusalem is the city of the great King. "Here is my rest for ever; here will I dwell!" saith he. He dwells there, and the city rests peacefully under the wings of his love. We are travelling to Jerusalem.

I KINGS XIX. 5-8.

"And as he lay and slept under a juniper tree, behold, then an angel touched him, and said unto him, Arise and eat. And he looked, and, behold, there was a cake baken on the coals, and a cruse of water at his head. And he did eat and drink, and laid him down again. And the angel of the Lord came again the second time, and touched him, and said, Arise and eat; because the journey is too great for thee. And he arose, and did eat and drink, and went in the strength of that meat forty days and forty nights unto Horeb the mount of God."

THIS narrative belongs to the children of God, especially to the afflicted amongst them. The Lord's faithful care over his servants, especially in a dark and cloudy season, is here displayed in the most heart-refreshing manner. This Divine and gracious protection is made apparent, I. In the answer to prayer, which the prophet receives; II. In the appearance of an angel, whom the Lord sends to him; III. In the miraculous refreshments of which he partakes; IV. In the delightful prospect which God opens before him; and, V. In the supernatural strength given him for his journey through the desert. Let us devoutly meditate on these delightful manifestations of the paternal love of our God.

I. Elijah had wished for death, after being obliged to give up the hope of the regeneration of his beloved Israel. Life had no longer any attractions for him. The love of life can bear up under the privation of many earthly endearments, but it cannot

survive hope. When Elijah sees this flower fading, he sinks, and is weary of his existence. And if he had not been a man of God-ah! who knows into what still more dreadful abyss than that of impatience and despondency he might have fallen!

It appeared as if the Lord had suddenly given up his work, and his prophet with it. The Divine superintendence was concealed too deeply in the disguise of second causes for a mortal eye to penetrate through it. Nay, it seemed to have been withdrawn, and to have left room for human vicissitudes; at least it seemed so to the prophet. He was unable, in such an unexpected turn of affairs, to discover the intentions of God. He found himself, as it were, in a dark labyrinth, without any candle of the Lord to shine upon his faith, or any clue to conduct him through it. And if we consider how such situations of the godly are always taken advantage of by the powers of darkness, and how the tempter doubtless assaulted the fugitive under the juniper tree with the fiery darts of distressing doubts and horrible suggestions, we can easily comprehend how even such a champion as Elijah could thus despond; and, in the deepest dejection and anguish of soul, cry to Heaven, and say, "Lord, it is enough! take now my life from me, for I am not better than my fathers!"

Such prayers, however, which ascend towards heaven rather in the wild bursts of carnal passion, than in the sacred fire of Divine love, and which are not borne upwards to God upon the wings of faith and hope, but upon the gusts of natural excitement-such prayers the Lord is not wont to answer; yet he does hear, so merciful is he, the breathings of the pious soul, ascending through all this clamour of carnal feeling, and in spite of it. Experience shows, that He is not willing to let his children finish their course in vexation and sadness. However violently the storms may rage around that spiritual life which is in them, he suffers it not to be swallowed up and drowned in the commotion. Their sky generally becomes serene again before they reach the harbour-if not temporally, yet spiritually. Listen, ye wounded and sorrowful souls! your hour of removal will not arrive till the Lord has first reconciled you to his providential government and gracious discipline, and compelled you cheerfully to acknowledge that "He doeth all things well!" A calm will succeed the storms and tempests of your life, although it may not be till the evening of your pilgrimage; and you shall be enabled to say, Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace!" Yea, you shall become willing to bear, even still longer, the cross after him, if it be the Lord's pleasure. Your course will terminate— not tumultuously—no, but in the cheerful serenity of a sabbatical

I

off to Jestem which is above, which lies on the re if it visere the everlasting palm trees waners fow from the eternal hills, and the bar gaun has among the trees of paradise? TORT As from Jerusalem Sure the world, and the things HT I TOT WAY to Tophet, to the valley BTILL V SES! LAN are going to full and The citizenship of

A f we sometimes par to you as those that CHI DI TX ss or es gistering with tears whilst looking *** 12. Is because of our longing for home; rs-Treening after Jerusalem !'

N IS THE CT, and who has made it so beauGerstens the car of the great King. "Here , he vl 1 well!" saith he. He dwells Kdy mnder the wings of his love.

Di se beI UN Tee beboid, then an angel
Are mi eat. And he looked, and,

best of the cas and a crase of water at his

I met him down again. And the

JO ALI be secrni time, and totched him, and MACULIS IN VACTort is 130 great for thee. And he SAMA IN STA CRIIM strength of that meat forty thret the mount of God."

vas u the children of God, especially to the The Lord's faith care over his ser

NA SUL. TI ach, and coner season, is here displayed in DA TAN METSAAsting manne. This Divine and gracious proBUT IN BAR Errea 1. 11. the answer to prayer, which the In the annearance of an angel, whom the

In the mractions refreshments of V. In the delightful prospect which God and V. In the supernatural strength given Let us devoutly medi

testations of the paternal love of our

në veshed in death, the being obliged to give up De beraber of his heiered Israel. Life had tractors for him. The love of life can bear up sar at mart anlly endearments, but it cannot

survive hope. When Elijah sees this flower fading, he sinks, and is weary of his existence. And if he had not been a man of God-ah! who knows into what still more dreadful abyss than that of impatience and despondency he might have fallen! It appeared as if the Lord had suddenly given up his work, and his prophet with it. The Divine superintendence was concealed too deeply in the disguise of second causes for a mortal ere to penetrate through it. Nay, it seemed to have been withdrawn, and to have left room for human vicissitudes; at least it seemed so to the prophet. He was unable, in such an unexpected turn of affairs, to discover the intentions of God. He found himself, as it were, in a dark labyrinth, without any candie of the Lord to shine upon his faith, or any clue to conduct him through it. And if we consider how such situations of the gudly are always taken advantage of by the powers of darkness, and how the tempter doubtless assaulted the fugitive under the jumper tree with the fiery darts of distressing doubts and horrible suggestions, we can easily comprehend how even such a champot as Eilat round thus despond; and, in the deepest dejection and angust of soul cry to Heaven, and say, "Lord, it is enough! take now my life from me, for I am not better than my fathers!" but pavers, however, which ascend towards heaven rather in the win mursts of carnal passion, than in the sacred fire of Diva: 1. and winch are not borne upwards to God upon the wing citi aut impe, but upon the gusts of natural excitemen-suci pravers the Lord is not wont to answer; yet he does ter & merciu s he, the breathings of the pious soul, ascendy terug al tus clamour of carnal feeling, and in spite of it. Expenses shows that He is not willing to let his children finish ther core a vocation and sadness. However violently the stories 1 e acount that spiritual life which is in them, he sfer 1.0015 swalowed up and drowned in the commotion. Carer peersal comes serene again before they reach the azroopź notammoral, et spiritually. Listen, ye wounded

ZIE GETOWIL 6023. our hour of removal will not arrive till te Lot, as is" "reconcier you to his providential government al Ercion : usetrizes, aut pelled you cheerfully to acknowtetti al ings well!" A calm will succeed 12: MOTRA COMPREs for life, although it may not be till desenez vorzigrimage and you shall be enabled to say, tes hool servant depart in peace!" Yea, near, even still longer, the cross after

14: Desire. Your course will terminate A tutukutusten mr in the cheerful serenity of a sabbatical

dawn; and in the midst of a radiance, beaming from the heavenly Zion, will your Divine Friend translate you to the joy of the eternal hills, that his guidance may be extolled not only above, but even here below, and his grace and faithfulness be glorified in the sight of your surviving brethren, and of an ungodly world.

This sabbatical morning had not yet dawned upon Elijah. It was now one of the darkest moments of his life, in which he seemed like a man who had fallen out both with God and with the world. The request which, in time of weakness and gloomy despondency, he had ventured to bring before God, was denied him. His life was not taken from him. He must yet live to see glorious things, and learn again to praise the faithfulness of Him whose promises are Yea and Amen; he must yet be brought to feel humbled and astonished at his former doubts and anxieties ; to find the most pleasing solution of every apparent difficulty and contradiction in God's dealings with him, and to be placed in such a sunshine of Divine favour, as he had never before enjoyed. And then would be the time to say, "It is enough;" and the hour would come, when-not under a solitary tree in the dreary wilderness-no, but in splendid triumph, he should be carried directly over the dark valley into the land of everlasting rest.

Oh that we were not so impatient, when our gracious God occasionally denies our requests! How kind it is, with respect to our real and best interests, that the Lord gives us according to his will, and not according to our own; and that he condescends so graciously to guard us against the attainment of our poor and often foolish wishes! We may rest assured, that whenever we pray without success, that which we desire, is not only not best for us, but would either be injurious, or is at least inferior to what he really intends for us. How many a faithful minister would never have experienced the Lord's faithfulness crowning the labours of his servants, had he been called away from this life at the time when, in gloomy despondency, he desired it! How many a christian pilgrim would never have seen any thing of the spiritual manna, and of the spiritual streams from the rocks, had God listened to him when, with fear and trembling, he besought him not to lead him into a desert! How many a brother would this day be unable to rejoice that the power of Christ has so rested upon him, if the thorn in his flesh, the messenger of Satan, had been removed at the time he entreated such relief with many cries and tears! Take courage, therefore, my brethren! Believe that the denial, which the Lord occasionally puts upon our requests, will eventually