occasion for one or more endorsements in our handwriting on the promissory instrument? Has God begun a good work in us? Has He predestinated us to be conformed to the image of His Son? Has He called us according to His purpose? Has He also justified? Then how surely will He glorify. Has He begun a good work in our behalf? Have we what is the equivalent of Jacob's two bands? In either case we are occupying high vantage-ground in our supplications for more signal displays of His grace. We do not know that God ever ceases from the process of fulfilling His promises, where there is a failure on our part to acknowledge what He has already done in that direction; but, surely, such an acknowledgement would encourage Him to do more. If we

fail to note the connection between His promise and the successive stages of its fulfilment, we certainly cannot complain if the further fulfilment of the promise is suspended.

It must also be regarded as a matter of hardly secondary importance, that, whatever the promise of God may contain for us, and whatever we may properly appropriate, nevertheless, ours is not an exclusive proprietorship. All that God has engaged to do for us, we are

entitled to receive, but to receive on the ground that we are Abraham's seed and so "heirs according to the promise." We cannot separate ourselves from this relationship to Abraham, neither can we divide up the common inheritance.

Christ, the promised seed, in whom all the families of the earth shall be blessed, belongs no more to us than He does to all who shall believe on Him to the end of time. The latest convert may be as full of blessedness as was Abraham who rejoiced to see Christ's day and was glad, We could not be "made perfect" in our enjoyment, or in our title to that enjoyment, except as we shared it with all the lawful inheritors.

As we go along on our earthly pilgrimage, the Abrahamic covenant will be fulfilled to us, even as it has been to all that have believed before us; but, after we have passed within the veil, others will plead their right to it, the same as we have done, using the same argument we have used. And, after they have gone to their fathers, others will establish their claim as clearly to the same covenant blessing. They will have their two bands, as we have had ours, and Jacob had his.

4. Were any of us to undertake to procure, by intercession, from a human governor, a very great benefit, we would inform ourselves thoroughly, in advance, as to the character of the man we hoped to influence, and, as to the considerations that would be likely to have greatest weight with him. If he had given any intimation as to what, in his estimation, was of highest moment, and we should disregard that intimation in our beseechings, we would be greatly at fault, so much so, indeed, that we might count on failure as a certainty.

And why not inquire with as much solicitude, as to the character of God and the considerations which govern Him in the bestowment of benefits, especially when they are solicited by and in the behalf of those who are confessedly unworthy?

If one plea has evidently been regarded by Him with more favor than any other, it would be inexcusable to leave that out of sight, or lay but little stress upon it in our supplications.

Should it, for instance, be revealed, that, not only in His estimation, but in reality, there is nothing of greater moment than His own glory; the instant we saw clearly that there was an. intimate relation between our petition and His

glory, and that a favorable answer would certainly enhance that glory, we would have leave to press our suit with a holy importunity.

The men who, in all ages, have been most successful in supplication, have invariably relied upon this plea as the most influential if not the only one, that, in extraordinary emergencies, it was expedient to urge.

When Abraham interceded for Sodom, having in mind the extreme peril of his kinsman Lot, the consideration that most profoundly moved his own mind, was one that involved the glory of God: "Wilt thou also destroy the righteous with the wicked? That be far from the Lord, to do after this manner, to slay the righteous with the wicked; and that the righteous should be as the wicked. Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?"

When Jacob besought the Lord for deliverance from his brother Esau, he reminded Him of His promise to deal well with him, in case he should return to his own country and kindred. "And Thou saidst, 'I will surely do thee good, and make thy seed as the sand of the sea, which cannot be numbered for multitude.'

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When, in view of the sin of Aaron and His people Israel, in the matter of the golden calf,

God proposed to destroy the whole congregation, and make of Moses a great nation, the latter besought Him, saying: "Wherefore should the Egyptians say for mischief did He bring them out to slay them in the mountains, and to consume them from the face of the earth. Remember Abraham, and Isaac, and Israel thy servants to whom Thou swearedst, and saidst unto them, I will multiply your seed as the stars of heaven, and all this land will I give unto your seed, and they shall inherit it forever."

Again at Kadesh- Barnea, when the anger of the Lord waxed hot against the people, Moses interceded for them, urging in substance this same plea: "Destroy not Thy people and Thine inheritance. Look not upon the stubborness of this people, nor to their wickedness, nor to their sin, lest the land whence Thou broughtest them out say, because the Lord was not able to bring them into the land which He had promised them, and because He hated them, He hath brought them out to slay them in the wilderness."

When Israel was smitten at Ai, Joshua prayed, "O Lord, what shall I say when Israel turneth their backs upon their enemies? For