hand of our High-Priest and Elder Brother. The bank-note without a signature at the bottom is nothing but a worthless piece of paper. The stroke of a pen confers on it all its value. The prayer of a poor child of Adam is a feeble thing in itself, but once endorsed by the hand of the Lord Jesus it availeth much. The ear of the Lord Jesus is ever open to the cry of all who want mercy and grace. help them. Their prayer is his delight. not this encouragement?

It is his office to Think of this. Is

There is the Holy Spirit ever ready to help our infirmities in prayer. It is one part of his special office to assist us in our endeavours to speak with God. We need not be cast down and distressed by the fear of not knowing what to say. The Spirit will give us words if we will only seek his aid. He will supply us with "thoughts that breathe and words. that burn." The prayers of the Lord's people are the inspiration of the Lord's Spirit-the work of the Holy Ghost who dwells within them as the Spirit of grace and supplication. Surely the Lord's people may well hope to be heard. Think of this. Is not this encouragement?

There are exceeding great and precious promises to those who pray. What did the Lord Jesus mean when he spoke such words as these: "Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: for every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth 1; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened." "All things whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer believing, ye shall receive." 2 Whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it." 3 What did the Lord mean when he spoke the parable of the friend at midnight and the importunate widow ? Think over these passages. If this is not encouragement to pray, words have no meaning at all.

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There are wonderful examples in Scripture of the power 3 John xiv. 13, 14.

1 Matt. vii. 7, 8.

2 Matt, xxi. 22.
4 Luke xi, 5, and xviii. 1.

of prayer. Nothing seems to be too great or too difficult for prayer to do. It has obtained things that seemed impossible and out of reach. It has won victories over fire, air, earth, and water. Prayer opened the Red Sea. Prayer brought water from the rock, and bread from heaven. Prayer made the sun stand still. Prayer brought fire from the sky on Elijah's sacrifice. Prayer turned the council of Ahithophel into foolishness. Prayer overthrew the army of Sennacherib. Prayer has healed the sick. Prayer has raised the dead. Prayer has procured the conversion of souls. "The child of so many prayers,” said an old Christian to Augustine's mother, "shall never perish." Prayer, pains, and faith can do any thing. Nothing seems impossible when a man has the spirit of adoption. So long as Abraham asked mercy for Sodom, the Lord went on giving. He never ceased to give till Abraham ceased to pray. Think of this. Is not this encouragement?

What more can a man want? What more could be done to make the path to the mercy-seat easy, and to remove all occasions of stumbling from the sinner's way? Surely if the devils in hell had such a door set open before them, they would leap for gladness.

What can be possibly said for the man who after all dies without prayer? Surely, reader, I may well feel anxious that you should not be that man. Rev. J. C. Ryle.

Go when the morning shineth,

Go when the noon is bright,

Go when the eve declineth,
Go in the hush of night:
Go with pure mind and feeling,
Put earthly thoughts away;
And in thy chamber kneeling,
Do Thou in secret pray.

You are always welcome to call upon God: over the throne of grace is written, "Behold, now is the accepted time."

Every promise in God's book which refers to spiritual things is yours if you are Christ's.

They who are Christ's are praying and seeking to be Christ-like: "If any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his."

God is always inviting you to his throne: he says, "Let me hear thy voice; come near unto me, that I may bless thee."

There is some promise in your Bible exactly adapted to every trying hour. Never expect spiritual wealth while you are indulging spiritual sloth. The greater your privileges, the greater your debt.

Study to be quiet, except when duty calls upon you to speak.

Have a word with God before you enter into conversation with men. Never see any one entering into temptation, or indulging in sin, without praying for him.

You are under the influence of some spiritual malady, if you have not a keen appetite for gospel provisions.

Never take your eye off the cross when you think of salvation: all its lines centre there.

Look for the hand of God where the eye of reason can only see the hand of man.

God never changes, however circumstances vary: he is always LOVE.
Never forget that Jesus had you in his heart when he died on the cross.
You cannot trust man too little, nor God too much.
Come to God for what no one else can give you, or do for you: plead

his promise, and expect his aid; so you honour him.

There is more in one of God's sentences than you have discovered yet.

Mrs. Prior's Mistake.

ou know the proverb, 'Cleanliness is next to godliness,' and you know that I believe in it too," said energetic Mrs. Prior, as she went on scrubbing her kitchen table with renewed vigour. "No one would doubt that, I am sure," said her visitor, a weak, weary-looking woman, who had just come in; but still I thought you might be able to spare an hour to go and sit with poor Mrs. Brown, and see to the children a bit while she's laid up."

"Mrs. Brown's only got herself to thank that she is laid up," replied Mrs. Prior, snappishly; "and, as I said before, I've got quite enough to do to keep my own place clean, without running about after sick neighbours. There now you can't come in here; just go and play in the street till the boards are dry."

This latter speech was addressed to a little girl about ten years old, who, with her brother, timidly ventured to look in at the door.

Mother, I've got a lesson to learn; may I go into the parlour, and learn it ?" asked Mary.

Mrs. Prior lifted her head in silent amazement. "Go into the parlour!" she uttered. “What next, I wonder ?"

"Governess told me to ask you," said Mary; "because I never get my lesson perfect, learning it in the street;" but at the same moment she turned away, for she knew it would be useless to press her request further.

66 Don't you think it's a bad thing for the children to play in the street so much?" her visitor ventured to ask, after Mary had gone.

"How am I to keep the place clean if they're always in it ?" snapped Mrs. Prior. "I've work enough as it is; I declare I am always cleaning, and never done."

"That's true enough," interrupted her husband, who came in at this moment. "There's no comfort to be had in the place, because of the incessant cleaning."

"What made you come in just now ?" she said, as though her husband had been guilty of some crime in stepping into his own house.

"I want that arm-chair to sit in-I don't feel very"You can't, and shan't, have it," his wife protested. "I won't have things pulled out of their places just as they are set right."

"Will you give me the key of the parlour, and let me go in there ?" said her husband.

"In the parlour!" repeated Mrs. Prior.

"Not if I know it. I never knew such a set as men are; they haven't one bit of thought, but want to make all places alike."

"I want to go and sit down somewhere for half an hour, to get over this pain in my head; and if I can't come here I must go to the Red Lion."

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Well, go to the Red Lion, if you like," crossly responded his wife, going on with her work of scrubbing.

But he lingered at the door for a minute or two, in hopes of her relenting; for being a sober, steady, industrious man, he had no liking for the public-house, and would never have gone there but for the fact that he could seldom have any peace at home.

Mrs. Prior seemed doomed to have her work interrupted that day soon after her husband had disappeared, a gentleman called to speak with him; and not finding him in, spoke a few pleasant words to the wife, asking, among other things, whether her children attended a Sunday-school.

"Well, no they don't," said Mrs. Prior; "for we are but poor people, and when I get them a few new things, I like them to keep them nice, which they couldn't do at a Sundayschool, with so many other children."

The gentleman made no reply to this remark; but ventured upon another subject, or another branch of the same subject, by inquiring if Mrs. Prior and her husband attended public worship on the sabbath.

Mrs. Prior drew herself up at the question :

"I don't think, sir, it could be expected of a poor woman