Year: 1874

plish. ana that the enormous treasure wn!ch ne
had 10 carry would render the journey very un-
SALE But he was ashamed TO confess that ne
could not return without the escort OF armed men,
and. not yielding TO the temptation OF fear, he
resolved TO trust TO God. And so he humoled him-
self before God, and they finally set apon their
Journey without spear and without a weapon
journey, but at last they reached Jerusalem un-
harmed, as Gods loving care


Rad WATCHED OVER THEM.


Here Tue preacher thought, was quite an IN
terestng lesson for Christians-a lesson teaching
supreme and unalteraole laitb IN the Divine
rather. The lesson was that we should never
trust human agencies In the place OF God. Where
Gods promises We're direct and covered the entire
ground men should not pe trusted even though
they claimed TO be instruments Of Gods power
In this age G0d's Intervention was not 40 patent
to all eyes hs In days OF yore; but the truth,
nevertheless, remained the same that in the mat
ter OF salvation men were 10 trust God and not
human agencies. Men were at liberty TO trust to
men under Goa but not 70 trust them in the place OF
God. Even In these days some men might oe guilty
oil the error contemplated by Ezra, to substitute
human agencies-the place OF God. Another mis-
take was TO use the right agencies and attach such
Importance to them as virtually TO displace God.
Ii was SO when tney despaired and cried "My last
hope Is gone; what snail dor" What should
they dor


THEY SHOULD TRUST GOD.


Their Maker was their Father, and they should
never restrict HIN to certain limited agencies.
When they abandoned their faith in Him and put
1t In certain wrong contriyances of their own in
genuity, they also made grievous mistake. This
was the case OF the merchant who declared that
after thirty years OF honest work, he could
not prosper and that he must become dis
honest in order to do well. Let them
be ashamed TO do this AMI thus to degrade their
position as believers in God. Some men thought
they would Just go little aside from the path Of
stricf"st integrity to make money. Let them be
asha.ed OF dong this. Let them live IN the trust
OF God with absolute truth. They were equally TO
be ashamed OF putting faith in improper contriy-
ances for their own personal comforts. When
they professed TO be Christians they. Of course,
meant to say that the comfort and happiness OF
their souls was found In the love Of God And yet
some men sought sOlace


IN STIMULATION AND DISSIPATION
rom the sorrows aud grlefs OF their lives. Why
aid they not 60 before God, the great loving God,
and seek solace at the foot OF the blessed crossP


In city like this the contrivances OF gay eJy and
dissipation were naturally but too common. That
form OF recreation which was haiiowed by the
approval OF God was good enough; but there were
multtudes OF people protesting to be Christians
VINO went beyond this. They tried to seek their
main comfort and JOY in petty show OF equpage
and wealth, enacting the glittering life OF mere
butterflies. He would be ashamed to do this.
Having once proclaimed his supreme faith in the
living God, and IN Him alone, he would i've up to
this declaration all his life. He would enjoy all the
good things Of the world which God mad gwen him.
Whenever they found themselves waverlng IN this
olime faith IN God and thinking of seeking refuge
IN these cOntrvances OF their lower nature let
them resort 10 thar greatest OF blessings prayer.