to prayer, hath supplied the temporal wants of His faithful followers. Thus a widow, who supplied her wants and those of several helpless children, by plying the needle, was busily engaged in her labor, when all of her provision was expended. She could not ask for the pay, as the work was not completed. A day was spent by her and her little ones without food. They retired to rest hungry. The next morning, as they bowed in prayer, she exclaimed, "Give us this day our daily bread." Her faith received fresh vigor; and with confidence she added, "Thou wilt give us this day our daily bread.” The prayer being closed, a rap was heard at the door; on opening which, she beheld a man loaded with the provisions her situation required. He informed her, that the lady by whom he was sent, was not permitted to sleep during the night; but was constantly employed, thinking of her, fearful that she might be in want. Thus, while one of the Lord's handmaids retires to rest without food, another is denied sleep until she hastens to relieve the distressed.

2. Our spiritual wants are to be made known unto God in prayer.

As sinners, we should ask for pardoning
As justified freely through the redemp-

mercy.

tion which is in Christ Jesus, we should pray to God, that we may grow in grace and increase in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. With the disciples should we pray, "Lord. increase our faith."

Our love in answer to prayer will be increased so that "we shall love the Lord our God, with all our heart, and our neighbor as ourselves."

Our joy is increased through prayer. We ask, and "receive, and our joy is full."

In fine, our every Christian grace is strengthened and matured, till we come in the unity of the faith and the knowledge of the Son of God unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ."

3. Our eternal blessedness is also a subject

of prayer.

Would we ultimately participate in the glories of the better world, then must we ardently desire and fervently pray for admission there. And, as we draw near the margin of Jordon, we may prayerfully and confidently expect, the God in whom we have trusted, whose we are, and whom we have served, to make our final hour peaceful, and to grant us His presence, to cheer, to sustain, and to uphold us. We may joyfully realize that

We may ask to dwell in God's presence, where there is "fullness of joy and pleasures for evermore," and He will grant our petitions and will fulfill our requests.

Finally, "Whatsoever ye ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive." The promise is sure; it cannot fail. Whatsoever ye ask, of a temporal, spiritual, and eternal nature, God will grant, if it be for His glory and your good.

The Lord, in answer to prayer, will be a sun to enlighten us, a shield to defend us; will give grace to keep us throughout life's vicissitudes, then glory to crown us; yea, will, in the meantime, withhold no good thing from us, while through prayer and watchfulness we continue to walk uprightly.

Christian, pray sincerely, fervently, importunately, believingly, and perseveringly, that you may be saved from sin-from all sin-and with an eternal salvation.

Backslider, review your history, call to remembrance your former happiness, and contemplate your present misery, and ask the

Lord to restore unto you the joys of His salvation.

Penitent, pray; and He whose name is mercy, and whose nature is love, will hear thy prayer, will wipe away thy tears, and will comfort thy

heart.

Sinner, pray, "if God peradventure will give thee repentance to the acknowledgment of the truth, and that thou mayest recover thyself out of the snare of the devil'; and He who taketh no pleasure in the sinner's death will break the chains that bind thee, open the prison-doors that inclose thee, and bid thee go free. And if the Son make thee free, thou shalt be free indeed."

SALEM, NEW JERSEY, January 11th, 1847.

THE FAITHFUL SERVANT AND

HIS REWARD.

"HIS LORD SAID UNTO HIM, WELL DONE, THOU GOOD AND FAITHFUL SERVANT; THOU HAST BEEN FAITHFUL OVER A FEW THINGS; I WILL MAKE THEE RULER OVER MANY THINGS; ENTER THOU INTO THE JOY OF THY LORD.- - Matthew xxv. 21.

F

IGURATIVE language was

very prevalent

among the orientals. The Jewish rabbis often taught their disciples in parables, and our Saviour was pleased frequently to clothe heavenly instruction in the same style.

From the many parables of our Saviour, we are not to conclude that He spake in this manner to veil the truth from the people; for then would He have labored in vain, and professedly teaching His creatures, He would in reality have deceived them. Far be the charge of such duplicity from Him in "whose lips was found no guile."