hand, as my children see mine, and I'll believe that He gives in answer to prayer. And then, sir, I object to you sticking into what you say a few passages of Scripture on the subject of prayer. But go on as you have been, and I'll hear what more you have to say."

"We are not speaking now," I continued, "of seeing the hand which gives, but whether, considering the relation God bears to us as Father, it is likely He is pleased with His children's prayers. You know as well as myself, of course, that it cannot make a gift the less real because we do not see the hand which bestows it. Does not many a child receive presents from a father from home? The hand itself is not seen, but the gift is as real as if it were so, nor does the child dream of questioning its reality, because it cannot see the giver. And should it be so that the father and child had never seen each other, still the toy would be as really a toy, as though the father had brought it home himself. Did you yourself, or, if not yourself, have you never known or heard of a person receiving a gift from some unseen hand? And has there ever been a person so foolish as to disbelieve in the reality of what he has received, because he has not seen the giver? I cannot expect to see God's hand any more than the person of God, for we are distinctly told that no man can see God and live;1 but the fact of God hearing and answering prayer is no less certain for that, if we are to believe men who are worthy of belief on this matter."

Thanking Bexson for listening to me so far as he had, I thus appealed to him, "I should like to ask you one other question, and that is, Why do you and I feel a degree of satisfaction, and even pleasure, at our children making known to us their desires, wants and troubles ?"

Bexson said rather warmly, "If you are like me, sir, you get more of those wants and troubles than you care about hearing. If I had a good big purse and plenty in it, I might be a little more disposed to give an ear to their wants

1 Exod. xxxiii. 20.

close his long life by "dying like a brick?" No; the language of heart and tongue was : I can't die like this."

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At his request a minister of the gospel was sent for, and when he entered the chamber Clements cried out: "Oh, sir, I am so glad to see you; I was afraid you would not come. Can you forgive me, sir, the many hard things I have often said about you? You know I have mocked you, and called you the old Gospel grinder,' and done all I could to hinder your work. Will you forgive me, sir, before I die?"

The visitor at once expressed his forgiveness, and added that God, too, was ready to forgive, if asked from the heart to do so.

man.

"I can't believe it; indeed I can't," sobbed the poor "I am like a vessel tossed about on the sea without an anchor." He had been a sailor in younger days, and hence understood well the telling simile of an anchorless ship.

The minister spoke of the gift of Christ and His allatoning sacrifice; but found that in unfolding the gospel it was necessary to begin at the very beginning; for, like thousands of other professed unbelievers, Clements had rejected the gospel without studying it, and really understood next to nothing of the plan of salvation as therein explained.

Clements listened attentively as his visitor explained how God's holy law had been broken, and how the curse was removed by the death of Christ. But it was long before he was able to grasp the idea that one so long a reviler and despiser of God could at last find forgiveness.

"What good news! if it were only for me," he exclaimed, as the tears coursed down his withered cheeks.

"It is for you; it is such as you that Jesus died to save. Hear His own words: 'I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.'

Faithfully and earnestly did this servant of God preach the gospel to the dying sinner, and eagerly did the poor

man drink in each word; and at length, some little time before he breathed his last-for he lingered between life and death for a long time-he thankfully accepted the offer of pardon held out to him, and at last found that peace which he might in vain have sought for among the arguments and sophistries of infidelity.

The fearful agony of mind which led him at first to cry, "I can't die like this," was exchanged for the peace of God which passeth all understanding, and which enabled this poor sinner to murmur at the last : Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil for Thou art with me; Thy rod and Thy staff they comfort me."

While we can but rejoice when we hear of an instance of a man being brought to the Saviour, as it were, at the eleventh hour, and while we do not doubt Christ's willingness to save the most hardened sinner who cries for mercy, even from the bed of death, we would solemnly and earnestly urge the importance of seeking God at once. Let nothing induce a man to delay in a matter so important. Now is the day of salvation. To-morrow, for all we know, may be too late. We may never lie upon a sick bed, we may be struck down by sudden death; who can tell? And even if we have a lengthened illness before our decease, we may not be able then to repent. We would also urge all, before accepting sceptical or infidel opinions, to study prayerfully and seriously the Word of God, feeling sure of this, that he who does so will be helped by the Holy Spirit to understand what he reads, and will find peace, and pardon for all his sins through the finished work of Jesus Christ. The man who lives in faith on the Son of God, when death comes, will not be obliged to cry, "I can't die like this."

G. H. P.

what he needs. He has not to work for it, as you have to work for money. God's gifts are free, 'without money and without price.' Prayer is only asking God for what we need, and was never intended, as every sane man knows, to supersede work. God's Word distinctly states, that if a man will not work, neither shall he eat.1 You speak of 'dying in a ditch,' if left to prayer to save you from it. prayer help a man who disbelieves in its use? in the duty of prayer puts a man beyond the help which prayer is known to afford. Without faith it is impossible to please Him (God): for he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him.'

"2

How can

Misbelief

I left William Bexson that day not very well pleased with our conversation, because he felt, I believe, that prayer to God, after all he had said, was but a natural and reasonable thing, and he had no desire to feel this; but it was just what I wished him to feel.

Many years have passed away since that day. I have had many talks with him since, and I may truly say, that his views of prayer are now very different to what they were then. He shows this change by the whole course of his conduct, both in God's house and in his family. He looks upon the prayerless past of his life as so much of a short life wasted, nay, worse than wasted, because a prayerless life must injure the moral character of other people, especially a parent's own children.

Once, when speaking of his past life, he said: "I would have given anything to have known you, sir, twenty years ago. It would have saved me a good deal of trouble in many ways, and other men from a bad influence, which my prayerless life and busy, unholy tongue have exerted upon them. I have often had talks with religious men before I saw you, but whether what I said irritated them, I don't 1 2 Thess. iii. 10. 2 Heb. xi. 6.

know; most likely it did, for I was not particularly nice in what I said; but this I know, they often got out of temper, and this I put down to the weakness of their cause, and, of course, to the strength of my own."

From feeling that prayer was both natural and reasonable, William Bexson came to feel it to be a blessed thing the way not only of acknowledging God's existence and His relationship to His creatures, but an appointed means of reconciliation with God. Prayer is the expression of our faith. We believe in our lost condition as sinners, in the Lord Jesus as our only Saviour; and because we so believe, we come to God in prayer confessing our sins, and seeking forgiveness in Christ. A prayerless man is, and while so must remain, an unpardoned man. True prayer is faith stretching out its hand for God's blessing. Where there is no faith, there can be no acceptable prayer, and where there is no earnest prayer, there can be no saving faith.

William Bexson's experience taught him that prayer was a reality; that God as really answers prayer as He hears it. Not, however, always just when the prayer is offered, neither always just as the prayer seeks, but when and as God sees fit. When, at times, answers seemed to linger in their way from God to William Bexson's soul, he would say, Patience, patience. I do the same, when I think it right, with my own children; and they often think more of the gift for having to wait for it.”

66

B

Winds and Waves.

RIGHTLY one morn rose the sun in the east,
And fair seemed the promise of day,

But soon o'er the hills dark shadows were seen,
A gloomy and threatening array.

Up, up, they gathered and strong became,
Blacker and thicker they grew;
Behind their folds as they hurried along,

The sun was hidden from view.