helps our infirmities, making intercession for us in our prayers "with groanings which cannot be uttered." (Rom. viii. 26.)

Time forbids to speak more of what the Holy Spirit will be for us and within us; only let me urge you to pray much and often for the full outpouring of this blessed Spirit. "God giveth not the Spirit by measure." (John ii. 34.)

When you read the Bible, ask for His teaching; when you pray, ask that He may plead within you, and show you Christ pleading for you; and in your daily life, seek to be under His gracious influence, that you may obey God's Word in all things, and shine in the light He will shed around you. Jesus says that our Father in heaven will "give the Holy Spirit to all that ask Him." (Luke xi. 13.)

IV.

YE SHALL BE MY PEOPLE, AND I WILL BE YOUR GOD." (Ver. 28.)

The former part of this verse belongs very specially to the Jews. It speaks in plain terms of their restoration. The latter clause is a part of the new covenant, guaranteed to us as well as to them by the blood of Jesus. (Jer. xxxi. 31-34; Heb. viii. 10.) It speaks of a relationship entered into by God and His people.

Can you, dear friends, say, "This God is my God, He will be my Guide even unto death?" (Psa. xlviii. 14.) If not, do not rest till you have come to Him through that blood which gives access to His presence, and secures to us every part of the new covenant.

If we turn to chap. xvi. 62, 63; and chap. xx. 37, 43, we shall find in both places the same truth as in vers. 28 and 31 of this chapter. Being brought under the bond of the covenant, and restored to the favour of God, Israel is at the same time to be taught self-abhorrence for past sins. St. Paul tells us in Rom. x. 3, that now they are "going about to establish their own righteousness."

It is not till we are brought into covenant with a Holy God that we learn our vileness, and the "exceeding sinfulness of sin." The brighter the light that shines upon us, the darker does the evil of the past appear. The more we realize the holiness of Jesus in His life, and the sufferings of Jesus in death, the more shall we hate evil and loathe ourselves. Not till then shall we thoroughly understand that there is nothing in ourselves that can make us acceptable to God; but that all must be of His grace, and for His holy name's sake. (Ver. 22, 32.)

V. FRUITFULNESS. (Ver. 33, 36.)

The same language is employed by the Prophet Isaiah (chap. li. 3), descriptive of the future beauty and glory of the land of Israel. Desolate and dreary as it is now, and has been since the destruction of its capital, Jerusalem; we believe that God will one day fulfil all His gracious promises, and that the land will be inhabited and cultivated by the Jews themselves. Indeed, who can read such verses as these and not believe in the glorious future of Israel? But these words are also figurative of the fruitful

ness of the people of God. They are called "trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord." (Isa. lxi. 3.) The Church is compared to a "garden inclosed." (Cant. iv. 12.) The Lord looks to His garden for flowers, and to His trees for fruit.

The natural products of the heart may be compared to weeds and briars, thorns and thistles. When that is changed, the Holy Spirit clears away all that is offensive, and plants within His own blessed fruits. (Gal. v. 22, 23.) "Instead of the thorn shall come up the fir tree, and instead of the briar shall come up the myrtle tree." (Isa. lv. 13.)

There is indeed a change in people's homes as well as hearts, when the Spirit has been breaking up the fallow ground, and planting His own graces there. The home that was the scene of drunkenness, of quarrelling, of sin of every kind, is now become respectable, clean, comfortable; words of prayer and praise are heard instead of drunken songs and swearing. The weeds of sin, so aptly called thorns and briars (for do they not prick and wound?), are cleared away, and there are lovely flowers in their place,flowers that send forth a sweet perfume, so that others coming in may scent them; and God, who hath wrought so great a change, is glorified.

Dear friends, what fruits are we bringing forth? Are we as "the lily among thorns" (Cant. ii. 2), showing by our lives that we belong to the garden of the Lord? All our profession is nothing worth, if it does not lead to a holy life. There is such a thing as a dead faith, a knowledge of the truth which

is only in the head, and does not influence the heart, or produce fruits of righteousness; and in these days especially, we have to be on our guard against such a lifeless religion. They are days of much talk, of many meetings, and much profession. Oh, let it not be that when the Lord comes to us and looks for fruit, He finds leaves only, else our fate will be that of the fig tree (Mark xi. 20): under the curse of a holy God, we shall wither away, and be cast forth for the burning! (John xv. 6.)

Mark the last words: we read (ver. 36), "I the Lord have spoken it, and I will do it." Let us claim these promises made to us by a faithful God. Let us plead for their fulfilment in ourselves. Great will be our joy, and great our peace, for we shall be "temples of the Holy Ghost," and where He dwells there must be light, and joy, and comfort.

XX.

BELSHAZZAR'S FEAST.

DANIEL V.

BELSHAZZAR was the grandson of Nebuchadnezzar, and King of Chaldea. He appears to have been a very wicked man, and the narrative we have just read shows us God's judgment upon him. Belshazzar made a great feast, to which he invited a thousand lords, besides other people. At this feast there was every imaginable luxury; and not content with the ordinary gold and silver vessels belonging to the palace, the King sent for those which had formerly been in the temple at Jerusalem, consecrated to the service of God. They drank their wine out of them, and then praised-not the Lord God of heaven and earth, but the idols," the gods of gold and of silver, of brass, of iron, of wood, and of stone." (Ver. 4.)

In the midst of all this revelry, there was a sudden appearance which struck terror into the heart of the King. On the wall, where the light from the candle fell, there came forth part of a man's hand, and wrote characters which were perfectly clear, but incomprehensible to Belshazzar and those who were feasting