Satan walking in dry places.

By the Rev. CHRISTMAS EVANS.*

HE following is an extract from Mr. Evans's sermon, in which he described Satan as going about seeking whom he might devour. He at length pictures him as seeing a young man in the strength of life sitting on the box of his cart and singing merrily on his way for lime :-"There is a young man,' said the old Tempter, 'the blood courses wildly in his veins, and his bones are full of marrow. I will fan my sparks within his bosom and set all his passions on fire; I will draw him on from bad to worse, until at last his soul will sink in the lake of fire never to rise again.' Just then, as he was about to dart a fiery temptation into his youthful heart, he heard him sing, 'Guide me, O Thou great Jehovah,

Pilgrim through this barren land.' 'Ah, this is a dry place,' said the fiery dragon, as he expanded his wings and flew away.

"Then I saw him speed along," continued the preacher, "occasionally hovering like a vulture in the air. At length he came to a lovely valley, where, beneath the eaves of a little cottage, he saw a maid about eighteen years of age sewing at the cottage door, a lovely flower among the surrounding flowers. There is one,' exclaimed * See page 338.

the devil, I will whisper an evil suggestion into her heart and repeat it over and over again until it shall become an evil deed, then she will be obliged to leave her home and wander far into sin and shame.' With this he hastened to hurl his fiery dart into her mind, but as he approached the hills reverberated with the echoes of her sweet voice as she sang,

'N mhen oesoedd rif y tywod man,

Ni fydd y gân ond dechreu, &c.' [In ages numerous as the sand

The song will be commencing.]

Ah, this is another dry place,' exclaimed the Tempter, as he again took flight.

"Filled with fury, he rushed madly on and exclaimed, ‘I will have a place to dwell in, I will now try the old.' Then seeing an aged woman sitting at the door of her cot and spinning with her little wheel. 'Ah,' said he, 'I will try to bring her grey hairs with sorrow to the grave, and allure her soul to destruction. He descended toward the little cot, but as he drew near he heard the tremulous yet exultant voice of the aged saint repeating the promise of her gracious Lord-For the mountains shall depart and the hills be removed, but my kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed, saith the Lord that hath mercy on thee.' He flew away as if pierced to the heart, exclaiming- Another dry placeanother dry place!'

"Ah, the old Destroyer of souls received poor welcome now. At length the night drew on, and he, like a bird of prey poured forth shrill cries into the air. Anon he passed through a little Welsh village under a hill. He saw a faint light in an upper room, and said to himself, 'There old William is slowly pining away. He is over eighty years of age, and hasn't much mind left. Thanks to me,

he has had a hard time of it often, and hasn't found serving God altogether a pleasant thing. It will be a grand thing if I get the best of him after all, and make him doubt his heavenly Father.' Thereupon he entered the room where the aged man lay on a hard bed, with his eyes closed, and his silvery hair falling in sweet confusion upon the pillow. The devil had no sooner drawn near to accomplish his wicked design than the aged saint sat up in his bed, and with a smile like the light of heaven upon his countenance he stretched forth his hands and exclaimed, 'The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. . . 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. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies.' The aged man fell gently back upon his pillow. Those were his last words on earth before he passed into his Master's joy. 'Ah,' exclaimed Satan, this is a fearfully dry place,' and glad to escape from such confusion and shame he added, "I will return to my place; I had rather be there than here.'"

Standing at the Door.

By the Rev. CHRISTMAS EVANS.*

"Behold I stand at the door and knock."-Rev. iii. 20.

REACHING from the above text, he said in closing the sermon:-“ Oh, my dear brethren, why will you pay no heed to your best Friend? Why will you let Him stand knocking, night and day, in all weathers, and never open the door to Him? If the horsedealer or cattle-drover came you would run to open the door to him, and set meat and drink before him, because you would expect to make some money by his visit. But when the Lord Jesus stands knocking at the door of your heart, bringing to you the everlasting wealth, which He gives without money and without price, you are deaf and blind; you are so busy that you cannot attend. Markets, and fairs, pleasures, and profits occupy you; you have neither time nor inclination for such as He. Let Him knock! Let Him stand without, with the door shut in His face, what matters it to you? But it does matter to you.

"Oh, my brethren! I will relate to you a parable of truth. In a familiar parable I will tell you how it is with some of you, and, alas! how it will be in the end. I will tell you what happened in a Welsh village, I need not say * See page 338.

where. I was passing through that village in early spring, and saw before me a beautiful house. The farmer had just brought his load of lime into the yard; his horses were fat and all were well to do about him. He went in and sat down to his dinner, and as I came up a man stood knocking at the door. There was a friendly look in his face that made me say as I passed, 'The master's at home; they won't keep you waiting.'

"Not long after I was again on that road, and as soon as I came in sight of the house I saw the same man knocking. At this I wondered, and as I came near I saw that he stood as one who had knocked long. As he knocked he listened. Said I, The farmer is busy making up his books, or counting his money, or eating and drinking. Knock louder, Sir, and he will hear you. But,' I added, 'you have great patience, Sir, for you have been knocking a long time. If I were you I would leave him to-night and come back to-morrow.'

"He is in danger, and I must warn him,' replied he; and knocked louder than ever.

"Some time afterwards I went that way again; there the man still stood, knocking, knocking, knocking. Well, Sir,' said I, 'your perseverance is the most remarkable I ever saw! How long do you mean to stop?'

"Till I can make him hear,' was his answer; and he knocked again.

"Said I, "He wants for no good thing. He has a fine farm, flocks and herds, stack-yards, and barns.'

"Yes,' he replied, for the Lord is kind to the unthankful and to the evil.'

"Then he knocked again, and I went on my way, wondering at the goodness and patience of this man.

"Again I visited that district. It was very cold weather. There was an east wind blowing, and the snow