and gave us rain from heaven, and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness," Acts xiv. 17. "For the invisible things of God are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead," Rom. i. 20. God speaks by his daily providence. You have read how he spoke to the poor widow by the death of her only child. It was a gracious voice to her, though it wrung her heart at first. She will thank God for it, for ever and ever. Reader, has God never spoken thus to you? have you ever lost a parent, a brother, a sister, or a child? and, it may be, you never listened to the sad solemn tones of that voice. Or perhaps the Lord has sometimes laid you on a bed of sickness, and pleaded with you there in solitude and silence; and you refused to hear. Perhaps he has dashed your earthly hopes to the ground, and brought you to great poverty: heard you no voice saying, "This is not your rest; lay not up for yourselves treasures on earth; labour not for the meat that perisheth, but for that which endureth to everlasting life?" Have you ever seen a careless ungodly man, in the prime of life, struck suddenly down by death; and yet heard no voice of warning? If your friend, by folly in business, had failed and suddenly become bankrupt, "Ah! poor fellow," you would exclaim, "here is a lesson for me; I must avoid that quicksand, or I shall be shipwrecked too." Cannot you take warning for your poor, precious, immortal soul? But there is a yet softer, tenderer voice in God's providences, when he speaks in mercy. O reader, this is his usual voice; have you not twenty mercies for one trial? He would convince you that God is love. All you are and have is from him. Have you never thanked him, never loved him? Despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance; but after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath?"

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God speaks by his word. This probably you will not question. If a friend sent a letter to you, signed with his name, sealed with his seal, with proofs that it came from him, you would feel as bound to listen to his message, and to act upon it, as if he had spoken to you face to face. God puts his name to the Bible: it comes with this authority, "Thus saith the Lord." It has the impress of his Spirit. Never book spoke like that book. It gives strength to the weak, food to the hungry, comfort to the afflicted. It is proved to be true by hundreds of prophecies fulfilled. Thousands of martyrs have died for it. Ten thousand living witnesses will tell you they have proved its power to cheer and support, to counsel and guide: they have no more doubt of it than that there is a sun which warms them. There

often heard this voice. Have you believed and obeyed? heaven or hell hangs on this.

He speaks by the gift of his Son. No voice so sweet, so tender, so persuasive, so solemn, so full of penetrating love as this. If when you were in difficulty and debt, a rich friend were, without saying a word to you, to pay it all off, and put a large sum to your account at the bank, would you say, because he did not speak to you personally, you were not called upon to thank and love him? Nay, would you not exclaim, "Here, at least, is a loud call for grateful affection?" Reader, your debt to God is compared in Scripture to ten thousand talents, Matt. xviii. 24. A sum so vast you could never hope to pay; nay, with your utmost striving to do so, it would increase every day and hour you live. Jesus, by dying for you, paid the whole with his precious blood, 1 Pet. i. 18, 19: he has redeemed or bought you back again; that is, you deserved eternal death, and he died for you, that you might live for ever. Only believe in him, and you will find the whole debt cancelled; and he will be to you a neverfailing treasury of good. Oh! this is greater love, infinitely greater than any earthly friend could show. Do you hear no voice from Bethlehem, from Gethsemane, from Calvary? Hearken to the declaration of the Bible: "God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life," John iii. 16.

God also speaks by his ministers. If you had only had the Bible in your hand, you could never have complained of having been left to grope in darkness to find your way from time to eternity. But God has done yet more. He has sent his messengers, to preach to you his word, to warn you, to exhort you, to counsel you, to comfort you. Reader, if they speak according to God's law and testimony, and you neglect their voice, it is to the unspeakable danger of your soul. For Jesus said to his seventy disciples, "He that heareth you heareth me; and he that despiseth you despiseth me; and he that despiseth me despiseth him that sent me," Luke x. 16. And surely their message lacks not sweetness and attraction suited to the unhappy, discontented hearts of men; when, as St. Paul declares, “We are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God,” 2 Cor. v. 20.

"Be

Reader, God speaks to you by this tract. It may be for the last time: 66 Escape for thy life; look not behind thee," Gen. xix. 17. "Flee from the wrath to come," Matt. iii. 7. lieve on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved," Acts xvi. 31.

"WHO IS ON THE LORD'S SIDE?"

WHEN political or other parties strive with each other, it may often be wise to say, "I will be neutral; I will not take either side." But in a far more important case than any connected with worldly contests, such a course is impossible. None can be neutral where God and the Saviour are concerned. All who are not the decided friends of Christ, are considered by him decided foes; for he has said, "He that is not with me is against me; and he that gathereth not with me scattereth abroad," Matt. xii. 30. From the word of God, which cannot err or deceive, we learn that all intelligent beings are divided into two classes, the holy and the unholy. Thus in the unseen world of glory there are holy and lovely beings-the blessed God, his mighty angels, and the spirits of the just made perfect, who "have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb," Rev. vii. 14. In the unseen abodes of sin and woe there are the devil and his angels, and the lost and miserable spirits of sinful men, reserved for final condemnation; who in their character and dispositions are hateful, and hating one another, Jude 6. In this world a like difference also exists, though the line of division

is not equally clear to us. One part of the human race belongs to the family of God-they are his saints, his children, the lovers and followers of the Lord Jesus: the other part is in subjection to Satan, "the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience," and described as "dead in trespasses and sins," Ephes. ii. 1, 2.

To one or the other of these classes every dweller in this world belongs, whether young or aged, rich or poor, learned or unlearned. There is no middle class. No one can truly say, I will not be of either party. God has decided that there shall be no neutrality, and in various ways bears testimony to this solemn and momentous fact. Are men described as travellers through the world? Then there are but two ways in which they go: "Wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction and many there be which go in thereat;" but "Strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it," Matt. vii. 13, 14. Is the world compared to a field? Then in that field grow two kinds, the wheat and the tares: "The good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one," Matt. xiii. 38. Are plain and direct statements used? Then the testimony is, "He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him," John iii. 36. Are the characters and conditions of these two classes further described by their fruits? Then we read, "In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God," 1 John iii. 10. Are all that ever have lived, or ever shall live, presented to our view as appearing before the eternal Judge? Then we read of the sheep and the goats, the righteous and the unrighteous; those at his right hand, and those at his left-these going away into everlasting punishment, and those into everlasting life. Matt. xxv. 31–46. Thus, with much variety of representation and language, is the weighty truth declared, that on earth there are but two classes-the servants of God, and the slaves of the wicked one; the heirs of the kingdom of heaven, and the heirs of hell. Reader! you do, and you must, belong to one of these classes. If you are only undecided about religion, and yield not your heart to Christ, however you may be esteemed by men, you as really oppose his plans of mercy and accomplish Satan's purposes, as if you were

openly wicked. Under such circumstances, how needful is the inquiry, "Who is on the Lord's side?"

To be on the Lord's side is to be blessed now, and the heir of endless blessedness hereafter. A young woman, well educated, of good talents, and whose company was earnestly sought by the

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WHO IS ON THE LORD'S SIDE?

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course of worldly gaiety, if persisted in, would end in everlasting sorrow. By God's grace, she sought salvation, and obtained the peace of God, through believing. She experienced much happiness, indeed, a joy "unspeakable and full of glory," 1 Pet. i. 8. Several of her young friends came to visit her, and inquired if she had lost her reason. She meekly replied that she never possessed it more, but that her mind was turned from vanity to real and substantial happiness. She said that if she could at once enjoy all the happinesss he had ever before possessed, one hour of her present joy would far surpass it all. "And now," she added, "I do not want to part with you, although I cannot join you in our former vain amusements. I do entreat you to join me in walking the narrow road to happiness." At first they tried to quench her religious feelings, and made light of all she said; but He who led her to happiness, so powerfully impressed her affectionate addresses upon some of their hearts, that they became her happy companions in the way to the kingdom of heaven. At the close of a short but pious course, she left the world with sweet composure, saying, "My heavenly Father, receive thy poor child home. Ŏ precious Saviour, into thy hands I commit my spirit."

Happy are they who are on the Lord's side; the difference in their state and condition from that of all mankind besides is immensely great. In the view of men, the difference may seem small between an estimable moral person, who neglects the Saviour, and a humble watchful believer-between an amiable girl who trifles about her soul, and another as amiable who loves and trusts her Lord-between a respectable tradesman who scorns whatever is mean, and another acting in the same way because renewed by the Holy Ghost. But, while " man looketh on the outward appearance, the Lord looketh on the heart," and he sees an immense difference there; and equally great is the difference in their state. In all that is most important they are as far apart as the east is from the west.

Those who are on the Lord's side have all their sins forgiven; they are justified from all things, and the blood of Jesus Christ cleanses them from all sin; Acts xiii. 39; 1 John i. 7. Being justified by faith, they have peace with God; are blessed, and accepted in the Beloved; Rom. v. 1; iv. 7; Eph. i. 6. Those who are not the Lord's neglect the great salvation; not one of their sins is forgiven, but the wrath of God abideth on them; Heb. ii. 3; Luke xiv. 24; John iii. 36. Abroad, at home, by day, by night, they lie under the curse of God's broken law.

They who are on the Lord's side have escaped from bondage to Satan; God has delivered them from the power of darkness, and translated them into the kingdom of his dear Son. Col. i.