Beloved, observe in the text Jehovah's will and shall, for they are very blessed. "I will," says God, and "the people shall." "I will rain bread from heaven for you." It shall come down fresh, and it shall come down copiously too. I will not deal with a niggardly hand; but I will pour it down from above. Moreover, it shall be for you. Not for the nations around, but for you, my dearly-loved and specially-chosen people. Here is Divine sovereignty and electing, discriminating love. "And the people

shall go out and gather a certain rate every day." It shall be there! Never shall any be lacking. And they shall go out morning by morning to gather it, that thus they may have an ever-renewing proof of my thoughtfulness and care over them.

Reader, there are two or three thoughts respecting the manna and its gathering, which are exceedingly precious. First, observe, it was "in the morning the dew lay round about the host." It is after the night of darkness and doubt and dismay-it is when the morning breaks, that Jehovah manifestively appears on behalf of his people. We find this both literally and spiritually throughout the Scriptures, and it is blessedly confirmed in the experience of the Lord's dear people. Again, there is commonly a mist with the dew, and through a mist we cannot see plainly. So the Lord's mercies, about so richly and refreshingly to be discovered, are for a season obscured. When the children of Israel saw the small round thing, as small as the hoar frost on the ground, they said one to another, It is manna; or [margin], What is this? How often does the astonished child of God thus express himself. Under some new interposition of a Father's hand-some fresh deliverance—or some unexpected love-token, he exclaims, "What is this?" Like Peter upon the mount of transfiguration, he says, "It is good for us to be here," and yet prefers a most unreasonable request, for "he wist not what to say: y:" or like the damsel Rhoda, who, "when she knew Peter's voice, opened not the gate for gladness, but ran in and told how Peter stood before the gate." Beloved, do you not know something of this sacred ecstacy? and when coming to yourself-recovering from that dear swooning, as it were, at the feet of Jesushave you not often said,

Oh, how unspeakably dear are such Christ-exalting interviews! Well might the Church of old exclaim, "I charge you, O daughters of Jerusalem, that ye stir not up, nor awake my love until he please."

Again, how simple yet precious the testimony, " And the children of Israel gathered some more, some less. And when they did mete with an omer [about three quarts] he that had gathered much had nothing over, and he that had gathered little had no lack." Thus the poor little weak one gathered enough for his needs; and the strong had not an over-supply. It was meted and measured with marvellous accuracy. No waste-no want. Enough, but none to spare. That which was unbelievingly left, or, to save trouble, put by for the morrow, bread worms and stank. All precious Gospel lessons,

beloved.

"The people shall go out and gather a certain rate every day." The dwarf shall go forth, and assuredly shall find his portion, and the man sixfoot high, his. "Every man shall gather according to his eating." And it shall be "every day." Every day? What, no failure? Not the slightest! Nothing left to-night, but, as verily as God is true, there shall be more tomorrow! Oh, precious faith! but still more precious the Author of faith!

What a sweet spectacle was presented morning by morning, as this mighty host, numbering between three and four millions (allowing for their increase since they left Egypt) were seen scattered upon the face of that vast wilderness, gathering that which the Lord had so signally provided. Men, women, children, of all ages and stature. All met for one end, and bent upon one object. And how sweet, beloved, morning by morning that "meeting in one" of the whole election of grace! One sighing, another singing, but each coming in quest of the bread of life, Christ, the heavenly manna! Temporal, spiritual, and eternal blessings sought-and that, too, day by day-by the poor and the needy. One asking for the veriest love-token, some little indication that he is a chosen vessel; another, pleading for a little revival in his bondage-state; a third, that his hungry soul may partake largely of that bread which cometh down from God. Others are gathering according to their temporal necessities. One, a penny; another, a shilling; a third, a pound; a fourth, a hundred; a fifth, a thousand! One thousand or ten thousand, it is all the same with our God! 'We are not straitened in Him, but we are straitened in our own 'According to thy faith, be it done unto thee."-Lord God of Israel, give us, we pray thee, more faith; that we may believe thy record, and trust thy wisdom, love, faithfulness, and power! "Is there anything too hard for the Lord ?" It is written, moreover, "Some more, some less." All equally dependent, all equally supplied. No cause for mourning, none for boasting.

bowels."

With such a standing miracle, then, before us, beloved, of the Lord's having supplied this vast host during their forty years' wilderness wanderings, may we not take courage? Can our prospects be less propitious than were Israel's? If of them it was said, "I have led you forty years in the wilderness: your clothes are not waxen old upon you, and thy shoe is not waxen old upon thy foot. Ye have not eaten bread, neither have ye drunk wine or strong drink that ye might know that I am the Lord your God;" may we not be comforted? Is there the slightest ground for discouragement or despair? What have we to do with prospects?

""Tis enough that He should care,

Why should we the burden Lear ?"

Is Jehovah grown old or weary? Is "his hand shortened that it cannot save, or is his ear heavy, that it cannot hear?" Mark that precious word, "In quietness and in confidence shall be your strength." Be it yours and ours, dear reader, to "Be still, and know that He is God." It is in the stillness-the calm looking on-that we shall have both time and inclination to contemplate the blessed fact, that "He is God,"—aye, and our own God" too.

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As we step, therefore, over the threshold of the New Year, in happy ignorance of all its multifarious unfoldings; and with the unquestionable assurance that "the people shall go out and gather a certain [covenant] rate every day," we would sing

"This God is the God we adore,

Our faithful, unchangeable Friend,
Whose love is as large as his power,

And neither knows measure nor end.

'Tis Jesus, the First and the Last,
Whose Spirit shall guide us safe home:
We'll praise him for all that is past,

And trust him for all that's to come."

Bonmahon, Ireland, Dec. 13, 1854.

THE EDITOR.

A SALUTATION.

To the saints which are scattered abroad in this day of darkness, of blasphemy, and of rebuke. A day in which the good old paths are not thrown up, and the ancient landmarks removed; and the glory evidently departed, because the ark of our God is in the hands of our enemies. To that one Church, Jehovah's portion, chosen for himself, redeemed by himself, and called by himself to glory and honour, send we greeting in the name which is above every name, even Jesus, the Son of the Father in truth and love.

Brethren beloved, since we first essayed to enter your ranks as one of those desirous of writing the vision plainly, the index of time has pointed so frequently to the digit of the sun's travails, so as to place the youthful" Stripling" of that day, with the men of grey hairs of the present, and to have nearly removed from before him all those who once encouraged him to go up and possess the goodly land; a land whose goodness and riches has made his cup run over, so that he has gone forth in the dances of those that make merry, when the holy anointings were upon him, and the King was held in the galleries, with all the zest of former days, though with less energy or power to exercise it, he would still be showing his warm affection of love and sympathy with his fellow travellers in Achor's vale, by once more (and who shall say but what it will be the last ?) meeting them with his usual Salutation in Christ, if haply their pure minds might be stirred up by way of remembrance, that our mutual rejoicings might be in the Lord, our faith standing not in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.

Beloved, how solemn does the knell of the past eventful year 1854, sound in our ears, vibrating the scourge of pestilence which has visited us. and the horrors of war, which cause our young men to die in the flower of their youth. In looking back upon it, the only pleasing reflection must arise from knowing the Lord has done whatsoever it pleased Him; and the sins of a man or of a nation shall not go unpunished by Him. We pronounce its requiem without regret, seeing it is gone as all former, and only appears as a tale that is told.

In entering upon the one now opened, we have no speculative concern as to what it may throw up in its convulsive moments. Doubtless it is big with important matter, in which we can have no careful interest, further than knowing that whether war or famine, pestilence or death, all must bring about the great event, "when the kingdoms of this world shall become the kingdoms of our God, and of his Christ." Using the world and not abusing it, we are passing through as though not of it, rehearsing in its cities and villages the righteous acts of the Lord, declaring his doings amongst the people, making mention that his name is exalted, that there is none like Him, lifting up our banner in the same; that while some shall trust in horses, and some in chariots, we only will trust in the name of the Lord.

Brethren, we charge you with ourselves upon the opening of the year 1855, that ye be found not following the cunningly-devised fables of the day; nor with many whose only aim seems to be the pleasing of the ear of fancy. Ye have a more sure word of prophecy, and your occupation is clearly marked out as those who when their Lord cometh shall find watching; and though the awful forebodings of the night be that which shall make all hearts tremble, ye have nothing to fear, but enter into the work, anoint the shield, and with your Alamoth song of the heart, singing in the house of your present pilgrimage, "Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits."

We propose to join you in this delightful work, by making the Lord and his benefits the whole sum and substance of our Salutation to you. Beloved,

we dwell too much at the lower springs, contenting ourselves with what was never intended for more than meetness to a higher theme. Great is the act of our God in his great love in blessing of his people; but what a redundancy of glory arises when that act of blessing us draws out our poor feeble praise, which is called blessing Him. "Whosoever offereth me praise, glorifieth me; and to him that ordereth his conversation aright, will I shew the salvation of God." Now all right conversation must begin and end in Christ, as the only medium of approach of the sinner to Jehovah. The first beatings of the heart made sensible, is for mercy; and its last accents in time will be no other. To perform the mercy promised, did the womb of mercy send forth its firstborn, by which was ratified the holy covenant made with our father Abraham and his seed for evermore. This horn of salvation, from the continued flowing of its prolific stores, creates the fruit of the lips, even praise unto God. Hence the resolve of all those whose lips are opened to show forth the praises of God. "I will bless the Lord at all times; his praise shall continually be in my mouth. O bless the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together." Let us bear in remembrance we have a perpetual subject for a flitting year; and while some of us shall doubtless ere its close strike its deep-sounding bass notes in eternity, there will be no discord with those of the lower house. For those that were before, and those that followed after, cried out Hosanna. In our unitedness of soul to bless the Lord for his benefits, a mere rehearsal of what those benefits are, rather than an elaborate explanation, must suffice us. We must not forget there are others as fond as ourselves of appearing in the pages of a Magazine. The first benefit is said to be of the most extensive nature, and of the most interesting nature. He that measured out heaven with a span, and comprehended the dust of the earth in a balance, even He is it who has placed Himself in the relative character as a pardoning God. Not as men of the earth, who may pardon one transgression, and reserve the remainder for vengeance to glout herself upon. No, all search, and bring all as far back as the stretch of thought can go; yea let it be found as with the Church of old, who multiplied transgressions against the Lord; yet He meets with, "I will multiply pardons unto her." Increase the past by the mystery of iniquity now working within, still the circumference of the all is not yet outstretched; yea whatever shall yet be thrown up from the unfathomable deep that coucheth beneath, was included in the great benefit of our pardoning God. Beloved, is not the thought cheering, that in the close of one era and the opening of the other, this benefit remains stationary ; taking all the sins of the past, and with a mighty throw casting them into the depths of the sea, where they sink to rise no more, and meeting the coming influx which already shows its lofty head with, "I, even I, am He that blotteth out thy sins as a cloud, for my own name sake." How shallow a view is held by thousands of the magnitude of pardons! and how would they dole it out as concerning Jehovah, as the ancient school-dame did by withdrawing the alarming rod from the culprit's view. Not so; our God has more glory in pardoning, than we can have happiness in its reception: for He delighteth mercy, and mercy has no half-way house. Jehovah must either pardon or retain anger. Onward, my brethren, onward, cheered with the sweet truth, Thy sins, which are many, are all forgiven thee."

in

Another of the Lord's benefits-"Who healeth all thy diseases." Men of faculty direct their first aim to the root of the disease; judging that gaining that point, and success will crown the issue. Be it so with them or not, with our God it is beyond all doubt; for having forgiven all iniquity, “ In all their afflictions being himself afflicted," He not only enters feelingly into all Joseph's afflictions, but healeth powerfully by declaring He will bring both

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health and cure, while himself is known as "the Lord which healeth thee." What then does the eventful 1855 open with all the prospect of sickness, disease, or death, it can be of no moment to us; the one leading thing for our comfort is, we are those whom the Lord will benefit by his healing virtue. Again, "Who redeemeth thy life from destruction;" war, and its frequent companions, pestilence and famine, might tend to cast a shade over its brightest prospect. Here is the shade and thy security, " He will not suffer thee to be moved." Your share of jostling with the denizens of earth will fall out to you, and your life might appear in jeopardy oft and again; but lift up thine head, for "thy redemption draweth nigh," and from destruction shalt thou be kept.

Again, "Who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies?" A yearly provision, beginning with the first, and running on through the whole; bowels of mercies yearning over thee under all the assaults of the enemy, treachery of thine own heart, and fearfulness of soul. And sure we are victory must be obtained before crowning can take place. Thy victory is therefore secure, "for thou shalt be as a crown in the hand of the Lord, and a royal diadem in the hand of thy God." Let us not then be anxious about what may take place, but rather upon what cannot be uttered, leaving those to beat the bush who seem more concerned about what they call the coming struggle, and thus with mere playthings divert the minds of the simple. Ours be the highest order of things, even to bless the Lord our God, and to forget not all his benefits.

Brethren, we greet you upon the entrance of this new year; it is all that we can do. The future days are not with us, and if we are not mistaken in the dilapidated state of this frail fabric we now inhabit, it will have been removed as a shepherd's tent ere its close. This we leave also. Our lease has not been a short one; and though we have been a sorry tenant, the Lord of the manor is so well satisfied, that He never means to let us go off of his estate. Well, we will do all we can to praise and bless his dear Majesty. Nothing further will we attempt. Join us in thus ushering in this changing period, with the full prospect that while the wheel of time lingers, eternity has no revolving.

London.

A STRIPLING.

STUMBLING-BLOCKS-WHAT THEY ARE, AND HOW AND BY WHOM TO BE REMOVED.

"Take up the stumbling-block out of the way of my people.”—Isa. lvii. 14. THIS is the requisition of God's spiritually-taught people, whose faith and confidence in God is so strong, that they possess the promised land-like Caleb, the sons of Anak, whose gigantic stature made the hearts of the fearful and unbelieving quail, are but bread for their faith-they inherit Jehovah's holy mountain; they enjoy all the blessings of the new covenant; they eat the bread of eternal life, and drink water from salvation's wells. This kind of living makes them strong in the Lord, and anxious to have the road leading to the goodly mountain cast up, and cleared of all the useless obstructions which human weakness and ignorance have left in the way to the annoyance of their weaker brethren.