delighted to see the book, and preached their first sermon from its pages.

The

And now I have told you all I need at this time about George Schmidt. point in his history I want most to fix your thoughts upon is, the connexion there seems to be between his prayers and the after opening of Africa. It teaches us,

and almost blind, yet still able to tell a
little of her former teacher. At first she
did not understand who they were; but when
told they had come to follow Schmidt and
to preach the great salvation, the old wo-
man was overwhelmed with joy. This aged
disciple was the only one of his first con-
verts left; but she had helped to keep the
light of truth burning in the wilderness.
She had still the Dutch Testament that
Schmidt had given her, carefully wrapped
up in a sheep-skin. Round this Testament
she had often gathered her fellow-country-
women to hear her read the words of life,
and there is reason to believe, not with- a rich reward.
out doing good. The missionaries were ceive."

1st, That however long God may keep us waiting for an answer to our cry, it is not because he does not hear, but because the right time to answer has not come. And 2dly, That faithful, earnest, believing prayer is sure, sooner or later, to receive "Ask and you shall re

You have read the history of David, and know what a good man he was. IIe began to serve God when he was very young; and he lived to be very old. Through his long life he had much experience. IIe noticed the conduct of many men-he observed the way in which they were raised to honour or sunk into misery; and he marked how God always blessed the righteous but punished the wicked. His long experience, and his careful observation, made him very wise, and able to give good

counsel to others. These counsels he wrote in the psalms that bear his name. Many of them direct us to do what is right, and others warn us from doing what is wrong. The fourth psalm is one of his psalms, and here is one of his warnings, "Stand in awe, and sin not.”

Let me try to answer some questions about it.

I. And first, WHAT IS SIN? Everything that is contrary to God's commands is sin;

YOUR OWN CHAPTER.

1. Not only wicked words; such as uttering oaths and telling lies, and using bad language, by calling people names;

2. Not only wicked actions; such as taking what is not our own, or going where we are forbid, or committing any crime; but,

79

There never was a moment in which you loved him. Then there never was a moment in which you did not sin; for not to love God is to commit sin.

Think of your actions. How many things have you done?-eating and drinking, laughing and playing-all your actions have been more or less defiled by sin-none of them have been right and pure. whatsoever is not of faith is sin;" and many of your actions you are ashamed to think of.

3. Also wicked thoughts. We can sin in our thoughts as well as in our actions. It is said of the people before the flood, those" monsters of wickedness, that "God saw their thoughts, that they were only evil, and that continually." If I feel proud, I sin the same as if I speak and act proudly. If I feel angry, I sin the same as if I strike my companion, or call him bad names. If do not love God, I sin the same as if I live in acts of outward rebellion against him. Whatever is contrary to his commands is sin. He tells me to love him with all my heart, and I do not; then I sin, for "sin is the transgression of the law."

For

Think of your words. How many words have you uttered?-They have all been sins; and oh! how many of them so bad, so wicked, you would not for the world have had some of your friends to have heard them.

My dear reader, you see from all this you have many many sins. Stand in awe, and sin not."

III. WHY ARE YOU NOT TO SIN?
Because sin is so evil, and so bitter a

thing.

You see this,

II. HOW OFTEN HAVE YOU SINNED? Look at the stars; oh how many there are, sparkling over the high vault of heaven, like bright and precious diamonds. 1. In the mischief it has done. It was Try to count them. You cannot. No! sin that robbed the hosts of angels of their nobody could ever count the stars. Your seats in heaven, and hurled them down to sins are more than the stars. the prison-house of hell. It was sin that robbed our first parents of Paradise, and brought death and woe into the world. It was sin that caused the flood, and destroyed all those wicked people. It was sin that ruined Sodom and Gomorrah, and brought down the fire and brimstone from heaven; and all the misery, and all the sickness, and all the death, that have ever been on the earth, have all been caused by sin.

Look at the sea-shore; it is covered with sand. How fine it is! When you take a handful, you lift up many thousand grains. Try to count them. You cannot; -you cannot count even a handful; how then could you count all the sands on all the shores of all the islands and countries in the world? Our sins are like the sands.

Think of your life; how long have you lived?—ten, twelve, fourteen, fifteen years? Then your sins are very very many. There has been one for every second struck upon the watch, since you began to know your duty to your God-so soon as you knew that you were to love God. You never loved him; you are not loving him now.

2. In the judgments that are written against it. Here is one, "The soul that sinneth it shall die." Here is another, "The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all they that forget God." Search your Bibles and you can find many more. 3. In the punishments that some have borne for it. Cain sinned, and God sent him out

a vagabond for ever. Achan sinned, and work. He had to leave his throne and he was stoned to death. Jonah sinned, come to earth, and bleed and die in agony, and he was swallowed by a fish. Ananias before God could forgive a single sin. and Sapphira sinned, and they were imme- Then stand in awe, and do not sin. diately struck dead. How do you know but if you sin, your name may then stand upon the list of those who thus have suffered?

4. In the difficulty there was to atone for it. All the angels in heaven could not atone for it. Jesus had to undertake the

But you have sinned. Then come to Jesus, and his blood can wash it all away. The past you cannot undo; but you can get it forgiven. "The blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth from all sin." "Come unto me," he says, "and I will not cast you out." May he pardon you!

Price d., or 4d. per dozen. Published by J. GALL & SON, 38 North Bridge, Edinburgh.
G. GALLIE, Glasgow. W. M'COMB, Belfast. J. ROBERTSON, Dublin.

HOULSTON & STONEMAN, London.