TO THE READER. DURING an Editorship which has extended over a period of within a few months of forty years, the Author of this little volume has had brought before him, from time to time, cases of a very varied character, in regard to the heartfelt exercises and anxious experiences touching the all-important interests of the immortal soul. In dealing with such, the writer has oftentimes been forcibly reminded of two portions of the sacred Word, "As in water face answereth to face, so doth the heart of man to man," and "Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend." By the comparing of notes, or the interchange of thought, light has been thrown upon many a critical and complicated path; stumbling blocks have been removed; and pilgrims through a waste and wearying wilderness have taken courage, and gone on their way rejoicing. With the hope that these little helps by the way may be afforded upon a perusal of the following pages, this work is sent forth upon the knee of prayer. God, of his great mercy, grant that many a word in season may be found within these covers. ፡፡ Much has been written during a time of affliction, when the Author knew not but that the Lord was, in . His Providence, saying "Set thine house in order, for thou shalt die and not live." The Author has no sympathy with those who boast of unvarying, never-failing faith. Whilst he has no wish whatever to nurture the doubts and fears of the Lord's dear people, he cannot lose sight of the fact, that "they who have no changes fear not God;" nor would he wish to fall into the too common error of substituting faith for its Divine Author! Faith is a great and a gracious gift from the hand of a covenant God, nor would the Author for a moment underrate or be indifferent to the inestimable value of such gift. One among the many of his daily petitions is, "Lord, increase our faith." At the same time it behoves us never to overlook the fact, that faith is but the eye that looks to, the hand that lays hold of, the voice that cries after, a precious CHRIST! CHRIST HIMSELF is the Hearer, the Helper, the Sustainer, the Defender, the Deliverer, and, finally, will be the everlasting Portion, of His poor and needy ones. ST. LUKE'S, BEDMINSTER, JANUARY, 1880. EVENINGS WITH JESUS. "Man goeth forth unto his work, and to his labour, until the evening!" Psalm civ. 23. THOU blessed Jesus, I have gone forth, in Thy name and in Thy strength, into Thy vineyard. A most gracious and considerate Master have I ever found Thee to be, and the most honourable and privileged of all service has been Thy work. The longer I have been engaged in it the more have I loved it, and the more intensely have I desired to be permitted to continue in it, until Thou shalt say, "Call the labourers, and give them their hire." At the same time, Lord, I would freely and unreservedly acknowledge before Thee, that I have been an "unprofitable servant." To what extent I feel this, Lord, Thou alone knowest; but does not that very "unprofitableness" show forth, in the more marked and merciful manner, Thy wondrous forbearance, marvellous patience, and constant long B suffering? Yea, Lord, I feel this in very deed to be the case; and, therefore, I come, in this the evening of my days, and now that my most imperfect labours are all-but ended, to plead with Thee, that I may be permitted and privileged to realize some of those precious promises which Thou hast made in regard to my present state and circumstances. O blessed Lord Jesus, be mindful of Thy promises, and "be it unto me according to Thy word." "Until the Evening." LORD, there is a most gracious promise in Thy word, the fulfilment of which I would venture to ask for of Thee. It reads thus, Lord: "They that sow in tears shall reap in joy. He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him." Now, Lord, Thou knowest for how many years I have "gone forth weeping;" and Thou knowest, Lord, likewise, why I have wept. I have wept over my own |