"And He gave them their request, but sent leanness into their soul." (Ps. 106:15.) "Delight thyself also in the Lord, and He shall give thee the desires of thine heart." (Ps. 37:4.)

Pray without ceasing," says the apostle ; " Ask, and it shall be given unto you," says our Lord ; and the impulse of the new-born soul is to pray. One of the tests of a new life is, " Behold he prayeth."Our God delights to hear prayer and to answer it. Surely in His heart there is no thought but for our blessing; but for that very reason His dealings with us vary according to the state of soul, and our real necessities. He certainly would not give us any thing to harm us ; and when we ask for what would injure us, He knows how refuse. But there may be a condition of soul where refusal does not touch the conscience; where the will instead of being subdued, is only made the more stubborn by refusal. Then it is that divine wisdom may grant the request, in order that the one who will not learn to trust God in His way, may find the folly of his own. It was thus with Israel in the case alluded to in the passage be-fore us. God has undertaken to deliver them, and to bring them into the "good land and large."He had provided suited food for them in their journey, in the manna, which, as it lay all about the camp each morning, silently bore witness to the love and care of One who never slumbered nor slept. But they never realized the privilege of being so cared for, and so take their case in their own hand. They ask for quails and quails they must have. Their longings for the food which perishes was so great that it eclipsed every thing else. Such a people could not be benefitted by a refusal They would not learn except by tasting the bitter fruit of their own lusts.

At first, they might have been tempted to boast in the answer to prayer. Is not answered prayer always a proof of divine favor and special good-will? But there was no gratitude, no sense of humility, no asking, "Who am I?" They had carried their point, and now proceeded to gratify to the full the desires which had demanded this gratification. They became the more alienated from God by His very mercies. This was the leanness which came into their souls-the natural result of self-will uncontrolled. It never checks itself, never is satisfied with any possession of good, but craves and craves, and the granting of each new craving but results in still further alienation and leanness; unless, indeed, through mercy, the eyes are opened to see where we are. So Kibroth-hattaavas speaks to us most seriously, warning us against "asking amiss," lest that leanness come on us, which, unless delivered from, is but the precursor of dealings in severity.

Lot looked over to Sodom's plains with the same longings that Israel had for the quails, and the mountain cave where his light went out in obscure darkness, is his grave of lust. He wished for himself and got what he wanted, but the leanness in his soul resulting from gaining his point, stands out to-day in all its clearness for our warning. And how many Lots since that day can bear witness to this truth, " He gave them their request, but sent leanness into their soul" ! Could Lot have dreamed as he looked with such longing over these pleasant plains that they lead directly to that lonely mountain cave, we can well believe he would have drawn back in horror. And yet they were but the way and the end of a self-will which craves indulgence and will take no refusal. Beloved, is the personal application difficult ? Let us beware of this subtle working in our hearts, lest blight and sorrow come upon us to teach us.

But let us hasten from these sad things to look a little at the sweet assurance of the other verse :" Delight thyself also in the Lord, and He will give thee the desires of thine heart." At a glance we see the difference. In the former case self was the center and all revolved about it, everything must contribute to self-gratification, and, as we said, when one is bound to have his own way, God allows it. Here, how different! we are in another atmosphere. God is the center, about whom all revolves. His interests are the important ones, His good pleasure, His glory. Self is subordinated and out of sight-God fills the horizon.

But there is more. "Delight thyself in the Lord. He rejoices over us, wonderful that it can be, and wishes us not merely to be absorbed, occupied with Him, but to delight in Him. He wishes no compulsory attachment- He draws free hearts, and attaches them to Himself by the sweet constraint of love. It is the glory of redemption that it does this, wins the heart, as well as enlightens and arouses the conscience. Mere sense of duty will sooner or later say, "Thou never gavest me a kid that I might make merry with my friends." The elder brother admits, with all his correctness in service, there was no joy in it, and he seems to fail to see how there can be joy in the father's house. How different the language of One who always delighted in His Father. " In Thy presence is fullness of joy; at Thy right hand are pleasures for evermore,"-language to be taken up and repeated by lips of faith in all places and at all times. " God my exceeding joy," says David; "We joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ," says Paul. When joy goes declension soon follows. But what an object for our delight! Well may we ask,-

" Where shall our wondering souls begin ? "

We need never be at a loss for fresh delights. His Person, His works, His attributes, counsels, His Son, and the vast plan of redemption, the depths of His love- surely here we have themes to charm and delight the soul.

Delighting in Him, our desires are secondary and ever subject to His will. But if we almost forget them, He does not. " He shall give thee the desires of thine heart." No fear that riches or prosperity will lead astray. Abraham places God first, delights in Him, only to prove that the blessing of the Lord was his-" He maketh rich, and ' He addeth no sorrow with it."

Even as to spiritual blessings, this truth applies. If we are asking for gifts, or even for holiness for ourselves, we will find that whatever apparent attainments we make, instead of ripening and mellowing us, do the reverse. The holiness is in name only, contributing to self-complacency, not God-likeness. On the other hand, let God be delighted in and the desire of the heart to be like Him is granted; we grow like Him, by being occupied with Him, and holiness results.

Dear brethren, have we desires ? Longings it may be for temporal things, or for blessings on others; for greater power in the assemblies of His people ; for simpler and clearer testimony before the world ? Let us learn to delight in Him more, for His own sake, and He will give us the desires of our heart.