That which is given for the Christian's guidance is not God's blessings but His will as revealed in the Word. Precious blessings will be found in the path of faith, surely, for God will be there, with all the riches of His grace, and their enjoyment is most precious; but blessings are not our guide; they may at times help us to discern what is pleasing to God; but that which is the spring and controller of our actions is not the joy we find by the way, but the express will of God.

There is a disposition which is but natural to us, to seek our own, to have respect for that which is pleasant to us, and to take our own comfort and feelings for guides; but obedience to the will of God is a very different think:for, in the first case, self is the object sought; in the second, that which is suitable to God.

I feel alarmed when I see those who pursue their course without clear knowledge of the will of God; who come simply because Christians whom they respect have taken this path before them; or because they have found in it, at times, more life, joy, or light than elsewhere. But what will become of such in the hour of trial? Perplexity awaits them, and perhaps temptation to return to what they have left! God may indeed strengthen through sad experience, but how much better and safer to start aright with God's principles.

Again, I say, enjoyment is not ,a sure guide:it may be wanting even when things are, as a whole, according to God's mind, while there remain yet things to be judged. The very presence of God is a cause of discomfort if God's children feel there is sin among them, and this discomfort would not be felt if God were not with them. The unestablished are much shaken if God comes in to judge; whilst he who understands and obeys the will of God has confidence, though the day may be dark, and in this there is much peace.

It is in a faithful walk we find most trials. Satan lets alone those who do not walk by faith, but assails in various ways those whose hearts are right, and whose eye is single before God.

Those who follow a path simply on account of the blessing and comfort they find in it, are, in a sense, like those to whom the Lord once said, "Ye seek Me, not because ye saw the miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves " (John 6:26). If they had given heed to His miracles, they would have proved to them that Jesus was sent from the Father, and would have clung to Him as the One who had "the words of eternal life," and was "the Christ, the Son of the living God." In this case, their attachment to Jesus would have been unwavering, in spite of all trials. But they followed Jesus not for His own sake but for the loaves with which He had fed them-that is, for their own comfort rather than for the truth that He was teaching them. When the soul is in this state, it may soon leave Jesus because of the hard things which may be the lot of those that walk with Him.

The history of the remnant, brought back to their land out of captivity to build the temple of the Lord amid many difficulties, has much instruction for us because of the similarity of their position and ours at the present time. In returning to the land of their fathers, they returned as well as they could to the worship of God. In this was great joy; but there was a series of difficulties in the accomplishment of this, though it was altogether according to the mind of God. Difficulties were met with on every side; much chastening, too, and merited reproofs were incurred by them from their faithful God; and if they took into consideration the prosperity and peace of their brethren who had remained in captivity, it might have caused discouragement. It was needful therefore that those who had returned from the Babylonish captivity should understand the will and purpose of God; for had they only sought comforts, they would soon have been discouraged. Did not some regret leaving Babylon when they endured the opprobrium and saw the state of the remnant? Yet they were just in the position, if not fully in the state, in which God would have them. The Name and Spirit of the Lord were there; there also were His prophets, His worship, His Word:none of these were found in Media-neither the presence nor even the name of the Lord are once mentioned in the Book of Esther.

Remember, also, the horrible language of the Jews who returned to Egypt instead of abiding in their land as Jeremiah urged them to do. Satan blinds men who follow their own thoughts instead of God's revealed will. They answer Jeremiah, "As for the word that thou hast spoken unto us in the name of the Lord, we will not hearken unto thee. But we will certainly do whatsoever thing goeth forth out of our own mouth, to burn incense unto the queen of heaven…. as we have done, we, and our fathers…. . for then had we plenty of victuals, and were well, and saw no evil. But since we left off to burn incense to the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink-offerings unto her, we have wanted all things, and have been consumed by the sword and by the famine" (Jer. 44:16-18). Prosperity in this world was one of the blessings of the Jewish covenant; but they should have seen that in their present condition it was the hand of the Lord that was against them.

In connection with "revivals" it has been asked, "Why is there much blessing around, while there is none among those that walk with you?" I answer, It is a mistake to suppose there is none. If God makes us partakers in what He counts most precious, I cannot say there is none. The pains He takes to humble us, and to lower us in our own eyes, is a proof of the interest He graciously takes in us. His work is to strip us of self, which is the greatest obstacle to our blessing. It is bitter water to the flesh, doubtless, but most needful. If we have risen high in our own conceits, on account of some little light and knowledge (and our foolish pride has already brought us much sorrow), what better could God do for us than to deliver us from that which hinders us from being vessels of blessing?

Nor let us forget the state of ruin into which the Church has fallen. We who preach of this ruin should be the first to feel the misery of it. We are also (unconsciously, perhaps) enslaved by worldly customs and principles; unfaithfulness in minor things too is not un-frequently the cause of painful trials.

As to some who are bewildered by "revivals" in places with which we cannot be identified, let us rejoice when souls are really turned from darkness to light. It is a great honor to be used of God for such a work. Still, revivals do not make right what the Word condemns as to other things; nor let us confound the true conversion of souls with lists of names or numbers given out for the satisfaction or praise of men. God has given us joy in the conversion of many, at times, and it is well to humble ourselves before Him if drought is felt. Only let us remember that blessing does not prove that all is right where God is pleased to bless.

We are shown this in Acts 21:20 in the Judaeo-Christian Church at Jerusalem :"Thou seest, brother, how many thousands of the Jews there are that believe." Advantage could be taken of this to show that God approved that Judaeo-Christian state of things, and to wage war with those who did not link themselves with it, so as to slight the efforts of a Paul. But the fact was that whilst God was there to bless His Word and His sincere laborers, the system was judged soon after, when the Romans destroyed the city, burned the temple, and scattered the nation. God can act in the system as in a vessel, but not with the principles of the system. A. D.