their
prayer--

"O GOD! GIVE ME MY DAUGHTER ONCE MORE!"

If you are absolutely friendless, so far as earth is concerned, you have
your Heavenly Father. He is always within call, and He has said, in His
word, "Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will
give you rest." On the other hand, there is the "Father of lies." He
who tempted the first woman, and led her astray, and taught her to lead
the man wrong. This evil one is whispering in your ear--"There is no
hope." "It is too late." "Better have a short life and a merry one."

HEED HIM NOT, SISTER!

He is a liar! He means thy destruction! God calls, and calls thee to
pardon and peace. Obey Him, and hope shall spring again, and LIGHT
RETURN TO THY POOR HEART.

XXVIII. "OFFER IT NOW UNTO THY GOVERNOR."
MALACHI i. 8.

We beg to suggest to those who want a new text that will strike and
stick, that they should look through MALACHI'S book. There are plenty of
texts like splinters therein. The words that head this article are part
of an appeal to the people on the question of right service. The prophet
was indignant with his country people, who wished to combine prayer with
parsimony, and worship with worldly policy. He complained that they dare
not offer to their superiors what they sent as a sacrifice to God. Might
not some Christians be asked the same questions? Would the "Governor"
accept the present God was supposed to be glad to get? Who would think
of trying to get into the good graces of any one by sending a spavined
horse, or a cow with foot-and-mouth-disease, as a present?

In the matter of prayer, for instance. Take a congregation supposed to
be asking God to pardon their sins, and to give them all the blessings
their souls and bodies need. Mind you, they are people who say they
believe that "he that believeth not is condemned" already; that "the
wages of sin is death," and yet, listen how they pray! We will suppose
the man in the pulpit is in earnest and means all he says. Look around,
what do you see? Scores of people who dare not sit in the presence even
of the Squire, to say nothing of the Queen, but there they sit, as though
that was the proper position for prayer! One of them is taking the
pattern of a new dress, or the trimming of a bonnet; while another is
wondering, not whether there will be an answer to the prayer, but whether
the man who is leading the worship will keep on much longer, and ask fo