It is tho soul drawing near to him in thought and desire, in affection and devotion. The peni~ont th?~ comes to him with confession and prayer for pardon. The poor ano. needy, with pct1tlons for succour and supply. The thankful, with warm tributes r,f gratitude and praise. The pious, with lowly loving adoration. 3. This app>'oach of /lie soul to God is gratifying unto him. 'l'hat his creatures, created in his iman-e ancl for fellowship with himself, should stand aloof from him in distrust, or suspicion, or indifference, or by reason of absorption in other things, is painfol to him. Hi~ fatherl.v heart yearns for the confidence and love of his children. He welcomes the first arproach of the penitent sinner to him, even as the father of the returnin 6 prodigal sriw him "while he was yet afar off, and was moved with compassion, and ran, and fell on bis neck, and kissed him." Ho is pleased when his children regard him with assured confidence and worm affection, and come to him in their necessities and satisfactions, their sorrows and joys, etc. 11. 'l'HE EXERCISE OF FAITH m Gon 19 ESSENTIAL TO OUR APPROACH TO mM. "For he that cometh to God must believe that he is," etc. Ebrard says wisely con- cerning this faith," Precisely the faith that there is a God, and One who will reward those who seek after him, found place in Enoch, and could find place in him. Far from intending to ascribe to Enoch the New Testament faith, foe author defines the faith, here in its general form as it applied to the time of Enoch." The faith which is essential to the approach of the soul to him is: 1. Faith in his Being. "Must believe that he is." •And we have the amplest an<l firmest ground upon which to base this article of our faith. The Bible says "that he is;" the universe witnesses to the same great truth; and human consciousness confirms the testimony. 2. Faith in his entreat- ableness. "That he is a Rewarder of them that diligently seek him." This implies faith in his accessibility; the belief that we may approach unto him; that our prayers will reach his ear. He hears the sigh of so1Tow, the moan of misery, and the whispered. aspiration of the pious heart. He is perfectly acquainted with the godly "soul's sincere desire, uttered or unexpressed." He not only hears prayer, bnt he also answers it. The teaching of the sacred Scriptures on this point is both full and explicit (Ps. xxxvii. 4; 1. 15; Matt. vii. 7-11; xviii. 19; x.xi. 22; John xv. 7; xvi. 23, 24; Jas. i. 5, 6; v, 16-18; 1 John v. 14, 15). 'l'he testimony of the godly is no less clear and decisive. "He is a Rewarder of them that diligently seek him." '!'bis means more than that the exercise of prayer to God in itself exalts aod enriches, calms and cleanses the praying soul. The reflex benefits of prayer are undoubtedly very great and precious, but their existence depenus upon the, belief that God hears and answers prayer. Prayer would lose its reality and becon;ie a mere pretence, offensive to all honest souls, if we had not faith in God as "a Rewarder of them that diligently seek him." But the seeker must be diligent; he must be earnest. "Ye shall seek me, and find rue, wheo. ye shall search for me with all your heart." The prayer must be fervent and perseverio.g, o, it may fail of its reward. "When prayer mouo.ts upon the wing of fervour to lio,t, then answers come down like lightning from God." Thus we see that" witliout faito it is impossible to please God." Our subject shows: 1. The necessity of cultivati'.ng and exerci~ing faith in God, 2. The advantages vj believing prayer to God.-W. J.
Ver. 7.-The faith of Noah. "By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet," etc. Very exalted was the character of Noah as briefly described io. Gen. vi. 8, 9. And his purity and piety are the more conspicuous and commendable by reason of the terrible corruption and violence which were universal in his age (Gen. ii. 5-7, 11-13). Our text leads us to look at the faith of Noah in three ,,aspcc_ts._. I. IN ITS BA.SIB. Noah was" warned of God of things not seen as yet. His ta1th rested upon a Divine communication (Gen. vi. 13-21). 1. This basis_ was exclusive. Noah had nothing else upon which to ground his faith-nothing wh1_ch co°:1d serve as an auxiliary support to it. On the other hand, matter~ were not lackmg which were. calculated sorely to test his confidence; e.g.: (1) 'rhe entue absence of any precedent ot an event corresponding to that which had been announced to him. The _worl~ h:i,l_ existed long, but no such devastating flood had ever occurred. (2) The unif~rnuty ul the courses and operations of nature, It surely would not hn.ve been strn 11:;e if ht;l he. 1 reasoned thus with himself- 32! THE EPISTLE TO THE HEDHE Wt,. [ Cid, XI, 1-40,