How blessed to feel assured that the Lord is with us in all our ways, and condescends to go down into our humiliations and banishments with us! Even beyond the ocean our Father's love beams like the sun in its strength. We cannot hesitate to go where Jehovah promises his presence. "Fear not," is the

Lord's command and his divine encouragement to those who at his bidding are launching upon new seas; the divine presence and preservation forbid so much as one unbelieving fear. Without our God we should fear to move; but when he bids us go it would be dangerous to tarry. Reader, go forward, and fear not.

It is ours to abide where our great Captain has appointed our warfare until he himself shall release us from it. Like the dove which remained sitting upon her nest in the garden of Diomed when Pompeii was destroyed, if we are entrusted with the care of

others we must sooner perish than forsake our charge. If Jesus has said, "Feed my lambs," we must not flee when the wolf comes, but "Feed the flock of God which he has purchased with his own blood."