For the sake of Jesus, who is the same yesterday,
to-day, and for ever, write my name in thy book of life and cover me from
the storm that is coming, so that amid the change of life and the ruin of
death, the awe of the judgment-day, my spirit may abide under an
everlasting shelter! may look forward to the eternity that is to be and
say to it, 'Welcome--open all thy scenes--uncover thy deepest
secrets--world of the unknown, bring out all that thou hast hidden, for
all things are mine, for I am Christ's, and Christ is God's.'" Amen and
Amen.

GOD'S CONTROVERSY WITH MAN.
REV. CHARLES PREST.

"Therefore thus will I do unto thee, O Israel; and because I will do
this unto thee, prepare to meet thy God, O Israel."--AMOS iv. 12.

This chapter refers to the condition of Israel at the time of this
prophecy, and to the expostulation and threatened procedure of God
concerning the nation. God's people had revolted from Him; they had sunk
into idolatry; they had been often reproved, but had hardened their
necks, and therefore the Lord, after recapitulating the calamities which
had befallen them, and which all came in the way of fatherly
chastisements for their recovery to righteousness, and indicating that
his anger was not turned away, says, "and because I will do this unto
thee"--and because having done this repentance does not appear, then
prepare to meet me. That is, meet me in battle. If you will not submit,
then let the battle be fought; if you will not bow down to these kind
modes of discipline--kindly intentioned, however terrible in execution,
then prepare to meet me. This expostulation proceeds upon a very
intelligible principle--a principle, however, which we sometimes sadly
forget, and which we are too much in the habit of neglecting--on the
principle that man is an accountable creature; and secondly, that God
will call him to account for his conduct.

God has a controversy with man, with us--a controversy with us because of
our sin, our sin being an outrage against the divine love; a controversy
with us because He is right and we are wrong; because He designs the
welfare of all, and the sin that we love is productive of universal
destruction; a controversy with sinners that can only be terminated in
one of two ways--a controversy with every unconverted person here to-day.
Do not deceive yourselves: if you are strangers to the life of God, you
are in opposition to Him, and with you as sinners th