I remember during the American war I was in a prayer meeting. We were all very dark and gloomy. Things had been going against us for some time. At last an old man got up, and said, "What is the matter with us, that we are downhearted and sad? It is simply our lack of faith." Moses, Joshua, and David were men strong in faith. They believed, and therefore God honoured them. Whence comes our want of faith? God is not dead. He is as powerful, as willing, to help to-day as ever He was. Why, then, are we not full of faith in Him? It is God-dishonouring to forget that He still has power, although our armies are defeated, and all seems dark and gloomy. GET ABOVE THE CLOUDS. I will tell you what happened to me some time ago when I was out West. I wanted to reach the summit of one of the Western mountains. I had been told that sunrise was very beautiful when seen from the summit. We got up to the half-way house one afternoon, where we were to rest till midnight, and then set out for the top. Soon a little party of us started with a good guide. Before a great while it began to rain, and then it became a regular storm of thunder and lightning. I thought there was little use in going on, and said to the guide, "Guess we'd better turn back; we won't see anything this morning, with all these clouds." "Oh," said the guide, "I expect we'll soon get through these clouds, and get above them, and then we'll have a glorious view." So we went on, whilst the thunders were rumbling right about our ears. But soon we began to get above the thunder-cloud; the air was quite clear, and when the sun rose we had a splendid view of his rays as they tinged the hilltops; and then, as the glorious sunshine began to break on where we stood, we could see the dark cloud far beneath our mountain height. That's what God's people want--to get into the clear air above the stormy clouds, and to CLIMB HIGHER away up to the mountain peak. There you'll catch the first rays from the Sun of Righteousness far above the clouds and mists. Some of you may be in great darkness and gloom; but fear not, climb higher, get nearer to the Master, and soon you'll catch His bright rays on your own soul, and they will sparkle back upon others. KEEP THE LOWER LIGHTS BURNING.