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I. THE SALVATION OF MEN IS THE FIRST PLEA OF THE CHURCH.

1. Our increase depends on it.

2. The Church's best joy lives in it.

3. Our riches in gifts and graces, labours, and in all variety of experience, will be found as the Lord answers this prayer. We shall value our spiritual wealth, our wealth of gifts and graces, all the more if we know they come to us in answer to our own pleadings.

II. SOUL CULTURE AND SPIRITUAL LIFE IS THE BEST PROSPERITY OF A CHURCH. Not numbers, or social status, or human applause, or intellectual greatness; but the spirituality of her life, and all increase of saved men brought into her midst.

III. THESE TWO .MATTERS THAT COME OUT OF THE PRAYER OF THE TEXT ARE THE HIGHEST GLORY OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST. He Himself came to save. That was His one great business while here among men. He came on this one specific errand, and when He had made it complete He passed up into the heavens, still to give repentance unto Israel and remission of sins. He is coming again to gather us to Himself. Let us hope and trust, let us watch and pray, and we shall not be disappointed.

(W. Cuff.)

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KJV: Save now, I beseech thee, O LORD: O LORD, I beseech thee, send now prosperity.

WEB: Save us now, we beg you, Yahweh! Yahweh, we beg you, send prosperity now.