PREACHING THROUGH THE PRESS THE DUTY OF ALL.

The duty-the great primary duty-of the church, and of its ministers and members, is to make known to others, as far as they have opportunity and ability, the glorious gospel of the blessed God. This is to be done orally by conversation, instruction and prayer. This is to be done by reading to others, by correspondence, by lending and circulating suitable and seasonable tracts and volumes. This is to be done where there is aptness for the work, by writing and publishing articles in our evangelical papers, tracts, and volumes. And all this is to be done as God opens the door and calls to the work, privately in the family; socially and in our daily intercourse; publicly in the prayer meeting and the Sabbath school, in the lecture room, and the pulpit, and the platform, yea, even in the market place and in the chief places of concourse.

All these are ways of making known the gospel, and all are preaching or proclaiming it in the sense of our Saviour's command, and all christians-though not ministers or bishops-are preachers. This term has come to be used technically as synonymous with the public authoritative proclamation of the gospel by ordained ministers, but in the Bible it is applied to all believers. For after the persecution at Jerusalem we are informed that the disciples, all "they that were scattered abroad went every where preaching the word."

It is, therefore, the duty of every christian, by every method within this power, to preach the gospel. "Let him that heareth say come," as well as ministers who preach. "Let every man say to his neighbour, know thou the Lord."

Christian, you are under imperative obligation to do this, and to do it to the extent of your means, and ability, and opportunity, and, knowing your duty, "not to do it is sin. "God will require it of thee."

You

You can visit. You can pray. You can converse. can counsel, encourage and comfort. You can feed the lambs and the sheep. You can, I say, pray. Every man that has a heart and a voice can pray. You can first pray aloud when alone, and then in your family, then in your visits to the sick and poor, then in the prayer meeting and wherever it is needful.

You can circulate good books. If you cannot compose them you can aid those who can-and who if they can ought to write-in publishing and circulating them. A religious book is not a money-making book, except in peculiar circumstances,

and many who could write a most useful book cannot afford to publish or to distribute it. This you could do. You have the means, and God gave them to you to preach the gospel with them through the instrumentality of authors and books, as well as ministers.

Yes, reader, you have the means of putting into circulation an indefinite number of books, which may, by God's blessing, save souls, awaken sinners, and stimulate and encourage christians. And having the means you are under obligation to do it. If you do it as unto the Lord you shall receive blessing, and if you do it not you shall suffer loss. It was in the power of thine hand to do good and you did it not. You withheld your hand from good.

How many a good book lies comparatively useless because it is not a book people will look after, and because those that are able will not use it as a means of "saying come" to their neighbors.

Many an author who has endeavoured to prepare a work with the earnest wish to do good and to glorify God, finds he has laboured in vain and spent his strength for naught, because those who are able and who ought to help him in putting it into the hands and homes of those to whom it might do great good, will not.

Many christians do not think of this way of doing their duty, and many who know that it is in their power to do good in this way are too penurious to do what their hand findeth to do. Politicians know the power of the press and avail themselves of it by circulating thousands of copies of books adapted to their views. Infidels do the same, and are at this time diffusing millions of destructive and licentious volumes. Many christians too are faithfully rivalling their zeal in circulating evangelical volumes. But more-far more-do nothing in this way. They hide their talent in a napkin. But while they bury their own talent they also bury with it that of others, that of their pastor perhaps, or some other writer-by withholding their efforts and their means from the circulation of a book adapted to do good.

It is only in regard to religious books that many plead a mock sinful modesty respecting to their publication and circulation. We call it a mock modesty. We also call it a sinful, selfish, and unworthy modesty. It is not modesty, but it is mockery; it is corruption.

If a minister or private christian can write a good edifying book-adapted to preach the gospel and save souls-it is his duty to do it. God calls him to do this as much and as plainly as any other duty, as for instance preaching, or praying, or teaching, or giving. And not to do it is sin. It is burying his

talent through indolence, or fear, or pride. He is bound to write it and to render it unto the Lord and consecrate it to his service.

But if this is true then he is also bound to do all he can to enable it to do its good in the circle in which his influence can make it useful, and it is the duty of those who have the means and opportunity to aid him in doing this to do so.

An edifying christian work it is to be presumed is written with a supreme regard to the edification and good of souls and not for personal vanity. It is an arduous, exhausting, soultrying work, accompanied with deep searching of heart and earnest supplication for light and love, for humility and selfconsecration, for ability to make it by every means acceptable to all or many, so as to win souls.

Such a work, when consecrated to God and made corban— that is devoted-so far as any personal remuneration is concerned is as purely a disinterested labour of self-denying love and sacrifice as a christian can perform, and which he can perform in the right spirit only through the sanctifying and purifying influences of the Holy Spirit. It is attended by many trials, difficulties, and disappointments, and by much to crucify all inordinate self-love, vanity, and ambitious desire of earthly reward or human applause. In this day of multiplied books, and blessed be God of good books, the publication of another is about the best school of patient resignation and self-abasement which a sensitive nature can enter-it is in truth the valley of humiliation. There is so little confidence in sincere desires to do good in the manner and measure and mode which God may open up to any man, that whether he attempts to do it by activity, or liberality, or teaching, or preaching, or writing, or holy living, he will be pursued by envy, jealousy, and misrepresentation, and opposition on the part of some.

Why then incur these trials? Only because they are incident to all duty, effort, and sacrifice in the present state of human nature-only because they are inseparable from this life as at present a state of probation, discipline, and preparation.

Shall he then shrink from doing good because by some it may be perverted, and by many misinterpreted? Only the cowardly, the selfish, the really mean and proud who live on the opinions of others-only the carnal who seek their recompense on earth and from men-will shrink from such obstacles in the way of duty-obstacles which are always found in putting out to usury, that it may gain most for its owner and our creditor, the talent He has entrusted to our care.

To think more highly of one's self than we ought to think, is proud arrogance and presumption. To think of anything we are or have, or can do as our own, and a just ground for

pride and vanity is despicable ingratitude and presumption. But to think less highly of ourselves than we ought to think is to undervalue God's gifts and graces, to blink responsibility and sacred trust, and to rob God both of his talents and the good he intended they should perform. To feel, therefore, that we have a nature, a capacity, powers, influence, means, opportunities, by which in our measure and manner and sphere of influence we can and are bound to do good, whatever men may think or say, is only to feel rich in the elements of true independence, and cherish the honest consciousness of entrusted wealth for whose use we are responsible.

But the office is perilous. Undoubtedly it is. It is over a bridge between the abyss of the "unfaithful and fruitless," and the gulph of the self-righteous. But this same bridge is crossed by every human duty, and these bottomless chasms are on either hand of every christian office and of every christian employment and enjoyment.

Christian, you have talents which only you can use, and for whose putting out to usury you are responsible and shall give answer, and receive loss our gain.

Christian, you have a sphere of influence which none but you can occupy, and in which your words, your counsel, your example, your prayers, your visits, your sympathy, your alms and charity, and liberality, your letters, your tracts, your books, written or distributed, can best or perhaps alone enter.

Christian minister it is your duty to use the religious paper, and the press, and to preach the gospel by your articles, your tracts, your sermons, your works, as God shall enable you just as certainly as by the pulpit and the family circle, and the wayside.

Christian, whoever you are, are you using the press to the extent of your ability and opportunity for preaching the gospel, for the conversion of sinners, for the guidance of inquirers, and for the awakening and revival of christians.

If not you are losing invaluable opportunities of becoming rich towards God, and of winning souls to Christ, and you are losing much in the approbation, encouragement and prayers of the most spiritual and devoted, and in the gratitude of enlivened Christian hearts-which would be to you a joy far beyond the purchase of riches or the honors of fame.