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solate, to walk the dark valley-if no pay followed work, no victory ghting, no heaven earth-we should still serve God. Would you not? ses was content to be blotted from the book of life, and Paul to be acrsed from Christ, in the service of God; and you, Christian, would follow eir example, if need be. Satan told a lie-for, while Job served God, nking of the reward, it was not only for the reward that he served God. Thich is my answer to the question-"Doth Job fear God for nought?" Serve God for love. Be yours a loving service, and this its song:

Southampton.

"I ask no heaven till earth be thine,
Nor glory crown, while work of mine
Remaineth here; when earth shall shine
Among the stars.

Her sins wiped out, her captives free,
Her voice a music unto Thee,

For crown new work give thou to me!
Lord, here am I !"

"QUIT YOU LIKE MEN."*

BY THE REV. J. W. LANCE.

(Concluded.)

1 Cor. xvi. 13.

III. In the work of the ministry, preachers and pastors, you will have pecial temptations; quit you like en in resisting and overcoming hese.

Your temptations may not be greater han those which befall other men, but they will be peculiar to your own work. One of the foes against whom the minister must quit himself like a man is a certain giant whose name is Indolence. I am far from thinking that the minister's life is a sphere for idleness; but the disposition of our affairs being more in our own hands than that of some other men, the temptation to indolence may in that way be greater in our case than theirs. The shopkeeper, the clerk, the merhanic, must be at his post at each day's stated hour; but the minister arranging his own time, and being responsible chiefly to his own conscience,

duties, unless he be watchful and wary, are liable to fall through. Self-indulgence, again, has been the snare of many a minister who at first, and for a time, did run well. It may be said that in the spheres to which most of us are likely to be called the opportunity for self-indulgence will be very limited, the necessity for selfdenial very urgent. But this itself may open a door of temptation through the well-meant hospitality of the people. That which is freely proffered it seems but natural and gracious freely to accept; yet I am persuaded that there lurks here a temptation under which some have fallen. Even the strong language of Solomon may in some cases be profitably pondered: "When thou sittest to eat with a ruler, consider diligently what is before thee; and if thou be a man given to appetite put a knife to thy throat." Pride, and

*This sermon was preached when Mr. Gladstone's Reform Bill was before the House,

covetousness too, are sins into which those who take the oversight of the flock of God are, according to the apostle Peter, liable to fall. Not as lords over God's heritage, nor for filthy lucre's sake, must we enter on our work. In Peter's days indeed it would seem as if the minister's position afforded ampler scope for these temptations than in ours. At present, especially in Wales, neither the social status to which he attains, nor the "hire" which as a "labourer" he receives, is such as to open a very wide door to the temptation either of lordliness or lucre. Looking at the general scale of remuneration to ministers, with some honourable exceptions, we should say that a young man who should enter this sphere from the motive of worldly gain would prove himself intellectually so incompetent for the office that his moral qualifications need not be considered; still it is possible even in small things, as well as in larger, to cherish a mercenary spirit, and against this let us watch. In your conflict with indolence, with self-indulgence, with pride, and with covetousness, "quit you like menbe strong!"

IV. Though ministers, you will retain your rights as citizens; see that you quit yourselves like men in the discharge of those duties that belong to citizens.

As to the passive duties of Christian citizenship, their obligation has, I think, never been disputed by any but the wildest fanatics; yet these, as it seems to me, involve also the active, being bound to them by a certain link of connection found in the First Epistle to Timothy: "I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; for kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty." This is manifestly a prayer for good government; and if I am to pray for this, surely I am to do what I can to promote it. Our Lord taught us to pray, "Thy kingdom come," but

what a mockery is that prayer, thousands of cases, when those offer it do nothing to hasten the com of the kingdom! And are not pray for earthly rulers empty and vain not sustained by efforts patriote a loyal? For my part I am clear as what I will do in this matter. I pray, and especially at this crisis our affairs, for her Majesty Qu Victoria, for Earl Russell, and for. Gladstone; but I should be ashame myself, if when I have ceased pray I should be so puerile, so effemia and illogical, as to refuse to supp her Majesty's Ministers in carry out such measures as seem to eminently wise and good. There indeed those who tell us that Christians we have nothing to do w these "worldly" matters; citizens the Jerusalem that is above, let leave to "worldly men" the polt of Great Britain that is below. at least is plain, but when a furth distinction is attempted between mu isters and other Christians, then thought is manifestly feeble and fused. You may sometimes heart notion defended in some such way this (and the defence is applied other things besides politics),

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are some things which we, as prin Christians may do, that we should like to see our ministers do, because have to look to them for our examp which, being plainly put, seems to this: "Ministers are bound to set t people an example, which the pe are not bound to follow." The fact this pitiful distinction between t minister and the people is one of trailing rags of Popery, which so well-meaning, but weak Protestar have picked from the dust, and hav written on it some much-abused t of Scripture straightway wear it as philactery. I have even known a go man possessing apparently an avera amount of good sense in other matte go the length of attending a polit meeting, condemning ministers attending the same, without in t least seeing that in condemning the

was condemning also himself. It I believe, a sound principle that vileges involve duties; if we claim privileges, how can we evade the ties? In Paul's life occur two table instances of a citizen's rights fully claimed. At Jersualem, ne bound with thongs, he said to the turion, "Is it lawful for you to rge a man that is a Roman, and condemned " And at Philippi,

unlawfully imprisoned, and by the morning the magistrates Eg found out their mistake sent their lordly way, saying, "Let theso

20," you know how Paul reed. firmly and indignantly, standing Lis rights as a Roman citizen. Accuring to some modern teaching,

Suppose he ought to have said, Brother Silas, we are citizens of the New Jerusalem, let us repudiate all citizenship of Pagan Rome, and since he doors are open let us go, meekly overing our stripes, pilgrims and trangers everywhere." I confess I prefer what he actually did say: "They have beaten us openly, uncondemned, Being Romans, and have cast us into rson, and now do they thrust us out rivily! Nay verily, but let them come themselves and fetch us out." From

ich I infer that when Paul said, "Quit you like men," he practised what he preached. Rights claimed, we say, involve duties to be done; and if it be not the duty of a Christian citizen to promote that rm of government which he honestly believes to be best, it seems to me impossible to define what duty is.

V. In the discharge of all social duties, quit you like men. Your

calling, sacred as it is, in no wise alls you away from the amenities of social life. You are to be ministers, Bot monks; students, but not hermits. Your example is not John the Baptist, whose home was the desert, whose raiment was of camel's hair, and whose food locusts and wild honey; but your example is Jesus, the Christ, the

true light, who came eating and drinking, the friend of publicans and sinners. Social intercourse, guided and sustained by holy principles, will help rather than hinder you in your work. Even if one of them that believe not bid you to a feast and ye be disposed to go, then go with a clear conscience and a trusting heart, for "the earth is the Lord's, and the fulness thereof"; but still remember whether you eat or drink, or whatsoever you do, to do all to the glory of God. As to close personal friendship, we have heard it said that it is wise in a minister not to cultivate this in his own congregation, lest he should be charged with partiality. Such a doctrine savours too much of mere worldly wisdom, and the principle, if carried out, would be quite as hurtful to the people as to the minister, for it would leave a part, and an important part, of his nature uncultivated, the barrenness of which must be reflected upon them. You have just as good a right to choose your own personal friends as the poorest member of your church has, a right which I counsel you discreetly to use. "David had his Jonathan; Christ His John."

As to the duties that will grow out of the family relationship, let it suffice to quote the words of Paul: "If a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God ?"

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In all these respects then, as preachers, as pastors, as citizens, as realizing your social obligations, quit you like men. Be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. Seek for all the high and holy purposes to which you are called, the strength that cometh from Jehovah. Be strong in your heart's attachment to the Gospel of the great redemption. Preach the crucified one, the Lamb of God! As redeemed men, draw your highest motives from the cross. Be strong even in your weakness, strong in your dependance upon that Spirit who is Himself so strong and tender, strong in the realization

of His presence, who hath promised to be with you always. And when He shall reveal Himself, He shall appoint Newport, Mon.

you a place in His kingdom, perhap even nearer to the throne than thos angels that excel in strength.

THE SALTED OFFERING.

BY THE REV. J. T. WIGNER.

"With all thine offerings thou shalt offer salt.”—Lev. ii. 13.

THE Command was divine, it had to do with all offerings, provision w made that every Jewish worshipper should have salt for his offerings, fro the national repository, at the national cost. The command was one r lating expressly and exclusively to their worship, the service which the rendered unto God: to them it was symbol-teaching; under the symbol la great truths, important principles. It has its meaning now, and its lessons to in these latter days. Nearly two thousand years after this command was firs given, there stood one in the form of the Son of Man at the well of Sycha and addressing her, who was then covering a life of sin by an outward pro fession of formal religion, He said, "Ye worship ye know not what:" "y shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father." Ignorance concerning true worship, and the association in the mind of worship as acceptable only in certain places and with certain forms,-these twin errors yet live, and live in England. The subject of worship is every where claiming attention, Ritualism running riot, and Nonconformity begin ning to conform in many outward things, till gown, bell, and liturgy are advocated amongst us, as being "convenient" if not "essential" to worship these "signs" claim from us devout and prayerful consideration, relative to true and acceptable worship. The voice uttered nearly four thousand years ago, comes to us again, "With all thine offerings thou shalt offer salt."

I. DIVINE WORSHIP AS AN OFFERING.-The worshipper, the offerer; that which he presents, the offering. The first act of worship recorded in the Old Testament, and the last acts in the New, contain this as the feature of true worship. "Abel also brought of the firstlings of his flock, and of the fat thereof, and the Lord had respect unto Abel and to his offering." "They cast their crowns before the throne, saying, Thou art worthy, O Lord." "When I had heard and seen I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who showed me these things." And as worship under the idea of an offering begins and ends the Book, so it runs all through it. The Patriarchal and Levitical sacrifices were offerings. The Prophets urged the erring Jews to give themselves afresh to Jehovah and His service: our Lord said, "If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me:" whilst the spirit of the epistles is, "I beseech you, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service." True worship is an

offering. How great, how deep, how fruitful of evil, the error which in all ges has sought to make men religious by Acts of Parliament, or decrees of uncils, and failing in their object hath resorted to penalty, persecution, and leath. If compulsion by any earthly power marks the act of worship we erform, such act ceases to be an offering, and both he who compels, and he the yields to the compulsion, are "not accepted of Him." God showers His mercies on us, these mercies call forth our gratitude, gratitude lays its tribute the feet of the Giver, and He the Lord accepts it through Christ His Three elements are contained in this idea of an offering.

The MOTIVE of the Worshipper.-Love prompts the heart to render the service, and no service is acceptable which does not proceed from the loving and rendered heart. "The love of Christ constraineth us" is the great moe power, ever-living, all-sufficient; it is the real source of all true worship, niall true service rendered to the honour of His name. "Lovest thou me ? Feed my lambs," describes the obligation to service, and also the source from which it flows. The first real service which the new convert presents an offering; the burden of guilt has been removed, the heart bounds with joy in new-found pardon, and, filled with grateful love, yields in holy homage and unreserved surrender to "Him who hath washed us from our sins in His own blood.”

"Here's my heart, Lord, take and seal it.
Seal it from thy courts above."

2. The NATURE of the Offering.-It is purely voluntary-earthly compulsion can no more touch this voluntary service than the lancet of the Surgeon the spiritual nature of man. We often speak of the " voluntary principle," its sufficiency and excellency, and we speak truly; but do we not often limit the phrase to the money-giving department of our worship and service? If so, we are wrong. The phrase is of far wider meaning; it includes the adoration of the soul, the confession of the heart, the yielding of the whole man to Christ; it includes all the service which we render, in every department of Christian labour. If the Jew gave reluctantly, or called the service of God a "weariness," or multiplied even divinely ordained forms, and did it not from love to Him, God detected the compulsory ser vice, and said, "Their hearts are far from me;" "your appointed feasts my Sul hateth." The holiest service ever rendered, the One sacrifice, of which all others were but a type, was His, who, in prospect of offering it, said, “Lo, I come to do thy will, O my God; I delight to do it." "By one offering he bath perfected for ever them that are sanctified."

3. The PRINCIPLE OF GIVING in the Offering.-That principle we take to be, THE BEST For god. Under the law, the green ears of corn, the firstfruits, the lamb without blemish, the male of the flock, the first-born, were specified as offerings; in the tabernacle service, the altar was overlaid with gold, and even the snuffers were of pure gold. The best for God. best affections of our renewed hearts, the best obedience of our wills, the holiest aspirations of our souls; the most sincere and fervent prayers we can offer, the best hymns which we can select and use, the best sermons we can

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