in a way (while good enough in itself) to true spiritual life and growth, as was the secret poison of the Borgias to the physical life: We speak of the substitute offered week by week in place of the Holy Communion. Often, doubtless, it is from ignorance; more often from assurance and self-conceit; and possibly, most often, from carelessness and self-indulged apathy-laziness. They care not to offer nor to receive of the Heavenly Manna excepting as it suits their inclination or convenience. They do not, of course, believe in its efficacy as spiritual food; they make God the Saviour a liar, and that He used idle words:-That when He came to earth and died upon the Cross, offering to us His Body and His Blood to be "our spiritual food and sustenance" in this wilderness, the world, until we should come to the heavenly Canaan, He spake in riddles.

What could be plainer than the Gospel of St. John we ask. Neither can it be revised away, nor translated out of sight.

"The wayfaring man though a fool need not err therein." And now, lastly, in our sermon, we come to Sacred Music as distinct from Secular.

We hope our listeners are not too weary, for we have a good bit to say here. It is a point near to our heart.

We are very fond of the opera, and the oratorio in their time and place. But we love more the grand old hymns, the Te Deum, the Glorias and all the rest.

If, between the acts of an opera, we should hear the orchestra strike up: “Ye choirs of New Jerusalem" or any one of the Church's hynins, certainly it would make us shiver. We do not say it would be wicked but it would be "out of place"-would it not? To be lenient and not too harsh it would be irreverent—a discord-bad taste, decidedly. Now, then, reverse that medal.

Not very long since we heard in church the most sacred words sung to quickstep time, from a Spanish opera-words sung also

to opera bouffe, to "Marching through Georgia”—Do you fancy we do not like a most charming Spanish opera? Take, for instance, the air:-"Of What Is the Old Man Thinking?"-that we do not fancy one of our very best, old war songs! Humph!

"The music of the Sanctuary." What do we mean by those words? "Sentimental ditties," as Bishop Coxe says?-What do the two words "sanctuary" and "deviate" mean-their derivation? Allons, that's not a long lesson.

Dare we turn the "King's courts" into a "play-house" to tickle the ear. But, my dear friends it is done. Fact. Ah, ca.

We recollect some hymn-singing of the country. It stands off to-day in hard colors in our memory hall.-This "Evangelist"this misnomer "hailed" from a western State so it was said, and had been making a noise in the town for a few days, the girls and boys who were free to go pretty much where they chose, after night-fall, running in his direction. Curiosity, the morbid desire for information and improvement, led us too, shortly, to seek this man's booth, and try to discover what wares he kept on hand for the benefit of the youthful crowd, and any other. We will say the little place was attractive; it was fresh, well-lighted and decked out festively with evergreens. We were "at home." The first shock however, we received to our, doubtless, over-sensitive nerves was when a tuneless piano set up its noisy prelude, and there streamed in to the back part of the stage a dozen or more girls of ages from twelve to sixteen, who should have been in the seclusion of home, but who were, in that kind of school, fast becoming bold-faced. They sang in loud tones and with a certain swing the refrain:-"Are you coming home to Jesus, Are you coming home to Jesus, Are you coming home to Jesus, to-night?"-The next earthquake was when the "conquering hero," himself, appeared on the scene. He too was young, this side of thirty, fairly

good-looking, and enough elegant in regard to costume to occupy, and likely had done so more than once, a first-class opera box.

He, evidently, intended to astonish the natives. He had learned somewhere what many another has had to learn; that finery can supplant brains almost any time and relegate them to a back seat. We were most profoundly impressed with his knowledge of the weakness of some of the human species; and with his earthly wisdom! He was no fool, in one way; and he spoke the Queen's English.

But, Peacocks and Birds of Paradise, what a sham!-We listened to his handful of vanity and assurance for ten minutes of our precious time, when his remarks becoming too insolent of sacred things we quietly withdrew; and he shortly withdrew from the place, altogether. "There should be a law!" "But, this is a free country, sir." 1897.

WORDS.

Polonius. What do you read, my lord?

Hamlet.-Words, words, words.

Yes, it is very true that that school-room of which we shall have something tangible and definite to say after a while, it may be, reminded us most forcibly of "Peggy's shopping," the perplexities of a well-tried and most faithful servant, now wearing on fast to four score and ten years, but still willing and anxious to rock the cradle of the fourth generation.-It brought back to us at once we say our dear old "Peggy:" she had been in the family from time immemorial, even since the advent of the first baby and that baby could now boast of four babies (?) all his own. There was really nothing about a house worth knowing in which she was not skilled and valuable past all counting but she had not when younger swallowed the mental arithmetic nor even had a small chew at it. It would happen that once in a while, forgetful of past mishaps, and fond of gay colors, she would go a-shopping on her own hook, so to speak. She would be so exultant all the forenoon over the anticipation of her little shopping of the afternoon that no one had the heart to dampen her high spirits. When she was all ready for her outing with a five-dollar gold piece shut tightly in her hand some one would gently hint that perhaps Mary or Johnny would better go along with her; but she would naturally indignantly reply that she guessed she was big enough and old enough to spend her own money. And so she was, poor dear. On entering the store the first thing that caught her eye was a gaudily-striped shawl hung above the counter for drapery. This bargain was quickly closed at three dollars and a half. Poor Peggy then acquainted the master of ceremonies that she was

"suffering" for two calico gowns, and after looking at every piece in the store settled on a blue with white stripes and a red with horse shoes, and not so bad taste, either. Then some spools of cotton for making and just here, unconsciously, Peg's troubles began to deepen: A few yards of riband and a guncrack for the baby and her purchases were ended. After the parcel was nicely rolled and tied she triumphantly threw down her gold piece: "Take your pay out of that." The astounded and astonished clerk if he were a gentle would quietly control his face and tell her she must have one dollar and eighty cents more. But, too often, he is a rough and a gruff and asks her if she does not know "that is not any where near it!" Dear innocent Peggy comes quickly home and sad discouraged is her old face; but quickly she is heartened with the words: "Oh, never mind! that is just right only you must put a little more money Peggy to the five-don't you see, not quite enough after the baby and all.”—And Johnny is dispatched quickly-with the deficit, but not until we have put in his ear that as soon as ever he gets the bundle in his hands and sees the side-walk plain enough he "give it" to that old clerk for sassing our Peggy.

"Oh dear me, suz! That Miss Prescott in the paper is always talking school and the Boston schools in particular." Is she? There are worse themes. Well in spite of and in the face, of detraction and envy they are the brain-box-take "Harvard" say as their captain and they, undeniably, stand as the chief lighthouse of the educational, the intellectual, the literary world of America to-day. Oui. They are the schools that move the schoolworld at their bidding. And how is that? They are built on the solid rock and "that rock is Christ." It is all in that nut-shell. God is under them, around them and over them. God. Just that three letters of 26-no more, no less. Nothing can be added to it. Who dares take one away and leave it, "Go!"-It was the