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this lonely mountain-top, which you can offer as a victim? Here is the altar, the wood, the fire and the knife; but where's the sacrifice? With infinite tenderness I see the eyes of the father rest upon the beautiful form of his son, his only son Isaac. Then laying the son of his old age upon the altar, and lifting the sacrificial knife, he cries, 'This is the sacrifice I am called to offer.'

Brethren, what does it mean? Mean! Why, it means that father-love, mother-love, self-love, world-love, and every other kind of love must stand aside when God speaks, so that God's will may be done. Whatsoever He saith unto you, do it.' Now, I am going to read you something very strange. Listen to it.

"Joshua vi. 2-5: 'And the Lord said unto Joshua, See, I have given into thine hand, Jericho, and the king thereof, and the mighty men of valour. And ye shall compass the city, all ye men of war, and go round about the city once. Thus shalt thou do six days. And seven priests shall bear before the ark seven trumpets of rams' horns: and the seventh day ye shall compass the city seven times, and the priests shall blow with the trumpets. And it shall come to pass, that when they make a long blast with the ram's horn and when ye hear the sound of the trumpet, all the people shall shout with a great shout; and the wall of the city shall fall down flat, and the people shall ascend up every man straight before him.'

"Did ye ever hear the like of that? Joshua must have opened his eyes in full-grown astonishment. Capture that great frowning stronghold by marching and blowing rams' horns. Strange military tactics; but, on second thoughts, Joshua says, 'It's all right; for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.' If William Cowper had been with him, he would very likely have sung him a few lines of

"God moves in a mysterious way,
His wonders to perform.'

"I like the way Joshua went to work in carrying out this remarkable command. He didn't begin to apologize to the people for this strange proceeding. He didn't say to his subordinate officers,

"Well, gentlemen, as I do not wish to compromise my reputation and judgment as a soldier, I assume no responsibility for the orders I am about to give. You will see at once that they set at defiance every principle of warfare contained in a well-planned assault upon a stronghold like Jericho. What the outcome will be I'm not at all sure, but I suppose as the Lord has given us these instructions, it might be as well to try and carry them out.'

"Oh, no; that wasn't the way he talked. He simply told them what God had said. Though he couldn't understand the why of this divine arrangement, yet he knew it was all right. His motto was, 'Obey orders and ask no questions.'

"Go thou and do likewise.' When you are going about God's work, don't do it in a hang-dog, shamefaced, apologetic style. Blow your horn, as the priests did, not to blare out your own importance, but to proclaim the importance of the work which God has been pleased to give you to do. Your programme and God's programme may be two very different things. If so, kindle the fire with your own, and carry out God's to the letter. Carry it out loyally, jubilantly.

"Don't go about your work as though every look and gesture were intended for an apology for what you are doing. A Christian is never so much a Christian as when he loses his way and will in the way and will of God.

"Whatsoever He saith unto you, do it!'

6

"Send the multitudes away,' said the disciples to Jesus. Why send them away?' said Jesus. Because we are in a desert place,' chimed in the disciples, and if they don't get away home soon they will have to sleep in a supperless bed.' 'No need to do that,' said Jesus. 'Give ye them to eat.' Peter looked at John; John looked at Philip; Philip looked at Thomas, and Thomas

looked at all the rest in blank amazement. 'Give ye them to eat!' Did the Master really mean what He said? Andrew, who seems to have found the use of his tongue the first, said:

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Well, Master, all the bread around these quarters don't amount to anything, so far as feeding this crowd is concerned.

There is

a lad here which hath five barley loaves and two small fishes, but what are they among so many? Why, Master, the lad's lunch will no more feed this hungry multitude than a drop will fill the ocean!'

"Never mind,' said Jesus; 'It's something to begin with, anyway. Make the men sit down.'

"That was easy enough; the men were not only hungry, but weary. They were glad to sit down and rest, even though the prospects of a good square meal seemed to be utterly out of the question. Jesus took the loaves and asked a blessing on them, then brake to the disciples, and the disciples to the multitude. You know what followed, when they gathered up the fragments of that memorable feast, would not the twelve basketsful say to the twelve disciples-'Now, ye twelve men, see what your Master can do. Your mission is to break the Bread of Life, not merely to 5,000 men, but to a world full of hungry souls. Don't hesitate a

moment about the question of supply. Give ye them to eat, for there is

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"Praise the Lord for that," shouts a good old Christian brother, who daily sits at God's banqueting-table. say, Praise the Lord?" cried old Robert.

Why don't you all

"Too many of you live in Dumb Alley.' If I were you I would move up into Hallelujah Square.' There's some grand apartments up there, and the best of it is, you can have them 'without money and without price.' Bless the Lord, that's true,' shouts Sister Joyful, I've been living there for twenty years.' God bless you, Sister Joyful, don't change your abode till the messenger calls you to the palace of the King.

"Now, my friends, you have had the exposition of the text, what about the application? It's all well enough to talk about Noah, Abraham, Joshua and the Disciples, but I have come to talk to you. Have you done all the Master has told you to do? What does Jesus say to you and me?

"Search the Scriptures!' Have you done that? Have you read your Bible carefully through? Lots of people who call themselves Christians haven't done that. We'll always be living in Gloomy Lane,' next-door neighbour to Mr. Feeblewill' and

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Mr. Ready to Halt,' until our life and being and character is thoroughly seasoned with the salt of God's good Word. Read your Bibles, my friends, and better still, live your Bibles. Be living epistles, read and known of all men. Jesus said, 'Men ought always to pray and not to faint.' Some of you have done very little praying yet. Our daily bread calls for daily prayer. A prayerless soul is a fruitless soul. Why should we be dumb? God is not deaf. Ask and receive, that your joy may be full.' My prayerless brother, take your stand by the side of the Publican to-day and cry, 'God be merciful to me a sinner.' If you do so, Praise the Lord, you will go down to your home justifiedsaved. Saved by the mercy and grace of God. May the angels in glory have to say to-day, Behold he prayeth !'

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"Whatsoever He saith unto you, do it.' 'My son, give Me thine heart.' Have you done it? Behold, I stand at the door and knock.' Have you let Him in? 'Come unto Me all ye that labour and are heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.' Have you come? Have you found rest in Christ? Are you at peace with God? Can you sing

"No condemnation now I dread,

Jesus is mine, and I am His.'

"Praise the Lord! I've been singing it for half a century, and I intend to sing it through all eternity. God help you all to tune your hearts to the same song."

In this plain and pointed manner did old Robert Lightup seek to commend himself to every man's conscience in the sight of God. Like Peter on the Day of Pentecost, "With many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, 'Save yourselves from this untoward generation.'" The direct outcome of such plain and positive teaching was generally the conversion of sinners.

What multitudes of men and women are in Heaven to-day as the garnered fruit of lay preaching. Thousands and tens of thousands of the common people have been rescued from vice and sin, and have become not only respected and useful members of society, but an honour to the Church of Christ. Lots of the sensationalism and clap-trap we hear in the pulpit to-day is a sorry substitute for the simple, practical, soul-stirring sermons of such godly men as Robert Lightup, and hundreds of other lay preachers who have given full proof of their ministry.

Wit and smartness may gather the crowd to-day, but piety and fidelity will win the victory to-morrow.

The old gospel preached with Apostolic simplicity and fervour is still the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth. Robert Lightup and the men of his class have done a work for which they never got credit on earth, but their record is on high, and when the day of reckoning comes, it will be no surprise to me if Robert Lightup should receive more honourable mention than many a professional ecclesiastic who deemed him a misguided enthusiast on earth.

Throughout the beautiful valleys which compose the Stonall Circuit his name is as ointment poured forth. His quaint but faithful preaching of the gospel has been owned of God in the salvation of hundreds of men and women who will be stars in the crown of his rejoicing, to shine for ever and ever.

Years ago, he passed within the veil, but the earth is better and the heavens are richer because of Robert Lightup's consecrated life.

WITH all sails set, swift gliding down time's river
Towards the broad ocean of eternity;

Take Thou the helm, Thou mighty to deliver,
And steer my frail barque safely through the rapids,
And on to that calm sea.

-Amy Parkinson.

1

THE LIFE CRUISE OF CAPTAIN BESS ADAMS.

BY JULIA M'NAIR WRIGHT.

CHAPTER VII.-RUNNING ON A REEF.

"When through the torn sail the tempest is streaming,
When on the wave the red lightning is gleaming;
Do Thou in Thy mercy the mariner cherish
Who crieth in agony, Save, or we perish.'

You can imagine nothing more charming than the beginning of this voyage toward Grey Town. Here is a good ship, an orderly crew, fair weather, favourable winds, lovely, shining seas, plenty of provisions for the voyage, fair returns in prospect. As for Bess Adams, she is taking a holiday with her doting father and life-long lover. Thus they sail, like the good children in fairy story, on toward the lovely tropic lands, and we look to see them glide through some gate of beauty, and be lost to view where palm trees wave their arms; where pure, blue waters laugh over beds of corals and shells; where flowers of all splendid dyes vie with birds who have dipped their wings in rainbows, and where some large, golden dawning, that is never to have a night, breaks grandly from shore to shore, and makes beauty more beautiful with its own glory. Such is our dream for the Seabird and her voyagers, as with broad wings spread she flies, eastward first, and then due south. Yet even from the beginning of the vo age, those on board recognized an element of discord, and th. was the new first officer. The first officer had a habit of swearing, and was angry at being obliged to restrain himself or board Captain Adams' ship. A sneering unbeliever, he loathed the morning and evening prayers and Sabbath services. Probably he would never have shipped on the Seabird had he not had an expectation of marring the enjoyment of these frankly happy people. Loving no one, and dissatisfied with himself, the first officer was greatly galled by the abounding love between "Bess and her father, and was especially aggravated by the beaming happiness of Rolf and Bess, who felt as if, after many years of humdrum toil, they had now entered into an elysium.

What increased all the first officer's ill-humour, and rendered him incapable of nobler sentiments, was his constant use of strong drink. Of a hardy constitution, and accustomed to taking liquor from his boyhood, he never seemed to be drunk nor incapacitated for duty, while three-fourths of his time he was mentally and physically disturbed by strong drink; in fact, in a state of cross intoxication. While unpopular with everyone, he was said to be a skilful officer.

When the Seabird lay in Portsmouth, the first officer spent much of his time at the ship-chandler's, where, in a den behind the shop, officers like-minded with himself, got an abundance of

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