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but learning the difficult yet blessed lesson of "self-renouncing love," a love which-hard task-will even sit still and do nothing, because convinced that thus it will in reality serve most effectually.

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"By love "let us "serve" the children and young people who are placed under our care, entering into their feelings, learning their peculiarities, becoming all things to them, if only we may save some." Perhaps there is no higher discipline for love than this quiet service, which is so far removed from the busy, bustling activity that is only too natural to many of us. Not that the active work of love is to be undervalued,-would that we all had more of it!—but there are some to whom energy of character is a temptation, and whose "strength" in love, as well as in faith and patience, would not seldom be to "sit still." And there is a service which, thanks be to God, we all can render when no other door is open for us. To "labour fervently" for those we love " in prayers," is an effort which cannot be repelled, a service not to be rejected. How our unbelief shows itself, when from some one who does not want, and will not have our service, we turn away with the thought, "I can do nothing but pray." Nothing but pray? then no power,-God's word no promise, or has He "the faithful God?" Rather let us feel that when we can do nothing, then it is time for God to work. And thus, even when our most laborious efforts, our most active labours, our most carefully considered work is thrown away, or seems to be so, love, never-failing love, may change, but will not give up her ministry; by the prayer of faith she will still feed the flame, and "by love" expressed in supplications, it may be "with strong crying and tears," it will still, and while life shall last, be our privilege to "serve."

Has prayer ceased to be

Bora.

A PRAYER FOR GOD'S HELP.

Author of good! to Thee I turn:
Thy ever wakeful eye
Alone can all my wants discern,
Thy hand alone supply.

Oh let Thy fear within me dwell,
Thy love my footsteps guide;
That love shall meaner loves expel,
That fear all fears beside.

And Oh! by error's force subdu'd,
Since oft my stubborn will

Preposterous shuns the latent good,
And grasps the specious ill;
Not to my wish, but to my want,
Do Thou Thy gifts apply;
Unasked, what good Thou knowest,
grant;

What ill, though asked, deny.
James Merrick.

TEACHING BY EXAMPLE.

ONLY a very small portion of the Word of God is occupied with positive precepts or laws for the guidance of mankind. The Old Testament, viewed as a whole, might rather be regarded as a history of the people whom God had chosen to Himself, and of the purposes of the dispensations preceding the coming of our Lord; the New Testament gives us a full account of the Saviour personally, and of the objects of the new dispensation which He came into the world to establish. But besides being the history of a chosen race, and a record of God's Providence over the world from the beginning, the Bible is conspicuous for the personal biographies of individuals which it contains-all of them taking some part, for good or ill, in the great design, but each one so minutely and graphically described to us, that they seem to live again in our minds, while the very motives of their actions, and their inward thoughts and emotions are accurately recorded.

Surely there was a purpose in all this. Nothing is written in the Bible but what has some application to God's people in all times; and it cannot be doubted that Divine wisdom is as much displayed in the manner in which what we have to learn is imparted to us, as in the infinite superiority of the truths themselves to any which man's intellect could devise. If human learning had planned the construction of the Bible, it would not have been in the form in which it now appears; the very peculiarity of the way in which it fulfils its object, is a proof of its Divine origin,-for certainly such narratives as are contained in it, of individual lives of, it might seem, insignificant personages, would never have been designed by the ingenuity of men to form part of a revelation which they desired others to believe came from God Himself.

It would seem, however, that our all-wise and merciful Father, knowing whereof we are made, had compassion upon our infirmities, and lest we should fail to learn His will concerning us by His own direct declaration of it, has also given us an account of His dealings with individuals, in every variety of condition and circumstance-showing us what He approved in them, and what He condemned,-what was according to the Spirit of His law, and what opposed to it in their individual lives,-to help us to understand the more readily what He would have us to do if we would obtain His blessing. We have the human heart in all its varied workings laid bare to us in the Bible; we can trace its operations in the good and the evil, by which many of the characters set before us in Scripture are distinguished; and we can learn the mind of God on all things

which concern us, by seeing how He felt and acted towards the obedient or rebellious in times gone by, for He "changeth not," but is the same in holiness and truth, in love and mercy, to everlasting.

The principal teaching of the Bible is by example-by special instances set before us, that we may imitate them in those things which God has approved, and be warned by their downfall when they have sinned against Him. "All these things happened unto them for ensamples; and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come" (1 Cor. x. 11). "Whatsosoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we, through patience and comfort of the Scriptures, might have hope" (Rom. xv. 4). Our blessed Lord Himself, while dwelling among us, was constantly teaching by example, employing illustrations of every-day life as the basis of His discourses; moreover, He gave us the very highest standard for imitation when He said, "Be ye, therefore, perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect," and cited His acts of unmerited kindness and forbearance to us, as a reason why we should do good to all. At another time, when He would have us find the true rest, He says, "learn of ME," and to Him as the great Exemplar, we are bidden by all the Apostles continually to look. From the instance of the first Adam and his fall, to the advent of the second Adam, and the renewal of the perfection of mankind in Him, the Bible everywhere teaches us by example what God would have us to do.

Nor is it different in the world of Nature, which has been aptly called "the living visible garment of God." The Author of revelation is there mutely teaching us lessons of Divine love, and strengthening our trust in His unceasing Providence. "Behold the fowls of the air, for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns, yet your heavenly Father feedeth them." "Consider the lilies of the field how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin, and yet I say unto you that even Solomon, in all his glory, was not arrayed like one of these. Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to-day is, and to-morrow is cast into the oven, shall He not much more clothe you?" On every side of us are proofs of His wisdom and goodness, and those who "stand still and consider the wondrous works of God," will find their faith aided, and their love strengthened, for

"In contemplation of created things

By steps we may ascend to God,"

and we shall feel with David, "O Lord, how manifold are Thy works, in wisdom hast Thou made them all; the earth is full of Thy riches.”

The same lessons can be learnt, by those who will seek for them, in the dispensations of Providence in our own times, no less than in the ages to which the Bible refers; for in the ordering of events in our own and other countries, in the present day, as well as in the usual course of our lives, and of those with whom we are personally acquainted, we can likewise trace the hand of God over-ruling all, and learn the great lesson which is taught us in the Bible by positive precept, that "the curse of the Lord is on the house of the wicked, but He blesseth the habitation of the just."

Our experience of the world at large shows us that teaching by example is not only the most general, but the most efficacious and most direct method. The history of modern nations, and of their intercommunication with others, shows us how their characteristics have been moulded by the examples which have been presented to them for imitation. Provinces of the same country retain practices and peculiarities, having their origin in those which have long prevailed in the locality, and which are transmitted from age to age among them; and in neighbourhoods of the same city, we find certain vices to prevail and to spread, by the force which an evil example has upon those before whom it is set, and their unconscious imitation of it. Even in the family circle, characteristics of the members are transmitted and preserved through generations by the intuitive influence of example; and hence the importance of our recognising the principle that we have each not only been taught by the example of others, but have also the power of teaching by the same means. "No man is so insignificant as to be sure his example can do no hurt," was said by Lord Clarendon of old; and a modern writer, speaking of the power of influence, has observed very beautifully, "as a little silvery circular ripple, set in motion by the falling pebble, expands from its inch of radius to the whole compass of the pool, so there is not a child-not an infant Moses-placed, however softly, in his bulrush ark upon the sea of time, whose existence does not stir a ripple, gyrating outward and on, until it shall have moved across, and spanned the whole ocean of God's eternity, stirring even the river of life, and the fountains at which His angels drink."

Let us, then, endeavour to realise the fact, which all experience in all ages proves to be indisputable, that the example of each one of us, however humble or apparently insignificant our sphere may be, has a power, for good or ill, upon all those with whom we are habitually brought in contact; and that unconsciously both to us and to them, we are forming their characters for eternity, and doing something either to add to or to diminish from the sum total of human happiness. Conscious of the fact that such will be the

case, whether we desire it or not, how important is it that we should heed the words of our Great Examplar, "Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven;" and the similar exhortation of St. Paul, "in all things showing thyself a pattern of good works."

First, in our homes, among those who love us, with whom we constantly associate, and over whom the ties of affection will give us the greatest influence, let us see that our example is such as will do them good, and not harm. Next, in the sphere of daily duty, among the companions of our business hours, when religion is unhappily so rarely spoken or thought of, let the silent power of our example of kindness, patience, and forbearance, of integrity, truthfulness, and activity, be felt, if our voice cannot be heard on the matter; and in our hours of recreation and of rest, while enjoying harmlessly whatsoever things are pure, let us not forget we are instinctively moulding the hearts and minds, the tempers, dispositions, and tastes of those with whom we are thus brought into communion. And if it has pleased God to place us in a wider sphere of influence than that which the ordinary private life of individuals presents, let it be our care to see that we exert the power thus given in His service, and for the good of our fellow creatures.

As Sunday school teachers it is of especial importance that we should realize this truth, for then we are professedly endeavouring to lead the children entrusted to us into the ways of God, and to guide them into paths of holiness. For our lives not to harmonise with our principles in such a position would obviously be an inconsistency, which must nullify our efforts, for it has been well said by an old divine“ Either take Christ in your lives, or cast Him out of your lips: either be that thou seemest, or else be what thou art." We all know the power of example, how much more prevailing it is as an argument than any reasonings, how much more gracious in its influence than any mere rule of doctrine and in the case of children we know of nothing which seems to be so instinctive in them, as the propensity to imitate the conduct and to adopt the sentiments, passions, tastes, and affections of those with whom they associate or by whom they are guided. There must be a perfect agreement, then, between the teaching by our example and of our words-else the lessons of our lives will be more readily adopted than the words of our lips (see Rom. ii. 17-21).

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We know how difficult this is-how much of self-discipline it involves-how constantly we need grace from above to repress what is evil in us, and to kindle what is good; but it is a solemn responsibility attaching to all, and especially to those speaking as followers of Jesus, that we should in our lives manifest whose we are and

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