government.

merely to preserve order in his The death of the wicked can never satisfy the demands of God's justice, else the sinner would be saved by virtue of his own sufferings, and go to heaven in another way than by the sacrifice of Christ. The misery of a lost soul cannot change the nature of sin, cannot answer the demands of justice, cannot quench the fire of hell. A just God can have no pleasure in the death of the wicked.

Thirdly: The design of God in all His dealings with sinners is to save them. If He had any pleasure in our death He would never have done so much for our salvation. Manoah, greatly terrified by a vision, once exclaimed, "We shall surely die, because we have seen God." But mark the wise and philosophic reply of his wife :-"If the Lord were pleased to kill us, he would not have received a burnt-offering and a meat-offering at our hands, neither would he have showed us all these things." His kind dealings towards us are a proof that He wills not our ruin. It is because He hath no pleasure in our death that He has borne so long with us in our sins, that He has bestowed upon us so many earthly blessings, and that He has given us the glorious system of redeeming grace. The life and sufferings, the blood and agonies, the death and merits, of His only-begotten Son, clearly prove that the Divine Father has no pleasure in our death. All the powers of His infinite love, all the pathos of His infinite compassion, all the influences of His infinite Spirit, are employed to turn the wicked from his evil way, and to save his soul. It is not God's pleasure, brother, that you should die. Your destruction must be your own act. There may be written over the portals of hell, in large letters of fire, the inscription-SELF-DESTROYED.

III. THE STIRRING APPEAL. "Turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel!" We make three observations relative to this appeal :First: It is an appeal addressed to man's higher nature. The design of the prophet was not to affect and excite the

animal feelings, but to awaken thought and to produce reflection. "Why will ye die?" Why are you in such haste in seeking self-destruction? Think-give a reason for such mad conduct. This is God's method of dealing with men's souls: He appeals to their reason. He never employs compulsory means to save men from death. The power that is brought to bear upon the soul is that of love, and light, and reason. God speaks to our higher nature; He appeals to our reason; He wants to know the cause of our determination to reject the offers of redeeming love. Why will ye die?" There is nothing in the divine purposes, nothing in the sacrifice of God's beloved Son, nothing in the agency of the Holy Spirit, yea, there is nothing in God's remedy for diseased souls, why any sinner should die. There i "balm in Gilead," there is a "physician there." No guilty sinner need die. "The blood of Christ cleanseth from all sin." The door of eternal bliss is open before the world.

Secondly It is an appeal which implies the necessity of immediate personal attention. "Turn ye, turn ye, from your evil ways." The duty is important: God is most urgent in His appeal. It is a matter of life or death to the soul. The duty is personal-"O house of Israel, why will ye die?" The appeals of the Gospel are pointed, they aim at the heart, they are applied to the individual conscience. With heartsearching power they cry, "Thou art the man." The duty requires immediate attention. We have no time to procrastinate, our few days of probation will be soon over, and the appeals of Heaven will cease to fall upon the ear.

Thirdly: It is an appeal which conveys the strongest motive for obedience. "As I live, saith the Lord God." Have you any doubt about the reception of a penitent sinner? Think of the oath of God. Remember the encouraging words of Jesus, "He that cometh unto me, I will in no wise cast out." Brother, have you not yourself experienced His readiness to forgive? In that long-remembered day when conscience awoke, the terrors of hell filled the bosom, and despair began to brood on the heart, did not His voice of love hush the

tempest? Ah! the recollection is still sweet. Do you not even now sing?—

"When lo! in that moment of fear,

Broke mildly hope's tremulous ray;
The accents of mercy fell soft on my ear,
And thus seemed the seraph to say:

'Look, look to thy crucified Lord,

See where he lies bleeding for thee!
Hark, come, I will save! Believe on his word;
Flee, flee to the refuge, oh flee!'

I heard, I obey'd, for his love drew me on-
I clung to his cross, and my terrors were gone!"

J. H. HUGHES,

*SUBJECT: Obedience and Sacrifice.

"Obedience is better than Sacrifice."-Samuel xv. 22.

Analysis of Homily the Three Hundred and Seventy-ninth.

VERY early in the history of monarchs we discover more concern for self-aggrandisement than for the people's welfare; and more anxiety to please man than God. Saul's instructions were explicit. He obeyed, as many professing Christians now, are "mortifying the deeds of the body;" the disreputable they destroy; the fashionable, and such as may serve to grace their religious profession, they spare.

Saul's misconduct supplied the occasion for the announcement of an absolute and eternal truth. I submit-I. THAT SACRIFICE IS ONLY CIRCUMSTANTIALLY NECESSARY, BUT OBEDIENCE IS ESSENTIALLY SO. (1) Sacrifice is either an atonement for offence, and then, however excellent the remedy, it cannot for its own sake be as acceptable to the Creator as the healthful action which renders the remedy unnecessary;—or, (2) It is the suffering occasioned by transgression, and then

* Suggested by Mr. Jones' Germ, p. 43.

it cannot be so pleasant to a parent as the obedience which prevents the suffering. Hence as sacrifice is a remedy for moral disease, it is good, but as obedience is the pulsation of unimpaired health, it is better. II. SACRIFICE IS A RELATIVE GOOD OBEDIENCE 18 PERSONAL, AND THEREFORE BETTER. The idea may be thus expressed :-Sacrifice is required because of the relation of God to other beings than the offerer, but obedience is demanded by the relation of the individual to God. If no other creature than myself existed, the obligation to obey is unalterable; but the existence of other creatures and their relation to God and to me, may considerably affect the worth of sacrifice. Not only so, but other creatures may be more largely benefitted by my sacrifices than I; whereas obedience is more immediately beneficial to the obedient.-III. SACRIFICE IS TEMPORARY, OBEDIENCE ETERNAL. As it is a remedy, so it can only co-exist with disease. It belongs to earth and time. But when that which is perfect shall come, the partial shall be done away. When God's will shall be done on earth as it is in heaven, sacrifice shall be no more needed on earth than in heaven.IV. SACRIFICE IS GOOD AS A MEANS; THEREFORE, TO OBEY, BEING THE END, IS BETTER. (1) Such sacrifices only were accepted of old, as God had commanded, and these only when offered as commanded, and exciting dispositions such as He required. Thus they were only valuable as they were related to obedience, and for its sake. (2) The great sacrifice is valuable as an atonement for man's disobedience.

(1) Because of the perfect obedience of the offerer. (2) Because of the revelation of God it affords. (3) Because of the cure of man's disobedience it is calculated thus to effect. (4) Because it thus secures that which is better than sacrifice. (5) In fine, it is only thus valuable permanently to the obedient. "Being made perfect he became the author of eternal salvation to all them that obey him."

WILLIAM KNOX.

SUBJECT:-Spiritual Self-helpfulness.

"Drink waters out of thine own cistern, and running waters out of thine own well."-Prov. v. 15.

Analysis of Homily the Three Hundred and Eightieth.

I. MAN HAS INDEPENDENT SPIRITUAL RESOURCES. He has a cistern," "a well" of his own. First: He has independent resources of thought. Every sane man can and does think for himself. Thoughts well up from every soul, voluntarily and involuntarily. Secondly: He has independent resources of expe rience. No two have exactly the same experience. Thirdly: He has independent powers of usefulness. Every man has a power to do a something which no other can, to touch some soul with an effectiveness which no other can. Wonderful is this Well within,-inexhaustible and ever active.-II. MAN IS BOUND TO USE THESE RESOURCES. "Drink waters out of thine own cistern ;"—do not live on others. Self-drawing,— First: Honors our own nature. Secondly: Increases our own resources. Self-helpfulness strengthens. The more you draw from this cistern the more comes. Thirdly: Contributes to the good of the universe. The man who gives only what he has borrowed from others, adds nothing to the common stock. The subject,-First: Indicates the kind of service which one man can spiritually render another. To Priest, Rabbi, Sectary, I would say;-Man does not require your well;-he has a cistern within. What he wants is the warm gospel of love to thaw his frozen nature, and to unseal the exhaustless fountain within, to remove all obstructions to its outflow, and to make it as pure as the crystal. The subject,-Secondly: Suggests an effective method to sap the foundation of all priestly assumptions. Let every man "drink water from his own cistern,"—become self. helpful, and the influence of those who arrogate a Lordship over the faith of others will soon die out. The subject, -Thirdly: Presents a motive for thankfully adoring the Great