public park, the road-side, or the way-side field in the quiet country. These places,

dom," which God has given; this seed is free, abundant, living, freely received by us, and should be freely given, until the whole earth | no less than the consecrated sanctuary, have be full of the glory of God. The Divine promise is that that seed shall multiply, sometimes thirty, sometimes sixty, sometimes a hundred fold, spreading on from heart to heart through all the various generations that in faith receive and cherish it. It is the very nature of that seed thus to spread in whatever soil it be sown, whether in the hearts of Christ's faithful ministers or in those of his believing people.

been, all more or less witnesses of the faithful presentation of the message of Gospel truth, and often the birthplace of many precious souls. I have myself been privileged to speak a word for the Master on the streets of my own and other cities, and have seen the tear of penitence as it has flowed down the faces of the hardy sons of toil as they listened to the words of Jesus.

During the past summer, while traveling in Europe, I have had the same blessed opportunity of speaking for Christ in the crowded thoroughfares of Belfast, Edin

Let us, then, consider, in the third place, Who shall sow this seed? We believe and hold fast to the doctrine of a holy ministry, called by the Holy Ghost, and set apart to this sa-burgh, and London, where large congregacred office. We believe also that all who have been born of the Spirit should help in some way to sow the seed of the kingdom. Bad men, in thousands of ways, sow bad seed, scattering firebrands, arrows, and death with free hand. Good men should sow good seed wherever they go, seed that shall produce grand results here, and results yet more glorious in the world to come.

tions were quickly gathered, while a few verses of a familiar hymn were sung. These congregations, which I have seen convened on the public thoroughfares of both the Old and the New World, were largely made up of those whose general appearance indicated that they seldom or never darkened the doors of the regular places of public worship.

city, and bring in hither the poor, and the maimed, and the halt, and the blind." He who laid that injunction upon all his servants was an open-air preacher: as were all the prophets whom He had sent to the house of Israel. It was by the way-side, on the sea-shore, from the mountain, and among the corn - fields that He spake as never man spake, and the common people heard Him gladly.

No congregation of Christ's disciples If ever these masses are to be brought should rest satisfied until they have devel- under the influence of the Gospel, every layoped and brought into the Master's service man must unite with the ministry, and “ go all the lay talent which they possess: and es-out quickly into the streets and lanes of the pecially should they seek to find a band of earnest, intelligent, soul-loving men to act as lay preachers, not to dispense the ordinances, but to "go out into the highways and hedges, and to compel the people to come in," by telling in plain and loving words "the old, old story of Jesus and his love." Some there may be whose gifts may qualify them to devote their whole time to the service of the Master as lay evangelists, like Brownlow North, Varley, and others in England; Moody, Burnell, and others in America. You have only to read the lives of such lay preachers as Bunyan, the Hal-eth say, Come. And let him that is athirst, danes, Matheson, Annan, and men of like spirit, to learn what the spirit of God has accomplished through such workers.

Let us now, in the fourth place, speak of some of those places where the seed of the kingdom may be sown by laymen.

All can and should speak of Christ in their own families and in the daily avocations of life. How many that stand idle in the market-place might find an open door of usefulness in the Sabbath-school, either in teaching or, at least, in gathering in the neglected, untaught children of our crowded cities and towns, or in distributing tracts to those who never enter the house of God! The social prayer-meeting will also afford ample opportunity of employment for lay talent. I would speak, however, more particularly of the great field of labor for laymen which is to be found in the open-air preaching, whether in the public street, the crowded thoroughfare, the vacant lot, the

Let us, in the fifth and last place, view the extent of the obligation; and here, what more is required than, "Let him that hear

Come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.”

Every one who loves Jesus should be an earnest worker in the kingdom. Were every Christian privileged to bring only one sinner to Christ each year, then in three years all in this land would be brought into the Ark of Safety, and in six years the world would be evangelized. The sainted missionary, Knill, once said that, if there remained but one soul on the globe unconverted, and if that soul lived in the wilds of Siberia, and if, in order to its conversion, it were necessary for every Christian to make a pilgrimage there, it were labor well spent.

A poor Hindoo was dying on the plains of India, and sent for a Brahmin, who told him, in answer to his dying inquiry, that when he died he would pass into another body. "And where next?" anxiously inquired the dying man. "Into still another body," exclaimed the Brahmin. In imagi

the larboard quarter to six men overboard, and, without waiting to inquire how they got there, or to what country they belonged, he instantly gave the order, "Lower away the

nation the poor dying Hindoo passed through scores and hundreds of animals, and in the agony of the dying moment exclaimed, "But, oh! sir, can you tell me, where shall I go last of all?” He passed away with the ques-life-boat! lower away the life-boat!” which was tion of all questions on his dying lips still unanswered by his priest. Multitudes within the sound of our sanctuaries are passing daily to the Judgment-seat, with the same question upon their lips, unanswered.

quickly done; and while it was being done, he called for volunteers to man the boat. Over thirty men promptly obeyed the summons, each one anxious to be among the chosen ten who should be privileged to aid in saving those who were struggling with the surging waves of the ocean; they went on their perilous voyage, and succeeded in saving four, two having found a watery grave.

Years ago, when a passenger on board of one of our largest ocean steamers then afloat, the cry came from the deck that startled the captain and passengers, who were seated at their dinner-table; the two startling words, Stop her! Stop her !" were quickly repeated, and in a moment our gallant captain was on the quarter-deck to ascertain the cause of the alarming order of the first officers; the wind was blowing a hurricane at the time, and the sudden announcement, not "slower," or "half speed," but "stop her!" quick-ery soul shall be brought into the ark of ly repeated caused no little consternation. As the captain stepped upon the deck, the officer who had given the order pointed over

Brethren of the Convention, multitudes in all lands are “overboard,” exposed to the dangers of a more tempestuous sea; and while their cry comes up to us for help, let the response of the Church be, "Lower away the life-boat" of saving knowledge, until ev

safety, and the shout go up from every land that "the kingdoms of this world had become the kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christ."

LAY PREACHING.

BY COUNT ANDREAS BERNSTORFF, OF BERLIN, PRUSSIA.

gelists, but simple Christians, whom the persecution had scattered abroad, founded this Church. While Peter very reluctantly made up his mind to go to the Gentiles, these men of Cyprus and Cyrene "spake unto the Grecians, preaching the Lord Jesus." When the tidings of these things came to the ears of the apostles, they sent Barnabas, who, "when he had seen the grace of God, was glad, and exhorted them all with purpose of heart that they would cleave unto the Lord," for, as we read further, he was a good man. He knew, therefore, how to recognize the fruits of the Spirit, even where he had done none of the work himself.

ALL Christians at the present time agree | called Christians. Not apostles, not evanthat there is a vast field of labor before us, one for which the existing laborers have long ago been found insufficient. The command of the Master, "Pray ye the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth laborers into his harvest," not only obliges us to pray for faithful ministers, for missionaries, who carry the glad tidings of the Gospel to the remotest countries; it also urges us to consider how the masses of nominally Christian countries can be permeated with a Christian spirit. In some places an increase of ministers would be useful; but, aside from the fact that it is difficult at present to find sufficient men for the existing number of parishes, experience in Roman Catholic countries shows us that too great an increase of the clergy does not of itself promote spiritual life. The desire is more and more felt to have other helpers besides those in the clerical office-men in all classes of society and of all professions, who in their respective circles may strive to win souls for Christ.-the first Christians often received, and to We are convinced that it would be a great blessing for the Church if many of her members, while remaining in their secular callings, were to take an active share in her works. It is, therefore, just that we should carefully examine into our authority for such working.

Let us first consult the Scriptures. The Bible gives us no distinct precepts for the constitution and organization of the Church. It only teaches us the great facts on which our faith rests, and the doctrines derived from them. When the foundation of the Church had to be laid, the Lord sent out his twelve apostles, men endowed with particular gifts and an especial calling, so that they might as chosen vessels preach to Jews and Gentiles the great facts of Redemption. But when the apostles abandoned the office of serving tables so as to give themselves continually to the ministry of the Word, seven men were appointed to attend to the daily ministration; and these men also began to preach Christ, and with how great success! The same thing happened with Apollos, who spake and taught diligently, and mightily convinced the Jews; and with Aquila and Priscilla.

The most important example for us is the foundation of the Church at Antioch, the first flourishing Church among the heathen, and the one in which the disciples were first

Very instructive for our subject is the otherwise difficult 14th chapter of St. Paul's First Epistle to the Corinthians. I take for granted that prophesying means preaching the Word of God, while speaking with tongues means speaking in unknown languages a gift which, like the apostles at Pentecost

which, as a miraculous gift, they attached great value. We are told in the first verse that we may all desire this gift of prophesying, and in the fifth verse the apostle distinctly says: "I would that ye all spake with tongues, but rather that ye prophesied." The rest of this chapter teaches us that this gift does not necessarily belong to every Christian, but that all may desire it, and that those who obtain it should make use of it. In the old form of Divine Service described to us in that wonderful chapter several persons could speak during the service, and the revelation of God, the impulse from the Spirit to preach the Word of God, was not bound to any office. Only women were not allowed to preach in the Church; and even from this precept it follows that all men without distinction had the permission to do so. St. Paul expects a great blessing from it, because he says that, if an unbeliever came in, he would be "convinced of all."

Let me here quote three very remarkable passages of Scripture, which, though they do not exclusively refer to our subject, yet teach us that every testimony for Christ ought to be welcome to us. There have always been men who, with false zeal, would hinder and suppress the preaching of the Word of God, if it did not take place quite in the way approved by them.

What says

to this the lawgiver of the Old Testament? had times of dead orthodoxy, when the memWhen it was announced that Eldad and bers of the congregation gladly left to him Medad had remained in the camp and proph-"who had the office for it" what they had esied, Joshua addressed Moses, asking him, no desire to do themselves. Still the prin'My lord Moses, forbid them;" but Moses ciple of the priesthood of all believers was answered, "Enviest thou for my sake? would maintained in the Swiss as well as in the GerGod that all the Lord's people were proph-man Reformation. As the Reformed (Calets, and that the Lord would put his Spirit vinist) churches generally leave more room upon them" (Numb. xi., 27-30). And what for lay influence, I shall only quote here says the great apostle of the Gentiles? St. some very interesting passages from Luther's Paul, in his Epistle to the Philippians (i., writings. "Faith must do every thing. 15-18), writes: "Some indeed preach Christ Faith alone is the true priestly office. Thereeven of envy and strife; and some also of fore all Christians are parsons. There is good-will: the one preach Christ of conten- no difference, except the faith be unequal.” tion, not sincerely, supposing to add afflic-"This threefold office God has given to us all. tion to my bonds: but the other of love, knowing that I am set for the defense of the Gospel. What then? notwithstanding, every way, whether in pretense, or in truth, Christ is preached; and I therein do rejoice, yea, and will rejoice." And what, finally, says our Lord and Master to such proceedings? His apostles told him that they had seen somebody casting out devils in his name, who followed them not, and that they had forbidden him for that reason. But Jesus said: "Forbid him not: for there is no man which shall do a miracle in my name, that can lightly speak evil of me" (Mark ix., 38, 39).

All Christians have the power to preach, to pray for each other, to sacrifice themselves unto the Lord." "The first and highest duty of the Christian is to teach the Word of God. That this is common to all is taught by the verse: 'Ye are a royal priesthood, that ye should show forth the praises of him, who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.' Peter not only gives them the right, but even the commandment, that they shall show forth the praises of God, which, indeed, is nothing else than to preach the Gospel. Paul also confirms it when he speaks to the whole congregation, and to every member individually: We now pass to the history of the ancient 'Every one of you hath a psalm, hath a docChurch. Unfortunately the accounts of that trine, hath a tongue, hath a revelation, hath period are very scarce. Yet we can take for an interpretation;' and then: 'for ye may granted that the primitive form of divine all prophesy one by one, that all may learn service maintained itself till about the mid- and all may be comforted." What does he dle of the second century. Only at that mean when he says every one? What means time a sharper distinction began to be made the word all? With these verses it is most between the office of a bishop and that strongly and clearly asserted that the highof an elder, and between clergy and laity. est ministry of the Word of God is common This and the expansion of the churches by to all who are Christians, and not only as a the addition of weak and impure elements right, but as a commandment.” "We have gradually lessened the participation of the Apollos, of whom we read that he went congregation. But this change only took to Ephesus without any other calling, and place very gradually. Tertullian, who min- preached there only out of burning love, istered toward the end of the second and the and mightily convinced the Jews. So evbeginning of the third century, still very de-ery Christian is bound to do when he sees cidedly maintained that all Christians are priests. Yea, even later, some of the most eminent fathers of the Church insisted upon this. Chrysostom, who worked under divine blessing as Bishop of Constantinople since 397, says how blessed a thing it is to bring others to Christ: "I wish and pray,"

said he, "that ye might all be among the /

number of teachers, and not only listen to our sermons, but also teach others the things we present unto you, and convince the erring; then God will increase the number of believers, and the more you care for your brethren the richer grace you will receive yourselves." At another place he says, "Let one take his Bible, and call his friends and neighbors."

Clearer and more distinctly these principles came forward in the Reformation. Unfortunately our Evangelical Church has also

that there is want of the Word of God, and when he is able to do so. We have another example in Stephen and Philip, who were only called to the office of serving tables." "If it be so, that every Christian has the Word of God, he is also bound to confess, teach, and propagate it; as the prophet says, Psalm cxvi., 10, 'I believed, therefore have I spoken;' and in Psalm li., he says of all believers: 'I will teach transgressors thy ways; and sinners shall be converted unto thee.' When a Christian is at a place where there are no other Christians, he wants no other calling but that he is a Christian, called and anointed by God, and he is bound to preach to the erring heathen and unbelievers. In such a case, a Christian in brotherly love contemplates the sad state of a lost soul, and does not wait till he has received orders or letters from princes or bishops.".

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