true faith in God? No change, but in more earnestness with the unchanged. "Preach the word"-the same word-"Instant in season, out of season," "with all long suffering and doctrine." Let patience have her perfect work. Be not faithless—but believing -God's hand is not shortened that it cannot save by that same word now as in the ancient times.

These observations are not applicable only to circumstances which may hereafter exist among us. Always, everywhere in our ministry we find those calling themselves Christians, or at least numbered in Christian congregations, to whom what St. Paul meant by "sound doctrine" is an aversion. They do not like to hear, they turn away from hearing so much about atonement and justification, and a new heart, and faith, and all the inward work of the Holy Ghost. A less spiritual religion would be far more to their taste-and they think if we would preach much less about the great distinctive features of the Gospel and more about mere moral duties -that is, less religion and more of something else, many ears, now turned away, would hear. Very likely. And under the influence of such views, the testimony of the pulpit is sometimes grievously deformed. The minister seeks to commend himself more to the people's preferences than their consciences; and hence, of course, not by manifestations of the truth in its simplicity, directness spirituality and completeness. He enlarges the list of communicants by reducing the spiritual qualifications for the communion. He makes the narrow gate wider; invites a condition of mind. which the Lord invites not. The middle wall of partition between the Church and the world is broken down, the more to please the world, the more to enlarge the Church. Such compliances we have no right to make. They spring out of unbelief. They poison the life of the Church. If men will not endure sound doctrine we cannot help it, we have no unsound to give. If the ground will not receive the good seed given us to sow, we cannot mend the matter by sowing bad seed. To the end of the world, come what may, that seed and that only must we sow. "God (that giveth the seed) giveth the increase," and will give it. Our strength is to believe. 2. A spirit of Love. To preach Christ is not only "a work of faith," it is a labor of love." I will not say that no man can do it in a certain sense, that is, with doctrinal correctness, without the love of Christ in his heart; for St. Paul speaks of some in his day who preached Christ, "even of envy and strife, not sincerely," from selfish and evil motives. I will not prolong this discourse

in enlarging on the elementary truth that without a personal experience of the preciousness of Christ to our own souls, by each one's individual participation in the hope that rests on his justifying righteousness, and is witnessed by the sanctifying power of His Spirit dwelling in us, we cannot preach Christ, according to his will, in his mind, in the tenderness and earnestness and patience and godly wisdom which alone become our office, however correct our teaching in a mere doctrinal aspect. What I wish, in these concluding words to insist on is, the importance of a very earnest, tender and overcoming love, to give spirituality to our theology, and the mind of Christ to our teachings concerning him. Two preachers, alike in accurate and full statement of all that is revealed concerning our blessed Lord and his salvation, may be very different in the spiritual power of their ministry, and the difference will not depend so much on the superiority of talent or of eloquence, or even of diligence in one over the other, as on their comparison in point of love. He will preach best who loves most. His preaching will go most to the heart, and will be attended with most of "the demonstration of the Spirit," who, in all he says and does, is most constrained by the love of Christ, dictating, animating, sanctifying, with the tenderness and patient earnestness of his Master's mind, his whole discourse. Oh, brethren, that we were more earnest to grow in this grace! What ought we to value in personal attainment, compared with it? If your ministry fail in spiritual efficacy, inquire into the cause by searching the state of your hearts in regard to the love of Christ therein, to what extent the aim, the zeal, the topics, the temper of your work, and the whole character of your personal example are under the dominion of that love.

I have already occupied too much of your time, and yet I feel that I have come very far short of the height and breadth of what I have sought to exhibit. "We have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God and not of us." Blessed be God, that in our weakness we have His power to lean on. I humbly pray that power of God to bless to you, dear brethren, what in so much weakness and imperfectness and unworthiness I have now addressed to you. Nothing in this world could I rejoice in so much as to be instrumental, under God's grace, in promoting the spiritual excellency and efficacy of your work and your personal growth in the faith and love of Christ. The 31

time is at hand when nothing else will seem of the smallest value. I commend you to God and the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and make you good stewards of the unsearchable riches of Christ. "The God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is well pleas ing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory and dominion forever and ever." Amen.

INDEX OF SUBJECTS.

[The following indexes of Subjects and Authors were prepared by
the REV. CHAS. W. QUICK.]