impressions of the greatness of God, the supremacy of truth, the value of souls, and the awfulness of eternity. The more a man studies, the greater God appears, and the greater God appears the more human creatures dwindle into insignificance.

Neither of these excellent men were gifted with any remarkable moral courage. Whilst too honest to sacrifice truth, they would not readily brave public sentiment, or run with the unpopular. For years Dr. Binney desired to introduce a Liturgy, but some of his congregation who, bye the way, knew nothing of Liturgies, would not consent and he let the matter drop. It is sad to see great, and divinely cultured men, prone to yield in any way to the crude opinions and blind prejudice of plebian souls, engrossed in making money. Both were denominational. They lived in a denominational atmosphere, and worked by denominational machinery. The members of denominational committees and their secretaries, the paid ones especially, were always lavish in their adulations, not merely on account of their intellectual and moral superiority, but on account of the service they could render societies by their prestige and ministry. Had these men being less denominational they would have flung their names afar, and sent their influence throughout Christendom. Minor men may well be denominational, crawl into denominational offices, struggle for the denominational chair, for without the denominational platform they would live and die unknown. In some respects David Thomas was superior to Thomas Binney. His cultivation was of a higher type, his information more varied and extensive, and he had manifestly a better acquaintance with the greatest thinkers and the highest literature. He was more humble. The little confidence that he had in his own powers was the cause of his nervousness in the pulpit. He was a modest and retiring man, "he made himself of no reputation." Binney, on the other hand was, perhaps, too self-conscious. Adulation he did not always despise, and hostile criticism fired him with indignation. David Thomas was the best companion. His social nature seemed always aglow, he abounded in anecdotes, and was quick in repartee. The ego seldom appeared. He was never dull.

True Reform.

To reform a world, to reform a nation, no wise man will undertake; and all but foolish men know that the only solid, though a far slower reformation, is what each begins and perfects on himself.

THOMAS CARLYLE.

Eclectic Pulpit.

SERMONIC KERNELS, FROM VARIOUS TYPES OF PREACHERS.

Self-Abnegation in the Prosecution of Christ's Work.

"THEN SAID JESUS UNTO HIS DISCIPLES, IF ANY MAN WILL COME AFTER ME, LET HIM DENY HIMSELF, AND TAKE UP HIS CROSS, AND FOLLOW ME."—Matt. xvi. 24.

WE are in danger of undue regard to self in connection with Christ's work in three ways.

This self-indulgence appears

I. In the way self-indulgence. when we choose to do what is easy and pleasant, agreeable to our tastes, inclinations and habits. Against this several arguments may be urged(1) The moral unseemliness of it. Christ's cause is that of self-denial. Self-indulgence in connection with it is incongruous. (2) The lack of interest it implies in the cause. If a man professing great friendship for us served us only in ways that were agreeable and convenient to himself, but stopped directly the path of service became rugged and irksome, we should make very little count of his friendship for us. We should be inclined to conclude that he had been really not serving us, but only serving himself. (3) Its obstruction to our own progress and success in the service. A man who will do nothing but what is easy and pleasant to himself seldom succeeds. Another way in which we are in danger of regarding self in connection with Christ's service is—II. In the way of Self-dependence. In the case of self-indulgence the importance of our agency is practically overlooked, in this case our agency is exaggerated. We go to God's work as if it were our own. This is to be deprecated. (I) Because of the aggravated ungodliness which this self-dependence involves. Practical dependence upon God is the essence of religion. (2) Because the more it is indulged in the more it obstructs success. When we do our Christian work, we are not only dependent upon God, but here it is indispensable that we should exercise that de

pendence, that we should express it by prayer unto God.

Another way

in which we are in danger of regarding self in connection with Christ's service is-III. In the way of Self-seeking. We are tempted to serve ourselves in God's service, to seek for our own ends, when we are professedly and really engaged in His work. Sometimes the selfish end is directly sought by us, as when it is the glory, honour, power, and triumph of our party or sect, or denomination that we labour after. Sometimes the selfish end is indirectly before us, as when it is our own influence, or position, or honor, or praise that we seek after. The evil of this self-seeking will appear when we consider (1) The shocking incongruity which it involves in connection with God's work. It is strange, it is infinitely pitiful, the great and the small, the grand, and the mean, are never in any other case brought into conjunction, so humiliating and so painful to contemplate. Look at the desecration which it involves. It is not only that the greatest is incongruously allied to the least, the grandest to the meanest; but the great and the grand are made to serve the little and the mean. (2) The suffering which it brings to its The self-seeker in connection with God's cause watches, and generally with no light and pleasant eyes, his fellow-workers; and very often there is the pain of envy as he looks up to those who are occupying a higher place in the work than himself, and very often there is the pain of jealousy as he looks down upon those who are trying to climb up to his own level.

possessor.

Bristol.

THE LATE REV. DAVID THOMAS.

The Power of Christ's Resurrection.

"THE POWER OF HIS RESURRECTION."-Phil. iii. 10.

Let us meditate on this one particular idea of Christ's resurrection and the power of it-the different kinds of power and influence that may emanate from it and operate upon us. I will endeavour, to put the thoughts in a way you may remember. I am old-fashioned enough to

like "firstly, secondly, thirdly." I don't like to sit listening to a man who talks like a book, because I can't turn over a page if I don't understand him, and read the passage again. I like him to be as plain and simple as possible, that I may recollect, and I can't well do that unless he gives me stepping stones. Now, I will tell you how this subject shapes itself to my mind. There is the power of Christ's resurrection as a fact, as a doctrine, as a type, as a motive (to a particular kind of life)

M

man.

and as a model (presented to faith and hope). Five points of practical religion rather more interesting perhaps, than the five points of some theologies. 1. The power of Christ's resurrection as a fact. That is our faith. Your scientific philosophers, who do not believe in miracle, do not believe it is possible, do not believe that God Himself who arranged the system is above it and can interfere with it—he who can believe that, let him believe it; we don't. We believe that God, who made the world and established its laws, administers them, and can interfere and interpose, if He thinks fit, and for an object which shall be fitting. We do not discuss the question: we do not entertain it. The power of the resurrection, proving the truth of Christianity as a whole, proves its exclusiveness as a system of divine thought, which is to constitute the religion of II. The power of the resurrection as a doctrine. What I mean by that is this:-the fact enshrines a thought. The fact of the resurrection embodies a divine idea, so that the resurrection of Jesus is not the same as the resurrection of Lazarus, or the resurrection of the widow's son. Simply considered as a fact, having power over the reason as a part of the evidence of Christianity, the resurrection of Jesus is the same as that of Lazarus. But as a doctrine it is very different. Jesus died," according to the Scripture," and "according to the Scriptures," He rose again from the dead. It was the fulfilment of the Divine purpose, and the resurrection of the Christ of God embodied a Divine thought, and it was this-we have it illustrated in the old Hebrew economy. What is the power of this doctrine? It is an appeal to our spiritual nature, to our conscience, and to our sense of guilt. III. The power of the resurrection as a type. What I mean by that is this: the Apostle Paul uses this particular form of setting forth the truth that, as Christ died and rose again, we are to die and ascend and live unto God; we are to be raised from the death of sin unto the life of God; we are to live and walk "as those that are alive from the dead." Sometimes the putting to death of the flesh may be like a crucifixion. It may require effort and self-sacrifice, and self-denial, that shall be like driving a nail through the nerves and fibres of the flesh. There are some who say, "That is very mystical, transcendental." I cannot help it. I do not make mysticism. You will find it most distinctly stated by Paul in his Epistle to the Romans, sixth chapter, where he writes very fully on this subject-rising with Christ. IV. The power of the resurrection as a motive. Observe how beautifully these ideas, as they are taught in the Scriptures, interweave. The resurrection as a fact operates upon the intellect, and gives the assurance of truth. The resurrection as a doctrine deepens

the truth, and touches the conscience-goes down into the depths of our spiritual and moral nature, and expresses reconciliation with God. The resurrection as a type-Christ rising from the dead, and we having been raised from the dead to walk like Him-that is the developed experience in the Christian man and in the life of God. Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, was not glorified immediately, He lived upon the earth forty days, but a different life from His former one. And if a man is under the power of the life of God he must live a different life. But we go a step further. Christ rose, then ascended, and entered into heaven, and is there. How perfectly natural then, the next idea comes when the Apostle says "If ye be risen," since you are risen "with Christ." What then? "Seek those things which are above."

V. The power of the resurrection as a model.

Jesus died, rose, lived

amongst us for a while, and then was glorified, and ascended into heaven. He did not immediately assume His glorified body. I think He rose in the body in which He died, and it was after the forty days that He ascended into heaven, and the great change passed, and humanity in Him became glorified, transcendantly glorified. In that humanity He is in heaven, sitting at the right hand of God. That is the humanity which is the model to which we are hereafter to be conformed. Such is the teaching of the Bible; you have it in this chapter: "Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto His glorious body, according to the working whereby He is able even to subdue all things unto Himself."

CONCLUSION: Don't let any one imagine that indulging these transcendental thoughts, as some people would call them, though they are nothing but the "words of truth and sobernoss " will unfit a person for the common duties of life. Brethren, the light of faith, living under the influence of religious thought, doing everything to God, acting with a view to the grand ideal, beautifies life, glorifies everything, makes the commonest and meanest services to be great. A servant-girl cleaning a door-step, a woman selling a bit of tape in a huckster's shop, may do it on a principle that shall bring it into harmony with the service of angels. The meanest service may be done on a principle of right,—and not only 80, but done by a religious heart, as the duty God has given it to do. Then all service is divine. You need not wait for the Sunday to engage in “divine service." Everything may be divine, if you touch it on the divine side, and do it as unto God.

Weigh House, London.

THE LATE THOMAS BINNEY, D.D.