that artist. He was going altogether out of his way, unnecessarily trying to impress on his friend, so-called faults in the work of art. That was bearing false witness against his neighbour. And so we find it running through the human family. And how lamentable it is that it is so prevalent amongst teachers of religion. Such a man is worse than a thief. He is the most despicable of God's creatures, and all we can do after using our influence on him to bring him to a better state of mind, is to plead with God that he may soon see his own sin and evil. Shakspeare says:

"Good name, in man and woman, dear my lord,

Is the immediate jewel of their souls;

Who steals my purse steals trash; 'tis something,
nothing;

'Twas mine, 'tis his, and has been slave to thousands
But he that filches from me my good name

Robs me of that which not enriches him

And makes me poor indeed."

The Book says "Speak not evil one of another," and so let us avoid everything that is condemned in the laying down of these Ten Commandments. Especially let us avoid that great pest of life, bearing false witness in any and every form. Let us act out that which is laid down as our duty in these Ten Commandments, towards God and man. Let us love with an unceasing love, both our Creator and our fellow-creatures. Let us be men; showing ourselves men by doing all the good we can to others, by seeking to draw them nearer to God and nearer

into

to our own hearts, and seeking to find our way their affections and making them feel that we love them as brethren. And be sure that whatever you do in this way will bring its reward. If it is only a cup of cold water given from a pure motive, hear what the Master says: "Inasmuch as ye did it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye did it unto me." Let us offer once more the prayer: "Lord have mercy upon us and write all these thy laws in our hearts, we beseech thee."

SERMON XIII.

SCULPTURE OVER THE MAIN ENTRANCE

THE CORONATION.

"Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a Crown of Life."-REVELATIONS, chap. ii., part of the 10th

verse.

THE two great features in the text will ever remain. They are the laws of God. Work and win. Without work there can be no real enjoyment of life. Without the prospect of winning, as the consummation of work, then all work would be unpleasant. But it is the end of life which must prove the value thereof. The beginning may be well and full of promise, but that is not sufficient. There must be constancy, for constancy only will bring success. There exists in man an untold power. We have not yet discovered all that there is in this, the noblest work of God. We see as ages have rolled on that there has been a continued increase of power going forth from man, and that which we see at the present day, leaves us every reason to believe that

there may still be a greater power exerted. That which has been in the past, may be in the future. We confidently expect that in the days to come, as the faculties of the human mind are more fully brought out and more thoroughly exercised, that man will prove himself to be indeed, the noblest work of God. This untold power is to be brought out in connection with the varied work to which men are called. But it will not be without a struggle that those powers will be developed, and the great work to which man is called be done. There are many influences at work in the world to impede as well as to aid this development. There are many things with which we have to come in contact, and with which we have to fight, which if allowed to work on us according to their will, would certainly leave us even still more dwarfed and cramped as to effort, than we at present are. There is that in the world which is opposed to progress, and which would keep down everything tending to ennoble man and thus bring him nearer God. I need not say that these influences are the influences of sin. Sin in its varied forms is opposed to right and to God. But on the other hand there are influences at work calculated to aid very much indeed in the development of this untold power, and it is just as men are brought in contact with this genial, holy influence that they have a firm footing, that they have a clear prospect, that they have great encouragement, that they aim at something at which they have never aimed before, and are determined to reach an

eminence to which they have never before climbed. Astonishing indeed it is, the power which a high and holy influence has on man in this respect. Feeling that he breathes a purer atmosphere; feeling that he has as a prompter the spirit of right and truth, believing that by following the directions of this prompter he will ultimately succeed, he is nerved for the battle; he has courage for the fight, and he is determined, should this influence still accompany him and this prompter still be his friend, that he will never rest until he reaches the top of the ladder and receives the crown of victory. May I say that one of the powers as yet not fully understood, which exists in man is that of faith in ultimate success. Greater far will be the effort, and more determined will be the attempt of that man to gain some high eminence and win a great and glorious crown, who has faith that he will succeed. Work in its fullest sense, serves to develope the sterling qualities, especially of young men. Giving himself up to the work of theorising will never succeed in bringing out the manly. yea, the Divine attributes which are hidden in the human being. Work only can do it. But it must be work, as I have said, in the fullest sense. There must be no narrow limit; there must be no meagre effort, but there must be the throwing of the whole heart and soul into whatever presents itself as just and holy work, to be done in connection with life. There must be an understanding of the claims of God and the claims of man, and though there