power of God." Jesus, and him crucified, must still be our theme, or the gospel we proclaim will not be that which is the power of God to such as believe it. In order to this we must consider Jesus, suffering and dying; not losing sight of the cross ourselves, if we would be wise to win souls. He was lifted up in order to draw all men unto him; and we must be careful, by all means, not to hide it from the perishing around us.

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But we must look from the cross to the throne; from the sacrifice to the mercy seat; from the offering to the Offerer; from the Apostleship and Messiahship, to the Priesthood. Let us still be often at the cross, and the tomb and the mount of ascension: but here let us "stand, gazing up into heaven!" Consider Jesus pleading! Behold his hands and his side! Remember that he is a merciful and faithful High-Priest, who can be touched with the feelings of our infirmities, having been tried in all respects as we are. And having become our propitiatory, we may come with boldness to the throne of grace, in order to obtain mercy, and favour to help us in times of need." "A merciful and faithful High-priest," indeed; who can bear with the ignorant and such as are out of the way; "for in that he has suffered, being tried; he is able to succour such as are tried." His priesthood, too, is unchangeable; "therefore he is for ever able to save all who come to God by him." We were once far from God, and far also from the only Saviour, the one Mediator! "Without hope, and without God." But having been brought near, by the blood of Jesus, we have become fellow-citizens with the saints, and of the household of God! Therefore, "let us hold fast our confession; taking heed lest there be in any one of us an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God." Sin is deceitful and heart-hardening. It is therefore dangerous to take one step in the wrong direction; and even to stand still. We are exhorted to "watch and pray, lest we enter into temptation;" lest we be evercome of evil. To this end, let us keep in view the perfect, the sinless example of Jesus. Let us have the same mind which was in him who was meek and lowly in heart. Thus let us "consider the Apostle and HighPriest whom we have confessed;" be ever ready to confess him before men; rejoicing in the assurance that he will confess us before his Father in heaven. Matt. x. 28-33.

APOSTOLIC EXHORTATIONS.

"Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God." 1 John iv. 7.

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GOD is love, and therefore he loves. In exhibiting his love he has exhibited himself. We sometimes say of a person who, in an unguarded moment, has thrown off restraint, and shewn some hitherto checked, but potent passion, Well, he has shewn what he is." So when in the fulness of the times, God manifested his love towards us in sending his only-begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him; he shewed what he is he proved himself the very God of love; he demonstrated the sum of his character in the one word, that most sweet and ever precious word-LOVE.

It is therefore because God is love, that love is said to be of God, and it is because love is of him, that we who know God, and are born

of God, are exhorted to love one another. Such is the apostle's argument, "Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God, and every one that loveth is born of God and knoweth God."

But we cannot love without a reason any more than we can love without an object. The reason, it is true, may be logically and otherwise inadequate, as the object may be morally and otherwise undeserving. But in every case of love, there is some reason or some object real or supposed.

Why then should we love one another? What reason is there for our so doing? To this it may be replied, it is enough that we are enjoined by the apostle so to do-it is sufficient that we have the example of our heavenly Father. True. The injunction is enough to all who have confidence that God commands nothing but what is right. It must be ever pleasing to the divine parent to find such faith as says, "Father, I do not know why thou hast commanded this, but I have all confidence that thy commandment is holy, just, and good, and therefore will I seek with all my heart to obey thee." Yet it is ever strengthening to faith, to discover good reasons for the command, and therefore when they are suggested to us, let us by all means weigh them.

You will not be astonished then when we suggest that we ought to love one another, on account of our divine relationship. Even nature teaches us this. To be without natural affection is a great reproach. The claims of kindness upon the heart's emotions are of the closest and most sacred character. If so in respect to the flesh, much more so in regard to the Spirit. If we love one another because of a common earthly parentage, still more should our hearts be knit together in love, in view of a common heavenly birth. Our love to the parent, indeed, rises or falls with our love to the children; and so the apostle puts it, "If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar, for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen ?" Here then we have a general answer to the objection, that we must see something lovely or loveable in an object before we can love it. There is in this chiefest of all relationships, that which natively draws forth the truest affections of the soul. Thus it is, that the very name of brother evokes the emotion from the heart.

But our attainments is a further reason for our love one to another. We have all, by grace, reached a certain degree of Christian knowledge and excellence; none of us without difficulty, all of us more or less by kindly aid. We have not all the same amount of knowledge, as we have not all the same experience. Though all partakers of the grace of God in Christ, we have not alike the same amount or variety of graces. But whatever be the extent of these particular diversities, the thought that we have attained at all, is a fit occasion of Christian love. We all can, and ought, to say with the apostle that we love each other, " for the truth's sake which dwelleth in us." It may be, that those of us in whom the truth dwells most largely, fully, and constantly, have not had so hard an experience in reaching to that whereto we have attained, as that under which those somewhat behind have laboured, and therefore, whether in much or little comparatively, the fact itself is good reason why every one who has received the truth in the love of it, should love right heartily all in whom it dwells.

But further, we would have you consider that our very deficiencies furnish true and proper cause for the forth-going of our brotherly love. The most efficient of us is greatly deficient. Not one of us is perfect; in many things we offend all and come short. This being so, it well becomes us to be "tender-hearted, forgiving one another, even as God, for Christ's sake, hath forgiven us.' This, of course, is a different phase of Christian love from that previously adverted to; but this is only an additional reason why it should not be over-looked. We cannot, of course, love one another in the sense of admiration in view of unconquered defects and occasional faults; but we can and ought to behold with the eye of pity, and sympathize with compassionate regard. We do therefore say, that our very weaknesses and short-comings afford legitimate scope among us, for the cherishing and exhibition of that love which covers the multitude of sins, and which, Jesus-like, has compassion on the ignorant and those who are out of the way.

For similar reasons, that our defects of character afford a theatre for the display of love in this its most heaven-like aspect, so the poverty of a brother constitutes a worthy ground of kindly attachment. We do not say that a poor brother should be loved more than a rich brother-of which there is not much danger-but we do say his poverty is a reason why the love of the brotherhood should go out to him in peculiar manifestations of kindness. Poverty is not a reason why the brother of low degree should be loved less, but why he should have such tokens of love as the brother of high degree could not be offered. In loving one another, therefore, let us not forget the question-"Whoso hath this world's goods and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him ?"

Every way, therefore, 'Beloved let us love one another.'-ED.

LETTERS TO THE PEOPLE.
No. 17.

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FRIENDS,-Thousands of you are scandalised at the constant ecclesiastical cry of Give, give, give! The ecclesiasticism of the day seems to act on the maxim, Money is the principal thing; therefore, with all thy getting, get money. It is the first and the last of modern Churchism. Is the gospel to be preached?— get money. Is a meeting-place wanted ?-get money. ministry to be fulfilled?-get money. Is any work proposed? -get money. And not only so-get it by any means, and from any quarter; by collectors, by paid agents, public meetings, begging sermons, door plates, fancy fairs, raffles, concerts, soirees, assessments, summonings, police, military, donations, subscriptions, legacies from old and young, the living, the dying, and the dead, converted and unconverted, saints and sinners, the King's enemies, as also his friends. It matters little whom or how-get money. The end justifies the means; the object is good. This Protestantism shakes hands with Popery, and the indulgence is so useful a crime withal; meets no rebuke from pope, prelate, priest or presbyter. And those who know no better, pass on and are punished, or shake

the head saying, "Aha! aha! if that be Christianity, the less of it the better; none of your grace and gospel for us.' In vain the preacher chooses text and misapplies the words-" Freely ye have received, freely give." That which was truly spoken by the Saviour, to his chosen witnesses is not true in the lips of the modern minister. For what the Redeemer called free was really gratis; that gospel which His apostles had received without charge they were to communicate for nothing. And they did it. Their own honour, their Master's glory, and the success of His cause and Gospel, all depended on their so doing. Therefore have the first preachers to the end of time this honourable mention-"That for the namesake of Jesus, they went forth taking nothing of the Gentiles." They took no money from those who had not given themselves to Christ; in truth they said "We seek not yours but you." According to the will of God the hearers of the glad tidings first gave themselves unto the Lord and unto his people, and then besought the reception of their contributions. Before Lydia could prevail on the apostles to accept her hospitality she had to argue-" If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord come into my house and abide." But who among the licensed clergy can adopt the words of Paul to his converts, and say, "Ye remember brethren our labours and travail, for labouring night and day, because we would not be chargeable unto any of you, we preached unto you the Gospel of God." Christian reader, as you revere the honour of the Saviour and his cause, be no party to a system so utterly repugnant to the Divine and gracious will, law, Gospel, and example of Christ. And you, unconverted reader, be not driven from discipleship to the Lord Messiah by the repellant aspect of a false and unscríptural policy. Take the Scriptures into your hands, and act as they direct.

No. 18.

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FELLOW COUNTRYMEN,-The distinction of "clergy and laity" is Popish. The word “ 'clergy" means 'heritage," and in this, its scriptural meaning, all God's people are his clergy—his heritage. The seniors, elders, pastors, bishops, or overseers, are enjoined to take the oversight of the flock in their midst, not by constraint, but willingly; not for dishonourable gain, but of a ready mind; not as lords over the heritage-clergy,-but simply as examples to the flock. Here Peter points out the flock as the clergy, and urges the duty of oversight upon the seniors, warning them not to assume lordship, but simply to set a proper example. The truth is, the Lord Jesus is the only "lord bishop" in the whole Church of the living God. He gave himself for it, that he might purchase it, not to thieves and robbers, usurpers and tyrants, but to Himself. In it He has obtained an inheritance-it is His own peculiar treasure; and as, by purchase, the Church is His heritage, so every member of it-every one who has received Him, has become joint partaker of the inheritance of the sanctified. The Messiah finds His inheritance in His body, the Church, and the members of the Church find their inheritance in Christ their head. This is the long and short of the New Testament doctrine of heritage or clergy. It denotes the joint-participation instituted by the grace of God between Christ and His people. No other than a convert to the Messiah has any part or lot in the matter.

Human will or law can no more make men God's clergy than it can create a world. Men-made clergy are mere human creationsusurpers of the rights and liberties divine of the people of God. The word "laity" means "people" and when used in contrast with "clergy" denotes the "common people." But none of God's people are in his eyes" common," they are alike the purchased people, the heritage of His Son. Only the unconverted, whose hearts have not been purified by the faith-who have not purified their souls in obeying the truth-only such as God has not thus cleansed, are common or unclean. All the people of God, therefore, are the clergy of Christ. The two phrases the christian clergy, and the christian people— are of equal extent. He who is not of the one is not of the other, and vice versa. But, while any attentive reader of the New Testament may see this, the student of history knows that as the apostacy advanced; as the apostolic predictions proceeded to fulfilment, that men with itching ears would heap up to themselves teachers, and that these humanly-elected teachers would teach perverse things, and enter the fold, devouring the flock like ravenous wolves; that then the term "clergy" was arrogated by the usurping caste to themselves, while the word "laity" was given indiscriminately to the whole populace, converted and unconverted alike. In this perverted sense, then, no christian should either receive or give the name of clergyman or layman. The crown rights of Christ, and the liberties of his people are together compromised by the unlawful, unhallowed, unchristian distinction. Edinburgh.

TEN MINUTES' CHAT WITH MARTHA.

T. H. M.

"WHY should the children of a king go mourning all their days?" "Ah yes, it's very well, Caroline, to ask me the question, but that does not remove the cause of sadness. I am sure that often, neither as regards the present life nor the future, do I feel any settled confidence."

"I am sorry to hear you say so Martha. I thought you were a believer."

"Well yes, I hope I am, but you know with a family there is so much anxiety. There is James, poor boy, I'm afraid he won't succeed in business, and Kate is not very comfortable in her situation; and there are so many other things to perplex."

"No doubt you have many causes of anxiety, but you have not to bear these alone. 'Cast thy burden upon the Lord and he shall sustain thee.' 6 Casting all your care upon Him for he careth for you.'' "But that is very difficult Caroline."

"It is, dear, if you are not willing to take God at his word. I'm afraid when you carry your burden to our Father in heaven by prayer, you are not content to leave it with Him, but you take it up again, all wearisome and heavy as it may be, and still journey on sighing beneath its weight."

Perhaps what you say is true. I think there is nothing that will so much support in time of trial as feeling certain of our acceptance with God; for if we are His what shall harm us? I however have not arrived at that: few ever do, I believe. I often read over that expressive hymn,