worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world."

Teaching us. This expression deserves attention. It is liable to be misunderstood. It is not ordering us, telling us; but teaching-not trying to teach either, but really doing so. Many masters try and teach their scholars, and fail. Young Tichborne's tutors were employed to teach him, and were most anxious to do so; but they failed, because he had not the capacity or the inclination to learn. Some masters, moreover, may themselves fail in the requisite knowledge of the subject, or in the faculty of imparting it; but none of these hindrances can interpose when God is the Teacher, and the scholars are those whose hearts He has prepared to make anxious to learn and capable of learning. There can be no failure. "He teacheth to profit.' "There is none teacheth like Him." Of His people it is said, "They shall be all taught of God." And what does the grace of God thus effectually teach? It teaches us that "we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world." Soberly as regards ourselves, righteously or uprightly as regards our neighbour, godly as regards our heavenly Father. How exhaustive and comprehensive are these divine lessons. They are in an ascending scale. A man, independently of grace, may live soberly, temperately, chastely, because he is a wise man, and finds such a life better for his health, his purse, and his reputation, and yet be very selfish and ungenerous, and even unjust, in his dealings with his neighbour. Therefore, to live righteously is a higher step than to live soberly. Hence it is a great triumph for the cause of Christianity when it is said of a Christian, "That man is true and just in all his dealings. It is a pleasure to transact business with him. He is sure to act uprightly and honourably, for he is actuated by Christian principles." Now, the grace of God teaches a man to act so as to deserve this character; at any rate, to a more or less extent. But there is a higher lesson yet. Selfish motives may combine with Christian grace to make a man honest. He may be persuaded of the truth of the maxim, that "honesty is the best policy." He may like, on his own account, as well as for his Master's glory, to have a good name. Therefore, the highest lesson that the grace of God teaches us is to live godly, "with a single eye to the glory of God," with a constant sense of God's presence. Thus it was a saying of one who eminently deserved the title of godly, that, whenever he heard a knock at his door, or whenever he opened a letter, he used to think, "Here is a message from God to me; I trust He will teach me to act wisely." Hence, it may be seen that, as the grace of God teaches us to do our duty to ourselves, to our neighbour, and to our God, and that the imparting this grace is one of the provisions of the new will or testament, nothing is left out in this wonderful document, and the one great objection against it falls to the ground, and there is no necessity for the ministers of the New Testament to fence it round with any more safeguards than those which God Himself has provided. It may, indeed, be still objected that we do not come across Christians who have perfectly learnt the lessons of living soberly, righteously, and godly; and, indeed, none feel more than the children of God themselves what slow, and unwilling, and unapt scholars they are; but this is no argument against the fact that they are being taught, and are learning. The teaching is continuous as long as we are in the time-state. If we ever learnt our lessons perfectly, the teaching would have to cease. But it is

not to cease this side of heaven. Therefore, though scholars, we shall always be obliged to echo the Apostle's words, "Not as though I had already attained... but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus."

Thus I have endeavoured to show what seem to be the duties of a minister of the New Testament, and what is the true meaning of the term. I feel it is a very large subject, and one which I could only treat in a general way. But the subjects which we have been considering are enough to show how great and responsible is our task; how much need there is of the help of divine enlightenment and grace to grant us wisdom, courage, and power to attain to the honourable position of able ministers of the New Testament.

NOTE.-Rather a remarkable criticism was made upon this sermon at the time it was preached; that, although the illustration of the two wills might be admissible as an illustration, yet that no doctrine or argument could be drawn from the expression, "Testament," as the Greek word diatheke (dialкη)_means a covenant, or agreement, and not a will, in the sense of a testamentary document. In reply to this objection, I think the following extract from Liddell and Scott's Greek lexicon ought to be conclusive: “dialhên, ʼn (diationμa), a disposition, especially of property by will; a will or testament; also a covenant." (This is the whole article on the word, from the abridged lexicon.) That the word bears the same force in the sacred writings as in classic Greek is evident from Hebrews ix. 16, 17. "For where a testament is, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator. For a testament is of force after men are dead; otherwise it is of no strength at all while the testator liveth," which would be unintelligible if we substitute the words "covenant agreement" for that of testament. If my readers will try this simple experiment, they will see it requires no knowledge of Greek to decide this question.

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ANSWER OF GEORGE III. TO LORD GRENVILLE,

or

WHEN APPLIED TO ON THE ROMAN CATHOLIC BILL, MARCH, 1807: “MY LORD, I am one of those that respect an oath. I have firmness sufficient to quit my throne and retire to a cottage, or to place my neck on a block or a scaffold, if my people require it; but I have not resolution enough to break an oath, an oath I took in the most solemn manner at my coronation."

The venerable EARL of ELDON, in his speech in the House of Lords on the opening of Parliament, February 5th, 1829, said :-"I trust that the statements I now express will find their way throughout the country, and that every individual in it will hear of them, as my firm, fixed, and unalterable conviction, namely, that, if once they permit the Roman Catholics to take their seats in either House of Parliament, or to legislate for the State, or if they grant them the privilege of possessing the great executive offices of the constitution, from that day, and that moment, the sun of England will go down."

NEVER take your eye off the cross when you think of salvation; all its lines centre there.

THE Lord thinks nothing too good for you, if it will make you holy; or too great, if you can use it to His praise.

OH! how sweet to work all day for God, and then lie down at night beneath His smile.

Pilgrim Papers.

A FEW WORDS ABOUT NETS.

"Pull me out of the net that they have privily laid for me."-Ps. xxxi. 4. ADAM, when he fell, got into a net, and drew all his posterity into it. So it is a very large net; yes, large enough to hold all mankind. Only one man was not in it (the net of original sin), namely," the Man Christ Jesus." Note by whom nets are laid. Flatterers (Prov. xxix. 5). How many get caught in this net? How easy to get into it! How hard to get out of it! Both the peasant and the Pope are liable to get caught in this old well-used net of flattery. It is bad to use this net anywhere, especially in a pulpit. People taught by the Holy Spirit would rather be battered than flattered. Those who flatter the ministers of Christ are their worst enemies. A battering minister, however, will not be very likely to have many flattering hearers. Where there is flattering in the pulpit and the pew, there is not much going on to offend the devil, but much to displease God. The net of flattery is often spread at public meetings, and sometimes even at missionary meetings; and many a speaker with ready wit and a fluent tongue has been caught therein. A man's having a great big handle to his name does not render him proof against it. The good Lord help us to watch and pray lest we get entangled in this popular and much-admired net of flattery.

Bigotry is another net much in request by professors of religion, and even possessors of true and vital godliness may for a while be in this well-taken-care-of net. The Lord's disciples (at least John) was well nigh being drawn into this net when he said, "Master, we saw one casting out devils in Thy name, and he followeth not us, and we forbad him, because he followeth not us. 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). A man caught in this net of bigotry has not a good, kind, and encouraging word for one labouring in Christ's vineyard who does not belong to his party or sect. This is an old net, and a very cold one, too. A man with his heart made warm by the precious love of Christ would be a poor companion, and a very unwelcome one, also, to those who lay close together in the starchy, icy net of bigotry. Though those who are in this net stick closely together, yet they get no heat of the right kind. It is a terrible place to be in, and, whether Church people or Dissenters, all are liable to be caught in it.

Contention is another net. Paul and Barnabas got into this net (Acts xv. 39). How much evil comes of contention! How quick the proud heart is to fall into it! How slow to leave it off! We shall not be much disposed to contend with men if our heart be made contrite before God. Contrition and contention will not agree very well together. If there were no more contenders in the world than those who are earnestly contending "for the faith once delivered to the saints," there would not be so much employment for the police as now; and hence taxes would be greatly lessened, and many poor husbands and wives, masters and servants, rich and poor, would be more comfortable

than they now are. The net of contention is found almost in every street, in city, and town; yes, and house too. It is also to be found in villages, and where there are a few lonely cottages. The books which men write, and the sermons preached while men are in this net, are not likely to be blessed of the Lord. It is sometimes called into use at large ministerial gatherings, and also at Church meetings, but seldom to the honour and glory of God; often to the contrary.

Covetousness is another net, and is usually very full. This net has a good deal in it to attract the lovers of money, and such as love this world and the things thereof. Achan got caught in this net to his ruin (see Joshua vii. 21); so did the rich man (Luke xii.). A person in this net does nothing with a right motive for the good of his fellow-men; he has plenty of false charity for himself, and no true charity for others. He would be the last person in the world to lend a poor neighbour five pounds to help him to pay his rent or his doctor's bill. If he is a great professor of religion, he is always backward in giving according to his means towards the cause he professes to love. He is often complaining, and never proposes to increase the minister's salary. Some of these characters in effect say, Keep the ministers poor; they will preach the better for it." Does not this argument suit the pew as well as the pulpit? If preachers would preach better by being kept poor, would not their hearers hear better if they were kept poor also? Such stingy persons are often like Achan-troublers of Israel, and no comfort. The Lord abhors such (Ps. x. 3). The conduct of people abhorred of the Lord is not commended to the conscience of His people. If a man continues in this net until he is old, it is seldom he shows any will to leave it in his old years. No man, however, will ever enter heaven who dies in this net of covetousness (1 Cor. vi. 10). The Lord help us to "take heed and beware of covetousness."

Envy is a net. Joseph's brethren were in this net, for they envied him. Persons in this net will act most cruelly towards their own near relatives. Such people are miserable, but not merciful. The Word says, "Let not thine heart envy sinners, but be thou in the fear of the Lord all the day long" (Prov. xxiii. 17). The Jews for envy delivered Jesus (Matt. xxvii. 18); the Philistines envied Israel (Gen. xxvi. 14); Rachel envied her sister (Gen. xxx. 1); Moses was envied (Ps. cvi. 16); the Psalmist was caught in this net, for he declares, "I was envious at the foolish" (Ps. lxxiii. 3). Nothing truly sweet attends envy, but what is sour and bitter (James iii. 14). Charity envieth not" (1 Cor. xiii. 4). Peter exhorts believers to "lay aside all envies" (1 Pet. ii. 1). When charity is put on, envy will be laid aside; nothing that comes from pride lays envy aside.

Self-confidence is a net. Peter was not far from this net when he said, (6 Though I should die with Thee, yet will I not deny Thee" (Matt. xxvi. 35). "In the fear of the Lord is strong confidence;" but it is not selfconfidence. When a person's confidence is strong in the Lord, it is weak in himself; it is "the sentence of death" in a man which keeps him from trusting in himself. Self is indeed a very poor flimsy thing to trust in; at its best state altogether vanity. When a man is in this net, he thinks others capable of doing what he will not or cannot do, and is far from esteeming others better than himself. Self-confidence is very friendly to free will, but very unfriendly towards free grace; self-confident people are usually great enemies to the everlasting Gospel of Christ,

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being for the most part more taken up with what they suppose they are doing for the Lord than what He has accomplished for His people. May the Lord keep us out of this ancient net.

Unbelief is another net into which very many are drawn. Thomas was not far off from it when he said, "Except I shall see in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into His side, I will not believe" (John xx. 25). Fallen men are all by nature in this net, but not fallen angels, for "the devils believe and tremble." How different in this respect to men who disbelieve, and trifle! Any person living and dying in this net of unbelief will be lost, for it is written, "He that believeth not shall be damned." Fretfulness is another net; and a very uncomfortable one it is to be in (Ps. xxxvii. 1, 7). What trouble a fretful child gives to the family, a servant to his master or mistress, or a fretting master and mistress to a poor workman or servant who try to do their best, but never can please while their employers are entangled in this net. Fretfulness does no good to any one, but causes a great deal of discomfort to all who come under its influence. Fretful people are often cross with their cross, and spend much precious time in bitter complaints. They often think their lot worse than others, and they are the most unlikely people in the world to sympathize with real sufferers in their trials and affliction, or put forth a hand to relieve them. They usually have plenty of self-pity, which is of little use to themselves, and no use at all to other people. Fretful people are generally very touchy and tonguey, and seldom quickly fall in love with those who reprove them or who shake the net they are entangled in. A contented man's peace would likely be for a while disturbed were he to form a hasty acquaintance with one in the fretting net. The fret is a dangerous complaint, and sometimes proves

fatal.

Another net is indifference to the means. The Word says, "Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together as the manner of some is " (Heb. x. 25). Professors in this net are seldom exercised in their souls like those dear tried children of God who try to see each other's faces as often as they can, and who love to meet together, in the precious name of the Lord Jesus, to hear His holy Word, call upon His worthy name, and sing His praise. People in this net are usually fond of novelty in religion, and are attracted by what is exciting to the fleshly mind, and gratifying to the senses. Ordinary religious services, especially on week nights, receive but little of their attention. Such people are often well to do in things of this world, and like to be noticed. They hardly ever have for their bosom friends warm-hearted, earnest-minded, zealous followers of the Lord Jesus Christ. They may escape faithful warning for a time, in consequence, it may be, of their being large subscribers toward the support of the cause. It is a terrible drag net, and a Church which has members in it has dead weights to contend with that much weigh it down.

Another net is that of condemning others for what we ourselves are guilty of, as David: "He shall surely die" (2 Sam. xii. 5). Paul asks, Thou that preachest a man should not steal, dost thou steal?" (Rom. ii. 21.) How quick we are in condemning others, how slow in doing it against ourselves. A person entangled in this net feels but little pity for a wrong-doer, and is none too ready to forgive him.

Hastiness is a net: "I said in my haste, All men are liars

(Ps. cxvi.