Bible, which teaches that work is the natural lot of man in innocence, while the curse of sin is not the institution of labour, but its degradation from happy activity to painful toil. Let us consider the subject of labour in the light of Scripture. (I.) The natural blessedness of labour. Labour is by nature a blessed thing, as we may know for the following reasons: (1) Because it is a divine ordin ance. (a) It was part of the lot of unfallen Adam. (b) It is required by the natural constitution of our minds and bodies, and by the natural condition of the world. (c) We must work to obtain the fruits of the earth. (2) Because it is essential to happiness. (a) A paradise of idleness would be a paradise of weariness. () Our best earthly pleasures are the pleasures of activity. (3) Because it is a safeguard of purity. Sin is the child of idleness. Indolent luxury breeds vice. Stagnant pools are foul. Restless streams are pure. (4) Because it is a means of growth. By exercise body and mind grow. So does the soul. (II.) The curse of sin upon labour. Experience echoes the truth of our second text. Sin curses labour. (4) Because it deranges the order of society. Slavery, indigence, unjust inequality and unremunerated toil are the effect of sin. "The song of the shirt" would not be possible in Eden. (III.) The new blessedness of labour through redemption. (1) Toil is turned to good account as discipline. (2) Toil is sweetened by love and lightened by hope. (3) Redemption does not deliver us from the necessity of work, but it gives us a new strength in which to do it. (4) Redemption points to a future rest and reward for faithful diligence. (5) Redemption will ultimately restore the deranged order of society, and bring about a new heaven and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. ever, that there is danger of falling into spiritual sleep. It is not impossible but improper. (1.) It does not necessarily follow that we are spiritually asleep because we are not engaged in spiritual exercises. (2.) We are not necessarily in spiritual sleep when actively engaged in secular affairs. (3.) Spiritual sleep is a state of soul analogous to the sleep of the body. This being so, then remember (a) Sleep is not death. (b) Yet, though not death, sleep is very much like death. And that is what we are to watch against, a new life that resembles the old life. (III.) Concluding observations. (1.) What injury Christians asleep do to the cause of Christ. The world says there is nothing in Christianity, and these Christians confirm the world's judgment. (2) To be found sleeping will make the end sad. "Saved though as by fire." ATHANASIUS ON CHRIST THE ETERNAL GOD. "Thou lovest righteousness, and hatest iniquity therefore God, thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows. All thy garments smell of myrrh, and aloes, and cassia, out of the ivory palaces, whereby they have made thee glad."-Ps. xlv. 7, 8. (I.) THE psalmist speaks of us all as "fellows," or partakers of the divine nature, but he hymns Christ as the Eternal God. Hence, what must we conclude, but that He is separate from generated things? (II.) If for our sakes Christ sanctifies Himself, and does this when He becomes man, it is very plain that the Spirit's descent on Him in Jordan was a descent on us. (III.) What advance, or promotion, or reward of virtue is proved by this in our Lord's case? It is not the word, considered as the word of wisdom, who is anointed by the Spirit, but the flesh assumed by Him. (IV.) What advancement was it to the Immortal to have assumed the mortal? It was for us; that we who are mortal and temporal might be made immortal, and brought into the everlasting kingdom of heaven. (V.) "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, to-day, and for ever," remaining unalterable. He at once gives and receives, giving as God's Word, receiving as man. (VI.) Let the novices in Scripture and the masters in irreligion know that the word "wherefore does not imply the reward of virtue or conduct in the Word, but the reason why He came down to us, and of the Spirit's anointing which took place in Him. The psalmist says not, Wherefore He anointed Thee in order to Thy being God, or King, or Son, or Wordfor so He was before, and is for ever; but rather, Since Thou art God and King, therefore Thou wast anointed, since none but Thou couldst unite man to the Holy Ghost; Thou, the image of the Father, in which we were made in the beginning, for Thine is even the Spirit. Contributions of plans, &c., solicited. will be commenced on the Gospel of John. In the July number a regular course The outlines will be drawn from upwards of 200 different authors. ELLIOT STOCK, 62, PATERNOSTER ROW, LONDON, E.C. THE PREACHERS' ANALYST; No. 2. 3 Monthly Homiletical Magazine. ANALYSES. JUNE, 1877. OUR GIFTS, AND HOW TO USE THEM. "Wherefore I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of God, which is in thee by the putting on of my hands." -2 Timothy i. 6. He con I SUPPOSE that Timothy was a somewhat retiring youth, and that from the gentleness of his nature he needed to be exhorted to the exercise of the bolder virtues. speaks of the gift that was ferred by the laying on of his hands, and in the former epistle he connects that with the hands of the presbytery. Now, it was no doubt the custom to lay on hands at the ordination of Christian ministers by the apostles, and there was an excellent reason for it, for gifts were thereby conveyed to the ordained; and when we can find anybody who can thereby confer some spiritual gift upon us, we shall be glad to have their hands laid on our heads; but empty hands we care not for. But we must go at once to the point in hand;-" the gift that is in you," we have now to speak of. TWOPENCE. IN US? In some here present there are gifts of mind, which are accompanied with gifts of utterance. (a) Another form of gift that belongs to us is influence. () Then there is the gift of experience. (c) Another gift which many have is the gift of prayer. (d) There is another gift which is a very admirable one. It is the gift of conversation, not a readiness for chit-chat and gossip. My inventory of the gifts which are in us is not complete, nor is it intended to be. Each person may have a separate gift. Even the gift to be able to lie still and suffer is not a small one. The gift of being able to be poor and contented is not to be despised. The gift of nursing the sick, or of interesting children, should be lovingly employed, neither ought any talent to be wrapped in a napkin. But, whatever it is, the word is, "Stir up the gift which is in thee." (II.) And this brings us, secondly, to the consideration of —HOW WE ARE TO STir up our gifts. (a) We should do it by examination to see what gifts we really have. (b) The next mode of stirring up our gift, is to consider to what use we could put the talents we possess. (c) But, next, stir it up not merely by consideration and examination, but by actually using (I.) Then, WHAT GIFT IS THERE it. (d) And then, dear friends, in First, the gift that may be in each one of us; and then, secondly, how we are to stir this gift up; and in conclusion, we will give reasons for the stirring of it. addition to using our gift, every one of us should try to improve it. (e) And then pray over your gifts: that is a blessed way of stirring them up. (III.) I will not linger longer there, but close with the third observation WHY IS IT THAT WE SHOULD STIR UP THE GIFT THAT IS IN There are many replies to this. purpose. (a) We should stir up the gift that is in us because all we shall do when we have stirred ourselves to the utmost, and when the Spirit of God has strengthened us to the highest degree, will still fall far short of what our dear Lord and Master deserves at our hands. (b) Another reason is that these are stirring times. (e) And then, again, we must stir up our gift because it needs stirring. (d) And, remember, there will be a great stir by-and-by. Business will all end; politics will be done with, and all the matters in which you are concerned will be closed eternally. What a stir there will be in that day, when we shall stand before the Judgment seat of Christ to give an account of the deeds done in the body! What a stir about ourselves! God grant you may live as if you expected to die. We ought always to preach as though we should go out of the pulpit into heaven; always to pray in that way; and always to spend every day as if we had not another day to spend. For this we need much of the Holy Spirit's power. But He rests upon His people. May He come and rest upon us now, for Jesus Christ's sake. Amen. C. H. SPURGEON.* See also YOUNG, E., LL.D. The church governor's pattern. Sermons i. 144. From Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit. Passmore and Alabaster. THE EVE OF DEPARTURE. ELIJAH'S departure was different from what ours will be. His bearing previous to it is, however, a profitable subject of meditation. Our work, like Elijah's, is finished before we are removed. We too are taken at death from the scene of labour to the scene of recompense. (I.) Notice the wonderful composure of the prophet in the immediate prospect of his glorious change. (a) We gather this from the whole narrative. (b) What accounts for it? Freedom from earthly ties? Persecution ? No. God has spoken to him. Heaven was hardly strange to him. He had often been there in thought. As to the work, he had been accustomed to commit all to God, so could trust Him. (c) If we would so view our dissolution we must so live. (II.) His desire to die without the presence of others. (a) Does not arise, as some think, from a feeling that Elisha's feelings would thus be spared. This would have been done by witnessing his glorious removal. (b) More likely from the prophet's humility. If so, how unlike most of us True humility, as here, shuns notice. Assumed attracts it by its ostentatious deprecation of self. I am nothing, but God has made me everything, may be the language of humility; it may be the language of pride. It (III.) His visit to the scene of his works. (a) The sons of the prophet are supposed to be prophetic schools of his founding. (b) This work, too, presents the prophet in a new and different light. His former work was rather denunciatory and destructive than constructive, but this is more in accordance with his present state, and equally worthy of his powers. (c) How desirable to work on up to the very last. Why should we desire a Sabbatic rest previous to the eternal Sabbath? If we do desire more leisure from the bustle of the world before entering the unseen, let us not cease from Christian work. will help. (d) How important that our work be such as to bear inspection at the eve of death, and when the light of eternity shines upon it. Things look very different to the soul when seen in heaven's light. Look at them in that light now. (e) Our life will soon reach its close; its end draws near. Soon we in life's prime will feel the decays of old age, the aged will complete life's allotted span. In view thereof it is sad to think how we postpone our good doing; always purposing to lead nobler lives, always failing to carry out our purpose. Life slips rapidly and imperceptibly away, and it is possible, nay probable, we shall end it with resolutions unfulfilled. Let it not be so. Begin to-day. Begin now! DR. LANDELS. THE SELF-REVEALER. "Come, see a man which told me all things that ever I did. Is not this the Christ?"-John iv. 29. THIS is a wonderful story, told with wonderful simplicity; looking much more like truth than fiction, and in most beautiful harmony with all else that is told us of the character and ways of Jesus Christ. (I.) Now, to this one sentence out of this beautiful story, "Come, see a man which told me all things that ever I did," &c. And the first thing that strikes us is the fact of this woman's faith, and how that was to be tested. (II.) In the next place, let us see how this woman got her faith. G. W. CONDER, M.A. See also ERSKINE, R. The female preacher; or, the woman of Samaria's sermon to the men of the city, &c. Ser mons. SIMEON, C. Conviction of sin a preparative for salvation. Works 13, 301. RENEWAL OF FRIENDSHIP IN HEAVEN. of rejoicing? Are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at His coming? For ye are our glory and joy.” 1 Thess. ii. 19, 20. "For what is our hope, or joy, or crown How valuable is true Christian friendship. Those who are dead, are they lost to us, or are they only gone before? I want now to illustrate three things: (I.) THAT CHRISTIAN FRIENDSHIP WILL BE RENEWED IN THE HEAVENLY WORLD. We shall proceed from the possible and the probable to the absolute and certain. Consider then: (a) The opinions and aspirations of men, Christian and heathen. (b) If the universal belief in immortality renders it probable, so does this belief render renewal of friendship. (c) Reflect on the benefit and power of recognition. |