The Preacher's Analyst

VIGOROUS MANHOOD FOR GOD. Go now ye that are men, and serve the Lord.-Ex. x. 11. The child is father of the man in more senses than one. Twenty boys make a man—that is, nineteen out of twenty boys die before manhood, so that the twentieth only makes a man at last. This ought to place each man-male-under a conscious, pressing responsibility. Then, he is the representative, the custodian of the race. It is no ordinary legacy that is given him at birth, and for its use he will be held to strict responsibility. So it is that man grows up to trust and responsibility. Sooner or later he comes to recognize his importance to the welfare of society, and, in some degree, the responsibility God has placed upon his shoulders. Now, it is impossible for a man to be true to this responsibility in his social and domestic relation without the help of religion. He has duties large and imperative, temptations more in number and more over. whelming than those which women are called upon to meet, just as are the temptations of a man high in position greater than those which fall to the lot of men not so elevated.

God calls upon man especially to serve Him, and to serve Him while he is in the glory of his manhood. He does not so urgently call to the youth, nor to the aged, nor to woman, but to those men who are in the prime of a lusty and robust manhood. "Go now ye that are men, and serve the Lord." Largely those whom God has singled out in His Word, or elsewhere made specially prominent in good work, have been men who were in the vigor of manhood.

Nevertheless, in these latter days, it is a sad sight to behold how few men, at that age when they are of the most worth, give their hearts to Christ. They will give service, wealth, attendance, but will not devote themselves to Christ. I think I am not overstating the truth when I say that nine-tenths of all the members of the church are either women, men past the prime of life, or youths who have not yet reached their manhood.

Men who could be most useful are outside the pale of the church. Men who are specially gifted, devoted to deeds of philanthropy, ready to serve in practical affairs, when called to devote themselves to Christ, are so often found most unwilling. Why is it that I so often hear it said, "I am a member, but my husband or my son is not yet confirmed?" Let us look at some of the reasons:

1. The first reason is because men, at this age of greatest vigor, have special temptations to procrastinate. Young men do not mature as early as girls, and are not ready at so early an age to turn their minds and hearts to religion. Then, woman is more dependent. She readily leans on Christ. Young men are ambitions for

worldly distinction. They have their college appointments, their business engagements, and they put off service to Christ from year to year till it comes to be a habit with them to put it off. Once in this groove of procrastination they are apt to run on until the end of life. "I always thought I would be confirmed at some time." How often we hear this remark! They are praying men, after a sort, supporters of the church, and worthy citizens; but if called to take a stand for Christ, it requires a great, deepwrought reformation to break the manacles of their servitude to this habit of procrastination. Heed the warning. As ye did not confess me among men, I will refuse to acknowledge you before God and His angels.

In the

2. Preoccupation of mind is another reason. Men become so absorbed in the labour of laying up in store and caring for their families that they have no time for religion. At first they regard the Lord's day as the only day of recreation, and they then easily drop into the habit of neglecting to attend sacred service altogether. street in which this church stands, not one in three of the heads of families have a home in any church. They who have no church home roam about, and the house of God becomes to them little better than a theatre for the gratification of mere caprice or curiosity.

3. Another reason is the self-independence of men in the prime of life. So many come to lean on them that they at last come to scout the idea of their leaning on anybody-on God. They accept the doctrine of the German rationalists, that a man has the germs of goodness in him which will at last develop into everlasting life. But when the face is furrowed, when "the wheel be broken at the cistern," then they may be seen dragging their poor, worn-out faculties to God, Nor would they then come if they could help themselves otherwise.

4. Some men have morbid sensibilities in regard to making a public confession of religion. They manifest a shamefacedness utterly unworthy of this noble act. Alas! that criticism should keep back so many.

Now, I remark: 1. Men ought to serve God because He saves them. It is a thrice-told tale. He understands what men are, and what men need, and He supplies all. Why not accept His salvation and protection? You believe the theory of salvation, why not act out your belief?

2. Men ought to serve God out of self love. They ought to love something that will endure. For wealth may take to itself wings, the wife you so much love may die, that reputation that has cost you so dearly and you value so highly may not last-all may go, leaving you poor and helpless. The future may become one blank, and you may sit down with ashes on your head, crying, Vain, vain is the help of man; or you

may at last call on the rocks and the mountains to fall upon you. The Bible tells us this wili be true of many. Serve Him yon must. Better serve him freely on earth than to be compelled to serve Him in hell.

3. Man is head of his family-bot a tyrant, but I mean he is the rightful head of authority. When his administration is just, genial and wise, he is by right an autocrat. By those sweet influences, whereby the graces and virtues shine, a man can and he ought to be a centre of power as will bring honour to God in his own family.

4. Man ought to serve God because it is his duty. Men have warm hearts, and the church needs them. We do not attach too little importance to woman; as for her, let her works praise her. Her praise is in all the churches. But men hold a responsibility truly awful.

5. Men ought to serve God because the world at large needs such service. There is too little difference among men of the world and of the church. Christians do not differ from the world enough. There are members who rejoice that they have just escaped criminal prosecution. If they would serve God rightly, they might do much toward reforming and remodeling society.

Finally, everything that is robust, manly and noble in man, God wishes given him, and it is thus greatly enhanced True dignity is allied to religion; so he who neglects to serve God will always feel that there are things left out of his life which make it incomplete.

N. H. SCHENCK, D.D.

JOY IN THE LORD A SOURCE OF STRENGTH.

"The joy of the Lord is your strength."-Neh., viii. 10. THERE is strength in joy, and a sense of adequate security is an element of joy. If a man deem himself certain of triumph at last, he will be joyful, whether that triumph be achieved by himself or another. The joyful man is a strong man because he is a confident man, and the dejected man is a weak man because he distrusts his cause, himself, or some one else upon whom he depends. Two armies, with numbers equal, &c., are mustering for battle. They are well matched in war materials, both brave, both earnest for battle. But one side are exhilarated by repeated successes; they have won a terrible name; the general who leads never knew defeat. On the other side is the humiliation of repeated failures; again and again with lowered standards they have retreated. They have lost all confidence in themselves and their commanders. Now, who deems the conflict doubtful? Triumph is written in the joyful confidence of one, and defeat in the deep dejection of the other. What a discrepancy in the

power of these two hosts! The assurance of the army expectant of success is worth ten regiments and a hundred guns; and it may be truly said of them, "In the joy of victory is their strength."

Now, as to the particular application of the text. let us

I. Ascertain what is the joy of the Lord. II. See how this joy of the Lord is our strength. (1) The joy of the Lord is that sweet and holy gladness which springs from and originates in a calm, humble faith that we are recipients of the Divine favour, under the Divine protection To this feeling in the little remnant of Israelites Nehemiah appeals. To this people, saddened by the desolation and ruin of their holy city, he would say, "Beloved people, be cheerful, be happy, be trustful, be earnest. Let nothing cool your ardour or depress your confidence. Remember God loved, chose, saved Israel, and is able to keep to the end."

Such an appeal is equally needed, and may be made to the followers of the Lord in our day. In them the joy of the Lord is a holy cheerfulness, founded upon a reasonable apprehension that they are indeed the children of God by faith in Jesus Christ. That their Substitute has paid the debt and accomplished the work of redemption; that they are saved now; that nothing is required of any sinner except to believe on Jesus, and then to manifest that faith by corresponding works, to exhibit his gratitude to Him who loved and bought him with His blood-we understand this to be the foundation of true Christian joy in the Lord. Its terms are plain; everything hinges upon the belief, I am a saved man in Christ Jesus. Just in the degree that you make salvation a contingency you undermine the basis of the Christian joy, Will the heavy hearted sing songs? Will the poor shipwrecked wretches, clinging to the drift-wood, be cheerful and gay? Can the trembling prisoner laugh and be merry while yonder jury are deliberating whether he shall live or die? No more can any man, awake to the dread realities of the 'eternal state and the awful consequences of sin in himself unpardoned, be in possession of a genuine joy. No, no. He who is drifting without rudder or compass on the sea of doubt, uncertain whither he is tending, cannot possess true tranquility of spirit. Suppose one says, Christ's work is partial; He has done so much and left so much for me to do. Such a one stands upon a manifest contingency; all depends upon himself, and he knows himself to be very unreliable. In a kind of holy lottery he passes through life, doubtful, hopeful, sanguine, never truly joyful till he knows that he has drawn a prize.

Now to an objector asking for the Scripture proofs:

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1. By implication, cheerfulness is enjoined as a habit of the Christian's life. Morose, melancholy, surly Christians are not Christians after God's pattern. David says, "Rejoice in the Lord." Paul writes, " Rejoice evermore ;" and again, "Rejoice in the Lord, always and again, I say rejoice." Such passages imply either a finished salvation, or a cruel monster God who mocks the misery of His creatures, bidding them rejoice always, while they are, for aught they know, travelling toward an eternal hell.

2. A distinct assertion. Jesus himself, in John v. 24, says, "He that heareth my word hath," not shall have, but "hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed"-not may or shall passbut "is passed from death unto life" This truth is reaffirmed years afterward, by the beloved disciple, "we know that we have passed from death unto life." The humble believer then, who clings to Jesus with simplicity, has a right to believe himself now pardoned, accepted, saved for ever. The great Shepherd says, "I give (not future, but present) unto them eternal life, and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand."

Heaven is just as securely his home, in perspective vision, now as it shall be hereafter. You may think him presumptive, yet he goes no further than his Bible warrants him. Dr. Dodridge once succeeded in procuring the pardon for one condemned to die. As the cell door was thrown open the poor man cast himself down, and clasping the feet of his deliverer, exclaimed, "Every drop of my blood thanks you, for you have saved them all." This was the joy of salvation realised as a fact.

II. Let us see how this joy of the Lord is our strength.

We enter upon the conflict certain of eventual triumph. We may be outflanked again and again, but we press on undismayed in the confidence of victory at last.

(c.) The joy of the Lord is our strength in that it permits a concentration of the whole lifeforce upon a single point. To divide is to weaken. The Christian who believes himself saved trains all his guns in one direction, the end of which is His Master's glory. The man who is struggling for his own safety in the sea cannot be expected to give much care to drowning people around him.

(d) This joy is our strength in that it reinforces all other motives by the power of gratitude, and puts us under the sweetest and holiest of obligations. An expected good is well; a realised good is ten times better. He who believes himself saved has a powerful motive for earnestness. He loves much, for he has been forgiven much. Saved and yet idle-doing nothing-the most impossible of paradoxes! Beloved, cultivate this joy. I would not mislead you into entertaining a false an. spurious hope, but I would have you know yourself saved now by Sovereign grace. If you truly want to love, you are loving Jesus now. The desire to love, trust and serve is a proof that you are God's child.

(a) It strengthens us negatively in the removal of anxieties. There is might in calmness. On the other hand, doubts, cares, fears, and painful uncertainties are causes of weakness. The man who is worn and fretted and worried by some great disquietude is shorn of half his strength. Now this joy of the Lord, which grasps the promises with simple faith, a faith that leans on the Almighty Saviour, that regards the grand issue as distinctly settled, expels fear. Joy gives clearness of vision to discern the end of our journeyings, though it be yet afar. Doubts are like the misty exhalations which obscure the view. A soul can say humbly, I know I am unworthy, deeply stained with sin, but I desire to love, trust, and serve Jesus; I humbly believe, poor as I am, I am saved by Jesus. What should affright or disturb the holy peacefulness of such a soul? Such a spirit should be brave, strong.

(b.) Then this joy of the Lord is our strength, because it imparts assurance of final victory.

W. T. SABINE.

ENDURING TO THE END.

"He that endureth to the end shall be saved."-Matt, x. 22.

I shall, with brevity and earnestness, as God enables me, speak upon our text thus: perseverance is the badge of saints-the target of our foes-the glory of Christ-and the care of all believers.

(1.) Perseverance is the badge of true saints. (a.) It is their Scriptural mark. How am I to know a Christian? By his words? Well, to some degree, words betray the man; but a man's speech is not always the copy of his heart, for with smooth language many are able to deceive. (b.) Analogy shows us that it is perseverance which must mark the Christian. (c) The common-sense judgment of mankind tells us that those who merely begin and do not hold out, will not be saved. Why, if every man would be saved who began to follow Christ, who would be damned? In such a country as this, the most of men have at least one religious spasm in their lives. This, dear friends, has been abundantly confirmed (d) by observation. (11.) Perseverance is. therefore, the target of all our spiritual enemies.

The world and the flesh and the devil will all

attack your perseverance. The last especially. He will try to prevent our perseverance in suffering. "Why be patient any longer?" says curse God and die."

he;

ness.

Or, perhaps, it is perseverance in steadfastThe love of many has waxed cold, but you remain zealous. Well," saith he, “what is the good of your being so zealous? Other people are good enough. Or else, it will be our doctrinal sentiments. "Why," says Satan, do you hold to these denominational creeds? Sensible men are getting more liberal. They are giving away what does not belong to them -God's truth.

(III.) Perseverance is the glory of Christ. That he makes all his people persevere to the end, is greatly to his honour. If they should fall away and perish, every office, and work, and attribute of Christ would be stained in the mire.

Where is the efficacy of the precious blood, if it does not effectually redeem? If it only redeemeth for a time and then suffereth us to perish, where as its virtue? He lives, he lives to intercede, but how can I honour his intercession if it be fruitless? Is he not to-day at the right hand of God, preparing a place for his saints; and will he prepare a place for them, and then lose them on the road? Oh! can it be that he procures the harp and the crown, and will not save souls to use them? My brethren, the perishing of one true child of God, would be such dishonour to Jesus, that I cannot think of it without considering it as blasphemy.

(IV.) I close therefore with but a hint on the last point, perseverance should be the great care of every Christian-his daily and his nightly

care.

O beloved! I conjure you by the love of God, and by the love of your own souls, be faithful unto death. Have you difficulties? You must conquer them. But ye cannot persevere except by much watchfulness in the closet, much carefulness over every action, much dependance upon the strong hand of the Holy Spirit who alone can make you stand. Walk and live as in the sight of God, knowing where your strength lieth. A simple faith brings the soul to Christ, Christ keeps the faith alive; that faith enables the believer to persevere, and so he enters heaven. May that be your lot and mine for Christ's sake. Amen.

C. H. SPURGEON.*

BLINDNESS AND EDUCATION. Can the blind lead the blind? Shall they not both fall into the ditch ?-Luke vi. 39.

THIS parable seems directed against the Pharisees. In many things they were right, in

From Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit.

Still they were zealous for

many others wrong. religion with their light things

The text suggests two

(1.) Those who by profession are teachers must be sure they are qualified in mind and heart for their position.

(a) It is easy to give instruction, but difficult to convey it to the heart. The best way is by example. (b) Every one is a teacher to some one else, those in high positions especially. c) The lack of the Pharisees was heart knowledge. (II) It is possible to make human progress, and yet, like the Pharisees, be blind.

They were ignorant of two things. (a) The life to come. (b) The way to prepare for it. If in our education we stop short of the spiritual part we sadly fail.

Abp. CANTERBury. SeeKEACH, B. Similitude. Book 1, 85. UPJOHN, W. Disc. 2, 295. SIMEON, C. Works 12, 345.

CHRISTIANITY DESTRUCTIVE AND

CONSTRUCTIVE.

Sirs, why do ye these things?-Acts xiv. 15.

THE Son of God came to destroy the works of the devil. Incorrect to say that Christianity is a religion of peace. Equally mistaken in describing it as a religion of war. Better a religion of peace through war. Its first effects

on the individual soul-commotion, disturbance. The character of its champions, even as drawn by enemies of Phillipi or Thessalonica, not far from the truth. “These men do exceedingly trouble our city," "these that have turned the world upside down."

(I). They seek to destroy idolatry. (1) Notice here (a) their zeal; (b) their proofs of the absurdity of the people's conduct; (c) the zeal of the people; (u) their sin-idolatry. (2) What is idolatry? (a) giving to the creature what is due to the Creator; (b) misappropriating His gifts. (3). Are we without sin in this matter? (a) Neglect of God. Why do ye these things (b) Misappropriation of gifts.

(II.) They endeavour to establish Christianity on the ruins of Heathenism and sin.

The gospel constructive takes away the bondage of sin and gives the yoke of Christ; clears away the rubbish and constructs in its place a building fitly framed--a holy temple unto God. FREDK. O'NULIA.

CHRIST'S SCHOOL OF SUFFERING. James i. 2-12.

OUR subject is the school of suffering in which we are called in Christ our Lord. We observe: (I.) School duty is general and irremissible.

(II.) The peculiarity of each school arises from the aim it seeks to attain with its pupils, and for which consequently all its arrangements are made.

(II.) There is in each well-qualified establishment a fixed plan of procedure.

(IV.) The variety of the pupils creates in every school various classes and divisions, with the arrangement that they advance from the lower to the higher, and thus run through all.

(V.) If the pupils are to be animated by a cheerful and fresh spirit, encouragements and joys must not be wanting.

(VI.) In every school there are examinations by which the pupils' progress is ascertained, and according to the results of which prizes and rewards are given.

See

Pastor W. HOFACKER.

STANHOPE, G., D.D. On the Epistles, &c. 4.

GOD'S PRESENCE.

But God was with him.-Acts vii. 9.

(I.) Men may rob us of much, but they cannot rob us of God's presence.

(II.) That presence will overrule all wrong and bring benefit from injury, good from evil. Conclusion. Seek God's presence everywhere and in all things.

WE ALL DO FADE AS A LEAF.
Isaiah 1xiv. 6.

(I.) No wonder we fade as a leaf when we live so much like a leaf.

We We are nourished as leaves are, with this difference showing the wisdom of God-that the gases we exhale they inhale, and vice versa.

(II.) During its life a leaf often fades and droops, and almost dies and revives again.

(i.) And our life is marked by visits to the valley of the shadow of death.

(ii.) But the spiritual life often fades too, caused in both cases by:

"The days of our years are three score years and ten."

(ii.) And yet some leaves die in spring time— before they have grown to full size. And so children fade and die at an unnatural time.

(iii.) Some leaves die and fall in summer. And so do many people, when the "prime" is just reached.

(iv.) And some few live beyond the autumna few even in December. But if they could look about them, they would say they were lingering beyond their time.

(IV.) The fading leaves have a beauty. Death here is beautiful.

(i) And we who fade like a leaf may die in beauty like a leaf.

(ii) A beautiful life is the best pledge of a beautiful death.

(iii.) In a death that is to be beautiful there must be the near prospect of a coming spring time in the land where the Lamb is the light. J. CLARKE, B A.

Books

The Preacher's Analyst, Volumes 1-4