Sermon. "Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem; behold, thy King cometh unto thee; He is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt, the foal of an ass."-Zech. ix. 9. R. R. Meredith, D.D., Brooklyn, N. Y.

5. The Official Oath-A Covenant with Jehovah. "For men swear by the greater: and in every dispute of theirs the oath is final for confirmation."-Heb. vi. 16 (Rev. Ver.). George B. Spalding, D.D., Syracuse, N. Y.

6. Shall the Columbian Exposition be Opened on the Lord's Day? "Six days shalt thou do thy work, and on the seventh day thou shalt rest; that thine ox and thine ass may rest, and the son of thine handmaid; and that the stranger may be refreshed."-Ex. xxiii. 12. David Gregg, D.D., Brooklyn, N. Y.

7. The Joy of the Resurrection. "Then were the disciples glad when they saw the Lord."-John xx. 20. Rev. E. 8. Tipple, Ph.D., New York City.

8. Self-Discipline. "Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that when He shall appear we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as He is."-1 John iii. 2. Rev. Canon Scott Holland, London, Eng.

9. Chains Worth Wearing. "The Lord have mercy on the house of Onesiphorus ; for he oft refreshed me, and was not ashamed of my chain."-2 Tim. i. 16. Rev. F. W. Gunsaulus, D.D., Chicago, Ill.

10. Hearsay and Conviction. "I have heard of Thee by the hearing of the ear; but now mine eye seeth Thee. Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes."Job xlii. 5, 6. Rev. P. M'Adam Muir, Edinburgh, Scot.

11. Our Duty to Working Women. "We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves."-Rom. xv. 1. Rev. Stopford A. Brooke, LL. D., London, Eng.

12. Evils of the Sweating System. "The laborer is worthy of his hire."-Luke x. 7. Rt. Rev. Samuel Fallows, D.D., Chicago, Ill.

13. Christ's Ambassadors.

Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God "2 Cor. v. 20. Rev. J. Wesley Sullivan, Philadelphia, Pa.

14. The Basis of Character. "Watch ye; stand fast in the faith; quit you like men; be strong. Let all your things be done with charity."-1 Cor. xvi. 13, 14. Rev. D. R. Lucas, Indianapolis, Ind.

("Seek

Divine Power and Divine Peace.
the Lord and His strength, seek His face
continually."-2 Chron. xvi. 11.)

3. Mental Perturbation the Result of Highstrung Expectation. ("Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto Him that ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter, as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand."2 Thes. ii. 1, 2.)

4. The Prevention of Difficulties. ("And Esau took his wives and his sons, and his daughters, and all the persons of his house, and his cattle and all his beasts, and all his substance which he had got in the land of Canaan; and went into the country from the face of his brother Jacob; for their riches were more than that they might dwell together."-Gen. xxxvi: 6,7.)

5. The Province of Sin in the Execution of God's Purposes. (" But Pharaoh shall not hearken unto you, that I may lay my hand on Egypt, and bring forth my armies, and my people the children of Israel, out of the land of Egypt by great judgments. "-Ex. vii. 4.)

6. The Apology of Providences. ("Now, therefore, O Lord our God, save Thou ns out of his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that Thou art the Lord God, even Thou only."-2 Kings xix. 19.)

7. An Old Testament Foreign Missionary. ("Wherefore they spake to the king of Assyria, saying, The nations which thou hast removed, and placed in the cities of Samaria, know not the manner of the God of the land: therefore He hath sent lions among them, and, behold, they slay them, because they know not the manner of the God of the land. Then the king of Assyria commanded, saying, Carry thither one of the priests whom ye brought from thence; and let them go and dwell there, and let him teach them the manner of the God of the land. Then one of the priests, whom they had carried away from Samaria, came and dwelt in Bethel, and taught them how they should fear the Lord."-2 Kings xvii. 26-28.)

8. A Traditional Bible and the Responsibility of the Heathen. ("Wherefore then do ye harden your hearts, as the Egyptians and Pharaoh hardened their hearts, when he had wrought wonderfully among them, and they let not the people go, and they departed?"-1 Sam. ví. 6.)

9. Prayer for Mercy in the Day of Judgment. (The Lord grant unto him that he may find mercy in that day."-2 Tim. i. 18.)

"Hus

10. The True Pattern of Marital Love. bands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the Church, and gave Himself for it."-Eph. v. 25.)

11. The Self-Publication of a Fool. ("Yea also, when he that is a fool walketh by the way, his wisdom faileth him, and he saith to every one that he is a fool."-Eccl. x. 3.)

12. The Declination of Public Office. ("In that day shall he swear, saying. Make me not a ruler of the people."-Isa. iii, 7.)

13. The True Source of Official Integrity. ("I will make thy officers peace and thine exactors righteousness."-Isa. lx. 17.)

men, and conscience follows the judg

ment.

The reception of the Word by faith then is, first obtaining reasonable assurance of its being the Word of God; and then accepting it with all its mystery and verifying it by our own experiment.

Hearing the Spirit's Message.

He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.— Rev. iii. 22.

THIS often-repeated text suggests:
1. Capacity-hath an ear.
2. Opportunity-let him hear.

3. Authority-what the Spirit saith. 4. Pertinency-unto the churches. These four unite to determine responsibility.

Salvation in Christ Alone. Neither is there salvation in any other.— Acts iv. 12.

THE Revised Version improves the order and impressiveness of the words: And in none other is there salvation : for neither is there any other name under heaven, that is given among men, wherein we must be saved."

Here salvation is limited to Christ only by denying to any other saving power. Christ Himself says, "No man cometh unto the Father, but by Me" (John xiv. 6).

This text is curiously both explained and illustrated by the preceding narrative (chap. iii. 1; iv. 12). Peter and John had found a lifelong cripple at the temple gate, and in the name of Jesus had bidden him rise up and walk. This incident had awakened great curiosity and made impossible a denial of the miraculous power exerted. Peter had declared (iii. 16), And His name, through faith in His name, hath made this man strong, . . . hath given him this perfect soundness." Again (verse 26), "Unto you first, God . . . sent Him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities." Again (iv. 10), "By the name of Jesus, . . .

even by Him, doth this man stand here before you whole. Neither is there salvation in any other," etc.

Plainly Peter uses the miracle of physical healing in Jesus' name as the type and illustration of salvation.

Here, then, is the one saving name to be found under the whole heaven.

It is given among men, "God sent Him to bless you," etc.

By Him it is necessary to be saved. There is one source of salvation-Godgiven—one only.

1. There is spiritual wholeness or holiness for impotent souls.

2. It is God's gift, without price. 3. It is found only in one saving

name.

When Sir Joshua Reynolds closed his art lectures in London, having given a whole course to four statues of Michael Angelo, he said: "And now I have but one name to present to your attention, it is the name of Michael Angelo." So the minister of Christ may say at the end of a long course of preaching; he may sum up in one name all his message -Jesus only, the Stone at the base on which all rests; the Stone at the apex in which all ends.

The Christian religion presents four "onlys":

The Word of God, the only complete rule of faith;

The grace of God, the only hope of salvation:

The work of the Spirit, the only source of the new birth;

The faith in Christ, the only condition of salvation.

Loyola and Luther were both convicted; one sought favor through purity, the other purity through favor. 'Christ," said Whitefield, "will receive even the devil's castaways if they come to Him."

66

Walking with God.

Enoch walked with God.-Gen. v. 23.

THIS is one of the earliest and briefest of all descriptions of a holy life-a life complete. Enoch lived three hun

dred and sixty-five years-a cycle of year days-like a complete revolution of earth in its orbit.

What is it to walk not merely in the presence of God, but with Him?

1. He who walks with God goes the way He goes (Amos ii. 3). There must

Ter

be agreement as to starting-point, and likewise as to course and goal. minus a quo" and "ad quem." The Way of Holiness is obedience to God.

2. He touches God at times. Contact there must be, more or less frequent, between fellow-travellers.

How do I touch God?

(1) Through His Word, a "living" Word, for God's Spirit breathes in it, and God's heart throbs in it. To search it prayerfully reveals God to us.

(2) Through prayer. Handle Me and see." The touch of God in the closet is the main thing, not asking only, but receiving impressions, like the fleece drinking the heavenly dew.

3. He speaks to God, and hears God speak.

(1) Prayer is communion-i.e., there is communication on both sides.

(2) Voice of conscience, which the Latins called "Index, Judex, Vindex," the vicegerent of God in the soul.

(3) Voice of Providence.

How interpreted? Only by a habit of watching and comparing, so as to see converging lines of evidence.

(4) Voice of Spirit, the "still small voice."

4. He keeps step with God, not going before as if to lead, not lagging behind as if unwilling to follow; but watching Divine leading, and putting the foot in the footsteps of God.

We need patience, the plans of God do not always appear at once.

5. He leaves the world behind Him, etc. There is constant progress away from all evil, and so toward all good.

(1) Sin will be abandoned and hated, and even worldliness lose its power. (2) Duty will cease to be dominant, for

(3) Privilege (Psalm li. "free spirit") will take its place.

No man cometh unto the Father, but by Me.-John xiv. 6.

AT the entrance to Port Jackson, in New South Wales, is the only opening from the sea. Captain Cook missed it when he circumnavigated the world. There is no other. Some years since the clipper ship, the Duncan Dunbar, from England, had arrived with her valuable cargo and precious freight of about six hundred souls. It is said that the commander had speculated a heavy sum as a wager: he would put his ship inside "The Heads" in so many days. The last day had come; he must take her inside the harbor that very night or the wager would be lost. The temptation was great. Peering through the mist, by the aid of his glass, the captain discovered what appeared to be the deep, safe, though somewhat narrow entrance to the finest harbor in the world. He made for what he thought was the opening. There was, however, no such passage there. He was about two miles south of the real entrance, at a point on the coast where the high cliffs decline almost to the sea level, and where the depression of the cliffs has been appropriately named “The Dip." This the captain had mistaken for "The Heads." On came the gallant ship with her sails spread. The man on the outlook suddenly cried out : "Breakers ahead! Breakers ahead!"' but, terrible to relate, the warning cry was too late. In one brief hour the noble vessel had struck on the rocks and was being dashed in pieces by the heavy waves that were breaking in mad violence upon the reef.

Up the rough, unhewn, rocky way, now known as "Jacob's Ladder," one solitary sailor climbed, the sole survi

vor, to look down upon that scene of awful wreck. He told the story as the morning dawn flashed the dread news to Sydney. Do not try conclusions

with the rocks! If fifty vessels tracked the same course, destruction would be inevitable. There is no passage that way. HENRY VARLEY.

Elisha is just now the prophet standing for God in Israel. It was a sad and broken time; and amid the tendencies to idolatry in the court, and the general want of loyalty to God amid the people, there was need enough of a prophet who should strongly say forth the truth of God, and who could buttress what he said by mighty deeds.

It was a time of raiding, back and forth, among the contiguous nationsof guerilla warfare.

Such raids the King of Syria was just now leading against Israel. He was depending, not so much upon great forces, as upon the seizure of strategic positions. He would hold councils of war, lay out his plans, say, "By this mountain pass to hold it, by this stream or fountain to prevent its waters from the Israelites, we will pitch our camp.'

But the Syriac king found himself strangely thwarted. His traps, so secretly and safely set, could not catch the prey. Not once nor twice, but many times, when he had everything arranged, the King of Israel had escaped.

The Syriac king suspects and declares that there is treason against himself; but one of his officers puts his finger on the difficulty: None of us, my lord, O king, is for the King of Israel; but Elisha, the prophet, that is in Israel, telleth the King of Israel the words that thou speakest in thy bed-chamber."

Nothing could go well then, the King of Syria naturally thought, until he had laid grip upon Elisha. Up toward the north, on the edge of the plain of Es

town called Dothan. Just now Elisha is in that town. Very skilfully the King of Syria forms and carries out his plan. It is all so well done and secretly, that on some dark night the town of Dothan is entirely surrounded by the Syrian forces, and no sentinel even knows anything about it.

Gehazi had been dismissed because of his treachery. Elisha now has another young man for attendant. Probably to go to the well-which was almost always outside the towns-to get the water for the daily use, the young man goes forth; but he comes back quickly and with blanched cheeks. This is the startling intelligence the young man brings Elisha, “Behold, an host encompasses the city, both with horses and chariots." And then he breaks out in despairing exclamation, Alas, my master! how shall we do?"

Now that was altogether a spiritual reply. It took into the account facts and forces of which the young man had then no cognition. Beleaguered, defenceless town; crowding hosts and chariots-these were all he knew about. It is quite possible that, though the young man had doubtless great respect for Elisha's wisdom, he was quite sure he had never heard him make a speech so foolish. That was just the trouble, that, as far as the young man could see, nobody was with him and with Elisha; all the apparent forces were with the crowding Syrians.

It is quite likely, indeed it must be,