doings, the warrings of passion and principle, and the pangs of remorse, which make up the mental sufferings of the guilty,

could not have been ingredients in his cup of woe; and yet

his "soul was exceeding sorrowful." The passage before us gives us such a vision of our Saviour's conduct under his deep suffering as cannot fail to interest and instruct the thoughtful. Let us attend to it.

SUBJECT:-Gethsemane; or, the Man-ward and God-ward Direction of the Soul in Sorrow.

I. THE MAN-WARD DIRECTION OF THE SOUL IN SORROW. Urged by the social instincts of his nature, Jesus sought the presence and sympathy of his friends in this dark hour of sorrow. "And he took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee," &c. Having human nature, with all its sympathetic instincts, he wished his friends to stand by him in the dreadful crisis. If they could speak no cheering word, their very presence would serve to relieve the dreariness of the scene. He, like all men, looked man-ward for help. This is natural; this is right. Man is made to help man, is bound to help man. God frequently helps man through man. To look, therefore, to man for help is not wrong in itself. In Christ's appeal to man for help now, we discover three things in relation to man as a helper:-First. The great frailty of man as a helper. "And he cometh unto the disciples, and findeth them asleep," &c. They had spent the whole evening with him at the Passover, and now they were physically exhausted and could not watch. Our nature can bear but little; its energies are soon overtasked, and we are left without power to help our dearest friends. We discover, secondly, the necessary qualification for man as a helper. "Watch and pray," &c. Watch,—act the sentinel, look about you, observe the perils that threaten and the foes that surround; and pray,-look above you; ever realize your dependence upon God for guidance, protection, and support. Without this spiritual watching and devout prayer, man will

never be able to render true service to his fellow-man. We discover, thirdly, the proper consideration due to man as a helper. "The spirit, indeed, is willing, but the flesh is weak." Where help is sought and not rendered, through physical infirmity, let us ever accept the will for the deed. Christ did so, and thus he ever acts. The spirit is everything.

II. THE GOD-WARD DIRECTION OF THE SOUL IN SORROW. Christ had, as all have, religious instincts as well as social, and hence he looked to God as well as to man. "He went a little farther, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible," &c. There are three things in Christ's appeal to Heaven which characterize all true prayer:-First. A definite object. What did Jesus seek? "Let this cup pass from me.” What was in that dreadful cup? It was something before which his holy nature recoiled with inexpressible horror. The ATONEMENT was in that cup: it contained the true panacea for diseased souls. All true prayer has ever a definite object. Another thing in Christ's appeal which ever characterizes true prayer is, secondly, a true spirit. "O my Father." It was an earnest spirit. Three times did he fall down and pray. It was a submissive spirit. 'If this cup may not pass away from me except I drink it, thy will be done." "THY WILL BE DONE": this is the true inspiration of prayer. There is yet another thing in Christ's appeal which ever characterizes true prayer, and that is, thirdly, a strengthening influence. Luke states that " an angel appeared unto him from heaven, strengthening him." After his prayer, all the terrific excitement seemed to pass away: the inner storm subsided, the clouds broke, and the sun shone; a halcyon calmness came over him, and his soul rose to an energy equal to his fate. He rose from his devotions with a new power, went to his drowsy disciples, and said, Rise, let us be going"; and he began his way, with a firm and majestic step, to the cross.

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A Gethsemane is before us all into scenes of deep sorrow

:

and trial all must soon pass. The dark hour of death awaits us, and the bitter cup must be drunk. Our social nature may then urge us to look man-ward. Let us not expect too much even from the dearest and holiest friends; however willing their spirit, their "flesh is weak." Their disposition to help may be strong, but their capacity is ever feeble. May we turn God-ward in that hour-look to the everlasting hills for help. Up those benign heavens there is ONE whose eye sees through the darkest night, whose heart feels for all, and whose arm is mighty to save. May He befriend us then; commission some kind angel to descend and give us strength equal to our day!

Analysis of Homily the Sixty-fifth.

"For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom : but we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumbling-block, and unto the Greeks foolishness; but unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God," &c.-1 Cor. i. 22-25.

SUBJECT:-Christianity Viewed in Three Aspects.

I. AS ASSOCIATED WITH A GREAT FACT. "Christ crucified." This fact may be looked at, first, historically. As an historical fact, it is the most famous, influential, and best authenticated, in the annals of time. This fact may be looked at, secondly, theologically. It unfolds the divine; it rends the veil in the great temple of theological truth, and exposes the inmost and holiest sanctuary; it is a mighty expression of God's idea, government, and heart. This fact may be looked at, thirdly, morally. It is fraught with the most quickening, elevating, and sanctifying suggestions.

Look at it

It was a

II. AS ASSOCIATED WITH POPULAR OPINION. stumbling-block to the Jew; it was foolishness to the Greek. It had not sufficient of the gorgeous philosophical ritualism for

the speculative and pedantic Greek, nor sufficient of the gorgeous religious ritualism for the sensuous and bigoted Jew. What is it in popular sentiment now? To the millions it is nothing. They have formed no idea of it; they do not think about it. To the sceptic it is a fable: to the formalist it is a creed to be repeated, and a ceremony to be attended to on certain occasions, and nothing more.

Look at it

III. As ASSOCIATED WITH CHRISTIAN CONSCIOUSNESS. "But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God." The Christian sees the highest wisdom in a system which, in saving the sinner, does four things:-First, manifests the righteousness of the insulted Sovereign; secondly, augments the influence of moral government; thirdly, maintains intact all the principles of moral freedom; and, fourthly, develops, strengthens, and perfects, all the original powers of the individual soul. He sees, too, the highest power in the difficulties it surmounts, the revolutions it effects, the deeds to which it stimualtes, the hopes it inspires, and deep fountains of pleasure which it opens up. He FEELS that it is both wise and powerful.

What is Christianity to us? As a fact, there it is in the archives of humanity for ever independent of us; nothing will ever blot it out from the page of history. As a fact, though centuries old, it is more influential than ever.

It will be a fact

eternally. What is it to us? Is it folly and weakness, or is it wisdom and power? This is the question.

Analysis of Homily the Sixty-sixth.

"The counsel of the Lord standeth for ever, the thoughts of his heart to all generations."-Psa. xxxiii. 11.

SUBJECT:-God's Thoughts.

I. GOD HAS THOUGHTS. "The thoughts of his heart." His thoughts are, first, independent-independent in their

origin-character-manifestation. Secondly. His thoughts are complete they grasp the whole of a thing, and the whole of all things. Thirdly. His thoughts are unsuccessive: one thought does not start another, as in our case. Fourthly. His thoughts are harmonious, ours are conflicting.

They are "to

few men, nor

II. GOD HAS THOUGHTS FOR HUMANITY. all generations." His thoughts are not for a even a few generations, but for all generations. Three things are necessary before humanity can get any benefit from his thoughts-First. God must reveal them. Unless he express them we shall never know them. He has expressed them. Secondly. There must be a capacity to appreciate them. Without this capacity the revelation is useless. The Bible is nothing to a brute. Man has this capacity; he has a mind to take in the thoughts of the Infinite. Thirdly. There must be meditation. There may be the revelation and the capacity, but, unless there be study, God's thoughts will be nothing to us. We cannot reach the great thoughts of a great man without study; how, then, can we expect to attain the thoughts of God without it?

PERMANENT.

III. GOD'S THOUGHTS FOR HUMANITY ARE "The counsel of the Lord standeth for ever." They are permanent, first, because they embody absolute truths. They will always be what they are; they never can change. Secondly. They are permanent, because they will ever be congruous with the moral nature. They are to the moral nature what air and water are to the body, fitted for it and necessary to it. Without them it will die.

By these thoughts let us form our character. May God's thoughts be the subjects, stimulants, and guides, of our thoughts. May they be the sunny atmosphere in which our spirits live and breathe!