and outdo, not only those in a position equal to these Te observe, come to feel superior to their rea poo ME LOL tom of decadence has been growing for Joure will be gree society is becoming more and more and. progress, as it is called. i fw in vi "Your remarks, Vic crucified serpent When puzzled p of our deny it, yself, or le Jews, Jews?" an, but e hands but not sceptre ; hey cry, in, thus them to !!" cries we have me and ld Pilate lter the world: I have en they rule the a truth tain the atement of man lfil His ed and King of e future 1 come. hy God ful how ader of people. that the ses and ne, One The David, that of hrist to of His Bethle ings in been a warmer advocate than myself in all that would tend to advance the refinement and intellectual growth of the nation. And so far as my views go in connection with its supposed end, I am of the same mind still. But "But you are disappointed with the result and the prospect of both, so far," he interposed sadly. "Well, something in that direction, certainly. The education of our children," I continued, "seemed a matter of the utmost importance, both as regards their social condition, and for the purposes of safe government, that getting more and more into the hands of the people through their representatives-which, not to support in every way compatible with honesty of purpose, and thoroughness of aim, would be to sin against our light, and the need of the age, so I thought, at least. But I cannot say that I am pleased with the indications, either in that direction, or the boasted intellectual progress of the age." "In education," returned my companion, "there is one thing wanted which one man cannot give another. A man may teach a child to read and write, and store his mind with much information, sacred and secular, but he cannot impart that moral principle of rectitude which is based upon the conscious love of goodness for its own sake, as well as the ever-abiding prescience of accountableness. Many of the leaders, indeed, told us, in well-sounding terms, that to ensure all sorts of good in and for the rising generation-moral and otherwise-all that was needed was education, and everything would soon fall into its proper place. 'Educate, educate, educate,' they cried, and all will come right.' I remember an incident of a famous lecturer, who had lectured on this subject in most of our large industrial centres, which, though ludicrous, is none the less painful. When I heard of it, I seemed to see an apt illustration of the fallacy of his own argument. He had been eloquently insisting on the advantages the rising generation would derive from the more general diffusion of education. Among them would be found civilised refinement, temperance in the most perfect proportions, and the cultivation of the good and the beautiful; thrift, industry, peace, and prosperity, were to take the place of barbarism, intemperance, sensuality, vice, dishonesty, sloth, and poverty, and so on. In fact, he drew a picture coloured with some of the glowing tints that belong to the millennium. A night or two after, the lecturer was entertained at a dinner given in his honour, and in the small hours of the next morning was found intoxicated and incapable in the streets, and taken home on a wheelbarrow. Thus, in his own person, he gave a practical refutation of his declaration. No, no, my dear sir. Education is good, but good only if it does not stand alone." "The result so "That is exactly where I find the difficulty," said I. far, while in some respects a benefit, is in others more than doubtful." "Could you illustrate ?" he inquired. "Well, to explain myself broadly, I will put it thus: There was already in existence some discontent with their position in various ranks that make up the lower plane of the middle and the higher one of the working classes, which education, I find, tends to increase. The clerk, the artisan, and the mechanic, are not content with the position they occupy. A selfish kind of envy has set in, and they strive to emulate and outdo, not only those in a position equal to themselves, but those above them, for the mere sake of appearance; and with increased facilities for education, children, by their home training, and what they observe, come to feel superior to their real position, and dislike to perform the duties of their station. The mechanic, or artisan, in too many cases, takes little interest in his work, save only so far as it brings in the means to gratify the artificial tastes he has acquired, and work is not honestly done with the commendable desire to excel. I find this symptom of decadence has been growing for years with the growth of knowledge, and that since the introduction of a more general system of education, an impetus has been given to this hurtful habit. Thus society is becoming more and more artificial, while the classes are drawing no nearer to each other in mutual harmony, and for mutual help. I fear that confidence, respect, and goodwill, are principles not so prevalent now as some few years ago. With regard to science and intellectual progress, as it is called, I fear that, while this age has beheld vast strides in both, and thankfully admitting that there are noble exceptions to what may appear my too sweeping summary of the result, nevertheless infidelity stalks unblushingly through the streets at noon-day, and atheism declares itself with a trumpet tongue; sceptics are to be found everywhere, in the Church as well as on the platform; at the sacramental table as well as the hall of science." "Your remarks, which, sad to say, are only too true, bring to my mind an almost prophetic utterance of a very aged lady, given when I was a youth, in reply to something said in her presence concerning these very improvements and the result of them. It will not do the more light the more sin. There is one thing needed, which man cannot do, and man cannot give: the grace of God to mould the heart and rule the life. Anything less than this must fail. Educate by all means, open up all the avenues of knowledge, and make them accessible to every one; but if you stop there, your purpose will defeat itself, and the end will be to make men worse than they are.' Your words give point to her emphatic assertion. But it does not stand alone. Criminal statistics, when fairly analysed, justify all that you have said; and I am much afraid this is only the beginning of the evil. The vision grows into form and shape of most terrible import." (To be continued.) S. B. THE HERE can be no subject so glorious to contemplate as that presented to us in our lesson this afternoon; and knowing it would fall to my lot to say a few words to you, I found it impossible to think of any thing else. So without taking any particular passage of Scripture as a text, let us endeavour to ascertain what is meant by the words "The Saviour's kingdom." Here is one named as the "Saviour." Who is the Saviour? Even Jesus Christ. Then it is Christ's kingdom, and Christ is the Son of God. A kingdom is also mentioned; what is a kingdom? A kingdom is the territory or dominion of a king; so that to a kingdom a king is necessary, otherwise it is not a kingdom. It may be a state or republic, such as the states of America, or the republic of France. Let me then ask your earnest attention to three things. I want to speak about our relation to Christ's kingdom. What is it? 1. Christ's kingdom. 2. Christ's kingdom. Where is it, or where will it be? 3. Christ's kingdom. When will it be established? 1st What is Christ's kingdom? We must go back to history to trace this. Matthew tells us in the second chapter, that when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judæa, there came wise men from the east to worship Him. We are not told who these wise men were, and many have tried to guess, but it does not matter much to us. One thing is perfectly clear, that they were as divinely sent as were the shepherds to whom the angels appeared. But what I want you especially to notice is the very singular inquiry with which they came to Jerusalem. They came saying, "Where is He that is born King of the Jews ?" And when Herod heard that, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him, and no wonder. To the inhabitants of Jerusalem the possibility that there was about to rise in their midst One who would take the reins of government into His own hands, and raise their nation to the summit of glory and power long foretold by their prophets, was enough to fill with the wildest enthusiasm and excitement. To Herod the news caused greatest alarm, and working on a mind already dark and evil filled him with gloomiest apprehension, which led to the massacre of the innocent children in Bethlehem. How the infant Saviour escaped you well know; the flight to Egypt, and the return to Nazareth, I need not refer to now. The wise men hailed Jesus as 66 King." Did that title follow Him in after life? Let us see. When He began His public ministry, Christ everywhere preached the " Kingdom of God." But He is not again spoken of as King by the evangelists till mention is made of His triumphant entry into Jerusalem; which triumphant entry we are told was done in fulfilment of a prophecy concerning Him: "Fear not, daughter of Sion: behold, thy King cometh, sitting on an ass's colt." (John xii. 15.) It is clear, however, that Jesus must often have spoken to the Jews of His kingly authority, for this was the final charge they brought against Him: "He said that He himself is Christ, a King." (Luke xxiii. 2.) When Jesus was arrested, he was first taken to the Jewish court. Here they charged Him with blasphemy; on this they could have put Him to death (John xix. 7), but being the time of the passover, they were not allowed by their law to put any man to death (John xviii. 31.); but they would not wait for the close of the passover feast; eager for His blood they hurried Him off to the Roman court, and charged Him there with treason, that He sought to make Himself king instead of Cæsar. Now, though not quite in a line with our subject, we cannot help noticing how wonderfully Christ's own words were falfilled as to what manner of death He should die. Had the Jews put Him to death they would have stoned him, for stoning was the Jewish method of execution. They once attempted to stone Jesus. They stoned Stephen, and left Paul for dead once after him. But crucifixion was the Roman method, and Jesus being delivered to the Romans was crucified by them, verifying His own words: "As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up." When Pilate examined Christ, he could find no fault in Him; he was puzzled with the charge of treason, and did not understand the kingship of our Saviour. "Art Thou a king, then ?" he asked. Jesus did not deny it, but parried the question with another: "Sayest thou this of thyself, or did others tell thee?" Pilate, anxious to save Him, besought the Jews, "Will ye therefore that I release unto you the King of the Jews?" But they cried, "Away with Him, away with Him! not this man, but Barabbas. Now Barabbas was a robber." See Him then in the hands of the soldiers- a King without a throne. They crown Him, but not with gold, with thorns. A sceptre they gave Him, not a royal sceptre ; a reed. They array Him in purple, they bow before Him, they cry, "Hail King of Jews!"-mocking and deriding. See Him again, thus crowned, led by Pilate once more before the people to move them to pity; but no! no pity moves their hearts. "Behold your King!" cries Pilate. "Crucify Him, crucify Him!" cry the frenzied people; "we have no king but Cæsar." See Him again on the cross of shame and sorrow. What means this writing over His head? Why should Pilate be firm now when so weak before? Why should he refuse to alter the superscription that proclaimed in three languages to all the world: "This is Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews." "What I have written, I have written," was his answer to the chief priests when they begged him to alter it. The hand of God was in this also, that a truth should be declared which was a truth indeed; for who can entertain the thought for a moment that Christ could submit to die with a statement in any degree false over His head. God, who makes the wrath of man to praise Him, caused that which was done in ignorance to fulfil His own design and plan. Thus was the title of our Lord proclaimed and publicly made known at His birth; so at His death He is hailed King of the Jews. Now let us see in what manner Scripture points to Christ as the future King. It was prophesied from the first that Messiah should come. Moses spoke of Christ when he said, "A Prophet the Lord thy God shall raise unto you like unto me; Him shall ye hear." Wonderful how these names, Moses and Christ, are associated; Moses, the leader of God's people of old; Christ, a leader and commander to the people. Moses, the man of God-Christ, the Lamb of God. Wonderful, that the ho ransomed will hereafter sing will be the song of Moses and song the Lamb. The in the generations to come, One To David the promise was given that, in should succeed him whose throne should be established for ever. Apostle Peter (Acts ii. 30), when referring to this, declared that David, being a prophet, knew that God had sworn with an oath to him, that of the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, he would raise up Christ to sit on his throne. Nothing could be more emphatic. "Out of BethleIsaiah sings in Other prophets also point to a coming King, and the place of His birth is indicated, as we read in Micah this afternoon. hem shall come forth He that is to be ruler in Israel." exalted strains, "The government shall be upon His shoulder: His |