He hung his head-each nobler aim,
And hope, and feeling, which had slept
From boyhood's hour, that instant came

Fresh o'er him, and he wept-he wept.

But though it be true that every man, I care not in what station of life, can influence those around him, and often those above him, if he have goodness and sufficient earnestness of purpose; still, it is obvious that the higher a man's position is, the more scope he has for affecting others. For all the personal qualities which in a humble station would have made him respected within a small circle, shine out from his loftier position with such a widening ray, that they are seen afar, and by multitudes; and bring many more within the range of his attraction, than could be affected by the man of less eminence. While, if in a lower sphere, he would have been a ringleader among a few; he will, should he be placed in higher position, influence more persons to their harm, than could have otherwise come within his range. So that, while influence belongs to us all in our measure, it is a talent entrusted most, and with most weighty responsibilities, to those who are raised above their neighbours in rank, in learning, or by wealth. If goodness makes the poor man respected, what notice does it attract, if it appear in the statesman, in the King, or in the rich man. If the poor man be a drunkard, or a whoremonger, or a swearer, he contaminates that smaller circle in which he moves; but if the man of means give way to good eating and good drinking, or swear, or seduce, his vice seeds itself in society, and finds imitators far and wide. II. And it is the same in religion.

Religion is the intercourse which my soul has with God;

the habitual sustained intercourse. It is a personal matter to me, a personal matter also to my God. He gave Himself for me, He redeemed me, He dwells in me and sanctifies me; and I also give myself to Him, I dwell in Him, I pour out my soul before Him in prayer, in praise, in love.

:

But this personal aspect is by no means the only constituent of religion. Listen to the first words of Jesus Christ," Repent ye; for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.' A kingdom implies a king, that is Jesus Christ a kingdom implies subjects also; such are Christians to Christ their King. But besides the king and his subjects, a kingdom implies that these subjects have certain duties towards one another; they live in a society one with another; they have a law to keep mutually; they have to help one another; to bear; to forbear; and all the numerous parts of a common citizenship to fulfil. Look at Christ's first apostles; Andrew followed Jesus-here is personal religion; Andrew brought his brother Peter to Jesus-here is Christian fellowship, the duties of the Christian citizen, who recognises the true brotherhood among men, and realises the Communion of Saints practically. It is a notable fact that Christ founded a society, to which he added those who were being saved, to show that brotherhood, and the mutual play of soul upon soul, and spirit upon spirit, are an integral portion of His religion.

In the Christian Church then, there is such a thing as influence. A commanding intellect, like Augustine or Athanasius; an attractive loving spirit, like that of Bishop Patteson among the natives of the Pacific Ocean; a talent

for organization, such as John Wesley and some of our Bishops have had, these three characters, represented in the Apostles' days by the intellectual Paul, the feeling John, the practical James, all exercise an attractive force, and prove that a man has influence in religion, no less than in politics, or in society.

Sometimes in the history of the Church, we have seen this operating on a colossal scale: as when under the lead of their chiefs or kings, whole nations of halfcivilized barbarians have at times accepted the Christian faith; or when Constantine, the Emperor of Rome, embraced Christianity, and thus gave a great impetus to its acceptance among his subjects. Just as in later times, Henry VIII. and Elizabeth gave an impulse to the Reformation of the Church of Christ in this country, by their own position. But it is a power which is usually more insensibly at work in the world. If you see a man of better talents and education than yourself believing firmly in the Christian religion, and acting up to his belief, it helps you in your faith; for you argue"perhaps I might be deceived; but surely such an one is not likely to be deceived; as he is wiser and more learned than I am, or can ever hope to be." If you see a man, who from his position in society, has the best means of knowing and judging of the claims, and of the effects of religion, a statesman for example, a general, a leader in society, a Lord Chancellor, and find that they give in their adherence to it, this mightily influences you.

"Have any of the rulers or of the Pharisees believed on Him?" said the Jews. They naturally thought, that if Jesus were the Christ, the long expected Messiah,

the rulers and the Pharisees, the heads in authority, and the heads in learning, would surely, at least some of them, acknowledge Him. And some of them did,Nicodemus, to wit, and Joseph of Arimathea. Still the great bulk did not. "Not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble," St. Paul tells us, joined the Church of Christ.

The Jews who said, "Have any of the rulers or of the Pharisees believed in Jesus?" expected the answer, No, to their question and were prepared to argue that Jesus could not be the Christ, because the highest of their nation did not receive Him. This fact of the highest rejecting the Truth is no argument against the Truth, though it certainly is a great impediment to others receiving it but if on the other hand the highest do receive it, it wonderfully influences others.

For men, it has been said, think in masses; an impulse seems to sway them, and they bend before it : and one thing which helps to give this impulse, is when the leaders of a nation, discerning the signs of the times, seek with wisdom to effect that which the times require. To hear some men talk, you would think religion was only for the obscure, the ignorant, the poor, the outcast. The men of Samaria knew better, when they said, "We know that this is indeed the Christ, the Saviour of the World." It is meant for the world; it is intended for the Church Catholic; Christ's religion is for all, rich as well as poor; high as well as low; great as well as humble; for kings and queens, who are to be its nursing fathers and nursing mothers, no less than for the beggar on the dunghill. And thus the great advances in religion

have been made by God's choosing men of talent, of ability, of learning, of position, nay, even of wealth, to move forward the banner of His name. Abraham, the friend of God, was a rich man; Moses, who founded religion, as we understand it,—was brought up as Pharaoh's grandson, and learned in all the learning of the Egyptians; David, who has engraven his psalms upon the hearts of a hundred generations, was a king; Isaiah, whose prophecies have given so deep a feeling to our Christianity, was a scholar and a poet; Ezra and Nehemiah, who restored the temple and worship of God at Jerusalem after the Babylonish captivity, were both men high at the court of Persia; Solomon, who introduced religious architecture into the service of God, was a monarch, and a wealthy one. And in New Testament times, who did more, humanly speaking, to reduce Christianity to the shape in which you and I receive it than St. Paul; Paul, the learned; Paul, the free-born citizen of Rome; Paul, the disciple of the chief rabbi, Gamaliel ? Rulers therefore and great men are the very ones whom God chooses to use as His instruments for expanding His Religion. Erase the names and works of Abraham, Moses, David, Solomon, Isaiah, Ezra, Paul, from the pages of the Bible, and there would be but a scanty residuum left for the heart and the intellect of the Christian to feed upon!

So far, then, from religion being only meant for the poor, or only advanced by the obscure, may we not almost say that the evidence is vastly in favour of religion making its truest advances under the lead and genius of master minds. Against one Amos, the gatherer of sycamore