In

do, "for honester and better men." And it is not every one who is styled reverend who is the best man to enforce christian truth on the attention of those who already believe it or patronize it. It is not every one who is styled reverend, who is by natural ability and religious culture, suited to the work of enforcing christian truth upon the attention of those who neither believe it nor patronize it. Settlers who have to cut down thick forests, the growth of centuries, to grub up old roots to drive the ploughshare for the first time through rough hard soil, must be stronger and hardier men than the average farmer. The man who goes forth to clear the thick jungles of sin and irreligion, to grub up the old roots of vicious habits, and to drive the ploughshares of truth through the rough hard soil of the heart must be a stronger and hardier man than the average pastor. He should be stronger in faith, stronger in hope, stronger in love. He should be a muscular christian, a man of hard-head, ironnerve, and brave heart. He should be of catholic sympathies untrammelled by sectarianism, and of catholic faith uncursed with cant. short, he should be a christian man, in the fullest and most comprehensive meaning of that spiritually microcosmic word. Your patronizing, condescending, ecclesiastical dandy, with irreproachable cravat, uncracked kid-gloves, and scented lawn 'kerchief, wherewith he wipes the dew-drops from his brow-what business has he in a popular assembly? How can he face the "great unwashed," or suffer their rank and unsavoury persons to come "betwixt the wind and his nobility." Your simpering and mystical sentimentalist, who can weep over a dying daisy, and preach a a funeral sermon on an extinct rainbow, who woos heavenly contemplation with up-turned eye, and sings in dreary monotones of the poetry of tears and the music of sighs-what message can he bear to the wild untutored hearts of half-barbarous peasants and artizans? Your rigid raw-head and bloody-bones theologian, who peoples the pit of perdition with infants a span long, and hurls the bolts of eternal vengeance on all who reject his five points; what word of life has he to convey to graceless reprobates, vessels of wrath, doomed faggots, planted, grown, cut down, a reserve heap for the eternal burning? No, he must we repeat, be a man, not a thing to hang cloth and linen upon, not a soft-sighing zephyr, much less a fiery-eyed, flame-breathing Typhon. Men of the strong-headed, honest-hearted type are the men for the popular gathering. We have not a superabundance of such men, neither, we think, is there a great dearth of them. We have in the Christian church a sufficient number of them to work wonders, were they but to put their powers to the test. They need not fear for the reception of gospel truth spoken in a free and fearless spirit. Working men will hear and regard. They have no excessively tender corns to trample upon, no exquisitely refined tastes to shock. There will be no sentimental lady, with gilt-edged prayer-book to throw into hysterics, and no sensitive deacon in a green pew, to offend with grossly direct and personal appeals. The English workman likes honest outspokenness, even if it does sometimes hit him rather hard.

But where shall we meet the people? We must meet them on their own ground-go to them. They have not yet all come to us, and we must not wait until they do. We shall have the Judgment day close upon us and the world not ready for it if we wait for them. Did Christ

wait in some back street in Jerusalem until the Jews came to him? Did Paul wait in a small synagogue at Damascus or Antioch till the Gentiles came to him? Did Wesley and Whitfield wait in churches and chapels till the people came to them? We must not wait. Some one may say our churches and chapels are open to them-they know they are-let them come and hear the gospel and be saved, and if they will not come let them take the consequences. But Christ never said so. He said "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature." The fact is some of the working people do not like our places of worship. Rightly or wrongly they have a prejudice against them, and they will not come inside them. They will tell you they can't dress well enough, or the long prayer sends them to sleep. Or they will say "Our masters go there, we see enough of them in the week, we don't want to see them on Sunday. Besides we don't care to mix up with that canting psalm-singing crew, who sand their sugar, salt their invoices, grind their workmen, and then go to prayers." True or not true, this is what some will tell you. The people won't come to us in our churches and chapels, and as they won't come to us we must go to them, as Mahomet did to the mountain. There are places which are neutral ground where we may meet them halfway. There are theatres, concert-halls, lecture-rooms, circuses. These are the places for the work, open air gatherings may do at some part of the year, but our climate is not adapted for much open-air preaching, a shower will disperse a riotous mob, and much more speedily a peaceful crowd, and who can tell when a shower may not come, in our changeful clime? Nor would personal house to house visitation be the best way of meeting them. It is too direct and openly aggressive. Many would regard it as impudent and inquisitorial, and would rather you met them elsewhere. The Englishman's house is his castle. But it must be face to face that we meet them. A cheap religious literature, well circulated, might do much, the living voice can do more, and do it more effectually. What style of address should be adopted by the Evangelistic preacher? He must not be too lofty nor too familiar. He must speak to the people "in their own tongue the wonderful works of God." The language of ordinary literature and common life should be used, and not the technical dialect of the synagogue. He will have no demand for the stereotyped phraseology of the pulpit or the prayer meeting. Still less will he have a demand for a free use of popular slang. He may use now and then, by way of familiar illustration, a phrase or two of their own popular coinage, but in general the audience will feel that the Christian teacher descends to vulgarity, and places himself below rather than on a level with them, if he indulges largely in the slang of the pothouse or the lingo of the cock-pit.

In the selection of a theme some discretion should be exercised. Not necessarily should a verse of Scripture be taken, nor a popular catch phrase, nor the title of an old song, There is a middle ground between the grave and the ridiculous. A proverb will be a good and interesting theme, round which much religious truth may be thrown. What better than " a fair day's wages for a fair day's work," "the devil's meal is all bran," "the road to hell is paved with good intentions; or a phrase from the police reports-"five shillings and costs;" or words associated with common life, "work, wages, charity, home and happiness." The

address itself, whatsoever the theme, should not be a sermon but a speech. Working men will listen to a speech on political and social questions, and they will listen to a speech on religion. As to the nature of the speech, we think the comic by no means advisable. A Christian minister will not add to his power by throwing dignity to the dogs and becoming a buffoon. Commencing an address on Sunday afternoon with small jests, miserable puns, and elaborate nonsense, and winding up with a pathetic appeal to the heart and conscience, is a violation of the most ordinary oratorical propriety. We do find comedy mixed with tragedy in the drama, but the dramatist invites you to a broad grin after turning you pale with terror and alarm, and in order to prepare you again for a shudder or a groan. This is legitimate where dramatic effect is the sole aim; but while effect should not be left out of view, something more lasting than dramatic effect is the aim of the orator. His style and manner should be subordinate to one great purpose-persuasion; and persuasion on solemn themes may be effected without roars of laughter, and best without them, for they unsolemnize the mind. At the same time a brief gleam of pleasure is better than half an hour's nod, and it may be well sometimes to forget for a moment the old line which forbids to

"Court a smile where we should win a soul."

In order to carry out any movement of this kind fully, it will be necessary that the culture and training of our ministers be more for popular work. The Christian ministry should be to some extent a priesthood of letters. The church should be abreast if not in advance of the age in intelligence, learning and literary power. But we do not want every minister to be as learned as a professor, or as studious as a sage. As Dissenters we may fall into the error of the Church of England, now so many universities are thrown open to us. We may get young ministers who can discuss the usage of the Greek article, write elaborate notes on Greek classics read a faultless essay before a sleeping congregation, and yet would tremble in utter confusion before a popular audience, or speak words which would pass over it as the idle wind. We want more mental robustness even if we have less mental grace. We want greater intellec

tual vigour even if there be less refined taste and critical acumen. We want men that would not be floored in a tough round with mechanics and weavers, even if they could not write Greek Iambics, and would grow confused if you questioned them about the Homeric digamma.

The policy of the church also must be more aggressive. It must throw open its houses of prayer to the people. It must do away with the repulsive exclusiveness, and rented seats and hired pews. It must not find its religion only in the solemn prayer, the sonorous chant, the eloquent sermon, and the magnificent synagogue. It must remember, what it seems to have forgotten, that Christianity is not a luxurious banquet for the church, but food for the famished and starving people. It must be less selfish. It must cease to monopolize and lock up for its own private use as far as it can, the best talent and the ablest men. It must relax in the rigour of its demands upon its pastors. It must be able to keep up its own spiritual life and vigour without pastoral gossip and systematic visitation. It must even give up a service now and then. How can a minister preach well three or four times a week to them, and deliver popular

addresses to the people also? He may do it and the result is inevitable -idiotcy and premature death.

Let us not think, however, that this change of policy would be detrimental to our religious life, that we should lose one way what we gained in another, that the church would go to ruin if the world began to throb with new life. With all our attention to our flocks now, those flocks too often disappoint our fondest hopes and most fervent prayers. Some, in spite of pastoral visits and three sermons per week, go back to dissipation and vice, others become worshippers of the golden calf, others harden into blocks and chill us with their cold-blooded indifference whenever we meet them; and others-why we should be a more respectable people if they would put on their hats and leave us and never darken our chapel doors again. Let us try if our churches and congregations would not take care of themselves better if they were sympathizing with their minister in his care for others, rather than finding fault with him for his neglect of them. The time is propitious. There is no political agitation, there is no social destitution. Socialism is dead and buried, secularism is breathing its last in its dying chamber in Fleet Street. The people give indications of a disposition to respond to our advances. Let us go forth now to the work of popular evangelization. Let us fight with indifference, irreligion, sin. We shall not lose our spirituality in the contest. Religion will not die in such a warfare, it is more likely to go spark out in diaconal jars and sectarian strife. Let the proud Pharisee, the secluded monk, and the pedantic priest say what they will, work in the untilled fields of the world is worship, and battling social devils is piety and prayer.

THE CHRISTIAN'S VICTORY.

Sketch of a Sermon by the late Rev. J. Goadby, of Ashby, delivered in 1828.

Thanks be to God which giveth us the victory, through our Lord Jesus Christ.-1 Cor. xv., 57.

I.-Here is a victory. Where we read of a victory, we are naturally led to a field of battle and to contending armies appearing in all the pomp and circumstance of war. The scene of carnage and conflict, the crash of arms, fill the mind with horror. The glittering swords, the files of musketeers, the roaring of the deadly cannon, the torrents of blood, the heaps of slain, the groanings of the dying, the anguish of survivors, the retreat of the vanquished and the pursuit of the victors: every step is marked with terror and desolation and ruin, with fire-brands, arrows, and death; all is appalling!

But the victory of the Christian is not of this character. It awakens no emotions of sadness. It is connected with no evil. It is spiritual and holy. It is a victory over sin, death and hell.

Över Sin. This is the baneful evil. It is ruinous to souls. It separates from God-exposes us all to temporal evil-to death, the king of terrors, and hell, the place of torment.

II. This victory is given. It is not obtained by us as conquerors obtain theirs by repulsing or overcoming our enemies. Our enemies have

gotten the mastery, our sins have enslaved us, and led us captive and we lie on the confines of death and under condemnation. "The sting of death is sin," and unless deliverance be imparted, for we can do nothing, we are exposed to all its penalty.

III. The medium through which this victory is obtained is the Lord Jesus Christ, who is "mighty" to save.

He is the Son of God. He gave proofs of his Godhead by his works. He came on purpose to save the sinner. He magnified the law by his teaching most perfect. He became our surety-died for us, offered himself without spot to God. He rose again from the dead. See ver. 12 &c. the victory, "Neither is there salvation in any

This is the medium of other.

When the poor sinner obtains the victory, he is taught to see himself a helpless creature. He is taught the perfection of the law, the holiness of God, and he rests on Jesus as his deliverer. He then devotes himself to his Lord, and living to him, he is saved from the dominion as well as the guilt of sin. This is the experience of every Christian, and this is their song in death.

Thus they have victory over death. The grace of Christ helps the Christian in his trials and sorrows and afflictions. It enables him to look forward with hope and say, "My trials will not last long; my difficulties and sorrows will soon be over.

66

Thus also are subdued the fears of hell. The Christian knows Christ is all-sufficient. "I know whom I have believed &c." His fears are subdued, and his hope is bright, so it was with David. Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil. I shall dwell in the house of the Lord for ever." So it was with Paul, he had no fear. He knew that he should die; but he knew that this "incorruptible would put on incorruption &c." So has it been with many a servant of Christ. Their death-bed has been a scene of triumph and not of fear of victory and not defeat.

The thankfulness for this victory deserves attention. Remember then that to live and enjoy it we must be brought to know and trust in Christ. Our own righteousness must be renounced, as well as our sins; our heart must be renewed, and Christ become our righteousness and strength. Don't trifle with these things; life is short, the time of death uncertain. How awful if unprepared! But what a blessing if we know Christ, and through him are secure and happy for ever.

Be thankful, Christian, for this victory. Let your gratitude appear in humble prayer and earnest praise, and by a daily surrender to Christ. Often look to heaven, and yet a little while, and you'll sing to him that loved you and made you a conqueror through his rich grace. Amen.

Selections.

A FIRST STEP.-In coming to Christ, says a good man, a first step must be taken, a first act performed, a first decision made. That first step is to come; that first act is to believe; that first decision is to repent and obey. All else, attending prayer meetings or inquiry meetings, reading, thinking, seeking, is but preliminary, and is often needlessly prolonged. The point