better supply the wants of a soul that will never die. By enlisting in the service of Jesus of Nazareth, you can obtain eternal treasures and kingdoms, without as much pains as you apply to obtain your worthless treasures and to win your paltry glory. Come and engage in this service. Lay hold on eternal life, whereunto ye are also called;" enter into "the good fight of faith;" "count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus."

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But perhaps there was some servant present to whom his master had also intrusted a pound, but who was still in the midst of his labours, and who had many difficulties to overcome. When he heard these words, with what new ardour he must have returned to his work! Let the sight of the same recompense give the same strength and the same joy to you, O servants who are still in the midst of your service! Perhaps you meet with many difficulties in the management of the pound which you have received; perhaps your service is painful, and you gain the ten pounds by the sweat of your brow; but look at the reward that awaits you! It is worth all and more than all your trouble. "Wherefore lift up the hands that hang down and the feeble knees."

Perhaps you have to work; you must also

"crown

undergo trials that are foreign to your drink of the bitter cup that is proffered to every member of the human family. Lift up your eyes, then! look at that " of righteousness which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give you at that day;" enter by faith into those mansions which the Master is now preparing for you; "rejoice in hope; be patient in tribulation, continuing instant in prayer."

Would that these reflections might arouse us all! Would that we might receive new courage and strength to serve our God! Would that we might be made "steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as we know that our labour is not in vain in the Lord.' Yes, my brethren, none but the servant who goes to the banks and public places to gain ten pounds by his pound will be accepted by his master. Dear hearer, where is your pound? What did you do with it when you received it? Unhappy man! you buried it in the ground! Go, dig it up, exchange it for current money, trade with it, barter, and let it not remain covered

with rust. You must labour; you must gain your living; you must gain it here, penny by penny, and pound by pound.

Yes, Lord! we know and confess before all men that nothing but thy grace can save us; we know and confess before all men that nothing but the blood which flowed from the cross of Jesus Christ can blot out our sins! But we know, too, that, were we to glory in thy grace, and to rest upon thy bosom already, without having done our work, thou wouldest indignantly reject us, and say to us before all men, "I never knew you. Depart from me, ye workers of iniquity." Lord! let not this shameful lot be ours! Create us unto good works! Take us into thy service! Grant that we may be faithful; and in the day when thou comest to summon all mankind before thee, may we hear from thee the words, "Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things; enter thou into the joy of thy Lord!" Amen.

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DISCOURSE V.

THE DUTIES OF MASTERS TO THEIR HOUSEHOLDS.

"If any provide not for his own, and especially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel."-1 TIM., V, 8.

MY

Y brethren,-In our days, more than ever before, men seem to perceive the evils to which the lower classes of society are subject. Associations are forming in various countries which have for their object the prevention or the cure of those evils. It is true that among these classes there are individuals, and even families, who, having persevered in the faith, “live soberly, righteously, and godly." Honoured in their obscurity, they form part of the salt of the earth. But, generally speaking, who does not see that luxury, love of pleasure, intemperance, and liability to corruption have rapidly increased? All this is but too easily explained. The evil which began above has come down. Indifference and infidelity at first attacked the higher classes; while the lower, guarded, as it were, by an invisible rampart, remained protected from the shock. But now, while the former are partly returning from their error, and partly acknowledging the impotency of the rules of human wisdom, and the necessity of principles of piety, while those who were dead are often seen restored to life, the poison has reached the lower classes, and is continuing its ravages among them. They now reap what others so zealously sowed many years ago. a great many self-styled philosophers among the common people; some even attain the bewildering heights of materialism, and deny the immortality of the soul! The waters of infidelity, which first reached the highest peaks, are now gathering in the lowest parts of the earth. The paralysis which attacked the head has descended to the inferior members of the body; and it were in vain to free the head; the body can not move while

We find

those parts are affected.

We will not remind you

and give them wages

But

Thus, my brethren, it is not without reason that attention is now turned to those classes. We desire to-day to direct your solicitude to individuals who belong to them, and who are within your reach: -to "those of your own house," in the words of our text. that you ought to supply their wants, proportionate to their work; nor will we speak of other similar obligations, which we trust you have not failed to fulfil. we would speak to you of a higher duty; a duty which, perhaps, you have not yet fulfilled; a duty which relates to the moral welfare, to the salvation of your servants. It is not so much by general measures that the evil which we have pointed out can be remedied; the cure must begin in The duty house. every which I have to insist upon is peculiarly applicable to those whom I am now addressing. In a language very different from that of St. Paul addressing the Corinthians, I might say, "There are not many poor among you, not many weak." Listen, then, with attention, my brethren, and let your thoughts be consecrated here during this meditation; but, at the same time, remember your own homes and those who dwell there, and do not forget that your relations toward them are now concerned. We will first point out a few motives for this duty; we will then present some directions respecting the manner in which you should perform it. And do thou, who art the Lord of masters and of servants, enlighten us by thy Spirit! Amen.

MOTIVES.

There are two things which ought to exert a great influence upon man: the first is the thought of duty; and the second the thought of usefulness. The influence of these motives has always been irresistible to noble minds; either of them ought of itself to be enough. If we think it our duty to undertake any enterprise, we ought to do so, even though we may not see all the good that will result from it; and, likewise, if we perceive its beneficial consequences, we ought immediately to turn our whole attention to it, even though, in our peculiar position, we may not suppose that it is a duty binding on us. If these two great principles were united, how powerful would they be!

Now, my brethren, on both of these we would rest our arguments. They afford us plenty of weapons; we shall select but a few of the first that come to our hands.

And in the first place, since duty is concerned, consider yourselves in the character of Christians, and see what your duty is toward Christ. "If any provide not for his own," says our text, "and especially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel." Yes, my brethren, if you have faith in Jesus Christ, you should take advantage of the opportunities you have to teach the truth and impart consolation in your own households. If you deprive others of the benefit of that faith, you become guilty with regard to it; you betray Jesus Christ.

What! when you know that the path in which men are walking leads to death, that " they have all gone out of the way, that there is none that seeketh after God, and that they have not known the way of peace;" that, if you had remained in that path, you would have drawn down upon yourself God's just condemnation-for this is your belief-when, I say, you know all this, can you live without doing something for those who dwell under your roof? Will you not endeavour to free them from the bondage of death, from the darkness of iniquity, of which you yourself have seen the fearful consequences? Ah! if you act thus, you will "deny the faith, and be worse than an infidel."

What! when you know that Christ is "the Way, the Truth, and the Life,” that he is "the Door," and that "no man cometh unto the Father but by him," that " by him if any man enter in he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and shall find pasture;" when, I say, you know this-for this is your beliefcan you live without directing those of your household who are wandering like sheep without a shepherd," to that Way and that Door? Ah! if you can act thus, you have indeed forsaken that way yourself; you have renounced Jesus Christ; you have "denied the faith, and are worse than an infidel.”

What! when you know that "there is no distinction of persons," that God has called all men to obtain salvation through Jesus Christ," both bond and free," as St. Paul says; that "Christ hath reconciled both unto God in one body;" when