the abundance of autumn and winter. In this sense, St. Paul affirms that all things work together for good to them that love God." If we grieve, then, under the afflictions of life, it is because we look at ourselves as we are in the passing moment of time; but the apostle contemplates us in the unfoldings of an immortal nature, and blends in one view the interests of time and eternity. Comprehending the happy and harmonious bearings of the parts upon each other and upon the whole, he declares, in his Epistle to the Corinthians, "All things are yours, whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come; all are yours."

In this inventory of our effects, as Christians, you observe he mentions "death.” This is regarded as the greatest of earthly evils; so, indeed, it would be, contemplated by itself. But "death is yours," because it is made to contribute infinitely to your welfare. But how? In our present constitution an immortality on earth would be at the expense of a heaven distant and God invisible. But death opens the gates of immortality, "and being absent from the body we are present with the Lord." Ask the brother who dies to-day, what he thinks of death; O, he exclaims, death is mine! behold I am here in glory; I see God! Thus, in one view, our 66 light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory."

So with all other things. Who, then, would dare to reverse any one of God's doings? Is not everything just as we ourselves would choose, had we infinite wisdom? Who, then, are you that are in trouble, and are tempted to murmur? Should an angel from heaven pause at the door of your dwelling to hearken, would he not be ready to break through upon you with rebuke, "How, now, ye heirs of immortality! has not God said, All is yours?"

"Shall that which rises out of naught complain
Of a few evils, paid with endless joys?"

3. But it is necessary to add, that the providence of is discriminating. It has respect to character, and es not the righteous and the wicked in like manner. 'ue, our heavenly Father sends his rain upon the

just and the unjust;" but it is with a different end. He visits the wicked with benefits, that he may soften and subdue his heart-The goodness of God leadeth to repentance." But if the wicked man persevere in his revolt from God, he takes himself away from his beneficent providence he will not suffer God to bless him in the only way in which a holy God can bless. His doom, therefore, shall be the reverse of the destiny of the righteous. It will be said of him, "It had been better for this man if he had not been born."

ances.

Let no one, therefore, be deceived by present appearIt was by this that an inspired ancient came near the verge of destruction-" But as for me, my feet were almost gone; my steps had well nigh slipped. For I was envious at the foolish, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked. For there are no bands in their death: but their strength is firm. They are not in trouble as other men; neither are they plagued like other men. Therefore pride compasseth them about as a chain; violence covereth them as with a garment. Their eyes stand out with fatness; they have more than heart could wish. They are corrupt, and speak wickedly concerning oppression: they speak loftily. They set their mouth against the heavens, and their tongue walketh through the earth. Therefore his people return hither and waters of a full cup are wrung out to them. And they say, How doth God know? and is there knowledge in the Most High? Behold, these are the ungodly, who prosper in the world; they increase in riches. Verily I have cleansed my heart in vain, and washed my hands in innocency. For all the day long have I been plagued, and chastened every morning. If I say, I will speak thus; behold, I should offend against the generation of thy children. When I thought to know this, it was too painful for me; until I went into the sanctuary of God; then understood I their end. Surely thou didst set them in slippery places: thou castedst them down into destrucHow are they brought into desolation, as in a moment! they are utterly consumed with terrors. As a dream when one awaketh; so, O Lord, when thou awakest, thou shalt despise their image. Thus my heart was grieved, and I was pricked in my reins. So foolish was I, and ignorant: I was as a beast before thee." Psa. lxxiii, 2-22.

tion.

In conclusion, I have need to say first to the young: Be it impressed upon your minds, as you are about shaping your course for life, that there is no sound policy which does not begin with the fear of God. Satan will teach you otherwise, and for a time he may busy himself to fulfill his sayings. He will take the part of the husbandman in the parable, and dig about the tree, and do all in his power to make it bear fruit. Your roots may strike deep and your boughs spread out widely; but, beware! in an evil day he will come upon you, set a fire in your branches, and consume you down to the ground. "I have seen the wicked," says David, "in great power, and spreading himself like a green bay-tree, yet he passed away; and, lo! he was not; yea, I sought him, but he could not be found." Psa. xxxvii, 35, 36.

On the other hand, if you make God your portion, he will make your present and everlasting welfare to harmonize, and every earthly blessing shall be yours, the withholding of which would not contribute more highly to your eternal well-being. Well do I recollect how rich I felt, when, soon after my conversion, the doctrine of providence was opened to my mind. I felt myself brought into alliance with infinite Good, and in Christ both earth and heaven was my inheritance.

To my Christian brethren I have only to say, that to enjoy fully the providence of God, you have need of a strong and comprehensive faith, which will pierce the clouds that often involve our present state, and grasp the connections of time and eternity. On this point you are now on trial. Often you will be in circumstances bearing a threatening aspect-it is your duty, then, to believe God's word and hope against hope; for, in all events, "God is for you." I have, somewhere, met with a story of a naval officer, who took his companion with him in one of his voyages. A storm came up. In the midst of it, one came to him on deck, and told him his wife, through fear, had fallen into hysterical fits, and if he wished to see her alive he must go to her relief. As he ascended the cabin stairway, he was at a loss what to do; he could not be spared from duty to the ship but a moment at such a time as that. A happy thought struck him. As he approached her, lying upon the floor convulsed with terror,

he drew his sword, and, with a threatening look, pointed it at her bosom, and demanded, sternly, "if she was not afraid of that?" Astonished at such a movement from her husband, she collected herself for a moment, and, looking up into his face, she said, "Afraid of that! no, for it is in the hands of my husband, who has always loved me." "Well," said he, lifting up his sword and changing the tone of his voice, "this storm is in the hands of God, and he has always loved us!" The effect was instant, her mind was composed. He returned to his duty, and the ship was saved. Thus, while you are in this pilgrimage, the storm will gather over you with all its terrors, and the sword will be pointed at your breast-but, fear not, your Redeemer walks amidst the tempest, and the sword is in the hand of one who loves your for ever. Have faith in God. Amen.

SERMON XIV.

The Good and Faithful Servant.

BY REV. OSMAN C. BAKER, A. M.,

OF THE NEW-HAMPSHIRE CONFERENCE.

"His lord said unto him, Well done, thou 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."-Matt. XXV, 21.

IT was a custom in the East for masters to furnish their servants with a certain amount of capital to be employed in traffic, and, at a given time, an examination was made that the proceeds might be given to the master, and the diligent and successful servant duly rewarded. Our Saviour seized upon this fact to illustrate more fully some of the prominent characteristics of the government of God. Talents-means and facilities for doing good-are given to all. To some are given five talents, to others two, to others one, 66 to every man according to his several ability." Having prescribed the appropriate work of every man, "straightway" the master "took his journey." "After a long time the lord of those servants cometh, and reckoneth

with them." A just and impartial examination was made, and the future condition of the servants depended upon their moral character, as developed by their conduct. To the good and faithful servant it was said, "Enter thou into the joy of thy lord;" but to the wicked and slothful servant, Cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

The general sentiment of the parable is, that the interests of the kingdom of Christ are committed to his church, and that her responsibility is commensurate to her ability. The Jewish church, which had been the chosen instrumentality to carry out the great purposes of God toward the human race, were about to be rejected, and the Christian church to resume her responsibility. The Christian church was to become "the light of the world,” "the city upon a hill," the central nation, around which the world was to gather. She was to become responsible for the universal dissemination of divine truth; and hence, to prepare her for fidelity in her work, different courses of conduct, and their results, are placed before her. Our text presents,

I. THE CHARACTER; and

II. THE REWARD, OF THE SERVANT WHO WILL BE COMMENDED BY HIS LORD.

I. The character.

1. The term, servant, shows the relation which the disciple of Christ sustains, and the epithets, good and faithful, his moral characteristics. Good and goodness are used in different senses. We say that fruit is good, when it is agreeable to the sense of taste. An article of husbandry is good, when it is happily adapted to the purposes for which it was construeted. Goodness, as existing in the Deity, embraces that principle which leads the divine Being to bestow blessings upon his creatures. Goodness,

as applied to man, must be taken in a restricted sense; it refers to the moral qualities of his heart. It consists in the possession of the Christian graces. The apostle has enumerated, "Add to your faith virtue, and to virtue knowledge, and to knowledge temperance, and to temperance tience, and to patience godliness, and to godliness brorly kindness, and to brotherly kindness charity." The posed possession of any one grace gives us no right to