powers. Self-reliance is not self-sufficiency. Self-reliance is the condition of progress, and implies a trust in moral principles and in God. Thirdly It is a divinely prompted action. The parent bird prompts the young ones by her "fluttering," &c. God must prompt us before ever we shall act aright. He must give the impulse.

II. THAT THE MEANS OF THE SPIRITUAL DISCIPLINE OF HUMANITY INVOLVE A VARIETY OF DIVINE ACTION. "Stirreth up her nest, fluttereth over her young, spreadeth abroad her wings," &c.* First: Here is a stimulating action. It is said that the eagle breaks up her nest to induce the eaglets to fly. Is not this a picture of God's dealing with His people? Abraham, the Jews in Egypt, the disciples on account of the first persecution, are examples. He takes health, property, friends, children, away, to stir us up to action. Secondly: Here is an exemplary action. The parent "fluttereth over them" to show them how to use their wings. God teaches by example. The pillar was an example in the wilderness. Christ is our example now. In Christ we see how we can act, and ought to act. Thirdly: Here is a protecting action.

* Sir Humphrey Davy who had an opportunity of witnessing the proceedings of an eagle family after the young had left their nest, thus describes it: "I once had a very interesting sight above one of the crags of Ben Nevis, as I was going, on the 20th of August, in the pursuit of black game. Two parent birds were teaching their offspring, two young birds, the manœuvres of flight. They began by rising from the top of mountain in the eye of the sun. It was about mid-day, and bright for this climate. They at first made small circles, and the young birds imitated them. They paused on their wings, waiting till they had made their first flight, and then took a second and larger gyration, always rising towards the sun, and enlarging their circle of flight so as to make a gradually extending spiral. The young ones still slowly followed, apparently flying better as they mounted, and they continued this sublime kind of exercise, always rising, till they became mere points in the air, and the young ones were lost, and afterwards their parents, to our aching sight."

"Spreadeth abroad her wings." * It is said that when she finds her young ones weary or unwilling, she spreads her wings, takes her brood upon her back and soars with them aloft. In order to exercise their strength, she then shakes them off; and when she finds that their pinions flag or that an enemy is near, she darts beneath them with surprising skill, and at once restores their strength, and places her body between her young and the danger that threatens them. What a striking representation of God's protecting care is this!

OF

III. THAT THE GENIUS OF THE SPIRITUAL DISCIPLINE HUMANITY IS EVER THAT OF PARENTAL AFFECTION. What but the parental instinct of kindness stimulated the parent bird to do all this? That kind instinct is an emanation and divine reflection of the feeling which the great Father has for His countless offspring. That parental love is the spirit of the disciplinary system under which we live is evident from numerous scriptures. †

If the parental affection is the spirit of discipline, two practical conclusions follow ;-First: That there should be on our part a cordial acquiescence. Our Father knows what

is best. He knows what we require. Secondly: That there should be, on our part, an endeavour to realize the end of discipline. Job felt this. (Job xxiii. 10.) Psalms lxvi. 10-12. If we are nestling down in material comforts, O, Eternal Spirit, do thou, like the imperial bird, chosen symbol of thyself, break up our resting places, force us to the right use of our energies, and guide us into the sunny realms of thine own glory!

Deut. xxxiii. 27. Psalms xxvii. 5; cxxxviii. 7. Isaiah xxxii. 1-2; xliii. 2-3. 2 Cor. xii. 8-10. Heb. ii. 18; iv. 15.

† Psalms ciii 13, 14; cxix. 67, 71; cxxvi. 5, 6. 2 Cor. xiv. 17, 18.

Eccle. vii. 2, 3.

SUBJECT:-The moral disparity between Man's Thoughts and Ways and God's Thoughts and Ways; an argument for

a moral change on man's part.

"Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. For my thoughts are not your thoughts," &c.-Isaiah lv. 7, 8.

Analysis of Homily the Hundred and Fifty-ninth.

I. THAT THE GREAT GOD HAS ENDOWED MAN WITH CAPACITIES TO ACT IN SOME MEASURE LIKE HIMSELF, INASMUCH AS BOTH HAVE THEIR THOUGHTS AND WAYS." God has His thoughts-thoughts about Himself—the universe; about all actualities and possibilities. Some of His thoughts have been embodied, and their forms destroyed, centuries ago. Some are now embodied in creation, in historical events, in Redemption, &c. Some are yet to be embodied in new universes, &c. And some will never take form. There is an infinite ocean of thought in the divine mind that has never yet taken form, and never will. Some portions will come out in new creations and events, as the ages course along; but boundless depths will ever remain unexplored. God has His ways. He has settled methods of action. He has a method of creating, governing, destroying, and saving. Hence science and art, which imply settled methods.

Man has his thoughts. He is full of thought, of some sort or other. He thinks by a necessity of his nature; his power to think is the glory of his nature. Man too has his ways. He has his methods of doing things, &c.

WICKED

II. THAT BETWEEN THE THOUGHTS AND WAYS OF AND UNRIGHTEOUS MEN AND THOSE OF GOD THERE IS AN IMMENSE MORAL DISPARITY. "My thoughts are not your thoughts," &c. We say moral disparity, for natural disparity must exist exist by an eternal necessity. We may mention two points of moral difference. One in relation tc being in general, and the other in relation to enemies;

and, First, as to the former, God's thoughts and ways are concerned for the general happiness, those of wicked men for personal ends. The universe shows that God aims at the general happiness; every plan of wicked men shows that they are aiming at the gratification of self. Self is more to a wicked man than the creation. Secondly, as to the latter, God's thoughts are concerned for the pardon of the offender, those of the wicked for punishment. (1.) God graciously offers pardon to the offender. Do the wicked do so? (2.) God graciously offers pardon to offenders much beneath Him. Do the wicked do so? (3.) God graciously offers pardon to of fenders who have repeatedly rejected His overtures. Do the wicked do so? (4.) God graciously offers pardon through a wonderful sacrifice-His Son. Would the wicked do so? Oh! There is an infinite moral disparity.

III. THAT THE MORAL DISPARITY BETWEEN THE THOUGHTS AND WAYS OF WICKED MEN AND THOSE OF GOD RENDERS A CHANGE ON THE PART OF THE FORMER URGENTLY NECESSARY.

God's

"Let the wicked," &c. And why? Because, "my thoughts," &c. The difference is the reason which Jehovah urges for the change. Two thoughts are implied here and will show the strength of this reason. First: A moral disparity of thought and way between the creature and the Creator is eternally incompatible with the creature's well-being. thoughts and ways are the resistless forces of the universe. He who thinks and acts contrary, battles against every wind and wave of being, and the mighty Spirit in all. He must be crushed. Secondly: That the removal of this disparity will never take place by any change on God's part. The words imply this, and this is a great truth. God cannot change, and there is no need for Him to change. "Heaven and earth shall pass away," &c.

Here, then, is the argument; if a moral disparity exists, and if the removal is essential to our well-being, and if God cannot change, "Let the wicked," &c. Man can change— he does change-he must change God-ward, or be damned.

IV. THAT THIS GREAT CHANGE ON THE PART OF THE WICKED IS ENCOURAGED BY THE ASSURANCE, THAT GOD WILL MERCIFULLY DEAL WITH HIM ON HIS RETURN. "He will have mercy on him"- "He will abundantly pardon." See the Father receiving home his prodigal son. This is a picture of the great Father receiving sinners. abundantly,' &c.

"He will

SUBJECT:-Beneficence Transcendently Important.

"And the king shall answer and say unto them, verily say unto you, inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me."-Matt. xxv. 40.

Analysis of Homily the Hundred and Sixtieth.

JESUS was no friend to indolence; His whole life was a protest against it, and a force to destroy it. words, and spirit, gave impulses to human force has been accelerating to this hour.

His acts, and activity, whose In the context

He gives the true reason, the true rule, and the true inspiration, of human activity.

(1.)

First He gives the true reason. What is the true reason? It is two-fold. All our powers are "talents" given to be employed, and not to be wrapped in the "napkin" of indolence. (2.) The employment of these powers is, in the nature of the case, indispensable to our well-being (28, 29.). Indolence wastes being; right actions increase it. It is the necessary law of the moral universe that minds rise by labor and sink by indolence.

Secondly: He gives the true rule. To what extent are we to labor? What is the measure? Every man according to his ability." One man can do more than another, and he is bound to do it. Obligation is commensurate with power; they terminate at the same point.

Thirdly: He gives the true inspiration.

What is to be