is dark everywhere but with thee; "thou hast the words of eternal life."

2. Such is the definition of the Gospel. Now, what is the command? "Go, stand and speak in the temple to the people all the words of this life." Why could not the angel go himself and speak to the people? The Sanhedrim would not be able to arrest him; they would not be able to scourge him and hinder him in his work. But, deep as is the interest of angelic beings in the Gospel and its triumphs, yet they are not its heralds. A human voice is to speak it; its truths have to flow through the channels of human hearts and human experiences. "Go," said Christ to the apostles, "and preach." "Go," repeats the angel, "and speak all the words, &c." It was a public proclamation. "Stand in the temple." It is mentioned several times in this book that the apostles continued to resort to the temple to worship; and now the angel bids them go to the same spot, and deliver the same message. They were to preach nothing new; but the old story of the Risen One, and life through Him, until the temple courts should ring with the sounds of "Jesus and the resurrection."

This was an indication that the Gospel was the fulfilment of Judaism. "Go to the temple," and proclaim that in which all rites and celebrations and sacrifices are realised; stand by the altar, and speak of the altar of the cross; confront the priests, and preach the one High Priest who is passed into the heavens; let the new take the place of the old that which is decaying and ready to vanish away.

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It was also a fearless proclamation. Go, stand and speak." The word "stand" implies firm, calm, deliberate action. Though you have been persecuted, though you have been prohibited, yet "go, stand in the temple." Their prayer had been that "with all boldness they might speak the word;" and now, clothed with Divine might, they were commanded to go and stand in the temple. Stand to be ridiculed? Stand to be arrested? Stand to be killed? Yes; never mind consequences; leave them with God; 'go and stand." There are no such trials to test the courage of preachers of the word now. And yet there is a necessity, even in our age, for this call for Christian boldness. Tender sympathy with honest sceptics may be attended with a timid shrinking from a bold, outspoken declaration of the truth. There is an atmosphere of doubt; and if we enter it, and breathe it long, we may be in danger of thinking, Well, it is best not to be positive upon these great matters; opinions differ, and we may be mistaken; at any rate, let us deliver our message in more guarded terms. And when a testimony is thus lame and faltering it will never be believed. Is there not a prevalent shyness in conversing about religion? Are not some of you afraid to say out in the world that you are religious men? Keep aloof from cant, for cant has done more harm to the Gospel than infidelity. But as a Christian, stand, and be not ashamed to let your light, if you have any, shine; and let

your business, and work, and home, and life bear a faithful testimony to this truth.

"All the words of this life." Perhaps some will be offended; let it be so. The word is to be preached, whether men will hear or whether they will forbear. Ananias and Sapphira were struck dead for keeping back part of that which they professed to devote wholly to the Church; and shall he be held guiltless who, for any cause, keeps back part of that message which the King has given us to deliver?

"Speak to the people;" it is intended for the people, and the people can understand it. Shepherds, sailors, ploughmen, miners, fishermen, have understood it as well as scholars and philosophers. The Romish Church has taken it away from the people, and substituted for it the mumblings and performances of priests. But it is the heritage of the people; Christ has given it to them; and he who would take it from them is a near relative of one who is " a thief and a murderer from the beginning."

The words of life are spoken that they may be believed. They have a practical end. They are spoken, not in order to fill up an idle hour, or encourage vague speculation, but that they may be believed. I am preaching to-day, not that you may talk about the sermon, but that the living word may abide in you. Some of you have been released from a worse prison than the common prison in Jerusalem; you have experienced a more wonderful deliverance than that effected by the angel; you have been raised from a horrible pit, and your feet have been planted upon a rock; will you not go, and speak the words of life? If you are dumb, the very stones of the chapel, or the house, in which you were led to Christ will speak out against you. Take this message with you into the busy world-to the most ignorant, the most profane, the most besotted and sunk in vice. And be assured the word will be with power. No barriers can hinder it. Prisons cannot stop it; gates of brass cannot prevent it. The loyal forces of the universe arc on its side; the stars are fighting for it; angels are ministering to its progress; and all nations shall hear the words of this life. You have heard them; will you reject them, and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life? We hold forth to you the word of life; and we pray that the Spirit of life may come and breathe upon us, that every one of us may be "alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord."

Swansea.

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tailoress. Rob hated to try on jacket or trousers, and didn't see the use of so many clothes, anyhow. He had a way of hiding in the hayloft, or running over to Ned's, at the very time when he knew his company was most ardently desired; and when pressed into the service would either stand like a scowly little statue, or throw himself upon the floor in some impossible attitude just as Miss Forbush had her shears ready to trim him off.

"She wears such sharp scissors, and her knuckles dig into me so,' he would say, in answer to his mother's remonstrances.

These "resolves "he pasted in a conspicuous place, just under his mantelshelf, that they might be the very first things upon which his eyes rested in the morning. "I'll try one every day," he thought to himself. "They will last four days, and then I'll go back Miss Forbush wasn't very fond of and do them over again." boys. She often said she wished. So the first morning he consulted there could be one long step from No. 1. Resolved that I will be a babyhood to manhood. Rob didn't good boy." He dressed himself like Miss Forbush. She had such with exemplary care, tying his cold hands, and she was always shoe-strings and buttoning his but-"putting 'em into your neck so." tons with commendable patience. He believed he liked the scissors Ned Lovering was coming over that better, because they couldn't help day-Ned Lovering was always coming over; it was a habit of his -and they had thought of going down to the pond to stone the frogs. Now, looking at his new " resolve," Rob became greatly exercised in his small mind, and wondered if good boys ever did stone frogs. thought they might, perhaps, if they were very careful not to hit!

He

it.

So, as you may imagine, it was quite a heroic resolve upon his part not to plague Miss Forbush. "Can you plague her to-day? asked Ned.

Don't

Rob hesitated. 66 "N--o. s'pose I can. It wouldn't be being good."

"Then there's two days that you can't plague her," said Ned, in a dissatisfied tone. "So 'tis."

"Can you plague her the day after to-morrow?

"Yes. That only says I'll be kind to my father and mother."

"But you'll have to be kind to them to-day, too."

"So I shall," replied Rob, thoughtWell, I'd just as lief." How many of those things have you made up?"

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"Four. The last one only says | if his mother could have him with not to plague the cat." her all the time without getting

"But you can't do that to-day out of patience, Miss Forbush might

either."
"Can't I?

"Can you?"

"Well, no. I don't s'pose I can." "What can we do?" sighed Ned. But just then a summons came for Rob to try on his new jacket. He went promptly, though in rather a discontented mood. It didn't seem quite fair that Miss Forbush should get two good days out of his "resolves." He felt that somehow, to use her own words, she was "getting the upper hands of him."

The tailoress was a little surprised at his alacrity that morning. "Haven't got quite as much lead in your heels as usual, have you?" she asked, with what seemed to him a malicious laugh. "No, meekly.

ma'am," he answered

She whisked on his jacket, stuck pins into him where the buttons were to go, pulled him this way and that, took in a seam here, let out a little there, cut, snipped, and basted until Bob was ready to fly.

surely put up with him once in a while. Rob had a great many thoughts in those days.

You can go now," said the tailoress. "Don't make a noise under the window, and don't go more than six miles away, because I may want you again."

Ned, who was waiting at the door, heard these words.

"Let's go right straight off to Sellig's store," said he indignantly, as they went downstairs together. "No," answered Rob, "I can't."

"Oh, I forgot your old 'resolve.' Well, I didn't make any." And from under Miss Forbush's window arose a howl which made her put her fingers quickly to her ears.

"Five minutes' time lost there," she said laughingly to Rob's mother, who came in just then. "You needn't expect me to make it up."

Rob didn't stone the frogs that day, neither did he plague the cat. He did really try to be a good boy, and at night when his mother put him to bed he received an extra

But he didn't fly. To her un-kiss by way of reward. bounded amazement he stood very still.

"Well, I never!" she exclaimed, as she attempted to pull off his jacket, which persisted in holding on by one forgotten pin. "Should think the sky was going to fall! You deserve a leather medal for this. You'll make up for it next time, though, I don't doubt."

"Was I good truly, mother?" he asked, delighted. "Did it show?"

"Yes. I saw it plainly, and it made me very happy."

Rob's little hand stole into his mother's.

"To-morrow," she said with an. other kiss, "we are all going over to Cousin Martha's to spend the day." Rob was silent. Once, when he Rob danced up and down. was telling Ned of his tribulations," That'll make it just right, mother," that sympathising friend had grave- he exclaimed. That's Miss For ly inquired "why he didn't just bush's day. 'Twasn't her day to snatch up the shears and stab her day, but she's got it," he added, in with them." He looked at them an injured tone. half longingly now. He often won- Mother didn't quite understand, dered why it was that Miss Forbush so Rob explained. "It is so very always made him feel as if he hard, darling, for you to be good to wanted to hit her. His mother Miss Forbush?" she asked, half never made him feel so. He thought | amused, half pityingly.