provision that which we find best for us. I would rather say, it does not signify whom we hear. It is the preference for persons that has been and is so fruitful a source of evil; that has brought so much party spirit into the community of Christ, and divides into cliques every religious neighbourhood. Who is Paul, and who is Apollos? In this personal and individual preference, it is not the minister of God who is valued for his office' sake, or for the truth's sake that he administers: it is not the unction of his words or the clearness of his doctrines that determines our adherence-it is himself. The moment this takes place, and it may take place very unconsciously to ourselves, we begin to hear the preacher, not the sermon; we begin to value the minister, not the word, and to measure the thing spoken by his merits, not by its own. Party spirit is the first, but far from the last, evil that ensues. It would be painful, perhaps it would not be good, to expose to the utmost the folly, the extravagance, the errors, and improprieties that have been the extreme issue of this small beginning; but in every step of the way it is most deeply injurious to both parties. The minister is very strong who is neither hurried forward to excess, nor held back and shackled by the embrace of a partiality so gratifying to his best desires, as well as flattering to his weaker nature. To the other party, I think the ill effects may be traced on every side; but perhaps it will be better that each one of us should try if we can trace any portion of them in ourselves.

G. E. M.

CHARITY.

"Though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing."--1 Cor. xiii. 3.

FIRST desiring that all my object should be Love, I formed my party for the evening, preparing a table of materials to make up for school presents, telling Maria Evans, she might take the direction, and the work should accompany the thousand pounds when they were collected. She smiled with pleasure, and soon showed she had learnt to appropriate the various articles to their best use; and beckoning little Edmund to wind some silk off the reel, we were immediately busy with pincushions, workbags, needlecases, &c. &c. This matter being settled, I called upon Henry to commence the discussion, anxious not to lose time by any turn of conversation, that might take us off the object for which we had met.

'I necessarily obey,' Henry kindly answered, as he drew his bible out of his pocket; and, with the written word in my hand, we will first invoke the teaching of the Holy Spirit; for first receiving communion with him, we shall so find a profitable communion with each other.'

He then read, with his usual clearness, and well marked distinctions of the different clauses, until he finished with our appointed subject. "And though

I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing." He paused, to give me an opportunity for any remark which might lead to an easy discussion, suitable to the party present. Mr. Renton was the first to speak. • Much as I admire the utmost liberality in gifts and charities, I must confess, I have never contemplated so much as this, and doubt whether any circumstances could bring me to such a point. Ones personal usefulness would be at an end, and however nobly we might have given our life, I conceive it would cut short our works, and the profit could consequently be nothing to either party; unless, that by my demise, some one should be benefitted by my estate. But I had rather enjoy it myself as long as God permitted, and have the pleasure of diffusing with my own hand the bounties 1 could bestow.'

< You have,' said Henry, 'just struck out the very line of conduct to which I suppose our portion will principally lead us, that of yielding our life, that another may enjoy the benefit of our estate. Certainly it would be a disinterested action, though for temporal goods I do not see the propriety of it, because our life is not at our option; and yet there is a yielding, that is fraught with all the blessed fruit that does make it profitable, both to those who become a sacrifice, and to the object for whom it is made.'

'Of course,' he replied: 'for you mean, I perceive, that conduct which was displayed by our martyrs, who to leave us secure in the privileges of a reformed religion, laid down their lives, and suffered at the stake.'

'Not only for the reformed, but for the testimony of that which was true in all periods. We have an

early proof of this spirit in two ancient instances, which I never read without deriving fresh instruction; I mean that of Shadrach and his companions in Nebuchadnezzar's time, and of Daniel in Darius's time. Daniel "Set his face unto the Lord God," to seek, by prayer and by supplication, with fasting, and sackcloth, and ashes,” faithful to continue his supplication to the Lord God, notwithstanding the wicked decree of Darius, and "ceased not; " and the others were faithful and firm to refuse to bow the knee to the image that was set up: the one opposing the blasphemous regard of the arm of flesh, and the other opposing the usurped tyranny over the conscience and faith.'

'But they did not suffer death.'

No: but they maintained the spirit of true faith in the fire, and before the jaws of lions. That they were not consumed, was the miraculous interposition of God, by which He in mercy awakened the souls of the persecutors, and convinced the heathen rulers that they were the servants of the Most High God, and that the God of Daniel is the living God, stedfast for ever; and his kingdom, that which shall not be destroyed. Thus they were the instruments of handing down to us this confession of conviction, extorted, as it were, by that simplicity of conduct in which they surrendered their life, though it pleased God at that time not to take them. Many, no doubt, of a like spirit, of whom we now know nothing, will be in the train of the noble martyrs, who testified to the truth, even before that memorable and great struggle with darkness took place, to which you allude.'

'It is a review,' Mrs. Reynolds remarked, 'I am

often led to take in that epitome of faithful witnesses so beautifully recorded in the eleventh of Hebrews. There is a train of Martyrs! they are spoken of, indeed, as particularly exhibiting the fruit of faith, but that faith must have had its measure of the accompanying grace of love; they must have loved him intensely, who had given them the hope of "a better resurrection," "not accepting deliverance."

'I conceive there is a great point of consideration in the word give, in its application, "Though I give my body." It seems to imply an act of supererogation, and I think we shall find that to give the body may not only not profit, but may be not lawful. The animating spirit of Christian heroism is certainly very attractive, and excites an admiration which almost provokes to imitation. It is a zeal of courage and fortitude for an approved object, the testimony of the strong conviction of the truth of that which we profess, which a good conscience cannot belie, by retracting or by shrinking from the threatened consequences. Many of our noble martyrs' we know, have by a forward zeal provoked the sword of human tyranny, and defied the horrors of their infernal torturers. I cannot doubt the love that instigated them to this conduct, their intense desire to be with the Lord of their affections; their solicitude for the confirmation of the weak faith of others, for whose souls they yearned in faithful spiritual love, that they for whom Christ died should be built up, by every witness of the truth, in the most holy faith: but I believe in many instances there was intermixed much of human passion and haste, which though it might be expressed in David's words, "Oh that I