told me that He died for you-loving you so well as to be willing for your sakes to die; and I look about for the memorials of such a love as that, and cannot find it: I cannot find any one, whose life appears to me humbled, sanctified, consecrated, by the abiding consciousness of a love so great and true. You told me he left you an example that you might follow His steps, and attain to His glory, and I see among you few, if any, who are striving after a high and pure ideal, to whom the eternal and divine are realities, to which they are steadfastly fighting their way. You seem content with a low standard. I hear you comparing yourselves one with another,—none comparing himself with this pure and perfect Christ." -Might not such words be spoken of us, brethren, only too often and too truly? Let us be careful not to bring reproach upon our Master's name, or give His enemies occasion to blaspheme.

If there be one here, who has erred and fallen, who is burdened with the consciousness of many a fault and sin, who hears the voice which is saying to us now, "This do in remembrance of me," speaking to him in sorrow because of his unworthiness and faithlessness, let him be warned and recalled to a better spirit, and truer life; and he will find that even now as it speaks to his inner ear, that voice will change its tone of sorrow and reproach for one of encouragement and consolation, that will say, “Abide

in me, and I in you; let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid."

And believe, whatever be your past experience, that at His holy table, Christ renews His covenant with you to-day; sets before you again the symbols and seals of your union with Him; repeats His unbroken promises of help and strength for every hour of need; again calls to you, as to His own, and bids you remember Him.

We are gathered together, here, for a little while, within His visible temple; and we shall soon be scattered hither and thither, never all to meet again on earth, in one unbroken company; but whithersoever you may go, keep your ear open and quick to hear that voice out of heaven, which calls to you, "Remember me; be true to my memory."

In all hours of danger and temptation, when firm resolve is loosening its hold, and the will is growing feeble to resist, let it recall you to your allegiance to your Leader and King. In all time of sorrow and desolation, when the heart is knowing to the full its own bitterness, when the light of your life is burning faint and low, let it remind you of Him who bore your griefs. In all cloudy nights of perplexity and doubt, when faith is shaken, when the old landmarks are lost sight of, when new names and dogmas are confusing mind and heart, let it bring you back to the simple trust in One

who spake as never man spake, who lived as never man lived, and who gave Himself a sacrifice for you. When the world around you is ringing with the names of the false idols of the hour; when slavish feet are hurrying on, through all its avenues, to pleasure, and power, and riches; when coarse voices, with their mocking sneer, laugh at the Church's faith and work, let it be your strength and joy and pride to stand apart, and to point to your Master's Cross, and say, "Trouble us not; you cannot prevail against us. Our covenant is made; our faith is pledged. We are true to one memory. We are named with one name. We are joined to one body. We know in whom we have believed. We live in remembrance of Him."

So, brethren, while you are yet in the ranks of this struggling Church below, shall you war a stout warfare and gain a goodly victory; and so, finally, when you have fought your last fight, and finished your course, and kept your faith steadfast unto the end, shall you enter that city of God which is eternal in the heavens, where you shall no longer need sign and symbol to set forth to you your Saviour's love, but where you shall look upon His unveiled face, and shall be like Him, because seeing Him as He is.

And to Him be all glory in the Church throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.

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IX.

UNITY.

Endeavouring to keep the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace.— EPHESIANS iv. 3.

WE

E have been hearing something lately of Christian union and unity, and have been invited to admire the manifestation of this unity in the recent great meeting, in Edinburgh, of representatives of a number of the Presbyterian Churches throughout the world. These representatives met, and united with each other, chiefly on the ground of their common Presbyterianism, or belief in Presbytery as the best of all forms of Church government, if not, indeed, a government of positively divine institution.

Not very long ago there was in England a similar gathering of the representatives of the Episcopal Churches, of those whose bond of union was their belief that Episcopacy, or government by bishops, was the only government of the Church of Christ.

To all earnest members of the Church there must always be a deep interest in any new Christian activity, or manifestation of Christian life; and to all who believe that unity is one of the most real blessings that the Church can enjoy, any new effort after unity, after the fuller realization of the prayer of Christ, "that they all may be one, as Thou, Father, art in me and I in thee," must possess an interest almost unparallelled. But in proportion to our interest in the effort will be our desire to assure ourselves that the effort is made on a sound principle, and is conducted in a right spirit; for unless it be so, while its aim may be unity, its result can only be a deepened and prolonged confusion and estrange

ment.

And the best way to arrive at a just estimate of the value of this, or any other effort after unity, is not so much to criticise the effort in itself, as to try to lay hold of the true principles on which all such efforts should proceed. If we get a hold of these, we shall come to a fair judgment about Presbyterian Councils, or any other alleged indications of the spirit of unity working in the Churches.

Now, if we look back to the New Testament, to learn from it what we can gather of its teaching about the unity of the Church, which is the Body of Christ, we find, I think, as a first principle, that it represents separation, or schism, as carnal, and