PHILANTHROPY.

The Church is the greatest of all philanthropic societies. Whoever labors to help and elevate men, does, though he may not so intend, the work of the Church. A writer, contrasting philanthropy and religion, says: "It is better to help the distressed than to pray." But there is no argument in such contrast, for praying people are helpful people. Christianity is philanthropy. From the time of its Founder, who "came not to be ministered to, but to minister," who healed the sick and com. forted the distressed, it has been humanity's helper. Its work is seen in hospitals, and orphan asylums, and kindergartens, and large contributions to relieve sufferers from flood and famine.

It is true that people outside the churches give to these causes, but this does not make them less the work of Christianity. They are found only in lands where the atmosphere is Christian. The principles of the gospel are a part of our civilization. Men may deny its power, and

yet share at least in a part of its blessings. There are those who repudiate God's Word and yet delight in the helpful results of its teaching. "Away," they cry, "with this rubbish of ages! we will clear our fields, cut down these vines; we want only the grapes of humanity and helpfulness; their clusters are beautiful, but the vines, these dogmas and sermons and prayers, are unsightly." We heed rather the word of our Savior: "I am the vine; ye are the branches." "These things I command you, that ye love one another." There would be no grapes without the vine, and no real philanthropy without the Bible. Heathenism does not build hospitals, nor interest itself in any way in the relief of distress or in the elevation of men.

Some Christian people, seeing the distress and ignorance of multitudes, think the Church should, above all, give temporal relief. They count that more important than the preaching of salvation in the life to come. It is certainly the Church's duty to feed the hungry, and clothe the naked, and visit the sick. These ought it to do, but not to leave its

chief work un

done. Whenever it ceases to care for the

souls of men, it will soon cease to care for their bodies.

Christianity does not stop with mere physical help, nor with education, though these are a part of its mission. It deals with character, as well as health; with the soul, as well as the body. Its aim is to build up the whole man. It finds him sick and destitute, and gives physical aid; it finds him ignorant, and educates him; it sees his debased spiritual state, and offers salvation. This is the highest philanthropy. What can be higher than to take men, deformed by a sinful nature, warped by passion and dwarfed by prejudice, and to make them new men and women in Christ? The physician who treats a deformed child, and gives it a perfect form, does a noble work. So does the teacher who from a dull child develops an educated man or woman. But how much above even these is the work of the Church, which aims to restore men to the likeness of God, and so to "present every man perfect in Christ Jesus.”

SO

PRAYER.

As soon as a child is born it wants air;

as soon as

a soul is born it prays. "Prayer is the Christian's vital breath, the Christian's native air."

It is the mark of good men in all ages that they pray. Enoch led a life of prayer. He "walked with God." Abraham, Moses, Daniel Samuel, David and were preeminently men of prayer. The token of Paul's conversion was, "Behold, he prayeth." And the testimony of his writing is that he both prayed and exhorted others to pray. Christ spent whole nights in prayer, and taught his disciples to pray, and to be importunate in prayer.

What is prayer? It is, first of all, the Mere words or set expression of desire. forms are not prayer, however they may Christ spoke be emphasized or repeated.

of some who "think that they shall be heard for their much speaking." One may recite over and over the very prayer which Christ gave his disciples, counting the times by his beads, without really pray

ing. Such repetition may be prayer, or it may be as idle and useless as the grinding out of petitions by a heathen prayer mill, Desire, deep and earnest, is the very essence of prayer. God "will fulfill the desire of them that fear him." He will "hear the desire of the humble."

form of prayer

Prayer is the offering of such desire "unto God." Prayer to idols, or to saints or angels, is misdirected and vain. There is no promise in the Scriptures that Mary, the mother of Jesus, will answer prayer, or do anything to help us. Christ did not pray to her. He began his with "Our Father which art in heaven," and himself prayed to the Father. Prayer made for the ears of men, that he who prays may be seen of them and be esteemed eloquent and gifted, is not true prayer. Christ condemned the Pharisees for the hypocrisy of such public prayer. We do not know the hearts of men. The most eloquent may be as earnest as the humblest, but we can all guard ourselves against insincerity and cultivate the true spirit of prayer, both in our public and private devotions.

The spirit of prayer is the spirit of submission to God's will. Christ prayed, "Not