EIGHTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST.

Humility.

Eph. iv. 1-6.

Luke xiv. I-II.

THERE WAS one who exalted himself, and has been abased.

"How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning!"

Wert thou indeed one of those who sang together when the foundations of the earth were laid? And could not angelic rank content thee, but thou must say in thine heart,

"I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God:

"I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High?" Now-thou art brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit."

And there was One Who humbled Himself, and has been exalted. Being in the form of God, He made not His equality with God an occasion for grasping, but emptied Himself, and took upon Him the form of a servant. Content to be made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, He is now crowned with glory and honour, and set over the works of God's hands. He drank of the brook in the way, therefore doth He lift up the head. Because He humbled Himself, and became obedient to death, even the death of the cross, therefore God hath

highly exalted Him, and given Him a Name which is above every name, that to the Name of Jesus every knee should bow, whether of angels in heaven, or of men on earth, or of demons under the earth; and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

It is our calling to be exalted with Christ, and not to be abased with Satan. To attain unto this, we must humble ourselves now. We must practise that which is set forth in the Gospel by taking the lowest seat at the feast; which is expressed in the Epistle as "walking in all lowliness and meekness, forbearing one another in love," and otherwhere by the same Apostle as "in honour preferring one another," and "submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God."

Too many of us, alas! when we come to Christ, have to unlearn the lesson taught by the world in these matters. The world lieth in the evil one, and its spirit is that of Lucifer and not of Christ. Far is it from the world to take the lowest seat, or in honour to prefer others to oneself. Its motto is, 66 every man for himself": its injunction to its children is," stand on your rights.' Now in the Church there is no self, and there are no rights. Here the love of Christ constraineth, so that we live not unto ourselves, but to Him Who died for us and rose again. And if to Him, then to those of whom His heart is full, even the members of His Body and the partakers of His humanity. It is not, as in the world, first provide for yourself, and then with what is over help others; but give up yourselves for His Body's sake, count the welfare of your brethren the principal thing, and leave your own blessing to come with theirs. And as for rights, what pitiful things are these on which to

insist, about which to contend. The only right we have is the right to surrender. God gives us things to be our own that we may have the privilege and the joy of giving them up for Him and for His when the call comes. Therefore be not conformed to this world, but be transformed in the renewing of your minds. The greatest in the kingdom of heaven must be the servant of all. God has set Apostles first in the Church; and they prove their primacy by their more abundant and universal ministrations, by their service to the whole Body and their care of all the churches. Even so the Son of Man came not to be ministered unto but to minister. Even so the elect angels who worship before the Throne delight in being sent forth to minister to the heirs of salvation.

Where, then, is place for pride, for haughtiness, for self-aggrandizement? In the presence of such examples, what have we to do with pushing our claims and asserting our position? Rather let us, at the heavenly feast to which we are bidden, ever take the lowest room. In all lowliness and meekness, let us forbear one another in love. Let us consider one another's feelings, consult one another's wishes, weigh with deference one another's opinions. So shall we keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. If every one seeks his own ends and goes his own way, there will be constant clashing. But if all are in honour preferring one another, there will be no struggles for precedence and no heartburnings because of place and use.

so speaks the poet to his friend. Is it too much to expect that the Christian brotherhood should selves?

say it among them

These are well-worn truths; but it is good for us to be reminded of them from time to time. The happiness of every society, whether it be a family or a church, depends on the carrying out of these principles. It is well that the Church's unity should be seen in its sevenfold fulness, -of the one Body, and the one Spirit, and the one Hope of our calling, the one Lord, the one Faith, the one Baptism, the one God and Father of all. But there must also be the lowliness and meekness, the long-suffering, the forbearing one another in love. Let the Holy Communion in which we take part this day be with one another as well as with Christ our Head. Let it help us to think kindly, to judge charitably, to support the weak, to guide back the erring. O that unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace! Who would not "endeavour" after it? who would not strive to "keep" it? May God grant it to be ours, for Jesus' sake! Amen.

Worship.

Heb. x. 25.

"Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching."

I.

THESE words were primarily addressed to the Hebrew

N

Christians, in the view of the impending destruction of their city and scattering of their nation. But they have not less force for us English Christians, who see a still greater Day approaching. Some were then tempted by fear of persecution to forsake the assembling of themselves together. With us such deterring influence is not present. Yet other causes so operate, that it is still needful to say, "not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together"; it is still obligatory to add, "as the manner of some is."

"

What was the assembling together to which the Apostle referred? The answer is easy. "Upon the first day of the week" we read "the disciples came together to break bread."* This is that which is spoken of in the well-known passage about "continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house," or "at home." It was the doing what the Lord had done on the night before He suffered, in remembrance of Him. But what means the "continuing daily in the temple? It is explained in the next chapter-" Now Peter and John went up together to the temple at the hour of prayer, being the ninth hour," that is, the time of the Evening Sacrifice. "Continuing daily in the temple meant attending continually at the appointed hours when, morning by morning and evening by evening, the burnt offering was presented to God, and the incense rose up from the golden altar. To such daily worship the Holy Ghost led the first Christians, indicating it to be according to the mind of God for all ages and generations. And what is here in the Scriptures in germ and hint has received its development in the practice of