sink into the lower level of a legal spirit, or a spirit of bondage, when we are reminded of obedience, He adds: "Even as I have kept My Father's commandments, and abide in His love." (John xv. 10.)

Let me remind you of one thing-the striking contrast that the apostle witnessed in those idolaters who, through his preaching, were brought into the knowledge of Christ. When he writes his epistle to the Romans, he gives us in the first chapter a most appalling picture of the condition of apostasy from God in which the heathen nations were sunk. Yet it is to these very people that he is able to say in the sixth chapter, "Ye were once the servants of sin; but now ye have been freed from sin and made servants of God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end life everlasting." Or again, when he writes to the Corinthians, when he speaks of all those fearful and degrading manifestations of the one root of sin that is within us, when he enumerates those foul spots which, even in our eyes, are so full of deformity, he says, "And such were some of you; but ye are washed, ye are sanctified, ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the power of the Holy Ghost." Or again, when he writes to the Thessalonians, who only a few months ago were bowing down before dumb idols unto God, to serve the true and living God, and to wait for the Lord Jesus from heaven." Obedience has in our ears a legal sound; but why? Because we do not, as James says in his epistle, sufficiently look into the perfect law of liberty. That very apostle (Paul), who is so distinct and emphatic on the truth that we are justified, not by the works of the law, but simply by faith in Jesus, in his epistle to the Romans uses four times the expression "obedience" in connection with faith and the Gospel. "To bring the Gentiles through the Gospel to the obedience of faith." "Your obedience is spoken of throughout the whole world." (Romans i. 5; xvi. 19, 20; vi. 17.) Again, to the Philippians, "As ye have always obeyed, not in my presence only, but now much more in my absence." Again, in the most striking manner, in the epistles to Timothy, when Antinomianism was already showing itself in its power, the apostle speaks of the Gospel as commandment. (1 Timothy i. 5.) Christ is indeed the end of the law; but "the righteousness of the law is now fulfilled in them who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For the law is spiritual, and to be spiritually-minded is life and peace."

As God has done all these wonderful things for us, as He has forgiven and renewed us, as He has adopted us as children, as He has redeemed us by the death of Christ from the power and bondage of sin and Satan, so it is by His Holy Spirit that He makes us willing, and that He creates within us a readiness to serve. It is touching to see how, from the very moment that the Spirit of God comes in contact with the sinful heart, there is created within it a new will. From the moment the prodigal comes to himself and says, "I will arise and go to my father," to the moment he commits, like Stephen, his spirit unto the Lord, he is willing. God works not merely for us; He works also within us. And that heart which God alone has created, and which God alone can understand, is, by the marvellous and mysterious influence of His grace, made willing to give itself unto God; the spirit is willing.

You remember that beautiful story of the Ethiopian. The feature that shines forth most touchingly in the countenance of that man is his alacrity. He had come to seek goodly pearls ; his whole heart was in the search. Diligently he read the Scripture; in humility, and with the readiness of a little child, he accepted the offer of help from the evangelist. Joyfully he listened to the glad sound. Eagerly he exclaimed, "Lo, here is water what doth hinder me to be baptized?" He heard, he believed, he confessed, he was sealed, he rejoiced, he went on his way.

Such are the preludes to service. All things are of God, who worketh in us both to will and to do of His good pleasure. Let us cherish this willingness that is given unto us at first, as the sacred flame which God Himself has kindled. "Ye did run well," says the apostle to the Galatians. Oh, let nothing hinder the continuance of our willing-hearted service of the Lord! Willingly they came in the wilderness and brought offerings unto the building of the tabernacle, all those whose hearts made them willing, and whose spirits were stirred within them. Willingly they came in the days of Deborah, for the avenging of Israel. Willing shall they be, as is written in Psalm cx. When our glorious Melchisedec, the Royal High Priest, sends forth the command, His people shall be all willingness. Remembering what God has done for us, and remembering what God by His grace has done in us, let us continue to be willing.

Without love what is obedience? A body without spirit.

Without faith what is love? A body without spirit. There can be no obedience without love. There can be no love without faith. And it is just because we think love so very important that we guard most jealously that foundation testimony of the reformation-that we are justified by faith, and by faith only. And not merely does faith come first and love afterwards at the beginning of our Christian course; but faith always comes first. Every action of love that is spiritual and pleasing unto God is only the daughter, and, as it were, begotten afresh by faith that very moment. Therefore is it written and the Holy Ghost makes no mistakes-"The just shall live by faith."

At the close of the address hymn No. 25 was sung

"Behold, what love, what boundless love,

The Father hath bestowed."

S. A. BLACKWOOD, Esq., C.B., said: I feel I may mention, as one not responsible for it myself, the great need there is for substantial help for the work carried on in and from Mildmay, Many of you know a great deal of that work, and put confidence in it, I believe; others may not know so much. It needs help at the present moment-needs it very much. I am informed that the treasurer is behindhand to the extent of not less than £2,000; and, more than that, another £2,000 will be required by the end of this month. I need only mention this. The Lord knows the need of His own work, and, if it must be curtailed, He will indicate it. I have been reminded of a verse-may God teach us what it means-" Sell that thou hast and give alms." Helping God's work does not consist merely in surrendering superfluities, but very often in the sacrifice of things we deem necessary. This work is great, extensive, blessed, and fruitful. I mention it to you, as authorized so to do, and leave it with you.

Mr. JAMES E. MATHIESON read a considerable number of requests for prayer, which were laid before the Lord by Mr. J. DENHAM SMITH. The following address was then given by the

Rev. HANDLEY C. G. MOULE, M.A.,

Principal of Ridley Hall, Cambridge:

Dear Christian Friends,-I feel with the greatest sincerity that the best things perhaps I could do would be to call attention

again and again to some of the great truths Dr. Saphir has brought before us, specially at the close-his words on the connection and separation existing between faith and love. Yet I am here I know for another purpose-that of giving, with our Lord's help, a few thoughts from another point of view on the subject before us; so let me try to do it briefly, and to the point before me. Dr. Saphir has taken the whole range of the subject as it is put before us on the programme. I can do nothing of the kind. I have been specially dwelling in thought and praying over a mere section of the subject, the last two items in the syllabus; and perhaps it is better it is so. You have been led to heights and depths of divine truths—the mighty Alpha of the ways and will of God. I have been led to take a very simple and practical view, by way of application of the great truths and principles rather than otherwise; and I take the subjects at the close of the list this morningseparation and readiness.

In so doing I turn to the Word of God, not specially to the text with which the subject is connected in the paper-not that I have not meditated on that text nor seen its connection with the subject-but in taking by anticipation a survey under the head of preludes of service, I have been led to ask as a servant of God, What is the worker's continual need? and what is not merely the prelude, the beginning, but the continual accompaniment all through? The need of the worker is to watch, to watch in the right direction, to watch against sin, to watch chiefly against sins that do most easily beset alike work and workers for God; and not only sins of comparatively minor orders, as the world calleth them, though we do need to know as little as possible of such distinctions, but also the more important orders.

;

May I say here a word or two on the service itself? Let us put from us utterly all idea of service that would make service a mere part, a limited section of the Christian life it is not a part, it is the whole. There is absolutely no part of Christian life which is not service to the divine, literal, absolute Master. I know it is unpractical to be always dwelling on this view. Undoubtedly there are things to be done, to be said, to be planned, which have a special connection with the work and will of God, and which for distinction's sake we must speak of as Christian service. There are, for example, words directly spoken in the service of God, and works the world recognizes

66

We must recognize such

as done or said to be done for Him. distinctions; but in theory--and a sound and true theory will ever be getting deeper and deeper into actual practice-all Christian life and every part of it is service. This is the true theory, and it is always, or ought to be always, the natural (in the deepest sense of the word) outcome of a life that is really and truly, and of honest purpose, yielded to God, recognizing the simple fact we are bond servants." There is a remarkable passage in ancient literature describing the connection between a slave and his master. In no action of his life could a true slave be looked upon as an independent being, having any interest terminating in himself. He could entertain no ambition; he could not plan, anticipate, or do anything that was not in connection with his possessor. Now, however humiliating to the flesh, is that not the true condition of life that is lived not to ourselves, but by the faith of the Son of God, that is wholly and honestly yielded to Him? And when it is so every action, every thought, every word, however commonplace it may be, will be, as it ought to be, service to God.

This leads me to what I was especially to speak of-a few of those things that do most easily beset the workers for God, and do most tend to mar and spoil the work and its beauty; and therefore as a prelude to work in general, and as a prelude to every detail of work from the beginning to the end, we must be exceedingly and assiduously watchful against the little foxes that spoil the grapes. You remember how the preacher, in Ecclesiastes, tells us, in words slightly modified in the new version, that "Dead flies cause the ointment of the apothecary to send forth a stinking savour; so doth a little folly him that is in reputation for wisdom." The preacher practically says that as dead flies do a great deal of injury to ointment, so a little folly injures the reputation of a wise man; or, as the Revised Version puts it, "so doth a little folly outweigh wisdom." I do put it to myself, to those who are fellowlabourers with me in the service of God, to watch and pray against little follies. We ourselves have observed how a very little thing will mar the savour of a great work.

Now there are various little, but important, points one might mention. Some are continually inclined to think of their work for Him, to talk about this work or service, as if it were a spiritual height of their own, to which they have climbed, and from which they may look down on others they may please to