universal worship of wealth, and talent, and respectability. Go where you will you find it. In the marts of commerce, in the halls of legislature, alas and alas, in the Church of God! And this is just a nataral result of the world's philosophy, developed more and more with the development of the world itself. I know no corrective of this spirit, except just to submit to God's teaching. That which God honours is not respectability—it is not talent-it is goodness, it is sympathy with Himself. And only by the teaching of God do we learn the power of goodness. It is a "o weak thing of the world”-too often a "thing despised ; " but God before now has made the stars of heaven yield to it, and the waters have divided at its feet. My brethren, we have not to go far to see how God honours goodness. He protects it in the bulrushes of the Nile : He feeds it by the ravens of the brook Cherith ; He preserves it in the den of lions and in the furnace; He receives it to Himself, when its work is done, by chariots and by horses of fire. It is the “ righteous” whom He causes to be “bad in everlasting remembrance." It is for the sake of the ten or the five “ righteous" that He offers to spare a city that He had doomed. “And what shall I more say? For the time would fail me to tell of Gideon, and of Barak, and of Samson, and of Jephtha, of David also, and Samuel, and the prophets, who, through faith, subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens.” My brother, my sister, you may be unnoticed by the world : even in the Church there may be those who say to you, “ Stand by, for I am greater-richer than thou:” but you may be great in God's eye, and great power you may have with Him. Ob, there is a meaning in those words would that we could all realise it—" Thou hast power with God, and hast prevailed.” Do you wish to see the highest manifestation of power which the world has witnessed ? Go with me, and you shall see it. We will not visit the palaces of royalty: we will not visit the halls of legislature: we will not go where myriads of men are arrayed in arms. No, we will visit a humble cottage ; we will go to a poor chamber; we will see a feeble woman on her knees before God. Oh, my brethren, there is power. It is one of the world's weakest things; it is one beside which monarchs are powerless. Despise not that poor praying one! She is a “weak thing of the world, and a thing despised ;” she is one of those whom God “bath chosen !"

3. But finally I remark that God chooses " weak things and things despised,” in order that He may challenge all the glory to Himself. You observe that this is the reason furnished in the text itself. “ The weak things of the world, and things which are despised, bath God chosen . . . that no flesh should glory in his presence." And who would dare to glory in His presence? In the presence of each other we might perhaps glory, but in the presence of God—who ? And yet we know by too sad experience how ready we all are to glory in the presence of God. Reason about it as we will confess oor impotence in words as we may and do-" By my own strength have I done this thing," is too often the heart-language of every one of us. Do we succeed in any worldly enterprise ? It is to our own wisdom or skill that we impute our success. Do we overcome in any trial ? Our own strength has the credit. Have we success even in spiritual efforts ? Are our churches increased, or our converts multiplied ? It is to our own eloquence, or devotedness, or zeal, that we attribute these great results. And yet God is ever seeking to teach us our dependence for every kind of success upon Him. A hard lesson truly, and yet a necessary one ; for all experience shows that those only are blessed who recognise constantly their dependence on God,-them that honour Him He will honour, and them alone! Is not this the teaching of every page of Scripture ? “ Paul planted, Apollos watered, God gave the increase.” “ Power belongeth only unto God.” Is gospel truth a “bow”? God drives the arrow to the heart. Is gospel truth a "sword”? God makes it " quick and powerful.” Is gospel truth a "treasure"? We have this treasure "in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.”

Perhaps, however, the most striking illustration of the truth that I wish now to impress upon you is to be found in the chapter (Judges vii.) that tells one of the most interesting incidents in the life of Gideon. With thirty-two thousand men, Gideon approached the host of the Midianites. “And the Lord said unto Gideon, The people that are with thee are too many for me to give the Midianites into their hands, lest Israel vaunt themselves against me, saying, Mine own hand hath saved me.” Successively, therefore, did the Lord reduce the number of the Israelites to ten thousand, and to three hundred; and with three hundred men, but with the cry upon their lips, “ The sword of the Lord and of Gideon,” were the Midianites delivered into His servant's hands. And the same lesson which God thus taught the Israelites He is ever seeking to teach us. He teaches it by choosing “weak things, and things despised.” If God chose the rich, and the mighty, and the wise, they would in all probability " vaunt themselves against Him;” but by choosing “ the weak and the despised" He challenges all the glory to Himself. Why is not the race always to the swift, and the battle to the strong ? Why are not the most eloquent preachers invariably the most successful ? Why are not the most learned persons always the most useful in God's cause ? Doubtless there are other reasons; but one is, that God will not have the honour of His work given to learning or to eloquence-He will have it for Himself alone. Oh, how often do we find here the source of weakness and the cause of failure! Men are wise and eloquent, but they do not honour God. They are active and laborious, but they do not honour God. They are ingenious in plan, and unwearied in toil, but they glory in themselves

rather than in God. Here many a strong man fails—this is the worm at the root of many a fair and blooming tree. Glory in yourself, my brother, and though you be a Goliath you shall fail ; glory in God, and though you wield but a sling and a stone many a giant shall fall before you. Oh, my brethren, are "you ambitious of power? Do you wish to be strong for your work, and strong for the world's work which God has given you? Work, but trust ever in God. Work, but glory in God. Work, but let your motto be, Not unto us! Not unto us! that is the language of God's most honoured servants. Not unto us, say the stars, we shine in God's light. Not unto us, say the angels, we “excel in strength" through Him. Not unto us, say sanctified and redeemed men, unto Him be glory for evermore !

It seems scarcely needful, after all that has been said, that I should suggest to you the lessons that arise out of the truth that I have been enforcing. Those lessons are lessons of humility, of trust, of hope ; of humility, because we are weak; of trust, because God is strong ; of hope, because God has promised to be with us, even to the end of the world. Oh, brethren, there is need enough that we should be humble in the presence of God. For who are we, and what? We are “weak things, and things despised.” There is reason for us to be trustful, for God chooseth “weak things, and things despised.” There is plenty of reason why we should encourage hope, for in the choice of God there is that which imparts real strength, and constitutes real dignity. We have spoken more than enough of our weakness, let us now contemplate our dignity. Weak as we are, we are “ chosen " of God. Chosen, before the worlds were made. Chosen, before the sun - began his shining before the moon began her march in the midnight sky. Chosen ! Chosen to what? Chosen to be the children of God: chosen to be the favourities of heaven : chosen to be the inberitors of the kingdom that is incorruptible and undefiled and that fadeth not away. Beggar in rags, put on tby crown! Solitary sufferer, hold up thy head! Let the weak world scorn thee if it will ; let the great ones of earth pass thee contemptuously by. Write on thy brow, chosen of God. Assert thy prerogative, as the chosen of God. So live, as the chosen of God. And though thou mayest now walk in darkness, though poverty be thy portion, and contempt thy cup, look forward and behold, for before assembled worlds (thou shalt be acknowledged, as the "chosen of God.” Wherefore, “ seeing we have this hope, let us purify ourselves.” Let us “ hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering." Let us “count him faithful who hath promised.” Thus, though the solid earth should fail, and though the stars should fall from heaven, and though the powers and honours and kingdoms of the earth should be remembered only to be despised, we, chosen of God, shall lift up our heads, for our salvation draweth nigh.

“Oh, holy trust! oh, endless sense of rest !

Like the beloved John,
To lay our heads upon the Saviour's breast,

And so to journey on!”
Leeds.

HARRY AND ARCHIE.

FOR THE YOUNG. “ COME on quick, Hal Strong! waited at the gate, anxious to be there's fun ahead. You know Tom, off, and yet too loyal to his friend the fisher? Well, he's going out to leave him in the lurch. this afternoon, and he says if we In a few minutes, however, Harry boys will promise not to bother, came bounding from the doorway. he'll take us with him. There'll be “It's all right, Ned; mother's six of us, counting you, if you'll good as pie. She says the wood hurry up and come. Say, Hal, will may wait, and so here I am. you?”

Whoop! hurrah!” Ned Green delivered himself of Off they went, boy-fashion-leap. the above with hardly a pause for ing, capering, and shouting; and as breath ; and then wiping his warm they go I'll say a few words of Hal. face with a very moist handkerchief, It was seldom the boy had a whole stood looking up at the window afternoon of play, although he loved from which Harry was leaning, and a frolic as well as his fellows. But impatiently awaited a reply. Harry, his widowed mother earned her meanwhile, had been considering living by her needle, and Harry

"It'll be a jolly lark-no end of was obliged to seek such odd jobs fun, Ned,” he said ; “but, you see, as would help her to fill the family there's part of a load of wood to be purse. So his hours of play were piled in the back yard, and I few and far between, but perhaps promised mother to do it before all the more merry and enjoyable dark.”

when they came than would other" Cut the wood!” cried Ned, “it wise have been the case. A will keep till to-morrow; and you thoroughly good fellow was Harry never have time for a frolic, it Strong, and the boys liked him well seems to me. I say, Hal, it's a enough to include him in all their shame!”

sports whenever it was possible for Harry laughed. .

him to join them. “Cut the wood, eh? That's “I say, Ned Green,” said he, as been already done, but not in the the two went speedily on the road way you mean, old fellow. But to the beach, “I'm jolly glad for hold on, I'll see what mother says.” this afternoon of fun. I've just And the bright young face disap. been crazy for a boat-ride for ever peared from the window, while Ned I so long, and now here's the chance,

I'm much obliged, old fellow, for , down, Hal, don't bother. It may your thinking of me.”

be only a little hurt, and the chap “Guess we wouldn't like to go will get home all right, of course." without you, Hal,” was Ned's an. “But it may be something else swer, heartily given, and just then besides a little thing, replied Harry. the beach shone white and broad “And I say, fellows, I can't let a before them, while out beyond boy like that suffer-such a little danced the rippling waters, inviting fellow! I think I'd better go on indeed to those who were gathered shore ; eh, Tom?” there waiting until Tom should dip Tom growled out his reply, the water out of his lumbering old “ Sha'n't wait for you if ye do, Hal boat, and make her ready for pas- Strong. Tide's right now, and I've sengers.

work to do. Better let the chap go A cross old chap was Tom, the elsewhere for help. Don't believe fisherman, and not often would he it's anything but a cry-baby affair, allow himself to be bothered by the anyhow. Gents' sons are allers boys. But once in a while he such babies! Sarves 'em right to gathered a few sunbeams within get hurt now and then. Come, I his heart, and warmed a little to can't wait here any longer. Here the usual entreaties of the coaxing goes!” fellows who loved to haunt the But Harry's mind was made up. beach. So it had happened that Disappointed as he would be, yet on this afternoon he had proved his noble heart was too full of graciously inclined, and ere long mother-love and mother-teaching the boat was full of little fellows to turn his face from the duty of ready and impatient for the “shove- helping any one, friend or stranger, off.” Tom had just bent himself to in time of trouble. So with a spring that effort, and was preparing to he left the boat and called good-bye jump aboard himself, when a small to the boys, who were so vexed with voice was heard at a little distance him, and yet who in their hearts which arrested the attention of all. honoured him for his conduct. Presently the owner of the voice “ Now then, come on, little appeared upon the scene, flushed chap!” cried Harry, as he started and eager. Only a small boy to on a run up the road, followed by match the voice, but his words came the small boy, whose face brightfast as he paused on the beach ened wonderfully as he slipped his before the merry crew of the hand within Harry's. “What's Nancy.

your name?” "Oh, please, my little brother “ Archie Brown,” was the reply. fell down and hurt himself, and—“And me and my brother-we're and I can't lift him, and he's crying twin-boys, you know-were playin', and crying, and I don't know what and a stone fell out of the bank I shall do. Please come and help and struck Dick in his leg; and it's me to take him home!” There a pretty big stone, so I can't lift were tears in the blue eyes of the him up.” speaker, and his voice trembled a The “stone' proved to be a goodlittle, but he did not break down sized piece of rock, which had be. until the last word was spoken, and come loosened from the bank above then with a sob he turned his white, where Archie and Dick had been frightened face aside. Harry Strong playing, and had fallen against and had started to his feet in generous upon the latter's little leg, breaking and speedy response to the call for the limb, and keeping the child help, büt five voices cried, “Sit la prisoner until Harry's strong