leges may educate meiL Bishops may ordain them. Patrons may give them livings. But God alone can raise up and send forth " labourers '' who will do work among souls. For a constant supply of such labourers let us daily pray.
The second point in our Lord's charge to the seventy disciples, is the perilom nature of the work in which they were about to he engaged,. He does not keep back from them the dangers and trials which are before them. He does not enlist them under false pretences, or prophecy smooth things, or promise them unvar3ring success. He tells them plainly what they must expect. " Behold," He says, " I send you forth as lambs amongst wolves."
These words, no doubt, had a special reference to the life-time of those to whom they were spoken. We see their fulfilment in the many persecutions described in the Acts of the Apostles. But we must not conceal from ourselves that the words describe a state of things which may be seen at this very day. So long as the church stands believers must expect to be like '^ lambs among wolves." They must make up their minds to be hated, and persecuted, and ill treated, by those who have no real religion. They must look for no favour from unconverted people, for they will find none. It was a strong but a true saying of Martin Luther, that " Cain will murder Abel, if he can, to the very end of the world." " Marvel not," says St. John, " if the world hate you." " All that will live godly in Jesus Christ," says St. Paul, "shall suffer persecution." (1 John iii. 13; 1 Pet. iii. 8.)
The third point in our Lord's charge to the seventy disciples is, the thorough devotion to their work which Me