"living sacrifice." Make the burdcu of address a serious and earnest plea that strong men should give the strength of their manhood to holy service for God in the Church and the world. It is the weakness of so many Christian institutions and enterprises- as it so notably is of our Sunday school system-that the experienced men and women of middle life hold aloof from them. There have indeed been cases of precocious develop- ment before the age of thirty; and we may not, even in our theories or our thoughts, set limits to the gloriously free operations of that Divine Spirit who "divides to every man severally as he wills." Still, the general rule, comprehensively working, is that full culture-including something like adequate experience and due self-control-is not reached before that age. F. W. lfobertson, A. Hallam, R. A. Vaughan, are very familiar illustrations of early maturity. It is also true that there is a limit-all too soon reached in most cases-to a man's freshness, power, and originality. A man reaches maturity, and may maintain it awhile; but the time of strong and individual force for any man is usually very brief. No doubt there are cases of strength retained beyond the age of fifty ; and there is suitable work in the world for the older men to do. But still, it is in large measure true that a man's distinct life-witness and life-work are very brief-a few swiftly passing years. When they are done he either passes from the earth-spheres, or else he must step aside lest he be run down by the hurrying throng who go so much faster than he can go, and who, he begins to think, are going wrong. A man's strong manhood is his great trust, and this must be for the Lord, wholly consecrated unto him, Then it may be earnestly pressed upon us that- I. WE SHOULD ESTIMATE ARIGHT THE PREPARING-TIMES OF LIFE: the spring-times, on which depends the summer beauty; the seed-time, on which depends the autumn harvest; the child-time, on which depends wise fatherhood; the apprenticeship-time, on which depend the business successes. II. WE SHOULD FEEL THE RESPONSIBILITY OF MATURE TIMES: when we can put strength, good judgment, cuUured skill, ripe powers, into whatever work we undertake. It is often pressed on our attention that we are responsible for what we have; it may be much more earnestly impressed upon us that we are responsible for what we are or can be. IJI. WE SilOULD ACCEPT THE PROVIDENCES THAT SET US ASIDE FOR RESTING-TIMES. Some such come in the midst of life's works for our refreshing. Such come at last when our great life-work is done. We may be spared awhile in the Beulah-land, but in our resting-times we have new and other missions to fulfil. Alas ! it takes much grace to make us willing to step quietly aside, and say of the new generation growing up round us, " He must increase, but I must decrease." In the mystery of the Divine order the later and resting-times of a man's life may be preparings for the consecrated maturities of the heavenly and eternal spheres.-R. '1'.
Ver. 6.-0rderliness required in God's service. 'The chronicler here reviews the arrangements made by David for the efficient conducting of Divine service in the taber- nacle and temple, and the importance of order in worship is suggested for our con- sideration. I. SucH ORDERLINESS SECURES DUE PREPARATION. .Anything like hurry is unsuitable in connection with Divine worship and work. Each man should know beforehand his place. "Hands should be laid on DO man suddenly." Seriousness, quietness, and thoughtfulness are proper in the house of God. Now men need to "se.ncti~y them- selves" by meditation and prayer before going to the temple, just as the old pnests and Levites did. IL SucH OBDEBLINESS AIDS THE DEVOTION OF THE WORSHIPPERS. Stillness and regular occupations that do not call off tbe attention or disturb meditation are impor- tant helps to worshippers. Remember Keble's lines on the sacramental season- " Sweet awful hour I the only sound One gentle footstep gliding round, Offering by turns 011 Jesus' po.rt The cross to every hand and heart." III. SocH ORDERLINESS GIVES RIGHT TONE TO wonsmP. Show here how distinct the idea of worship is from mere sermon-hearing, or mere rcc;,:iving of religious instruction, cu. xxrn. 1-32.J '!'HE FIRST BOOK OF THE CHRONICLES. :l!i7
or exciting of religious feeling. Worship should take us wholly out of the self-sphere, e.nd eet us in the God-sphere. And order, quiet, the beautiful in form and expression, e.re important associations of worship. Illuetre.le by the way in which our fee!in<Ys arc: toned on entering the cathedral or sharing in stately cathedral service. No section ot Christian people ce.n safely neglect this element of orderliness ; and each Christian wor- shipper should personally and anxiously aid ill its maintenance. Here some of the forms ill which modern worship fails may be dealt with: these will differ as apprehended by members of the different religious communities. "Order is Heaven's first law." Order is mau's witness for God, who rules and tones all things, Order may be the charac- teristic feature of all worship, whatever may be its form-whether it be severe as the Pnritanic, or artistic as the Homan Catholic. Illustrate by the moral influence exerted by the well-ordered home, and its relation to the comfort, peace, and. good culture of the family.-R. T.