be SRd when, in the polar regions, they never saw the sun for one hundred and forty long and weary days. Those out of Christ have good reaaon to be sad. It is even a hopeful sign that they are. Philosophers and scientific teachers who do not "like to retain God in their thoughts" are always sad-affectingly, impressively sad. 'l'he sa<ldest book ever written is John Stuart Mill's autobiography. II. GoD's MESSI:AH MAKES MgN GLAD. _Jes~s Christ cannot do with people who, in moral senses, stay m the ashes, neglect their toilet, and keep up miserable groans. He wants to get a song into men's souls--even praise unto a redeeming God-which shall compel them to put garlands and festal garments on, and make their faces shiue. We cannot keep Jesus and sadness both with us, any more than the world can keep both sunshine and mists. This homily should be used for pleading aaainet a Iona-faced dreary religion, and in behalf of the smiles and song that should ~hare.cterize ~ wh~ know the grace in Christ Jesus unto life eternal. " I came to J esue e.s I was, Weary, and worn, and se.d; I found in him a Resting-place, .A.nd he haa made me glad." R.T. Ver. 6.-The world's priests and preachers. "Men shall call you the Ministers of our God." Dean Plumptre says of this verse, "This had been the original ideal of the nation's life (Exod. xix. 6), forfeited for a time through the sine of the people (Exod. xxviii. 1), to be fulfilled at last in the citizens of the New Jerusalem" (comp. 1 Pet. ii. 9). Matthew Arnold says, "The Jews, a nation of God's servants appointed to initbte the rest of the world into his service, are to give themselves to this sacred and priesLly Jabour, while the rest of the world do their secular labour for them." Matthew Henry says, "All believers are made to our God kings and priests; and they ought t.o conduct themselves e.s such in their devotions, and in their whole conversation, with 'holiness to the Lord' written upon their foreheads, that men may call them the • priests of the Lord.'" We learn from this passage what are the views we may rightly take of our "priests and preachers." L THEY BELONG TO OUR Gon. Importance attaches t.o the personal appropriation indicated in the expression" our God." Only those who are themselves in right relations with God will ever put ministers into their right place, or keep them in their right place. A man who does not know God/or himself will want his minister to become a priest, and do too mnch for him. The man who, in covenant relations, can say "my God,'' will thankfully accept, and wisely use, all that God's servants can do for him. IL THEY m1nsTEB FOB OUR GoD. And they can do nothing but minister. 'l'hey are, like their Lord and Master Jesus Christ, among us "as he that serveth." "We preach Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake." Ministers bring to us messages from God. but we must never let them stand before God. There is peril for our souls whenever officiating priest or popular preacher takes all our attention, and keepH us from direct dealing with God. We must never let even apostlei. have "dominion over our faith;" they are only "helpers of our joy." Very possibly some of our souls a.re hindered from attaining tho best in Christian life, because onr outlook is stopped by the figure of a man, and we cannot see God. II!. THEY SERVE us IN THE NAME OF oua GoD. Emphasis is put on the word "us." It is peculiar to all faithful and wise ministers that they have a "passion for souls," the "enthusiasm of humanity;" and are ever seeking to gain adaptation to us. Some men are more interested in truth than in persons; but the real priests and preachers and pastors of our God follow after the great apostle and say, "We seek not yours, but yw."-R. T.
Ver. 9.-Blessed children. "All that see them shall e.cknowledge them, that they are the seed which the Lord hath blessed." "Let the children of godly parents live in such a manner that they may be known to be such, that all who observe thorn mny see in them the fruits of a good education, and an answer to the prayers that were put up for them.n "Eaeterna value highly the retention of 1:lle11eings through succeeding OH. LXI. 1-11.] THE BOOK OF THE PROPHET ISAIAH. 429