who gave himself for us. "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart." It is the first of all the commandments, the deepest and the holiest. 6. The cros& For the first time we meet with that great word-that word once so hateful, now so sweet and holy. The Lord looks forward in prophetic vision ; he sees himself bearing the cross; he sees his faithful followers, each with his cross, moving onwards in long procession to the glory-crown. His words must have seemed very dark and strange. The apostles looked up to him with the utmost reverence; and now he, their King, spoke of the cross, that thing so utterly loathsome. He said that they must take it up; be called it their cross. He implied that be himself would bear it. They could not have understood him then; they knew afterwards. We know his meaning. There is no crown without the cross; no heaven without self-denial for Christ's sake. 6. The true life. This life is dear to us; the life to come should be dearer far. Our present life is continued in the life beyond tho grave. Our personality is one; our life here nnd hereafter is one life under two very different forms. Here is the Christian paradox: he who finds loses, he who loses finds. He who sets his love upon this earthly life and takes not up his cross loses that higher life. His life continues itself, but it becomes death, utter death, to all that makes life worth living. He who loses finds; he who counts all things else as dross that he may win Christ, finds Christ, and finds in him the true life, the life that dieth not. III. CONCLUSION. 1. The dignity of ths apostolic office. (1) They were the ambas- sadors of Christ. They represented him; they carried his message. More than that, the Lord was ernr with them. Therefore to receive them in Christian love and hospi- tality was to receive the Lord Christ himself. He cometh with his true servants ; he fills their hearts, be inspires their words. Therefore let us receive them in love, that, receiving them, we may receive into our hearts him who sent them. He himself is the .Apostle and High Priest of our calling. "He that receiveth me, receiveth him that sent me." (2) So are propl,ets and righteous =n. .All Christ's true servants bear witness for Christ, some by their words, some by the silent eloquence of a holy life; all bring a blessing with them to such as are worthy. They who receive a prophet because he is a prophet, and so speaks for God; they who receive a righteous man because he is righteous, a servant of the Lord, shall receive the reward of the prophet, or righteous man. In honouring them, they are honouring God; in helping their work, they are helping the work of God. How these words of Christ ought to stimulate us to assist all faithful missionaries, all earnest, self-denying men of God! When we help them with our alms and prayers, we are sharing their work, making it in a measure our own work; and (the Lord himself tells us) we shall share their reward. 2. The dignity of all Christians. .All belong to Christ-not only apostles and prophets and rio-hteous men, but also the little children whom the Lord Jesus loved so well, whom h: took up in his arms and blessed, whom he bade us bring to him. They are his; therefore the gift of love given to them because they belong to Christ shall not lose its reward. 'l'he smallest deed of holy love is precious in the sight of him who is love. Let us care for the little children; let us tend the sick and forsaken ; let us teach the ignorant. Orphanages, children's hospitals, Sunday schools, are good and Christian institutions. They who help the little ones because they belong to Christ shall not, the Lord hath said it, lose their reward. LEssoNs. I. We must be content to be despised as the Master was despised; the disciple is not above his Master. 2. Fear God; fear nothing else; be bold in bearing witness for the truth. 3. God cares for us all in our little trials; we should bring them all before him in trustful prayer. 4. What must be the unutterable blessedness of those whom Christ will confess in the last day? Confess Christ now. 6. 'l'bo cross is the very emblem of our religion; we must take it up, looking unto Jesus.
HOMILIES BY VA.RIOUS AUTHORS. Ver. 1.-The twelve apostles. The commission of tLe twelve follows immediately on the expression of our Lord's compassion for the forlorn flock without a shepherd, and hie more cheering view of the multitude as a ripe harvest-field only waiting for the reapers. '!'hey were the first response to the prayer for more labourers, an. x.1-42.J THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. MATTHEW. 425