Vers. 12, 18.-T11e difficulty of keeping on. "Because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold." 'l'hese verses are conneoted with Christ's propheoy of the history of his Churoh. There may be difficulty in fixing the precise references of his language, but he describes general features which are seen in every passing age. There is always a disposition to exaggerate or over-estimate the evils of the age in which we happen to live, because they are specially prominent to ua. But we may certainly say this much-we live in an age when outside wickedness and semi-wicked- ness are telling very directly and very injuriously on the Christian spirit. It cannot be said that there is genera.I failing from the Christian profession; but there is a stmnge sad "chilling of the Christian love," a "leaving of the first love." In some ages th~ separation of the Church from the world is more marked, and so the influence of the world on the Church is less felt. Illustrate by Slapton Sands in Devonshire. A fresh- water lake well stocked with fish is divided from the sea only by a road and a narrow belt of sand. Usually the two are well kept apart. But when wind and tide unite, the sea rises, floods the sand and t.he road, and pours the defiling and destructive salt waters into the sweet lake. . L EFFECT OF GROWING INIQUITY ON THE CHRISTIAN SPmIT, "Love waxes cold." The true idea of Christian life is the sanctifying and ennobling power of a personal love to Christ. Iniquity, self-willedness, and self-willed ways chill this love (1) by presenting to us other and rival claims to our love (preacher must be left to select illustrations of such claims); (2) by undervaluing and putting slights on Christ. Show how human friendships are spoiled when our friends are satirized and scorned. Show how jealously, in these criticizing days, we need to watch over our high, adoring, admiring thoughts of Christ. lL THE Jil.A.STEBY OF SUB.ROUNDING INIQUITY IS THE TRIUMPH 01' ORBIBTIAN STEADFASTNESS. "He that shall endure to the end." It will cost persistent and persevering effort if we are to keep loving Christ supremely. True endurance is not possible unless we have a strong grip of Christ. We must have and cherish warm feeling toward Christ. We must keep on (1) trusting, (2) obeying, (8) following, (4) honouring, (5) working for Christ. And if ever faint, it must be "faint, yet pursuing." -R.T.
Ver. 14.-17.e gospel-witness. The expression, "in all the world,• can only mean the "world" e.s men then thought of it. Our Lord's statement is verified in the fact that there was "hardly a province of the vast Roman empire in which the gospel had not been preached before the destruction of Jerusalem." The" world" is an altogether larger idea to us; but the gospel has to be preached to "all the world" as we appre- hend it. The Apostle Paul uses very broad terms. He speaks of the gospel as having gone out into all the earth (Rom. L 18); as being present in all the world; and as having been preached in the hearing of every creature which is under heaven (Col i. 6, ~3). A difficulty is suggested. These representations do not seem to match the facts ill. the apostolic age or in any other age. 'l'he gospel has not actually reached every part of the earth yet; and it has been effective unto the lllllvation of but a minority of the human race. Some have thought they could find explanation in the limitation "for a witness;" as if the conversion of "all nations" were not the design of the gospel-preaching. This idea may, however, be presented in an exaggerated form. We may see the reasonable senses in which the gospel is a witness to all nations. L TIIB GOSPEL-WITNESS IS A WITNESS FOB Goo. The right knowledge of God comei;, always has coue, always must come, by revelation. A creature, limited by the senses and sense-relations, cannot reach the apprehension of unseen things without help. Such a creature, having the help of revelation, is yet constantly disposed to materialize its apprehension: this is seen in the disposition to make visible symbols of the unseen God. Thie tendency takes the coarser form• of idolatry, and the more refined forms of philosophy. The iospel, then, is a witness, because it is~ fresh and corrective declaration of what God 180 what God thinks, and what God requires, IL TRE GOSPEL-WITNESS IS A WITNESS AGAINST IDOLATRY. '!'his may be illua- tta.ted by St. Paul's work at Lystra and at Athens. Take au.oh pointa as these. L Pr~h the gospel, and men aee that the true God asks for love. So it witnessea ag&IIUlt all religiona of /,wr 2, Preach the goapel, and me11 see tbAt the tnie God Oil', lllV, 1-fil,J THt GOSPEL J.ClOORDING TO ST. MATTHEW'. (69