down, to lay a hard hand upon them and keep them harmless because helpless. H is in tho blinding, misleading, deteriorating effects upon the soul itself that the very worst results of da rkncss are to be seen. II. Oun norE CONCERNING IT. The "power of darkness" was coinciucnt with "the hour" of the enemies of our Lorcl. And that was but an hour; it was limited to thu brief period of the Passion. Then came Christ's glorious hour-the hour of his resnr- rcction; the hour of his ascent to the right hand of Power. 'fhe prevalence of this evil power of darkness is limited in time; it will not last for ever. InnoccncP-, purity, truth, love, righteousness, may be led away to trial and death, as they wern then in the Person of Jesus Christ; but the hour of their resurrection and their triumph will arrive. Let faithful labour do its noble part, and let calm and Christian patience bring its priceless contribution, and another hour will strike than that of the foes of Christ, and another power than that of moral darkness will take the sceptre aud rule tbe world.-C. Ver. 54.-Distant discipleship. "Peter followecl afar off." 1. In this we find some- thing that was commendable. The impulsive and energetic Peter did not exhaust his zeal in that unfortunate sword-stroke of his; nor was it quenched by the rebuke of his Master. Though it was far from an ideal discipleship to "follow a.far off," it was discipleship still. We do not read that the others did as much as that; they probably sought their own safety by complete retirement. Peter could not do that; his attach- ment to Christ did not allow him to disconnect himself any further than was involved in a distant following. But: 2. In this we find something that was incomplete. The disciple desired to be near enough to his Master to know what the end would be, but he wished to be far enough off to be secure from molestation. He took counsel of his fears, and was so far from the scene that he was showing no sympathy with his Friend, and was running no risk from his enemies. It is not at all unlikely that this timidity, from which he succeeded in partially and momentarily shaking himse!t~ was the beginning and the explanation of his subsequent failure. I. GENUINE DISCIPLESHIP. This is found in.following <Jhrist. 1. Owning his claim as Lord and Leader of the soul; owning it by a willing and entire submission of our will to his will, a consecration of our life to his service, a perfect readiness of heart to say, "Lord, I will follow thee." 2. Endeavouring to walk even as he walked-in. reverence, in righteousness, in love. 3. Striving to live this Christian. life not only after him, but unto him. II. DISTANT DISCIPLESHIP. We follow "afar off" when we are: 1. Lacki11g in. devotion, He who is only found irregularly and infrequently with God, in the attitudo of praise and prayer, and in the act of studying his holy will, mnst be at a great distance from that "beloved Son" who spent so much time with his Father, and found so much strength in his conscious presence and loving sympathy. 2. Wanting in. purity. Ile whose spirit is much entangled with the cares, absorbed in the pursuit~ and prizes, hungering and thirsting for the pleasures of this world, and certainly he whose soul is to any considerable degree affected and tainted by tho lower temptation~ of the flesh,-is o. long way behind the holy Saviour; is far off from him who was" holy, harmless, unilefiled, separate from sin," from him "in. whose mouth no guile was found." 3. Failing in generous and practical kindness. H~ who is only sparingly offering bis resources, spiritual or material, to the cause of human comfort and elevatioo, who is drawing the line of his service at the point of self-sacrifice, and declines to go across it,-is surely a '\'ery distant follower of that gracious and generous Friend of man who suffered the very fost and tho very worst that he might redeem us from sin and restore us to truth, to holiness, to God. This distant discipleship is, in every aspect, to be deplored. (1) It is unfaithfulness to ourselves. A departure from the positiot\ we took when we first" yielded ourselves unto God, as those alive from the dead." (2) It ia perilous to our own souls. That way failure lies; and failure here means nttel' and disastrous defeat; it means suffering and shame; it ruay even mean death. (:l) It is disappointing to our DiviM Lord. He looks for a close following on our part; he wants us to be at his side, to be serving him with all our strength, to !Jo like him in spirit and in character and in life. And when he sees us "afar off," he is grieved with WI instead of rejoicing in us. (1) Let those who have liceu abid:ug in li'm, a•id there- TUE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. LUKE. [011. xxn. 1-i::..
foro f,,llmYing him closely, be wakhful and prnyerful that they do not II drift away" aud lag behrnd; _(2) an~ let those ,vho have to reproach themselves as distani. disciple11 draw near to the1r Lord m renewed peniknce and devotedness of spirit.-0.