the brnnd of shame moro deeply on her brow." Christianity alone bas given woman her ri~htful place. \\"oman occupies an honourable position In the Bible, and every wise provision is made for her, especially for the widow in her helplessness and loneli- ness. In the Old Testament we have such noble women as Debore.b. and Hannah Ruth and Esther. In the New Testament we have Mary the mother of our Savio.ur' Mary of Bethany, Lydia, Dorcas, and many others. Women occupied an important place in the e.'\rly Christian Church. At Philippi, for example, when St. P~ul went to the place "where prayer was wont to be made," he found that little prayer-meeting entirely composed of women. In the Epistles of St. Paul we find him sending many messages \o the Christian women of various Churches, and commending many of them for their faithfulne..«s and devotion to the cause of Christ. Among those whom he thus mentions is Phrebe. w·e know nothing of Phrebe's history beyond w.hat is stated here, and the additional fact mentioned in a note at the end of this Epistle that she was the bearer of this letter to the Christians at Rome. . I. PH<EBE WAS A SEBVAlIT. It would appear that she was a lady of some mea'l).s. She de'l"oted her means and her time to assisting the poor. and the helpless. She had been "a succourer of many" (ver. 2). But whatever position she occupied, she bears the name of servant. Now, there is nothing to be ashamed of in the name of servant. Every one who is worth anything is e. servant in some sense. The less service any one renders, the more useless he or she is in the world. The sovereign upon the throne, ihe judges and magistrates, lawyers, medical men, men of. business, ministers of the gospel, all are the servants of others. Be faithful in your service. The maxim of many in our time seems to be to take all the pay they can and render e.s little scmce as possible. That is not honest. Nor is it honest to work only when the eyes of your employer are upon yon. "Servants, be obedient to your masters acoording. to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in singleness of your heart, as unto Christ; not with eye-serrice, as men-pleasers; but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart; with good will doing service, a.s to the.Lord and not to men." Be trwst- worthy. Re,,,=d what belongs to your master or your mistress w:ith as much care, as if it were your own. If your employer's children are committed to your care, how scrupulous you should be regarding them! Never let them hear from your ,lips a profane or evil word. If you are tleaching them, seek to communicate to their youth- ful minds all the good principles that you can. Your work may be a quiet work, but if it is done faithfully it is a lasting work. You :nay .not receive much notice,or much thanks from your employer, but he that seeth in secret.himselfshe.11.rewe.rd ypu openlv. , II. ·Pa<EBE WAS A SERVANT OF GoD. That was the secret. of her useful ·and honoured life. It is the highest thing .that could be said of any one, Employers are becinnia"0 to find out that God-fearing men and God-fearing women are not the worst se;'vants. 1. A servant of God will not be tlie servant of tliis worW,. Many young le.dies who call themselves Christians seem to spend their life •altogether in th~ servioe of selfish pleasure and worldly amusement. 2. A servant of God. will :not k(J(J1, .the wmpany of {he goa/,as. There is no subject on which young :wo~eQ. in our .towns and cities need to be more plainly warned than the choice of their companions of both sexes. How many happy and promising young lives have been blighted;1iow many hearts have been broken, by foolish companionships and too hasty intimacy I The casual knowledge obtained of any one at an eyening party or a pl~asiire exc~rsi?n is no be.sis on which to form an engagement on which depends the happmcss of a _hfetune, "Thrice bi.est whose lives are fa.ithrul prayers, Whose loves in higher love endure. What souls possees themselves so P.ure? Or ill there blessedness like theirs? ' 'I
III. PBCEBE wAB A szRVANT OP THE CHURCH. '!'hat ill to my, she we.a· a helper of God's people. She wa11 a helper in Christian work. There are 1;1any young women whose lives are abBOlutely wasted, who are utterly wr~tched and Dll~erable! for want of i;omething to do. How many to~ of useful service the~e. are ·Ill which. a 1yo~ng woman may engage I She ma.y teach 1n the Sunday &ehool; V181t the.aged e.~dt tho sick, and mini.Bw i.uito them in spiritual things, and perhaps also to their bo,l1ly comfort OD, xvi.1-27,] THE EPIS'I'LE OF PAUI., TO TEIE ROMANS.