and perfect prot.ection by law, shows less of conscience-convincing and heart-compelling power than the primitive ministry did when it was surrounded by difficulty and threatened with death. When it seemed weak, it WAS strong; and now that it seems strong, it is weak. As some explanation of this, it is only fair to admit that the modern ministry in Christendom bas no longer the charm which lies in novelty. It has to be exercised where the terms and facts of our religion are already known and the Holy Bible is the most widely circulated book. And when it goes to fresh fields as India, China, or Japan, it has this disadvantage as compared with the apostoli~ ministry, that in those countries there is no such preparation for the crospel as there was in the countries and cities which were visited by St. Paul. The "settlements of Jews, and the very considerable number of proselytes who knew the Old Testament in the Greek Version, and looked for a Messiah, gave an important facility to the Chris- tian preacher, who formed out of them an intelligent nucleus round which to gather, his converts from among the heathen; whereas now preachers must go to heathen communities that know not their language, and! are wedded to religious conceptions quite different from those in which the missionaries have been trained, and, if there be Christians living among the heathen, holding office or in pursuit of commerce, too often they impede rather than promote the success of the gospel. All this may be recog- nized, and still it is true that the ministry might and should exert much more spiritual power everywhere than it does. Let prayer be made for this, since the power belongs to God, and only he can enable the ministers ot his Word to overcome the dulness of religious routine as well as the hardness of anti-religious prejudice; to sober the frivolous; to abase the proud; to arrest minds that engross themselves with trifles, and recover those that have debased themselves with fleshly vice or avaricious deceit; to wound and to heal; to warn and to win ; to kill and to make alive. Oh for power to prevail, to search the breasts of men, to make conscience start and hearts quiver, to reprove sin, to shatter vain excuses, to kindle new resolves and hopes! We cannot do it; but be who supplied all-sufficiency to St. Paul can supply it to us. "Our sufficiency is of God."-F.
Ver. 9.-" Cast down, but not destroyed." In ministering the Word, we need to play, if we may so speak, on various instruments of music. We take the silver trumpet when we would utter II the joyful sound.". We take the harp when we show forth God's praise. What shall we take for encouragement and comfort to the weary? As a great poetess has it- .. Experience, liko a po.le musician, holds A dulcimer of patience in hie hand." Let us play on the dulcimer. A good man struggling with adversity has been the subject of many moral reflections. We wo.nt to go further than the more.list, and show how the man of God is preserved in time of trouble. What heroism in the immortal Jew of Tarsus I All tbe sharp ordeal through which be pe.ssed-;his personal disadve.nte.gee, the disparagement by false apostles jealous of h_ie influe~ce, the col_dness of fo~er friends when he was in bonds at Rome, the hardship and m1sconstruct10n under which his great work had been done,-all served only to bring out more fully the BingleneBB of his aim and fortitude of his spirit- .. And give the world neeurance of o. man.• "Strock down, but not destroyed." Trouble threw him down, as one wrestler might throw another in the arena; but the ca.st was not mortal. Ho revived, for Christ lived in him. Nay; his sufferings increased his usefulness. No follower of Christ ever me.de such an impression on mankind, or did so much for the gospel, e.s this troubled, per- secuted, perplexed, cast-down Paul of Tarsus. 'l'imes be.ve changed. Religious liberty prevails. Gross forms of persecution for confessing Christ are prevented by law and condemned by public sentiment. But it doe~ not_follow that the course of a faithful Christian ia made easy. It is often beset with difficulty, broken, and uneven. Good men are II cast down;" and it is painful to have the skin grazed, even when the bones are not broken. Under such disappointing experiences feeble souls are apt to become more timid and more querulous, while bolder natures grow selfish and cynical, These OJL IV. 1-18.] THE SECOND EPISTLE TO THE CORINTHIANS. 111
!~et, if they h!l-ve been struck down when grsppling ':rith something to them imprac- ticable or forbidden, resolve to knock others down, and, 1f need be for their own interest trample on them. But natures that are sweet and sound ·1earn wisdom consideratio~ for others, and knowledge of themselves through hard experience. A~d hearts that trust in God have this joy in the worst defeat, that they are not they cannot be destroyed. Life is not wrecked by every trouble or by a score of tro~bles. A mistak~ may be the very making of a man, if he knows how to correct it. If the way is blocked in one direction, other paths are open. And if helpers fail and friends forsake God still lives. We do not, _indeed, conceal from ourselves that some overthrows can;ot be quite remedied in this world; some losses are irreparable on earth, just as some diseases are incurable. But no Christian needs to be inconsolable. If he be stripped of ever so much that he valued, his best treasure remains, and is above the reach of worldly vicissitude. There is a good part which shall not be taken away. Thus life is always worth living. For a brave man it cannot be utterly wrecked by misfortune. For a devout man it cannot be shattered, though once and again struck down to the ground. The good Shepherd restores the soul. But many are the uses of adversity. Remember your faults and correct them ; your mistakes, and avoid them; but do not waste time in vain regrets or temper in weak complaints. What purpose docs it serve to brood over disappointment and " feed with sighs the passing wind "? How much better to gird up yonr purpose and make the best of what is left to you of time, strength, and opportunity I You mny yet stand all the more firmly because of that casting down. The ill you have suffered may lead to higher good. "Though the outward man porish, thti inward man is renewed dny by day." Gou knows how to give- .. Secret refroshings that repair your strength. And fainting spirits uphold."