kind tbe.t must be done, It ie cowardly to shirk it. Cultivated people do not object t.o hard work for amuRement, e.g. rowing, Alpine climbing. Why should it be ehunnerl when it is useful? 2. Manual labour ia honourable. Any work done with a good purpose is honourable. The work uf the carpenter is often more honourable than that of the financier. The dirtiest work is not always done by the roughest hands. The crowding of the sons of working men into the ranks of clerks is not a healthy sign if it betokens a shame of honest toil. 3. Mar,ual labour is wholesome. The punish- ment of Adam is no curse. It is a blessing that man has to "eat his bread in the sweat of his face." While the early monks were busy, building, digging, weavi"g, monasticism presented a picture of pure Christian living. Riches brought superiority to physical industry, and corruption speedily followed. The best of Christ', apostles were working men.-W. F. A. Ver. 12.-0hristians before the world. In the previous verse St. Pan! hu been urging upon his readers the duty of quiet industry. He now gives two reasons for this advice-first, that they may walk honestly before the world ; and secondly, that they may have need of nothing. The apcstle turns to the same subject in bis Second Epistle. "If any mau will not work, neither let him eat," he says (2 Thess. iiL 10). God only provides for us when we cannot provide for ourselves; or, rather, be provides for us by helping us to provide for ourselves. He feeds the ravens by giving them strong wings and claws and beaks, and by providing them prey. But the birds must catch their quarry. We need not be anxious about the morrow if we are diligent in doing our own business. So much for the second reason for diligence. The first demands more extended inquiry, and may be taken by itself as a fertil., subject for meditation. We are to be diligent in our secular business in order that we may "walk honestly towards them that are without." I. CHRISTIANS OWE DUTIES TO TBE WOBLD. Christians have no right to trea& "them that are without" as outlaws. If we should pray for those who despitefuUy use us, much more should we treat them honestly. And if we are to be kind to our enemies, certainly we are required to be just to those who are not inimical to us. The Christian must pay his debts to an infidel. The temperate man most fulfil his ubli- gations to the drunkard. The spiritually minded man must be just to the worldly minded man. Christians shonld respect the rights of the heathen in foreign countries. IJ. THE WORLD .JUDGES CHRISTIANS ACCORDING TO THEIR DISCHARGE OF THESE DUTIES. These it can appreci;i.te. It knows nothing of the behaviour of Christians in the Church. It cares nothing for orthodox creeds or devout psalm-singing. But it can estimate the value of a thorough piece of work, and it can see the merit of a prompt payment. If we are wanting in these things, the world will only regard us as hypocrites when we make much of our religion in spiritual watte~d rightly, for if we are not honest men we cannot be saints. III. THE WORLD JUDGES OF CHRISTIANITY ACCORDING TO THE BXTERNAL CONDUCT OF CHRISTIANS IN THIS RESPECT. Here is a graver consideration. The honour of Christ is concerned. The defaulting Christian gives a shock to Christian evidences. One glaring instance of misconduct in secular affairs does more to hinder the progress of true religion than volumes of sermons can do to advance it. Even the negligent and idle Christian brings discredit on his Master. The Christian artisan should be known from the secularist by the greater diligence and thoroug:hness of bis work. IV, CHRISTIANS HAVE NO RIGHT TO EXPECT GOOD TREATMENT FROM TD WORLD UNLESS THEY BEHAVE HONESTLY TOWARDS IT. The Church at Thessalonica lived in constant dAngcr of an assault from the hostile heathen population of the city. It was most desirable that no shadow of an excuse should be given for an attack. Idleness, noisy restlessness, interference with other people, would provoke oppo,ition. Quiet industry was most safe. When a master found that the Christians were his best hands he would not be inclined to molest them. We shall best conciliate opponents and silence enmity an,! at last win respect by a quiet, unassuming, diligent discharge of our daily duty.-W. F. A.
Vere. 13, 14.-Sorrow for the dead lransfigured by the murrectiO'II of Chri.Jt. In ~be n11igh bourhood of Thessalonica-Salonica it is now called-there may be seen at the 100 THE FIRST EPISTLE TO THE THESSALONIANS. [oH. 1v. 1-111.