eventful life. It is almost the last doctrine which we hear announced before his country fell. It is the first which meets us as he recovers from the shock after all is over." "It is the special use of such critical calamities as that of the fall of Jerusalem, that they reveal to us the absolute independence of man from man; the truth that we are not merely parts of a long chain of circumstances which cannot be broken, but that we must each live for himself and die for himself." This vision shows us, (4) The horizon of the future of the Jews was streaked with light. He avers in God's name, "Then shall they know." The teaching here from all this for us, and especially for all ministers of God's Word, is very clear. Here we have,— I. THE TRUE WATCHMAN'S VISION OF HIS OWN WORK. He sees (1) It entails great responsibility on himself. No watchman in the time of a city's siege has such momentous issues in his power. Failure of duty here is nothing less than "bloodguiltiness." He sees his work (2) involves the greatest results to his hearers. They can so be influenced by him that their souls "may surely live and not die." He sees his work (3) utters the emotions of God. Jesus alone can fully reveal the heart of God; through the eternal Son the Father unbosoms Himself to His children. But in a degree all true teachers from God have this mission. Tears should fill the eye, tenderness quiver on the lip, sympathy pulse in the whole being of those who have to utter the infinite yearning of God, "Turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways, for why will ye die, O house of Israel?" He sees his work (4) proclaims both the hope and the method of men's improvement. The hope is in God, the method is from God. The hope is in His call and promise of love; the method is in-(a) penitence, "pine" for sins; (8) return; (v) pardon, "none of his sins shall be mentioned;" (8) rectitude, "doing righteousness." II. THE TRUE WATCHMAN'S VISION OTHERS. He is emphatically the Seer. OF THE CONDUCT OF to gaze steadily, reverently, intelligently, at the truth of God he has to reveal to men, he has to look bravely, fixedly, tenderly, at the condition and character of men. The old English watchman, to whom the care of our streets by night was formerly entrusted, often uttered in his hourly cry of All right," what was indeed a sorrowful satire. For under the pall of night what concealed felons, what secret assassins, were plotting their cruelty and wrong! And staggering through those very streets what dehumanized drunkards, what broken-hearted wives at home, made that watchman's cry of "All right," hollow and false! No such misleading watchman must be ours. In his vision of the conduct of others, the true watchman sees (1) The gross sins of many of them. Such moral enormities as Ezekiel saw are still under the eye of any earnest man who seeks to contend with the sins of the city, and of the Church, and of the home. He sees (2) The hypocrisy of many more. The cloak of the hypocrite's profession, the words of flattery that trifle with himself, fail to mislead the true preacher. Two things are here suggested about such listeners to the truth. (a) Many are interested in hearing, without caring to practise. It is as though they observed and knew accurately all about the wind and the tide, but never made a voyage. Such hearers are pleased with the music that falls upon their ear; but they fail to learn the melodies of purity, the harmonies of true life-service. (B) Such hearers will be terribly disappointed in the future. The day will dawn when those who have been "hearers of the word, and not doers" will awake to the knowledge about their teacher and minister, "He was a prophet, not a mere songster, an ambassador charged with the conditions of our destiny, not a mere actor contributing to our passing pleasure." Yes; the spiritual watchman has to tell not only of the dangers of the night, but of the coming of the day,-a day that shall dawn as a millennium on the good, a day of horror and dismay, and revelation of retributions to the hypocrite. "Lo! it will come, then shall they know a prophet has been among them." Bristol. URIJAH R. THOMAS. The Preacher's Finger-Post. Subject: THE MORAL HIS- | emphatically, the CHIEF LOVE. TORY OF THE SOUL. Whatever man loves most, is his spiritual monarch, the deity of his life. The chief love of some is money. The God of such is mammon. They love him with all their heart, mind, soul, and strength; and serve him with a loyalty and devotion amounting to enthusiasm. The chief love of others is pleasure. By pleasure, I mean sensual indulgence. "Their god is their belly." The epicure, the voluptuary, the debauchee, all are devotees of this god: the body is their sovereign lord and king. The chief love of others is power. To get an ascendency over others, to climb some social altitude that shall attract the attention, command the homage and service of their contemporaries, this is their inspiration. Ambition-cruel, bloody ambition -is their god. The chief love of others is dogma. There are those who have either formed for themselves or accepted from others а certain opinion or set of opinions, either in politics, science, or religion. These dogmas become their god, they fashion them into an intellectual image, cold and stiff as marble; this image is their deity. For this god | channel, the faculties blend they will work themselves to death; and for this they will forge the chain and kindle the flames of martyrdom. These are some of the gods that are mighty in England to-day. Strangely enough, we send out men to battle against polytheism abroad, whilst polytheism is rampant in our own land. Here we have the soul under the sway II. Of ONE GOD. " 'By Thee only will we make mention of Thy name," or, as some render it, "Henceforth Thee, Thy name will we celebrate," They had left heathen altars, and come back to the altar of Jehovah. What a blessed change from many masters to one, and therefore free from spiritual distraction. From worthless masters to the supremely good, and therefore realizing all that the soul craves for or requires. First: The rule of this one God is the rule of right. The soul with all its powers and possibilities belongs to Him. "All souls are His," etc. Reason and conscience recognize the righteousness of His reign. Secondly: The rule of this one God, is the rule of peace. From the moral constitution of man no peace of soul can be experienced under the sway of any other. Under no other will the various sympathies flow into one in harmonious action, the heart fix itself in a centre. Thirdly: The rule of this one God, is the rule of growth. Can vegetation grow and flourish under the reign of stars, however numerous or brilliant? No; it must have the empire of the sun. And can the soul advance under the sway of any finite powers, however illustrious? No; it must have the rule of God, the "Sun of Righteousness." This then is the right and blessed state of the soul. The state of loving subjection to the one true and living God. Here we have the soul. III. PASSING FROM THE SWAY OF THE MANY TO THE ONE. ‘O Lord our God, other lords besides Thee have had dominion over us; but by Thee only will we make mention of Thy name.” It is supposed that when these words were uttered, the emancipated exiles were on their way to their fatherland and approaching Jerusalem the Holy City. The journey, we are informed, took them four long months to accomplish. Now, the passing from the sway of the many to the one, is that great moral experience which is represented in the New Testament as a new birth, a resurrection, a conversion, a repentance, etc. To accomplish this in man, is the grand end of Christ's mediation and the leading purpose of the Gospel ministry. Paul, writing to the Thessalonians, "He says, turned from idols to serve the living and true God." CONCLUSION: Brother, in which stage in this moral history is thy soul? It must be in one or other. Art thou under the reign of false deities? Have "other lords had dominion over thee? Of all conditions this is the most lamentable. The tyranny of these gods will grow more merciless and mighty the longer thou yieldest to their rule. Art thou in the second stage? Is the Supremely Good thy moral sovereign? Then thy condition is one of righteousness, peace, and growth. Art thou in the third stage, viz : that of transition, passing from the many to the one ? Then struggle on, and Heaven help thee! If thou hast left Babylon, cease not in thy efforts, until thou treadest the streets of the heavenly Jerusalem. this word, Yet once more, signifieth the removing of those things that are shaken, as of things that are made, that those things which cannot be shaken may remain. Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear: For our God is a consuming fire."- HEBREWS xii. 25-29. OUR subject is the voice of God in the vicissitudes of Humanity. What is here said respecting this voice? I. THAT IT IS VARIOUSLY UTTERED IN DIFFERENT AGES. 66 to God spake at one time on earth," referring Sinai; now He speaks "from heaven." The same Speaker, the same voice, but uttered at different times and in different tones. God speaks on earth in two general ways. First: Natural. Everything around, above, within, us is a book-a Divine revelation. Secondly: Supernatural. He made supernatural communications before Christ, by Christ, and after Christ. To all these communications we should pay profound and Therepractical attention. fore take care we turn not away from "Him that speaketh,' etc. Listen to His voice both as it comes from earth naturally, and from heaven supernaturally. It is said, II. THAT THE VOICE OF GOD THUS UTTERED, CREATES GREAT CHANGES IN THE INSTITUTIONS |