The second mark is-"the Bible is in his hand." It is in his hand, as the subject of his ministry, as that great theme on which he loves to dwell, as the storehouse from which he brings out "things new and old," of those "mysteries of the kingdom" of which he is "the well-instructed scribe." And, moreover, the Bible is in his hand. It is not kept in his study-it is not locked up in his closet; he is neither ashamed of "the whole counsel of God," nor does he "shun to declare" it; nor does he think it right that the people should be ignorant of God's Book. He does not, therefore, keep it shut up in any tongue which the unlearned cannot comprehend; he does not say that it is a book which the common people should not read, nor have brought before them; but, because the Bible is meant for all, and he would give the Bible to all, therefore it is one mark of the Christian minister, that the Bible is in his hand.

The third mark is "the law of truth is upon his lips." The Christian minister is not to be afraid of man; he is to "speak boldly, as he ought to speak ;” he is to speak, remembering that he is to give account, not to people here, but to God above; he is, therefore, not to speak as pleasing men, but as pleasing that great Being who searcheth the hearts. "The law of truth is upon his lips," because he speaks all truth; not some part of truth, not keeping back unpalatable truth, but acting under a law. The law of truth guides the words which he speaks, implying that there is no deceit in them. It is not by any "old wives' fables;" it is not by any cunningly devised scheme of priestcraft, that the Christian minister hopes to advance his end; but he speaks plainly, he speaks sincerely, and with all true simplicity. Therefore it is that the "law of truth is" said to be "upon his lips."

The fourth mark is, that "the world is behind his back;" showing that a Christian minister has a real

contempt for the world. It is "behind his back,”—a thing for which he cares not, a thing which has in his mind no estimation. And it points out, also, that by him the world is forgotten. So should it be with every Christian minister. We say not that it is so actually with all; they are men of like passions with others, and the world has the same attractions for them that it has for other Christians; but this is one feature of the character of a Christian minister, towards which every minister ought to aspire-that the world is despised and forgotten, "is behind him," is not an object of his contemplation or of his ambition. The fifth mark is, that "he stands as if he pleaded with men." Oh! how earnest ought to be the Christian minister! Can he speak coldly, or carelessly, or as if he did not feel what he is saying, who has realized the value of a soul immortal, who has comprehended in his glance a world lying in wickedness, who has thought of that awful time when "the dead small and great shall stand before God's tribunal, and of thousands "perishing for lack of knowledge"? And when he thinks of some unconverted within his church, beneath his eye, and listening to the sounds of his voice, must he not, impelled by a shuddering awe of that judgment which is awaiting them, and by deep, fervent longings for their souls' salvation, stand as if he pleaded with men? And so said the apostleKnowing the terrors of the Lord, we persuade

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The sixth mark is-"The crown in view." A crown of pure gold is, as it were, hanging over the Christian minister's head. There is the summit of his ambition, to have a crown of glory," when the chief Shepherd shall appear. There is "the prize of his high calling"-a crown not glittering with earthly lustre, but radiant with heaven's eternal glory. Would that it were always so-that every minister were thus thinking only of that eternal reward-that thoughts

of earth and of earthly ambition never pervaded and never inspired his mind! This ought to be the mark of every Christian minister--that the crown he seeks is a crown laid up for those who are "faithful unto death."

Here, then, you have some marks of a Christian minister-some features of that character which ought to be found in every true spiritual guide.

II. The second vision is that of the Law and the Gospel contrasted. And what does the law? It reveals the state of the soul, and it raises, when that revelation is made, a fearful tumult within the anxious mind. Clouds clouds of fears, clouds of doubts, clouds of sins rise up, and fill the chamber of the soul. But the law, although it has raised that internal tumult, cannot allay it; it has produced it, but it cannot tranquillize it; it can show the sinner that he is a sinner, and make him realize with full force his state of depravity, a consciousness of his guilt, and the fearfulness of impending wrath; but it cannot point out the way of happiness, of safety, and of peace-it cannot allay that storm.

And then grace comes, and gently, with the rich dews of the Spirit bedewing the heart, allays the storm, tranquillizes the soul, and in so doing cleanses it and makes it pure. How beautiful the portraiture, then, of the Law and Gospel beheld in contrast! The law is necessary and useful; the value and efficacy of grace would never have been known, if it were not for the previous work of the law. "I had not known sin," said the apostle, "but by the law;" that is, ‘I should never have felt myself to be a sinner, if God's law had not put it before me; I should have thought myself upright, holy and without sin, if God had not revealed to me the purity, the rigour, and the uprightness of His law. So that "when the law came sin revived," that is, sin rose up, and showed itself to be sin-"and I died." And this is all the law

can do; this is all that it was meant to do. But it prepares for grace; it is, therefore, useful and necessary. You must have law work before you can have grace work; you must have the storm raised within your soul, before grace can come, to tranquillize it and to make it holy.

How needful it is, then, that this should be comprehended by the young believer, at the beginning of his Christian course! He hitherto knows more about law than he does about grace. He has realized more of the consciousness of sin, than he has of the preciousness of the Saviour, and the efficacy of the Saviour's grace. He has come just to this point: the chamber of his soul has been swept, as by the besom of the law-a fearful tumult has been roused, and he stands in dismay, and astonishment, and fear, asking, "How shall the storm be quelled?" And when he learns that it is grace which does this-the grace of a Saviour's love, the grace of a Saviour's atonement, the grace of the Holy Spirit's operations in the soul-he has learned much; he has come a step nearer Christ; he has learned to prize that Saviour's love and that Saviour's work.

III. The third vision is, the Work of Patience. The young Christian will at first have many temptations to discontent. He will expect, as we have been just saying, all to be bright, all to be serene, all to be triumphant. He is to journey towards heaven as on beds of roses. He does not take into account the many dangers and difficulties that may arise-or, if they have come across his mind, he thinks of them as things easily to be overcome, as things which in his present joyful state of mind will be as nothing. And when new temptations approach, when he discerns that so far from there being nothing but roses, he will have more thorns strewing his Christian paththat, so far from everything being pleasant here, he will have to acknowledge that it is through much

tribulation that he is entering the kingdom-there is danger of discontent entering his mind. He will begin to think, Where is the blessedness I thought of? and he will say to himself, Oh! that it were

PATIENCE AND PASSION.

with me as in times past, when the candle of the Lord shined upon me! why is it not now shining upon my head? why am I not now able to experience