position is to be found in Metropolitan journalism. To become the medium for vending superior scandal at a high price is a lamentable side of the social scavenger, and differs only in this respect, that whilst "Dust ahoy" takes away the refuse and leaves the dwelling the cleaner, this journalism brings it to the drawing-room and spreads its defiling influence throughout the house.

Golden Snuffers and Snuff-dishes.-These were amongst the vessels of the Sanctuary. Pray, notice the absence of the extinguisher, you estimable folk who are so fond of putting people out. I remember to have heard Mr. Spurgeon remark on one occasion, "Some people search out an old Jew's shop, purchase a rusty iron extinguisher for 2d., and walk about with it as though their business in creation was to cover people up, and put them out." Bravo! Very good. Well, now, please observe that they were golden snuffers in God's sanctuary, and that their use was to remove the excrescence which attached to the wick, and hindered the shining of the light. I apprehend that it was the business of the priests, or Levites, to attend to the lights. Recognising, however, in this age the priesthood of the whole body of Christians, there is no argument against the liberty which all believers have to handle the snuffers. Only be careful that your object is to remove the excrescence from your brother's or sister's lamp, in order that it may shine the more brightly. If you do not intend this, drop the snuffers at once, please, or you will certainly get your fingers burnt and blackened, and really it will serve you right. But, now, if your motive is pure, carefully remove the excrescence, and rejoice in the shining produced. Stay, be mindful what you do with the snuff, for when severed from the wick it is a separate nuisance, and remember you produced the separation. See, there is the golden snuff-dish! If you observe you will find a little well of water at one end. The object is that you may at once drown and put out the offensive snuff, Now, it is just possible that you may have pleasure in a bad

smell. There is no accounting for taste; all I say is this, It is monstrous to carry in your hands an obnoxious snuff for everybody to smell. I fear that I know some persons who, instead of putting the snuff into the well, like to carry lighted and offensive snuffs about into other people's houses, in order that they may inform them of the latest thing in the way of scandal. I trust such will remember the legitimate use of the golden snuffers. They were never intended for such a disgraceful purpose.

An Unpleasant, but not Uncommon Character.— Look at him! poor old Discouragement, with back up and eyes down, looking up trouble until the whites of his eyes have taken on a similar hue to the wet blanket that old Dark-side constantly carries. Born in a November fog, in a low room, with a smoky chimney, he actually cried at being born at all; and thus took his first lesson in discouragement. A snarling schoolboy, with a spice of cruel hardness towards all the other boys, Discouragement developed. He knew everybody in the school that would get a "licking." "Ah, you'll catch it," was quite a worn phrase of his by the time he was fifteen. He never was a boy himself at all. He was promoted to the searleaf without any spring or summer-time. Grumbling and the manufacture of ill proverbs withered him up, until he stands as you see him, hugging his wet blanket, waiting to cover somebody else with it, all the while looking as pleased as though he had lost half-a-crown and found sixpence. "Never encourage nobody!" he grunts out; "Times is very bad"; "Hard winter a coming"; "Heaps o' people starving"; "“Coals from the very bowels of the earth being burnt up"; "As for men, don't believe in 'em, nor God neither"; "Every man for himself, I says"! "Marry? not if I know it," grumbled old Discouragement! "Call 'em helpmeets, I call 'em eatmeats; and then there's two to keep," he muttered, "and that means the workhouse. I'll tell you what," said the old wizened fellow, "I ain't a going to encourage nobody nohow, nowhere, neither now, nor in the future, if I know it."

Words of Encouragement.-How helpful these are. How they stimulate to mount the hill Difficulty. How they brace the thews and fling a wave of energy throughout the whole inner man, How many, inspired by cheering words, have faced the battle and fought the enemy until new victories crowned "the hindered way," The Mighty God Himself disdains not words of encouragement. Hearken to His inspiring sentences : "Be strong and very courageous;" "Quit ye like men;" "I will never leave thee, I will never forsake thee"; "So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me." These are but two or three flashings of inspiration from the mighty heart of our Lord. You who call yourselves men of God, are you imitators of God in this respect? How many weary ones have you inspired? How many toilers amid the heat and burden of the day have you encouraged? How many brave hearts, "faint yet pursuing," have you stimulated with the cup of your encouragement? Such words are welcome everywhere: in mission-field and home; to the preacher and the servant; the legislator and the workman; to the man of commerce and the child at school. Let us scatter inspiring words, brave thoughts, and deeds of encouragement. So shall we become endeared to thousands of weary toilers in the exhausting strife of life's ceaseless battle.

Understand the Meaning of Terms.—A builder was called in to repair some houses. The contract stated that any doors, window-sashes, etc., which should be renewed would be paid for. The work proceeded, certain door panels, windowframes, and sashes proved to be imperfect and decayed. The defective panels, beadings, and pieces of framing were made good. In due course the painting, graining, and finishing work was completed. I was present when the work underwent examination. The builder's account had been rendered, and an item appeared of so many pounds for renewing doors, sashes, etc. "Certainly not," said the architect on being appealed to;

"to repair is one thing, to renew quite another." In vain the builder expostulated. How well I remember the architect's words: "No, sir, your contract comprehends all repairs; go and get your dictionary and see what the word renew means. Had you taken away the old doors and window-sashes, and brought new ones, we would have paid you for them. Such is the meaning of the terms of your contract, and no amount of repairing will renew that which is old."

A Solemn Application of the Term "Renew."-The meaning of the term, as well as the necessity which exists for renewal in regard to the sinner, is very forcibly stated by the Apostle. These are his words: "That ye put off concerning the former life the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and the holiness of truth" (Eph. iv. 22-24). What a contrast! The corrupt and deceitful old man. The righteous and holy new man. The old man corrupt according to the deceitful lusts. The new man God's workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto good works. Hence it is written, If any man be in Christ he is a new creature (creation); old things have passed away and behold all things have become new" (2 Cor. v. 17). This is no mere patching up. It is not the sinner with the defective panel or framing taken away. The whole of the old man must give place to the reality, and incorruptibility, of the new man. God has nowhere promised to accept the sinner. That would be for light to accept darkness. For incorruption to accept corruption. For good to accept evil. "God accepteth no man's person," but of all who have received Christ it is written, "To the praise of the glory of His grace wherein He hath made us accepted in the beloved" (Eph. i. 6, 7).

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What a Startling Contrast.-Two men, utterly unlike each other and yet found dwelling together. One an old man,

the other a new man. One a corrupt man generated, the other a new man created. One of man's fashioning, the other of God's workmanship. One the result of man's will, the other the product of the Spirit of God. Though they dwell in the same house, they are utterly alien from one another; the strength of the one is the weakness of the other; the devotion of the one arouses the enmity of the other. Their aims are different; their motives a contrast; their objects intensely dissimilar. One dwells in the flesh, and corrupts it, by gratifying its tastes, appetites, and desires; the other dwells in the spirit, cleanses and purifies it. Self and selfish is the name and character of the one; "Not I, but Christ liveth in me," is the self-denying and true character of the other. One gets all he can and consumes it; the other gets all he may and imparts it. The one seeks for and centres all in himself, the other yields himself and all he has for others. The one says, I must get and see life; the other says, I must give and let others live. The Scripture describes these two men in Eph. iv. Here is the analysis. The old man is shown to be corrupt, deceitful, darkened in understanding, ignorant and hardened. The new man is declared to be God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus, after His glorious likeness fashioned in righteousness and the holiness of truth. Here is unlikeness indeed, perfect and complete. There can be no assimilation of these; no friendship between them. There ought to be none. The death of the one is the life of the other. The final putting off of the one is to be the glory and manifestation of the other. The righteousness of the one alone hinders the corruption of the other. The holiness of the one, the iniquity and final doom of the other. The spirit created after God must crucify the flesh, with its affections and lusts. No wonder it is written, "So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. But ye are not in the flesh but in the spirit, if so be the Spirit of God dwell in you." And this also, "Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of His. And if Christ be in you the body is dead (the flesh practically subdued), because of sin,