your lessons; run that message for father; do that little bit of work for mother; show kindness to that timid scholar just come to school, or who is neglected or ill-treated by other scholars; read your Bible; pray to God;—and you will make well the tale of bricks which is required of you.

II. THOSE WHO HANKER AFTER THE SCARCE RATHER THAN USE THE PLENTIFUL. The Israelites, do their best, could not get enough of "stubble." That is the way of many people under the tyrants of their vanity and scorn. The good "straw" of plain food and warm clothing, and humble but true friendships and honest work, is beside them in plenty, but they are miserable without luxuries and fine dresses and grand acquaintances and high positions. Oh, use the plentiful "straw" that God has provided for you, and do not pull and nibble at that wretched "stubble."

III. THOSE WHO DESPISE WHAT OTHERS CAN TELL THEM, AND START AFRESH AS IF NONE HAD EVER LIVED AND WORKED BEFORE.

The straw is cut and carted for them, but they must go to the fields and pull short stubble for themselves. Their parents tell them how to do and what to avoid. God's Word has gathered "straw" for them from a thousand bounteous fields; but the foolish boy thinks that they know nothing, and that he must find out everything for himself. He will find at last that, with all his labour and suffering, he has been gathering "stubble instead of straw." "Hear counsel and receive instruction, that thou mayest be wise in thy latter end."

“LET THERE BE MORE WORK LAID UPON THE MEN, THAT THEY LABOUR THEREIN; AND LET THEM NOT REGARD VAIN WORDS"

(Exod. v. 9).

MOSES and Aaron have petitioned Pharaoh, on behalf of their brethren, to be allowed to go into the wilderness to sacrifice to God. Pharaoh sees in this request only the vain craving of visionaries who had too much time on their hands, and did not know how to use it; and so he says, "Let there be more work laid upon the men," &c.

I. HOW THE WORLD REGARDS EARNEST RELIGION. It is all idleness and "vain words." If religion would but keep within the regulations of the world's taskmasters-unquestioning labour, fashion, custom, &c.-it might be humoured, if barely respected; but when it wants to go out into the wilderness to sacrifice to the Lord, when it claims its own indefeasible rights and God's, it is to be laughed at, maligned, resisted, persecuted. It may hop within the cage but must not fly.

1. The OBJECTS of religion are regarded as vain. To have peace with God, to serve God, to have communion with Him, to secure a good hope-it is all "vain words," leading people's thoughts and energies away from things substantial. And yet life has nothing substantial in it at all without religion. It is like spinning yarn which never makes a web; journeying, journeying, without knowing of a home.

2. The EXERCISES of religion are regarded as vain. What profit is there if we pray unto Him?" Do not the seasons come and go, good and bad; does not trade obey its laws; do not the same proportions in our hospitals die and live; do not thrift and capacity succeed, &c., with prayer or without it, with religion or none? All things happen alike to all. Now all this is much the same as saying, "Does not the rain fall and the sun shine on the garden, whether the flowers are alive or dead? Does not the train whirl on, whether carrying the child to his home, or the culprit to his doom? Is not the shell large and sound, whether filled with kernel or dust?

3. The EXPERIENCES of religion are regarded as vain. Joy in God, faith, hope, &c., they are all "vain words." Now, there is some common ground of observation between the Christian and the infidel or worldling to help them to arrive at conclusions regarding the objects and exercises of religion; but in the matter of the experiences of the Christian there is absolutely no such ground. You and I may hear the same words, but you cannot read my thoughts and emotions while hearing them. The mother and the stranger may read the same letter from her long-lost son, but the stranger cannot intermeddle with her joy. The natural man perceiveth not the things of the Spirit of God. They are foolishness unto him, but so is all wisdom to a fool. "Oh, taste and see that God is good."

II. THE WORLD'S CURE FOR EARNEST AND, AS IT DEEMS, IMPRACTICABLE RELIGION. "Let there be more work laid upon the men." Read books that amuse, to cure your foolish concern; go to the theatre. One way or another get more engrossed in the world. That is, If God rebukes you and seeks to win you, drown His voice in the thousand voices of work, business, pleasure, gaiety. If the precipice which you are nearing alarms you, walk backward!

Oh no! Listen not to the cheerless, fatal counsels. This is no "vain" thing unto you, for it is your life. God's calls to repentance, faith, obedience, hope, are real. The "feast in the wilderness" is real; the land of promise to which He beckons you is real. Whether Pharaoli coax, or mock, or threaten, or persecute, or slay, let not the high demand on your behalf be lessened or compromised: "Let My people go, that they may serve Me."

VOL. III.

I

"I WILL BRING YOU OUT"
(Exod. vi. 6).

WHAT Moses, the servant of the Lord, was incapable of doing, that was easy to his Divine Master. Israel was a nation of bondsmen, with little aspiration to desire, and with little power to achieve emancipation. But it was the Lord's intention that Israel should be delivered, and what His counsels purpose His power performs. It is the same with moral and spiritual emancipation; God's grace and might alone can bring it to pass. It was

I. THE BONDAGE AND THE BURDEN ARE PRESUMED. from an oppressive and prolonged slavery that Israel was delivered. An emblem of the disastrous slavery into which Satan brought and in which Satan held the children of men. No bodily bondage, no political thraldom, can be equal in horror to spiritual slavery; and this slavery is none the less really such because it is only partially felt, or not at all confessed, by its wretched victims.

This purpose

II. THE PURPOSE OF DELIVERANCE IS DIVINE. was formed when there was no eye to see and no hand to save. It was in pursuance of counsels long since formed that the God of Israel, the Lord of Hosts, effected His people's emancipation. It is the same with the great redemption of mankind. We owe this not to the regard and benevolence of a man, but to the wisdom and love of God. It was in the fulness of the time that God sent forth His Son.

III. GOD'S IS THE METHOD OF SALVATION. Jehovah brought forth Israel with a high hand and a stretched-out arm. He chose Moses to be the leader of the exodus. He exercised superhuman power in confounding the enemies of His people and in making a sure pathway for His emancipated host. In like manner, when mankind was to be delivered from the chains of sin, God sent forth His Son, invested Him with all power, and wrought through Him a great salvation. The circumstances of our Lord's ministry, and especially of His death and resurrection, were such as to witness that it was the Lord who through Christ was bringing His people out.

IV. THERE IS A DIVINE AIM AND END IN MAN'S DELIVERANCE. What was the intention of Jehovah in bringing His people out? It was to make of them a nation; it was to bring them into their promised land. And when God ransomed and liberated humanity by Him who was mighty to save, who was greater than Moses, it was to constitute a spiritual state and kingdom, and to discipline and fit the enfranchised race for the possession and enjoyment of an eternal inheritance.

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The Sunday Mert before Easter.

EPISTLE.

"TOOK UPON HIM THE FORM OF A SERVANT"

(Phil. ii. 7).

;

A GREAT doctrine is shown to lie at the basis of a simple virtue. Humility is becoming to man, but it is binding upon a Christian for the Christian is the follower of Him who, though Lord of glory, deigned to become servant of all.

I. CHRIST'S SERVITUDE A CONTRAST TO HIS PROPER AND NATIVE POWER AND GLORY. As the Word of God, the Son of God, Jesus Christ was of right and by nature entitled to universal honour and obedience. Moreover, in character He was perfectly pleasing to God; in fellowship He was one with God. All the more wonderful that He should condescend to the servant's form and ministry.

II. CHRIST'S VOLUNTARY SERVITUDE WAS PROVED BY MOST SIG

NIFICANT FACTS.

I. In His assumption of human nature; for this in itself was humiliation.

2. In His lowly estate in human life. He was dependent for daily bread upon the labour of His hands or the liberality of His friends.

3. In His devoted labours on behalf of men. "I," said He with unquestionable justice, "am among you as he that serveth."

"He

4. In His submission to insult, cruelty, and death. learned obedience by the things which He suffered." He died the death of a slave.

5. In all this He did the Father's will, and pleased Him alway.

"A servant's form Thou didst assume,

And with delight the law obey;

Thou didst endure amazing pain,
While all our sorrows on Thee lay."

III. CHRIST'S PURPOSE IN TAKING UPON HIM THIS YOKE OF SERVITUDE. There was high reason and motive in this amazing condescension of Immanuel.

1. Thus He enjoyed the Father's approval.

2. Thus He procured the adoption and salvation of those · whose nature He assumed, whose lot He accepted, whose death He died. He, though God's Son, became a servant, that we, though God's servants, might become His sons.

3. Thus He rose to a universal spiritual empire. He, through sacrifice and redemption, came to enjoy the name above every name, to acquire sovereignty over all created beings, to give laws to the spiritual universe.

4. Thus He gratified His own benevolent heart. It was for "the joy that was set before Him" that He consented to bear the cross.

"THE NAME OF JESUS"
(Phil. ii. 10).

CHRIST is named for us. God names Him: "This is My beloved Son; " " He shall be called Jesus." And thus He appoints Him to His great work. Christ names Himself: "I am the Good Shepherd," "the True Vine," &c. Christ fully enters into the purposes of the Father, and on His great and varied work. And the believer out of his experince gives names to Christ. He thus sets his seal to the testimony that God is true, and Christ precious. There is a repetition and a fond variation in the names by which the believer calls Christ, which seems to say, "The half has not been told." A name means literally what is known of any one. Christ, as the named one, is the revelation of God. The Jews had one sacred name for God, which, as it were, was only a hint of the true name, for they dared not pronounce or write it fully out. But Christ's name is written in full, spoken with fondness and joy: "The only Beloved, who is in the bosom of the Father, He hath declared Him." Christ has one name, and He has many

names.

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I. CHRIST HAS ONE NAME. "The name of Jesus; There is no other name given," &c. We need this unity, this compendium. When there is a vague and all-pervading sense of need, we must have one name on which we can lay hold, as the very horns of the altar, to give perfect satisfaction and rest. The word "father" or "mother" includes in hours of weakness and need all that the child pines and yearns for. It is in itself the perfect, fathomless prayer. So "the name of Jesus," that is, Saviour. This name is a strong tower, a rich table, undying hope. "How sweet the name of Jesus sounds!