been taught to consider in what true greatness consists, the men that have never risen in thought and sympathy above the material and the dying, that attach the idea of greatness to money. As you educate a people in moral truth this blind cringing to wealth will decrease. But the honor of the other man will increase in proportion as society is enlightened, as humanity is elevated. A new class of heroes is coming up, is being enrolled in the true book of everlasting fame. Chieftains and barons, ere long, whatever their claims on our applause, if they have not virtue, will sink into contempt and oblivion. But the man of God, whatever his worldly station, will be honored by the true of every land and of all coming time.

III. THE HAPPINESS OF THE ONE IS FROM WITHOUT, THAT OF THE OTHER IS FROM WITHIN.

First: The happiness that springs from without is sensational, the other spiritual. The pleasure of the wicked rich man is simply that of a brute. It springs from the gratifications of his appetite, and the mere titilation of his nerves. His soul is never thrilled with devout gratitude, or fired with holy love. But the happiness of the other is spiritual. He delights in God, he is gladdened by hope, he is raised above the troubles of time, because lost in the joys of eternity.

Secondly: The happiness that springs from without is selfish, the other generous. With the ungodly man everything is for self. Self is the orbit and atmosphere of all his thoughts and affections. He is an utter stranger to generous selfforgetfulness. He is preparing for that doom set forth in the words, "He that seeketh his life shall lose it," &c. The other asks of God, "What wilt thou have me to do"? looks round on his fellow men and feels "all we are brethren." The atmosphere of universal love is his vital air, and it is full of health, all sunshine, and vocal with enchanting melodies.

Thirdly: The happiness that springs from without decreases, the other is ever heightening. Two things go from the sinner. The sources of his happiness, and his susceptibility. A thou

sand contingencies may rob him of the former, death will surely deprive him of it; disease may, and certainly take from him the latter.

age will

Review our remarks and then determine, which even in this world has the better position-whether it is not true that "a little that a righteous man hath, is better than the riches of many wicked." Is it not time for us to learn

the doctrine, that even for earth there is something better than property-something more real, more honorable, more gladdening-and that is a free, loving, genial, godly

soul.

Although our argument is complete now, it may be well to refer to the future: and concerning the two cases under notice, I remark (1) That the one has no interest in the future, the other has. The rich sinner feels that the distant future is a terrible and inevitable calamity, and so far from having any interest in it, he banishes all thoughts of it from his mind as unwelcome, distracting, intruders. But the pious poor man, looks away from the wants of earth to the plenty of heaven, from the hovel of earth to his home in the skies. He anticipates the hour when the mortal shall be swallowed up in a blessed immortality. (2) The one has no friend in the future, the other has. In all the trials of earth, friends are hailed to sympathize and cheer, but in perdition the remorseful sinner will join with Dives in praying that his brothers may not come to him. The pious poor man anticipates the future as the scene of the holiest, the most ennobling, and the tenderest friendships. Saints, angels, Christ, these will he mingle with, in uninterrupted, perfect, communion. (3) The one has no joys in the future, the other has. When the possessions, the wealth, the sensual gratifications, that alone could yield him happiness are gone, of course the sinner will be doomed to a joyless existence. But with the Christian it is otherwise. His capabilities for happiness will increase, his resources will multiply, when he dwells "in the presence of God where there is fulness of joy, and at his right hand where there are pleasures for evermore."

In conclusion, there are from this subject lessons for several classes. A word to good men with property. Sirs, your situation is one of great mercy and great trust, you have the means of conferring on others incalculable benefits. You have opportunities for improving your own mind that a poor man has not ;-you ought to be intelligent. You have opportunities for disciplining your heart, that a poor man has not; you ought to be models of holy living, of generous bountifulness. You have opportunities for doing good that a poor man has not; you ought to be pre-eminently useful. Oh that men who have property and profess religion, would render their means subservient to the promotion of truth and righteusness! The wealth of the church is immense; let it be more unselfishly laid on her altar, and what a change would soon be manifested in the moral condition of the race.

A word to men who have property, but no religion. However much you may boast of your wealth, thinking men regard you as poor. However much you may be conscious of your own greatness, there is not a man who can cherish true respect for you, unless you develop some noble trait of character. Many of the best regard you as among the base and degraded. Remember that soon you will be stripped of all the trappings of wealth, all the joys that flow from riches, and you will pass, a disembodied spirit, into the great eternity. "Lay up for yourselves treasures, in heaven" &c.

A word to the pious poor. Do not repine at your condition. Banish for ever the idea that because you have not wealth, you are dealt hardly with in this world. There are many things, even apart from piety, far better than wealth. Health is better than wealth. Would you not sooner be a healthy man in a cottage, than a diseased king upon a throne? Each of the senses is better than any amount of wealth. Would you not sooner be a humble laborer, enjoying the full use of all your senses, than dwell in the greatest opulence without the power of vision? Intellect is better than wealth. Would you not rather have a mind capable of

grasping the universal, and sympathizing with the beautiful and the good everywhere, than live in palaces and wander on acres of your own with a dwarfed soul. If God has given thee but one grain of good brain, more than he has to thy rich neighbour, is not that of more value to thee, than all the acres of the globe? Knowledge is better than wealth. Would you not rather have your intellect richly stored with the facts of universal history, the scenes of various countries, the principles of Divine government, than own a continent, with a weak, an empty mind? Friendship is better than wealth. To possess the love of a true heart, the sympathy of a noble soul, is better than to be a desolate millionaire. But godliness is better than all. Do not therefore envy the rich. Rise to that altitude of spirit that will enable thee to mourn over the poverty of princes, and weep over the degradation of kings.

A word to the young.

Get at the outset of life true ideas
Do not be carried away

of human nobility and happiness.

"Get wisdom and with "Be not envious of the "Take

by that passion for wealth which is the inspiration of the masses of this age. Get true riches. all thy getting get understanding." foolish when you see the prosperity of the wicked.” heed and beware of covetousness, for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth." Do not strive after the tinselled things without thee my young brother, but labor to embody in thy life the Divine ideal which ever and anon flashes on the mirror of thy conscience. "Dare be poor." If poverty is thy destiny exult in it. The greatest souls have ever thrived in poverty. The giant oaks of the race have ever grown in the soil of secular privation. "Wealth," says Richter, "bears heavier on talent than poverty." Under gold mountains and thrones, who knows how many spiritual giants may be crushed down and buried? When among the flames of youth, and above all of hotter powers as well, the oil of riches is also poured in ;-little will remain of the Phoenix but his ashes!

The Genius of the Gospel.

ABLE expositions of the Gospel, describing the manners, customs, and localities alluded to by the inspired writers; also interpreting their words, and harmonizing their formal discrepancies, are, happily, not wanting amongst us. But the eduction of its WIDEST truths and highest suggestions is still a felt desideratum. To some attempt at the work we devote these pages. We gratefully avail ourselves of all exegetical helps within our reach; but to occupy our limited space with any lengthened archæological, geographic, or philological, remarks, would be to miss our aim ;— which is not to make bare the mechanical process of scriptural study, but to reveal its spiritual results.

SECTION SIXTY-FOURTH :-Matt. xix. 1-12.

:

"And it came to pass, that when Jesus had finished these sayings, he departed from Galilee, and came into the coasts of Judea beyond Jordan; and great multitudes followed him; and he healed them there. The Pharisees also came unto him, tempting him, and saying unto him, is it lawful for a man to put away his wife for every cause? And he answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female, and said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife and they twain shall be one flesh? Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let no man put asunder. They say unto him, why did Moses then command to give a writing of divorcement, and to put her away? He saith unto them, Moses, because of the hardness of your hearts, suffered you to put away your wives but from the beginning it was not so. And I say unto you, whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery; and whoso marrieth her which is put away doth commit adultery. His disciples said unto him, if the case of the man be so with his wife, it is not good to marry. But he said unto them, all men cannot receive this saying, save they to whom it is given. For there are some eunuchs, which were so born from their mother's womb; and there are some eunuchs, which were made eunuchs of men; and there be eunuchs, which have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven's sake. He that is able to receive it let him receive it."

SUBJECT:-Marriage.

MARRIAGE is an institution of God; it accords with the dictates of nature and the laws of inspiration. It is coeval with human society, it was an essential ingredient in the happiness of happy Eden. It heightened, it perfected,