Prayer was then offered by Mr. GAWIN KIRKHAM, Secretary of the Open-Air Mission.

The Rev. W. PENNEFATHER said: "I want to read to you one or two petitions for prayer, and I feel as I hold this paper in my hand that it will meet with a response in every heart in this assembly. Our prayers are asked for the widow of the late Bishop of Carlisle, that the heart which has been so sorely stricken may be healed, and that their children may be made partakers of that faith which was given to their dear father. Pray also for our widowed Queen, and for all the members of the Royal family.

Also for our villages, hamlets, country towns, farm houses, stray cottages, as well as for our great cities, that God would work while yet it is called to-day.

Also for open-air labourers, and that the seed which has been scattered during the summer may spring up and bear fruit a hundred-fold in many hearts, to the glory of the Name of Jesus.

Pray for all true workers in God's vineyard who labour in the open air.

Pray that all Christ's people, in whatever position of life they may be found, whether high or low, may testify, in the position in which God has placed them, of the Saviour; that they may be to their brothers, sisters, husbands, wives, relatives and friends, witnesses for Jesus; that they may have courage and power to confess His name amongst their immediate associates.

Pray for the large school at Brighton, St. Mary's Hall, for the daughters of the clergy, founded by Mr. Elliot, and watched over by his son, Mr. Julius

Elliot, who, at the early age of 27, was taken suddenly away by an accident. Pray for this school, and for schools generally throughout the land,—young ladies' schools, and boys' schools,—that the power of God's Spirit might work amongst the young.

Pray especially in behalf of a country parish in Oxfordshire, where there are many active adversaries of the Gospel of Christ, but where it has pleased God to give proof of His favour-that if it is His will the enemies of Christ may be won, and that much more abundant fruit may be seen from the efforts made.

The three first verses of the 5th Special Hymn was then sung:

"Come ye yourselves apart,—and rest awhile.”—Mark vi. 31.

"O God of glorious majesty,
Messiah King of Grace,
Unveil to us thy loveliness
And let us see Thy face.

Obedient to Thy loving voice,
We've turned aside awhile,
To rest beside Thy guiding feet
And bask beneath Thy smile.

Oh! nerve us for the conflict, Lord,

That thickens day by day,

And in the midst of alien foes,

Thy banner to display!"

The Rev. W. HASLAM, Rector of Buckenham, then spoke :

Beloved Friends,-If you will observe the words of the notice of our subject, you will see that it is not

Christ the infinitely holy and eternal Son of God, or Christ the suffering Substitute upon the cross, but it is Christ anointed with the Holy Ghost, our Example. The Lord calls us to holiness; without holiness no man shall see the Lord, and we are bidden to be holy, even as He is holy. But, of course, not as to the infiniteness of His holiness. We are not called to follow Christ as a suffering Substitute; He trod that winepress alone. We are, indeed, called to suffer with Him, as the Apostle Paul tells us. It is our privilege not only to believe on His name, but to suffer for His sake. But He, the loving One, suffered for sin, and if we suffer, we are called to suffer for righteousness, not for sin. We never suffer for sin in the way that Jesus suffered. Therefore in that respect He is not our Example. But Jesus anointed with the Holy Ghost. Ah, blessed be His name, dear friends, we are called to the very same anointing with which Jesus Christ Himself was anointed.

It was a threefold anointing. In the 3rd chapter of St. Luke we see how Jesus came to John to be baptized, and at His baptism the first anointing of the Holy Ghost came down upon Him, and at that anointing there was a voice from heaven which claimed Him, owned Him, accepted Him, saying, "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." The Lord Jesus came here, He laid aside His glory, He took our nature, He offered Himself to His Father for a great work, to redeem the world, to redeem poor fallen man, to overcome our enemies; He was manifested on purpose to destroy the enemy of our souls,

and the power of the enemy; He was anointed with the Holy Ghost for this purpose. He is owned of God, He offered Himself a Sacrifice, and the fire came down from heaven to accept that sacrifice. Then, again, we have the Holy Ghost leading Jesus into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil; to begin the work of the ministry, by glorifying God in overcoming the powers that stood in the way of His glory. And then we find Him, in the third place, anointed again, acknowledging His anointment, acknowledging that He has been anointed to preach the Gospel to the poor. As we heard just now, the eyes of all in the synagogue were fastened on Him whilst He spake gracious words unto the people, and in those words He expounded to them not only the meaning of the text that He had read, but applied that text, saying, "Now are these words fulfilled in your ears."

Now in these three points, dear friends, we propose to consider Christ as our Example. We are called, you see, for the glory of God; created not for self, but for service, to do God's will. We need, then, to dedicate ourselves willingly, fully, freely to God. And, my dear friends, after we have done that, we need something greater than that-the acceptance from on high, the anointing of the Holy Ghost. Oh, how many there are, how many devout and earnest, sincere and devoted ones who are endeavouring to imitate Christ, who are endeavouring to make themselves Christians, Christ-like Christians. They are endeavouring by their own prayerful, sincere, humble

efforts to make themselves what God alone can make them. This is not following the example set before us. How many, dear friends, there are who are converted, who have the love of God in their hearts, who have the grace of God, but too often their work is done in the attitude of one who is going to do something great with that work. They could not work before in their own strength, but now they think they can work in some other strength. But Jesus is an Example to us here to deny ourselves-put ourselves aside, and not to use God as our instrument, but to yield ourselves to God, body, soul, and spirit, that we may be instruments in His hands, dear brethren; that we may be the Lord's for the Lord to work in us to will and to do of His good pleasure. Oh, that He may put this grace upon His children; and when He calls us to His service, may we so dedicate ourselves, and consider ourselves as nothing that He may be all, and that He may use us as He pleases: hold us back or send us forth, make us speak, make us hear, according to His will. Oh, that we may be more and more dead to self! Behold Jesus, apart in Nazareth, subject to His parents there, and increasing in wisdom and in stature. What an example! Oh, what an example Jesus sets us, dear friends, to lay aside all our powers, or rather to lay them in God's hand and at His disposal. We may do great things, as we think, but God can always do greater things; and He can take, as we have just heard, the five barley-loaves and the two small fishes; when they are put into His hands, He can bless them and break them and multiply them