Give cheer

thy diligence to give of that little." fully what you do give, as to the Lord. Even a cup of cold water will be accepted, if it be given in the name of a disciple, as to one of Christ's members. Give kind attentions, and ready personal service, where you have nothing else to give. These are often far more needed, and indeed require greater sacrifice, than costly gifts. And whatever is done, let it be done in a cheerful spirit; not with much profession, but quietly and modestly, as a matter of course; not as if you were doing some great thing, but only as if doing what you are bid by One who has authority over you, and applying His gifts as He has directed you. And when you stand by the bed-side of those who are in pain, or sunk in great weakness, meditate upon the great love of our Saviour, who bore far more than you can witness of suffering, that you might be spared, and thank Him that He permits you to minister to those for whom He died; and pray Him to

heal

you of all disease, and to accept you at the last day for His goodness' sake.

And when you are pained at the sight of poverty and suffering, and as you try to relieve it or give comfort under it, think how for your sake He became poor, and pray Him that

you, and we all, those who minister and those who are ministered unto, and especially your own minister, and your own friends and neighbours, may through His poverty be made rich; pray Him to give us all that which shall be our own for ever, and to commit to our keeping "the true riches."

JOHN HENRY PARKER, OXFORD AND LONDON.

Sermons for the Christian Seasons.

TENTH SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY,

THE SCIENCE OF SPIRITUAL THINGS.

1 COR. xii. 1. Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you ignorant.

It is nothing new to say that we are ignorant of very much, not only of what is about us, but also of what is within us. Men have health, strength, experience, cleverness, a sense of what is fair and unfair, a judgment of what is right and wrong in common matters, and yet almost without knowing it. They make use of them, one day after another, without being aware of it : and in very many cases, they certainly could not give a distinct account of how, or why, or when, they became possessed of the habits or qualities I have mentioned. Concerning these natural or moral gifts they are ignorant.

And there are, I have no doubt, many instances of pious Christians, who live and act in

:

the same way. There are really good people, who have been used to do their duty, and believe in their Saviour from the time they were children, who have never thought why they were good, or found out exactly the cause of their doing right, or the reason of their belief. Now these people have spiritual gifts: -no one, who sees in another sincere faith, good and child-like hope, and real kind-heartedness and love to his brother men, can deny that these are the gifts of the Spirit but they themselves take them rather for things of course. They have never seriously asked themselves how far their good qualities, or, rather, their "spiritual gifts," are their own, and come from themselves, or are God's, and come from God. They would, very likely, from their habits of mind, if they were left to themselves, come very near to the truth; but they are not certain to do so. They may make mistakes; and they are exceedingly liable to be led wrong by others. They are ignorant concerning spiritual things. They have no theological knowledge.

Now theological knowledge is not, as we have seen, absolutely necessary for a Christian, and to have knowledge concerning spiritual gifts is not at all the same as having the gifts themselves.

Many a humble-minded Christian has been justified by faith, who never knew the meaning of the word "justification;" and some of the highest spiritual gifts are quite consistent with ignorance on spiritual matters. Why then, it may be said, should you trouble good people with difficult subjects, if the knowledge of them is not necessary to their salvation ?-there are many disputes and differences about them in the world, and the worldly part of the Church ;-that kind of knowledge has often been the occasion of schisms and heresies, and loss of charity;-why then should you attempt to give it to those, to whom you cannot be sure that it will prove a benefit, and to whom you may reasonably fear that it will turn out very much the reverse?

To such an argument as this, I can best reply in the words of St. Paul, "Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you ignorant." It is true that if a Christian believes in One Almighty Father, Maker of earth and heaven, in One Redeeming Lord, the eternal Son of God, both God and man, and in One Holy Ghost proceeding from the Father and the Son, Trinity in Unity, and Unity in Trinity, that he is indeed "wise unto salvation." That faith is sufficient for time and for eternity; and while he keeps it