"Was he, the drunken man, become a Christian?" "Yes. And I can tell you another singular adventure of Jonathan's. One day, after he became a preacher, he was asked to go and visit a dying woman at a distance in the country. As he came near the cottage, he felt that he had known it before. It was the very house of his old master, where he had suffered so greatly when a child." more for him than the lame dwarf preacher, whose college, as he used himself to say, had been the Horton Workhouse." "It was very wonderful," said Kitty. "Did he live long?" "I believe he lived to a good age, though I do not know exactly when he died. He was spared to see a great revival of true religion in his own part of the "Oh, how strange! And was it the girl who had country, as well as through other districts of England, been so cruel to him, that was ill ?" "I suppose it was.” "Did he not refuse to go in ?" "Oh, no, my dear! The holy man of God had long learned to forgive and love his worst enemies. But he felt much overcome, and prayed with such earnestness, that the sick woman got light and peace to her soul; and when Jonathan heard that, he exclaimed, 'O Lord, thou hast repaid me now for all my sufferings!'" "And," asked Willie, "was he really a good, clever preacher?” "Very good indeed, so that crowds came to hear him wherever he went. He had no settled charge, like our ministers, but was appointed to go from place to place. His weak, helpless appearance made strangers look at him with compassion at first, but when they heard his sweet powerful voice, and earnest energetic way of speaking to the heart and conscience, they were quite surprised, and their attention soon engaged. Very many souls were converted to God through his ministry. He was of a very cheerful, happy disposition, and yet tis long trials made him able to be especially comforting to the sorrowful and afflicted. Children were very fond of him, and he of them. They seemed to look upon him as almost one of themselves, from his small size, and used to gather round him in the streets, not laughing, but listening to his kind loving words about the Saviour who invites little children to come to him. He was also deeply interested in the cause of foreign missions, and would plead for the heathen in a way that opened any hearts and purses. And so it came to pass, that very few ministers of Christ have been allowed to do by the blessing of God on his labours and those of other faithful Methodist preachers. Now I recollect nothing more that would particularly interest you in the story of his life. But here is a lesson we may all learn from it. Jonathan had much reason to say, "It is good for me that I have been afflicted." Had he been well, and strong, and happy, like ordinary boys, he might have grown up a thoughtless, worldly, godless man; or even if a good useful man, yet it is very unlikely that he would ever have become the eminent Christian, and the great preacher, which his afflictions were the means of making him. You asked me this morning why God allowed persons to be crippled and deformed? We can understand why in Jonathan Saville's case, and we must learn to believe and trust that there are wise reasons in other cases too, though we may not be able at present to understand them." "I shall tell Johnnie Ross about Jonathan Saville," said Willie. "Do so; and tell him to remember that a great mind and soul may dwell in a very weak and disfigured body. But let both him and yourself seriously consider how much gratitude you owe to your heavenly Father for giving you the full use of all your limbs and bodily powers; and how you should desire to live, and learn, and grow up, not to spend your time in self-indulgence, or seeking after worldly riches and fame, but in striving how much you can do for his service and glory, who has done so much for you. That is true life in earnest, the happiest life on earth, and the preparation for the perfect blessedness of heaven." J. L. B. THE LAW CONCERNING THE SPREADING FIRE.* "If fire break out, and catch in thorns, so that the stacks of corn, or the standing corn, or the field, be consumed therewith; he that kindled the fire shall surely make restitution."—Exod. xxii. 6. some which you would not so easily understand. WONDER whether you have ever read this | Bible which are plain and full of interest, there are verse before. It occurs amongst a number of laws given by God himself to the children of Israel, when they were encamped at Mount Sinai, and which were added by him to those ten commandments which we read and hear every week in our churches. Perhaps you have not; for although there are many parts of these Levitical books of the * From ** Old Gems Reset," by the author of" Village Missionaries." A new work recently issued by our Publishers. Jewish readers would, however, have understood this law better than English ones. I will tell you why. In the hot and sandy countries to which they were accustomed, grass was very precious. Moreover, the grass was light and dry, and often so parched by the sun, that a single spark would in a moment kindle a fire which would spread for miles. If the flame met with any dry shrubs or trees, it would consume them as hungrily as an animal seeking to devour its prey, and advancing fiercely along, would in a few moments destroy all the crops which might be found on its course. Travellers tell many stories of these easily-kindled and swiftly-spreading desert-fires. One day an Englishman was encamped near Troy in Asia Minor. After dinner, a Turk came near, and emptied the ashes out of his pipe. A spark fell unobserved upon the grass; and a brisk wind soon kindled a blaze which withered in an instant the trees and bushes in its way, seized the branches and roots, and devoured all before it with a tremendous crackling and noise. The English traveller and his party were terrified, as a general conflagration of the country seemed at hand; but, however, after long and strenuous exertions, they succeeded at last in putting out the flames. Another visitor to those Eastern regions has related that on a chilly night, when encamped near the banks of the Tigris, he was anxious to kindle a fire. But the Arabs, who knew the danger which might be caused by the flying sparks, should they be blown among the tamarisks and other shrubs by the river's side, implored him to give up his plan. So the Englishman wisely chose security, although combined with cold hands and feet, in preference to the comfortable blaze which was so dangerous a luxury. "Well," you exclaim, “this may all be very interesting, but what has it to do with me? I live in England -not in the East.. I am very seldom anxious to light a fire out of doors; and if I were to do so, there would be little danger in our damp climate of its spreading, or doing any mischief. Tell me why I am to take such special notice of this law of the spreading fire." I once had a Bible class that puzzled over the same question. We had been reading and studying on many previous Sundays the ten commandments written by God on the tables of stone, and the terms of the solemn covenant into which the children of Israel were taken at Sinai by the Lord God of hosts. Then followed the three chapters of what are called civil laws-the rules laid down for the conduct of man towards man by the all-wise King of the Hebrew tribes; and, when we read the injunction which stands at the head of this paper, I asked the scholars if, among all the laws that followed, they could discover one which should remind them of that concerning the spreading fire. They looked in vain for some minutes; then a few began to guess; but the guesses were wrong. At last a bright face was raised from the Book, and I could see in two sparkling eyes that my question had found its answer. "If you please-I think it's in the twentythird chapter, and the first verse." "Quite right. Will you read it?" "THOU SHALT not raise a FALSE REPORT." Then the question arose, which I offer to the young readers of these pages,-Why is the raising of a false report like the kindling of the spreading fire? One answered, "Because it is often kindled through carelessness." Another, "Because it has such a trifling beginning." A third, "Because it spreads so swiftly." A fourth, "Because its consequences are often so terrible." A fifth, "Because, once it has been spread, it is beyond control.” And other answers followed which I need not repeat here, for, I daresay, by this time you have agreed with me, that in the law concerning the spreading fire we may find a parable showing forth the danger and the wrong of kindling a false report. Perhaps you may have heard many stories from real life of the sorrow and disaster which have resulted from the indulgence of this habit. There are three Bible instances which so forcibly remind us of the spark kindled into a fire, that we shall do well to think them over before we leave the subject. Can you remember which they are, before I tell you? Satan raised the first false report which was ever spread on this fair world of ours. Look at the third chapter of Genesis, and the fourth verse: "And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die!" There was the spark which kindled into a flame. Eve believed the lying statement which was presented to her, and she thereby disbelieved the truth of God's own solemn word. She listened, she ate, she gave to Adam (mark how the flame was spreading on); and thus sin and death came into the world; and from century to century, from age to age, the terrible fire, of which the first spark was kindled in Eden, has gone forward in its swift course of destruction; and men still re-echo and further spread this false report when they refuse to believe that the wages of sin is death, and go on in ungodliness and carelessness with the words in their heart, "Ye shall not surely die." Would you see in its fullest extent the awful consequences of that beginning of lies? Behold the Son of God himself the victim and the sacrifice for the sins of the world! See him suffering, bleeding, dying on the agonizing cross, that your punishment might be laid upon him! Hear him cry, "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" and remember that, but for the false report raised by the serpent in Eden, he would have remained in the glory of the Father which he had with him before the world was. It is in the cry from Calvary, more even than in the anguish of the condemned sinner, that we discern the terrible result of that spreading flame kindled so early in the world's history. Centuries had passed away since that day, and a people redeemed from the bondage of Egypt, and under the leadership of the Lord of hosts, was marching onward to the land of Canaan. Long and weary had been the way through the Arabian deserts, the sojourn at Sinai, the pilgrimage to the borders of the Promised Land. But now they had reached those border regions. Canaan was before them. Encamped in Paran, they awaited but marching orders from their mighty Captain to take possession of the fair fields beyond the hills of Edom, and to enter into the rest reserved for the nation which God had chosen. We can imagine how the children must have spoken with each other of those goodly regions which they were so soon to behold; how they talked of the vine-covered hills, and of the broad-leaved fig-trees; of the valleys flowing with milk and honey; of the peaceable habitations and sure dwellings and quiet resting-places, which were so soon to be Israel's. There was joy throughout the tents of the Hebrews when they were pitched, after the long wanderings, almost within sight of the goodly borders of Canaan. Then Moses sent forth twelve men, heads of the tribes of Israel, to spy out the country, with instructions to be of good courage, and to bring of the fruit of the land. For forty days they were absent, and for forty days there was expectation and excitement throughout the camp. At last, back from the hills of Hebron, and from the valley of Eshcol, came the men so eagerly awaited; and there must have been joyful hope in the heart of many who thronged forth to meet them, for beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings; and those who best knew the mighty Leader of Israel's hosts, might well argue that they had not been brought thus far on their way without the assurance of good things to come. But behold ten downcast faces! Listen to ten desponding voices! Hear ten murmuring and disconsolate reporters of the exploring expedition ! "We came unto the land whither thou sentest us, and surely it floweth with milk and honey; nevertheless the people be strong that dwell in the land, and the cities are walled, and very great: and moreover we saw the children of Anak there. . . . . "And Caleb stilled the people before Moses, and said, Let us go up at once, and possess it; for we are well able to overcome it. But the men that went up with him said, We be not able to go up against the people; for they are stronger than we. And they brought up an evil report of the land which they had searched unto the children of Israel. Vainly did the two true-hearted men of God endeavour to trample out the false report ere it kindled into a flame. Rapidly it spread from tent to tent, from tribe to tribe. "All the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron and the whole congregation said unto them, Would God that we had died in the land of Egypt! or would God we had died in this wilderness!" Then, when they bade stone Caleb and Joshua with stones, the glory of the Lord appeared in the tabernacle of the congregation before all the children of Israel. Fearful was the result of that unbelieving story brought by the faithless spies: "And the men which made all the congregation to murmur, by bringing up a slander upon the land, even those men that did bring up the evil report upon the land, died by the plague before the Lord." And the sentence went forth that none of those who had thus murmured should enter into Canaan, for they had thought scorn of that pleasant land. "But as for you," said the Lord, "your carcases shall fall in the wilderness." "Turn you and take your journey into the wilderness by the way of the Red Sea." And not until after forty years, during which death had silently thinned the ranks of Israel of all those above twenty years of age at the time of that murmuring, not "until all the generation of the men of war were wasted out from among the host," did a wilderness-led people of Israel enter into the land which their fathers had forfeited. Surely if we would see the fearful results of a false report, it would be in this history of Canaan in sight, and Canaan lost. We find a third illustration of our subject in the New Testament. You will see it in Matthew xxviii. Two thousand years had gone by. Jesus had died for the sins of the world. He had been laid in the sepulchre of Joseph of Arimathæa, and on the third day, according to the Scriptures, had asserted his Godhead by rising from the grave. And "behold, some of the watch came into the city, and shewed unto the chief priests all the things that were done. And when they were assembled with the elders, and had taken counsel, they gave large money unto the soldiers, saying, Say ye, His disciples came by night, and stole him away while we slept. So they took the money, and did as they were taught and this saying is commonly reported among the Jews until this day." Here was no chance falling of a spark. It was a deliberate kindling of the false report; and the words we have written describe the spread of the flame. We can well believe that had the marvels of the resurrection-morning been truthfully reported by the soldiers, many a Jew, unconvinced even by the wondrous circumstances of the Lord's death, must have renounced his unbelief when hearing them from the lips of these unwilling narrators. But the untruth was rapidly circulated, quickly believed, currently repeated from mouth to mouth," and this saying is commonly reported among the Jews until this day." Only the great hereafter will reveal the full evil wrought by that priestly-kindled flame. "As a madman who casteth fire-brands, so is the man that deceiveth his neighbour, and saith, Am not I in sport?" And, "He that kindleth the fire shall surely make restitution." Be very careful, dear young readers, how you scatter or let fall a single spark of false report; for know how great a matter a little fire kindleth. The man who threw but the red ashes on the grass, little thought he would be answerable for the waves of fire which rapidly rolled along the plain; and a single word falling from your lips may spread into a devouring flame before you are aware of it. Once a prosperous bank was suddenly ruined. How innocent, but they have been the beginnings of innumerable calamities-of loss of character, family contentions, nay, even of revolution and death. And God doth not hold such guiltless. There is a prayer which is our best safe-guard, and in which the youngest and the weakest may secure counsel and discretion. It is this: "Set a watch, O Lord, before my mouth: keep thou the door of my lips ;" and there is true safety in thus putting the control of our speech into the wisest hands when we consider the warning parable of the spreading fire THE MESSAGE IN THE LETTER. "And say to Archippus, Take heed to the ministry which thou hast received in the Lord, that thou fulfil it."-COL. iv. 17. HICH of us does not like to receive a message in a letter from some one whom we love? When the postman comes to the door, and the well-known hand-writing is recognized, and the cover is opened, the inquiry conies immediately, "Is there any message for me?" And if the letter contain any such message--if our father writes, "Tell Mary that I hope she will have her garden in good order before I return;" or, "Give my love to Willie, and tell him that I shall look anxiously at his school report when I come home," do not Willie and Mary go to their respective charges with double zeal ? Does not Mary put fresh diligence into the pulling up of every weed? And does not Willie resolve that work he will with all his might that his father may not be disappointed in him by-and-by? And does not the little bit of the letter which contains our own message seem to belong more to us, and stay more in our minds than all the rest? I think so. Now the message which is written at the head of this paper was sent in a letter penned eighteen hundred years ago. It came by the hand of a strange postman -a runaway slave returning to his master from Rome; and it was written by one who called himself the prisoner of the Lord, from his imprisonment in that far-off city of palaces. We do not know much of Archippus, to whom it was sent. All that we can find concerning him is contained in the verse of which we are writing, and in another in the companion letter to Philemon, wherein St. Paul calls him "Archippus our fellow-soldier." It is evident from these that he belonged to the town of Colosse; that he was a Christian; and that he was an active Christian, fighting under the banner of the cross in the army of the Lord Jesus Christ. But though we know little of Archippus, we can imagine how, when the company of Colossian Christians was called together to hear Paul's letter from Rome, one and another must have looked round towards him with the thought, "I would have liked a message too." And we can well believe that much as Archippus must have delighted in the wonderful words contained in that long letter to the believers at Colosse, those which rang most in his ears, those which followed him into all his work for a very long time must have been, "Take heed to the ministry which thou hast received in the Lord, that thou fulfil it." "Well, but what has this to do with us?" you inquire. "In the first place, this message was not sent to me; and, in the next, I am not in the ministry, and so I cannot think that it has anything to say to my common everyday life." "Not in the ministry!" What place, then, do you hold in a world wherein every created thing has its ministry? For this word does not of necessity mean being a clergyman. Its simple signification is a charge or office. If you look without, over this fair world of ours, you will see how God has given to every object in his visible and invisible creation its office or ministry. The sunbeams wake up the earth, and bring life and light wherever they travel. The dew-drops and the rain descend on the thirsty flowers and on the green herb, and nourish them and quench their thirst. The stream, the winds, the ocean, and even the storm and tempest, have their offices to fulfil. Then look at the trees and flowers themselves. Each little leaf has its work to do, and is wonderfully endowed with a species of breathing apparatus by which it receives from the air the invisible gas injurious to man, and subtracting for its own use the poisonous ingredient, gives forth in exchange the pure and liberated gas which supports animal life; so that the lowliest blade of grass, and the tiniest leaf of the forest, holds office in the field of God's creation. The birds, the bees, the animals-all have their uses and vocations, all have their ministry to fulfil here below; while in the invisible world, angels are "ministers of his that do his pleasure," and "ministering spirits are sent forth to minister to the heirs of salvation." Now, dear young reader, do you think that if every blade of grass, every little bird, every drop of dew has its duty and calling, you, who hold so high a place in creation, have no ministry to fulfil, that you are left out of the ranks of God's office-bearers ? No, indeed! To you comes the message sent to Archippus in the letter from Rome, "Take heed to the ministry which thou hast received in the Lord, that thou fulfil it." 1. Take heed to the ministry; that is, find it out, make sure of what it is before you can expect to fulfil it. Now to some people this has appeared a very difficult matter. We are told that our Lord, when he left the world, was like a nobleman going into a far country, who gave authority unto his servants, and unto every man his work; and, remembering this, many have exclaimed, “I suppose I have some work to do-soine ministry-but I wish I could find out what it is." And, perhaps, they have gone on to say, “If I were a clergyman, or belonged to a clergyman's family, or if I were a teacher, or a district visitor, I should see my office quite plainly; but for me there does not seem to be any special work to do." And children are inclined to think, "If only I were grown up, then I should soon find out my ministry;" and servants, "If I were not in service, I would discover mine;" which is all very much as if a blade of grass were to exclaim, “If only I were an oakleaf, I could be of some good;" or as if a dew-drop were to think that because it was not a stream of water it could be of no use in the world. But the Word of God gives us some plain rules for finding out our ministry. This is the first, "Let every man abide in the same calling wherein he is called." But this is not all. A further direction follows-"Let every man wherein he is called therein abide with God." So at the beginning of our "taking heed" we are to ask ourselves in what position we are, whether in that of master or servant, brother or sister, teacher or scholar, whether grown-up, or whether a little child, and seek "therein to abide with God." As this article is specially intended for the young, I will remind them of a child who early took heed to his ministry-"The child Samuel ministered unto the Lord." He was quite a little boy, but he did not say, "I will wait to be old like Eli," or, "I am too young to minister;" but he offered up the sacrifices of prayer and praise, which are the first fruits of the youngest learner in Christ's missionary school, and in the calling wherein he was called, abode with God. Having inquired of yourself what your place in the world actually is, according to the apostle's direction, the next step in the business of "taking heed" is to inquire, "What are the duties of my place and office?" In the third of Colossians you will find a receipt for the recognition of this ministry. Husbands, wives, children, parents, masters and servants, are all told the same thing; the common, ordinary duties of their places are to be touched with three words, "UNTO THE LORD;" and immediately work is dignified into ministry. There is an ancient legend of a wonderful stone, called the Philosopher's Stone, which was supposed to turn to gold everything that it touched; and an old English poet has compared this "unto the Lord" to that fabled stone in these words: "Teach me, my God and King, In all things thee to see; And what I do in everything To do it as to thee. "A man that looks on glass, . On it may stay his eye; Or, if he pleases, through it pass, And then the heaven espy. "All may of thee partake: Nothing can be so mean Which, with this tincture, FOR THY SAKE, Will not grow bright and clean. "A servant, with this clause, Makes drudgery divine; Who sweeps a room as for thy laws, Makes that, and th' action fine. "This is the famous stone That turneth all to gold; For that which God doth touch and own, Cannot for less be told." It is written of one whom Jesus visited in her sickness, that "He touched her hand, and the fever left her, and immediately she arose and ministered unto them." And it is always thus when Jesus heals the evil fever and sickness of the sin-stained heart. He touches the hand and consecrates it, and the soul's cry is, "What shall I render unto the Lord for all his benefits unto me?" And then hands and heart minister unto him. But, lastly, in your calling as children, as brothers and sisters, as servants and scholars, you must "take heed" to the different kinds of ministry included in St. Paul's "whatsoever." We read of three classes of ministering women in the New Testament. (1.) Those who followed Jesus to the cross, "ministering unto him" (Matt. xxvii. 51). (2.) Those who ministered unto him of their substance, such as Joanna the wife of Herod's steward (Luke viii. 3); and those (3.) of whom St. Paul speaks as having laboured with him in the gospel (Phil. iv. 3), having their names written in the Book of Life. 2. Now, I would have you inquire whether, as those who desire to have your names entered on the roll-book of the Lord's ministering servants, you may not seek to follow their example, and fulfil these different ministries. "Let a man deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me," saith the Lord, "so shall he be my disciple." If you seek to tread in your Master's footsteps, to be one of his cross-bearers, you will find that all sorts of disagreeable things turn into happy ones for his sake. Wearisome duties become privileges when we hear him say, "Do this for me.' Harsh words do not hurt us, if we seek to bear them meekly because he would have us do so. Self-denials which no one else can see are graciously accepted when offered 9 |