to those whom I love. It is a principle which, once at work within the heart, would lead to great and heroic deeds if the fitting opportunity were given. "He that is faithful in little is faithful also in much, and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much."

He

It is far easier to do great things for God, than it is to keep one of his least commandments. Great deeds gain credit; little ones generally go unnoticed. Mixed motives blend to prompt us to great actions. A single eye to God's glory is at the root of all the sacrifices which we make, and the holy deeds we do unseen by every one but him. Let me illustrate my meaning. A preacher stands up in the sight of God; he feels his great responsibility; for everything he says he knows that he is answerable to God. There are those before him who need directing in the way to heaven; they may not hear another preacher; and so he sets himself to lay before them the great plan of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ. He aims to make his meaning plain-he chooses out the simplest Saxon words and phrases he tells the good old story of the Gospel-he reiterates in substance what many in the place have heard a thousand times he speaks of sin, of penitence, of faith-he explains truths which are plain as the alphabet to half his congregation; and he knows while he is doing it that many will go from the place, complaining that they were not fed, that he brought milk for babes, and that they might have been as well at home. Again, a preacher stands up in the sight of men. chooses for his text a curious passage, in which most of the hearers can see but little meaning. What will he make of that, they think? Byand-bye the interpretation is evolved, and then the language flows with wondrous beauty; figure follows upon figure; climax rapidly succeeds to climax; bursts of eloquence peal forth; until, reaching to his highest and most fervid peroration, the preacher closes his discourse, and the hearers whisper to each other, "How beautiful!" Now which performed the hardest task, and did his duty best? which was "the good soldier of Jesus Christ"? Both indeed, so far as they did what they could, were worthy of respect and honour; but the greatest, we suggest, was he who crushed down the desire to shine himself, and sought only to make plain God's message. He knew what the result would be, and he thought of God -God only; and of how to point the trembling sinner to the Cross. There was the willing mind, the anxious heart; and that is "accepted according to what one hath, and not according to that he hath not." I do believe that there are many men of no great intellectual power, toiling hard in country villages, struggling against poverty and care, who will stand higher in the courts of heaven than some whom the Church honours and admires; for they do their very best for Jesus, they labour patiently without reward; they win no laurels in this world, but God sees their patient, constant efforts in his service, and he knows that they are spiritual heroes.

God measures men not by their visible achievements, but by their purity and strength of soul. Many a man who seems to human eyes the physical embodiment of strength and bravery and goodness, is weak and little in the sight of God. Under other circumstances he would be a wreck. Sickness would at once turn him into a very coward; poverty would lead him to dishonest courses, or perhaps might kill him; bereave

ment would destroy his faith completely; yet in his great prosperity we think the man a spiritual giant.

The truest greatness is often seen the least of all. It exists where there is plodding, earnest, and consistent effort under vast discouragement; it exists in bearing well reverses, because God has sent them; it exists in doing right simply because it is right, and when wrong would be commended and applauded. It exists in manfully resisting strong temptation when the sin would never be found out; it exists in being still unmoved, although innumerable inducements are brought to bear upon the side of evil. Many a patient sufferer tortured with the agony of terrible disease is God's "good soldier." Many a poor man who trusts in God, though bread is very hard to earn, is God's good soldier. Many an apprentice, living day by day a holy and consistent life, though ridiculed and taunted with his strictness, is God's good soldier. Many a weak woman, bearing abuse and covering up her wretched husband's sins from view, is God's good soldier. Aye, many a hero shows his heroism by passing by the publichouse where he was wont to spend his nights in drink and sin: for these all do what they can; there is in them "a willing mind," and that is accepted of God "according to what one hath, and not according to that he hath not.' "Man looketh upon the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh upon the heart."

II. It follows, secondly, that God accepts and values the offering of the willing heart, however small that offering may seem to be. SMALL! Nothing is small! For every thought and word and action is passing on into eternity. We are influencing some one every moment. Aye; and we are influencing the future powers and doings of our own immortal souls. Every foul thought must leave its blackened stain behind it. Every light word sinks like a seed into another's heart. Every base action sets some other man or woman against the Christ we say we love and serve. And if this be so, what must be the influence of good? Good thoughts are purifying, bringing us more closely into contact with our God, and leading on to holy actions. Good words are like messages from heaven spoken to a brother's heart. Good deeds shine bright, and make the Cross more beautiful to those who watch how Christians live. God will accept them all, and use them for his own great purpose. O that you and I could learn the power of little things!

It is God's frequent plan to show us, in his own method of working, that he is too great to treat anything with contempt. We are indeed expressly told that He has chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise, and the weak things of the world to confound the things that are mighty; and base things of the world, and things that are despised, hath God chosen; yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are that no flesh should glory in his presence.' If he had not a special regard for the weak, how is it that he carries on his work by human means when he might so well do it entirely by miraculous interposition? What does he want with our poor efforts-he who could turn every heart by his sole, unaided will-except it be to teach us how he values the little we can do? Why does God ordain that man shall come into the world an infant, needing care and tenderness-that he shall

gradually develope through childhood and through youth-when he could with such ease create a race of men at once with all their powers maturedexcept it be to teach us, among other lessons, his care for first beginnings and weak efforts? So, brethren, it is "according to that one hath, and not according to that he hath not," that God looks for gifts and graces. He will take all circumstances into his consideration, and if it can be said of any one, "She hath done what she could," it is acceptable to Him with whom we have to do. No matter how trifling the act may seem to others, God values it, and records it in the book of his remembrance. A little struggle passing secretly within the breast; a silent conquest of some bosom sin; an hour for prayer snatched from one's business or from pleasure; a sacrifice of some enjoyment which would have interfered with duty; a kind word spoken for the comfort of another's sad and bleeding heart; a brave avowal of attachment to the Saviour; an effort made to bring a careless sinner to the house of God; a letter written in the hope of doing good; a comfortable Sabbath's rest relinquished to teach little ones the way to heaven :—all these, and many other things, are noticed by our Father. And he who deems that nothing is too small to do for Jesus, who, having no great power or opportunity, yet makes the best of that he hath, is in the truest sense "a good soldier of Jesus Christ," and is doing noble work for Christ, though few but Christ can know of it.

III. Hence, thirdly, it is in the power of every one to offer God good service. In the power of each to be "a good soldier of Jesus Christ." A little child may be as brave and true for Jesus, and show his love for him, as plainly and distinctly, as the missionary who goes away into a heathen land, or the minister who gives his life to God, and tries to make the Gospel strike into the hearts of those who hear him preach. What does a soldier do to prove his loyalty and bravery? Only what he can do. No one can do more than that which God has given him power to do. So the little boy and girl may be as faithful to the Saviour as the good and valiant soldier is faithful to his Queen and country. A "good soldier of Jesus Christ" does just what Jesus tells him, bears just what Jesus sends to him, and tries to fight against the enemies of Jesus, which through sin are in his own deceitful heart, and by temptation are in the world around him. The little child can do no more than this, and this is not too hard for him to do. He can do what Jesus tells him; he can be obedient to his parents; he can be kind and gentle to all about him; he can be forgiving when he is offended; he can do his utmost to make peace when any are disposed to quarrel; he can give up some things which he likes that others may enjoy them; he can be sorry when he has done wrong, and bravely go and tell his fault; he can love that blessed Saviour, who said, "Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not, for of such is the kingdom of heaven;" he can think about the Saviour whenever he is tempted to do wrong, and he can tell Jesus of the help he wants just as he would tell his father; and so, by showing every day how much he loves his Saviour, the little child may help to fight Christ's battles, preparing to become a brave and holy man, and even in his childhood God will own him as a good soldier of Jesus Christ."

There are domestic servants among my readers; some who all the

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week are hard at work, who only get to chapel on the Sabbath evening, and who feel as though they had absolutely no opportunity of serving God with brave and loyal service. Remember the great truth which Paul has taught us in the text, "If there be first a willing mind, it is accepted according to that one hath, and not according to that he hath not." God looks for only what you have. He is "not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love," however small men may esteem it. God knows all your difficulties, trials, and temptations; and if it can be said, "She hath done what she could," be very sure that he will be the first to say You may do much for Jesus; perhaps, in his sight, more than many far more favourably situated, because you do it under greater trials and discouragements. I know no class who can be better soldiers of the Cross than you. You have much to bear, but bear it for his sake. You have many hardships to endure; by enduring them with bravery you may show yourselves true soldiers. You can teach the power of godliness by conquering yourselves, by serving your employers faithfully from love to God, by kind and gentle and respectful conduct, by not answering again when the provocation is a great one, by dropping now and then a word in season to those around you who do not love your God-not rudely or officiously, but kindly and respectfully, at the fitting moment. And I tell you that such conduct is as pleasing in the sight of God, as honouring to Christ, and as helpful to his kingdom, as if you had the power to give your thousands, or as if you stood up in the pulpit to preach the Gospel. Do you ask the ground on which we venture to assert this? It is that God looks down into your hearts, and from what you do he sees how much more you would gladly do if the opportunities were given to you.

There are wives and sisters among my readers, who are the only servants of the Lord among the families in which they live. Their husbands hate religion; their fathers and their brothers will not have it; and often they bring aching hearts into the place of prayer. God calls you to be heroines. He has a great and glorious work prepared for you. Your charity begins at home. It rests with you to save the souls of these. How are you to do it? You must show the truth and value of religion by the conduct of your lives. It must help you to fill more perfectly the stations in the world to which God has called you. I urge you to a holy and perpetual consistency, to gentleness of manner, to kindliness of speech. Do not condemn your friends for their shortcomings, except by your own purer lives. Do all you can to make them happy, and by a loving disposition win them to the Saviour. Let them see that through the influence of grace your lives are better than theirs are; for you will do more by your example than by open speech. It seems to me that for a holy wife to kneel quietly down and pray before she goes to rest, must act as a silent but a strong rebuke upon her godless husband. Not indeed if other things are inconsistent with a spirit of devotion; that will only bring down mockery and ridicule; but if the meekness and gentleness of Christ displays itself in all her conduct.

My brothers and my sisters, we may all be soldiers of the Lord; "for if there be first a willing mind, it is accepted according to that one hath, and not according to that he hath not."

Southend.

A FEW WORDS ABOUT WAITING.