"This

remarks on the passage render all other comment superfluous. is a text," says he, "of incontrollable evidence, if it had anything to conflict withal, but prejudice and interest. A rational man, who is unprejudiced, who never heard of the controversy about ruling elders, can hardly avoid an apprehension that there are two sets of elders,-some who labour in the word and doctrine, and some who do not so do. The truth is, it was interest and prejudice which first caused some learned men to strain their wits to find out evasions from the evidence of this testimony. Being found out, some others of weaker abilities have been entangled by them. There are elders, then, in the church. There are, or ought to be So, in every church. With these elders the whole rule of the church is entrusted. All these, and only they, do rule in it."

R.

THE EVILS OF DEBT ON CHURCHES.

A DISCOURSE TO A CONGREGATION MAKING AN EFFORT TO PAY OFF DEBT. Is it time for you, O ye, to dwell in your ceiled houses, and this house lie waste? HAGGAI I. 4.

In this verse the prophet, commissioned by the Lord of Hosts, expostulates with Zerubbabel the governor of Judah, Joshua the high priest, and all the people of Israel returned from the captivity, for neglecting the house of the Lord. Eighteen years had passed away since their return to their own land. They had obtained comfortable dwellings for themselves, but the house of God was lying waste. For seventeen years the foundation of the second temple had been laid, but, in consequence of interruptions and indifference, no progress had been made in the work. But now that the opposition from Persia had died away, now that they were all settled in comfortable houses of their own, it was high time to do something for the temple of God. "Is it time for you, O ye, to dwell in your ceiled houses, and this house lie waste?" Is it not high time for you who dwell in ceiled houses to arise, and suffer not the house of God to lie longer waste?

I. Contemplate a MELANCHOLY FACT. The house of God lying waste. First, It is wasted by debt.-Every member of a congregation should take an interest in its affairs, and, if there is debt, he should be as anxious about it as if that debt were his own. I am aware that many have contended, that a congregation is strengthened and held better together by debt; but the eyes of men are now opening to this error, and scarcely one will be found maintaining it, unless he is afraid of being called on to make a sacrifice in order to pay it. Surely if debt is injurious to an individual, it must be injurious to a congregation, a body of individuals. This maxim is established by the testimony of an apostle, who says, "Owe no man anything." Evidently this injunction does not only mean, "Pay what you owe," but it goes farther, and says, "Owe nothing," "Have no debts to pay." If there are evils in debt, it is plain that the first and great evil lies in contracting it.

when speaking of Agamemnon, "Who rules supreme over all the Greeks, and whom the Greeks obey." The second word (UTELKw) is still stronger, as every scholar will allow, yet not so strong as that which we meet with, I Cor. xvi. 16 (UTоraσow), which uniformly implies submission to authority. Well, then, may we add in the words of Dr Brown of Langton," If the rulers of the church are not entitled to authority, it would appear that the language of the sacred oracles, though dictated by inspiration, in this particular at least, must be considered as incorrect. It has employed not merely one terin, but a number of terms, which, in their natural, and unforced, and most frequent acceptation, plainly assign to ecclesiastical rulers an authoritative power, while, at the same time, it is certain that such a power was never intended to be entrusted with them. Instead, therefore, of being fitted to make Christians perfect, and furnishing them thoroughly for every good work, has it not tended rather to bewilder and mislead the church, and led it to flatter that desire of authority which is so natural to man, by granting to her rulers, in every age, it may be, a degree of power which they ought never to have enjoyed? From this charge, moreover, it seems totally impossible to vindicate the scripture, unless it be supposed that the terms which it uses upon this interesting subject, are just and accurate; are to be understood in their obvious and common signification; and are intended to suggest that ecclesiastical rulers are to govern the church, not merely by advice and persuasion, but by the exercise of authority."

To the rules now examined, we may add the following, which go to show not only that there are rulers, properly so called, in the church, but also that some of its office-bearers are employed in ruling only; Rom. xii. 6, 7, 8,-" Having these gifts, differing according to the grace given to us: whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith; or ministry, let us wait on our ministering; or he that teacheth, on teaching; or he that exhorteth, on exhortation; he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that showeth mercy, with cheerfulness." Read, in connexion with this, 1 Cor. xii. 28, "God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers: after that miracles, then gifts of healing, helps, governments, diversities of tongues. Now, in both these passages, there is distinct mention made of an office for ruling or government, which settles the general question as to the parties entrusted with the administration of affairs; and, besides, mention is made of this of ruling as distinct from that of teaching. The passage in Corint occurs in connexion with what the apostle says of the churcl emblem of a body, where there is a variety of members, ad comfort and convenience of the whole body, plainly impl

ecclesiastical, as well as in every natural body, the

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THE EVILS OF DEBT ON CETL HER

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But what is debt? It is something borrowed, which the borrower is bound to replace, with the addition of a price for the use of it. The lender has a claim for payment, which he can enforce by law, which he can enforce at any time, and which he will probably enforce at a time most inconvenient for payment. Surely, then, debt is an evil, a burden to an individual. It has crushed its hundreds and thousands. It is also an evil to every congregation. It is a heavy burden, a burden daily and hourly increasing, and any church which is pressed down with such a burden, must be, to a certain extent, waste.

Secondly, It is wasted by debt exposing it to danger." Wherever there is debt there is danger," is a maxim which few will dispute, and congregational debt is as dangerous as any other kind of debt. Bills, once granted, will most certainly become due. Interest, once promised, must certainly be paid; and surely, if there is a growing evil under the sun, it is interest accumulating on bills and bonds. However inadequately paid other claims may be, the interest must be paid. Agree, then, with thy creditor quickly, whilst thou art in the way with him; lest at any time the creditor deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison. Verily I say unto thee, thou shalt by no means come out thence, till thou hast paid the uttermost farthing.

Thirdly, The house of God is wasted, inasmuch as debt greatly injures the spiritual and temporal prosperity of a congregation.-In consequence of debt, many small congregations must make two extra subscriptions yearly to pay the interest; and all other demands requiring effort, many grudge the frequent cry, "Give, give." Some members get censorious, and the pastor's motives for urging effort are questioned. Others desert the flock, by yielding assent to the remarks of the penurious. How can religion prosper, if the minds of individuals get into this state?

But in addition to this, many are deterred from joining a congregation, whose affairs are embarrassed, whose property is burdened with debt, and designing persons without, will sometimes be found to take advantage of this state of things for working on the fears of the ignorant. This is a great evil, especially in country districts, and is greatly injurious to the increase of a congregation. But what is the most effectual way of meeting it? It can only be extinguished by extinguishing the debt.

Besides all this, how heavy must the pastor's heart often be when he sees all his efforts nearly fruitless, in consequence of this obstacle? Though he is not responsible for any of the debt, yet when he sees its paralysing influence on religion, and the increase of his flock, it must be to him a source of daily and hourly anxiety, and, in process of time, be greatly discouraging. When his hands are thus weighed down, how can his flock by other means hold them up, till Israel prevail, and the enemies of Christ be discomfited? Such is the melancholy fact. The house of God is lying waste. How long? O Lord, how long?

II. THE PERSONS WHO SHOULD LOOK AT THIS FACT. Ye who dwell in ceiled houses. First, They are persons dwelling at ease and in easy circumstances. They may not be at ease about affairs that concern themselves, but they are unconcerned about the house of God, and

indifferent to its prosperity. Surely, if members of churches felt aright, they would be as much interested in the house of God as their own house; as much interested in having it as free from burdens as their own. Alas! how many are alive to their own interests, who are dead to the interests of God's house?

Do you dwell in a house unburdened by debt, and do you rejoice in this, and shall you not make a sacrifice to have that house unburdened where your soul draws water from the wells of salvation? Were professing Christians in the Secession Church but to see their duty in this matter, and perform it, not one sanctuary in the whole body would be burdened with debt,-yea, more, the efforts of our churches to send the gospel to the destitute, at home and abroad, would be no longer paralysed;-but concentrated and formed into one mighty christian phalanx, we would go forth to the conversion of the world.

Secondly, They are persons who neither grudge nor spare expenses in securing comfort and elegance in their own habitations.-In itself this may not be wrong; but if the members of our churches are not as careful about God's house, it must be wrong. If the first is done, why should the last be undone? If private dwellings are attended to, why should not the house of God? How attentive was David to this? 2 Sam. vii. 1-3. "And it came to pass when the king sat in his house, and the Lord had given him rest round about from all his enemies; that the king said unto Nathan the prophet, See now, I dwell in an house of cedar, but the ark of God dwelleth within curtains. And Nathan said unto the king, Go, do all that is in thine heart; for the Lord is with thee." How attentive also was Solomon to this; 1 Kings v. 5, "Behold I prepare to build an house unto the name of the Lord my God, as the Lord spoke unto David, my father, saying, Thy son, whom I will set upon thy throne, in thy room, he shall build an house unto my name." This solemn purpose Solomon carried into effect; and, until the house of the Lord was finished, he did not build a palace for himself. With such examples before us, let us make an effort, without grudging, to free the house in which we worship God from all debt. Let those especially to whom God has given silver and gold, and who know that they are stewards, and accountable, come forward and dedicate to his service a liberal portion of his own; and, according to the promise, they will not be losers but gainers." He that soweth bountifully, shall reap also bountifully."

"

Thirdly, They are persons whose conduct in neglecting God's house brings divine judgments on the land.-When men of station and substance, instead of taking the lead in providing a house unincumbered for the worship of God, are indifferent and slothful, it has a bad influence on all others, and is very displeasing to God. Hence the dwellers in ceiled houses had much to answer for. Whence the famine and scarcity in the land of Judah? The answer is, God's house is neglected, and lying waste. In the context, v. 10, it is said, "Therefore the heaven over you is stayed from dew, and the earth is stayed from her fruit. And I called for a drought upon the land, and upon the mountains, and upon the corn, and upon the new wine, and upon the oils, and upon that which the ground bringeth forth, and upon men, and upon cattle, and upon all the labour of the hands."