beauty of honest principle: :-"One cold winter's night in Edinburgh a gentleman, out of pity, bought a box of matches from a poor little shivering boy. Not having the pence, he gave the boy a shilling, telling him to bring the change to the hotel. The boy did not return. Hours passed, nothing was seen of him; but quite late a tiny fellow came to the hotel. 'Are you the gentleman that bought the matches frae Sandy?' 'Yes.' 'Weel, then, here's fourpence out o' yer shillin'. Sandy canna come; he's verra ill. A cart ran over him; he lost his bonnet and his matches and yer sevenpence, and both his legs are broken, and the doctor says he'll die; and that's a'. Putting down the fourpence on the table, the poor child burst into great sobs. Poor Sandy was

searched for and found. The two little brothers were living together, their parents dead; Sandy lying on a bundle of shavings. 'I got the change, Sir,' he cried, and was coming back, and then the cart knocked me down, and both my legs were broken; and oh, Reuby, little Reuby, I am sure I am dying, and who will take care of him when I am gone?' The gentleman took the poor little hand and told him that he would always take care of Reuby."

4. From fact to fiction: here is a fine bit for teachers to read to their lads, and get the points well into them :-"Sir, I want work; may I earn a penny? And taking off his tattered old cap he looked right up into my father's face. The old man scanned him closely. 'What is thy name, lad?' John Halifax.' 'How old might thee be, John Halifax?' 'Fourteen, Sir.' 'Thou art used to work?' 'Yes.', 'Well, thee shall take my son home, and I'll give thee a groat. Let me see;-art

thee a lad to be trusted?' And holding him at arm's length, regarding him meanwhile with eyes that were the terror of all the rogues in Norton Bury, Abel Fletcher jingled temptingly the silver money in the pockets of his long-flapped brown waistcoat. 'I say, art thee a lad to be trusted?' John Halifax neither answered nor declined his eyes. He seemed to feel that this was a critical moment and to have gathered all his mental forces into a serried square to meet the attack. He met it, and conquered in silence. the groat now?' earned it, Sir.' Gentleman.")

'Lad, shall I give 'Not till I have ("John Halifax,

5. Perhaps the most interesting parishioners were the young thieves who infested the parish. They used to assemble in a cellar or some out-of-theway spot not known to the police. Their agility in stealing a joint of meat or a fish was remarkable. But they were caught. I noticed that they all stood about the streets for some time, and then gradually they all disappeared : they were serving short sentences in prison. I thought I must make a great effort; I decided to invite them to tea. About forty turned up at a night school I opened afterwards, and pelted us with peas-pudding. They also went in for a bit of thieving-umbrellas, &c. But the end of it was that a great change came over the young thieves. Some of

the lads got situations, and I heard of one who, being asked whether the night school had done him any good, related how he had refrained from stealing a sovereign, with no chance of detection, because of the lessons he learned there." -(Rev. F. Caldwell, on the St. Peter's Mission, Hoxton.)

Collect of St. Matthew's Day.

The Catechism explains the Ninth Commandment: "My duty . . . is to hurt nobody by word to keep my tongue from evil speaking, lying, and slandering."

324. Which Commandments have to do with the tongue ?

The Third and Ninth Commandments have to do with the tongue.

325. What does St. James say about the tongue ?

St. James says about the tongue that

it is an unruly member, and that if any man is able to bridle his tongue he can keep his whole body (chap. iii. 1—8).

326. Name four things which lead people to tell lies.

People are led to tell lies (1) by hope of gain; (2) by fear of punishment for having done wrong; (3) by ill-feeling against another; (4) by boastfulness, wanting to appear greater than they are. 327. What does the word "martyr mean?

The word "martyr" means a witness. The martyrs gave their lives as witnesses to the Truth.

328. What can we say about the character of a truthful person?

II. THE INSTRUCTION on Where are witnesses wanted ? In law courts, before magistrates. What to do? Give evidence, throw light on a matter. But any one who tells out about things he knows is a witness. [Explain "throwing a light on a matter." Superintendent finds harmonium all wrong; fears mischief, calls up one of the early comers, asks, "Can you throw any light on this?"] Find these three texts about Christ Isa. lv. 4; St. John xviii. 37; Rev. iii. 14. What is He called in each ? So we think of Him to-day, as a True Witness, our Pattern as Truth-teller.

:

(i.) Christ amongst false witnesses. Name three things which lead people to speak falsely or keep back the truth. Fear, malice, love of gain. See each of these at work in people around Christ. (a) Witnesses who were false through fear. Read St. John ix. 18-22. Cowardly parents of the blind man healed by Christ afraid to say what they knew was the truth; would have been expelled from synagogue if had said what they knew about Christ's work on their son. See Christ, when on His trial; the whole truth, though He knew it meant death (St. Matt. xxvi. 63—67). (b) Witnesses false through love of gain. Read St. Matt. xxviii. 11-15. The false witness of the guard who kept the sepulchre; against the disciples of Christ; made out they were impostors; their good name destroyed. (c) Witnesses false through malice. Read St. Luke xxiii. 1, 2. The worst lie is that which has a little bit of truth mixed with it. What bit of truth was there in this witness of the Jews against Qur Lord ? What was false? Christ; He spoke strong things against the Jews, but always true and in love

See

(St. Matt. xxiii. 13, 16, 23, 27, but see ver. 37).

How dark all these false witnesses look (Ps. cxx. 3, 4). Three dark things at work to make men liars. Whose children do they show themselves to be? The devil's (St. John viii. 44). Dreadful to share their guilt. Have you ever told a lie? What made you tell it? It left a dark spot on soul; confess it to God, pray for forgiveness. A painter, painting beautiful picture of Christ, put in very dark background, so that the figure stands out all the more bright and beautiful. These false witnesses the background; Christ moved amongst them.

(ii.) Christ Himself the True Witness.

(a) What does a true witness need? (1) He needs to have-knowledge of the thing. [A witness gets up into the box and is asked what he knows of this matter. If he answers, "Nothing," he is quickly told to get down again.] Christ knew all things. See what He told Nicodemus in the night, about heavenly things (St. John iii. 11, 12). What He knew about men; could read them through and through (St. John ii. 25 ; St. Matt. ix. 4). (2) He needs to be-trustworthy. Witness in a law court kisses the Book and swears he will speak "the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth." Yet some cannot be trusted; without showing it in face, without fear, they tell what is false. Others may have to suffer through this. How do we know that Christ was a trustworthy Witness ? His life and works showed it (St. John x. 31-38). His Father said so from heaven. Father's voice heard in the night on the mountain. He told the chosen three disciples, and through them the

K

world, that all might believe His Son. "Hear Him" (St. Mark ix. 7). So Christ threw a light on all things men needed to know about, became the Light of the world (St. John viii. 12). (Illust.-The keeper of old lighthouse at Calais was once, it is said, asked by a visitor, "What if your light should go out ?" "Go out!" he cried, horrified at the thought, at the danger to many ships if no light over dark waters; "I should hear of it months after, from all parts of the world, that on certain night my light was not burning." Christ such a light for men; in a dark world gave true witness of all that men needed to know.)

(b) What does a true witness get? (1) Often, to begin with, persecution. What is a "martyr"? One who suffers for his religion. Name some. What the word mean? 66 "" A witness (Rev. iii. 14). Christ is "the faithful and true Martyr." He dies rather than deny or keep back the truth. (2) Always, in the end, praise. Say this: "The truth is mighty, and will prevail," old saying. Read Rev. xi. 3-13 about God's "two witnesses," were true and faithful, as Christ was; hard to understand, but seven things are clear: (1) They would speak out the truth at all costs. (2) Were unpopular,

"clothed in sackcloth."

(3) They threw a light out, clear and strong amongst men, as candlestick fed with oil from the olive tree by God. (4) The evil spirit hated them, perse

III. THOUGHTS

1. Our words, their power, their farreaching influence, are the subject of this Commandment. It is to be observed that in both tables of the law there is a Commandment which deals with the tongue. The difficulty of managing the tongue, and the mischief that the tongue often causes, form the subject of one of the most vigorous of St. James' utterances; a dozen verses (chap. iii. 1-12) full of vivid imagery. Sins of the tongue are of four kinds: (1) Against reverence; (2) against charity; (3) against purity; (4) against truth. The Ninth Commandment deals with the second and fourth of these, i.e., against charity and truth.

2. Truth is the very foundation of a good character. No doubt we all know lads who give untold trouble by their daring mischief, yet scorn to lie; these nearly always improve as time goes on, if they are wisely managed. Whereas the weak lad, on the whole obedient,

cuted them. (5) When they were dead the true things they said were not forgotten (dead bodies unburied in streets). (6) They rose to life again, those that had slain them were terrified, and there was great destruction of those that rejected the truth. (7) The faithful witnesses were received up into heaven, passed behind the beautiful cloud. Thus had Christ been glorified.

We are called to be true and faithful witnesses; light our little tapers from Christ's great Light (St. John i. 9); must begin by speaking the truth in little things, tell what we know at all costs. (Illust.-(1) George Washington when a boy had been in orchard cutting father's favourite tree; father angry. "Who has done this ?" The boy's answer, "Father, I cannot tell a lie; I did it." "Alas! my beautiful tree is ruined," said his father, "but I would rather lose all the trees I have than have a liar for a son." That son became the greatest of American citizens. George Washington rose to be the greatest man in America. (2) Martyrdom of Ridley and Latimer at Oxford; burned; might have got off if willing to be silent, not speak out what they felt to be the truth. At the stake the aged Latimer. "Be of good comfort, Master Ridley, and play the man; we shall this day light such a candle by God's grace in England as, I trust, shall never be put out." Speak out the truth at all costs; you will come to be a light.)

FOR TEACHERS.

who may seldom lose marks, yet is found out in a lie, will cause much more anxiety to his friends. Many affectionate mothers teach their offspring to lie almost from their babyhood by practising little deceits upon them in the course of their motherly management.

3. "The Ninth Commandment takes humanity at a stage higher up in civilisation than the four which have preceded it. The Fifth had to do with our relation to our parents-a thing which belongs to all humanity; the Sixth related to our combative, the Seventh to

our reproductive instincts; the Eighth went a little higher and looked upon us as holders of property; the Ninth goes higher still, and looks upon

man

as belonging to some kind of political organisation. False witness presupposes a tribunal before which false witness can be borne. If the martyr, he who witnesses a good confession, stands in the very front rank of God's

saints, surely he who bears false testimony leads the van of His worst enemies."-(Miss Wordsworth.)

4. "The story is told that on one occasion a lady went to see S. Philip Neri, and accused herself of being a slanderer. 'Do you frequently fall into this fault?' he inquired. Yes, very often,' replied the penitent. 'My dear child,' said S. Philip, 'your fault is very great, but the mercy of God is greater. I now bid thee do as follows: Go to the nearest market and purchase a chicken just killed and still covered with feathers. Then walk to a certain distance, plucking the bird as you go. When you have done that come back to me. The lady did as she was directed, and returned, anxious to know the meaning of so singular an injunction. 'Have you done what I told you?' asked S. Philip. Yes, she had done this to the letter. Now retrace your steps, pass through all the places that you have traversed, and gather up one by one all the feathers you have scattered.' 'But,' said the lady, 'I cast feathers carelessly away, and the wind scattered them in all directions.' 'Well, my child,' said the saint, 'so is it with your words of slander. Like the feathers which the wind has scattered, they have been wafted in many directions. Call them back now if you can. Go and sin no more.' So did S. Philip Neri teach that it is impossible quite to undo the effect of a slander." (Quoted by the Rev. W. Frank Shaw in "Manual of Catechising.")

the

5. Ps. XV. has been called the "Gentleman's Psalm," for it describes the true gentleman. Notice should be taken of the large place given therein to the right use of the tongue, "and speaketh the truth from his heart

hath used no deceit in his tongue, nor done evil to his neighbour, and hath not slandered his neighbour."

6. National boastfulness of tongue is finely deprecated in Rudyard Kipling's "Recessional," written after the Jubilee:— "If drunk with sight of power, we loose

Wild tongues that have not Thee in awe
Such boasting as the Gentiles use,

Or lesser breeds without the law.
Lord God of Hosts, be with us yet,
Lest we forget, lest we forget!
For heathen heart that puts her trust
In reeking tube and iron shard;
All valiant dust that builds on dust,
And guarding calls not Thee to guard;
For frantic boast and foolish word,
Thy mercy on Thy people, Lord!"

7. Readers of Sir W. Scott's "Heart of Midlothian" will remember the

famous trial scene and the heroism of Jeannie Deans, who even to save the life of her greatly loved half-sister will not deviate a hair's breadth from the stern, strict truth. She who performs a painful journey by road from Edinburgh to London to plead for Effie's life yet refuses to utter in court the little lie that would have delivered her from the gallows. The judge's words: "Young woman, you come before this court in circumstances which it would be worse than cruel not to pity and to sympathise with. Yet the truth is what you owe to your country and to that God Whose word is truth and Whose name you have now invoked. Remember that what you may be tempted to say beyond what is the actual truth you must answer both here and hereafter."

"

8. Dante, in Canto XXX. of his 'Inferno," describes the miserable condition of the makers of falsehood. The senses of sight, hearing, smell, touch, and taste are all assailed with dreadful horrors. He distinguishes between the "falsifiers in deeds," as the coiner, Adam of Brescia, who coined false florins in gold, putting the Baptist's image in base gold, and was burnt for it in Florence, who craves, in the Inferno, one little drop of water; and the "falsifiers in words," as Potiphar's wife, who falsely accused Joseph, and Sinon, the Greek from Troy, who, by lying testimony, induced the Trojans to bring into the city the wooden horse, from which in the night issued the armed Greeks who took the city. liars were "smoking, like a hand bathed in winter time," with reeking fever. Dante, listening too eagerly to the base conversation of those lost souls, is sharply rebuked by Virgil, the emblem of wisdom. "Now keep looking a little longer, and I quarrel with thee.' "When I heard him speak to me in anger, I turned towards him with such shame, that it comes over me again as I but think of it."

Both

9. "And now I come to the great thing that so much troubleth my conscience more than anything I ever did or said in my whole life, and this is the setting abroad of a writing contrary to the truth-the truth which I thought in my heart written for fear of death, and to save my life if it might be and forasmuch as my hand offended, writing contrary to my heart, my hand shall be first punished therefor, for may I come to the fire it shall be first