feelings were roused, and my surprise greatly excited at my temerity. Where, thought I, can immediate help be obtained? I fear that I have said too much. My dullness, however, was soon reproved. A person suddenly opened the door and inquired, ‘James, have you such a number of pipes on hand?' 'No, sir.' 'Can you make me that quantity in the course of a few days?' I answered in the affirmative. Then,' said he, in order to secure them, I will pay you down the money.' He instantly handed me the sum; I went and purchased food, and, blessed be God, I have never wanted bread since!"

PURITY THE BEAUTY OF THE SOUL.

Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity. — 1 Tim. 4: 12.

THE beauty that sets off a soul in God's eye is purity of

heart. The most beautiful person is but a spiritual leper till he becomes pure in heart. God is pleased with the pure heart, for he sees his own picture drawn there. Holiness is a beam of God; it is the angels' glory; they are pure virgin spirits. Take away purity from an angel, and he is no more an angel, but a devil. Those who are pure in heart have the angels' glory shining in them; they have the embroidery and workmanship of the Holy Ghost upon them. The pure heart is God's paradise, where he delights to walk; it is his lesser heaven. The dove delights in the purest air; the Holy Ghost, who descended in the likeness of a dove, delights in the purest soul. God saith of the pure in heart as of Sihon (Psalm 132: 14), "This is my rest for ever; here will I dwell." God loves the holy soul; the pure in heart is Christ's bride, decked and bespangled with the jewels of holiness. "Thou hast ravished my heart with one of thine eyes." (Cant. 4:9.) Thine eyes,that is, thy graces, these as a chain of pearl have drawn my heart to thee. Of all hearts God loves the pure heart best. Thou who dressest thyself by the glass of the word, and adornest the hidden man of thy heart, art most precious in God's eyes. Though thou mayest be blear-eyed as Leah, or lame as Barzillai, yet, being pure in heart, thou art the mirror of

beauty, and mayest say, "Yet shall I be glorious in the eyes of the Lord." How may this raise the esteem of purity! This is a beauty which never fades, and which makes God himself delighted with us.

DOCTRINAL PREACHING.

Till I come give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine. 1 Tim. 4: 13.

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N these days I fear that good, sound, old-fashioned, stout, doctrinal preaching is going out of vogue. I beg of you, do not yield to this unhappy drift no, not for an hour! Sound doctrine is the backbone of truly successful preaching. The mightiest discourses that have shaken vast assemblies, and sent sinners trembling to the cross of Christ, have been vitalized by some stupendous "doctrina," or revealed teaching. of Almighty God. My brilliant neighbor, Beecher, has unwisely said that "doctrine is only the skin of truth set up and stuffed." Just imagine St. Paul writing to Timothy, “Give attendance to the stuffed skin of truth!"

If you are ever dry, never be dry in your doctrinal sermons. Always preach doctrine with intense emotion. Heat your argument red hot. Introduce all the lively and picturesque illustrations you can into your doctrinal discourses; it will make them interesting, and the truth will become pictorial to the mind's eye and to the memory. This was our Saviour's method. What a matchless discourse on the doctrine of God's mercy to the sinner is the parable of the Prodigal Son! A good minister is nourished in the words of faith and of good doctrine. — Rev. Dr. Cuyler.

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MEDITATION AS A MORAL DUTY.

Meditate upon these things. - 1 Tim. 4: 15.

(CRIPTURE truth becomes more profitable by meditation. The promises are flowers, growing in the paradise of Scripture; meditation, like the bee, sucks out the sweetness.

of them. The promises are of no use or comfort to us till they are meditated upon. For as the roses hanging in the garden may give a fragrant perfume, yet their sweet water is distilled only by the fire, so the promises are sweet in reading over, but the water of these roses the spirit and quintessence of the promises is distilled into the soul only by meditation. The incense, when it is pounded and beaten, smells sweetest. Meditating on a promise, like the beating of the incense, makes it most odoriferous and pleasant. The promises may be compared to a golden mine, which then only enricheth when the gold is dug out. By holy meditation we dig out that spiritual gold which lies hid in the mine of the promise, and so we come to be enriched. Cardan saith, "There is no precious stone but hath some hidden virtue in it." They are called "precious promises." (2 Peter 1: 4.) When they are applied by meditation, then their virtue appears, and they become precious indeed. Watson's Saints' Spiritual Delight, 1657.

THEOLOGICAL PREACHING.

Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them; for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself and them that hear thee. — 1 Tim. 4:16.

HE conviction has been gaining ground of late, with some at least, that a more decided theological element would be a source of power in the pulpit. The matter is, to say the least, worthy of serious consideration. The almost entire absence of doctrinal preaching is one of the most noticeable features of the modern pulpit. One seldom hears in our churches what might, with any propriety, be called a theological discourse. The reasons we will not undertake to give, but the fact is undeniable. It is certainly a question whether this deficiency of doctrinal preaching is a source of weakness or of strength to the pulpit - whether we gain in point of attractiveness as much as we lose in real power by this course.

Many reasons might be mentioned in favor of giving to the discourses of the pulpit a more decidedly theological character;

as, e. g., that the study of theological truth elevates and enlarges the mind of the preacher, and so contributes to his power and efficiency in the pulpit; that it contributes to variety in his pulpit discourse, by introducing a wider range of subjects, each requiring distinct and definite treatment; that it instructs and edifies the hearers as no other method of preaching can so fully do.

To urge these reasons, however, there is one consideration not so obvious, nor so likely to be admitted, to which we would call attention; and that is, that theological preaching - by which we mean the discussion of the leading doctrines of the Christian faith-is, when rightly and well done, one of the surest ways of interesting the audience. It gives people something to think of something definite and tangible something for them to believe or disbelieve; in either case, their attention is aroused and their interest awakened. It is a great mistake to suppose that people will be interested only in flashy and sensational discourses, or in goodish commonplaces of pulpit exhortation, which some sharp critic has very aptly styled "gospel and water."

DEATH OF A BACKSLIDER.

Having damnation, because they have cast off their first faith.

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SI approached the house I heard the voice of lamentation. I entered. It was the voice of my friend. Long had we been acquainted with each other. Often had we walked together to the house of God in years which had passed by. Often in the assembly of the saints had our voices been united in songs of praise. We had taken sweet counsel together; our joys and our hopes had once been one. But since those days she had been united to a man of the world. She had been placed in circumstances unfriendly to religion. She had lost the pearl of great price, and had been seeking happiness here on earth. But her worldly prospects were now suddenly blighted, and a dark cloud hung between her and a throne of grace. She was arrested by a fatal disease, and exclaimed, "I must die."

I approached her bedside, and inquired how she was.

She replied, "O, my distress of body, no one can tell; but that is nothing compared to my distress of mind. Once I enjoyed a day of grace; a Saviour's love was in my heart. That day is gone, for ever gone. Once I was united with Christian people; then, if I had proved faithful, I might have been saved; but now salvation is beyond my reach. I am just going into a world of spirits. I have wandered from God, and from God I must now be driven. O that God would give me but one year more! I would repent and do my first works again. But that favor I can not have. One month, or even a week, might I stay! O, how earnestly would I seek his mercy once more! But no! that favor is denied me! not one day can I stay — I must die. If I look upward, I see an angry God. If I look downward, I see a yawning hell ready to receive me. Where, O, where shall I flee from my much offended God?"

I staid with her several hours to witness her sad and desponding lamentations; but my endeavors to comfort her distressed mind were all in vain. She rolled from side to side in deepest agony, as though the pains of hell had seized upon her. When about to retire, I asked her if I should call on some one to pray with her; she answered, "Yes." I hastened to the house of the man of God, to bear her last request. He went; but it was too late. Stupidly she rolled her eyes, sunk deep in death; and ere the sun went down, she sighed and breathed her last.

SCANDAL.

And withal they learn to be idle, wandering about from house to house; and not only idle, but tattlers also, and busybodies, speaking things which they ought not. 1 Tim. 5: 13.

HE story is told of a woman who freely used her tongue to the scandal of others, and made a confession to the priest of what she had done. He gave her a ripe thistle top, and told her to go out in various directions and scatter the seeds. one by one. Wondering at the penance, she obeyed, and then