proved the doctrine, and the doctrine undermined that of the Sadducees, it was best to do. To deny it was to sacrifice their own credit with the city. Well, suppress the men.

17. Threaten them-with penalties. Speak... no man. A notable miracle had been done in the name of Jesus; myriads more stood in need of healing, yet they must be silent! Myriads more were in darkness waiting for light, perishing for lack of knowledge, yet no compassion for these; they must go unhealed, unenlightened. Speak no more in this name! How

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sad! Such is fanaticism and bigotry.

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SOME ALTERATIONS IN REVISED VERSION.-2. For "preached through Jesus" read proclaimed in Jesus." 9. For "the" read "a good deed." 10. For "by Him read "in Him." 11. For "this is the stone" read "He is the stone," &c. 12. For "whereby" read" wherein we must. For "wrought by" read "wrought through them."

ILLUSTRATIONS.-"I lay my sins on Jesus, The spotless Lamb of God" (Sunday-school Hymn-book, 318). A gentleman in sore distress through sin, when crossing London Bridge, saw a blind man reading the Testament. He was at the passage Acts iv. 12, "None other name," &c. The words were at the bottom of the page, which he had some difficulty in turning, and so kept on repeating, "None other name," "None other name," till he got the page over. The bystanders laughed, but meanwhile the gentleman had come, and thus heard what he was seeking, a word in season in his sorrowful and sin-stricken condition. "None other name," "None other name, kept ringing in his ears, till at last he exclaimed, "I see it! I see it! "' and found pardon and peace in the name of Jesus. Have you?

SKELETON LESSON FOR TEACHING.-I. The Power of Truth.-(1) The aim and interest of bigotry to deny it. (2) This truth was undeniable-it was a notable miracle. (3) Its influence: more than a thousand added to the faith through it. (4) If the other truth, the Resurrection, in support of which it was wrought, be established, what issues!

II. A Single Aim.-(1) To glorify Him whom God hath glorified-Christ. (2) How? Direct the eyes that look earnestly on us upward to Him. (3) Why? Because He is the only source of physical and spiritual healing, "None other name," &c.

FEBRUARY 18.

SUBJECT CHRISTIAN COURAGE (Acts iv. 18-33. G. T., ver. 19.)

LEADING THOUGHTS.-In matters of fact, divine truth and testimony, the voice of God alone is to be obeyed: the moral victory achieved in the case before us, the ground of thanksgiving on the part of the Church, while the threatenings of the Council drive it to prayer; which God assures the disciples is heard, by shaking the place where they were met: whereupon they evidence their devotion to the cause, also mutual love and goodwill, by having all things in

common.

18. Called them-to receive sentence. The name of Jesus. An ancient Greek, Bessus, wrung out the necks of some birds that frequently sang near him. Why? Because their notes never ceased, he alleged, to reproach him for murdering his father. They could not hear the name of Jesus without unpleasant memories being stirred.

19. Right. The appeal from their passion to the higher standard of reason was very deferential. But silence here and now were not only an outrage upon their moral sense, but also disloyalty to their Lord, hence cannot (Psalm xxxix. 3).

21. Further threatened-additional penalties. Finding nothing. They hoped to prove the deed done, was done illegally, by magic (Lev. xx. 6) but failed: for the people, of whom political and religious tyrants are afraid, glorified God for it.

22. Forty years. The disease was congenital, not accidental, born with him: its inveteracy therefore known and recognised as beyond the skill of man.

So sin, moral disease born with us, though as long standing, disappears before the name of Jesus.

23. Own company. Here we have a clear distinction between the Church and her persecutors. And where should Christians seek society and comfort but in their "own company"? This is said to be the first persecution of the disciples since the resurrection; but do not fail to mark the Christian courage that owns to itself the bitter opposition of the world and faces it. But not alone.

24. Lifted... voice-finding refuge in prayer. Accord. The power of united prayer illustrated by day of Pentecost, which briefly refer to.

25-27. Why rage? Prophecy fulfilled (Psalm ii. 12)—a cruel combination of Jews and Gentiles (Romans, &c.) to frustrate the beneficent purposes of God in His Son Jesus: but it failed. What was foreordained to be done was done. The counsel of the Lord, shall it not stand? Why do the people rage?

29. Behold. The idea is that they regarded the cause as God's cause, and appealed to Him for interposition and help in two ways: first, by giving courage to speak the word; second, while He authenticated their message by "stretching forth thine hand to heal." Some have under-estimated the value of miracles as evidence of divine truth, relying more on moral aspects, &c.: not so the Apostles.

31. Shaken.—A proof prayer was heard, and that God would behold and answer the challenge of the Sanhedrim. Filled-that they might realise in expe rience the courage for which they prayed. They were filled before at the Pentecost, but God gives not the Spirit to be stored for future use, but present purpose. They might grow in capacity as in desire; and with this enlarged capacity-filled "-they spoke.

32. Common.-The effect was such as to melt and blend their hearts, lives, and properties (anyhow for the time being) into one (hence "Christian socialism"), in favour of and devotion to the common cause and one another. Would that this spirit obtained more now!

33. Great power... their witness.-A person may give evidence of a fact in such a hesitating, faltering fashion, as to raise a suspicion that it is fiction; the reverse of this here. With power-with persuasive unction, convincingly. Grace great the blessing, favour, and prospering influence of God rested upon the people. Has the reader this grace? If not, why not? SOME ALTERATIONS IN REVISED VERSION.-Ver. 22, for "shewed" read "wrought; 24, for " Lord, Thou art," &c., read, "O Lord, Thou that didst make the heavens; 25, for "Thy servant" read "our father David Thy servant;" 26, for "stood up read "set themselves in array; 27, after "of a truth insert "in this city against; " 28, for "determined read "foreordained; 30, for "by stretching " read "while Thou stretchest forth," &c.; 33, after "Apostles" insert "their."

ILLUSTRATIONS."Stand up, stand up for Jesus, Ye soldiers," &c. (Sundayschool Hymn-book, 417). Christian Courage.-We are told that when the late Com. Foote was in Siam he had upon one occasion the king on board his vessel as a guest. Like a Christian man as he was, he did not hesitate in the royal presence to ask a blessing as the guests took their places at the table. "Why, that is just as the missionaries do," remarked the king, with some surprise. "Yes," answered the heroic Christian sailor, "and I am a missionary too." And why not you, in the factory, mill, home, school, also be a missionary for Jesus? Will you?

SKELETON LESSON FOR TEACHING.-Christian Courage.-(1) In simple surrender to God and conscience "we ought to obey." (2) In recognising and facing opposition as for Christ's sake. (3) In spite of the pleadings of interest and worldly wisdom, they did not shut their eyes to what standing up for Christ meant. (4) Its support a consciousness of moral integrity and obligation. “We ought, &c. (5) Its source: the Spirit of God. Peter, before his baptism by the Spirit, abashed by a servant-girl; now he confronts the Sanhedrim. (6) Encouragement : in " own company.' Where ought Christians to find comfort more than with the disciples, in praise and prayer? (7) Courage for Christ and sympathy for each other to be shown in deeds.

FEBRUARY 25.

SUBJECT-ANANIAS AND SAPPHIRA. (Acts v. 1-11; G. T. Prov. xii. 22.) LEADING THOUGHTS.-Personal purity and Christian consistency are matters of gravest importance to the young community, as evidenced by the exposure and terrible punishment of Ananias and Sapphira, who constitute an all-time warning to the Church that her most dangerous foes are not her outward and avowed persecutors, however fierce, but her own false friends, who, within her bosom, play the hypocrite and deceive.

1. Ananias and Sapphira. Suggestive names, the one meaning "God's grace," and the other "beautiful." Newton, in his "Prophecies,' tells of Ptolemy Philopater "lover of his father," but he murdered his father and mother, in spite of his fine name. So the deeds of Ananias and Sapphira did not answer in grace and beauty to their names.

2. Privy to it. Not improbably the ingenuity of Sapphira originated the plan; hence, when directly charged, she braved it out (ver. 8), to her cost.

3. Satan filled. The doctrine of Satanic influence and instigation here plainly set forth, that he who was a liar from the beginning, incites men to tell lies too. Keep back part. Experience teaches that people who will push themselves to the front and make great parade of what they are and do, often require, not to be taken at their own reckoning, but discounting. Had Ananias and Sapphira been more modest when pouring out the possession at the Apostles' feet, their piety had been more likely to have been genuine.

4. Thine own. The sin lay not in giving only so much, but in giving only so much and pretending it was the whole, at the same time evidencing a distrust in Divine Providence. Unto God. Here, without doubt, we have taught the doctrine of the Holy Ghost, His personality and divinity.

5. Fell down suddenly. It will not be uninstructive briefly to dwell on the analogy between the death of Achan (Josh. vii.) and Ananias, who both sinned through covetousness, and thought to deceive God.

6. Young men-those who, though not holding any official position, were yet willing to render, as young men about our schools and churches to-day, such service as they could. Buried. "The later Jews buried before sunset of the day of the death."

8, 9. How is it? That Peter understood the state of the case there can be no reasonable doubt, as the Apostles enjoyed on special occasions the gift of discerning spirits (1 Cor. xii. 10). Some remarkable instances of spiritdiscerning are recorded of the Rev. W. Bramwell (see "Memoirs," pp. 57, 59, 139). Sapphira unquestionably worse than her husband, because, when an opportunity was given of confession and repentance, she deliberately protested her innocence in spite of her consciousness of guilt. Toplady says: "I revere and admire real probity wherever I see it. Artifice, duplicity, and disguise I cannot away with. Transparency (Phil. i. 10.) is in my opinion the first and most valuable of all social virtues." Observation shows that women often become the holiest and most modest of Christians, or the most degraded and impudent of sinners.

11. Fear. The effect designed, to check covetousness, expose hypocrisy, and mark off the holy Church from the wicked world, was accomplished. What became of Ananias and Sapphira we do not know. A veil of mystery hangs over them. Christ said, "He that blasphemes the Holy Ghost hath never forgiveness" (Mark iii. 29), and to pass away with deceit in the heart, and lying to the Holy Ghost on the lips, is more awful than words can tell. There are those who entertain hope of their salvation, as they paid the penalty of physical death without any respite in which to seek for mercy. It may be so. We too would indulge the hope. But what shall we say of those who attempt to justify their conduct on the grounds of prudence and forethought? Nothing can excuse a lie against the Holy Ghost or anyone else, spoken or acted; nothing justify deceit and hypocrisy. The young and growing Church needed a sharp lesson, and got it; and Ananias and Sapphira fell the victims of their own cupidity and deceit, as others have fallen (in other ways) since. Beware! How are you living, speaking, acting?

"read

SOME ALTERATIONS IN REVISED VERSION.-4. For "Why hast thou" read "How is it thou hast," &c. 5. For "heard these things "' read "heard it." 6. For "wound them up' "wrapped them round." 10. For "then fell she down straightway" read "and she fell down immediately. 10. For carrying her forth" read "carried her out." ILLUSTRATIONS: LYING

"God is in heaven! Would He know,

If I should tell a lie ?

Yes: though I said it very low,

He'd hear it in the sky."

(S. S. Hymn-book, 359.)

It is related that on one occasion "two scoundrels sought to obtain money from Archbishop Leighton, one feigning death, and the other soliciting charity on that account. When the solicitor returned to his accomplice he found him dead indeed, killed by lightning, as he feigned to be." The verdict of the jury would probably be, "died by the visitation of God." What a warning against untruth!

SKELETON LESSON FOR TEACHING.-I. Profession and Practice.—(1) Barnabas (ch. iv. 35, 36) and Ananias in contrast. (2) The latter, large in profession, but unreal, false in practice (ch. v. 2). (3) Barnabas, in name, word, and deed what his name implies-Son of Consolation. (4) The ostentation and show of Ananias; the modesty of Barnabas.

II. Realness.-(1) Many Jews probably reduced to necessitous condition through confessing Christ, hence Christian communism meets the emergency. (2) But no obligation further than their own will, hence (3) To give only part, and claim credit for all, was unreal-hypocrisy. (4) Hypocrisy in those who name the name of Christ, and profess "to obey the truth," is worse than in the openly profane.

III. Unrealness or deceit detected.-(1) By God. God is not mocked. "Thou hast searched me," &c. (Ps. cxxxix.). (2) By time and circumstance. (3) Friends unwittingly. (4) Foes designedly. (5) By self-disclosure. Only the true, the real can last. No man will get in the "long run" more than he deserves; therefore, examine your motives, aims, words, and deeds, for so the Church is taught, that God has regard more to character and quality than to bulk and mere numbers.

THE POWER OF CHRISTIANITY.

DR. SCHAFF has published a paper on "The Historical Foundation of Faith," in which he thus refers to the growth and present power of Christianity: "Taking our position at the close of the apostolic age and looking back to its fountain-head and forward to succeeding generations, we cannot but be amazed at the magnitude of the effects produced by the brief public ministry of Jesus of Nazareth. There is absolutely nothing like it in the annals of the race. The Roman Empire embraced at the birth of Christ over one hundred millions of men, conquered by force, and after having persecuted His religion for three hundred years, it died away without the possibility of a resurrection. The Christian Church now numbers many millions, conquered by the love of Christ, and is constantly increasing. The first century is the life and light of history and the turning-point of the ages. If ever God revealed Himself to man, if ever heaven appeared on earth, it was in the person and work of Jesus of Nazareth. His Cross has become the tree of life to all nations; His teaching is still the highest standard of religious truth; his example the unsurpassed ideal of purity and holiness; the Gospels and Epistles of His Galilean disciples are still the book of books, more powerful than all the classics of human wisdom and genius."

THE CLASS-MEETING.

A WORKING MAN'S ADDRESS.

I LATELY heard one of our ministers make this remark when speaking of a Church placed under his care; he said, "The Church is drifting into Congregationalism as fast as time can carry it." While I have not one word to say against our brethren the Congregationalists, for I believe that their Church register contains the names of many noble servants of God, yet I do believe that while we are Methodists in name we ought to be Methodists in practice; and I believe that if there be one ordinance of our Church that distinguishes us as Methodists more than another, it is the one I have to speak upon, the class-meeting. In doing so, I will take the matter just as it stands upon the programme. First the meeting, and then the Leaders.

There may be some here who are not aware how these meetings originated. For their information I have copied an extract from a sermon preached by our esteemed minister, the Rev. Dr. Cooke, and published in the large Magazine for January, 1865. He says: "Mr. Wesley was led to adopt these means in a way as unexpected as it was providential. Many people had become converted under his ministry in various places, and he knew not how to keep them together and preserve the life of God in their souls. But Providence found the means when John Wesley was looking for something else. The chapel in Bristol was encumbered with debt, and at a meeting called to devise means to meet the pecuniary obligations, it was agreed that the society should be divided into classes, each to consist of twelve members-one of them to take charge of the class, and his duty should be to collect from each member the sum of one penny per week. But it was found inconvenient to see the members at their own residences, so they commenced to meet weekly, and, meeting together, they conversed on their religious experience, and blended prayer with mutual counsel and comfort. Thus the meeting intended for a pecuniary emergency grew into a spiritual means. The practice was afterwards adopted in London, and in time became universal. Such," observes Mr. Wesley, "was the origin of our classes, for which I can never sufficiently praise God; the unspeakable usefulness of this institution having ever since been more and more manifest."

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And now, my friends, I am not ashamed to acknowledge that I am what is pleased to be termed a man of the old school. For I believe in the class-meeting, and if there be one means of grace more than another that has helped to strengthen my faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, it is the class-meeting; for I believe that just as much as we require food to maintain the strength of our bodies, so do we require Christian communion to maintain our spiritual strength. But I am afraid that with many of our members the class-meeting has become an unfashionable institution. You all know that it is accounted respectable to be seen going to church or chapel on the Sabbath-day; and it is very comfortable to sit in your nicely-cushioned pews and listen to your minister. But only ask some of our members to come to a meeting where personal experience has to be