If this be so, then, see what follows. If He spake the truth, if, as St. Paul says, "God was in Christ reconciling the world unto Himself," then everything is explained, everything becomes luminous, natural, admirable; we come out of our nightmare to find again the blessed light of day.

Then Christ is no more the evil genius of humanity. He is its Bene factor, Liberator, Saviour.

Then the God He made known to us is the true God, for whom the reason and the conscience and the heart both crave and seek; the living God, in whom goodness, truth, and righteousness, in whom all perfections meet and harmonise; the Father-God who made us in His image, and who wishes to retrieve our fall; the Love-God, who knows our malady and who gives us life by saving us from sin.

If Christ has spoken truth about His nature and authority, then also His morality, so pure, so elevated, gains once more its hold upon us, and we once more see in it the law of life at once the simplest, and most reasonable, and most desirable; for it is summed up in the precept: "Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect."

Then also the future is clear and bright, and human destiny has once more found its key.

But why say more? The Gospel proves itself. All who are attached to its Author are able to say from heartfelt experience what Felix Neff said on his dying bed: "It is true, true, true." The Gospel is its own apology; and when one has lived some time in its atmosphere, so pure, so sweet, so salutary, one finds himself under the empire of a conviction which nothing can disturb. It is with the Gospel as it is with light. It is evil to those who shut their eyes against it. But at least let them not deny the brightness of the sun to those who look at it. "One thing I know," said the blind man to the Pharisees, who would have made him doubt the character of Christ-" one thing I know, that now I see." So say I when I contemplate the work of Christ. One thing I know-I see. may not be able to answer all the objections of contemporary scribes. But what matters that to me ? I turn towards the light and call it in as evidence.

I

No, brethren; men have not had an evil dream since Jesus Christ appeared in the midst of them; and the reign He founded was not a reign of falsehood but of truth. No; the disciples were not deceived when they left all and followed Him to death: they chose the good and not the evil part, and not one of them has rued. No; the crowd that heard the sermon on the Mount, the crowd that gathered round Him on the shores of Galilee, to whom He spake by deeds of mercy as well as by words of love-these multitudes were not mistaken when they said: "Never man spake like this man." No; the martyrs who poured out their blood for Him were not like dumb-driven cattle, butchered at the stake and on the scaffold. The many thousand martyrs who died like the aged

Polycarp, saying: "For fifty, sixty, eighty years I have served my Saviour, and He never did me anything but good," were not mistaken or deceived. Children with their young hosannas, old men with their ripened testimony, the disconsolate who have been comforted, the sinful who have been set free from sin, the dying who in thousands have fallen asleep in peace beneath His smile, were not deceived. Are the flowers deceived when they open at the return of spring? Are the birds deceived when, by their songs, they celebrate the rising of the sun ?

But, finally, if Jesus be the Sun of Righteousness, if His advent be the springtime of eternal life on earth, what then? What should we do? What, for you and me, should be the end and issue of this argument? What but to receive, and then reflect, His blessed beams! Ah! let it not be said of you and me, "He came unto His own, and His own received Him not." Let us not fall into the condemnation that " Light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light." Open the eyes of your soul, pull out the bolts, fling back the shutters; it is daylight, and the time of the singing of birds is come. Let Jesus flood your soul with light and life and love, and then let them flow forth again to all the world. Thus will you haste the day so long predicted, when the assembly of the faithful shall unite their thousand-fold harmonious voices in singing, "Unto Him that sitteth on the Throne, and to the Lamb, be honour, blessing, power and praise, for evermore, Amen."

THE LOCAL PREACHER IN RELATION TO OUR
TOWN PULPITS.

(We abbreviate this article, retaining what we think most likely to be useful, and adding a few remarks.)

THE subject for our present discussion arose out of a paper read by our friend Mr. Ruddock,* who, in an able and lucid manner, showed that Local Preachers now, as in the past, are a very useful auxiliary in propagating the Gospel in our small towns and villages. In our large towns and cities the Methodist pulpits are now very rarely occupied by Local Preachers.

Let us candidly acknowledge that in such chapels the services of Local Preachers are not desired, though occasionally tolerated. In proof of this statement, look at your plans; watch the course of events. It is the habit of our stewards, leaders, and the better educated in our congregations, to ask for a more regular, though paid ministry.

In making these statements we do not do it with vindictiveness, or the wish to find fault; nor do we at this juncture say whether such objection to the local ministry rests upon a Scriptural basis; we may, however,

* See "Local Preachers' Magazine " for March, April.

rest in peace and without alarm, for we have not any worldly interest in danger. Let us look at some of the objections that are raised against the local ministry; then at a few of the reasons why an ordained and regular ministry is preferred; and, lastly, show how our position may in some measure be improved and made more successful and effective.

I. OBJECTIONS.

There was a time when the public ministrations of the average Local Preacher were in advance of the pew; but now, with the increased facilities for gaining secular knowledge by the great mass of the population, a youth of thirteen may be, in secular knowledge, much in advance of the average Local Preacher of twenty or thirty years ago.*

Then, again, the increased and ever-increasing facilities afforded to our itinerant ministers for improving and advancing in their studies, has the effect of still further widening the space between the two classes; while the Local Preacher has to toil on, gaining his bread by the sweat of his brow, catching a few thoughts as the sparks fly from his anvil, or as the railway train carries him through the country.

The Local Preacher being placed at such a depressing disadvantage compared with his more highly favoured itinerant brother, there is no denying the fact that, in the estimation of a large majority of our town congregations, the local ministry is subject to very considerable discount. Then, again, mainly through the revival of religion, promoted by the Divine blessing upon the labours of Wesley and Whitefield, ministers eminent for piety and learning, skilful in dividing the word of truth, have sprung up in other churches, and are stationed in chapels in close proximity to our own Methodist chapels, and are preaching, in a great measure, doctrines held by us.f Hence, as men desire the best spiritual food as well as temporal, we find our office bearers frequently crying out for good pulpit supplies; urging this reason, that if they cannot have a more regular and efficient ministry, our people will go elsewhere, and join other churches. This is an objection almost peculiar to our towns, as there is not the same choice of ministers in our villages.

Another reason urged against the local ministry is, that it is more varied, and consequently less likely to be as efficient on account of the great variety of men composing its ranks, as is a ministry composed of regularly trained and qualified men. Some may ask, Why? The answer is, that the usual mode of initiating our Local Preachers does not guarantee general efficiency. There was a time when our people desired and were satisfied, in a great measure, with zeal, earnestness, and holy fervour; but now things are very different. While our people still admire these qualifications, they say their preachers, in order to be acceptable, must possess a certain amount of culture.

* We question this. Surely Local Preachers advance as fast as the general public.

†The sermons usually preached in Congregational and other chapels by their ministers, are but poor dry chopped straw to my taste.-T. C.

Take an example of the weakness of our method. A plan having twenty or thirty Local Preachers will, in all probability, bear the names of brethren who have passed their examination (such as it was) in half as many circuits, each brother having been brought on to the plan under different circumstances.* The superintendent, whose duty it is to look after the efficiency of the plan, passes over many objections in the hope that what appears to be latent talent may develop itself. Local Preachers, as a rule, are charitable, and the result is, a young man is pushed on to the plan who, as yet, has given little proof of his call to the work. This may be all right while he labours among his friends who sympathise with him, but circumstances change; he leaves for another circuit; his new friends judge him without partiality; and he is now, perhaps for the first time, put down at his proper value, and he becomes a source of weakness to the plan. On our plans generally there are a few whom wE, as Local Preachers, would not like to sit under regularly. No! not even once or twice a quarter.†

Why then blame our office-bearers, who, zealous for the success of our common cause, ask for a more regular and efficient ministry? Brethren who are efficient suffer for the inefficient, because of our own folly in not barring the doors to our ministry against all except those who, by their gifts, graces, and fruits, give sufficient proof of their ministry, and their call to preach the Gospel of the ever blessed God.

These are but a few of the objections raised against the ministry of Local Preachers. We pass on to notice.

II. REASONS WHY A REGULARLY TRAINED MINISTRY IS PREferred. Many of our people allege as a reason for this preference that, being set apart for the work of the ministry, and being supported and raised above temporal wants, such ministers are more likely to keep themselves free from the contaminating influences of the world than are those who have to mix with the world, in various forms, in order to gain an honest livelihood for themselves and families; their private as well as public life being before the ungodly. Now we see no reason for objecting to us on these grounds. We have a noble example in the great Apostle of the Gentiles. "He gloried, as you know, for certain reasons, in this fact, which links him with Local Preachers for ever, that he preached the Gospel gratuitously. The hands he lifted up in preaching that shook the world, ministered to his own necessities." The grace of God is equal to all our requirements. While admitting that occasionally there may be cases of flagrant inconsistency in our ranks, it in our opinion forms no solid reason for objecting to the majority, who, much to the advantage of the church and the honour of our holy religion, keep themselves free from

*This is not my experience.-T. C.

† All objections would be met by each church asking for such brethren only as are acceptable, and the plan-maker complying therewith. This is done among the Reformers.-T. C.

The Rev. Dr. Pope's address to Methodist Local Preachers, page 30.

the many evil influences thrown around their path while battling with the cares of life.

Then again, as churches grow in numbers and importance, they seem almost instinctively to look for a head; one who is at liberty to attend the call of our young men and maidens when they are about to be joined in holy wedlock; one who can attend to the sick of the flock, and is at liberty to perform the last offices over those departed; one who shall baptize our children and administer the sacrament of the Lord's Supper* to such as are contending for the faith once delivered to the saints; in fact, one who shall be their overseer and guide.

"The effect of all this is," as Dr. Pope remarks, "to move towards Congregationalism," and to exclude us from our best pulpits. It is not our purpose, or even our province, to either approve or condemn this kind of development, but to point out what is our position under these altered circumstances.

Are we to throw down the weapons of our warfare? or are we to continue in the work we believe God has called us to do, which call has been verified by the conversion of many souls ?

This action of our churches relieves us, in a great measure, from the responsible duties of the pastoral office, while it throws upon us with greater force than ever the important work of the true evangelist and pioneer. It is ours to go out into the more neglected places of the field. It is ours to break up the hard and rocky places. And though, in the eyes of many this is not so high and honourable, yet does it not, we ask, approach nearest the example of our Divine Lord, who went out to seek and save them that were lost, and to call not the righteous, but sinners to repentance ?

It is ours, for the present, to fight in the shade. Let us, therefore, remember the noble answer of Leonidas, the Spartan king, when defending the pass of Thermopylæ against the whole of the Persian army. Xerxes, indignant that a mere armful of men should dare to oppose the march of his splendid forces, sent a message demanding the Spartans to lay down their arms. The messenger on being told that the Spartans had determined to defend the pass, replied that the darts of the Persians will fall so fast and thick that they will darken the sun. Then, said Leonidas, we will fight in the shade: and they did fight, so as to give. Thermopyla a lasting interest, and Leonidas and his heroic companions an undying fame. May the same undaunted spirit characterise us, and be displayed by us in accomplishing the work we are called to do!

LASTLY. HOW MAY OUR POSITION BE IMPROVED AND BE MADE MORE EFFECTIVE AND SUCCESSFUL?

This part of our subject must necessarily be brief, and I must content myself with offering only suggestions.

* Among Methodist Reformers all these offices are performed by Local Preachers.