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ruin, the wreck of a star, a moon turned into bloodand all heaven will rejoice in his salvation. Some talk flippantly of the heathen, as though they might be swept away like dead flies; but the Son of God will condemn us utterly if we despise one of the least of these His brethren. The highest must stoop to the lowest, the strongest to the weakest, the purest to the foulest, if we would enter into His joy and glory "who, being in the form of God, counted it not a prize to be on an equality with God, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in the likeness of men; and being found in fashion as a man He humbled Himself, becoming obedient even unto death, yea, the death of the cross."

III. CHRISTIAN SELF-SACRIFICE IS MADE CONSCIOUSLY, DELIBERATELY, SYMPATHETICALLY.

Much of the sacrifice of which we have spoken is altogether unconscious and undesigned. This is so in nature. When the outer row of petals is sacrificed to the welfare of the guelder rose, the petals are unaware of their immolation; when the bracts wither which have cradled the young leaves of the tree, they perish without any sense of martyrdom. In all their sacrificial work the ant and wasp obey blind impulse. It is often little better in society. We suffer and die for others without realizing the fact. The thought of the genius, the statesman, the physician, and the nurse, is often almost entirely self-regarding; they really suffer

for the commonwealth without either consciousness or intention. The superior civilization also suffers for the inferior unsympathetically. The bee is a self-centred creature; when it visits a flower it does not think of adorning the planet, of filling the air with sweetness, of delighting human eyes; it thinks only of getting a living, of enjoying itself: yet all the while, unknown to itself, it conveys the pollen which secures the perfection and perpetuity of a thousand flowers. So the European visiting India, Africa, or China, does not always realize the larger mission he is fulfilling— advancing civilization by sacrifice. The scientist explores strange lands for knowledge, the soldier for glory, the trader for gold, the emigrant for bread; and yet, all unwittingly, above and beyond their immediate purpose, they impart to the strange regions they penetrate the ideas and qualities of a higher civilization.

"And as they came out they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name; him they compelled to go with them, that he might bear His cross." Simon did not consent to the cross and carry it sympathetically: he was coerced. Thus to a large extent in both nature and society is the cross carried, the law of sacrifice worked out by unconscious and necessitated agents. Nature is a Titan staggering along a terrible Via Dolorosa, groaning beneath a cross whose meaning and purpose it can in no wise comprehend. Society frets and bleeds under a vicarious burden whose full significance is hidden from it. Unconsciously, involuntarily, often

rebelliously, is the redemption of the world worked out by Simons utterly blind to the secret and glory of the tragedy in which they yet play an essential part.

In Christ the principle of self-denial became conscious, voluntary, and delightful. He entered into the work of redemption with clearest knowledge, entire sympathy, absolute willingness, and overflowing love. In all His doing and suffering for our salvation are freedom, readiness, and joyfulness. His true disciples share His spirit of intelligent self-sacrifice: consciously, willingly, lovingly, they serve the world and one another. Self-immolation, which is unconscious in the brute, which dimly awakes to the knowledge of itself in reflective humanity, realizes itself lucidly and joyously in the light, love, and liberty of Christ. "Lo, I come to do Thy will, O My God." "I delight to do Thy will, O My God." Such was the spirit and language of the Master in the hour of Gethsemane, in the presence of Calvary. The disciple must not rest until he attains something of the same conscious surrender and joy. Let us not ignorantly and murmuringly carry the cross with Simon, but with St. Paul "glory in the cross." Our Lord showed us that the highest joy of existence is in limiting and renouncing ourselves that we may help and save others.

Our service and sacrifice must be real, intense, and hearty; we must enter personally and sympathetically into the wants and woes of men. Only as we make felt and substantial offerings, only as we cordially and

hopefully identify ourselves with a sinning, suffering, perishing race, can we deeply benefit those who claim our pity. Our debt to the world is not discharged by a trifle of money. We were not redeemed with silver and gold, and the sorrowing world around us will not be. Recently in a famous London auction mart there was a great sale of badges of honour. Silver stars, gold crosses, jewelled medals celebrating valour shown on many fields, were disposed of. Now no one could wear these prized distinctions, whatever price he might give for them. It would have been absurd to attempt to display one as a personal decoration. Orders, embroidered ribbons, immortal badges, must be personally won on fields of battle, in terrible shipwrecks, in perilous conflagrations, in critical and dangerous hours. So must it be with us if the honours of the future are to be ours. Sacrifice in the case of our Lord meant dishonour, rejection, crucifixion; and to us it must not be an easy thing. "If we suffer with Him, we shall also reign with Him; if we deny Him, He also will deny us."

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WORDS OF LIFE *

It is the spirit that quickeneth: the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I have spoken unto you are spirit, and are life.-JOHN vi. 63.

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UR Lord thus declares that His teaching is not verbal, technical, formal, but heartsearching, life-giving, character-transforming. This vitality is the chief feature of the truth expressed by our Lord. Whatever may be said about the originality of His teaching, it is certainly unique in the spiritual force that inheres in it and accompanies its proclamation. Note, then,

I. THE MATCHLESS INFLUENCE OF THE GOSPEL UPON CHRISTENDOM AT LARGE.

The ruling civilizations of to-day have their rootage in the faith of Christ. In representing trees artists usually spend their strength in painting the upper portions-the graceful branches, the emerald leaves, the tinctured blossom, the ruddy apple, the purple cluster —and, as a rule, little attention is paid to the trunk, as it fastens on the ground. Millet, however, saw *Preached at the Moody Bible Institute, Chicago.

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