to sympathise with sorrow, and to endeavour to lighten its pressure by the manifestation of affection, and by administering the consolations of the gospel. It is a leading feature of Christianity that it takes special notice of the poor, and commends them to the kind consideration of their brethren, and, in particular, of those who are placed in more favoured circumstances. How beautiful is the statement of St. Paul, as to his intercourse with the leading Apostles at Jerusalem :-' Only they would that we should remember the poor, which very thing I was also zealous to do' (Gal. ii. 10)!

3. The care of the young, and especially of the children of the members of the Church, is another duty of Christian Pastors.

We have seen that the Lord Jesus affectionately welcomed the little children that were brought to Him for His blessing; and we have argued from His words, 'Of such is the kingdom of God,' that it is His design that the children of His people should grow up within His visible Church, and be trained with a view to their thoughtfully assuming the Christian profession, as soon as they become capable of it. But if so, their religious instruction and culture should be an object of interest not only to their parents or guardians, but to the Pastors of the Church; and both in public and private they should carry out the charge of the risen Saviour to St. Peter, when He formally reinstated him in his Apostolic office :-Feed My lambs.'

4. It devolves on Christian Pastors to guide and rule the Church.

Several of the designations given to them, especially in the Epistle to the Hebrews, imply this; and the very term 'Pastors' includes this idea. They are to be the Shepherds of their people, going before them in holy duty, and caring for the enforcement of the law of Christ, to which they and their people are equally subject. Among the qualifications of those who should be set apart to the office of bishops or elders, St. Paul mentions One that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity: but if a man knoweth

not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the Church of God?' (1 Tim. iii. 4, 5.) This argument implies that there is some analogy between the position of a Christian Minister and that of the father of a family, and that it belongs to each to exercise a beneficent rule. In a similar manner be afterwards says, 'Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honour, especially those who labour in the word and in teaching' (v. 17).

6

The passages now cited illustrate the character of that rule in the Church which belongs to the Christian pastorate. Ministers are to shepherd' the flock of Christ, caring tenderly for every member of it, even as the ancient shepherds knew their sheep and cared for them, and remembering their responsibility to the Chief Shepherd who watches over all His people. They are not to act arbitrarily, or to do their own will. In the exercise of discipline, the chief responsibility of which rests upon them, though it is right that there should be certain guards against error or prejudice on their part, they are bound simply to carry out the injunctions of Christ. It is a sacred principle, based on the supreme authority of the Lord Jesus over His Church, that Christian discipline should be simply the application of the law of Christ to particular cases. This principle should chasten the feelings, and govern the conduct, of all on whom the duty of maintaining the order and purity of the Church devolves. St. Peter's charge to the elders, or bishops, of the Churches to which he wrote is most impressive :-' The elders therefore among you I exhort, who am a fellow-elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, who am also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed: Tend the flock of God which is among you, exercising the oversight, not of constraint, but willingly, according unto God; nor yet for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind; neither as lording it over the charge allotted to you, but making yourselves ensamples to the flock. And when the Chief Shepherd shall be manifested, ye shall receive the crown of glory that fadeth not away' (1 Peter v. 1-4).

We have referred to the Apostolical arrangement, that there should be an order of Deacons subordinate to the pastors of the Church. The first institution of this office is considered to be recorded in Acts vi. The circumstances of the Church at Jerusalem were such as to render it necessary that the Apostles should be relieved of the charge of administering the temporal affairs of the Church, and seeing that all were properly cared for in the daily ministration; and they called on the disciples generally to select 'seven men of good report, full of the Spirit and of wisdom,' whom they might appoint to attend to these duties. The seven are not called 'deacons'; but it is generally agreed, that the office which they held was that afterwards so designated. We have seen, too, that St. Paul, in addressing the Church at Philippi, speaks of the bishops and deacons'; and in his first Epistle to Timothy he dwells at length on the qualifications necessary to fit men for this office. They were to be grave, thoughtful, and sincere; free from covetousness, and strictly temperate; firmly attached to the doctrine of Christ, and maintaining godly order in their own households.

The duties of deacons are not particularly specified; but the general principle, that the temporal affairs of the Church were confided to their charge, receives light from several intimations found in the Apostolical writings. There was much in the early Churches which required great care and assiduous attention on the part of the office-bearers. With regard to the poor, it should be borne in mind that, in the Apostles' days, there was no public provision made for their support, so that they were cast on the benevolence of the Church. Then, too, provision was made for aged widows; and St. Paul gives particular directions as to those who should be taken into the number of widows to be provided for by the Church, so as to guard this arrangement against abuse (1 Tim. v. 3-16). The analogy of the case would lead us to conclude that aged men who were comparatively destitute, and sick persons were cared for by the Church; and all these things would impose heavy duties on the deacons and deaconesses. Some deacons, too,

possessed the gift of acceptable and useful preaching, and exercised this gift with great advantage to the Churches; but this was not properly a part of the diaconal office. In many cases, the faithful improvement of their talents led to their being placed in a higher office. As an instance of this it may be mentioned, that Philip, who was one of 'the seven,' is referred to as an Evangelist' in Acts xxi. 8.

In some Christian communities, and specially in the Wesleyan-Methodist Connexion, the name of 'deacon' is not retained; but some of the duties devolving on the ancient deacons are discharged by the Stewards of the different Societies. In many Churches, also, there are gifted men recognised as Preachers of the word, though not invested with the pastoral office; and their ministrations have been often proved to be powerful and successful.

CHAPTER VII.

THE LORD'S DAY.

N considering the Institutions of Christianity, we have now

As we trace the history of the Sabbatic institution, the first fact that meets us is, that it was ordained immediately after the creation of man, and was intended to commemorate the 'rest' of God, as He viewed this completed terrestrial system, not yet defiled by sin, and pronounced it very good. Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. And on the seventh day God ended the work which He had made; and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had mnade. And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it; because that in it He had rested from all His work which God created and made' (Gen. ii. 1-3). To man the Sabbath was to be a day of rest, of holy worship, and of abundant spiritual blessing. That it was observed in the patriarchal ages is evident from the distribution of time into weeks, or periods of seven days; and in the narrative of the departure of the Israelites from Egypt we find it recognised and observed before the giving of the law from Mount Sinai. In confirmation of this statement it is sufficient to refer to the sixteenth Chapter of the book of Exodus.

In the legislation of Sinai the observance of the Sabbath as a day of holy rest was inculcated with great solemnity, while the very form of the commandment recognised it as an institution already known and honoured. The importance of the Sabbatic institution, in the Divine estimate, could not be more impres