me the vainest man that ever you heard speak with tongue. Beside this, you say that my death would be sorrowful and uncomfortable unto my friends.'

'I grant,' quoth he, that for a small time it would be so; but if I should so mollify, qualify, and temper my cause in such sort as to deserve only to be kept in prison, that would not only be a much longer grief unto me, but also to my friends would breed no small disquietness, both of body and of mind. And therefore all things well and rightly pondered, my death in this cause shall be better unto me and all mine than life in continual bondage and penuries. And Almighty God knoweth what he hath to do with his poor servant, whose cause I now defend and not my own: from the which I assuredly do intend (God willing) never to start or otherwise to give place, so long as God will give me life.'

This communication or like in effect, my lord of Canterbury's gentleman and Frith had coming in a wherry upon the Thames from the Tower to Lambeth.

Now, when they were landed, after repast being taken at Lambeth, the gentleman, the porter, and Frith, went forward towards Croydon on foot. This gentleman, still lamenting with himself the hard and cruel destiny towards the said Frith, namely, if he once came amongst the bishops; and now also perceiving the exceeding constancy of Frith, devised with himself some way or means to convey him clean out of their hands, and thereupon considering that there was no more persons there to convey the prisoner but the porter and himself, he took in hand to win the porter to his purpose. Quoth the gentleman unto Perlebean, the porter, (they twain privately

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walking by themselves without the hearing of Frith,) "You have heard this man I am sure and noted his talk since he came from the Tower.' Yea, that I have right well marked him,' quoth the porter, and I never heard so constant a man and so eloquent a person.' 'You have heard nothing,' quoth the gentleman, in respect of both his knowledge and eloquence if he might liberally either in university or pulpit declare his learning, you would then much more marvel at his knowledge. I take him to be such a one of his age in all kind of learning and knowledge of tongues, as this realm never yet in mine opinion brought forth, and yet those singular gifts in him are no more considered of our bishops than if he were a very dolt or an idiot; yea, they abhor him as a devil therefore, and count utterly to extinguish him as a member of the devil, without any consideration of God's special gifts. If,' quoth the porter, 'there were nothing else in him but the consideration of his personage, both comely and amiable, and of natural disposition, gentle, meek, and humble; it were pity that he should be cast away.'

So when my lord of Canterbury's gentleman came nigh to the hall, he joined himself in company with the said Frith, and, calling him by his name, said,

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Now, master Frith, let us twain commune together another awhile; you must consider that the journey which I have now taken in hand thus in bringing you to Croydon, as a sheep to the slaughter, so it grieveth me, and as it were overwhelmeth me in cares and sorrows, that I little pass what danger I fall in, so that I could find the means to deliver you out of the lion's mouth. And yet yonder good fellow and I

have so devised a means, whereby you may both easily escape from this great and eminent danger at hand, and we also be rid from any vehement suspicion.' And thereupon declared unto Frith the full process discoursed before, how every thing in order should be handled. (Concluded in our next.)

THE CHRISTIAN A LIVING SACRIFICE

"I beseech you, therefore, brethren, by the mer cies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service." Romans xii. 1.

1. THE Christian must present himself unto God as a sacrifice. It is indeed no easy thing to be a Christian. St. Paul sets this matter beyond doubt in a variety of passages. "The flesh," he tells us, "lusteth against the spirit, and the spirit against the flesh; and these two are contrary the one to the other." He speaks of his own experience in this manner, "So run I, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air; but I keep my body under, and bring it into subjection, lest when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway." And he exhorts the Hebrews after this manner, "Let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author

and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him, endured the Cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God."

My brethren, we are by nature prone to please ourselves, to live to ourselves, to gratify our lusts, to follow the course of the world; but the Christian is one who feels that he must set his face against these things; that instead of pleasing himself he must please God; that instead of following the course of this corrupt world, he must strive in all things, at all times, and in all places, to do the will of his Father which is in heaven; that in the manner in which he occupies his time, uses his influence, spends his money, he must look to the objects for which these talents have been bestowed upon him; namely, not to make an idol of himself, but to promote the glory of God. Inclined then as we all are by nature to go in an opposite direction, to please ourselves and follow the world, it must be obvious, that no man can be a Christian without difficulty, without making a sacrifice of self. You know what I mean by a sacrifice. mean without putting self to pain and inconvenience. And every one who has redeemed the pledge which he gave at his Baptism, to 'fight under the banner of Christ against sin, the world, and the devil,' has found it to be so.

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Now many people will go to great lengths in professing Christ, till they come to some point where they discover that to be his disciples they must actually and positively sacrifice self; but here they fail and turn aside out of the way. This was the case with that young man of whom we read in the history of

the life of our blessed Lord, who made such great professions; but when his sincerity was put to the trial by Christ, in his being called upon to "sell all that he had and give to the poor, and take up his cross and follow him," he shrunk from his duty. This was the case too with Peter, on the memorable occasion when he denied our Lord; he preferred his own ease and security to the shame, reproach, and pain which appeared to await him if he followed the Lord fully. If then we would serve the Lord we must make up our minds to sacrifice self: "If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily; and follow me." But though difficulties will most assuredly beset us on every side, in the faithful discharge of our duties as Christians; and though pain and inconvenience must needs be endured in the sacrifice of self; yet, brethren, we shall certainly find God's grace so abundantly sufficient to help in every time of need: his strength so fully made perfect in our weakness, as thoroughly to justify our Lord's declaration, "My yoke is easy, and my burden is light."

But, Secondly,, observe, We are to give ourselves a living sacrifice to the Lord. Not to wait till death knocks at our door before we think of giving ourselves up to him who has created and redeemed us for his own glory. Some people intend to serve the world and to live to themselves as long as they can; and then, when pining sickness or old age have in a measure shut them up from gratifying the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, they would fain give the dregs of their days to the Lord. Is this however reasonable? If you were engaged to do a