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MARTYRDOM OF STEPHEN.

And, when he had said this, he fell asleep. And Saul was consenting unto his execution [avaipeois]." -Acts vii. 60, viii. 1.

EXPLAIN Stephen's character as described in chapters vi. 5, 8, and vii. 55, full of faith and power, full of the Holy Ghost. Consider

I. STEPHEN AS A MARTYR. (1.) A martyr on account of his Christianity. He was the first Christian martyr and the only one whose martyrdom is related at length in

the New Testament. Concealment of sepulchres of Moses and Aaron, strikingly paralleled by the utter silence of the New Testament respecting the martyrdom of the first preachers. Brief reference to one or two, e.g., James, Antipas; but only that of Stephen is related in any detail. The scriptural writers exalt heroism and Christian principle, but ignore mere saint and relic worship. Contrast the subsequent legend of the Stephanic relics. (2.) A martyr on account of his anti-ritualism. The charge against him in the Jewish council was that he spoke against the holy place, and strove to change the rites

of Moses. And his speech in chap. vii. shows that Christ in his spiritual power not only fulfilled but supplanted the Mosaic ritual. (See Smith's Dict. Art. Stephen.) (3.) A martyr to his nonconformity. He seceded from the old style of religion.

II. THE CHRISTIAN'S ESTIMATE OF A MARTYR'S DEATH. A contrast this to the persecutor's estimate" fell asleep." The persecutor says: "Ah, that is over, he is dead, one more enemy out of my path." The Christian may reply, "Nay, he sleepeth, his real power and influence now begin." (Compare Matt. xiv. 2.) (1.) Every good man falls asleep in the sense that his works and influence live after him. (2.) The "blood of the martyrs is the seed of the Church." Illustrate from early persecution scattering the disciples from Jerusalem into surrounding regions, chap. viii. 2, &c., so specially mark the subjective influence of Stephen's death as a means towards Paul's conversion. (Compare chap. xxii. 20.) Paul developed the very principles for which Stephen died. "SiStephanus non orasset, ecclesia Paulum non haberet."

-Augustine. (3.) The full sense of the contrast can only be realised in the thought of a resurrection. David "fell asleep." Christ likened death to sleep. The resurrection morn awakes the Church to eternal day. Enforce in con

clusion the need of Christian principle and heroism. A grand thing to "fall asleep" in Jesus on account of fidelity to Him. G. DEANE, B.Sc., B.A. Harrold, Beds.

A GOOD LIFE.

"It is good to be zealously affected always in a good thing."— Gal. iv. 18.

THERE is nothing in all the world so desirable, so lovely as goodness. The apostle strove to bring up the churches to the standard of goodness.

I. THE NATURE OF A GOOD LIFE. A "good thing." It includes: 1. Holiness, the pos. session of holiness, and the diffusion of holiness. For this a good man prays, fights, and longs. 2. Usefulness. A good life finds a thousand ways of usefulness.

Wide fields are ever presenting themselves. 3. Heaven. A good life has an eye to the recompense of the reward-seeks the "well done" of the great Judge.

II, THE EARNESTNESS OF A GOOD LIFE. "Zealously affected." The zeal here commended is holy warmth, intense ardour for the right. It is the offspring of wisdom and love, and inseparable from goodness. 1. It is godly. Ungodly zeal has cursed the Church and the world. 2. It is intelligent. Israel had a zeal of God not according to knowledge. 3. It is sympathetic. Seeks to remove the burdens, heal the

diseases, and drive away the sorrows of humanity. 4. It is constant, Circumstances may damp, but cannot extinguish it. In conclusion. A good life only will answer the end of your being. A good life only will secure the favour of God, and a place in heaven. A good life is the best legacy you can leave to the world.

T. WILKINSON.

RELIGIOUS INQUIRY.-No. 7. "Philip findeth Nathanael, and saith unto him, We have found him of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph," &c.-John i. 45-51.

FIRST Religious inquiry is rendered necessary by prejudices.

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"Can any good thing come out of Nazareth." Observe the causes of prejudice. Secondly Religious inquiry ought to be encouraged by Christians. "Come and see." Why? Thirdly Religious inquiry is itself an excellency. Christ commended it. "Behold an Israelite indeed in whom there is no guile." Fourthly: Religious inquiry should issue in the profession of Christ. "Rabbi, thou art the Son of God, thou art the King of Israel." Fifthly Religious inquiry is rewarded by glorious discoveries. "Hereafter ye shall see heaven open and the angel of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man." CALEB MORRIS.

Seeds of Sermons on the Book Proverbs.

(No. CLIX.)

MODEL MONARCHS.

"A divine sentence is in the lips of the king; his mouth transgresseth not in judgment. A just weight and balance are the Lord's; all the weights of the bag are his work. It is an abomination to kings to commit wickedness: for the throne is established by righteousness. Righteous lips are the delight of kings; and they love him that speaketh right. The wrath of a king is as messengers of death; but a wise man will pacify it. In the light of the king's countenance is life; and his favour is as a cloud of the latter rain."-Prov. xvi. 10-15.

THE Bible often speaks of kings as of parents and other relations, not as they are actually found in human life, but as they ought to be-the ideals are sketched. Thus we are commanded to honour our parents, which command implies that our parents are honour-worthy. It would be an offence to human nature, an offence to God and the universe to honour some parents. Thus when we are commanded to honour kings it implies that the kings have in their character and procedure that which is adapted to call forth the reverence of souls. All that is divine within and without us calls upon us to loathe and contemn some of the kings, alas! that figure on the page of human history. The sketch which Paul gives of rulers in Rom. xiii. is not that of actual rulers, but of ideal It is the "higher powers," "ordained of God," and that are a terror not to the good works, but to the evil." It is the ruler who is "a minister of God for good" that he "commands every soul to be subject to." * Solomon in this passage sketches such a

ones.

that are

* See HOMILIST, vol. i., second series, p. 141.

VOL. XXII.

of

King. Four particulars he gives concerning him.

No

I. HE SPEAKS THE RIGHT. "A divine sentence is in the lips of the king; his mouth transgresseth not in judgment." Every is man is morally bound to be veracious in expressions. But the high office of a king increases the obligation. "A divine sentence " includes two things. First: Truth in expression, i.e., veracity, a sentence that expresses the real meaning of the speaker, no more and no less. sentence can be regarded as "divine" that is not the true exponent of the speaker's soul. It includes also, Secondly: Truth in meaning. The meaning of the speaker, his thought, feeling, purpose, should be in accordance with the eternal reality of things. A man may be veracious and yet false, although his words may be true to his soul, his soul may be untrue to eternal facts. No sentence can be considered a "divine sentence" that does not include these two things. A true king, therefore, is a divine man; emphatically the "minister of God." His sympathies must be in keeping with the eternal purpose, his judgments ruled by the eternal law, and his pronouncements in keeping with both, and thus his mouth "transgresseth not in judgment."

II. "HE JUDGES THE RIGHT." "A just weight and balance are the Lord's; all the weights of the bag are his work." This sentence is evidently intended to characterise the true king. The passage means, First: That God demands social rectitude. All impositions, doubledealings, over-reachings, hard bargains struck with over-grasping shrewdness, are enormities in the

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sight of Heaven and condemned in the Scriptures. (Lev. xix. 36; Matt. vii. 12; Phil. iv. 8.) Secondly: That a true king is a minister of social rectitude. He sees that equity is done between man and man. He enforces equity not merely by his laws but by his example too. His prerogative is to be so employed that the golden rule is acted out, "Whatsoever ye would that men should do," &c.

III. HE FEELS THE RIGHT. "It is an abomination to kings to commit wickedness: for the throne is

established by righteousness." "Wickedness" in all its forms of falsehood, fraud, oppression, greed, cruelty, is an abomination to the heart of the true king, the Godmade king. "The God of Israel said, He that ruleth over men must be just, ruling in the fear of God. And he shall be as the light of the morning when the sun riseth, even a morning without clouds, as the tender grass springing out of the earth by clear shining of rain." Shakespeare's idea of a true king was somewhat fashioned thus: "The king-becoming graces justice, verity, temperance, stableness, bounty, perseverance, mercy, lowliness, devotion, patience, courage, fortitude." The verse suggests two things.

are

First: That

the loathing of wickedness in a king is the pursuit of righteousness. Loathing the wrong ever springs from loving the right. Secondly: That the pursuit of righteousness in a king is the stability of his throne. No throne can stand long where righteousness is disregarded, where wickedness is practised and countenanced. No bayonets, swords, or armaments, bulwarks,

can

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they love him that speaketh right." This accords not with the actual character of kings either as they appear in the history of the past, or in their present conduct throughout Europe and the world. Actual kings have generally approved of the flatteries and falsehoods of courtiers, and sycophants, and parasites. The tones of adulation are music to their ears; not so the true king. He "loves him that speaketh right."

"He's a king,

A true, right king, that dare do aught save wrong;

Fears nothing mortal but to be unjust; Who is not blown up with flattering puffs Of spongy sycophants; who stands unmoved

Despite the jostling of opinion."

Until the world gets kings that will hate flatterers, let it learn to honour and encourage those ministers of kings who have the manly courage to tell their royal masters the truth. "Clarendon, perhaps, was the finest example in modern times of unbending rectitude, boldly reproving his flagitions master, and beseeching him 'not to believe that he had a prerogative to declare vice to be virtue.' Well had it been for Charles, had these righteous lips been his delight." Honest lieges are the best lions to guard the throne. Secondly: By avenging the wrong on his subjects. "The wrath of a king is as messengers of death; but a wise man will pacify it." "The true king beareth not the sword in vain, for he is the minister of God and a revenge to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil.' "Upon him that doeth evil." Mark! that is evil not as judged by the public sentiment of a corrupt age, nor the edicts of despots, nor the laws of righteous governments, but as judged by the moral law of God. Such evil must be punished, and God employs kings to punish it. "But a wise man will pacify it." That is, a wise man will give such proofs of repentance for the wrong,

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and will make such amends for it as will pacify the wrath. The wrath of a true king is never unappeasable. Thirdly: By couraging the true in his subjects. The light of the king's countenance is life; and his favour is as a cloud of the latter rain." Life here means happiness. As the vernal sun to the earth so is the influence of a true king to his people. The subject teaches that honesty is the best policy in a nation. Honesty is the best policy for a king to pursue to his people, and honesty is the best policy for them to pursue to him. "Constantius, the father of Constantine, tested the character of his Christian servants, by the imperative commands to offer sacrifices to his gods. Some sink under the trial. Those who had really bought the truth' would sell it for no price. They were inflexible. He banished the base compliants from his service. The true confessors he entrusted with the care of his own person. These men,' said he, 'I can trust. I value them more than all my treasures.' This was sound judgment. For who are so likely to be faithful to their king as those that have proved themselves faithful to their God?"

(No. CLX.)

MORAL AND MATERIAL WEALTH. "How much better is it to get wisdom than gold! and to get understanding, rather to be chosen than silver."-Prov. xvi. 16.

THERE are two things implied in this verse. First: That material wealth is a good thing. "Gold and silver" are not to be despised. These are good. (1) As the creatures of God. All the silver and gold found locked up in the chests of mountains He made. He created nothing in vain. (2) As the means of good. How much good can be accomplished by material wealth. Intellectual, social, moral, religious good. Wealth is a great

talent. It is implied, Secondly: That the pursuit of material wealth is a legitimate thing. The statement of Solomon "that it is better to get wisdom than gold," indicates that it is not wrong to get gold. It is undoubtedly right for men so to develop the resources of nature as to improve their secular condition. Honest industry in the pursuit of wealth is a great blessing to a community. There is no need to urge men to this pursuit. The world gallops after gold. But what the text asserts is this, that moral wealth-the wealth of soul is better both in its possession and in its pursuit than material.

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I. IT IS "BETTER IN ITS POSSESSION. First: It is better because it enriches the man himself. The wealth of Croesus cannot add a fraction of value to the man. "The gold is but the guinea stamp." Millionaires are often moral paupers. But moral wealth, the wealth of holy loves, great thoughts, divine aims, and immortal hopes enrich the man himself. Secondly: It is better, because it creates higher enjoyments. Money has no necessary power to make men happy. It may conduce to human enjoyment, but it often produces nothing but heart agony and confusion. Not so with moral wealth. It is in itself a fountain of joy springing up into everlasting life. "I glory in tribulation," says Paul. Thirdly: It invests with higher dignities. Material wealth can create the pageantries which the thoughtless populace and the hollow-hearted parasite may worship. But moral wealth alone can command the reverence of true men. The true dignity of man is the dignity of soul. A good heart is the soul of all true royalty. Fourthly: It is destined to a longer endurance. All the pleasures and honours of material wealth are of only short duration. "Naked came we into the world, and naked shall we return, we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out." But moral

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