passage ought not to be made to over-ride the general teaching of the Scriptures on that particular subject. But there is no such difficulty here. Sing means sing. Now observe

(1.) It is natural.-Perhaps it is as natural to sing as to talk. If you see a power, you may be sure there is attached to it a Divine purpose. Wings are given to birds to fly with. Feet are given to men to walk with, not to kick their wives with, as is the custom in some drunken districts. The attributes of the soul, the faculties of the mind, the powers of the body, have all their appropriate work in the kingdom of God. We have the inherent transmitted power of singing. The baby in the cradle begins to coo, and the prattling child to sing. A very dear Quaker friend of mine, said to one of the old school of his own persuasion, "Don't you think our children might eventually lose the faculty of tune and the power of singing?" He replied, "It would be good thing if they did!" No doubt, this worthy old Quaker was looking at the ABUSE of this gift. But the greater the gift, the more capable is it of abuse. The Devil practically says, "Give me the songs; you may have the sermons." After sixty centuries of experience the Devil has greater faith in singers than in preachers. A wicked song does more to pervert the mind, than an oration from Diabolus himself. Men will arm against an argument; but are captivated by a song. So in the spiritual. I question if it is in the power of the sermon to so elevate the soul, and fill it with aspiration, hope, joy, peace, as in the song, supposing there are in both, an equal consecrated talent and concentrated truth. Too often the Devil not only has the best tunes, but the best poetry; not only the best songs, but best singers too. He uses this sacred talent, not only to degrade and damn, but to tickle, and for mere excitement, entertainment, and pleasure. The monotonous life of sailors makes them peculiarly susceptible to this stratagem of Satan. Beware of abusing this precious gift of God, but sing unto His name worthy praises.

(2.) It is Scriptural.-Turn to your Bibles, and you will see that singing praises to God is characteristic of this Book. God said to Job (xxxviii.), "Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? When the morning stars sang together, and all the Sons of God shouted for joy?" Such a magnificent manifestation of Almighty power, and infinite wisdom, and power, might well excite, among the hosts of heaven, shouts of joy. Deliverance from Egypt, culminating in the climax at the Red Sea (Exodus xv.) might well wring out of their souls an immortal song-"Then sang Moses and the Children of Israel, I will sing unto the Lord; .or he hath triumphed gloriously." During the lights and shadows of Israel's history, when they were governed by Judges, Deborah, one

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of those illustrious women of the Bible, became the Divine oracle, and led Israel on to victory. From a national deliverance broke forth a national song. "Hear, O ye kings (Judges v.): give ear, O ye, princes. I, even I, will sing unto the Lord; I will sing praises to the Lord God of Israel." Bringing up the ark, erecting the temple, were occasions for national outbursts of praise. David's life was a poem, and his varied experiences an anthem of praise to his God. Israel had many other sweet singers, though he stands at the head of them all. Prophets, as well as psalmists, say much of singing. The Church of England has the Book of Prayer, but the Bible may be called the Book of Praise.

Christmas has again returned, with its joy and thanksgiving. Carols, chimes, hymns, songs, will even be associated with Christmas. Do you not hear the angel-voices to-day? Surely their echoes will go all down the ages.

"And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not; for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you: Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men."

And in that night of all nights, the night of the betrayal of the Son of God, when He preached that remarkable sermon, when He offered that more remarkable prayer, when He washed His disciples' feet, when He instituted the Lord's Supper, when He was about to enter upon the agony in the garden; "when they had sang a hymn, they went out into the Mount of Olives." The next Mount was Calvary!

You have all read of the uproar at Philippi, how Paul and Silas were beaten, and afterwards thrust into the inner prison, and their feet made fast in the stocks. But "at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God, and the prisoners heard them." You know all that followed-what generally follows true praise and prayer-Conversions!

Singing received a new impetus after the ascent of Christ and descent of the Spirit. Wherever Christianity spread praises arose to Christ. The Roman governor Pliny, in writing to his emperor Trajan, A.D. 107, asking for counsel how to act with Christians, in the persecutions which everywhere abounded, says, "They sing among themselves alternately, a hymn to Christ, as to God." Yes, in prisons, in caves of the earth, on rugged hills, in forests, on billowy seas, Christians have ever sung their hymns to Christ.

(3.) It is essential.—Christian life must find expression. Praise of the heart must be, and it appropriately finds expression, in song. Every revival in religion produces a hymn-book. Who can estimate the energising power of song? By it, heroes and warriors have been nerved for the deadly assault! So, in the Divine life, gentle women and timid men have been nerved by the power of sacred song for the conflict of endurance, patience, suffering, and final victory. If prayer is the soul's atmosphere, praises are the wings by which it mounts right up to heaven.

II.-SING UNTO THE LORD.-Grand odes have been composed to the stars, the sea, the wind, the light, to countries, to virtues and graces; but no ode so touches the springs of our nature, and awakens all the Divine within, as to sing unto the Lord. Pliny has put upon record what those early Christians did in the last days of the last Apostles, and the first of the fathers of the Church. They sang their hymn to Christ as to God. They did not deify a principle, but a person. They did not worship a law, but a Christ. They sang a hymn, not to a dead man, but a risen glorified man; not to man merely, but who was also Son of God. The command

is to sing unto the Lord. He is the object and inspiration of the song. Why we should sing unto the Lord? Let the Old Testament Scriptures, in their threefold divisions, Books of Moses, Psalms, and Prophets, answer. The Gospels and the Epistles of the New give also their reasons. And as to that last-Revelation-John

says:

"I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire: and them that had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name, stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of God. And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints."

III.—SING UNTO THE LORD A NEW SONG. - New mercies

A

call forth new songs. It is as though old songs were not adequate to express the new gifts. The principle of the text is, that new gifts should call forth new praises. David, in the 144th Psalm, where there is a happy blending of praise for the past, and prayer for the future, says, "I will sing a new song unto thee, O God;" many things should call forth a new song. To mention only some. spared life; a bountiful life, and every one who has had all his wants supplied has had a bountiful life; deliverance from various diseases; friendships, and not being abandoned. What would your life be if abandoned - isolated, as Captain Boycott's, recently in Ireland? Rome has isolated kingdoms, cities, and families, in their worst form. Many of the early Methodists, Baptists, Independents and Quakers were isolated. Then, if you go out of the national realm of

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things into the spiritual. Take your moral life. What is your latitude and longitude here? What are you in your own inner moral being, your very self? From what have you been saved this year? What have you received from God, as the Father of your spirits? Christ, as your Saviour; and the Holy Ghost, as your Comforter? Have you no Bethels to raise for 1880 ?

In this chapter there is the promise of God's unspeakable gift, and there is therefore demanded a new song. His praises are to be co-extensive with the range of blessings resulting from the gift.

IV. SING UNTO THE LORD A NEW SONG, AND HIS PRAISE FROM THE END OF THE EARTH, YE THAT GO DOWN TO THE SEA, AND ALL THAT IS THEREIN; THE ISLES, AND THE INHABITANTS THEREOF. In one word, the whole maritime population; merchants, navigators, seamen. Supposing the earth is a plain, the very ends of it, not only the centre, but the circumference must praise Him. The ISLES, how many are there? Begin with your own British Islands; then sur

vey the vast groups in all seas and oceans with all their inhabitants, and they all are to participate in this great salvation.

Sailors are specially singled out here. The commentator, Barnes, says:-"This is referred to by the prophet, first, because of the great multitude who thus go down to the sea; and, secondly, because their conversion will have so important an influence in diffusing the true religion to distant nations."

Sailors, there is, there must be a great prophetic future for you. Many of you have already realised it. One fortunate thing for you is, that you cannot depend on priest nor pastor. You cannot do your religion by deputy. You must do your own singing and praying. We have prepared you a new hymn-book.

A young Belgian, who attended our Bethel in Antwerp, once said to me, "You do all the singing and working yourselves; but we have it done for us in our church." I was afterwards told, that one day there was a great rumpus in the Opera, as all the playing and singing artists were detained at the Romish Cathedral service! Sing God's praises yourselves, then you will know who does your worship, and why. Even in American churches, where better things are expected, the singing had got to be done by what is called a quartette, and in such an operatic style, or unknown tongue, that nobody could understand what was sung. Now the text does not say, quartettes, and choirs that have a little petty quarrel every other Sunday, are to sing, but sailors. No organ. Let the old ocean, with its deep, bass, and mighty swell, lead your song. Did you ever hear music so terribly grand raging from the moans and

wails of spirits lost, to the silvery voices of angels, as that played by the ever-changing sea? Let your ship be a harp, and every rope a harp-string; so that, when the winds make music with their fingers, sing ye unto the Lord a new song. No place for music like the sea. There heaven and earth joins. Worship your God there. "Sing unto the Lord a new song, all ye that go down to the sea."

A MESSAGE TO SAILORS FOR 1881.

Come shipmates, with the op'ning year, help us a song to raise
Of thankfulness for mercies past-for all our blessings, praise.

We've safely sail'd life's ocean, through the chequer'd year now done;
And enter'd on the unknown track of eighteen eighty-one.

Our Captain still is at the helm, and as the vessel rides,

He knows each hidden danger of the shoals and rocks and tides.
He knows all the intricacies and shallows far ahead,

Which we can only find by constant heaving of the lead.

Then trust Him shipmates, heart and soul you're safer in His hands
Among life's shoals and breakers-its shallows, rocks and sands,
Than on the tranquil ocean, where the treacherous breezes fill
Your sails-the navigation manag'd by your mundane skill.
Obey His every order, and, in spite of laughs and jeers
From disobedient shipmates, you will find the gain appears
With those, who, ever ready stand to answer to His call,
When dangers threaten to o'erwhelm, and other hearts appal.
Confiding in His judgment you are ever safe, and then
'Twill make you better sailors and 'twill make you better men;
And when the voy' ge is over and another year is done,
You'll ever look with pleasure back on eighteen eighty-one.
Gravesend, December 31st, 1880.

G. NEWMAN.

TEMPER AT HOME.-I have peeped into quiet "parlours," where the carpet is clean and not old, and the furniture polished and bright; into "rooms," where the chairs are deal and the floor carpetless; into "kitchens," where the family live, and the meals are cooked and eaten, and the boys and girls are as blithe as the sparrows in the thatch overhead; and I see that it is not so much wealth, nor learning, nor clothing, nor servants, nor toil, nor idleness, nor town, nor country, nor station-as tone and temper that make life joyous or miserable, that render homes happy or wretched. And I see, too, that in town or country, good sense and God's grace make life what no teachers, or accomplishments, or means, or society, can make it, the opening stave of an everlasting psalm, the fair beginning of an endless existence, the goodly, modest, well-proportioned vestibule to a temple of God's building, that shall never decay, wax old, or vanish away.—John Hall, D.D.

KINDNESS.-The "Halifax Journal" tells this good story of the Rev. Mr. Spurgeon:-"I walked down my garden some time ago, when the flowers were nicely out, and saw a big dog; and, as I was sure he knew nothing of gardening, I threw my walking-stick at him, and gave him some recommendations to 'go home.' To my iutense surprise and shame, the dog picked up my stick, and wagging his tail, dropped the staff at my feet. He beat me altogether. I said to him, 'good dog!' and I told him he could come again, and whenever he liked, if he was a dog of that kind. I felt that I was the worse dog of the two."