too much the world and the things of the world; the love of God dwelt not in him, for "perfect love casteth out fear." The rich man in the parable then says, "For thou mayest be no longer steward." If he made a bad use of his master's goods, he could no longer allow him to be steward. So, as I said before, if we do not make a proper use of God's gifts, He will take them from us, and we may some day find ourselves deprived of those means of grace which God had provided for us, to help us to overcome the world, and finally to obtain everlasting life. We are now come to the conduct of the steward when he found that his lord had taken from him the stewardship. What are we to understand by it ?-of whom does he make friends?

Mary. Of his lord's debtors.

Miss M. They are those who are not followers of God, but followers of the world; who have sinned against God, and may therefore be called His debtors. Read Matthew vi. 12.

Emily reads. "And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors."

Miss M. You see that sin is here called a debt, and it is to those sinners or debtors that the unworthy steward of God joins himself. He encourages them in sin, tempting them to be dishonest towards God. By his own fault he has lost the home that he had, and he is obliged to look out for a new one for himself. Now if we make a bad use of God's gifts, we cannot expect that He will provide a home for us in heaven. Our Lord told His disciples that He was going to prepare a place for them; but it is only those who are faithful and wise stewards that will be allowed to inhabit it.

If we do not serve God, Anna, whom shall we be serving ?

Anna. The devil.

Miss M. Quite right; and with him, then, we must expect to live. It is a dreadful thought, that if we are not faithful stewards of God, we shall not be allowed to dwell with Him hereafter, but that our portion will be with those unbelievers of whom we made friends here. I explained to you before that the lord commended the unjust steward because he had done wisely or prudently; but you must not suppose that Jesus commends him. He does not approve of such conduct as that of the steward; He merely relates the parable, intending to teach us a lesson by it. Now what do we read next?

Kate. "For the children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light."

Miss M. This we may understand to mean that the children of this world are more careful about, and wiser in their affairs than the children of light are in theirs. What is meant by the children of light ? Jane. The children of God.

Miss M. Read Ephesians v. 8.

Elizabeth reads. "For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light."

Miss M Men are always ready to look after their worldly interests, and let no opportunity pass for increasing their riches, which can avail them nothing when once they have passed "through the valley of the shadow of death;" while, on the other hand, men but seldom think of laying up any treasure for themselves in heaven, "where neither moth nor rust doth

corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal." But the parable tells us more even than this; not only are the men of the world careless about heavenly things, but the children of the light, those who do try to serve God, are not as diligent in their Master's service as those are who are the servants of the world, and who make it their object. We should strive as earnestly after holiness as others do after riches or honour, and set our affections as completely on the things above as the children of the world do on their earthly gains or their earthly pleasures. I do not mean to say that there are none who look after their eternal interests: God has some faithful servants in the world; let us then try to be of that number. Now read the 9th verse.

Susan reads. "And I say unto you, Make to yourselves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness; that, when ye fail, they may receive you into everlasting habitations."

Miss M. The parable is now ended, and our Saviour turns to the people, and says unto them, "And I say unto you," showing them that He is Himself going to give them a commandment for them to follow. Hitherto He has been relating a parable, and it is the lord in the parable that has been speaking; but He is now going to show the people Himself what they are to learn from His discourse. What is meant by the mammon of unrighteousness ?-Look at the references in your Bibles.

Kate. Riches.

Miss M. Yes; the riches of this unrighteous world. Now what are we to do with these riches ?

Ellen. To make to ourselves friends of them.

Miss M. This will perhaps at first appear to you a contradiction of the text, "Ye cannot serve God and mammon;" but I will explain to you why it is not so. We are not told here to serve mammon, that is, to give up every thing else, and to be a slave to the world, laying aside higher interests and higher duties; but to make mammon, or the world, our friend by making it serve us, and by making it an instrument for our eternal as well as for our present happiness. Now how are we told to do this? Let us turn to our Bibles for an answer. 1 Timothy vi. 17—19.

Charlotte reads. " Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not high-minded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy; that they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate; laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.”

We

Miss M. The Apostle St. Paul gives us here a commandment about the employment of our riches. are not to be high-minded or proud because God has given us a larger share of this world's goods; we are not to trust in uncertain riches, knowing how soon God may deprive us of them; we are to be ready also to distribute, to make others sharers of that which God has given us. Now why does our Lord tell us to do it?

Jane. "That, when ye fail, they may receive you into everlasting habitations."

Miss M. What is meant by when ye fail ?"
Ellen. When we die.

Miss M. Yes; then the good deeds we have done

here, the good use we have made of God's gifts, will be, as I read in a sermon the other day, "like shining angels standing at the door of heaven to admit us into the everlasting habitations. The money we have used for God shall have a voice and say, 'He used me to Thine honour, therefore receive him into Thine heavenly presence'!'" This then is the way in which we should make the world our friend. Read Revelation xiv. 13.

Mary reads. "Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them."

CHAPTER XXIV.

THE PARABLE OF THE RICH MAN AND LAZARUS.

Luke xvi. 19-31.

"THERE was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day: and there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores, and desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom : the rich man also died, and was buried; and in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. And he cried and

1 Kennaway's Sermons.