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as Rob persistently reiterated, whenever questioned. At home she never forgot her promise, made the day her new mother had claimed her.

If her early childhood had been a desert, where the sweet flowers of affection had never blossomed, the years since have been filled with rare love and tenderness; all that generous hearts could do to extinguish unpleasant memories and build up new and delightful associations, these three were constantly vieing with each other to accomplish in the life of this adopted child and sister. Is it strange, then, that the evils of early neglect were eradicated, and that the wild, passionate, un

formed nature took on by degrees all the energy of a strong character, all the loveliness of a true and wellbalanced womanhood?

The world is wide; and homeless, motherless children roam every. where, with none to kiss, or cherish, or understand them; their way. wardness magnified, their noble traits hidden, their hearts hungering. Fortunate are they if the birds come to them with songs of joy, and tell them sweet secrets of God and heaven, that they only can understand-better still, if human nature in the guise of father or mother could seek them out and draw them home.

THE GRACE OF LIBERALITY.

BY THE REV. E. L. FORSTER.

"See that ye abound in this grace also."-2 Cor. viii. 7.

THE grace referred to by the apostle is that of liberality. This is manifest by examining the first verse of this chapter, where Paul commends the Churches of Macedonia for their disinterested kindness and benevolence, and points out their conduct as worthy of imitation by the Corinthians. He says, "Moreover, brethren, we do you to wit, or we declare unto you the grace of God bestowed on the Churches of Macedonia." Then he proceeds to show in what practical way this grace which adorned their religious character was displayed, "How that in a great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded unto the riches of their liberality." He was very anxious that the Corinthians should resemble these noble-minded and self-denying Macedonians; he therefore says to them in the verse from which the text is selected, “As ye abound in everything, in faith, and utterance, and knowledge, and in all diligence, and in your love to us, see that ye abound in this grace also." Notwithstanding all the imperfections which they were the subjects of, the apostle was able conscientiously to commend them for the many excellences which existed amongst them, such as their abounding in faith and utterance and knowledge and diligence and love to Christ's servants. While he was thus pleased to address to them these words of encouragement and commendation, he urged them to abound also in the grace of liberality. The benevolence of the Mace donians had been displayed towards the poor saints at Jerusalem. This is evident from the fourth verse, where Paul says that they prayed us with much entreaty "that we would receive the gift, and take

pon us the fellowship of the ministering to the saints." The apostle rged the Corinthians to "abound in the same grace." Many reasons e assigns in the eighth and ninth chapters of this epistle why they hould display a spirit of generosity, kindness, and self-denial. It is ur object on the present occasion to urge upon the members of our Churches the desirableness and importance of abounding in this grace f liberality. We greatly fear that there are many who call themelves Christians, and who are enjoying the privileges of the gospel, nd who hope to live with the adorable Redeemer in heaven, but who lo not abound in this grace of liberality. They don't appear to decognise their separate and individual responsibility in this matter. They think that as they are saved by grace alone, that as they are justified by faith in the righteousness and death of Christ, that as eternal life is the sovereign gift of God, they have nothing to do but to be grateful and enjoy the invaluable blessings of salvation: They seek their own but not the things of Jesus Christ." Selfishness is one of the canker-worms which is eating out the very core of the piety of many of our Churches. Our desire is to present a few of the many considerations which may be urged upon your attention to excite you to abound in this grace of liberality.

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I. Consider the obligations you are laid under to your loving and gracious Father in heaven. All that we are and all that we possess we owe to Him. "He hath made us, and not we ourselves." "It is in Him that we live and move and have our being." "He hath fearfully and wonderfully made us." These strangely constituted bodies of ours, and these still more strangely constituted souls of ours, are the productions of His power and wisdom. The earth, we are told, He hath given to the children of men. He has placed us upon it for a season, and has supplied us with the bounties of His gracious providence. We ask for our daily bread, and He grants us our request. He imparts to us strength to discharge the every-day duties of life. He preserves us amid the various dangers which every hour surround us. He prospers us in the business in which we are engaged. He grants us all things richly to enjoy. As the God of providence we are laid under very pressing obligations to Him; but still more as the God of grace. When we were, through our sin, exposed to ruin, He interposed to save us. In the fulness of time," He sent His Son, to deliver us from our guilt, corruption, and misery. "When we were without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly." Through the Father's sovereign and gracious appointment He made a perfect atonement for our sins; so that now, through believing in His precious name, we can be pardoned, justified, and accepted; can be regenerated, sanctified, and have eternal life; can be richly supplied with the influences of the Holy Spirit, to enlighten, quicken, and refresh us now; and then, at the termination of our earthly life, can have the "inheritance which is incorruptible, undefiled, and that fadeth not away." We can at the present time very inadequately estimate the obligations under which we are laid to our heavenly

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Father; but we may so far appreciate them as to be excited to be liberal in supporting and extending that cause which lies so near to His benevolent heart. Each one ought to ask the question, "How much owest thou my Lord?" We have contracted a debt we ca never fully pay. All that we possess is from God. When Davi contributed so liberally towards the erection of the magnificen temple at Jerusalem, he said, "All things come of Thee, and Thine own have I given Thee." When the Israelites in th wilderness brought more than enough" for the erection of th tabernacle, they were influenced by a sense of their obligation God, who had so marvellously and seasonably delivered them out of th house of bondage, and had engaged to conduct them safely through the desert, until they should reach and take possession of the hol land of promise. We are under still greater obligations to ou merciful Father. We ought never to suppose that we can do to It much for Him who has done so much for us. "See then, deserful brethren, that abound in this you also." grace II. But consider also the example which our blessed Redeemer hou set us, and which ought to stimulate us to abound in the grace liberality. We profess to be followers of Jesus Christ. As such are not only to believe in Him, love Him, have fellowship wit Him, enjoy His presence and favour, but we are to resemble Hi We are to be "conformed to His image." We are to tread in Hers steps. We are not only to be humble and meek and gentle an patient and devout and holy as He was, but also as generous a self-sacrificing as He was. Jesus Christ abounded in this grace liberality. Like the glorious sun in the heavens, which is but a fair emblem of Him, He scattered around Him the rich fruits of gre goodness and benevolence. The apostle reminds the Corinthians Bu the ninth verse of this chapter in what way Christ had displayed Th undeserved goodness and condescension. He know thand says, "For ye grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet your sakes He became poor, that ye through His poverty might br rich." There are several things here which ought to excite us abound in this grace also. Look first of all at the pre-existent glory or of Jesus Christ, then at His subsequent humiliation and poverty, an then at the grand benevolent purpose He had in view. It was o make us rich, to confer upon us the unspeakable blessings of salvation ab What an example for His followers! Ought we not in some humbi way to seek to be like Him? I know that we shall all fall far shor of the original copy. We are naturally selfish, weak, and imperfect but still we are to strive to resemble the copy as far as possible, and never forget that the good Spirit of God has promised to aid us in our endeavours. We are to be like boys at school who have perfect copies placed before them as they take their seats at their desks, and whe are told by their master that they are carefully to look at them, and try to imitate them. We are to keep our eye of faith fixed on the grand original; we are to seek day by day to be more like our Divine

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nd loving Master. We are to drink deep into His generous and oble spirit; and if we do this, we shall see that we abound in the race of liberality.

III. Consider also the numerous benevolent institutions which equire and deserve our sympathy and support. Paul urged the orinthians to contribute towards the support of the poor saints at erusalem. We are not unmindful of the claims of the poor upon our iberality. Our chief object, however, on the present occasion is to rge upon you to abound in the grace of liberality by sustaining horoughly those societies which have for their object the extension of the Redeemer's kingdom throughout the world. We have been truly grieved and humbled to find that the contributions towards the support of our noble Missionary Society have not kept pace with its xpenditure. It was while reflecting upon this painful fact that my nind was powerfully, I might say, almost irresistibly, led to think upon he exhortation of the text: 66 See that ye abound in this grace also.' tis no credit to us as a denomination that our missionary committee hould be so frequently crippled and hampered through the want of nds to carry on the widely extended and much needed operations of Society. I was conversing a few days ago with a venerable and teemed friend upon this subject. He said, "We have numbers of ealthy members in our Churches, but many of them don't contribute cording to their means." We fear that this is too true. If all ere to act upon the apostolic advice, and ABOUND in this grace of berality, there would be not only no lack of funds to carry on our resent operations, but such an increase of them as to justify our mmittee in greatly extending them, "a consummation devoutly to wished." But we must not rely too much upon the contributions the rich. The mass of our members might do more than hitherto. a regular and systematic method of laying by in store and giving as adopted by all, there might soon be a considerable addition made our missionary funds. More might, I think, also be realized through ur Sunday-schools. We have a school of 185 children, and during he last two or three years more than £10 per annum has been conributed by the teachers and the children. Each class is supplied with missionary box, contributions are placed in it every Sunday, and in his way the above amount has been obtained. We have reason to elieve that still more will be given by the classes this year. Now if ,000 out of our 2,000 Churches, through their schools, could conribute on an average a like sum, £10,000 would be realized. What n addition this would be to our annual income! How true is the old cotch saying, "Many littles make a mickle." I ought to apologise, erhaps, for entering into these details, but let me justify myself by ying that the Baptist Mission lies near my heart. I long to see it ike its proper place amongst those belonging to other denominations. Brethren, the heathen are perishing; shall we let them perish? God orbid!" God is opening by His providence fresh and promising fields f labour. He is calling upon us with a loud and articulate voice to go

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in and possess the land. He expects us all to do our duty. He has promised to bless our efforts. We have not laboured in vain. The im perishable seed of the kingdom has been cast into virgin soil, some it has already borne fruit, other portions are beginning to germinat none of it shall ever be utterly lost. Let us redouble our effort This is no time "to rest and be thankful." There is much lan yet to be possessed. Let us "work while it is day; the night comet when no man can work." May the Lord smile propitiously upc the Baptist Missionary Society.

A MAN FOR THE TIMES.

A BROTHER from a manufacturing district was recently ushered into the library of a minister in the south. When the first greeting was over, he opened the business which brought him to town.

"I'm afraid our minister's going away," he said; "and I stepped in to get a little advice about a new one. You know everybody,—can you recommend a man to us ?"

"Why does Brother A. leave?" asked the city pastor.

"Well, our young folks have got tired of him. He's preached the same doctrines over and over again for ten years! Then he doesn't win the people. He's always finding fault with the young people, and has no sympathy with them. He forgets that he was once young himself, and doesn't make allowance for young blood."

The minister looked puzzled, but made no reply; and his visitor went

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the Odd Fellows and Sons of Ter perance; he's head and soul of t lecture committee; he taught thr young fellows to play the flute; whatever is going on he has a hai in it. You'd be surprised to see the young men cling to him; doesn't hold them off at arm's lengt but is one of them. When he go by the rail, he always rides in smoking carriage, and smoke chats with them. So he gets great hold on them, you see.'

"And his labours have been mo blessed to the conversion of young than your minister's have

Here the visitor looked a litt surprised, and began to think. Th he said, "He has larger congres tions in the evening than we hav He gives out his sermons with que titles, and they all flock in to he what he'll make of such subject Now, for instance, this spring, whe it was bad weather, he exchange with our minister; he came up aisle with his soft hat all crushed u under his arm, and his trouse tucked into his boots, which we covered with mud. He opened th service without ever sitting dow and when he came to his text, it wa this: 'He brought me up also o of a horrible pit, out of the min clay, and set my feet upon a rock and established my goings.' So seems,' said he, that they had bad roads in Jerusalem as well as in England; and if any one of you

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