SUBJECT:-A Time for Silence.

"And he straitly charged them, and commanded them to tell no man that thing." *-Luke ix. 21.

Analysis of Homily the Eighty-Fourth.

Why did he thus charge them?

I. Because, their proclaiming Him to be the Christ would only enrage the Jews, who, failing to be convinced by the WORKS OF JESUS, would not be convinced by the WORDS of the APOSTLES.

II. They did not themselves then know what they affirmed, when they confessed Him to be the Christ. The scales of Jewish materialism were but just beginning to fall from their eyes. They were, therefore, to confine themselves, for the present, to the general proclamation; "The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand."

III. Because Jesus then appeared, even to the eye of the sensuous and to the reason of the earthly-minded, invested with a dignity compatible with his claims to the Messiahship: but, they must yet witness a wide, strange, contrast. They must yet see Him betrayed, mocked, yea, crucified. The oak of their boasting and confidence-the plant of renown, was to appear scathed by the lightning of God; their Sun was to appear overcast with terrible darkness; their Captain was to be slain; their King was to be crowned with thorns, clothed in a purple robe, and enthroned upon a cross. They must, meditatively, wait for these scenes; and if they were so really-so divinely enlightened by communion with the truth, as to Christ, then they would be convinced that He was, notwithstanding all this, and the more truly because of all this, THE CHRIST; then they might proclaim the truth to all

That is-That He was the Christ.-See the Context, ix. 18-22.

the winds of heaven, and write it down for all the future generations of the world; but as yet it was, on their part, premature.

IV. Because, he foresaw that the faith of some of them would falter on that day of solemn trial; and he, therefore, with a tender consideration, wished to spare them the taunts and reproaches of their enemies, which would be directed the more malignantly towards the fallen-the more boldly they had previously confessed Jesus to be the Christ. That

confession, came on this occasion, from the lips of Peter. Might not Jesus have looked upon Peter, when he so peremptorily commanded them to tell no man (at present) of this?

Let the young disciple learn from these reflections, not to be too forward: let him remember the seed sown upon the rock let him remember Peter. "Will he always call upon God?"

The Christ of Christians is a crucified Christ: their doctrine is a crucified doctrine: how essentially necessary it is that their lives be a crucifixion-a constant renunciation of self. This is the ordeal every soul must pass through, in undergoing the Christian culture. Submit to this, and Christianity appears all glorious; Christ all divine.

J. M.

SUBJECT:-The Widon's Mite; or, the Transcendent Worth of True Feeling.

"And he looked up, and saw the rich men casting their gifts int the treasury. And he saw also a certain poor widow casting in thither two mites. And he said, of a truth I say unto you, that this poor widow hath cast in more than they all. For all these have of their abundance cast in unto the offerings of God, but she of her penury hath cast in all the living that she had. And as some spake of the temple, how it was adorned with goodly stones and gifts, he said, as for these things," &c.-Luke, xxi. 1—6.

Analysis of Homily the Eighty-Fifth.

This fragment of Evangelic history illustrates three facts:

First: That secular contributions for religious purposes, are a Divine institution. Here, in one of the angles of the temple, was a treasury chest to receive the offerings of all who entered the sacred edifice. God has made the sustentation, as well as the spread of religion in the world, to depend upon the secular offerings of man. Why this? He could have studded the earth with temples and filled the world with Bibles, without such help. The arrangement is for man's good. "Collections" for religious purposes are amongst the most important means of grace. This is a point which requires to be insisted upon. The church has come to regard a collection, rather as a necessary evil, than a Divine ordinance : it is shunned, rather than hailed: considered a sacrifice, rather than a privilege.

Secondly That Jesus observes both the sum and spirit of these secular contributions. In a position commanding a view of the chest, Jesus stood, and saw who contributed; what was contributed; and how it was contributed. Men frequently conceal the sum from their fellow men, and nearly always the spirit; but Christ knows both, in every case.

Thirdly: That the spirit of secular contribution is, to Christ, a far more important thing than the sum. Jesus was now in the midst of all grades of society; some distinguished by wealth, some by office, some by genius, and some by learning; and from all these contributors, he singles out one, whom he pronounces as having done more, and as being greater, than all the rest. What was it that gave this distinguished dignity to this woman? FEELING. Her heart was right. Perhaps, she looked the image of sorrow and poverty. There she is, meanly attired, her countenance furrowed, it may be, by grief, and pale with want; yet in her breast there circulate the noblest sympathies: her moral pulsations are healthy and strong.

This passage leads us to infer three things concerning the worth of true feeling.

I. THAT IT IS GREATER THAN SECULAR WEALTH. The narrative tells us, that "rich men" were present. Men of great fortunes now passed and re-passed the Son of God, receiving on their way, perhaps, the servile homage of the thoughtless and the sycophant; for men, alas! have long practised the miserable art of "bowing down" to money: but Christ pronounces no commendation on them. It was that poor, friendless, forlorn, widow, that enlisted his sympathies and won his high encomium, and that, because of the warm and genuine generosity of her heart.

This conduct of our Saviour suggests two remarks which, to say the least, presumptively indicate, that he was, what he professed to be, a teacher come from God."

First: That his conduct here, is strikingly singular. Read the history of the world, or even mark the doings of your contemporaries, and where will you find men that act as Jesus now acted, declaring in the presence of the rich men of the day, the superiority of the pious poor to them? To what do men take off their hats, and render obeisance? Not to noble feeling, as it glows in the bosom of the poor man, but to the gorgeous displays of opulence. The fact that Jesus acted contrary to the common practice of the race, shows that he was swayed by principles peculiar to himself: instead of seeking popularity, he went against the general current of the world's feeling and conduct.

Secondly: That his conduct here, is manifestly right. Although singular, man, everywhere, feels it to be right. Had Jesus acted otherwise-had he mingled with the wealthy and stood aloof from the poor-paying ever more attention to the affluent worldling than to the indigent saint, humanity never could have believed that he was, what he professed to be, the Son of God. Christ teaches here, then, what all must feel to be right, though but few practically recognize, that true feeling is greater than secular wealth.

Another thing which this passage leads us to infer, concerning the worth of true feeling is

II. THAT IT IS GREATER THAN MUNIFICENT DEEDS. These rich men cast in their "abundance;" some of them, probably, gave large sums; and yet Jesus said, "This poor woman hath cast in more than they all." What is meant by the "more?" He must mean one of three things; either financially, proportionably, or morally. Is it the first? Does Jesus mean to say that, literally, she put in a larger sum than the others? No, she only put in "two mites." Is it the second? Does He mean to say that she put in " "more in proportion to her means! This was no doubt true. And it is frequently true that many who give sums, too small to record in "reports," give more than those who lay down hundreds, or even thousands. The Christian law of proportion in giving is violated in every church. But we do not think this is the meaning here. An individual may give much "more" in proportion to others, and yet not acceptably to Christ. The third we take to be the meaning: it was more morally: she gave her heart and self with her mites.

First: This is more valuable in itself. In fact, there is no real value in a gift, unless it is done with the heart. "Though I give my body to be burned," &c.

Secondly: This is more valuable in its influence. He who gives his strongest desires and best sympathies to a cause, gives that which will do far more good, though he has not a fraction of money to bestow, than if he presented his thousands without heart. If the man's heart is with it, his efforts, prayers, life-the totality of his influence, will be ever helping it on.

Another thing, which this passage leads us to infer, concerning the worth of true feeling is

III. THAT IT IS GREATER THAN ARTISTIC MAGNIFICENCE. The temple in which Jesus now stood was a truly magnificent place, formed and furnished with the most costly