in the light of hell-in the light of eternity. I ought to examine my dreams, my floating thoughts, my predilections, my often recurring actions, my habits of thought, feeling, speech, and action, the slanders of my enemies, and the reproofs and even banterings of my friends, to find out traces of my prevailing sin-matter for confession." Were we to deal thus faithfully with ourselves, could the result be otherwise than self-humiliation, self-emptying? both so needful if we are to be filled with God's Spirit. There is no one I feel I have more cause to be afraid of than myself; no one whose companionship is so undesirable; nor is there any place whence more dangers are likely to arise than from my heart. The seeds of every sin are there. It is a nest of unclean birds, a sink of iniquity. Deceitful and desperately wicked, who can know it? O brethren, above all men, as ministers of Christ, do we each need to cry unceasingly "Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: and see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting."

II. A CONSTANT AND BELIEVING APPLICATION TO CHRIST; for only by so doing can we maintain a clean conscience before God. Ere the Aaronic priests could minister before the vail in the holy place, they were required to wash in the brazen laver, under pain of death. Alas! I fear, we often go to our work unwashed, our consciences defiled with unconfessed, therefore unforgiven sin. If so, is it any wonder our word lacks keenness of edge, and so often fails to cut a way into the sinner's heart, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit? O brethren, let us never talk of the preciousness and power of the blood of Christ, if the same be not a matter of present experience with us; nothing is more deadening in its effect upon our own souls, or more fatal to real power in our ministry. I feel sure, if we would preach the cross successfully to others, we must spend much time there ourselves. Isaiah "saw his glory and spake of him." Paul could say, "We also believe, and therefore speak." The beloved John could write, "That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ."

"I never was fit," says Payson, "to say a word to a sinner, except when I had a broken heart myself, and felt as though I had just received pardon to my own soul.' Does not this agree with the experience of a certain royal preacher, whose prayer to God was, "Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation, and uphold me with thy free spirit, then will I teach transgressors thy ways, and sinners shall be converted unto thee"? Listen to M'Cheyne on this point-"We must have the taste of the manna in our mouth,' 'milk and honey under our tongue,' else we cannot tell of its sweetness. We must be drinking the living water from the smitten rock, or we cannot speak of its refreshing power. We must be hiding our guilty souls in the wounds of Jesus, or we cannot with joy speak of the peace and rest to be found there. This is the reason why unfaithful ministers are cold and barren in their labours. They speak, like Balaam, of a Saviour whose grace they do not feel; they speak, like Caiaphas, of the blood of Christ, without having felt its power to speak peace to the troubled heart. This is the reason why many good men have a barren ministry. They speak from clear head knowledge, or from past experience, but not from a present grasp of the truth, not from a present sight of the Lamb of God. Hence, their words fall like a shower of snow, fair and beautiful-but cold and freezing. The Lord give us to stand in the presence of the Lord Jesus; to be ourselves ever constantly receiving of his fulness, that out of the abundance of the heart our mouth may speak; according to that promise-"He that believeth on me, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living waters."

III. READING THE SCRIPTURES FOR OURSELVES. Filling our own pitcher at the fountain of God's truth; not only leading others to the green pastures of the Word, and beside the still waters, but lying down there ourselves. If all the sheep be not shepherds, the shepherds must remember they are all sheep, and need to pray as well as other believers. "Tell me, O thou whom my soul

loveth, where thou feedest, where thou makest thy flock to rest at noon: for why should I be as one that turneth aside by the flocks of thy companions?" Mere official reading of the Bible will never help us to a holy walk. If other Christians, that they sin not, need to hide the word in their heart, will it sanctify us to have it in our mouths merely? To be "good ministers of Jesus Christ," we must be "nourished up in the words of faith;" but whoever received any nourishment from merely preparing and serving up food for others, even though it was of the most nutritious kind?

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Brethren, let us see to it, that whilst we nourish others we do not starve ourselves; that while we heap fuel upon other people's fires, we do not suffer our own to go out-water our neighbour's garden and leave our own unrefreshed. Charity begins at home." Adams says, " I want one point of selfishness, which is, to convert the Word of God to my own use. All the reflections I make upon the pride, corruption, blindness, and deadly fall of man; upon the necessity of the daily cross, and death to the world, I bestow freely upon others, and am hindered, by the deceitfulness of my own heart and the artifice of the devil, from turning the edge of them upon myself." Let us pray much to be delivered from this dreadful snare to which, as ministers of the gospel, we are so peculiarly prone. Let us seek for grace so to read the Scriptures that they may be made profitable to our own souls, as well as to the souls of those to whom we preach. We who teach, do we not need "doctrine"? we who reprove, "correction"? we who "affirm constantly that they which have believed in God should be careful to maintain good works"? to be men of God, "thoroughly furnished unto every good work"? but how can these things be, unless with a diligent and devotional spirit, we read the Scriptures for ourselves?

IV. CONTINUING INSTANT IN PRAYER. Proving ourselves true sons of the closet. Mighty in supplication, as well as "mighty in the Scriptures," for both are needful if we would be successful winners of souls. No man can be a holy man who is not a man of prayer; hence a prayerless ministry will be a powerless one. "I ought," says M'Cheyne, "to spend the best hours of the day in communion with God; it is my noblest and most fruitful employment, and ought not to be thrust into a corner.' I am persuaded of this, dear brethren, if we thrust prayer into a corner, God will soon thrust our usefulness into a corner. The most useful men have been pre-eminently men of prayer. Baxter is said to have stained his study walls with the breath of prayer, and John Welsh would spend sometimes seven or eight hours a day in the closet, and used to keep a plaid upon his bed that he might rise at night. Sometimes his wife found him on the ground weeping, and on asking the cause, he would reply, “I have three thousand souls to take care of, and how do I know how many of them are prospering." John Livingstone says, "I found that much studying did not so much help me in preaching, as the getting my heart brought to a spiritual disposition. There is sometimes somewhat in preaching that cannot be ascribed either to the matter or expression, and cannot be described what it is, or from whence it cometh-but with a sweet violence it pierceth into the heart and affections, and comes immediately from the Lord; but if there be any way to attain to any such thing, it is by a heavenly disposition of the speaker. I never preached ane sermon which I would be earnest to see again in wryte but two; the one was on ane Monday after the communion, at Shotts,* and the other on ane Monday after the communion, at Holywood; and both these times I had spent the whole night before in conference and prayer with some Christians, without any more than ordinary preparation."

You have all heard of the poor stone breaker's reply to the minister, who observed him breaking stones with a hammer, and kneeling, the better to get at his work. The minister said, "Ah! John, I wish I could break the stony heart of my hearers as easily as you are breaking those stones." Perhaps, master,"

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* To this one sermon, no fewer than 500 persons are said to have attributed, under God, their conversion.

answered the man, "you don't work on your knees!" O brethren, if our ministry is to be a heart-breaking ministry, we must work more upon our knees, we must pray more. Remember, there is still "a kind that goeth not forth but by prayer and fasting."

V. COPYING CLOSELY THE LORD JESUS. Making him our example as ministers of the gospel, we should study carefully the principle upon which he lived and laboured, marking well the secret of his glorious ministry, as the Righteous Servant, the Apostle as well as High Priest of our profession. We should think of him as the dependent man, the man of prayer, seeking and receiving from the Father strength needful to sustain him in the stupendous work he had voluntarily undertaken; so that he could say, "I can of my own self do nothing." "The words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works."

The anointed man. "Anointed with the Holy Ghost and with power, who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed with the devil; for God was with him." Here was the secret of our Lord's wonderful ministry-God was with him. Jesus abode in his Father's love; Jesus walked with God (though himself God). "The Spirit of the Lord did rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord." Jesus was full of the Holy Ghost. "Be ye filled with the Spirit," is the word for us, whom "he is not ashamed to call his brethren." And does he not say to us, “As the living Father hath sent me, so send I you. Receive the Holy Ghost"?

ye

We must imitate him as the believing man, the man of faith-the Prince and Perfecter of faith, of whom his very enemies said, "He trusted in God ;" and who himself declared, "I will put my trust in Him;" and again, "The Lord God will help me; therefore I shall not be confounded: therefore have I set my face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be ashamed."

Lastly: we must copy him as the consecrated One—the true Nazarite-" Holy, harmless, undefiled, and separate from sinners;" the obedient, devoted Servant, whose first recorded words were, "Wist ye not that I must be about my Father's business?" whose last, "It is finished."

"Such was his truth, and such his zeal,
Such deference to his Father's will:
Such love, and meekness so divine,

I would transcribe, and make them mine."

I would take a "line" out of some people's books, a "leaf" from others, and from not a few a "whole chapter;" but let me have Christ in the "entire volume" -the life of Jesus to a letter

"A heart in every thought renew'd,

And full of love divine;

Perfect, and right, and pure, and good,
A copy, Lord, of thine!"

Finally, brethren, let us "yield ourselves unto God, as those who are alive from the dead." Let us "give ourselves clean away to God," making no reserves reserves ruin souls. Let none of us seek his own, but the things which are Jesus Christ's, remembering we are to be vessels for the Master's use, where, when, and how he will; and let us

"Stand up! Stand up for Jesus!
The strife will not be long;
This day the noise of battle,
The next the victor's song.
To him that overcometh

A crown of life shall be;
He with the King of Glory
Shall reign eternally."

TH

HE above place of worship was opened on March 20th, 1866, when two sermons were preached by Mr. J. A. Spurgeon, to crowded audiences. It is situated in the main thoroughfare of the town, in an increasing neighbourhood. The chapel will accommodate between 600 and 700, having one gallery facing the platforms. The baptistry is on a raised platform, above which is a platform for the preacher. There are also commodious rooms at the back for Bible classes, etc., also available at baptisms, besides a vestry for the minister. The chapel has cost about £2,200, exclusive of land. Of this amount the church and congregation have raised some £1,250. Mr. C. H. Spurgeon has kindly given £100; £400 have been lent without interest from the Metropolitan Tabernacle Loan Building Fund, and £200 from the Baptist Building Fund, leaving a deficiency of £250, which must be paid immediately. We also greatly need our school-room, which has been left for the present, owing to lack of funds, the children being compelled to meet in the gallery of the chapel. With regard to the work of God in our hands, we may speak with gratitude for what God has done, both in the harmony and increase of the church. The congregations also are good, the place being well filled in the evening of the Lord's-day. If any friends would kindly assist us in raising the above amount, or in completing our schools, we should be very grateful. The Pastor, J. Collins, The Avenue, Southampton, will be happy to receive any contributions.

Our Own Hymn Book.

CAN any of the readers of "The Sword and the Trowel," who are familiar with hymnology, kindly point out the authors of any of the following hymns in "Our Own Hymn Book"?

Nos. 176, 217, 272, 301, 392, 463, 500, 501, 502, 576, 595, 600, 629, 667, 687, 701, 744, 771, 772, 804, 901, 914, 920, 951, 962, 991, 1016, 1025.

Communications upon the subject will be gratefully received by Mr. Spurgeon, or Mr. D. Sedgwick, 81, Sun Street, Bishopsgate, E.C.

Our Orphanage.

As we intimated in our last number, the

donor has been invested in trust, the number of trustees being twelve. We have also completed the purchase of the land at Stockwell, and the orphanage will henceforth be known as "The Stockwell Orphanage." It is now time to commit this enterprise to the care of the Lord's people, and to ask of them the exercise of prayer for the success of the work, and of liberality in aiding it. Our position is just this:-We did not seek this work, but it was by a most singular providence cast upon us; at first we felt inclined to avoid its onerous responsibilities, and pressed our friend to give the money to Mr. Müller, but being, upon fuller reflection, unable to refuse her request, we have gone forward in humble dependence upon the will of God, and expect to see his mighty power revealed. To found an orphan house in London into which children should be received without requiring from their friends the labour and expense of canvassing for votes, is an object worthy of the aid of generous persons; and that the orphans when received will be under the care of Christian persons, and directly associated with a flourishing Christian church, should commend the project to the confidence of the lovers of the Lord Jesus. If the Lord shall be pleased to bless our efforts in future years to the conversion of the boys in the school, it may so happen that ministers and missionaries will be found for our churches among these children of our care, whose souls will be our first and highest concern. We entreat the Lord our God who has for several years provided so bountifully for our College, to stretch out his hand to help us in this new and untried work; and in order that his people may be fully aware of the needs of the work, we must mention the following facts:-The sum of £20,000 transferred to the trustees is almost all in the shape of Railway Debentures, or other forms of investment which cannot at the present time be realised without serious loss. As these bonds nearly all mature within the next two years, we feel that it would be folly to attempt to part with them at the present juncture, and in the hope (not altogether without fear), that these securities will be redeemed according to agreement, we must wait with patience till the full time shall come. Thus our friends will see that the funds in hand are not available for present use, and that we are comparatively at a standstill. In order to complete the purchase of the ground which we thought it of the highest importance to secure, we have had to borrow £3,000 upon the security of a portion of our bonds. We confess that this necessary transaction is not to our taste, and we earnestly wish that we had the means to pay off that sum, and leave the bonds alone until they can be realised. Now the ground is in our possession, and the season is come for building operations, but we have no money to go on with unless we effect another loan, and this we do not think wise. It is true we can wait, but then the ground is lying idle, and the cause of charity will be losing, so long as we wait, £150 a year in the form of interest upon unused property; and, meanwhile, many orphan children are seeking admittance for whom we can do nothing. may be also well to mention that the law of mortmain operates in our case in such a way, that should our generous friend be removed by death within the next twelve months, the heir-at-law can claim the properties which have been handed over to the trust. We firmly believe and earnestly pray, that the Lord who has spared her to see this great work commenced, will graciously preserve her for many years to come to see the growth and prosperity of the institution; but still there is the matter of fact as to the law, and it is not encouraging. What is needed, as far as shortsighted creatures can judge, is this that the sum given by the first donor should be left altogether untouched, and remain for ever as an endowment fund, and that the Christian public should find the means to pay for the ground and erect the buildings. The fact that the gift is in a sense tied up and bound by providential circumstances, seems in some measure to indicate that this is the path which the Lord would have us pursue;

It