more to our eternal advantage to have been AN INDUSTRIOUS CHAPEL-KEEPER
THAN A DULL PREACHER!

Nathan brought David to a stand. The royal hearer fell before the
faithful preacher. He confessed his sin and deeply repented. Well might
the prophet rejoice over his illustrious convert. It was indeed success
to hear the king acknowledge his fault. We do not read that he praised
the sermon, but he condemned himself. It is a small reward to hear it
said that we have preached a beautiful sermon, but it is delightful to
learn that a sinner has been convinced of his guilt and danger. Let all
of us who preach, determine that we will not call that service a success
which either allowed our hearers to be drowsy, or won their applause,
without causing a saint to be cheered on his pilgrimage, or an enemy of
God to lay down his weapons and sue for peace.

OLD FASHIONED DOCTRINE.
JEREMIAH, viii. 21 to ix. 16.

I.--He who is loyal to God is the truest patriot.--ch. viii., v. 21, ch.
ix., v. 10.

Jeremiah's distress disfigured him, and he felt that tears were not
sufficient to mark his sorrow for his country. Sinners against God
should never profess to be politicians; they are unworthy to be classed
on either side.

II.--Idolatry is the mother of all other sins.

Count up the different crimes these Jewish idol-worshippers were guilty
of--as lying, slander, adultery, &c. He who breaks the first commandment
has pulled down the fence, and can easily break the others. What an
argument for Missions!

III.--If God acts consistently, He must punish sin.--ch. ix., v. 9, 10,
15, 16.

Hell is as necessary as Heaven to a perfect God. Queen Victoria could
not be safe in her palace but for prisons, where felons are bound!

He who fears to preach future punishment is either an ignorant man or a
coward.

XXXVI. SELFISHNESS AND PRAYER.
A CONTRAST.

"_So Ahab went up to eat and to drink_. _And Elijah went up to the
top of Carmel_, _and he cast himself down upon the earth_, _and put
his face between his knees_."--1 KINGS xviii. 42.

WHAT A CONTRAST!

And yet, both men were perfectly consistent. It is in each case what you
would expect, and yet how differently it might have been. What a
different story it would have been if only Ahab had listened to the
teaching of God! How often we see men having chances of turning round
and beginning a new life; failing to do this, they seem to become th