Israel both before and after the captivity. The Idumæans were compelled to adopt the Jewish religion, and to be circumcised. So complete was the subjugation, that henceforth the kingdom of 1dumæa disappears from history. In Samaria, the rival temple on Mount Gerizim was overthrown. The city of Samaria was overthrown, and its site converted into pools of water. Most of Galilee submitted to the authority of the HighPriest, and a new alliance was made with Rome. A new tower was built to the temple called the Tower of Baris, which, however, afterwards became the Antonia of Herod.

Thus the Holy Land, under the name of Judæa, was restored to its ancient limits, and the people enjoyed their liberty under a race of High-Priests the original, divinely-appointed form of government.

But the strange people would not long retain their homogenity, and their affairs took a downward turn very rapidly under the successor of Hyrcanus, who, instead of manifesting a pure and disinterested patriotism, were absorbed with personal ambition, and became engaged in fierce conflicts among themselves for the chief power. Then began family schism, social murder, the rise of the rival sects of Pharisee and Sadducee. Hyrcanus himself had become a Sadducee, and died B.C. 106. During the power of the Maccabæan princes, who so nobly and effectually gave their lives for the good of their country, the nation made great advances in every possible way. There had been a steady fulfilment of the Mosaic law. All the ordinances and feasts were vigorously carried out. The customs of civilized nations were introduced, and the knowledge of the Greek language became almost universal. The doctrine of the resurrection became developed. A local coin was struck, which bears the name of Simon. The Maccabees, by their own personal endeavour, founded a kingdom, and although at first all turned upon their personal fortunes, "they left the nation they had formed sufficiently strong to preserve an independent faith, till the typical kingdom gave place to a universal Church."

The degeneration of the kingdom under the Ashmonean kings, who were the successors of the Maccabees, must be left for another chapter.

No grace is more necessary to the Christian worker than fidelity; the humble grace that marches on in sunshine and storm, when no banners are waving, and there is no music to cheer the weary feet.-S. J. Micholls.

A holy life, spent in the service of God and in communion with Him, is, without doubt, the most pleasant and comfortable life that any man can live in this world.-Melanchton.

I would rather be what God chose to make me than the most glorious creature that I could think of. For to have been thought about, borne in God's thoughts, and then made by God, is the dearest, grandest, and most cious thing in all thinking.-George Macdonald.

Be cheerful; do not brood over fond hopes unrealized until a chain, link after link, is fastened on each thought and wound around the heart. Nature intended you to be the fountain-spring of cheerfulness and social life, and not the travelling monument of despair and melancholy —Arthur Helps.

THE PREACHER'S ANALYST.

VOL. VIII.

APRIL.

No. 4.

The Object of the Christian Ministry.

N the present day there is among all classes of God's ministers a tendency to lose sight of the real object and purpose of their ministry. The matter is one of such very grave and solemn importance that we must be pardoned for constantly recurring to it. How many there are who ought to be engaged in the work of saving souls who are absorbed by politics, doctrines, and minor matters of lesser interest. Let us try to appreciate the true bearing of our duty from the following considerations :

What is the ministry? We cast back our thoughts to those days of primeval purity, when no ministry of reconciliation was needed, when the law of God was inscribed with His own finger upon the fleshly tablet of man's heart, when our first parents were wont to hold free and unrestrained communion with their God, when the fallen angel of heaven had infused no venomous poison into the incorrupt heart of the image of God, when death had not protruded its sting, nor the grave threatened to be victorious; then there needed no such ministry as that which we are called to discharge.

But, when man rebelled against his Maker, forfeited heaven, became a child of Satan and an heir of hell; when his posterity inherited his now sinful propensities; when spiritual death in the soul, and eternal death in hell, began to reign over them that "had not sinned after the similitude of Adam's transgression," but were born in sin, and grew up in the practice of sin, sin growing with their growth, and strengthening with their strength;" then there needed a ministry of grace and mercy.

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The God of heaven first declared the means by which guilty man might be saved from the wrath to come, and re-admitted to the favour of his Maker (the seed of the woman bruising the serpent's head); and then be raised up holy men, to warn mankind of the consequences of sin-to point out to them, through types and sacrifices, the Lamb of God, who should take away the sin of the world, and to urge upon them the importance of forsaking sin and following after holiness, if they would avoid death and obtain life everlasting.

Enoch and Noah were preachers of righteousness. Moses and Samuel, and all the successive train of prophets, were raised up and sent forth by God for this important object-to warn the children of men of the ruinous consequences of continuing in the practice of sin, and to point to Jesus the promised Redeemer. But, "when the fulness of time was come, God sent forth his Son ;" and this Redeemer, having fulfilled all righteousness, and made the atonement for the sins of men, commissioned His ministers,

whom He had before chosen, to go and teach all nations, and baptize them, teaching them to observe all things that He had commanded them.

In a word, then, the object, the sole object, of the ministry was that mentioned in the commission given to St. Paul: "Unto whom now I send thee, to open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God."

The object of the ministry is the same now. The God of heaven has placed the eternal interests of immortal souls in the hands of mortal men. Amazing mystery! If we had been left to conjecture by what instrumentality men depraved and rebellious were to be reclaimed, and the dominion of the prince of darkness to be destroyed, we should scarcely have ventured to imagine that frail and fallen man, though renewed and qualified by divine grace, would have been the appointed minister of salvation to his brethren, and that creatures of the dust should wage victorious war against legions of evil spirits; but so it hath pleased the Lord.

Yes, it has been given to us to have the responsibility of being able to save immortal souls from hell, and bring them to heaven. What an office is in our hands! Let us pause and reflect.

Here are never-dying souls made capable of enjoying the highest and purest degree of unsullied glory in heaven, or of enduring the most inconceivable amount of agony in hell. It is, whether those souls chaunt the melodies of heaven, or wail and weep and gnash their teeth in hell. It is, whether they walk in the light of the glory of God and of the Lamb, or dwell in the blackness of darkness for ever. It is, whether their eternal relationship be that of the angels and glorified saints in the realms of bliss, or of the devil and his angels and the lost spirits in the bottomless abyss; and each individual of the human race must enter upon one of these two destinations.

But can we save some? Yes, we can. We cannot efficiently, neither can we meritoriously; but we can instrumentally. God has appointed us the instruments of bringing souls to Jesus, whose blood alone cleanseth from all sin.

This, then, is the object of our ministry: to go to our fellow-sinners; to declare to them their state by nature; to tell them plainly that they must be eternally lost, unless they fly for help to the cross of Jesus; to convince them, if possible, of the necessity of being born again by the Spirit of God; and to press it upon them that they cannot be living members of Christ, or inheritors of the kingdom of heaven, unless they be brought to a true repentance of their sins, a solid and evidenced faith in Christ, and a lively and hearty obedience to the commandments of God. Yes, my brethren, this we shall be doing, if we have been brought to know the value of a soul. Whether we care for the souls of our fellowmen will depend upon whether we have been ever concerned about our If we have never been convinced of the necessity of becoming new creatures in Christ, we shall never enforce upon others the necessity of experiencing this work of the Spirit of God in the soul. If we have never bid adieu to the world, and devoted ourselves personally (and not officially only) to the service of God, we shall never persuade others that they must come out, and separate themselves from an ungodly world. But if, on the other hand, we, who were once afar off, have been brought nigh by the

own.

blood of Jesus, then I declare that the intended object of the ministry will form the object of our ministry—the conversion of immortal souls.

Care for the Converts.

He

SEVERAL things may be noted._1.—The pastor must shepherd them. must know them by name. He must become personally familiar with their needs, minister to them. He must make that interest felt. Seeking them out at home and in all meetings of the church, he must shake hands with them specially and warmly, speaking a timely word, inquiring as to their Christian life, cheering and encouraging them, "line upon line, line upon line; precept upon precept, precept upon precept; here a little, and there a little," and, in all, a good deal of shepherding he must give them.

2. The pastor must teach them specifically. Not only pulpit instruction, but special meetings must be held for them. A monthly meeting for instruction in the doctrines and duties of the church is sure to give them vertebrate strength. It grounds them in the truth. They become intelligent Christians. The older members of the church have often asked to attend, and greatly enjoyed and profited by this service.

I have found a course of brief informal homilies on Pilgrim's Progress (of fifteen or twenty minutes), to open with, followed by speaking among the young converts, of kindling interest and great value. All the practical duties of a Christian life, and all the conflicts, are indicated along that marvellous allegory. He can be familiar and specific in teaching, and they have a standard thought against which to measure their experience, and also by which they are stimulated to speak. It gives variety of theme, freshness of ideas, and prevents their testimony from becoming monotonous and insipid by sameness. Many similar methods are valuable, which I

will not particularize.

If

3.-The pastor must carefully classify them. To get them to attend meetings with delight is a great art. He must know the qualities of his leaders, and classify the converts so that there will be fitness of things. Many converts are assorted badly. Some leaders ought to be asked to send in their resignations, so as to make possibly better adjustments. the leader is adapted to his or her class, there is little difficulty. I have found godly women, for young ladies and children and even boys of fifteen, the best leaders I have known. Then let the pastor frequently visit the classes and speak cheering words. Leaders and members are quickened with new interest and lively zeal.

4.-The pastor must endeavour to make the older members nursing fathers and mothers. Alas! too many of these never attend class, or speak in prayer-meeting, and need to be converted again. They are social icebergs and spiritual Greenlanders. They do nothing to help young converts, but are quick to condemn them as not genuinely converted if they become as lukewarm and neglectful of duty as themselves. But there are many

living, loving Christians who are ready to help. Many even crave something to do. One of the most excellent methods I know of I claim as a personal invention.

Suppose there are three hundred converts. Select with care, with nice adaptation, three hundred of the best members of the church, and assign to each one of these one young convert. This member is to be the guardian angel of that convert, to see the convert once a week at least, to know him, to encourage him, to counsel him, to see that he is at all the meetings, to visit him if sick, to seek him out and lead him back if he wander. This was originally the Methodist class-leader's work, but they cannot or do not do it in large classes. The above method promotes three good things: 1.-Social intercourse; 2.-Benefits the members; 3.-Saves many converts.

In conclusion, the care of young converts is the pastor's most Christlike work. The brightness of the firmament is the glory of the minister who is instrumental in saving souls.

Es Dancing an Ennocent Amusement ?

1.—The tendency of this amusement is to drive away all serious thoughts, to dissipate all religious impressions.

We have known young men and women who gave good promise of future usefulness in the Christian Church, but were drawn into these amusements and forgot God and religion and everything of a serious nature. Many a pastor can recall with a pained heart a large number of such cases. We doubt if any can recall an exception. We have never yet known a single instance where a person was engaged in the pursuit of these amusements and was at the same time leading an active Christian life. Religious convictions, holy thoughts, and an active Christian influence wither and die in the atmosphere of a dancing-school or ball-room, just as surely as in the bar-room or the gambling-den.

2.-These amusements and their associations result in an exceedingly low form of moral development. Those who indulge in them soon become irreverent. They absent themselves from the house of God. They soon apologize for, and then indulge in, things of which they would once have been ashamed. A person's moral perception is blunted, and his desire for good lessened in just that degree that he follows such amusements.

3. A great number of young people begin in the dancing-school and ball-room, a course of life which ends in utter and dreadful ruin. Archbishop Spalding declared that the confessional revealed the fact that nineteen-twentieths of the fallen women began their descent in the ball-room. Could accurate statistics be prepared in regard to any of our cities the result would be of a similar nature. The sensuous nature of much of the music, the unnatural fascination, the whirl of excitement, the mutual and familiar relations of the dancers-all these influences brought to bear upon a young woman at an age when she is peculiarly susceptible to them