In one of the prayers offered here this morning, a friend said that no more important topic has come before the gatherings in this room than that with which we are brought face to face this morning. In looking over the programme, it seems to me that we have embraced there all classes of our young people, from those who are in infancy to those who are passing into manhood and womanhood. Some of them are in schools, some in universities, some in the early stages of business life, but all are the men and women of the next generation! and it is for them that we specially pray this morning. I say, for the men and women of the next generation: how important it is for our country, for our world, for our churches, and especially for themselves, that they should be brought, at this period of life, into the acceptance of the faith and salvation of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

I have sometimes thought of the great influence which this country exerts upon other lands throughout the whole world. Never has there been, in my judgment, as far as I have been able to examine the subject, such an empire as that with which we are associated; particularly in this one way—that it touches every part of our world. There have been other empires and greater ones, there are other and greater empires at the present moment; but there is no empire, and there never has been one in human history, which touched or touches the world in every part as our empire touches it to-day. You may cover up the empire of, shall I say, China, with a hand and a half, upon an ordinary sized map; you may cover up the empire of, shall I say, Russia, with three or four hands, upon an ordinary sized map; but, unless you have hands enough to cover up the whole world, you cannot cover up this British Empire. Well, we are forming the generation of English people that will operate through this empire, upon the whole world. We create, establish, and mould the various churches that are to promote the kingdom of Christ everywhere in this world. How important it is, then, that these young people should be brought to the acceptance of the faith of our

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Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. We remember the story told us of old, concerning one good man, who, when he went into school, was wont to take off his hat and salute his scholars, "because," said he, "there before me I see the magistrates, the legislators, and the princes of the future." In that school, as you remember, there was educated the monk who, by-and-bye, shook the world. We, looking into the future, see, coming forth from the ranks of those for whom we now supplicate God, the men who, under Him, are to dominate the moral character of the world.

There is, of course, very much pre-supposed to be done, without which prayer to God for blessing would be altogether out of place. It is supposed that we are doing our duty, that we are promoting as far as we can the actual conversion of our children to the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, and that we are setting them a good example. I remember, for instance, a gentleman saying to me on one occasion, "If you can do anything for my children, if you can help them to love God, oh! do so"; and one could see that his heart was in his utterance. I could not, however, but reply, "A very fine example you, my friend, are setting to your boys and girls; for, you yourself do not profess the faith of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ." "I know it is so," he said, "yet I believe in it, and am most anxious concerning my children, that they should be brought in early life to an enjoyment of its blessings." Well, we must try to set a good example; we must, if we go to God in prayer, be consistent, and endeavour to set a good example. We have statues in some of our public places, which are supposed to stimulate us to moral duties; there are biographies issued which are supposed to interest us in good men, so that we may be made like them; but the parental influence exercised at home from hour to hour quietly, sometimes unconsciously-for there is always a good influence on the part of good and wise people-will do more to form the character of children for the future than any other influence which we can think of.

There is necessity in these days for saying a word about the exercise of authoritative influence. I think that in these days parental influence is not exercised so wisely and fully as it might be. I plead for parental authority; not the authority of a master, which is strong but not tender; not the authority of a brother, which is tender but not strong; but the authority of a parent, which is both tender and strong, or should be so. You remember how it was with poor Eli, with what milk-and-water words he came to reprove his rebellious and wicked sons. "Nay, my sons : said he, "for it is no good report that I hear: ye make the Lord's people to transgress." Therefore was it that God said to Eli, "there shall not be an old man in thine house for ever." On the other hand, "I know Abraham, that he will command his children and his household after him"; and of Abraham there came the seed which blesses the world. In these two respects, if we are to be consistent, we must endeavour to exert a good influence upon those who are placed, by God's providence, under our care; and, having done so, we may well go to God and ask for His blessing upon our efforts. When we give our children divine truth, and try to train them in right habits, then we have a right to ask for the blessing of God. He has, in every possible way, encouraged us to ask that blessing. We do wisely to approach Him with the conviction that we are sincere, because we are doing what we can to teach and to train these our children rightly.

What is the blessing of God? who can tell what wealth is involved in the blessing of God? The blessing of a good and wise man, the oral blessing, may not, perhaps, count for very much, though it may count for a little: it makes an impression. But the practical blessing of a good man's life, the example of a Moses, the moral support of a mighty man like Elijah, the wise counsel given by a Daniel-these are great practical blessings which may be brought to bear by those who imitate Daniel, Elijah and Moses, upon the habits and lives of our children.

We know that the example of the best men is often powerless on others. We know that the moral power of the strongest is sometimes found to be utter weakness, and that the wisdom of the wise is sometimes turned to foolishness, in this respect. But the blessing of God, who can tell what that means? The blessing of God's providence, that providence which shuts a child in from danger; just as, with the chariots and horses of fire, Elisha was shut in the city of Dothan, from the Syrian hordes who were seeking his life; that providence which goes forth like the angel who, meeting Balaam when he was in the wrong path, tried to turn him back and put him into the right path; that providence which follows the rebel child, perhaps, away into the wilderness, and, at night, when conscience is uneasy, and he finds it difficult to slumber, opens a pathway from earth to heaven, with God Himself revealed at the

top, saying, "I will be with thee and will bless thee, whithersoever thou goest-in spite of sin, I, the Giver of blessing, will be with thee." The blessing of God's grace, that grace which sometimes comes forth like the sunlight, touching that which seemed utterly dead, and bringing it up into beauty; that grace which comes upon us like the dew, and, where there is incipient death, wakens up a life fresh and vigorous; that grace which, as I have sometimes thought, comes upon us like electric fire, touches the moral cancer of nature, and burns it away to its uttermost fragments, so that its place may be taken by this abundant grace of God.

Oh! to have the blessing of God upon our prayers. Have we not a right to expect it? Is not God a Father? Are not these His children, even more than they are our children? If we love them, does He not love them more? If they do wrong, is He not grieved even more than we are? If they do right, is He not more glad than even we can be? Has He not done for them what, at any rate, none of us here this morning have done? Perhaps we might be willing to do it,-I do not know, but I should say not; but this I know, that the Son of God has died for them. You have not died for them; you have done a great deal for them, perhaps, but you have not died for them. God the Son hath died that these children of ours might be saved. If that be so, may we not confidently expect Him to bless our children, when there is honest labour on our part to secure such a result?

Reference was made just now to the mothers of the future. We do not doubt that the Church is much indebted to the mother of St. Augustine, to the mother of John Wesley, to the mother of John Newton, and to the mother of Moses. I have sometimes pondered how it was that Moses became what he did, how it was that he, as a young man, shook off all the trappings of Egyptian splendour and became an outcast with the poor slaves of that country. Where did he get his religious strength? He was introduced to the Court at an early period, and found himselt in a place where there was no religion but a false one, being trained there amidst the pomp and splendour of an idolatrous worship, amidst everything which might captivate a young mind. I think that mother who received her child from the hand of the princess, heard the voice of God through the words of the princess, "Take this child and nurse it for me." Before that child came under the influence of Pharoah's court, while Moses was yet in his mother's care, those seeds of truth, those moral principles were inculcated which made him, under God, the magnificent man he afterwards became.

Thus are we encouraged to pray for our country, for our world, for our families, for our beloved children. Let us not cease to supplicate the mercy of our God, and, upon appropriate labour, His blessing will be sure to descend.