terms as a powerful hindrance to the spread of truth, and a manifest proof of a carnal and corrupt heart. "Now this I say, that every one of you saith, I am of Paul, and I of Apollos, and I of Cephas, and I of Christ. Is Christ divided? was Paul crucified for you? or were ye baptized in the name of Paul? I thank God I baptized none of you, but Crispus and Gaius; lest any should say I had baptized in mine own name.” 1 Cor. i. 12-15. Such a spirit of dissension is sometimes witnessed in our day. To correct this evil state was the evident intention of the apostle. The Corinthians had fallen into the snare of glorifying the mere instrument; but Paul calls their attention to the law, the sacred law of grace, by which the Divine sovereignty and human agency result in the spiritual increase of the Church of Christ. A false attitude of the mind upon these points cannot fail to be of essential disservice. In executing the redemptive designs of the Gospel, it is the plan of God that means shall be used, and their employment is committed to the agency of men. By a careful examination of the text in "itself and in its relations, it will be perceived that all which the writer means by planting or watering, as attributed to himself or Apollos, is associated with the idea of God as giving the increase. The blessing comes in the presence, and not in the absence of the appropriate means. There is the planting, also the watering, also the increase given by God. This is the order of the apostle's thoughts." I venture to suggest that it is most important that we should understand God's order in giving success. We, with other Methodist bodies, have to speak of a decrease of members, and while this may not be an exact gauge of our true position, it surely calls for close inquiry. If "God ordinarily bestows the increase in the ratio of the kind and character of the means," does it not follow that our responsibility in their employment is one of intense and awful nature? I am so impressed; and this has led me tremblingly to venture upon presenting a few thoughts suggested by this comprehensive text. Here we have the law of grace in the bestowment of success in connection with Christian and ministerial effort. Your attention is now invited to four very evident essential considerations in order to success in our ministerial and general Christian work.

I. WE NEED A CLEAR APPREHENSION OF THE DIVINE PURPOSE. "Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave to every man ?" The dissentients had clearly fallen into a common snare of the devil. How pitiful, how unworthy of their high profession and responsibility! To criticise the talents, and philosophise upon the labours of others,

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is a very easy task; to hear sermons, and then give our judgment upon their merits, is a work to which almost any man may prove himself equal; to look at the woes of society, and sigh in sentimental inactivity, demands nothing more than a heart having the property of feeling; to dispute about the respective qualities of the servants of Christ, shows but little of the grandeur and powe which distinguished the apostle Paul and immortalised the noble army of martyrs. These and kindred exercises are sad indications of misapprehension and corruption. These Corinthians must be interrogated to awaken their compunction and correct their error.

"Who then is Paul?" &c. This inquiry is admonitory. Some men entertain very strange notions of the true ministers of Christ. Setting aside the vagaries and pretensions of Rome, is it not. necessary to arrest the two widely diverging extremes of the Protestant Church of these times? There are those who superstitiously exalt the minister of the Cross to a literal sacrificing priest while engaged in his functions in the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper; then there are those who degrade him to the level of their own fancy and standard, and for the simple reason that he is wholly set apart to ministerial work, charge him with a greater love for "filthy lucre" than for souls. But what is this and all kindred bickerings and disputings but manifestations of the same spirit of carnality? Let this inquiry be a sufficient rebuke of the arrogance, assumption, and pomp of a growing ecclesiasticism, and also of a dangerous, licentious latitudinarianism.

This interrogation is also instructive. "Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers?" In the apostolic writings we have the words, "stewards," "ambassadors," "overseers," "ministers;" there may be shades of difference in the meaning of these terms, but in their relation to the service of Christ they are substantially the same. "But ministers; this conveys the idea that they are not so much in authority as under authority. Servants of Christ, and your servants for Christ's sake. Theirs is the double honour of government and care. Their delegation is from the highest authority, their embassy the most animating and glorious, and their accountability the most certain and awful. Such servants will be careful of lording over God's heritage; and such as are favoured with their services should give becoming deference to their position and character. "For he that toucheth you, toucheth the apple of his eye." "Touch not Mine anointed, and do My prophets no harm." "By whom ye believed." How beautifully simple on their chief business. They were the chosen channels, entrusted with the great life message out of the mind and heart of

God: "God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life." The apostle, in a sentence, has extracted its very essence, "For I determined not to know anything among men, save Jesus Christ and Him crucified." This has to be given to the end that it may be believed. A believing soul is a saved soul. This is the first duty, the noblest function, and the grandest object of the minister of Christ. Shall we say, then, "One soul for every sermon ?" But why limit the effect of this God-sent, heart-thrilling, soul-transforming message? Nothing comes up to the work of saving a soul from death. "He that winneth souls is wise." "Let him know, that he which converteth a sinner from the error of his ways shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins." Stand aside, ye politicians, ye students of history, ye men of science, ye mere traders in theology, and let the man of God stand forth; he is the Church's conservator, the sinner's guide, and the world's benefactor. The greatest work any man can do is to lead souls to believe in Christ. "Even as the Lord gave to every man." "And He gave some apostles; and some prophets; and some evangelists; and some pastors and teachers; for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ." The Lord is the Author and Source of all blessing. What the apostles had of gifts and graces, of qualifications, sympathies, and even of success, was derived, and not original-a free gift, and not merited or purchased. All the variety that there was of gift and operation, force of argument, beauty of oratory, power of declamation, or splendour of illustration, should have led to gratitude to God, and not to a factious admiration of men. Such an apprehension is one element in the realisation of

success.

II. WE NEED A STRONG CONFIDENCE IN THE DIVINE FAITHFULNESS. "I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase." Here we have a figure drawn from agriculture. Planting is one of the great works of men. The analogy is obvious, and may be helpful in producing the confidence we need. Here the law of nature strikingly illustrates the law of grace. The husbandman plants and waters as if everything depended thereon, but he also trusts to God as if everything depended on Him. This may well teach us, on the one one hand, to appreciate our responsibility; and on the other, to repose in the faithfulness of the great Supreme. "It is in this way only that we can make practical the idea of acting as if all depended on action, and trusting as if all depended on God."

A Holy Ghost inspired confidence leads to correct and fervent effort. "I have planted," &c. Every Christian must do good-all the good he can. Less than this, he sins by defect. All other things being equal, the amount of his "usefulness will be in the ratio of his intelligence, piety, and action."

"I have planted." In this affirmation we have not the utterance of presumptuous boasting, but the legitimate and decided expression of individual action. Every man should learn his proper vocation, and honestly follow it. Some can only go as they move in a crowd; or like a decayed tree in the midst of a forest, can only stand in virtue of the surrounding support and shelter. The true minister must stand out in his individuality, whether to plant or to . water. Paul planted amid the speculations and philosophies of Corinth, and also amid the degrading idolatries of Athens; and Apollos "an eloquent man, and mighty in the Scriptures," was equally individual and distinct in fostering the seed of eternal truth. "I have planted" is an assertion implying deep conviction-nay, certainty of duty fulfilled. A review left no room for doubt, and inspired the soul with a confident expectation of certain success. Have we not also striking illustrations in the indefatigable labours of Luther in Germany, Wesley in England, Carey in India, Williams in the South Sea Islands, Burns in China, and many ministers and teachers among us to-day who are content to "sow in tears," because certain that they "shall reap in joy?"

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But mark, we have diversity, as well as individuality: "Apollos watered." The grace of God lays under contribution the varied gifts of men. Every man in his own order." No man is accountable for the peculiarities of his gift, only for the faithful improvement of the talent entrusted to his care. It may be true that Paul could plant better than Apollos; but watering is the necessary complement on the human side to secure the maturity of the seed deposited. Both are therefore necessary and mutually dependent. This diversity is Divine, and therefore good and pleasant-let the diversified harmonies of nature speak-and should excite our gratitude and love, and not engender envy and discord.

Still further: here we have brotherly recognition. "Apollos watered.” Let us suppose the planting to be the more important in this spiritual husbandry, then this is the magnanimous outgush of a brotherly Christian heart. Would to God it were always so. How easy it is to discover and magnify defects! Will it not be more in keeping with the spirit of this sentence to admire the excellences and cast a mantle of charity over the defects of others, considering

our own weakness and imperfection? This brotherly recognition is necessary in every department of Christian service, and especially so among us as the ministers of Jesus Christ. I cannot do better than refer you to the magnificent sermon of the excellent brother who stood in this position seven years ago. He then said, A good understanding among ourselves is absolutely necessary if we would avoid the shame and disgrace of failure....We must never forget that we are 'workers together.' Each must do the best he can, and think that all his fellow-labourers are doing the best they can also; or if he cannot think that, kindly and faithfully show how they can do better." Aye, this is the spirit of genuine Christian effort, and essential to the spread of truth. "Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than themselves. Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others. Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus."

A Holy Ghost inspired confidence will express itself in implicit trust in God. "But God gave the increase." It is thus evident that the increase can only come from God, and to Him the divinely instructed minister looks for results. Albert Barnes says, "There is no life in the seed, nor is there any inherent power in the earth 'to make it grow. There is no living principle in the water, nor inherent power in the rains of heaven to make the plant grow. God only, the giver of all life, can quicken the germ in the seed, and make it live." So, spiritually, "the power is not in the naked word, nor in him that plants, nor in him that waters, nor in the heart where it is sown, but in God." This sentence also surely teaches that God is faithful, and will give success to appropriate faithful effort. We have the united testimony of many voices, "He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him." "Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord." "Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; for He is faithful that promised." Do we want to refresh ourselves with examples? Then let us look at the apostles and early Christians, the Reformers and Huguenots, the Covenanters and Puritans, the missionaries to distant lands, and devoted Christian workers at home. The existence of Christ's Church in the earth to-day is an illustration of the sentence, "But God gave the increase," and is an earnest of the universal ingathering when the harvest of the world shall be ripe. Let the spirit of confidence kindle while we sing