that Jesus Christ was a workman, and He told you that His Father worked. And every one is sent by the same Father into the same field to work. You are not always to find work that is pleasant, but to find work which you can do, and by-and-bye you may get work which is more pleasant. Do you suppose that my work is always pleasant? God forbid that I should set myself up as a model for you, but I may be a fair representative of many here; my experience has probably been substantially the same as most people's in the matter of work. When you begin to work seriously there are many details you do not like. As you get on, you get more at home in your work; you get acclimatised to it, and your heavy task becomes lighter and more grateful to you. Eight years ago I began my ministerial work in Bethnal Green, and first got accustomed to going into the badly ventilated houses of the poor, into sick rooms, and amongst dying people; do you suppose that was altogether a pleasant way of life? I used in those days. to have the greatest horror of dead bodies, but by the time the cholera broke out in the east end of London I had gone through such a training in that matter that I could rub a cholera patient very comfortably in the London Hospital whilst the dead were being lifted out of the next bed. The disagreeables seem dreadful at first, but one gets over them, especially if one has any strong motive. Look at all doctors for instance; not only does habit help them, but they get a motive, an enthusiasm, which helps them still more; and it is the same in almost every department. If you mean to do

work and do your best work, you must make your motive conquer your distaste; you must not mind fighting on a little way in the dark. Many a boy finds his first task at school intolerably hard, but at the next the construing and parsing go better, and the sense of getting on helps him, and by-and-bye the Latin or Greek page becomes luminous with interest, and achievement crowns endeavour.

When I first began to preach in the east end of London I used to write elaborate sermons, but the people would not come to church. Then I thought I would preach extempore; so I went up one evening into the pulpit with my Bible only, and proposed to address the scanty congregation before me on the words, Luke xxiv. 29, 'Abide with us, for it is towards evening, and the day is far spent.' I do not think I had any misgivings about my ability to go on, but when I had read the text over once I was glad to say it over again. I then found I had forgotten my first head, and went on to the second, but the instant I had begun the second I could recollect nothing but the first. It was too late then, so I tried the third; but of course that fitted in nowhere without the first and the second. So I read the text over again, and when I had done that I recollected another text which had nothing to do with it, and said that, and then I got exceedingly uncomfortable, and so did the congregation; and in about ten minutes from the commencement of my extempore sermon I read the text over again, and as nothing more occurred to me I was glad enough to leave off. After that my friends

advised me to read my sermons; but I said, 'No, I am going to try the other plan now;' and so Sunday after Sunday I stammered on, and people said I did it to save myself trouble, and what a pity it was that I should try to preach without book, and so forth. And for years extempore preaching was pain and labour to me. And now I am glad I did not give in, as I was on the point of giving in more than once. Young men expect too much-they will have everything go smoothly. They are too impatient for results. They are too disheartened with failures—or worse, they are exorbitantly fastidious and selfish. Nothing is good enough for them. They go into a place. There is something they do not like; a disagreeable man at the top of the firm; the ventilation is bad; there is a draught; a window is too low or too high; or there is not light enough. They can put up with nothing. Of course, then there is nothing to be done. You must begin at the beginning; you must not mind going into the ranks; you must rough it a little if necessary. Try down lower and lower if you cannot get what you want at first; but again I say avoid the fiend of Idleness!

Dear friends, do not tell me I may not speak these words to you. Do not tell me I occupy my time in preaching about doctrine without practice, or practice without doctrine. I declare there is not a sentence I have uttered this morning which I could not range. appropriately under one or another of the great Christian doctrines, and I could show that the whole of my exhortation is founded upon deep and central principles

of the Divine life. Even some allusions which you may call trivial, and details which you may think egotistical, are not out of place if they give you any comfort, if they give you any courage, any hope. My experiences belong to you as long as I am here to minister among you. I will not separate myself from you; I will not let the old go away uncheered; I will not let the sorrowful go away uncomforted. I will not let the children go; I will not let the young men go; I long to help them. Their difficulties are mine; their doubts and temptations are mine.

Oh! if I could think that ever a ray of light or gladness came to any of you through me, how happy, how thankful should I be! I will have no dominion over your faith; but let me, oh let me, be 'a helper of your joy!'

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