capacities. With some illustrious exceptions, there is not enough real education amongst our upper classes, or we should not find them still yawning over sports that the middle classes have abandoned as brutal and undignified.

140. It is unfortunate for the culture and humanity of the upper classes that it should not be they who are the first to put down what is brutalising in the manners and customs of the country. It is the middle classes who protest against these things, it is the upper classes who will not let them die out. But the time is coming when the aristocracy of this country will have something more important to think about than pigeon matches. It may be pleasant and well to ask what pigeons exist for? and to answer, 'For peers.' But another question, 'What do peers exist for?' is, at our present rate of progress, more likely to require some good answer. I am expressing no opinion on peers, but I affirm that class privilege will not always cover personal unworthiness—a high position entails high responsibilities, and it becomes a public scandal when these responsibilities are forgotten or neglected.

141. But, now to close. Brethren, when we get clear from details, what is at length the great principle which must guide us in our pleasure? It is almost impossible not to raise a number of questions upon every particular case, but my business is this, 'not to have dominion over your faith,' or over your opinions; not to lay down a law

upon this subject or that, but to suggest certain great and clear principles which you will have to work out for yourselves. Then in your pleasure, whether physically, intellectually, socially, or spiritually considered, what is or ought to be your guide? It is this. That not pleasure is the end of life, but that something else is. What is that something else? The end and object of your existence should be work, or the legitimate employment of all your faculties-work for God, work for man, work in the state of life in which it has pleased God to place you, for Him, for yourselves, for your fellow men. Follow this as a first principle, and you will find how wonderfully, how satisfyingly all pleasures will group themselves healthfully and helpfully about work. When you once make pleasure the whole end of your life, you will find it impossible to get it; you cannot get pleasure out of the pursuit of pleasure, and if you could, you could not reconcile it with those moral and spiritual principles which point you higher.

When I look to Jesus Christ, I find there hints in His life as much as in His words (although I find hints in His words) how we ought to enjoy ourselves.

First, I should say, Jesus Christ almost left pleasure out of His legislation. He did not talk much about it; He did not recommend the exclusion of it or the adoption of it in any way. I find Him saying, 'Be ye perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect.' I find Him saying, 'Be ye holy. Be ye pure in heart, and ye shall see God;' but I don't find many sentences about pleasure or enjoyment. Why was this? It was

because Jesus Christ was absorbed in a great life-work. 'Seek ye first the Kingdom of God;' the rest would be added; and when you become absorbed in a great lifework-professional work, social work, I care not what it is-when you become thus absorbed in the duties of your life, you will not be always thinking about pleasure, though it will come; when you get up in the morning, you will not say, 'How shall I please myself?' but you will say, 'What has God given me to do?' Jesus Christ worked, His Father worked, all good men work, every day a task there lies before you.

But now, in Christ's life, do you suppose there were no flowers springing up by the wayside? There were. There were quiet moments at Bethany, quiet moments in the olive garden often and often before the night of the bloody sweat; also when He walked by the way, or by the sea, enjoying social converse, and there were associations of happiness and of joy and of friendship about the quiet vineyards and hills of Galilee. Remember that His joy was our joy, His sorrow our sorrow. Jesus Christ chose to be found at the marriage supper of Cana as well as at the grave of Lazarus. He did not seek to check mirth, to crush pleasure; He came that we might have joy and have it more abundantly. Pleasure for Himself or for others was not the pursuit of His life, but His life-work radiated goodness, from whence came enjoyment and satisfaction, exhilaration, happiness; and the same will come to you.

And when pleasure comes, bring it to this test: 'Does

this pleasure interfere with my life-work, does it impede me? In dining do I take such a quantity of wine that it interferes with my work or damages my constitution? Do I so waste my nights, and so rise late that I go into the office irritable and cantankerous, because I have allowed my body to get into an irritable and nervous state?' Then that pleasure is wrong. You must curtail it, and bring it within bounds. Or ask again, ‘Does my pleasure lower me in my own eyes, does it degrade and lower others, is it a snare to weaker brethren, are they sacrificed to me who am strong? "I have a work to do, how am I straitened till it be accomplished!" But my God is not unrighteous, He will reward me with "good measure pressed down."' The promise is to you and to your children, Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all things shall be added to you.'

But the man who follows pleasure as the whole object of his life is of all men most miserable; he is a beggar; he goes about spiritually in pauper rags; he is unsatisfied; he is insatiable. He says to pleasure, ' Give, give, give!' He says to the sense of taste, 'Give!' but the sense of taste does not give. He has ruined his sense of taste. He will never have any more enjoyment in eating and drinking. He says to his ear, 'Give!' but it is grown deaf, or it is dull; he cannot love the sweet music now, it is full of bitter memories, of vile memories; he will no longer hear 'the voice of singing men and singing women,' 'the whole head is faint, and the whole heart is sick.' The Cain's mark is on his brow, and joy will have

none of his company, and the world calls him a man of pleasure! Ah! it is a dreadful sight to see a man walking amongst the extinct volcanoes of dead lusts and passions. No flowers upon the mountain, no sign of vegetation. As he wanders to and fro upon the parched and sulphurous soil, seeking rest and finding none, he suddenly gazes down into some new crater of living corruption, his foot stumbles upon the dark mountains, and he has passed.

But he who holds his life-work before him, walks out every morning a new creature, and as the fresh air comes upon his face, he thanks God for the gracious gift. Simple are the pleasures of the good man; simple, but deep and blessed, are the enjoyments of the man. who has never voluntarily corrupted himself, who has kept his heart virgin for God, his love unspoiled, his sensibilities pure. What richness of pleasure is his, what spotless feasts of charity,' what glorious hours with love and friendship! The skies bow down to him, and the earth is lifted up, he rejoices in the work which his Father has given him to do; and when he has drunk the cup of sorrow, he rises up strong to suffer as he has been strong to enjoy, 'as sorrowful and yet always rejoicing.' And now his hour is come too, but his feet have not stumbled upon the dark mountains,' he stands upon the morning hills, ready to yield his body to the dust, his soul to God; and as, bewildered with the light, his eyes begin to fail and his brain to swim, a voice is in his ears, 'Seek ye first the Kingdom of God, and His righteousness.' 'Lord!' he cries with faltering