, is to be accomplished by the faithful preaching of such
things as the Master has left on record for the learning of His
followers, and by calling them to make proof of truth in the exercise
of Christian activity, self-denial, sacrifice and self-culture. We
believe, notwithstanding all that may be said to the contrary, that the
Church and her children long to hear this message and that they will
respond to it. Once more we admit that to the preacher, it may not be
the easiest kind of preaching to attempt, for here he will soon be
among the deep things of God, and he will have to ask for great
endeavours and great surrenders. But the divine commission is in his
hands, and has he not undertaken to speak what God shall teach him

"Till we have built Jerusalem
In England's green and pleasant land"?

CHAPTER V.

The Note of Cheer

The chapter now to be added is written under the influence of a Sabbath
afternoon service in which, a few hours ago, we occupied a pew. The
scene was a village chapel among the mountains of the North of England.
The preacher was a layman well advanced in age, who told us that, for
five-and-forty years, he had been coming from the head of the circuit
to take appointments in the village. The sermon was not eloquent. It
was neither learned nor profound. It gave no evidence of any great
acquaintance with modern thought. There was absolutely no attempt at
exegesis. Indeed, the discourse would have failed to satisfy most of
those elementary canons upon which the homiletical professors lay such
stress. Yet, one great excellence it had, which, to its simple-minded
auditors, more than atoned for all its many imperfections:--It was
effective; it was successful. We came away thanking God for the
testimony we had heard.

And herein lay the success of this local brother's unpretentious
discourse:--_It cheered us_, one and all. Faces brightened and
drooping heads were lifted up as the old man pursued his way. The last
hymn was the heartiest of all, not because, as is sometimes the case,
the people were encouraged by the thought of approaching liberation,
but because of the spiritual "uplift" they had realised. We heard a
happy buzz of pleasant talk from young and old as they poured through
the door to assemble in friendly groups for mutual "good-days" on the
pavement in front of the little temple. With most of them we were well
acquainted. Some were aged and infirm. Others found