thousands of Christians who can tell you in a minute why they are not doing anything for Christ. The excuse has been lying there for years all ready formed, and by this time they are perfectly satisfied upon the subject. At the beginning of their Christian life, Satan told them some little lie-"they were too inexperienced for work perhaps, "they had not the gift," "they might just spoil matters," "they must wait for better openings," and "a fitter frame for service." And so this matter of work has been hushed up. And God's people are slumbering on the faith of such miserable subterfuges, while souls are dying in hundreds at their very doors! God only knows what a fearful revelation it would be, if He were to challenge these excuses this day, and expose their hollowness to our barren and fruitless lives! It is high time we were waking out of sleep. Let us rise and examine ourselves in the sight of God, and see what is to hinder us from entering the vineyard of His Son. if we see it to be His will that the God-like work of winning souls should fall into these unworthy hands of ours, let us accept with humble faith the holy privilege, and count no earthly sacrifice too great if it is to help even one of these poor souls to reach its eternal rest.

And

SERMONS AND ADDRESSES BY MR. MOODY.

As specimens of the mode of thought and speech characteristic of Mr. Moody, we quote some of the more striking addresses he has delivered.

66 FOR OR AGAINST CHRIST.

THIS NIGHT OR NEVER.

AFTER reading a portion of the 27th chapter of Matthew, which relates the giving of Christ to be crucified and the release of Barabbas, Mr. Moody delivered a powerful discourse upon the word of Pilate, "What shall I do then with Jesus, which is called the Christ ?" The people of England were in the position of Pilate. They had got Christ in their hands, and they had to decide what they would do with Him. Some people had been very much offended on a previous night because he told them that they had to decide for or agains: Christ that night. They said, "Can you not decide it some other time?" Pilate tried to shirk the responsibility, and to shift it up erod;

but even the bloodthirsty Herod refused to take the life of an innocent man, and sent him back to Pilate, and Pilate's wife said to him, "IIave thou nothing to do with that just man, for I have suffered much in a dream concerning him." Pilate left it to the Jews to decide who should be released, and they said Barabbas. What made Pilate take that course? Public opinion. There were tens of thousands in this great city who were kept from the Cross of Christ by public opizion. As in the case of Pilate, public opinion was worth more to them than the kingdom of heaven. Still he believed the people were troubled, or else they would not have been bustling and pressing round the doors of that building night after night, and Sunday after Sunday, for the last five weeks. He believed thousands were trembling in the balance between Barabbas and Christ-between heaven and hell. Every one of them must decide the question for themselves. That very hour they could receive Him and be saved, or reject Ilim and be damned. IIe would divide the meeting into different classes. IIe asked worldly Christians, What they were going to do with Christ? What had they done for Christ during the last twenty years of their lives? The longer he lived the more thoroughly he was convinced that professing Christians retarded the salvation of souls more than either infidels or sceptics. Oh! professing Christians, this was the last Sabbath they might ever have the opportunity, and he asked, What were they going to do with Jesus ? Were they going to accept Him or deny Him by their life and daily conversation? He prayed that God might help them to trim their lamps, and give light to those that were walking in darkness. The moment they commenced to work for Jesus they would get rid of doubts and fears, and be brought into another atmosphere, and then they would know something about the joy of the Lord. A lighthousekeeper once let his lights go out. A wreck ensued; and when he went to view the bodies cast up along the shore, he recognized the corpse of his son, who had gone on a whaling voyage three years before. How many fathers and mothers let their lights go out, and wrecked their children's lives? There were young men at the present day who did not believe in the reality of the Christian religion, and said it was all a sham and a myth. Why? Because their parents did not live as if they believed in what they professed. They went to church every Sunday, and said prayers, but they were not living in or for Christ. He called on them to live for Christ. If all did, how the

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dark waves of sin would be driven back! Another class was the backsliders. They had denied Christ by their lives, turned their backs on Him, and wounded Him afresh. Now they were scoffers, sceptics, infidels. Might God bring them back that day! Shepherd was looking for them. They had wandered into the dark plains of sin, but the Shepherd was crying, "Come home; your father calls you!" "Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." They would find no rest in the world. What did the prodigal who wandered into the devil's territory lose? He had to take care of swine, which was contrary to

the law of Moses. He lost his food, for he had to live on husks. Ile lost his home. He lost his testimony, for he could do nothing for God where he was. If he, a miserable, dirty, ragged wretch, said he was the son of a rich father, nobody would believe him. But there was one thing which he did not lose his father's love. He never lost that. All the years that he was away his father loved him. Don't believe that God hated them because they had wandered away from Him. If a prodigal came home to his mother, would she not clasp bim to her heart with tears of joy? How many a brokenhearted mother would like to receive her boy that day! But no mother would receive her child with greater joy than God would receive that sinner. Backsliders! would they turn away from Him now or come to Him? It might be that young lady in the gallery; it might be that young man far away by the fountain; it might be that father over yonder who had been wandering for the last ten years. O, come home to-day! He asked those who were pleasureseekers, were they going to reject eternal happiness? A young man en attaining his majority had a convivial party of friends, and all got drunk on champagne. That very young man had recently been one of a meeting of friends in that very same room, all of whom were converts, and he had declared that he had enjoyed more happiness since he was converted than ever he did before. Men of pleasure! what were they going to do with Christ? Were they going to join with the Jews who cried, "Crucify Him?" That was the cry of the

world to-day. They said, "We don't want Christ; give us pleasure." Solomon, the wisest of men and kings, tried all the phases of earthly happiness, and said at the end, "All is vanity and vexation of spirit.' Another class of people were the selfish. These pushed for seats in that building. But the Lord Jesus was not selfish; and if they had

His spirit they would not be selfish. The selfish man loved himself, his wife, and children better than Christ; but they could do nothing for him in his dying hour. He would need Christ then. He had better take Him to-day. It would not do to say that he was "almost persuaded to be Christian." A hair's breadth from heaven was just an inch from hell. Selfish women, who had lived for themselves and for the world-what were they going to do with Jesus? They could not do anything which would please God so much as to receive His Son that afternoon. Another class was the scoffers. They were scoffing and jeering there. If they saw any one going into the inquiry-room, they said, "Look at him," and laughed. What were they going to do with Jesus Christ? Were they going to scoff on down to hell? In hell there would be no scoffing, but crying for one drop of water. It was appointed to man once to die; but after death the judgment. Then they would have to stand before Christ as a consuming fire. What then would they do? Would they scoff at Jesus Christ; would they trample his blood underfoot? He asked them would they join with Jesus Christ, or would they cry, "Crucify Him," and scoff on down to hell? Their hell would be a terrible one. Then they would remember all that they had heard there-how he had feebly tried to tell them of a better world, and how they had scoffed, and jeered, and ridiculed. O scoffers! were they going to scoff on down to hell? Another class consisted of those who came and went, neither receiving nor rejecting Christ, but trifling. They had only to neglect salvation in order to go down into the pit; they need not even be scoffers. "How shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation ?” The wheels of time were rolling on and by-and-by that vast assembly would be landed on the shores of eternity. It was for them to choose now. Blasphemers! he had a word for them. They who had cursed God that morning, and sworn at the door because they were crowded upon; they who had cursed the God that gave them existence, what were they going to do with Christ? Their only hope was to fly to Christ for refuge. Did the devil give them good wages for their service? Were they happy in blaspheming the name of Jesus Christ? Infidels! what were they going to do with Jesus Christ? If infidelity had done more for the world than Christianity, then let the sceptic and the infidel cling to their convictions, and don't give them up; but if the Lord Jesus could save them, let infidelity go to the four winds of heaven. Young

ladies, what were they going to do with Jesus Christ? He prayed that his text might be so carried by the Spirit of God into every heart that every man and woman would be so troubled that night that they would not be able to sleep until they had decided the question. If Christ was the Saviour of the world, receive Him. If Christ was an impostor--and a young man told him the other night that He was a downright impostor-reject Him, lift up their hand and tongue against Him, and do all they could to overthrow Christianity. If he were of that opinion he would throw his whole soul into it; but he believed from the depth of his heart that Christ was the Saviour of the world, and that the man that rejected Him was lost for all eternity, while the man that received Him was saved for all eternity. Young women should receive Christ just as they would receive an offer of marriage-as a bride received a bridegroom. Rebecca consented to take Isaac and to forsake her home and her kindred for him, although she had never seen him or he her. But Christ loved them beforehand, therefore they should accept Him. They should give up everything for Christ, just as a girl gave up everything for the husband that she loved, and was ready to go round the world with him. Now, at that last meeting he prayed that they would settle the question for all eternity. Nobody could help them but Christ. They need not look to that large army of ministers on the platform, for they could not help them. A man in a boat on the river Niagara fell overboard and was swept on a little islet close to the cataract. The news of this dreadful position spread by telegraph all round the country, and thousands arrived by train. The most intense excitement prevailed. They shouted to him, "Be of good cheer; we will save you." If he cried for help it could not be heard by reason of the roar of the cataract. They tried various experiments without success until the sun went down, and they lost sight of that little islet. During the night fires were lit on the banks, and thousands were there. When the cold grey morning broke they looked, but the man was gone. They could not save him. But did ever any one come to Christ and fail to be saved. He would save them that night. He was their only hope. Might God bring thousands to a decision that night!