"Nothing is sneaking that is right," I ventured to reply; "and if you are all satisfied that it is right

We were interrupted here by the entrance of the landlord of the Blue Boar, who, I am sorry to say, had at first encouraged us in our turn-out, and said that we were brave fellows to stand out against oppression. But this evening his tone was changed. The fact is, he found that less and less was spent on every successive committee night, not because the inclination of the men for drink had subsided, but because they had scarcely anything to spend. His errand, therefore, was to tell us that it did not pay him to provide fire and candles for our meetings, and that he would be glad if we could find some other room, unless we would hold our meetings in the common tap-room, where was always a good fire for his company in general.

I think this did more than anything else to bring matters to a crisis with us; and, without entering into any further particulars, I need only add that, before breaking up this last of our committee meetings, I was fixed upon, with poor Chapman, to wait on Mr. Johnson, on the following day, as a deputation from the men on strike. I should say that Chapman was not one of those who went to Mr. Johnson the previous week, and were told to wait a fortnight for an answer to their request for work.

(TO BE CONTINUED.)

The Great Race.

BY THE REV. DR. PLUMER.

HE mind of Paul was so full of the subject of salvation by a Redeemer, that it eagerly seized on everything that would enable him to illustrate and enforce its truths, duties, and privileges. He thus uses the games so famous among the ancient Greeks-the Olympic games, celebrated at Olympia, and the Isthmian

games, held on the isthmus on which Corinth stood-as well as elsewhere. In these games, boxing, wrestling, running, as well as literary coniests, were entered upon by aspirants for fame and honour. Cicero says that the honour of a victory and crown at Elis was only inferior to that of a public triumph to a victorious Roman general.

These games were celebrated once in five years. They brought together an immense concourse of people; men came from all parts of the civilised world. Even some barbarous tribes were there represented. Splendid religious services in honour of the false gods were observed. The excitement was prodigious. The feats performed were rehearsed in almost all lands. The greatest heroes and kings were glad to add to their renown by winning the laurel of the games. Poets, orators, and historians often drew imagery from these contests. Everybody knew something of them, and understood allusions to them.

Paul often borrows illustrations from them, particularly from the races.1 He admits that these exercises profited, but says they profited little. They secured no advantages worth the time and attention required. This appears the more when we contrast them with the rewards of the Christian life. In themselves the Olympic games were of small value to mankind; but they show us how we may do something far better.

THE CHRISTIAN LIFE IS THE GREAT RACE.

1. In the Isthmian races a course was to be gone over. The Christian life is a course, sometimes longer and sometimes shorter, but always a course. In the pious antediluvians it sometimes extended through hundreds of years; in the penitent thief it was but for a few hours. Every child of God runs his race.

2. Running a race is no easy work. It tries men's powers to the utmost. Just so the Christian life is very difficult.

1 See I Cor. ix. 24, 25; Gal. ii. 2; Phil. iii. 13, 14; 1 Tim. iv. 8; 2 Tim. ii. 5; iv. 7, 8; Heb. xii. 1, 2.

To run it well is quite beyond the power of unaided nature. We are in ourselves weak and broken, faint and helpless. All our help is in God. "Hast thou not known, hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? He giveth power to the faint, and to them that have no might He increaseth strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fail: but they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; they shall walk, and not faint."1 Here is the secret

of all good running in the Christian race.

3. The rules of the race must be obeyed. One was not crowned except he strove lawfully. He must start fairly and run fairly. He must follow the course marked out, and in all things go by the rules. The same is true in the Christian race. One must love and obey the moral law. He must follow the precepts of the gospel. He must follow Christ's example. He is the great "Forerunner," and we must mark and follow His footsteps. Christ taught this doctrine from the first.2 The sum of His teaching on this point is: "Ye are my friends if ye do whatsoever I command you.” Hereby we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments." 4 The Christian race must be run by the rules -by the rules given by Christ, and not by a set of rules invented for themselves. Great care must be taken in this matter.

66

"3

4. At the Isthmian races there were thousands, yea, tens of thousands, of spectators, all expressing a lively interest in the contest. In the great race of the Christian there are many eyes upon him. We are made a spectacle unto the world and to angels and to men; yea, we are compassed about with a great cloud of witnesses.5 The Christian may be very modest and retiring; but his life is a contest for his

3

4

5

1 Isa. xl. 28-31. 2 Matt. vii. 24-27; compare Luke vi. 47; John xiii. 17; xv. 10. John xv. 14. I John ii. 3. I Cor. iv. 9; Heb. xii. I.

immortal interest, and at least three worlds give heed to his

course.

5. In the Olympic games rewards in the shape of garlands were provided for the victor, and he was carried in triumph to be crowned with a chaplet of laurel. This was all. The wreath began to wither before it was placed upon his head ; in a short time it fell to pieces; not one of them lasted a lifetime. Men ran to obtain a corruptible crown. The Christian is running for a crown, not of laurel, no, nor of gold, as a badge of supreme authority over a kingdom. His crown is a crown of righteousness, a crown of rejoicing, a crown of life. It is bright and glorious when first put on, and it will be more and more glorious for ever.

6. The Olympic races were only of the body. They called for no high exercise of virtue; they were mere contests of nerve and muscle and lung. But the race of the Christian is spiritual, and calls for the exercise of the highest and best powers and qualities. It is a race in which the good are opposed by flesh and blood, by principalities and powers, and spiritual wickedness in high places. The contest is not one of rivalry, but of antagonism. The Isthmian race was for a few minutes, but that of the Christian is for life. One gained honour from men; the other gains honour and glory and immortality. In the contest at Elis many were competitors, and all might do well, yet none reaped any laurels but the foremost. 66 'Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize ?" But in the Christian race all may run, and all may receive the crown of glory. He that was true and held on his course gained all that was promised and all that was expected.

WHAT, THEN, IS NECESSARY TO THE CHRISTIAN RACER?

1. He must have a good preparation, a thorough renewal. Men are so lame and broken by nature, that without the new birth they can do no good thing, nor make any progress

1 I Cor. ix. 24.

heavenward. It is wonderful that any man should oppose the doctrine of regeneration. It is the only hope left to perishing men. If they cannot have the great change thus designated, they must lie down in eternal pollution, and, consequently, in hopeless misery.

2. He must put upon himself a strong and powerful restraint. 'Every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things."1 Hear Paul: "I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway." 2 Jesus said, "Deny thyself, and take thy cross.' One must "deny all ungodliness and worldly lusts, and live soberly and righteously and godly in this present evil world."

3

3. He must put away all hindrances, and lay aside all encumbrances. In old times, while in a course of training, the racers put lead on their limbs, and made themselves heavy with weights, that they might learn to be agile even under pressure, and that when they were off they might feel buoyant. So the Christian racer must "lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset him." He must give up needless worldly cares; he must cease to love the world; he must mortify his members which are on the earth; he must crucify the flesh, with the affections and lusts; he must put away guile and malice, and envy and hatred, and a hard heart, and unbelief, and evil-speaking, and be meek and lowly like his Saviour. The sins which so easily beset us are such sins as are universal—as unbelief, ingratitude, or the like—or such as seem to be inwoven with our constitutional temper or temperament, or such as result from our peculiar lot in life, or such as are the result of bad training or education. He must retain none of these. must lay aside every weight.

He

4. The Christian racer must hold on his way, and " run with patience the race that is set before him." There is as much need of constancy as there is of regeneration. To the Galatians Paul says, "Ye did run well," but "who hath

1

I Cor. ix. 25.

2

1 Cor. ix. 27.

3 Heb. xii. I.