about. But she pursued the subject no farther; for everything about her new home. was interesting to her, and the whole change in her circumstances so absorbing, that she had no thought to spare for anything else just now.

Before their things were half adjusted in the little bedroom which the two girls were to share together, Mrs. Godwin came up, and told them, with considerable interest, that they were just in time for a general address about to be given that afternoon by Miss Clare herself to the whole school. "I find," she added, "that we are the last to arrive, or nearly so; but I have obtained permission to be present, and I shall be delighted to hear what I suppose will be a full description of your duties, and of how you will be able always to give satisfaction to Miss Clare."

The little party descended accordingly with great expectations, Margaret profoundly interested about what they were to hear, Agnes trembling almost as much as if she had to deliver the address herself. Certainly their entrance into the large room where such addresses as well as other lectures were given, was rather formidable; and even Margaret's stout heart quailed before the array of strange faces all turned towards the new girls; while many knowing looks were exchanged amongst those who had the skill, or thought they had, to discern the character of every fresh comer by a single glance.

Nothing could be more simple than the language of Miss Clare's address; and her manner of giving it, instead of the delivery of a pompous harangue, was altogether what might have been spoken of as half an hour's sensible, friendly-nay, even motherly talk, with no assumption on the part of the speaker, except such as arose naturally out of age and experience. It was, she said, because she had seen and known so much of human life, that she was able to tell them what was likely to be the end of many things -the result of many habits, and modes of action, of which they could only see the beginning; such, for example, as the doing what is called only a little wrong, which looks often so insignificant and harmless at first.

From her experience, and knowledge of human life, she said, it would probably often happen that she should be able to tell them to what a little wrong will grow, and must grow, if persisted in, because all wrong is opposed to the holy law of God, and is hateful in His sight, while in its very nature it must be injurious to the doer.

Miss Clare in her address, however, dwelt more on principles of action than on actions. In setting forth the absolute necessity of obedience as a principle, she spoke first of obedience to the will of God; and then of obedience to rightly constituted authority; and she described the former, not as a blind or servile obedience, but as a just and willing tribute rendered from the weak to the strong -from the simple to the wise-from the helpless and erring to the powerful and good-an obedience like that of a dependent child to a wise and loving father.

Many other principles of conduct were slightly touched upon, such as kindness, integrity, punctuality, and order; but that which most surprised Margaret was that the address comprehended the whole company as one family, or community, each individual member of which was bound up in the interests of the whole. There was no division of the school into governor and governed-superior and inferior. All were included as mutually dependent one upon another-mutually conducive to the happiness and the good of all. Unless, the speaker freely granted-unless they should prefer the misery and harm of all-the disgrace and ruin of the school. In which case, they could accomplish such an end, no doubt, because she was only one, and they were many. Her only alternative would be to break up the school, and that she certainly should do, for she would never hold by a school which she believed to be doing harm instead of good.

This view of the subject, however, she was unwilling to dwell upon, and she believed it to be wholly unnecessary. As she asked the good faith of all present to believe that she was herself supremely anxious for their good, so she assured them of her good faith in treating them as the children of honourable,

Christian parents, to whom it would be impossible not to desire that the school should be a good and happy school, and ever improving. Thus when she spoke frankly and openly of the harm they could do if they preferred evil to good, it was only to place before them a clear view of their own power, in order that they might see the importance. of using it rightly; for if they were capable of being so strong when united on the side of wrong, what might they not effect when their united power was used, with God's blessing, on the side of right? A number of children-even little children-could do much by each doing their part, and doing it unitedly; but they must never forget that only in doing what they believed to be right could they expect the blessing of their Heavenly Father. With that blessing what might they not accomplish if undertaken humbly, and prayerfully, and in obedience to His holy will!

If in her address Miss Clare was careful to place all under the same law morally, she was especially careful to do so religiously'to show them that all stood under the same condemnation as sinners in the sight of God -all needing the same pardon, all dependent upon the same promises, and all invited to come to the same Saviour, as their only hope of eternal salvation.

Before commencing the address, Miss Clare had read aloud the simple rules of the school, to the observance of which there was no reward attached, nor indeed to any other kind of merit, and to the breaking of them no punishment. And yet, when she rose to leave the room, there were few members of that youthful community who did not feel themselves pledged to the keeping of these rules, perhaps in part because their power to break them had been freely acknowledged; but more especially because the welfare of the whole school had been so clearly and openly committed to them as a sacred trust amongst themselves.

On returning to her sitting-room, accompanied by Mrs. Godwin, that good lady could not help expressing her astonishment at some portions of her cousin's address. "Why, my dear Jane," she said, "I should

"I mean that in my case, for example, it is better, in my opinion, that I should take my stand upon the simple truth-upon the fact that I am one and they are many-than that I should assume a power which I really do not possess. But I do this especially in order that they may realize the responsibility on their part of maintaining a high state of order and discipline in the school-that they may feel their share in the honour of a high moral tone being kept up, and their share in the shame of the opposite of this. I do not wish them to throw_all the responsibility on me. You see they are many of them verging upon womanhood, and it is high time they should begin to feel this responsibility for themselves. I want them also unitedly to understand the true dignity and happiness of helping always to maintain what is right."

"But you ought to be obeyed."

It will

"Trust me for that. When I cease to be obeyed, I will break up the school. be time that I should do so. I will be obeyed, because obedience to me, and to the teachers next to me, is one of those conditions of order and of duty without which the school could not stand. But you see it is impossible for me to explain everything at once. I have taken up general principles to-day. We shall meet again for consideration of the general state of the school every month, and when of the rules are broken as a habit, any or if any particular form of disorder has crept in, or if any spirit of disobedience has manifested itself, which by the way is the last thing to be apprehended according to my system of management, then will be the time to explain these matters more in de

III.

THE UNJUST STEWARD.

"And he said also unto his disciples, There was a certain rich man, which had a steward; and the same was accused unto him that he had wasted his goods. And he called him, and said unto him, How is it that I hear this of thee? give an account of thy stewardship; for thou mayest be no longer steward. Then the steward said within himself, What shall I do? for my lord taketh away from me the stewardship: I cannot dig; to beg I am ashamed. I am resolved what to do, that, when I am put out of the stewardship, they may receive me into their houses. So he called every one of his lord's debtors unto him, and said unto the first, How much owest thou unto my lord? And he said, An hundred measures of oil. And he said unto him, Take thy bill and sit down quickly, and write fifty. Then said he to another, And how much owest thou? And he said, An hundred measures of wheat. And he said unto him, Take thy bill, and write fourscore. And the lord commended the unjust steward, because he had done wisely for the children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light. And I say unto you, Make to yourselves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness; that, when ye fail, they may receive you into everlasting habitations."-ST. LUKE xvi. 1–9.

HRISTIAN privilege brings with it Christian responsibility. Grace "establishes the law," by disposing the heart to render spiritual obedience to its holy requirements. The soul, "quickened" according to God's Word. of Gospel promise, desires to "run in the way of His commandments."

This is the healthy activity of Christian piety. But sometimes the spiritual health is grievously impaired because the believer loses sight of the indissoluble connection between his privileges and his responsibilities.

To guard us from this danger the Bible equally and unceasingly insists upon both; and a remarkable instance of this Divine watchfulness is afforded in the relative position of the parables of the Prodigal Son and the Unjust Steward, the former significant of the extent of Christian Privi

lege, the latter significant of the extent of Christian Responsibility.

I have no doubt the two Parables, although recorded in different chapters, and specifically addressed to different classes of hearers, were spoken on the same occasion. The "Prodigal Son," including in its completeness the portrait of the Elder Brother, contemplated on the one hand the publicans and sinners who "drew near" to the Divine Teacher to hearken to His gracious words, and on the other the Pharisees and Scribes who stood "murmuring" by their side. The "Unjust Steward" was designed to convey needful exhortation to a third class those whose hearts had been touched by the marvellous pictures which the Saviour had drawn illustrative of the infinite grace of the Heavenly Father, and who therefore might profitably be reminded of the Christian's Stewardship of Responsibility. The Pharisees and Scribes, the publicans and sinners, were still surrounding our Lord, but having already spoken fully to them and invited them to come near, the Teacher, "rightly dividing the word of truth," turned to those who, as His professed followers, had come near, and urged them to Christian faithfulness and diligence in His service. "And He said also unto His disciples, There was a certain man," &c.

Our Lord would impress upon us the necessity of seeing Christian Privilege and Responsibility in one light. He would teach us that if we look at either apart from the other, spiritual injury must result. The fact that we see them as one is the proof that we see each correctly. They are as inseparable as cause and effect.

The Pharisees and Scribes did not see the privileges of the Gospel correctly. They did not comprehend how God could be "just," and yet "receive sinners." They thought they saw their responsibilities; they thought they discharged them; but, in

truth, they did not know what their responsibilities were. They were thus blind both to privileges and responsibilities. In this unhappy state they stood condemned alike by the Law and the Gospel. To reach their case, as well as to win the heart of the prodigal, God's matchless love had been the Saviour's theme. Grace abounding to the far-off wanderer, encouraging him to seek to be restored to his once-valued place of privilege as a Son in his father's house, might open the eyes of Pharisees and Scribes to the error into which they had fallen. By enlarging their views of God's love, they might be led to appreciate the extent and spirituality of His righteous claims.

But now there was danger in the reverse direction. Grace might be abused. It might be said, "Since grace abounds, God will not mark what is done amiss. We may safely continue in sin. We cannot be worse than the Prodigal; and at the last, if we ever experience his remorse, we need only adopt his resolve, and we shall meet his welcome." Fairer words, less explicit and avowed, might partly hide this carnal reasoning from those who indulged it but even Christian men must be strangers to themselves, if they are not conscious of the tendency of the natural disposition thus to lower the standard of self-denying holiness, by distorted, if not preverted and false, views of Divine mercy.

Therefore, addressing His "disciples "those who professed professed to receive His gracious words, professed to see aright Christian privilege- Jesus, in this Parable, reminded them, that, as His disciples, they held a responsible Stewardship-a stewardship which demanded great diligence, wisdom, and discretion in order to the discharge of the obligations it imposed.

The leading design of the Parable thus understood, its practical exposition will require that we should glance at the circumstances which led to the commendation bestowed by his lord upon the unjust

steward.

"A certain rich man had a steward," or overseer. By falsifying his accounts this

steward had cheated his master; but at length, suspicion having been aroused, the wrong-doer was summoned to his master's presence and required to render an account of his stewardship. Probably this requirement was designed as a test, in the expectation that it would disclose his suspected guilt. To a great extent the proprietor was doubtless at the mercy of his steward, and could only hope to convict him by obtaining in this way the information which he alone possessed. The Steward saw the danger which impended, and the prospect of expulsion from his office prompted him to speedy action to ameliorate, if not wholly to guard against, the consequences which would follow. Unaccustomed to manual toil, and dreading the shame of beggary, he determined to seize upon the opportunity afforded by the temporary delay allowed for the preparation of the accounts, to make the debtors to the estate his friends. One by one he obtained an interview with them, and artfully involved them as accomplices in a positive act of dishonesty. He held their acknowledgments for goods received, or their signatures for the agreed rental of their lands. These acknowledgments he surrendered to them and received others in return for smaller amounts. There would of course be at least a tacit understanding that the advantage conferred would hereafter meet with a substantial equivalent. He relied upon the so-called "honour" which even thieves are said to recognize in their dealings with one another. As accomplices they had a bond of mutual interest. They could not reveal his guilt without exposing their own dishonesty; and the remembrance of his knowledge of their complicity, as well as their sense of the obligation conferred, would ensure him a return in the time of poverty and distress.

Now, apart from the thorough and palpable dishonesty of the Steward's plan, it certainly might be termed clever. He was a worldly wise man. He exemplified "the wisdom of the serpent;" but still, in the common acceptation of the word, it was "wisdom." He formed a resolution. The question is not whether that resolution was