The character of the obedience of Christ was not legal. “He magoified the law and made it honourable;” not because it was law, but because in heart and disposition and purpose He was one with the Father. It was the Father's will “that every one that saw the Son and believed on bim should have everlasting life." Bat this presupposes that what men saw in Jesus should be a life-giving character; that His whole life should be an exhibition of the high spiritual or dispositional character of God, a display of His love for man, His sympathy with him in his weakness, and His infinite desire to save him from evil and raise him up to fellowship with Himself. In accordance with this we find that the mighty power of God that dwelt in Christ was not used for conquest, to assert mastery, or to secure submission, but in the way of servitude.

Mastery always aliepates. Even power, when known to be posgessed by any person, acts deterrently. It does not naturally lead to intercourse. It generally demands homage; it usually secures it: we put off our hats, and in some cases bow the knee in its presence, excepting when we come to Jesus, whom, though possessed with the power and the heart of God, we are permitted to touch. Even the touching of the hem of His robe finds His heart-spring. We can wash His feet witb penitential tears, and meet His heart-love in the act. Yea, we can lean our heads on His bosom and feel that He is our Almighty Friend. It was this use and exercise of power in servi. tude and blessing that made Him a Reconciler. This use of power displayed the glory of God in a twofold sense, for His works were such only as a God could do, and such as a Father only would do. Hence He manifested the glory of both relations, for the glory of both -God and Jesus, the Father and the Son-were one : the power of both was used for making friends of men.

Now Jesus says further on, “I have manifested thy name”; He does not say “ thy power,” but “ thy name.” God proclaimed His Dame to Israel by Moses : “ The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, long-suffering, and abundant in goodness and trath." This name Jesus manifested ; His whole life displayed these attributes ; His whole power was pat forth in mercy and grace, abounding in goodness and truth.

Then He bad given God's words to His disciples. Words which unfolded before them the mystery of grace and love. Not words of law and commandment, but of life and fellowship. Teachings which were illustrated by the manifestation which He made. · Words which were to be received and understood by the light which streamed forth from the loving exercise of power. The whole bringing them into heart-contact with the love of God.

Then He had “kept in thy name.” He had kept them under the power and influence of that name. He kept them always in contact with those ills of human life that constantly appeal to human pity. He did not frequent kings' houses, for in the show and worldliness and power that dwell there God's name is not to be found. They are always depositories of power and authority, pride and masterfulness. But He moved about amongst those that constantly needed pity; who appealed to Him for mercy; who followed Him with their cries for help. He was amongst those who needed the help of His power, and wisdom, and grace. In every act of grace they read afresh the name of His Father, God. In every act of healing they felt the power of that name. In the joy of the healed ones they felt the joy of that name.

Then He kept them under its influence by making them participators in the name of God. It was given to them to convey the bread to the famishing people. It was given to them to go forth and preach the gospel; “heal the sick, cleanse the lepers," and do what He himself had done. He was grieved on one occasion because they did not put forth the power Ho had given them and relieve the boy whom He found waiting for Him at the foot of the Mount of Transfiguration.

Then He kept them in the name of the Father when He checked and rebuked their own wranglings, and especially when two of them wanted to call down fire from heaven to consume certain who had displeased them.': In' all these ways Jesus had kept them in the name of God, and from Him they had learned that the true exercise of power is not to acquire authority, or seize power, but to show mercy, and scatter blessings; to lift up, and to reconcile. - Then they had received His teachings, and had come to believe that the Father had sent Him. Hence when a number who had associated with them went back and walked no more with Him the twelve adhered to Him. When He asked them who He was, the answer of Peter was firm and decisive. When Judas had yielded so far to the love of mastery as to conspire against Him, the eleven still clung to Him. 'And, although He told them that He was about to be crucified, yet they held fast by Him, because they had received His teachings and knew that He was sent from God.

Moreover, because of their espousal of His cause and their faithful adherence to Him the world now hated them. Although, perhaps, they had not seen or felt much of that hatred as yet, Jesus knew how intense it was, and how fearfully it would presently burst upon them. But all this showed how firmly they had taken hold of the fact that He had come forth from God..

But His work of manifesting the glory of God and personally keeping them in that name was closing, and they were about to be thrown upon themselves, because He was about to be taken from them. He prays for them. What was the burden of His prayer? Not that they should be taken out of the world, but kept from the evil. . There were two points of danger before them. The first lay in the coming crucifixion. In that Jesus would seem to have lost His Godhead. His power would seem to have forsaken Him, as His enemies were doing to Him as they listed. They would fail to understand the mystery of that death while it was being accomplished. Jesus know that presently, when they understood all these things, the death of Christ would be to them the mightiest display of power that ever had been, or ever could be, made. Meanwhile the mental struggle that would arise on account of His death was imminent.

As the disciples saw their Master in the hands of His enemies they would naturally ask, “ Where is the power that stilled the raging of the sea ? Where the power that cast out the legion? Where the voice that called back the dead ? ” Reason might sustain them by asking if it were probable that all the power which He had wielded had been entirely lost. Reason and memory would help in the contest by reminding them that Jesus had promised them a clear understanding of all things presently, for which they were now to wait. They were kept from the evil—the unbelief-of the world, and when the clearer revelation came, they saw that Jesus, when He endured the terrible conflict of Gethsemane, the bitter hate of the judgment hall, and the fearful agonies of Calvary, possessed the same power that He had manifested aforetime, and was using it in offering the dread sacrifice for sin that only the power of God could offer. In that hour sacrifice for sin was the work of that power; and when the whole was finished, there was given to the world a still clearer and wider display of the great fact that God's power operates to bless and not to curse ; to save, and not destroy ; to reconcile, and not subdue. From the death of Christ the glory of the Father streams out upon the world in andimmed lustre and grace; ever proclaiming that grace and truth have come by Jesus Christ. Having thus seen the glory of the Father, and how it was manifested by Christ, the disciples were now prepared to go forth and carry on His mission of reconciliation in the world.

But there was another evil to be guarded against the danger of falling into the temptation that would arise when their gospel began to gather others to them, of looking down upon the converts as persons inferior in position and privilege to themselves. They might think that their knowledge of Jesas and their intercourse with Him would entitle them to position, power, and influence, which the new-comers might refuse to recognise. Hence Jesus prayed that His disciples might be kept from the evil in the world, in the form of self-esteem and mastery, so that the new converts to the faith might be drawn into a perfect oneness with themselves. So much so that the Father, Son, and the disciples of every grade of experience might be one, as He and the Father were one. It was for this that He had manifested the Father's name. It was for this He had glorified the Father's grace. In this He sought that great and all-convincing proof to the world that God had sent Him.

We now see what the Saviour intended in the words of the text, and the whole of this beautiful prayer. With deep regret we remember how widely those who call Him Lord are separated from His work and

His Spirit. We would, if possible, recall them to the work of Christ and its object: the manifestation of the glory of the Father, for the reconciling of all things to Himself. Whatever power may be possessed ought to be used solely in the performance of works of mercy and grace. To draw, and gather, and reconcile, and not to repel, scatter, or alienate mankind. This is the glory that God desires should be made known, that it might fill the whole earth. This was the work that Christ finished in His earth-ministry, and then committed it to the disciples in the presence of His Father, and sent them forth with the mighty influence of this prayer, purifying their hearts from self and worldliness, and enabling them to gather to themselves those who should believe on Him through their word, whom they formed into the church which is his body—the fulness of him that filleth all in all."

HOW UNCLE TOM RAN AWAY.

FOR THE YOUNG, It was a rainy afternoon, and less, rainy one like this, dear-I my six-year-old nephew and I were sat looking out of the window at a sitting on the rug in front of the poor little meadow-lark that stood fire. Frank was stretched out full shivering and wet on the edge of length on the soft, white fur; 1, in the porch. I soon called Tom to my own particular chair, sat pa- look too, but when I turned to see tiently awaiting the request for To a if he was coming, and not knowing story,” which I knew would be very he was so near me, I accidentally sure to come sooner or later. | struck him in the face.

"Makeit a really true one, auntie," ! ". Horrid, awkward thing,' said he said at last, planting his chin on Tom; and I received a blow his brown hands, and gazing straight from his strong little fist which I into the burning coals.

am sorry to say was not accidental. "When your Uncle Tom and I Mother had just come in, and she were children,” began. I, slowly, saw the whole scene. She made "we were ever such good friends; Tom sit alone on a sofa, away from and although I am eight years older the window and the biri, till he than he, we were always together. should grow good-natured again. My pleasure was never real unless But Tom was not to be soothed in Tom shared it too. Toffee was not any such way, for he was really sweet nor even my cake nice unless angry. Tom bad some; half my goodies 5* Horrid, awkward old thing!' was always saved for him.

he muttered again, between his “But Tom's temper sometimes teeth. 'I just won't stay in the got the better of him, and when house with such a girl! I'll run provoked—but wait a little, and away, so I will. I'll run away toyou shall see what happened to your night,' he added in a louder voice, big Uncle Tom by letting his tem- intending to attract my attention per run away with him.

and thinking to frighten me. "One afternoon—a cold, cheer- ". What's that?' said mother.

* Run away from home, and to- and considered myself quite a

woman, I began to cry «« Yes, and I am going right off “But suddenly, much to my joy, now, if Jen don't say she's sorry." I heard Tom's step in the porch. I

o ó Very well,' said mother, look- was about to rush out to meet him ing at me, and seeing no signs of when my mother stopped me. repentance in my face. "You know .66.No, child,' said she, firmly. I allow no one in my house to tell " That minute the front door bell a lie, so I suppose I must say rang—then it was not Tom at all, I "good-bye" to you, Tom.'. j thought.

os Upstairs to his room directly "Mother went to the door, and overhead went the angry boy. We there indeed was Tom, Lifting his heard him shake his long-saved hat to her in the most distantly pennies out of his tin bank, heard polite manner, he said: him pull out the drawers, and then "Good evening, madam. Will all was still, till Master Tom, flushed, you have the goodness to tell me angry, yet calm, tramped down the the shortest way to B- ?' stairs. He said good-bye' to all “We were then living at Alderthe family except me, and started wood, in the country, and Bout in the rain and wind.

was the nearest railroad station. " I shall never forget how forlorn "Oh, certainly,' mother said ; the little fellow looked as he walked / 'take the first road to the right. down the path from the house to B- is three miles from the turnthe barn. An immense umbrella, ing.'. old and torn, he tried to hold over

1. Thank you, madam,' came him with one hand, while in the the answer from Tom's proud lips; other he held a bundle, containing | but his moist eyes said plainly, 'I'm his best suit of clothes, a clean shirt, so sorry, mamma.' and his pennies. No overcoat had “He lifted his hat once more and he, no overshoes, and only an old walked calmly down the porch, off straw hat which he had pulled down the steps into the dark garden, and over his eyes.

among the moaning cypress trees. “Bang! went the front door

"Oh, mother, mother, how after him. 00-00! roared the wind

could you !' I sobbed, no longer as it followed him! Splash! came

ashamed of my tears. Tom will down the rain through his torn,

perish, I know he will, and-Iworn umbrella ; and even the grim

and I. tall cypress trees swayed their drip

| “Jennie, my child,' said mother, ping tops over the path as he passed,

do I not know best?' And that as though they would send down an

answer was all I could get her to extra shower on poor Tom's head.

make.

“Supper was forgotten; we all " Soon it grew dark. But no sat gloomily round the fire. I was Tom returned. Of course none of miserable. 'I could do nothing but us thought he would really go away.

think how I loved Tom, and how would soon have cooled in that I dreary he must be feeling.

lonely it was without him, and how night's storm.

“But another hour had ticked “An hour passed; the darkness its slow way round the clock begrew blacker.

fore we heard those steps in the 6. Poor Tom !'I thought. 'It's porch again. Then the bell rang all my fault, every bit of it ;' and again, as before. This time I went although I was fourteen years old with mother to the door. Tom