man 'On that last day, on that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, If any up thirst, let him come to me and drink.' All other fountains you will find are mere mirages of the wilderness. "A Christian Hindoo was dying, and his heathen comrades came round him and tried to comfort him by reading some of the pages of their theology; but he waved his hand, as much as to say, 'I don't want to hear it.' Then they called in a heathen priest, and he said, 'If you will only recite the Numtra, it will from hell.' He waved his hand, as deliver you much as to say, 'I don't want to hear that.' Then they said, 'Call on Juggernaut.' He shook his head, as much as to say, 'I can't do that.' They then thought, perhaps, he he was too weary to speak, and they said, 'Now, if you can't say 'Juggernaut,' think of that god.' head again, as much as to say, Then they bent down to his said, 'In what will you trust ?' He shook his 'No, no, no.' pillow, and they His face lighted up with the glories of the celestial sphere, as he cried out, rallying all his dying energies, 'Jesus!' "Oh, come this morning to the fountain-the I will fountain open for sin and uncleanness. tell you the whole story in two or three sentences. Pardon for all sin. Comfort for all trouble. Light for all darkness. And every wilderness has a well in it." 68 CHAPTER IX. THE QUALIFICATIONS OF A GOOD PREACHER. 1. ONE of the first qualifications of a preacher is a mind deeply imbued with divine truth and love. It takes a good man to make a good preacher. "Thou must be true thyself If thou the truth wouldst teach; The pen should write, and the lips speak, out of the "abundance of the heart." Some of the old classical masters of elocution said, that one of the first qualifications of a good orator was goodness— moral goodness. A good man can speak with a power and authority which a bad man, and an untruthful man, cannot practise, or even successfully imitate. The hearers soon discover whether we are in earnest or "beating the air." The very character or reputation for goodness and truth helps a speaker, immensely, with his audience, who not only inquire what is said, but "who said it." The common people heard the Saviour "gladly," because he not only spoke with wisdom and authority, but also because "He went about doing good." His life was an illustration of his teaching. The character of the Clergy is perhaps more potential for good and evil than we are at all aware of. I inquired, some seven or eight years ago of a Scripture Reader, under my superintendence, and whose journal testified that his visits were generally appreciated by the poor and working classes-I inquired of him, how it was that he never succeeded in bringing any of these people to church. The Reader smiled and hesitated. "Come, what's the reason?-let us have it," I inquired. "Well, sir, if you must know, I shall tell you; and I hope you will excuse me; but the poor people and working men among whom I labour do not think much of your cloth.” I found myself blushing to the forehead, but told him to “go on.” “I hope I have not offended you, sir?” “By no means; I am quite interested in what you tell me. Go on." “Well, not caring much about your cloth, but rather disliking it, they refuse to go to church, saying they would rather read a good book, or the newspaper at home.' One of them said to me the other day, that he would rather have one copy of Lloyd, than a dozen sermons.' And so should I, than two dozen,' said another." 6 "I suppose most of the people who speak to you in this way, against the clergy, are infidels and immoral characters ?" "By no means," was the reply. "Many of them hold religion, and the Christian religion, too, in the |