reformer had " preached to more with his head off than when on, and without any bronchial inconvenience." Referring to a case of fatal folly, he spoke of the dead man as "a candidate for the resurrection." On one occasion, when rebuking men who imagine the world will stop when they cease to live, he remarked, "I will show you how you will be missed. Fill a bucket with water, then put your hand in it, and push your arm right in until the water reaches your elbow: then draw it out, and see what a big hole there will be in the water. You will be missed as much as that," he significantly added. On the neverfailing topic of the "Tongue" he was wont to remark, "Some people's tongues were like an express enginea veritable Flying Scotchman'—always going at high speed, with the steam full on; none of your stopping at twopenny-halfpenny stations, but going ahead like a western gale." The marriage tie often came in for illustration, of course, and, speaking of an old Eastern wedding, he remarked, "The guests sat it out for a week, and, having neither the Gazette nor Tit-Bits, it was a wonder how they got over the time. It seems they had recourse to puzzles. Well, marriage is a puzzle."

Again, he made one of the ten young men who vowed to erect an altar to Jehovah say to his fellows, "We had best do it in the night, not only because it will be cooler, but our enemies are very cantankerous, very touchy in temper, and very waxy. Ill-natured people are best to deal with when they are asleep."

When Mackenzie delivered, in the Wesleyan Chapel, Thornhill Lees, his lecture on Queen Esther-whom he

described as "that rose without a thorn, that diamond without a flaw, that laurel without a seared leaf"-in the course of a quaint amplification of the Biblical narrative, he referred to the sleeplessness from which King Ahasuerus suffered, which caused him on a certain morning to rise very early. After stretching himself and giving vent to a prolonged yawn, he crossed the royal chamber to watch the rising of the sun. In the distance he saw something which aroused his curiosity. "What is yon railway signal sort of thing?" he enquired, whereupon one of the attendants replied, "Your Majesty, it is the gallows which Haman has caused to be made for Mordecai to be hanged thereon." The idea of comparing the gallows to a railway signal-an appliance unknown in those days-caused a hearty outburst of merriment. One of his hearers, now no more, was so carried away with the story, that when Mackenzie, relating how Haman was standing in the court, waiting for admittance, gave a knock, and pointed to the door, he actually jumped up, walked along the aisle, and did not discover how his ears had deceived him until he opened an inner door and found nobody there!

I could give other illustrations of this kind of the famous lecturer's work, but must leave the subject now to the happy remembrances of his friends and the lively imaginations of those who never heard him. I cannot give the MAN.

CHAPTER XVI.

CHARACTERISTIC SERMON.

HE parable of "The Prodigal Son" has been handled in every conceivable fashion by sober divines in stately solemn cathedrals, fanes, and by

T

street preachers in noisy or dismal quarters. It is constantly woven into the web of countless evangelical appeals, and is authoritatively quoted in printed matter every day all over the world. The methods of treating it and applying it are endless; but somehow men cannot get away from it. After all the varied expositions, there it stands as fresh to-day appealing to the great heart of wandering humanity, as when the loving words of hope fell from the lips of the Christ ages ago.

Every preacher has a sermon on "The Prodigal Son." Here is an outline of Peter's, for which I am indebted to the Christian Million, a spirited, up-to-date paper for the churches, which ought to have a universal circulation.

Full of his favourite theme the excited preacher started off with the exclamation :

"You will notice that at the commencement of the chapter we read that, then drew near unto Him all the

They went once, Replenished were His tender heart as

He told them that against their own

publicans and sinners for to hear Him.' and then they felt obliged to go again. His lips with grace, and full of love they told Him of their simple ways. in doing wrong they were sinning interests and souls. They felt that He loved them. They went to hear Him, and said, 'I have never heard such a sermon. It is not like the Scribes and Pharisees. I have never heard anything like it before.' One publican after another went to Christ. All characters of sinners went to hear Him, till at last there was almost a congregation. But the Scribes and Pharisees murmured and said, This Man

RECEIVETH SINNERS,

and eateth and drinketh with them.' If you had a friend to have a meal with you in the East, he was as dear as the wife of your bosom, as precious as the heir, as dear as the babe in the mother's arms. And they set down Jesus Christ as a sinner. Christ loves sinners, and He loves us, but He does not love our sin. Rather than that we should be bound to our sins, He gave Himself up that He might break the bonds and set the prisoners free. It was then that He consented to give an account of His conduct and His efforts to save the people. We are not going to find fault with the Pharisees, for if they had not growled and complained you would not have had these three parables, which are the best in the Bible; so that God brings good out of evil, order out of confusion, beauty out of deformity. Christ asked them if it were not a customary thing, when any valuable property was lost, for there to

be more to-do over it than over that which has not been in danger at all. What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it?’ Over mountain and fell and forest, and amongst wild beasts, he travels and tramps until he finds the lost one, and then, instead of setting the dogs at it, instead of complaining about the risks he has run and the time he has expended, he sets it on his shoulder and brings it home to his friends and neighbours, saying, 'Rejoice with me; for I have found the sheep that was lost.' 'I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over

ONE SINNER THAT REPENTETH,

more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance.' Whether it refers to angels and martyrs, Scribes or Pharisees, there is more to-do over the fallen publican than over ninety and nine of your perfect folk. Christ gave them that.

"Either, what woman, having ten pieces of silver, if she lose one piece, doth not light a candle, and sweep the house, and seek diligently till she find it?' If you drop a stud before preaching time or just when you have to start to catch a train, you will have to get a revelation straight from Heaven in order to find out where it has gone. She'sweeps the house and seeks diligently till she finds it,' and when she has found it, does she not call together her neighbours, and say, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found the piece which I had lost.' 'Likewise,' then said Christ, is there joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.’