+I. Contrasted with fruitless profession.+--It is possible to have a clear notion of Christian truth and to talk well, and yet be idle and useless. +II. Contrasted with mistaken standards.+--It is easy to do as others are doing; but are _they_ doing well? Practice must be guided by holy precepts. +III. Contrasted with wrong motives.+--Many are careful to do what is literally the right thing, but they do it with base motives. The correct motives are--love (2 Cor. v. 14), gratitude (Ps. cxvi. 12), compassion (2 Cor. v. 11), desire to imitate Christ. All well-doing is humble and self-renouncing.--_The Lay Preacher._ _"Reap if we faint not."_--The image is agricultural. +I. Points of resemblance.+--1. The material harvest is of two kinds--weeds and golden grain. 2. The spiritual harvest is of two kinds--corruption and everlasting life. 3. A combination of agencies. (1) For the material harvest seed, soil, and elements work with the efforts of the farmer. (2) For the spiritual harvest the seed of the Word and the power of God must co-operate with man's agency. 4. As to difficulties. (1) The season may be too wet, too dry, or too hot, or an army of insects may attack the growing grain. (2) The foes of the spiritual harvest are the world, the flesh, and the devil. +II. Points of contrast.+--1. The material harvest is annual, the spiritual eternal. 2. There are seasons so unfavourable that all the efforts of the farmer prove in vain; the spiritual harvest will never fail. 3. The drouth of one year may be made good by next year's abundance, but eternity cannot compensate for what was lost in time. +III. Encouragements.+--1. "Our labour is not in vain in the Lord." 2. "In due season we shall reap, if we faint not." 3. The harvest will be glorious and eternal.--_Homiletic Monthly._ Ver. 10. _On doing Good._ +I. It is our duty to do good.+--This duty is enforced both by the words and example of Christ. Christianity not only requires its adherents to abstain from evil, but it demands their active service. +II. In doing good man attains to true nobility of character.+--The characters in history that exert the greatest fascination over us are not those of eminent statesmen or scientists, but those who have been distinguished for their philanthropy. We see in them a moral dignity that is unique. What reversals in human estimates of character will take place when the Divine standard of greatness is appealed to! +III. In doing good we find true happiness.+--God has so constituted us that the exercise of our malevolent passions is productive of inward dissatisfaction, while the exercise of benevolent affections is attended with the greatest joy. There is real luxury in doing good.--_Preacher's Magazine._ _The Opportunity of Beneficence._