Lord, what wilt Thou have me to do?" was the first question asked by Saul of Tarsus when the Lord first revealed Himself to him on the road to Damascus. And such was the sense of the Saviour's grace toward him afterwards, that he became the most devoted of all His devoted servants; and is justly considered as the most perfect model of following Christ.

When God sent Moses to bring Israel out of Egypt, he was to tell Pharaoh these memorable words from Jehovah, :'Let my people go, that they may serve Me." Their deliverance from Egyptian bondage was to be their freedom to serve the Lord Jehovah. Now service to our Lord is not the privilege of a few only, but of all God's children. In saying this we have young believers particularly in mind, as they have the needed physical and mental energy which usually is waning in those advanced in age. Yes, young Christian, the time to serve the Lord is when our energy and first love are at flood-tide, and the new-born soul walks in the flush of the "happy day" that will find its full development in the happier day of eternity with Christ.

In speaking of Christian service we have not in mind the duties of life that naturally fall to our lot, whether we are Christians or not. These, truly, may all now be performed as unto the Lord, and if so discharged they will in no wise lose their reward. But we have in mind definite and distinct service, apart altogether from that which as men in the flesh we cannot avoid. Each young Christian, we believe, should seek some particular line of work for Christ, such as the taking of a Sunday-school class, visitation of the poor and the sick, the hospitals, the jails, or if fitted, preach the Word, or testify for the Lord, in the open air, in our halls, or county school-houses.

But the department of Christian work of which we wish particularly to speak is that of tract distribution-a ser-ice for all, as our caption says. There are a number of very good reasons why the circulation of tracts should commend itself to Christians desirous of furthering the knowledge of the truth among men.

First, it is open to all. No special gift is required, nor is it necessary to possess an unusual degree of physical strength. Any one with a heart for it can do it. Some have little knowledge of men and are not apt at approaching strangers. This should be no hindrance, for only a kind word is usually necessary; sometimes the least said the better-especially so when dealing with Roman Catholics, who often wish to dispute if you stop to converse with them; and if great tact is not used it will end with their handing back the message of life which you had put in their hands. All workers for the Lord should do so in a polite, courteous way. If you lack in this, say little, sow your seed, and pass on. Some who have the rare gift of a winning address and voice, yet may lack courage. Another may be over bold. Both may be in large measure overcome. Timothy, Paul's dear child in the faith, was naturally of a timid nature, evidently, yet the apostle could say of him, "I have no man like-minded." Besides, no great courage is required in certain forms of tract work. They may be laid quietly down on park benches, or, left on car seats, with prayer to the Lord of the harvest to watch over the seed thus sown. Tracts in booklet form may be dropped in letter boxes of apartment houses, which in most cities is not against the law. In large cities, an assortment of languages is desirable as you meet foreigners, or judge of what nationality by the name on the box. They may be slipped un der doors, or put in any place where they shall almost certainly be picked up. Of course, the better and most effective way is to hand them to the person directly with a wise and kind word. Think of the Lord's gracious eye upon you, and the value of the soul to whom you present God's way of salvation; it will enable you to rise above timidity and thoughts of yourself. Let not therefore your diffidence, dear young Christian, prevent you from serving your precious Saviour in ways we have pointed out, or any other that the Lord may put in your way.

Second, we should be encouraged in the circulation of the printed ministry by the results it is sure to bring. These may not be always seen; but whether seen or not, life is in that Word we circulate; it is ours to get it out, and the Holy Spirit will do the rest. God has promised to bless His gospel, His Word, and it is He that "'giveth the increase."

We do not mean to say that every tract put out will bring a blessing. We may learn a lesson from nature here; God causes His rain to fall on the vast oceans and earth's great deserts where it appears to be lost or wasted, as well as on the fields yielding fruit to the cultivator; so in our efforts to bring the knowledge of Christ to men, much of our sowing may seem wasted. But "sow ye beside all waters," is the word; and in the parable of the sower, much of the precious seed was non-productive, though the sower was the Son of God Himself! And if only a small part of our feeble sowing bring real result, will we not, when with the Lord, realize the unspeakable value of it?

But apart from the direct results of conversions by means of tracts, how many Christians are helped and settled in their faith by the reading of the printed ministry. We may never hear of it, never know it here, but there is abundant proof that tracts have been very largely used of God to strengthen the faith or dear off doubts from the souls of His children. Only last Lord's day I learned of two ladies that have been lately settled in their souls by the reading of the booklet, "No doubts." The last edition of "How to get Peace" was gotten out at the instigation of a brother who reported to me a most marked case of deliverance from tormenting doubt by the reading of that tract. Whole volumes could, in fact, be written of blessing to souls through the medium of the printed page.

And apart from the results above mentioned, is it not true that a sense of responsibility to God is kept alive by these reminders of eternity and of judgment after death? We all know the immense and effective use made of the press to mould public opinion; in a similar sense, every tract read in which the sinner is reminded of God, helps towards nullifying the efforts of Satan to destroy in men's souls all sense of their responsibility to God, their Creator and their Judge.

Lastly, the chief reason why we should engage in the circulation of tracts is because we are commanded to make the gospel of God known to men. It is a duty, devolving upon us all, to spread the knowledge of God's grace and love as revealed in the gospel. "I am debtor both to the Greeks, and to the Barbarians; both to the wise, and to the unwise," the apostle says. He viewed it, not only as a privilege, but as an obligation laid upon him, to make Christ known to men. "Necessity is laid upon me;" he writes, "yea, woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel!" We are not apostles, neither can we all travel and preach as he did; but we may all in our measure publish the glad tidings. And the obligation rests upon each one of us to do what is in our power to further in the world the knowledge of the gospel of the grace of God. There is blessing in obedience, and leanness of soul, and a bad conscience, if we neglect or are remiss in it. "He that watereth shall be watered also himself," is the divine declaration in this connection.

Our own souls shall be blessed as we ourselves endeavor to be under God a blessing to our fellow-men. "We do not well:this day is a day of good tidings, and we hold our peace," said the lepers in the gate of Samaria; "if we tarry till the morning light some mischief will come upon us," or as the margin reads, "we shall find punishment" (2 Kings 7:9). Let us not hold our peace in this day of blessed gospel tidings, but seek to make it known, far and wide, while opportunity and an open door are given us by the publication of the gospel through the printing press.

I close with a few general remarks on this subject.

(1) Always get the best tracts obtainable, both as to subject matter, of good print, and neat. The subject demands the best; the gospel is a matter of dignity; let its presentation be worthy of the God whose gospel it is.

(2) Be discriminate in your choice of subjects. Do not unnecessarily antagonize a Romanist's misbeliefs. The young require narratives, and there are few older ones who will not read them.

(3) Be specially concerned for the foreign populations in our larger towns and cities. Has not God sent them to our shores to be evangelized by us through the printed ministry? Tracts may be had in nearly all the European languages to-day; and may He speed His light and truth through us His witnesses, Amen. C. Knapp