THE Examiner very aptly says: “In this whole matter of Christian work, we should follow the indications of God's providence, which will, pretty uniformly, be found to say: Begin now—here—with the person that is nearest.” How natural it would have been for the apostles to have chosen any other field in which to begin their work than the city which they were most familiar with! Undoubtedly the Master knew that this universal human weakness, the desire to attempt great things before experience has been gained in little, would be their first great mistake. The poor man whose curses may be heard in the next street is more accessible than the heathen in a distant city. He is both nearer in space, and much nearer in point of influence. He has some opportunity to observe us in our unprofessional garb; has, perhaps, occasion to know that our Christianity is not an affair of mere preaching, and our charity not a simple giving of money and food. If so, we have an advantage in working to save him. And if not, if he knows us to be more pretentious than genuine, and our zeal more partisan than spiritual, it is still well for us to learn this fact before venturing upon the more hazardous enterprise of laboring amid greater temptations. Not until we have traded with our five talents, and added to them other five, ought we to think of the five cities. Even then, we might better wait for the Lord's bidding before we try to exercise so broad a dominion.—Christian at Work.