Printers' Proofs

“O ye ministers of the word, consider well that you are the first sheets from the Kings press: others are pri7ited after your copy. If the first sheet be well set, a thousand more are stamped with case. See, the?t, that the power of religion prevail over your own hearts lest you not only lose yottr ow7t souls, but cause the rui7i of others P Correcting for the press is work which has to be done with great care, since thousands of copies will be faulty if the proof-sheet be not as it should be. So should the minister of a congregation be seriously earnest to be right, because his people will imitate him. Like priest, like people; the sheep will follow the shepherd. What need there is that the pastor should order his steps aright lest he lead a whole flock astray! If the town-clock be wrong half the watches in the place will be out of time.

We have all an influence over others. Even the least one among us has some individual beneath his power to whom he serves as an example, for whom, indeed, he is a sort of proof sheet. O that the good Lord would make us correct in all points, lest we be propagators of sin through the influence of our faults. By self-examination let us labour to correct the proofs.