seldom sees them in their closets. The neglect of one is generally followed by the neglect of the other. But those who are the most regular at our prayer-meetings, and the most devoted, are these constant and powerful in the closet? In the churches with which we are connected, would it not be difficult to find a small number of holy and persevering closet pleaders? Happy indeed should I regard that brother who could say, that he has a number. Might I not say, "You are favoured beyond others? You may safely wait, and you shall see the salvation of God. You may expect the Spirit, and a large ingathering of souls." If prayer, closet prayer, be so important, can we not do something towards its possession by ourselves and others? Could we not urge it more frequently from the pulpit, and speak personally and closely to those who love the Lord Jesus in sincerity, and who desire the advancement of the Redeemer's kingdom? We might obtain their promise that they would remember the church of Christ with which they are connected, and the cause of truth everywhere. To keep this up, it would be necessary to remind them again and again. But would it not be worth all the trouble? With the know

ledge that a number of our most godly people were praying for the Spirit's descent, how we should prepare for the pulpit, how we should preach! We should feel that our hands were sustained by a number of strong, spiritual Aarons and Hurs. Our thoughts would be quickened, and our hearts warmed. If we could preach at all, we should preach then. In this way we might obtain a number of earnest pleaders, and thus the heavens might be rent, and the blessing descend. Oh, for this spirit of prayer to rest upon upon us, and upon our fellow-Christians everywhere. Then the gospel would triumph-His people would be eminent for piety—the world itself would be impressed with the beauty and power of the religion of Jesus. We must therefore pray for the Spirit; we must invite Him, or He will not come; and if He come not, we shall remain dead. Would that God's Spirit were upon us, with His mighty power and life-giving influence, for then would He breathe upon the dry bones and they should live. "Awake, O north wind, and come, thou south; blow upon our gardens, that the spices thereof may flow out. Let our beloved come into his garden, and eat his pleasant fruit.” Barnard Castle.

W. DARWENT.

Some of the most wonderful results of human intellect have been witnessed in the last fifty years. It is remarkable how the mind of the world has run into scientific investigation, and what achievements it has effected in that short period.

Fulton launched the first steamboat in 1807; now there are 3,000 steamboats traversing the waters of America only.

In 1800, there was not a single railroad in the world. In the United States alone, there are now 8,797 miles of railroad, costing 286,000,000 dollars to build, and about 22,000 miles of railroad in England and America.

In 1825, the first railroad was put in operation in Massachusetts.

Gas-light was unknown in 1800; now every city and town of any pretence is lighted with it.

The electric telegraph had its beginning in 1843.

The electro magnet was discovered in 1821; and electrotyping is a still later invention.

Hoe's printing-press, capable of printing

10,000 copies an hour, is a very recent dis

covery.

Daguerre communicated to the world his beautiful invention in 1839.

Gun cotton and chloroform are discoveries but a few years old.

Astronomy has added a number of new planets to the solar system.

What will the next half-century accomplish? We may look for still greater discoveries; for the intellect of man is awake, exploring every mine of knowledge, and searching for useful information in every department of art and industry.

MIRTH A MEDICINE.

I know of nothing equal to cheerful and even mirthful conversation for restoring the tone of mind and body when both have been overdone. Some great and good men, on whom very heavy cares and toils have been laid, manifest a constitutional tendency to relax into mirth when their work is over. Narrow minds denounce the incongruity; large hearts own God's goodness in the fact, and rejoice in the wise

provision made for prolonging useful lives. Mirth after exhaustive toil, is one of nature's instinctive efforts to heal the part which has been racked or bruised. You cannot too sternly reprobate a frivolous life; but if the life be earnest for God or man, with here and there a layer of mirthfulness protruding, a soft bedding to receive heavy cares which otherwise would crush the spirit, to snarl against the spurts of mirth, may be the easy and useless occupation of a small man, who cannot take in at one view the whole circumference of a large one.-Arnot's Illustrations of Proverbs.

LIFE.

Life is no speculative adventure with those who feel its value and duties. It has a deeper purpose, and its path becomes distinct and easy in proportion as it is earnestly and faithfully pursued. The rudest or the most refined pursuit, if adapted to the wants and capacities of the pursuer, has a truth, a beauty, and a satisfaction. All ships on the ocean are not steamers or packets; but all freight-bearers, fitted to their task, and the smallest shallop nobly fulfils its mission, whilst it pushes on towards its destined port, nor shifts its course because ships career to other points of the compass. Let man ride himself on the ocean of Time. Let him learn whether he is by nature a shallop or a ship; a coaster or an ocean steamer; and then, freighting himself according to his capacity and the market he should seek, fling his sail to the breeze, riding with wind and tide, if they go his course, but beating resolutely against them if they cross his path. Have a well-chosen and defined purpose, and pursue it faithfully, trusting in God, and all will be well.

CHRISTIANITY.

We live in the midst of blessings till we are utterly insensible of their greatness, and of the sources from whence they flow. We speak of our civilization, our arts, our freedom, our laws, and forget entirely how large a share is due to Christianity. Blot Christianity out of the pages of man's history, and what would his laws have been -what his civilization? Christianity is mixed up with our very being and our daily life; there is not a familiar object around us which does not wear a different aspect because the light of Christian love is on it not a law which does not owe its truth and gentleness to Christianity-not a custom which cannot be traced, in all its holy, healthful parts, to the gospel.Judge Park.

CONVERSION.

How palpably true is our Lord's declaration, that "except a man be born again,

he cannot see the kingdom of God!" Not only he shall not, but he cannot. He has no faculty capable of discerning it. If we know not exactly as to particulars what heaven is, we know to a certainty what it is not. We are sure it is not like earth. There are no routs, assemblies, play-houses or horse-races there; no estates to be bought or sold, no funds to be transferred, no business to be managed upon the Exchange, or in coffee-houses. How, then, could they whose hearts are more set upon these things possibly be happy even in heaven, when separated for ever from all they love? Heaven must be a hell to an unhumbled, unsanctified sinner, even if he could be admitted there. The company, employments, the enjoyments are of the same kind with what he despised upon earth.-John Newton.

PERSONAL DEVOTION.

No Christian can be comfortable or prosperous without retirement. Popular ministers may preach, converse, or pray in public, to the edifying of others, and yet` decline in their own souls for want of examination, humiliation, and secret prayer, suited immediately to their own case. Nay, the most able ministers will generally cease to be very useful if their personal religion is neglected, or hurried over in a formal manner. This the fervent Christian knows. He will, therefore, redeem time for retirement, at the expense of many inconveniences; and the friends of popular ministers should consider this, and not too much intrude upon the regular needful hours for retirement, of those persons in whose company they most delight. prosecuting the Word of God, our own inclinations must be thwarted; we must not" spend our time" with them when duty calls us another way, or when a prospect is before us of doing essential good.-Scott.

GREAT MEN.

In

were laid at my feet in exchange for my love of reading, I would spurn them all."

PRAYER.

Prayer is a constant source of invigoration to self-discipline-not the thoughtless praying which is a thing of custom; but that which is sincere, intense, watchful. Let a man ask himself whether he really would have the thing he prays for; let

CALVIN AS

It is interesting to note, in the life of this great man, how large a part of his preaching consisted of exposition. The same is true of Luther's pulpit labours. Voluminous as are Calvin's works, a moderate sized volume would contain all the sermons which he delivered from single texts, as is our modern custom. Without understanding his habit in this matter, one wonders how he could find time to compose so many commentaries on the Scriptures. But he did not compose them in one sense of the term. These exegeses were his weekly lectures, for the most part, given on Sundays and intermediately; and uniformly spoken extemporaneously (for Calvin wrote no pulpitexercises), when they were taken down by reporters, and after revision were published for general distribution. This was the way in which all his books on the minor Prophets, on Job, and other portions of the Bible, were made; very like the manner in which, by the pens of others, Spurgeon is becoming so rapidly a fertile author.

It is remarkable that a speaker should be able thus to throw off such neat, concise, and accurate interpretations as those which have placed Calvin so high among the scholarly expounders of Holy Writ; but this was the character of his sharp, clear intellect, marking, as well, all his public performances as a debater and orator.

Doubtless the general lack of Biblical knowledge in that age, just awaking from Papal ignorance of divine truth, determined the Reformers to this almost exclusive method of Christian discourse. They felt that a true reformation could only be grounded in God's Word put in possession of the popular mind. It needed not only to be translated, but to be explained. And we can never be grateful enough that this most important labour fell into such hands as those which produced the Galatians of Martin Luther, and the Prophets and New Testament of John Calvin. Did this eminent scholar, who seemed to catch the sense of the Divine Spirit almost as if himself inspired, show his wisdom by never

allowing himself to be persuaded to attempt a comment on the Apocalyptic visions?

How the contemporary adversaries of the Reformer's work understood the bearing of these Scripture-lecturings, a paragraph may show us. The opposite party, "weakened and restrained by the ministers and their powerful discourses, were loud (writes Dr. Henry) in exclaiming that preaching ought to be suppressed, and the number of minis ters reduced to two; that these should be confined to the reading of Scripture without interpretation; that the people should be taught the 'Credo,' the Lord's Prayer,' and Ten Commandments;' that it was not only useless but dangerous to allow so much expounding; and that it was unnecessary to print so many books and commentaries." Certainly, in a close fight it is very desirable to the worsted side that its antagonists should sheath their swords or only strike with the hilt. But Calvin knew the difference between a naked and sharp falchion like that which he wielded so effectively, and a weapon wrapped up in a cloak. His steel had no scabbard. Does, or does not, our age need more of the same sort of Biblical preaching which, under God, established the Reformation of the sixteenth century? And if it were honestly and laboriously wrought out, would our audiences much longer say, that expository preaching is only the minister's make-shift for indolence?

THE PREACHER AND THE ROBBERS.

A METHODIST preacher several years ago, in Ireland, was journeying to the village where he had to dispense the word of life, according to the usual routine of his duty, and was stopped on his way by three robbers. One of them seized his bridle reins, another presented a pistol, and demanded his money, and the third was a mere looker-on.

The grave and devoted man looked each and all of them in the face, and with great gravity and seriousness said:

"Friends, can you pray to God before

you commit the deed? Can you ask God to bless you in your undertakings to-day?" These questions startled them for a moment. Recovering themselves, one said, "We have no time to answer such questions; we want your money-we must have our will."

"I am a poor preacher of the Gospel," was the reply: "if you give me nothing, do not try to take from me the little I have. However, satisfy your thirst, ruin me, and answer it before the God whom I faithfully serve the little money I have shall be given you."

A few shillings was all he had to give.
"Have you not a watch ?"
"Yes."

"Well, then, give it to us."

In taking his watch from his pocket, his saddle-bags were displayed.

"What have you got there?" was the question asked again.

"I cannot say I have nothing in them but religious books, because I have a pair of shoes and a change of linen also."

"We must have them."

The preacher dismounted. The saddlebags were taken possession of, and no further demands were made. Instantly the preacher began to unbutton his great coat, and to throw it off his shoulders, at the same time asking,

"Will you have my great coat?"

"No," was the reply; "you are a generous man, and we will not take it."

He then addressed them as follows:"I have given you everything you asked for, and would have given more than you asked for; now I have only one favour to ask of you."

"What is that?"

"That you will kneel down and allow me

sources.

to pray with you, and pray to Almighty God in your behalf; to ask him to turn your hearts and put you upon better ways."

"I'll have nothing to do with the man's things," said the ringleader of them.

"Nor I either," said another of them.

"Here, take your watch-take your saddle-bags; if we have anything to do with you, the judgments of God will overtake us."

So all the articles were returned. That, however, did not satisfy the godly man. He urged prayer upon them. He knelt down; one of the robbers knelt with him; one prayed, the other wept, confessed his sin, and said it was the first time in his life he had done such a thing, and should be the last. How far he kept his word is known only to Him to whom the darkness and the light are alike—to Him whose eyelids try the children of men.

POINTLESS SERMONS.

IN one of his discourses, John Newton has this pithy remark: "Many sermons, ingenious of their kind, may be compared to a letter put into the post-office without a direction. It is addressed to nobody, it is owned by nobody, and if a hundred people were to read it, not one of them would think himself concerned in the contents." Such a sermon, whatever excellences it may have, lacks the chief requisite of a sermon. It is like a sword which has a polished blade, a jewelled hilt, and a gorgeous scabbard, but yet will not cut, and, therefore, as to all real use, is no sword. The truth properly presented has an edge, it pierces to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, it is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart."

NOTWITHSTANDING the malignant impiety of John Harman's effusion, it presents fragments of truth. The attitude ascribed to the immortal Whitefield was unquestionably true: the fact that he thus prayed is established from other The attitude, moreover, was alike natural and noble. Thus it was that Solomon, at the dedication of the Temple, "spread forth his hands toward heaven." Jesus, in his intercessory prayer, "lifted up his eyes to heaven." Supplication, with shut eyes, is a violation of nature, to which nothing but

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It

habit could reconcile the churches. is also an undoubted fact, that his exhortations, warnings, and entreaties were largely blended with tears. His friend, Cornelius Winter, who lived some years with him, says, he never knew him finish a sermon without weeping more or less." Harman's statement on the subject of prayer runs thus :— "The following preamble is Dr. Squintum's fervent, solemn, form of prayer; delivered by him in an attitude similar to that of Ajax, in Ovid's Metamorphoses. His body erect, his hands extended, his face thrown upwards,

:

with his eyes gazing towards the stars. Torvo vultu, tendens ad fidera palmas. Alternately changing from his theatrical astonishments into violent enthusiastical agitations and distortions, accompanied with weeping, wailing, and gnashing of teeth: Strange Vicissitudes! which he strictly keeps up to, throughout the whole of his preaching.

THE PREAMBLE.

"O holy, holy, holy Lord God! Thou art the same to-day as yesterday, and yesterday as to-day. Jesus, thou bishop of bishops, and great bishop of the world, look down from heaven, thy dwelling-place, and grant that all who take part with us this day in the work that we are now entering upon, either in thought, word, or deed, may take deep root downwards, and shoot forth in its branches abundantly upwards. From the sole of our feet to the crowns of our heads, we are nothing but wounds, and bruises, and putrifying sores.

"Bless his present Majesty, and every branch of this illustrious family. We thank thee, O God, for the late victory that thou hast been pleased to vouchsafe unto the Prussian monarch; do thou continue success unto him; give him and his soldiers double strength, as well as double clothing, for this winter's campaign. (And, he might have added, two drams a day extraordinary to his soldiers, to animate their spirits.) Be with Prince Ferdinand of Brunswick; be with the whole allied army; put an end to this cruel and bloody war; put a stop to this, or prevent the opening of another bloody campaign. Make and compel the kings of the earth to put this sword of war into the sheath of peace, that they may no longer make an effusion of, or sporting with human blood; though thou sufferest the bush to burn, yet it shall not be consumed away. Lead captivity captive. But if thy decree is already gone forth, that this bloody and glittering sword shall again be unsheathed and still continue drawn, thy will and not mine be done. (Odious and blasphemous to compare himself to our Saviour in the garden!) Turn then the swords of our enemies into pruning-hooks and plough-shares, and so infatuate them, that if they turn, they may not know whether they turn to the right hand or to the left; and prevent the French from getting into Hanover. (This part of his Prayer was not heard, for it is well known

they soon after did get possession of it; however, to make good this unsuccessful petition, he says upon their being driven out of it,)

"We thank thee that thou hast heard our prayers. (Quære, whether it was owing to the efficacy of his prayer, or the bravery of the allies?) For in the midst of thine anger thou rememberest mercy. Give our statesmen wise heads and honest hearts — (Qualifications greatly wanted both in himself and followers)-and grant there may be no more contention amongst them about worldly places, or worldly honours, but that their highest ambition may be to strive who shall have the highest places in thy court: direct them so to manage our public affairs that they may turn out for the national good.

"Do thou take all our public affairs into thine own hands. Gladden the heart of his Majesty with the arrival of some sudden and unexpected good news, (at this very period of time the French re-entered Cassel,) and grant that he may live to see a lasting and honourable peace established amongst us. (This Petition was made in the reign of his late Majesty; I wish his prayer had proved more prevalent.)

"I read an account in this day's newspaper of the plague's breaking out at Lisbon, and that we may soon expect it to be visiting of us here; do thou keep it from us. (But at the end of the same week accounts came from thence that there was no sickness there at all, and on the Sunday following he says in his prayer,) We thank thee that the news was not true that the plague had broke out at Lisbon. (Prayers as groundless as his intelligence.)

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Pity all those who are in the seat of war; whether in America, where they are driven away and scalpt by the barbarous Indians, or in Germany, or in any other part of the world where war is carried to. Pity all those who are turned out of their houses and habitations in Germany, and who are perishing through hunger and the inclemency of the weather, and are obliged to lay in the open fields, and would be glad to eat the crumbs that. fall from our tables; what are we better than they, that we can sit down under our own fig-tree, and enjoy the fruits of our own vineyard? (meaning the lucrative fruits of his labours at Tottenham Court and Moorfields.)

I have received a letter from some of us despised Methodists that are soldiers in the army, one of which writes me