in whose mouth there was found no guile, and who went about doing good.

Be gracious, O Lord, to every member of Thy church. Do good in Thine own pleasure unto Zion, and build up the walls of Jerusa lem. May her ministers be diligent and successful in discharging the momentous duties with which they are entrusted.

Have mercy upon all who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death. Have mercy on the tempted and sorrowful. Comfort the mournful and desponding. May the prisoners be relieved, and the slaves of sin and Satan be set free from bondage!

Keep us steadfast, O Lord in the faith, fear, and love of Thee. Refresh Thine heritage when it is weary. Revive Thy work among us: strengthen the weak hands, and confirm the feeble knees. Be Thou our father: Thou, King of kings, our Protector, and Thou, merciful Redeemer, our unfailing Friend.

And to the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, be all praise ascribed, world without end. Amen.

Occasional Services.

THE LICENSING OF PROBATIONERS FOR THE MINISTRY.

The preliminary steps necessary to be taken, and the qualifications requisite in the view of the Church, will be found clearly detailed in Dr Hill's work on the " Practice of the Several Judicatories of the Church of Scotland," to which reference may be made by those desirous of full information on the subject. On the conclusion of the trials of the applicant, which embrace an inquiry into his proficiency in the literary, philosophical, and theological studies which he has prosecuted at the University, and which also include the delivery of certain prescribed discourses, amongst which are a lecture and a popular sermon, that a specimen may be given of the applicant's aptitude to officiate in public, a "conjunct view" of the whole is taken, and if that be satisfactory in the opinion of the Presbytery of the bounds, the following questions are put to him :—

1. Do you believe the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments to be the word of God, and the only rule of faith and manners?

2. Do you sincerely own and believe the whole doctrine of the Confession of Faith, approven by the General Assembly of the National Church, and ratified by law in the year 1690, and frequently confirmed by divers acts of Parliament since that time, to be the truths of God, contained in the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments; and do you own the whole doctrine therein contained as the confession of your faith?

3. Do you sincerely own the purity of worship presently authorized and practised in this Church, and asserted in Act 15th General Assembly 1707, entitled, Act against innovation in the worship of God; and do you also own the Presbyterian government and discipline now so happily established in this Church; and are you persuaded that the said doctrine, worship, and discipline, and Church government, are founded upon the Holy Scriptures, and agreeable thereto ?

4. Do you promise that, through the grace of God, you will firmly and constantly adhere to, and in your station, to the utmost of your power, assert, maintain, and defend the said doctrine, worship, and discipline, and the government of this Church, by Kirk-sessions, Presbyteries, Provincial Synods, and General Assemblies?

5. Do you promise that, in your practice, you will conform yourself to the said worship, and submit yourself to the said discipline and government of this Church; and you shall never endeavour, directly or indirectly, the prejudice or subversion of the same?

6. Do you promise that you shall follow no divisive course from the present establishment in this Church?

7. Do you renounce all doctrines, tenets, or opinions whatsoever, contrary to, or inconsistent with, the said doctrine, worship, discipline, and government of this Church?

8. Do you promise that you will subject yourself to the several judicatories of this Church, and are you willing to subscribe to these things?

Having given satisfactory answers to these questions, the student subscribes the formula, in which the substance of the questions are embodied. The act against simony, Act 8, Assembly 1759, is then read to him in presence of the presbytery; the moderator is appointed to license him to preach the gospel; and the clerk is ordered to furnish him with an extract of his license.

The formula must be subscribed before licence is obtained; and presbyteries are not allowed to use any other formula but that which is prescribed by Act 10, Assembly 1711.

In some presbyteries the Court engage, previously to the licensing of the student, in prayer to the great Head and King of the Church, that He would be graciously pleased, by His word and spirit, to qualify him for the important duties in which he is about to engage. He then says

"In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, the great King and Head of the Church, and by authority of this Presbytery, I do now license you to preach the gospel of Christ, and to exercise your gifts as a probationer for the Holy Ministry."

The moderator and the members of Presbytery present, here give the person licensed the right hand of fellowship.

After which a suitable exhortation bearing on the duties of the pastoral office which he seeks to discharge on the right method of preaching, on the keeping up habits of study and scriptural research, and especially on the need of cultivating personal holiness, is then delivered by the moderator of the Presbytery.

Ordination of a Minister.

The ordination of any individual to the office of the Ministry, as it is gone about according to the practice of the Church of Scotland, is a solemn and interesting procedure. The Presbytery of the bounds within which the vacant parish is situated, having sustained the presentation, and the presentee having preached on a Sabbath and on a week-day before the congregation—the Presbytery likewise, having taken trial of his gifts; his edict having, ten days previously, been duly served, and no objections to his settlement having been offered on the part of the parishioners or members of the congregation, the Presbytery meet, upon the appointed day, at the church, and their moderator, pro tempore, constitutes the meeting of Presbytery with prayer. Even at this latest stage of the procedure, objections, as affecting the life and character of the presentee, may be offered, and proclamation to that effect is made at the church door by the officer of the Presbytery. No objection having been made, the moderator proceeds to the pulpit, and goes through the ordinary exercises of worship, commencing as usual, with praise and prayer, appropriately followed by the reading of a passage of scripture, suitable to the occasion of meeting. He then preaches a discourse, which may very appropriately relate to the duties of the Christian Ministry, and may, without impropriety, as in the case of sermons preached at the opening of the Provincial Synod, or of the General Assembly, partly by a "concio at cleros." After a psalm has been sung, the presiding minister proceeds as follows:

The minister intimates that A. B. (the person who is to be ordained), having received a presentation from C. D., the legal Patron to the vacant parish of ; and the Presbytery having made trial of his qualifications for the ministry, and being satisfied therewith, his call having been moderated, the edict for ordination having been served, and returned duly executed and indorsed, warning all persons having any objections against his being admitted minister of said parish, to lodge the same with the Presbytery, that they may be cog

nosced; proclamation to the same effect having also been this day made, at the most patent door of the church, and no objections offered-(or objections having been offered and disposed of, as the case may be)—the Presbytery are now to proceed to his ordination as minister of this parish by prayer and the imposition of hands. But, in order that they (the people) might be satisfied of his soundness in the Christian faith, he (the officiating clergyman) would now put to him the questions appointed by the act of Assembly, to be put to ministers at their ordination. The presentee is then called upon to give satisfactory answers to the following questions.

1. Do you believe the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments to be the Word of God, and the only rule of faith and manners?

2. Do you sincerely own and believe the whole doctrines contained in the Confession of Faith, approven by the General Assemblies of this Church, and ratified by law in the year 1690, to be founded upon the Word of God; and do you acknowledge the same as the confession of your faith; and will you firmly and constantly adhere thereto, and to the utmost of your power assert, maintain, and defend the same, and the purity of worship as presently practised in this National Church, and asserted in Act XV., Assembly 1707, entitled, Act against innovations in the Worship of God?

3. Do you disown all Popish, Arian, Socinian, Armenian, Bourignian, and other doctrines, tenets, and opinions whatsoever, contrary to, and inconsistent with, the foresaid Confession of Faith?

4. Are you persuaded that the Presbyterian Government and discipline of this Church are founded upon the Word of God, and agreeable thereto; and do you promise to submit to the said government and discipline, and to concur with the same, and never to endeavour, directly or indirectly, the prejudice or subversion thereof, but to the utmost of your power, in your station, to maintain, support, and defend the said discipline and Presbyterian Government by Kirk-sessions, Presbyteries, Provincial Synods, and General Assemblies, during all the days of your life?

5. Do you promise to submit yourself willingly and humbly, in the spirit of meekness, unto the admonitions or the brethren of this Presbytery, and to be subject to them, and all other Presbyteries, and superior judicatories of this Church, where God in His providence, shall cast your lot; and that, according to your power, you shall maintain the unity and peace of this Church against error and schism,