founded fear for it is easier to speak almost any where, than at home. Such is the fact, whatever be the cause of it. Accordingly, your minister knows more of your experience, perhaps, than even your parents or your partner in life. I am not vindicating this reserve at home, but merely stating the facts of its prevalence. Indeed, I ascribe it to that baneful influence of the "unprofitable" servants, which has tongue-tied, through timidity or shame, the great majority of the church of the living God. The slothful and the selfish (and they include in their ranks, all who refer the loss of souls to a sovereignty, of which their own will is the model; and to a lack of divine influence, of which their own influence is the measure) have, in order to shelter themselves, palmed upon the church, maxims which have paralized the church. Why, else, are so many of the conscientious friends of the Saviour, afraid or ashamed to speak of the Saviour before the men of the world, and even to the poor? Why, else, is there more shrinking from this duty, and more silence on this subject, than any other? O, they have much to answer for, who have thus perverted and paralyzed holy men and women, by the inculcation of "a voluntary humility," which was got up not for humble, but for selfish purposes. These unprofitable servants have not exactly, "slain the prophets;" but they have hindered their success. God has not, however, been an indifferent spectator of this wasting and weakening influence. In order to counteract it, He has, in His wise and wonder-working providence, originated new modes of helping the truth. Missionary, Bible, Tract, School, and Benevolent Societies, help it mightily. Indeed, but for them, ministers must long since have worked single-handed in the vineyard. Well may they be the champions and the servants of these societies; for such institutions "prepare the way of the Lord in the wilderness and make straight a highway for God in the desert." It is, however, quite as much intended by God to be a highway for his church, to return to her proper duty and her high destiny, as for the world to return

to the Shepherd and Bishop of souls. What tenderness and forbearance there is, in this measure of mediatorial providence! And, what wisdom too! Humanly speaking, nothing less than another Pentecost would have reopened the lips of the church at all, after they had been so long closed by stoical maxims and worldly policy, had not God "allured and drawn her into the wilderness," by the banners and trumpets of our great societies. Thousands followed them who would otherwise have lived to themselves: but these load-stars led them out amongst the poor and the perishing; and, once amongst them, they could not be silent, nor speak less than the truth as it is in Jesus. O, no; in the presence of want and wo, of ignorance and misery, all who love the Saviour can say something to the purpose, and will always learn more than they teach.

If, however, you doubt this, from not having tried the experiment yet, still you are not unable to be useful. You can drop a tract, if you cannot drop a word in season." You can encourage a child, if you cannot counsel a man. You can read the Scriptures by a sick bed, if you cannot pray by it. You can lend a good book, if you cannot afford to bestow one. You can invite a neighbour to your pew, if you cannot entertain him at your table. And, what can the poorest, the busiest Christian not do, so far as the encouragement of those who are working is concerned? O, the presence of "the least," as well as the greatest of Christ's brethren, in a prayer-meeting or a Sunday School -would gladden the hearts and strengthen the hands of the best fellow-helpers to the truth, and be itself real help to the truth. It is the heart-the heart-God looketh upon, and when it is thrown into any service, He is well pleased, and will not withhold his "Well done." Let, therefore, 66 no man take thy crown.” A crown of righteousness is laid up, which the righteous Judge will give, not only to the Pauls who have planted and to the Apolloses who have watered, but also to "all that love His appearing," just as that appearing is described by himself. Matt. xxv. 31.

But whilst conscience should be thus confronted with its final verdicts and its eternal witness, we should also let fully in upon it all the lights which time and experience furnish on this subject. Time, as well as eternity, proves that "it is good to be zealously affected always in a good thing." For, what is all the vital Christianity now in the world, but the fruit of Divine Influence working by and with the co-operation of faithful ministers and some of their flock? Even in heathen lands, where most devolves on the minister, much depends on the zeal and prudence of his first converts. Until some of them become fellowhelpers to the truth, its progress is but slow, and its influence partial. Accordingly, we expect the Indian, African, and Island churches to co-operate with their Missionary pastors. We should feel both surprised and pained if they did not; and, if they would not, we should suspect that their conversion was not genuine.

Only observe how we should feel-did one class of members, in any of these churches, deem it beneath them to appear in a prayer-meeting, or to name the name of Christ to a poor neighbour; and another class deem it quite enough for them to take their place regularly in the Sanctuary and at the Sacrament, without condescending to notice any of their brethren; and another class deem it genteel to maintain a stately estrangement from all church fellowship and co-operation. The bare idea of such classes, and of such a spirit, in a Missionary Church, is revolting! We instinctively shrink from it, as monstrous and absurd. And, were this state of things a reality in any Heathen land, how eloquently we could plead with each of these classes the claims of their Pagan neighbours--their perishing kinsmen--their half-enlightened country! Yea, how logically we could prove to them that joint and generous efforts to evangelize their neighbourhood, would tell well upon all the interests of their families and business; by lessening the sum of bad example, and by drawing more money into the channels of a wise consumption; Be honest: all this is equally true and urgent at home.

There are some

Take another view of this matter. things we would do for the good of our neighbours, at all hazards, and without any grudging or hesitation. There are gifts we would be impatient to employ, if we possessed them. Could we work miracles of any kind, nothing but a greater miracle could keep us idle. How readily and cheerfully we would raise a widow's only son from the deador rebuke a fever-or calm a tempest! We should hold ourselves traitors to God and man, were we inclined to hide such a talent in the earth. We should not be afraid nor ashamed to offer miraculous services to any man, any where. And is moral services less valuable? Whatever we may think on this subject, it is self-evident that God thinks moral service more valuable and available, for the good of souls, than even miracles. The utter stop put to them, is proof of this. God has devolved all the success of the Gospel upon the proper employment of the Gospel, by His ministers and churches. It was, most likely, just in order that they might not have any excuse for idleness, nor any temptation to a prayerless dependance on the Holy Spirit, that God withdrew all miraculous help from the churches. But, as He withdrew none of His love to souls-none of His willingness to save-none of His maxims in judgment; where is the integrity of our conscience, if we withhold from the Gospel the service we would give to miracles or prophecy? We have something better than predictions to tell; and something greater than bodily cures to bestow : for he that "converteth the sinner from the error of his way, shall save a soul from death;" even from "the second death."

Another way of bringing conscience to the point in this matter, is, to press home upon it the question--what would we do on behalf of the Gospel, were Baxter, or Romaine, or Doddridge, or Whitfield, or Wesley, our pastor? This question will, of course, excite comparisons between the living and the dead, as well as assist us in judging of our own motives. It has already brought before us our own VOL. II.-19

minister, in all his likeness and unlikeness to our favourite author amongst "the mighty dead;" nor can we shut our eyes upon the difference. Well; there is no reason why we should shut our eyes upon any contrast which our minister presents, to the ministers of other Sanctuaries, or of ancient times. He cannot wish us to think more highly of him, "than we ought to think." If, however, we will try him by the standard of our favourite, it is only fair to try ourselves by the standard of that favourite's "helpers" in the Gospel. Now, whoever he may be, he did not stand alone in his sphere of labour. The Moses of our imagination, had both Aarons and Hurs to strengthen his hands in prayer; and Elders of Israel to aid his enterprise. We know this; or, we ought to know it; for whatever any successful minister did, was not done in a corner." Are we, then, like or unlike the friends who followed up, by prayer, and watching, and working, the labours of successful men of God? Could the man we admire and revere most, have done the good he did, had no more been done for him than we do for our minister? "Judge righteous judgment," in this matter. May not the defects of the ministry we attend, arise in no small degree, from a defective co-operation on our part, and on the part of the church? Would not more enterprise and interest in the flock, inspire the shepherd with more unction and energy? Is it quite sure, that all the causes of his failure are chargeable upon himself only?

Whilst I feel it necessary to put such questions, I am fully aware that it is not by them, we can remedy the defects on either side. We must come to first principles if we would please God; and must yield to them that homage and service which they demand, and which we cannot safely withhold from them, under any ministry which is truly evangelical. And by first principles here, I mean the Father's claim on our obedience; the Saviour's claim on our gratitude; the Spirit's claim on submission.