more labourers shall be sent out, if more of us join in fervent prayers, nothing wavering. While we continue to pray, he will continue to answer. This is fixed as the throne of God, 'I will not suffer my faithfulness to fail.' O how has my dependance on his unalterable word been strengthened, by seeing it so constantly fulfilled! and how has my attachment increased to our established church, by his raising up more ministers among us! Indeed he owns our establishment at this day; and thereby he encourages us to pray on; and if we do, we may hope to see greater things than these. May you and I find reason to be asking the enlargement of Christ's kingdom in our land, until he remove us into his kingdom of praise.

"4. These arguments are continually enforced by the constraining love of Jesus, which keeps the soul. in a good frame to pray for the advancement of his honour and glory. While I find a warm heart to him, I cannot help wishing that others may be won over to the love of him. To set him forth, that they may behold his matchless glory, is our office. Every gospel minister is raised up to sound aloud the praises of the wonderful person and of the infinitely perfect work of the divine Saviour, in whom all the perfections of the Godhead shine out in the richest display of their beauty, love, and power. The gospel ministry was ordained for this purpose, and it is blessed to this day to the hearts of poor sinners, by bringing them to see, to admire, and to enjoy the love of the Father through the salvation of the Son, by the grace of the Spirit. This is the ministration which exceedeth in glory. Oh what an honour is it that we should be called to partake of these blessings ourselves, and that by our means the Lord would and does convey them to our people. The sense of this work is constraining. Under the influence of it we cannot but pray for his ministers, that they may spread his gospel and advance his fame. O, for more love to this precious Jesus, and to his cause in your heart! it will be as a thousand arguments to put you upon praying for an increase of la

bourers, and for an increase of usefulness in those he has already sent out; and if you do pray thus, and continue to pray, it will be the most likely means of your experiencing more of his love, for he cannot alter the word that is gone out of his mouth. His promise to them that pray for the peace of Jerusalem is, "They shall prosper who love thee,' which is a

"Fifth argument. It is good for our own souls. They prosper by it: while we are concerned for the honour of Jesus, and for the advancement of his Gospel, we are taking the best care of our own interest. The soul that watereth others shall be watered itself; so it prospers. The prayers for blessings on our fellow-labourer brings a shower of blessings into our own bosom. I should be very unthankful, yea, beyond measure, if I did not acknowledge it. I have not prayed in vain for these eleven years. No: I have indeed prospered, and have received many mercies; some I will mention, not to set myself up for any thing, who am the very sink of hell, and feel in me to this moment indwelling corruptions enough to damn a thousand worlds: but I mention them to the glory of sovereign grace. There is in every one of us a desire to be great and esteemed; a bitter root of pride, which works in abundance of vile tempers, all dishonourable to Jesus, and hurtful to our own souls. I found, this praying for my dear brethren, and always by name, has given many a blow at that bitter root, and has checked several of its branches, such as envy at their success, shyness to their persons, an evil eye at their gifts or graces. That party spirit, under the bondage of which no one ever laboured more than myself, has been in a good degree conquered; and so has the unwillingness to bear reproof, very hard to bear: and the will given to be thought less than the least, the sole work of Almighty grace. And I ascribe it to my constantly praying for God's ministers, that he has enabled me, in any degree, not only to get the better of those vile tempers, but also to grow in brotherly love. I find my heart knit to those I never

saw, and am glad of their prosperity in mind, body, or estate. My very soul rejoices in any good in them, or good done by them. Their present number, (may the Lord add to them an hundred fold,) their being almost of one mind and of one heart, their growth in grace, their usefulness among their own people, and their writings for the public benefit: these are become sweet subjects of thankfulness. My prayers are more in faith, because I reap the fruit of them, and can join praise with them. To every petition I can say, Thanks be to the Lord, I have good encouragement to pray on. Every year I see our Jerusalem prosper, and they also prosper that love it. Are not these great advantages, and are they not sufficient to induce you to join your prayers with mine? As for me, God forbid, my dear brother, that I should cease to pray for you. May the Lord, the Spirit, put it into your heart to pray for me, and for the rest of our fellow-labourers, until you more advantages from your prayers than I have done. If you weigh these things with attention, and God incline you to join us in prayer, there is a Scripture which warrants this, and which contains some gracious promises to the practice of it: the consideration of it has been with me a

find

"Sixth argument. It is in Matt. xviii. 19, 20. 'Again, I say unto you, that if two of you shall agree on earth.' We do agree to meet together in one place. Where is there a better than the throne of grace? We do agree touching the thing we are to ask, namely, the blessing of Him that sitteth upon the throne, on his own ministers. What can be more pleasing to Him, than to wish them well, to whom he has done so well, as to call them to, fit them for, and prosper them in, His work? Oh it is not to be described nor conceived how His heart is set upon this! To send out ministers to promote His glory through the salvation of His people, is the ruling affection in the Head of the church; and when he intends to send them out, He gives His people the spirit of prayer, to desire of Him pastors after His own heart, and to encourage them to ask the promises,

'Whatsoever ye ask, shall be done for you of my Father, who is in heaven: for the Father himself loveth you, and will give you whatsoever you ask in my name: and when any two of you agree to pray for more and more labourers, or for greater usefulness in them who do labour in the word and doctrine, I will then be in the midst of you, spiritually present, that you may have communion with me in prayer, and that you may be satisfied that I do hear, and will answer.' How inviting, how persuasive are these words! Surely, they ought powerfully to influence you and me. What may we not expect from meeting often in the presence of Jesus? Try, my dear brother. Be much in his company, and see what will come of it. Your heart will certainly be more knit to him, and he will knit you closer to his other ministers in the unity of the Spirit. He will bring us to be of the same mind in the Lord. This is the three-fold cord which is not quickly broken, because it is a bond of the Lord's own making, and of the Lord's own keeping. He maintains it, and he ties it closer by giving us sweet fellowship in one another's prayers, and by enabling us to act and live according as we pray, for the good of our brethren. Thus He makes it appear, that we are taught of God to love one another; for He only can teach us to love unfeignedly, and with a pure heart fervently. This is the most blessed union upon earth, because it flows from our being one with Christ, and proves that we hold the Head, and are under him as living members in his body united together, having the same care one for another. Hereby we know what the communion of saints is: we experience and we rejoice in its blessings. Oh how will this strengthen the hands of each other! it will make us mighty through our God to do our work, to endure hardships, to fight our battles-yea, to the many antichrists of this our day, we shall become as terrible as an army with banners! May the Lord make you a good soldier in this noble army; and he will, if you will join us. Your prayers will not return void into your own bosom. No, no. Every prayer

for your brethren will bring down a blessing upon yourself, and you will find more arguments daily than I have room to mention.

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My dear brother, if God should incline your heart to this work and labour of love, there are two things earnestly recommended to you:

"The first is to meet at a set hour: that we may agree in our joint prayers, and may have the divine promise to depend on for the blessing we ask. We have for some time met every Friday at noon, but it has been found inconvenient; and by consent, it is now fixed from nine o'clock on Friday morning to ten. You will then meet a great deal of good company at our

several dear ministers and fellow-labourers round the throne, besieging it with their prayers for each other, and for the increase of their number. Whatever be the general issue, it will be well with us supplicants. Our labour will not be in vain in the Lord. If our prayers do not remove the affliction of Joseph, yet we, grieving for it, have a promise of safety, when that affliction comes to be destructive, as you may read at large in Ezekiel ix.

"A second thing is desired of you, namely, that you would pray for the brethren by name. This is not a trifling matter. Indeed it is not. Make a trial of it, and you will find more advantages in it than I have mentioned above. It has been exceedingly profitable to my own soul for several years, and I doubt not but experience will make it so to yours.

"I leave all that I have said in the Lord's hand, that he may apply it to you, as seemeth him good. Whether you join with us or not, I will not cease to pray for you and yours, that the work of the Lord may prosper in you and by you. Only remember, the time is short-the work is great. The Lord God bless you in it, that his harvest may be got in soon, and his labourers may go to rest. In this happy number may you and I be found. When our prayers are over, may we continue our praises to Father, Son, and Spirit, three Persons in one Godhead, to whom we shall be giving equal glory, worship, and thanks, through a long blessed Sabbath Hallelujah. Amen."

THY chariot wheels, O God of love! Are ling'ring yet in heaven above; Weary and sad, thy children wait Till angel hands unfold the gate. Those chariot wheels will grind to dust How many a shape of earthly trust! They will not crush the pearl that lies Deep hid in faithful souls and wise. Weary and sad thy children stand, Their murmur spreads from land to land.

"How long-thou God of love, how long

Shall hate and scorn on earth be strong?"

The envious hate, that will not see Thy truth, is truth, if crowned it be; The zealot scorn, that far aloof Breathes doom on many a Christian roof.

Kindle, O God, thy fire within,
To brand our own most cherished sin,
In home-spun weeds altho' it hide,
Or goodly raiment, purple-dyed.

The sin that keeps thine own apart,
Pluck thou that evil from our heart,
While yet we hearken for the cry
At dead of night-"The Lord is nigh."

Didst thou not say that love should wane,

Ere thou from heaven wouldst come again?

O Lord of truth, it faileth now,

Now let the heavens beneath thee bow.

Now bring thy glorious kingdom near, Thy chariot wheels, we long to hear; For severed hearts will join as one To hail Thee, God's Eternal Son!

H.T.

"A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came and sought fruit thereon, and found none."-LUKE xiii. 6.

Whilst the parable connected with this passage gives an awful description of the state and danger of the ungodly, may not the Christian, at the commencement of another year, be led by it to mourn over his own unprofitableness in the sight of God? He has not, indeed, been unfruitful; but has not daily experience shewn a deficiency in both the quality and the quantity of his produce? All fruit which is acceptable to God, must be the result of union with Christ, and offered through him, "being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God." (Phil. i. 11.) The Old Testament intimates this truth, where we read, in Hosea xiv. 8. "From me is thy fruit found;" and our blessed Lord only enlarges upon it, when he says, "As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine, no more can ye except ye abide in me." In vegetation, we know that productiveness depends not merely upon the adherence of the outer bark, but upon the circulation of the sap. The Psalmist therefore describes "the trees of the Lord as full of sap; the cedars of Lebanon, which he hath planted." (Ps. civ. 16.) Nothing could more correctly illustrate the state and usefulness of the real Christian, which are wholly dependent upon the uninterrupted communication which he receives from Christ, through the influences of the blessed Spirit. In the process of grafting a tree, the gardener's first care may be to unite the outer bark with the stock; but his end is not answered until the sap flows through the whole. In the same way, the initiatory rite of baptism, and all our other ordinances may connect us with the visible church of Christ; but daily experience proves their inefficacy, as to fruitfulness, until Divine aid ac

company them. We have therefore two suitable subjects for prayer at the commencement of another year. 1st, that a larger supply of grace may descend into our hearts; and, 2ndly, that our own sinfulness may not interrupt our communion with Christ. Thus shall we become more fruitful in every good word and work, and our heavenly Husbandman will have less cause to bring against us the awful charge of bringing "forth fruit unto ourselves." (Hosea x. 1.)

"There is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother."-PROV. xviii. 24.

How truly may this be said of Jesus! His omnipresence enables him to be where a brother cannot in all places at all times-and therefore "a very present help in trouble." His omnipotence secures that aid which man could not afford. (Mark iv. 9.) Nor is there any danger of his love being lessened by the discovery of our corruptions; for he well knows what is in man; (John xi. 25.) whilst the unchangeableness of his attributes secures for his people all that he has promised, or they can need.

"Forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.-PHIL. iii. 13, 14.

One of Satan's temptations is, to hinder our progress in duty by the remembrance of past neglect. Sin must be felt, acknowledged, and pardoned. But it is not to impede our devotedness to the cause of God. When no present trial distresses us, the remembrance of past neglect, or the fear of future difficulties, will not unfrequently harass and perplex us; and why? Because we neither cast our sins nor our cares upon Him, who is the propitiation, and who careth for us.

REV. AND DEAR SIR,-You very justly remark, "What a lesson does this failure of the potatoes, one year after another, teach us!" How obvious, how true, and very important is this reflection of yours! Yet true and obvious as it is, the people who are suffering by this infliction, and are even smarting severely under it, evidently fail to learn this lesson. Does this failure arise from their gross ignorance of God, or their wilful disregard of the" operations of his hand"? To both, alas! I apprehend it is ascribable, as their conduct in general too clearly proves. But are the rich or the educated clear in this matter? Have they learnt the lesson which the poor cannot read? Assuredly this was not the case in the days of Jeremiah No-nor is it now. Let us hear the prophet's experience: "Therefore I said, surely these are poor; they are foolish; for they know not the way of the Lord, nor the judgment of their God. I will get me unto the great men, and will speak unto them; for they have known the way of the Lord, and the judgment of their God: but these,' even the great and the rich, these likewise

have altogether broken the yoke, and burst the bonds"-broken through all the restraints of duty, conscience, fear, and shame, and shown no more sense, feeling, nor discernment under judgments of God, than the most poor and ignorant of their countrymen. (See Jer. v. 4, 5.)

With all proper respect for the rank and condition of this class, and with a thankful recognition of many honourable exceptions, as regards the majority I would say, how true is this picture still! how faithful and exact this record even yet, in the midst of Gospel light, and, what is more, Gospel preaching!

But how extraordinary and how sad that it should be so! yet strange as this at first sight might seem, I do not so much wonder that, in the case before us, ignorance's stupid eye, or

wealth's blinding influence, or science's proud pretensions (though with a royal commission to search into this mysterious disease,) should find such a divine visitation far too deep for the utmost reach of their vision, notwithstanding all the aids of even chemistry's wondrous light; as I do with painful surprise reflect, that those who are called in Scripture "the stewards of the mysteries of God," the "watchmen of Israel," and commanded to make known the judgments of their God: that they should be silent spectators of a plague such as this, carrying famine and misery to millions of our fellow-creatures, and defying all science and past experience to explain either its nature or origin, its operation or its cure-and not with one accord lift up their voice and cry aloud to the thousands of our depraved population, "Behold your God," yea, to all ranks and classes of our countrymen, "Hear ye the Rod, and who hath appointed it!"

This is a circumstance which I must confess I was least of all prepared to expect, and which I cannot contemplate without astonishment and deep regret. Yet the editor of the "Record," a journal which circulates widely amongst the clergy, did in a manner worthy of his patriotism, early and repeatedly impress upon his readers views precisely the same that I have taken of this calamity, but seemingly, so far as I can observe, without any response on their part. The columns of that paper do, indeed, abound with notices and correspondence, which attesta vigilant cognizance of the "signs of the times," and even with warnings and "fears of things not seen as yet;" but they present not a single stricture or publication from the pen of a clergyman, or of any official dignitary, touching at all on this extraordinary visitation, in the way of asserting, or directing public attention to it as a judgment for sin, and a call upon the nation to deep repentance and humiliation before God.