Doubtless, many of the difficulties wherein Friends of that quarter have been involved, have arisen from publications put forth in this land; as well as from the course which, after deliberate consideration, the Yearly Meetings of London and Dublin have seen it right to adopt, in reference to the several American divisions. In our apprehension, however, the great difficulty at present is respecting the two bodies in New England; and until a union can be brought about there, there is but very little prospect of much being done to stop or heal divisions elsewhere. In this view of the case, it seems to us highly important that the attention of Friends should be steadily, and in deep earnestness of spirit, directed to this point; as it is evident that if the two bodies in New England can be brought to coalesce, the chief subject of difference will have been removed; and not only will it, in all probability, prevent a separation in Philadelphia, but will also, may we not hope, lead to the restoration of unity in Ohio and Baltimore, and elsewhere. In order to promote this most desirable object, it is of essential importance that we individually examine, in the light of Truth, what there is for us to do. Many Friends, we know, are anxious that some effort should be made, and truly the work is one that could not fail, if undertaken in pure feeling and uprightness, to carry with it an abundant blessing. We have not been able to discover that, between the two bodies of Friends in New England, there exists what may be termed an irreconcilable difference in doctrine. In the main, we apprehend, they are one in this respect; and individual exceptions should Chcie do such, do not affect this conclusion. As preparatory to a movement for union, two things would seem to be needful-first, that the smaller body should cherish or manifest a wish for it, and that the larger should meet the proposal with an open hand. Or reverse the mode, and let the proposal be supposed to come from the latter—the former, we venture to affirm, would not refuse to entertain the matter; and, were there no sacrifice of principle, would even hail the proposal. What, then, is there to hinder such a proposition? Neither body, we should hope, is unwilling to respond to what will, we trust, ere long be manifest, a generally expressed wish of the Society. Beyond what we have above stated, we have nothing definite to propose. Our object is rather to turn the attention of Friends to the question; as both the bodies we have referred to in New England, will, we cannot doubt, be much influenced by Friends in this country. The mode of effecting a union, if way should appear to open for it, will have to be carefully considered; but still, we think a meeting ground may be found. Both bodies in New England hold themselves to be Friends-both profess our principles, and this is the ground why an attempt should be made for a reunion. Fervently desiring that He who raised up our forefathers to be a people unto Himself, and to show forth His praise, may graciously condescend to rule and over-rule amongst us, and heal all our breaches, we conclude with the beautiful description of the Psalmist: "Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity! It is like the precious ointment upon the head, that ran down upon the beard, even Aaron's beard; that went down to the skirts of his garments; as the dew of Hermon, and as the dew that descended upon the mountains of Zion: for there the Lord commanded the blessing, even life for evermore." FRIENDS TRAVELLING IN THE MINISTRY.-We learn that SUSAN HOWLAND, from New England, intended to embark at New York on the 30th ult., on her mission to Friends in this country; and, it is expected, will arrive at Liverpool about the 10th of the present month. GROVER KEMP, of Brighton, accompanied by JOHN MARSH, of Dorking, was at Plymouth on First-day, the 20th ult., whence they proceeded next day into Cornwall, on their way to the Scilly Islands; for religious service on which, and other places, Grover Kemp's liberation was intimated in our last. JOHN P. MILNER AND HENRY HOPKINS have been engaged, since our last notice, in prosecuting their religious engagements in Ireland. After holding a public meeting at Besbrook, near Newry, on the 26th of 6th Month, they were at Leinster Quarterly Meeting, held at Enniscorthy; subsequently attended the meetings of Ballintore, Cooladine, Randal's Mills, and Wexford, and were again at Enniscorthy, at the Monthly Meeting, on the 8th of 7th Month. Held a public meeting at Kilnook, ou the evening of Fifth-day, the 10th; attended the meetings of Tullow and Kilconner, and were at Carlow Monthly Meeting on Sixth-day the 11th; at Edenderry on First-day, the 13th, where they had also a public meeting in the evening. On the 15th, they were at the Monthly Meeting in Dublin, and afterwards attended those of Edenderry and Moate. They also visited James Ellis, at Letterfrack, near Clifden, on First-day, the 20th, where they intended to have a public meeting; and on Fourthday, the 23d, had a public meeting at Galway. They have since returned to England, intending to resume their engagements in Ireland in the autumn. JOHN FINCH MARSH has attended the meetings of Friends in Dublin and Waterford; visited the families of Friends in Clonmel, and attended the meeting of Cork. He expected to be at the Quarterly Meeting of Munster, to be held at Limerick, on the 27th ult. THE ACKWORTH ANNIVERSARIES. THE various meetings connected with the General Meeting for Ackworth School, were held this year during three days of the first week in the 7th Month, and failed not, as usual, to draw together a large number of Friends from all parts of the country. The interesting character of these meetings is well known. The company of so many young people revisiting the scene of their school days, and mingling in the fields or on the playground with the still younger pupils of the present day, both in social converse and active games, forms a very animating spectacle; and without detracting from the more impor tant engagements of the time, spreads an air of quiet and happy enjoyment over an occasion not less dis. tinguished by serious concern for the welfare of our religious Society. THE GENERAL MEETING OF ACKWORTH SCHOOL Opens and closes with a meeting for worship; in which, on the late occasion, there was a large flow of ministerial service. The examinations fill up part of two days: most of the pupils are seen in their various classrooms on Fourth-day afternoon: the Scripture examinations, and the examination of the tenth class of boys, occupy four hours of Fifth-day morning. day schools, have been highly beneficial to themselves, FRIENDS' EDUCATIONAL SOCIETY.-On Sixth-day morning a General Meeting of this Society assembled at nine o'clock. JOHN HODGKIN, of Tottenham, occupied the chair. The company present numbered upwards of two hundred Friends. After some introductory observations from the chairman, and a statement of accounts from THOMAS PUMPHREY, the treasurer, four papers were read, which, with the remarks accompanying them, and a recess in the middle of the proceedings, occupied the meeting upwards of four hours. The state of the classes appeared on the whole to give general satisfaction; and it was thought benefit had been derived from some extra instruction which the Committee had provided in reading, writing, and drawing. A doubt was expressed that while French, drawing, and other advanced studies had been added to the course of instruction, the elements of a plain English education were in danger of not receiving due attention, and it was suggested that it would be expedient to intermit the former when the primary The first paper was a report presented by JOHN branches were found defective. No conclusion, how- NEWBY, of Ackworth, "on the means of intellectual ever, was come to on this question; but a strong sen- improvement open to young persons in the Society of timent was expressed by a member of the Committee, Friends, after leaving School." This report gave a that it was undesirable to attempt anything more than succinct account of the establishment of public liwas now included in the curriculum of studies. braries belonging to Friends, but embracing a general During the proceedings, a report was read by the course of reading, in London, Dublin, and BirmingSuperintendent on the general arrangements of the ham. It also alluded to the means of improvement classes, with some remarks on the beneficial working afforded by Mechanics' Institutions, by Essay Societies, of the various measures of improvement which have Lecture Associations, and Discussion or Conversation been adopted of late years, in enlarged and improved Meetings; not overlooking the intellectual as well as class-rooms and school furniture, in the increase of moral and religious benefit often accruing to the teachers, the appointment of a master on duty, the young by uniting themselves to a circle of First-day introduction of vacations, improved domestic arrange-school teachers. Friends were urged to give their aid ments, &c. The importance of an early instruction in the contents of the Bible before children are sent to school, was brought before the meeting by a minute from the Yearly Meeting in London; and a draft of an address to parents on this Christian duty was produced, which, after some remarks, especially with regard to the part which fathers of families should take in conjunction with mothers in this work, was referred to the committees to propose for the adoption of the next Yearly Meeting in London. A mournful feeling accompanied the question of nominating some one to act as treasurer to the institution, in the place of our dear friend, SAMUEL GURNEY, deceased. For forty-one years had the late treasurer occupied this important post, manifesting an ever-watchful interest in the prosperity of the institution, entering into its details with an earnest religious concern, and often relieving its pecuniary difficulties with exemplary munificence. The appoint ment of a successor is deferred. FRIENDS' PROVIDENT INSTITUTION.-The Annual Meeting convened on Fourth-day evening. JOHN PRIESTMAN, of Bradford, in the chair. The continued prosperity and utility of this institution was matter of satisfaction. It appears by the report, that the sum assured to survivors in the Life Policies of Class IX. amounts to a million-and-a-half sterling; while the sums paid to the representatives of deceased assurers, since the origin of the Society, have amounted to £196,259. FRIENDS' FIRST-DAY SCHOOL ASSOCIATION.-A very interesting meeting of this Association was held on Fifth-day evening, attended by about two hundred Friends. JOHN PEASE presided, and the report was read by JOHN THIRNBECK GRACE, of Bristol. A strong feeling prevailed, that the efforts into which many young Friends have been led, in connection with First and encouragement to these associations, and the On the company re-assembling, after a recess of ten minutes or a quarter of an hour, DR. WILLIS, of the Methods of Teaching, with especial reference to New Flounders Institution, presented a paper " On Modern Methods of Teaching Languages." This he stated to be a review, and in part a translation from a German work of Von Raunier's; and showed that the great leading principles of our modern systems of teaching were, for the most part, affirmed about two centuries ago, in some of the schools of Germany, subsequently to the great inroad made on the old scholastic dogmas by the writings of Lord Bacon. Large quotations were made from Wolfgang Ratich and John Amos Comenius. The subject was found to be too copious for one paper; and we should hope it may be resumed, or remodelled, on a future occasion. The last paper read was from JOHN FORD, of York on the important subject of "School Discipline," addressed to young teachers. This paper was listened to with great interest and approval. It is a judicious and earnest portraiture of the responsibility, difficulties, and delicacy of the teacher's calling; and contains many very valuable suggestions for the guidance of those who are entering the profession. Comparatively few of those immediately addressed were present, but we hope it will reach their hands through the press; and we may observe that many of the reflections apply with equal, if not increasing force, to early domestic education. N. means are not realized by a faithful following out of the Society's belief in reference to the means under the new covenant of becoming wise unto salvation, I have no faith in their accomplishment being satisfactorily effected through the medium upon which thou seems to place so much dependence-a systematic outward instrumentality. It has ever been the belief of Friends, in accordance with Holy Scripture, that there is a knowledge which killeth as well as a knowledge by which we are made wise unto salvation. Of the former it may be said that "it puffeth up: " a mere literal head-knowledge -that of the letter killeth ;" but the knowledge inparted by the Holy Spirit "giveth life." At the same time Friends have ever been careful LETTERS TO EDWARD ASIL-No. VII. to guard themselves from being thought advocates of RESPECTED FRIEND,--The last of thy seven letters I extremes. While they have been led to place little find to be a continuation of the discussion in the sixth reliance upon such a mere literal or historical know-viz., the subject of Christian life and conversation. ledge as the Jews, in the days of our Redeemer's perIn conformity with thy usual practice, the reader is sonal appearance, boasted of when he thus addressed presented with a high encomium on the Society-them-"Ye search the Scriptures; for in them ye inasmuch as "in no other religious community is the think ye have eternal life, but ye will not come unto moral training and discipline of youth more carefully me that ye might have life"-Friends have been equally attended to-the habits of propriety, order, industry, cognizant of the truth that "the Holy Scriptures are sobriety, self-control, and practical usefulness, in which able to make wise unto salvation, through faith that is a large portion of its young people are trained, having in Christ Jesus. Hence, though the knowledge of given them," in thy opinion, "an almost proverbial their precious contents is not only not to be withheld, character for the possession of these qualities." but to be sedulously imparted, a marked distinction has always been considered by Friends to exist between this literal head-knowledge and that which is saving. "What man," saith the apostle Paul," knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? Even so no man knoweth the things of God save as communicated by "the Spirit of God." Hence it arises, in terms of the sentence quoted from thy letter, that Friends have been led to the inculcation upon their children of the duty and blesseduess of giving heed to the voice of the Holy Spirit in their hearts, as that "unction" of which the apostle John testifies, as imparting a knowledge of all (divine) things-rendering it unnecessary that any man should teach his brother, because, in virtue of the law, under the gospel dispensation, being written on the heart, all, from the least to the greatest, may know the Lord and his Divine will. Taken as a whole, their religious education does not seem to thee to come short of that which the youth of other communities receive. In some respects it probably rises above it; for the views and habits of Friends naturally lead, in a more than common degree, to the inculcation upon their children of reverent feelings towards God and sacred things, and of the duty of giving heed to the voice of his Spirit in their hearts. 1 This, it must be admitted, is saying a great deal. query, What tack we yet?" thou tells them wherein they are defective there is not among them, "in the general, enough of definite and systematic effort to instruct their youth, through the medium of the Holy Scriptures, in Divine, and especially in Christian truth." While I should feel reluctant to blame thee for what may possibly arise from my own dullness of perception, I must confess that I am at a loss to understand the distinction which thy words imply, as existing between Divine and Christian truth, or how Friends could think of separating them. And, further, I find it difficult to discover the deficiency of which Friends are accused, in their supposed neglect to impress what thou terms Divine and Christian truth upon the minds of their children; neglecting also to lead them to habits of personal devotion, as well as not urging upon them the necessity of earnestness in the great work of the soul's salvation. If it be the case, as thou hast above asserted, that the views and habits of Friends naturally lead them to the inculcation upon their children of reverent feelings towards God and sacred things, and of the duty and blessedness of giving heed to the voice of his Spirit in their hearts, I ask, how can children, so cared for, remain ignorant of Divine and Christian truth? How can it fail to be impressed upon their minds with a direct reference to its living and practical influence? How can they fail to be led into habits of personal devotion? How, in fine, can they miss having urged upon them the necessity of earnestness and decision in the great work of the soul's salvation? If all these desirable results-in which the youth among friends, in thy apprehension, are deficient, because of the inadequate appreciation by the Society of the place assigned in the Divine economy to instrumental Whatever real or supposed deficiency, therefore, may exist among Friends in regard to religious knowledge, I have no hesitation in avowing my conviction that the right remedy lies less in the direction which thy letters indicate, than in a fuller recognition and more practical carrying out of their scriptural, fundamental view, as above explained. "The prevailing genius of Quakerism," thou asserts, "considerably tends to produce a negative kind of religion." So far as the term "prevailing" implies a degenerated “genius," I am ready to admit thy assertion to be true. But Quakerism, in this respect, cannot justly be held liable from exemption to what befel the profession of Christianity in apostolic times-to have the form acknowledged while its power was denied. Though I am well enough aware that because of this "prevailing" degenerated "genius" of Quakerism, the Society suffers not the less that other denominations share a similar, if not greater degeneracy, yet I cannot but deem it a want of charity on thy part to encourage the notion that Quakerism is, in itself, defective, because of this degeneracy becoming the prevailing genius" among its professors. Rather let thy attempts be directed to restoring them to the primitive soundness of that profession, than to draw them from the immutable Rock on which it is based-induce them not to forsake "the fountain of living waters, that they may hew themselves out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water." Nothing further in thy seventh letter seeming to call for comment, I may notice a remark in what I take to be the postscript-"It may be true, that in the present state of things in the church, a highly spiritual form of Christianity, however free from defects, would not be likely to draw to itself any very large number of adherents." This consideration "ought not," thou says, "to reconcile the minds of Friends to the fact, that while the general population has been vastly increasing, their own numbers have been continually decreasing." For my part, I am not aware that though Friends may be induced to admit this fact, they are yet "reconciled" to it; they would, unquestionably, it were otherwise. But truth they believe to be immutable; it cannot be brought down or altered to suit the unprepared tastethe weakened capacity of particular and, it may be, lukewarm times. I believe with thee, that the Society of Friends, while it retains its integrity, must occupy not only a highly useful, but an important place in the universal church; and my rejoicing would at least equal thine, to see its numbers increasing, instead of lessening. Here, however, we part company. "There seems," to thee, no prospect of the Society maintaining even its present ground, without some change in its economy or practice." What thou art desirous we should understand by these words, "economy or practice," it has been of course thy object to show in the "seven letters" on which I have been commenting. Now, whatever conclusion my readers may have formed on this point, I am more and more confirmed in the conviction that Quakerism, equally with Christianity, as it came from its Divine Author, is fully adequate for the glorious purpose which it was designed to effect, and that under all imaginable emergencies. And though there could be no hesitation in preferring a pure and primitive, to either a modified and partly spurious profession, none at all, yet I see no cause to distrust the everenduring, unchanging vitality of the Christianity of Quakerism. Even were the profession of it to be lost for a while to the world, at least as to its distinguishing but reproachful name, still it could not but re-assert its claims, and ultimately attain supremacy, previous to that period when it is declared, that "the kingdoms of this world shall become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign for ever and ever." The religious profession of the Society of Friends, or rather that power by which the religion of the New Testament was afresh revealed to George Fox and his contemporaries, remains the same as in their day; and all-sufficient to such as are willing to come under its government, for enabling them to exemplify the fruits of the Spirit, and to perfect holiness in the fear of the Lord. It is to this power, light, grace, or Spirit of Christ, as the same is to be known inwardly revealed, that all professors of every name, Friends as well as others, need to have their attention more and more turned, as the alone requisite for our witnessing, through obedience to its guidance, the fulfilment of that glorious prediction of the evangelical prophet-"All thy children shall be taught of the Lord; and great shall be the peace of thy children. In righteousness shalt thou be established; thou shalt be far from oppression, for thou shalt not fear; and from terror, for it shall not come near thee." I am afraid this letter has already extended to an undue length; but I cannot forbear remarking, that I fear thou art not sensible how far thou art inconsistent with thyself, in desiring the change which thy letters advocate, as necessary for the Society of Friends to adopt in their economy and practice, when, at the conclusion, thou art forced to make this explicit confession:-"Most certainly such change is not of such a nature as should in any degree weaken the Society's testimony to the purity and spirituality of the Gospel of Christ, but rather such as should serve to give that testimony its full scope and influence, and to remove everything that is calculated to weaken and disparage it!" On this point, as also on some minor ones, which a necessity for brevity compels me to pass over, I consider thee quite mistaken. At the same time, I may observe, in drawing my reply to a close, that, seeing there are still so many important matters upon which thou art able to unite with Friends-more indeed than thou hast been able, upon a careful search, as I presume, to find among any other religious community-I trust it will be the desire of the reader, as it is sincerely mine, that thou may cease to halt between two opinions, and be brought again to see eye to eye with Friends; to the promotion of their prosperity and comfort, as well as thy own usefulness and peace. With this I conclude, and remain thine truly, MENTOR. Correspondence. REVELATIONS VII. To the EDITORS of THE BRITISH FRIEND. ESTEEMED FRIENDS,-I give you the following, which may be of service to your correspondent "T. R.," on Rev. vii. I copied it from an old annotated Bible, author unknown, as the title-page is gone: "That the tribe of Dan is here left out, and Ephraim is not named (though included in Joseph). Of the tribe of Dan there were none rated. Dan was a great ringleader to idolatry; so was Ephraim (see Judges xvii. and xyiii.): and at Dan it was that Jeroboam set up his calves. Levi is puv instead of Ephraim, by which means here are yet twelve tribes, which teacheth us this, that Christians, if idolaters, must not look for any special protection or favour from God in a day of evil."--Your sincere X. friend, REVELATIONS VII. To the EDITORS of THE BRITISH FRIEND. DEAR FRIENDS,-In your journal of 4th Month, I read an inquiry under the heading, Rev. vii. As no answer appears in the subsequent number, I transcribe, and ask you to be so kind as insert, for perusal of your correspondent, the comment of Dr. A. Clarke on Rev. vii. 5-8.-And am your friend, very truly, AN HUMBLE STUDENT OF THE HOLY SCRIPTURES. 5th Month, 22d, 1856. Ver. 5-8.-OF THE TRIBE Of Judah. First, We are to observe that the tribe of Levi is here mentioned, though that tribe had no inheritance in Israel, but they now belonged to the spiritual priesthood. Secondly, That the tribe of Dan, which had an inheritance, is here omitted; as also the tribe of Ephraim. Thirdly, That the tribe of Joseph is here added in the place of Ephraim-Ephraim and Dan being the principal promoters of idolatry, are left out in this enumeration. REVELATIONS VII. To the EDITORS of THE BRITISH Friend. RESPECTED FRIENDS, In answer to T. R.'s inquiry about the passage in Rev. vii., I have consulted several versions, and amongst them Purver's, who makes no remark, though I expected to have found some This was observation on it, as he generally does, where it ap- things which make for our everlasting peace. The pears obviously an error in transcribing from the ori-precious truths of salvation recorded in the Bible are ginal. There appears only one place in Numbers in livingly understood in that faith which is the gift of the dispute about the priesthood, where Levi is God, and are indeed sealed in the experience of those reckoned as a tribe; or at least the twelve tribes were who come to Christ, and learn of Him. ordered to bring each a rod on which was to be the eminently the case with George Fox and our early name of their prince, and Aaron's name was to be on Friends, whose works show them to have been intithe tribe of Levi; though it is the opinion of the mately conversant with the writings of the Old and Rabbins that there were twelve besides Aaron's; hence New Testament; yet they did not seek to fathom the it is most probable, that in the original in this case, mysteries of the kingdom of heaven by the exercise Manasseh is substituted for Dan; as in every other of their intellectual faculties, but waited in the childplace where the tribes are mentioned, Levi is omitted, like disposition spoken of by our Saviour (Matt. xi. and Joseph supplied by Manasseh and Ephraim. 25), to which they are revealed by the Father. "We do, indeed," says Isaac Penington, "really, heartily, singly, as in God's sight, own the Scriptures-the Scriptures written by the prophets and holy men of God under the law-the Scriptures written by the evangelists aud apostles in the time of the gospel; we read them with delight and joy, and would draw no man from the right reading of them to the benefit of his soul, but only from giving their own judgments on them without the Spirit of God; lest, in so doing, they should wrest them to their own destruction. This is that which the Lord hath drawn us from, and which we know it would also be profitable to others to be drawn from too; to wit, from imagining and guessing at the meaning of Scriptures, and interpreting them without the opening of that Spirit from which they were given forth; for those who do so, feed that part (with a gathered knowledge) which should be famished, die, and perish, that another thing might come to live in them, and they in it." In the book of Numbers, the tribe of Levi was ordered not to be reckoned among the sum of the children of Israel, as they were to be as ministering angels to the people; thus, in that case, Dan ought to stand for Levi, and Joseph for Ephraim. How such a change should have occurred is difficult to account for, though there are several instances in the Scriptures where the names are misplaced or differently spelled. The most remarkable is the one in Matt. xxiii. 35, where Zacharias the prophet is put for Zacharias the father of John the Baptist. We have no account of the prophet's death, though it is generally believed he died a natural death; but the father of John the Baptist was slain between the altar and the temple, at the time of the murder of the innocents, by Herod, or his order, for refusing to discover where his son was when his mother fled with him into the wilderness. So says Chrysostom; and what is remarkable, that five of this name were murdered in or near the temple, all righteous men, and the last only a few months before the temple was destroyed by the Romans.-Yours, &c., T. THE SOCIETY OF FRIENDS AND THE SCRIPTURES. To the EDITORS of THE BRITISH FRIEND. Friend of 4th Month, I intimated that I might forThe Dritish ward to you, at a future time, a few remarks on the desire manifested, in some quarters, to introduce a change in the manner of holding meetings for worship in our religious Society. Before entering on this subject, I would allude to a mistake or misprint in that communication, by which the term "first produce" was substituted for that of "first producer," in the definition of the word "source." The error did not, however, affect the statements then advanced; since, if the Holy Scriptures cannot be regarded by Friends as the sole authoritative source, or first producer of Divine truth, neither can they be considered as its "first produce." The primary products of Almighty grace, truth, and mercy to man, after the fall of Adam, existed long before Moses wrote the testimony or declaration of them contained in the Pentateuch. The seed of the wom in which was to bruise the head of the serpent, was promised, and a manifestation of the Spirit of God had been bestowed on our first parents and their descendants, for the purpose of their salvation (if co-operated with); therefore this gift claims precedence and pre-eminence over the Scriptures. All true Friends will readily yield to the Holy Scriptures that place which the great Head of the Church has assigned them. They will own that they are the words of God, but not the Word, and as such, are secondary to the Spirit-they will gratefully acknowledge with an apostle, "That whatsoever things were written aforetime, were written for our learning; that we, through patience and comfort of the Scriptures, might have hope." As obedience is rendered to the strivings and operations of the Spirit of God in the soul, the spiritual eye is opened to behold the We value the Bible, and, with other professing Protestant Christians, recommend and practise the frequent and diligent perusal of its contents, in a family and individual capacity; yet, we do not regard the introduction of Scripturo roading in our meetings for Worshin as forming any part of true and spiritual we assemble on such occasions. homage to the King of kings--the purpose for which worship Him in spirit and in truth." The subjuga"God is a Spirit; and they that worship Him, must tion, in silence, of all creaturely thoughts, is a fitting and necessary preparation for the offerings of prayer and of praise, which are raised by the agency of the Holy Spirit in the hearts of those who truly wait upon God. The sacrifices which He requires are those of a broken and contrite spirit-the surrender of the whole soul to Him and to the operations of His grace. This surrender is not a transient or sentimental offering, proffered but not yielded, or else speedily withdrawn; it must be made in sincerity of purpose, that the will of the creature may be given up to the Creator, and redemption be experienced from the activity in religious things that has its origin in self. Holy men of God, under the dispensation of the a v, were fully acquainted with the practice and privilege of silent waiting upon the Most High, and exhortations to the fulfilment of this great duty are multiplied in some of the books of the Old Testament. Keep silence before me, O islands; and let the people renew their strength; let them come near; then let is the command given forth by the Almighty through them speak; let us come near together to judgment," the prophet Isaiah. "My soul," said David, "waiteth for the Lord, more than they that watch for the morning." Such a state implies entire dependence on Him, and is contra-distinguished from that condition of mind which is bent on "much serving," by works and worship of human contrivance. and consoling promise of Israel's God to the true In that most gracious Israelites, "I will be as the dew unto Israel; he shall grow as the lily, and cast forth his roots as Lebanon." He is shown to be the immediate source of refresh |