with us into the presence of our Father. And when this is so, our life and practice will accord with these commanding sympathies.

Dear Christian readers, I need not go farther into other views of our common brotherhood in the presence of "Our Father." All who think of these things, as Christians laying them to heart, must not only deplore the present rife sectarianism, but so live and labor that love and unity will be among their leading objects. You cannot be sectarian, building up your denominations with a competing, jealous, engineering spirit. You will lay aside your carnal workings and live a wise, loving, earnest Christian.

Summit, Mich., Aug. 9, 1865.

R J. W.

PRACTICAL UNITY.-The following, which we take from the Christian Instructor, is the closing part of an account of the meeting of the Des Moines Presbytery of the United Presbyterian Church, lately held in Knoxville, Iowa:- "On Monday, instead of a sermon, as is usual, a religious conference was held, with reference especially to the outpouring of the Holy Spirit and the revival of the work of grace in the church and nation. In this conference, Rev. B. F. Jacobs, of the O. S., and Rev. Gordon, of the N. S. Presbyterian churches, joined

us.

The services were very interesting and refreshing. It was felt how good and pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity, and to talk with each other with reference to the great and vital interests of our holy religion, and the salvation of the perishing. All seemed to feel the importance of honoring the Holy Spirit more, trusting him more, and praying more for the revelation of his divine power in working within our souls the great work of grace, and in giving larger efficiency to word and ordinance in the conversion of sinners. It was finally resolved to call a religious convention, to consist of the various denominations, for the purpose of considering this whole mtater of the work of grace, the extension of our common and beloved cause, and the greater harmony in aim and effort for securing a revival of religion in our midst."

The Prayer-Meeting.

CONDUCT OF THE PRAYER-MEETING.

We do not propose to furnish any rules for the proper conduct of a prayer-meeting. We merely offer at this time a suggestion or two. We believe that it will be found most profitable to refrain from everything that has the slightest appearance of restraint upon the liberty of those who attend. The leader should not be hampered by any set rules, and should vary the form of the services from time to time. If he always opens the meeting in the same manner, and calls on the same members to participate, there will be none of the freshness and

spirit that is manifest where each one has liberty to utter his thoughts. Avoid monotony, or a mere routine way of occupying time. Do nothing for mere form sake, and equally avoid that which will attract atteńtion for its singularity. Let everything be done not only decently and in order, but naturally and with ease.

A five, ten or fifteen minute rule is equally objectionable. If Christian love be dominant, no member will occupy so much time that others shall be prevented from participating. If one is habitually prosy and talkative, consuming much time in saying that which profits none, do not, for the sake of cutting short his verbiage, abridge the liberty of another, who always has a word tending to edification. A friendly hint in private after the meeting will frequently do more good.

Let special topics be selected for the occasion, the passage of Scripture referring to it distinctly read and commented upon, and suitable hymns sung. The leader should thus strike the key note, and if all that follows relates to the subject introduced, the more profitable will be the exercises. This precludes special preparation of matter for the prayer-meeting. Let it be so. Let the friends come in the spirit of prayer, with hearts full of love to the Master and to all his children, and they will be ready with a word or two on any Scripture topic. Spontaneous utterances from loving hearts are better than set speeches.

In some meetings the leader calls on the brethren, one by one, to pray, and they do so. In others, all are invited and no one specially called upon. A judicious blending of the two modes is preferable to a strict adherance to either. Long pauses between prayers and speeches may suit the Quakers, but generally tend to dullness among other Christians. Do not let the interest of a meeting flag, when you know one who can fill up the pause and kindle anew the flame that is about to expire.

Do not neglect the needs of the young; there are lambs in the flock, and their wants must be tenderly regarded. There are aged fathers and mothers present; let them not be passed by. Take particular notice of every case of trial or affliction.

The prayer-meeting is a place of power. A mountain of spiritual strength. Here we all drink deeply into the one spirit. Our spirits blend. Our petty differences are forgotten. The Lord makes one of

our company. How our hearts burn within us as he walks by our side and opens to us the Scriptures. Here we are endued with power from on high. Here we speak forth his praises; we cannot be silent. The very stones would cry out if we should hold our peace. the people praise thee, O God; let all the people praise thee."

Let

away

Will men's prayers be answered? Not if they pray as boys whittle sticks; absently, hardly knowing or caring what they are about. I've known men begin to pray about Adam, and go on from him down to the present time, whittling their sticks clear to a point, with about as much feeling, and doing about as much good as the boy does." -Beecher.

WHO SHALL SUSTAIN THE PRAYER-MEETING ?

It must be admitted by all that it should be sustained. No church can expect to prosper without it. It is the great medium of communication between God and man. God has ordained and promised to answer prayer. Christ has said, "Where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst," and that to indite our prayers. If the prayer-meeting ought to be sustained, the question is by whom?

Some appear to suppose that the minister is here responsible. If the prayer-meeting is dull or thinly attended, they throw the blame. on him. If he were different, it would not be so. At the same time they know that if they had the best minister in the world, he could not make a good prayer-meeting alone. He might make a good sermon, and a good exhortation, and offer an acceptable prayer, but when we come to the meeting, it requires more than one to make it good. Neither the minister nor the deacon, however much he may contributed towards it, can alone make it what it should be. It requires the people-it takes the whole church to do this. All the members are bound to contribute something. Their presence and influence-their words of reproof, of counsel and encouragement, are demanded, and at the same time, their experiences, prayers and praises. They have virtually pledged themselves to attend these meetings, and take an interest in them. The covenant holds them to this. For what else did they unite with the church, but to live and help live as individual members, to sustain the ordinances of the church, and to co-operate in her appropriate work? This cannot be effectually done without a prayer-meeting well sustained. If there are but two or three who can attend, they are accepted and strong in the Lord; but two or three there when many are away, immersed in the business and pleasures of the world, who ought to be there, is a very different thing. It is a losing process. No minister can prevent it. As long as the church pursues that course, she is comparatively powerless for good. She will dwindle and perish without a change. When will Christians learn faithfulness, and, as the consequence, reap success? When it is too late? or now, when they can redeem the time and accomplish their work?

To insure success, God has implanted the principle of love in every Christian heart. Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and thy neighbor as thyself, This is indispensable. He that possesses this principle will inevitably love the cause of God, and consequently love the prayer meeting. For any one to say that he does love it and not show it, in any way,- by his presence, and cooperation when there is simply absurd! Love will exhibit itself in some way. If we have an interest in the prayer-meeting, it will be manifested. The test is a true one-it cannot fail. For one to love God and his cause, and the social meeting, and exhibit it in no way, is impossible as impossible as it is for a mother to love her child,

and not show it in any way-never have anything to say or do for it! Then it follows, that if the prayer-meeting is not sustained, there must be a radical defect somewhere. The very elements of religion are impaired. Is it not so? We are loth to admit it; for if it is true, what must be the character of the piety of many of our church members? They evidently love the world better than they love Christ, or else their conduct very much misrepresents them. The prayer-meeting is an invaluable test of the spirituality and life of the church.-Morning Star.

A Senator attended a meeting of the Methodist Church. One of their celebrated preachers occupied the pulpit, and the people were quite pleased that it was not one of their ordinary ministers. After the sermon an old man arose, and in broken accents and trembling voice, told how he felt and what great things God had done for him. “Too bad, too bad," said several, “that the effect of that beautiful sermon should have been spoiled by that old man's talk." A few days afterward the Senator met the preacher. " Sir, I am very happy to be able to say that I was greatly blessed at your meeting. Since that time God has spoken peace to my soul." Well sir," said the preacher, “I am delighted, if anything I uttered on that occasion has been of service to you." "Oh no, my friend, it was nothing you said at all. Your sermon was very eloquent indeed, but it did not effect me in the least; but when that dear old man arose and related how he had been blest and what God had done for him, I saw that I had no part in this great salvation. I was deeply affected, and it was this that led me to the cross."

Who will speak for Jesus?

POSITION IN PRAYER.-Rev. W. ARNOT says: "We may safely lay it down as an absolute rule, without stipulating for even a single exception, that the best position for praying in is the position in which we can best pray. This question has begun of late to attract a considerable measure of attention in the Presbyterian churches of Scotland. It needs a wise treatment, and, alas! we lack wisdom. For convenience and order, all the members of a worshiping assembly ought evidently to adopt the same method; but this is not a matter for arbitrary ecclesiastical enactment. The Pharisee and the Publican both stood while they prayed; but their prayers seem to have been short. To enact that the congregation must stand during prayer, and then to keep them praying for twenty minutes or half an hour, which is sometimes done, seems to be in effect turning prayer into penance."

A quaint old writer says: "God looks not on the oratory of our prayers, how eloquent they are; nor at their geometry, how long they are; not at their arithmetic, how many they are; nor at their logic, how methodical they are; but he looks at their sincerity, how spiritual they are."

Practical Discourses.

URGENT DUTIES HINDERED BY PARTY SPIRIT.*

BY REV. SANDERSON ROBINS.

While we are busy in making or maintaining divisions in the Church, there is a work to be done which needs all the talent, and energy, and devotion, which we can command. It claims precedence of all else, and will bear no postponement nor delay. There is one controversy which we cannot evade without miserable failure of duty to the Lord of all; it is the controversy with unbelief and sin. Whatever we may hold about matters in dispute among ourselves, we must admit that what belongs to the superstructure is subordinate to that which involves the foundation. Foremost among the evils of the age is the spirit of unbelief; not, for the most part, contemptuous and mocking, but subtle and deceptive; seeming to make large admissions, it in fact denies all religious truth. It has theories of its own; but it has no revelation which it really allows, nor inspiration, nor redemption in any true sense, nor even the existence of a personal God. And the forms of broad scepticism which educated persons have learned, mainly from foreign teachers, have descended to the classes below them in the social scale, and are held by intelligent working-men to an extent which many of us little suspect. Multitudes who never heard the name of Schelling, or Hegel, or Fichte, have become familiar with their arguments, and have indirectly learned from them the lesson of unbelief. Pantheism has spread very widely, drawing into its snare many a college student, as well as many a hardheaded, half-taught mechanic. It is paganism in a new form, but as thorough as ever Christianity displaced. The time demands some answer to the objections which are urged against the very first principles of our teaching. They cannot be put off by authority. sounding words will do us no good; nor harshness in condemning; and the affectation of contempt, which is a favorite resource with popular lecturers on the evidences, will inevitably be set down to ignorance or conscious weakness. Many sceptics are very shrewd, and some may be even honest, and really want to be told how they may

There are only a few things in this discourse which are inapplicable to American readers, We think that nearly all the words of the eloquent preacher can be applied to our own undue attachment to partisan interests and neglect of "pure and undefiled religion."

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