A brother, 74 years of age, who was a local preacher of 41 years' standing, applied to know on what terms he could be admitted a member. It was ordered that he be admitted on paying £12 as an entrance fee. The Honorary Secretary reported progress from the Publication Committee. Brother Parker was instructed to furnish copies of the January number of the Magazine to the Local Secretaries for distribution, and to such other persons as may be likely to further its circulation, or promote the interests of the Association. Arrangements were made for the holding of Committee meetings for the next six months. The meeting closed with prayer at about 9 o'clock. DEATHS. Nov. 2. Thos. Willett, Southampton, aged 70, claim £3. He breathed his last as a Christian. Nov. 7. Edw. Haggerty, Suckinglat, Appleby circuit, aged 64, claim £6. He died in a calm state of mind, and gave good evidence of his acceptance with God. Nov. 7. William Checkley, Walsall, aged 58, claim £3. Nov. 17. Joseph Lygo, Derby, aged 66, claim £6. He died in peace, relying on the atonement of Christ. Dec. 3. Geo. Hudson, Runcorn, aged 88, claim £4, He died in perfect peace, He had been on the funds 678 weeks, and had received £135 12s. Nov. 25. Mrs. Reeve, Ipswich, aged 47, claim £3. Her affliction was painful and protracted, but borne with Christian fortitude. Her end was peace. CASH RECEIVED BY THE GENERAL TREASURERS TO DEC. 15, 1864. Burton-on-Trent-Mr. J. Coxon, hm. qly. 5s; Mr. G. Jackson, hc. qly. 2s 6d; Mr. I. Dickin, do. 2s 6d; Mr. J. Warren, do. 2s 6d Stockton ... ... ... Free Sub- Benefit Members. ... ... ... Chelsea-J. Carter, Esq. hm. ... ... Weymouth and Dorchester Barnstaple Bradford ... 4 2 6 1 7 0 ... ... 1 13 0 1 16 ... 1 10 0 1 2 61 16 4 11 0 ... ... Shepton Mallet-For President's £2000, card, Bro. J. Clifford 0 12 0 Launceston-R. Dingley, Esq., 15s; J. Dingley, Esq., 5s; E, ... ... ... ... ... 4 19 0 ... ... ... ... ... ... ... Ipswich-W. Pretty, Esq. hm. ... Driffield-Collected on the principle of the Penny Preacher, Bakewell Mr. Hereman, don. 10s; proceeds of Curbar Tea ... Daventry-Towards President's £2000: Bro. Moore, 3s; Bro. Leigh-Jabez Johnson, Esq. towards President's £2000 1 0 0 0 10 0 260 6 5 6 5 20 2700 12 0 1 7 0 1 7 0 1 19 0 0 4 0 1 10 0 500 £51 3 0 55 06 THE PRESIDENT'S TWO THOUSAND POUND FUND. THE Annual Meeting at St. George's Chapel, London, resolved," That efforts be made throughout the branches to realise the £2000 Fund, as proposed by the Ex-President, in addition to the ordinary income of the year, in order that the aged Annuitants may all have four shillings weekly, till the sum be exhausted: and that a subscription list be now opened." Original Essays. THE LOCAL PREACHER. No. II. THE CALL TO PREACH. A VENERABLE minister of the gospel, consulted by a young man whose mind was much exercised upon the subject of preaching, said to him, in a tender and feeling manner, "Well, my dear, I remember that when I was under similar exercises about preaching to those which you have stated, I was very much discouraged by the preacher to whom I mentioned them; and it depressed my mind and had an injurious effect upon me; and so I determined never to discourage any one; and I will not discourage you. I would advise you not to put yourself forward, nor to make yourself conspicuous; but attend the prayer-meetings held in private houses, and sit down in some corner, or wherever there happens to be room. Say nothing to any one; but if those feelings come upon you which you have described, and language flows with them in the way you have stated, get up, and say a few words,—not too many,—and then sit down; and the Lord will soon show whether or not He has called you to preach." This was wholesome counsel; and it was a word in season to one who had more native modesty than boldness; indeed it is equally adapted to the bold and the timid; and especially to those whose lot is cast in Methodism. The young man whose mind is under exercise about preaching, may safely adopt the plan which the veteran in the work recommended. A Divine Call to preach is a most solemn matter. not such a thing. It is either a reality or a delusion. There is or there is God either does or does not call men to preach; and the man who preaches either is or is not called of God to preach. The writer of this article avows his belief that it is God's inalienable prerogative, exercised in the person of His own Son -the glorified Christ, by the agency of the Holy Ghost, to call men to preach "the glorious Gospel" of His grace. The mode in which God exercises this prerogative no man may presume to determine. It may widely differ in different cases. It may be exercised and made effectual in various ways, according to the diversity of men's circumstances, and the peculiarities of their individual character and mental constitution. It may be more or less clear to the mind of the called, and its hold upon him more or less strong. It may vary in clearness and strength in the same individual, at different times. All this must be granted:-yea, more; it may be enfeebled by sloth, by unfaithfulness, by actual sin,—ay, and even forfeited and lost : all this may be, and yet the cardinal truth remain, that every true “minister of the word" is a man called of God to the work. Christ, in the days of his public ministry upon earth, "called unto Him whom He would." He called "the twelve," "appointed other seventy FEBRUARY, 1865. VOL. XV. D also," and assigned to all of them their work. The call was not indiscriminate, but select. The men were fixed upon by the Lord. Preaching is his ordinance, preachers are His gifts. Apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, teachers, rulers, helpers-all are enumerated by St. Paul as given by him ; and it is simply matter of fact that those have been the most laborious, energetic, and successful preachers who have had the strongest and most abiding conviction of their own call, individually, to preach the Gospel, begun in a mighty conflict within, under an impulsive power that they believed to be of God, constraining them to preach. Look at that raw youth in the public congregation, with countenance expressive of emotion and eyes fixed upon the preacher. His mind is absorbed by the subject under treatment. He is unconscious of any observer's noticing the play of his muscles and the involuntary movement of his limbs. He listens intently, and as he listens, thought and feeling move him; the chambers of his own mind are opened, and out rush thoughts of his own; the well-spring of his heart is touched, and out gushes a flood of feeling. Language flows from him in impetuous torrent or in gentle stream, but silently, though longing for utterance. He thinks of sinners; he thinks of the Saviour; he longs to speak of Him to them. What shall he do? He cannot speak there. He controls himself as best he can, and sighs for place and power of open utterance. Follow him home. Often are his sighs heard there; often his groans. Sometimes he is full of joy, but often full of sorrow. What an enigma he has become to those about him! They cannot understand him. He is always thoughtful, often praying, and never winks at sin. He dare not. Jokes are insipid things to him, laughter itself a burden. What ails him? He is still thinking of sinners and of Jesus, of souls and of eternity, of heaven and of hell; and still he sighs for men's salvation, and wishes he could save them. He thinks if he could but tell them what the Lord has done for him, they would believe and be saved; but how to go about it he knows not. And just as little does he know how hard it is to get men to believe God's truth, and especially to get them to give up sin, and become the disciples of the meek and lowly Jesus. He has not yet tried it; and when he would he feels abashed. How can he who is so ignorant and so mean, and has so lately found peace through believing, and rest to his own soul, assume courage and confidence, and find suitable words, to speak to others about "the things that belong to their peace יי? Unable to avoid sights and sounds that blaze and ring with sin, he groans in anguish; his soul is "vexed" with "the filthy conversation of the wicked," and his spirit horrified by their blasphemies. He trembles with agitation. He wants to speak to the transgressors about the error of their ways; he would fain "turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God." At length he summons courage to open his mouth. He tells the profligate and the blasphemer that the end of these things is death. He would say more. He longs to speak of the love of God in providing a Saviour for men, and of His readiness to pardon the penitent; but he is cut short, met with ribald laughter and sneers, scorn and contempt, and a vomit of filthy speech that shocks and paralyses all the sensibilities of his soul. Stunned and confounded, he goes his way, terrified alike at the world's wickedness and his own powerlessness. What can he do? As he effects a retreat from this battery of hell, he begins to feel the force of another. Sound or sight to outer sense it is not; but a voice he hears within; and it is the voice of tantalisation and reproach. "Ah! is that you that had thoughts about preaching? You that fancied you had but to open your mouth about religion, and tell what you had felt and known, and that men would be sure to believe and be saved? A fine fellow you, indeed, for a preacher, and foiled in your very first attempt to speak to men about their sins, their souls, and religion! Fie! fie! give up for ever all thoughts of that kind. You see it will never do. You are fit for nothing but to go as quietly through the world as you can, minding your own business and letting other people mind theirs, and live just as they like. Their souls are not yours, and if they are to be saved, somebody else must be instrumental in saving them; for the Lord can make no use of you." Enervated for the time, he concludes that it will be best for him to let the roughs alone, and to content himself with praying for them without rebuking them. But may he not try whether he can succeed better with men of softer mould? They, until renewed by grace, are in the same danger as the most hardened and rude. Will they not hear him if he speak to them kindly and respectfully? Why should they not? At all events he may try some of them when he has the chance. Well, the opportunity comes. He has to take a journey by coach, or by steamboat, and must travel with other passengers. Among them are some of the better educated and more polished class; young men like himself, only without the fear of God. These, like those of lower grade, can talk obscenely, crack indecent jokes, and interject unmeaning oaths between the broken parts of half-uttered sentences. A serious looking man in plain black clothes and white neck-tie is among the passengers. They observe him-gauge him from head to foot-and, with a titter, mutter among themselves, "A Methodist parson!" The staple of their talk changes to "cant," "hypocrisy," "humbug," ringing changes with infidel sentiments, and reflections upon lazy parsons of all sorts, and their silly dupes. Much of this is new to the Christian young man. His ears have not before been polluted with some of the things that have fallen from the lips of these despisers of religion and haters of the godly. His spirit is strangely disturbed. He feels that he ought not to let such sin go unreproved, and yet he hardly knows how to begin with men so much above him in the world's scale of respectability. He speaks a word at last, and is tolerated for half a minute. Strange questions are put to him. He answers as well as he |