Spirit of our Master with us, simply for the asking, and shall we ever go alone?

It was a terrible reproof to men of other times, "There is none that calleth upon thy name, that stirreth up himself to take hold of thee." It is indeed a wondrous thought, that worms of the dust may thus have free access to God, and are actually rebuked for not "stirring up themselves" to take hold on him. There are no discouragements in our work when we can go to God's throne. We need be careful for nothing, if "with a true heart and full assurance of faith," we can come near even to his seat and fill our mouth with arguments. We may, indeed, often go with heaviness, but we shall often come away with tranquillity and joy. We may go as slaves, but we shall find our chains knocked off there, and have the liberty of children. We may fear and tremble; we may agonize; but we shall prevail. Jacob, as a prince, wrestled with the Angel of the Covenant, and had power with God. O what an illustration of the power of prayer was that! Let me go! let me go! No, no, I will not let thee go; I will not let thee go unless thou bless me! How little do we know of the power of prayer! a power to which even the power of God condescends to be subjected, and which divides with him the government of the world! Others may think as they will; but for ourselves, we

cannot reconcile the form of prayer, with the power of prayer. Just think of Jacob reading from a prayer-book, when he wrestled with the Angel of the Covenant; or Elijah when he bowed his knees on the mount! It lessens its power just in the measure in which it depends on form. The atmosphere of prayer is not that factitious atmosphere which is evolved by the screws of a printing press. Where the heart feels deeply, and prays effectively, it throws away its forms; it has desires of its own and must express them.

We scarcely know what different men, what different ministers, we should be, did we know more of the power of prayer. We should see in God's light, labor in his strength, repose in his love, be filled from his fulness, reflect his glory, live in and for him. He who hears the young ravens when they cry, would not shut his ear against us when we go at his bidding and on his errand. When Moses complained that he was "slow of speech, and of a slow tongue," his Maker replied to him, "Who made man's mouth? Now therefore go; I will be with thy mouth, and teach thee what thou shalt say!" We may be compassed about with infirmities; but "with the petition in one hand, and the promise in the other," we may be "strong in the Lord, and in the power cf his might." It is narrated in the life of Andrew Fuller,

chat at a meeting of several very distinguished ministers at Northampton, the question was discussed very much at length, "To what causes, in ministers themselves, may much of their want of success be imputed?" The answer "turned chiefly upon their want of personal religion; particularly the neglect of close dealing with God in closet prayer." The probability is, that every collection of judicious and godly ministers would come to the same conclusion. The prophet seems to express the same thought when he says, "Their pastors have become brutish; they have not sought the Lord; therefore they shall not prosper, and their flocks shall be scattered." The time was, when the pastors of the American churches valued the privilege of prayer. They were not only men of prayer, but they prayed often for and with one another; their reciprocal and fraternal visits were consecrated and sweetened by prayer; nor was it any unusual thing for them to employ days of fasting and prayer together for the effusions of God's Spirit upon themselves and their churches. And they were days of power; days when God's arm was made bare, and his right hand plucked out of his bosom. Nor was it difficult to see, then, wherein the great strength of the pulpit lies; "he that was feeble among them was as David, and the house of David was as God."

CHAPTER XV.

THE PERSONAL PIETY OF MINISTERS.

THERE is no topic on which the writer addresses his brethren in the ministry, either young or old, with more reluctance and shamefacedness, than that which is here indicated. Yet much as he is constrained to fill his own bosom with reproach, and humbling as he foresees his reflections must be at every step, he may not forego what he hopes may be deemed some appropriate thoughts on a subject so vital to the power of the pulpit. The most discouraging, yet most impulsive thought, in attempting to perform this service, is, that in no part of the present volume does he rebuke the meanest of all God's servants with the same severity with which he feels he must administer rebuke to his own soul.

It was a very bold and presumptuous thing on his part, when as a young man, and but just entering on the third year of his ministry, he ventured to instruct his fellow-men by some published "Essays on the Distinguishing Traits

of Christian Character."

Almost forty years in

the ministry have taught him that youth and inexperience can write more flippantly on such a theme than maturer years, deeper retrospec tion, and a more varied, if not more doubtful experience.

It does not require much discernment to see, that if one would be an effective preacher he must be a pious man. He may indeed occupy the place of a minister, and do some good in the world, and be destitute of piety. God may restrain him from overt sins; his religious education and enlightened conscience, his habits of application, and his intellectual orthodoxy may accomplish something toward supplying the deficiencies of imparted grace. His love for moral disquisition may give him an interest in his appropriate work; his attainments as a scholar, and his power over the minds of men as a teacher, may render his work pleasant; while his pride of character, if he is a hypocrite, and his false hopes, if he is a self-deluded man, may give a buoyancy to his mind which shall induce him to fulfil his ministry to the last. Yet all the while he may live and die an ungodly man. His church may mourn over him when he sleeps in the dust; his fellow-laborers in the work of God may stand around his grave, and say, "Alas, my brother!" and many an honest panegyric may be uttered in