will not fail, so long as I have the means, to receive, peruse, and preserve our own 'Repository and Missionary Observer.' I have seen and mourned over the decline and destruction of religious feelings and sentiments, and of denominational attach ments where a contrary course has been pursued. I have noticed, too, the insensible but certain influence of a consistent preference to our own people, our own principles, and our own periodical." HOW YOU MAY HELP THE MINISTRY. BY. DR. BURNS. J—H. We wish just to glance at the question, how can that help be best afforded. Now the church may help the ministry;— I PRESUME that the great majority | great the influence of the ministry of our members are sincerely anxious itself, it cannot dispense with the for the spread of true religion in our hearty, close, and devoted help of the churches and Connexion. As a body church. we profess to admit the necessity and importance of the christian ministry; not an ecclesiastical priesthood, but a real, active, devoted ministry, by whom the word of life shall be dispensed, the ordinances administered, and the pastoral oversight duly sustained. As it is difficult if not impossible to attend efficiently to these things, and engage in secular pursuits, most of our churches feel the necessity of having brethren set apart entirely to the onerous duties of the ministerial calling. How importent then is it to all parties concerned that this ministry should be truly efficient. Efficient in itself, by which I mean that those engaged in it should be men adequately furnished for its weighty labours, That they should be pious men of God, that they should have teaching and preaching gifts; and that they should feel the vast responsibility of their charge and prayerfully and faithfully devote the selves to it. That they should be men of sound judgement, and of skilful tact to adapt their labours to the times in which they live, and to the spheres in which Divine Providence has cast their lot. Now assuming all this to be generally the case, it still follows that all this ministerial fitness is not enough, and that without the full co-operation of the whole church that little comparatively will be affected by it. However I. By a full consecration of its talents and gifts to the service of the Saviour. We doubt, in the whole church of the Redeemer, if there is a solitary member without some gracious gift or qualification to promote in some way the interests of the body. There are preaching and exhorting gifts, the gift of prayer, of friendly influence, and of a good spirit. There is in every converted soul the holy light and life of true godliness. And all these are admirably adapted to tell in promoting the best interest of Christ's church. Some of the members of the church have, besides these, the gift of wealth, and the power of usefulness which rank or station confers. Now it is easy to see the blessed bearing all these may have on Christ's cause. They may be expended in edifying and building up the church itself, and in attracting to its fellowship those who often wander around its borders. At present, in the most spiritual class of churches, not a tithe of the talents or gifts possessed are thus conscientiously devoted to the interests of Zion. It generally happens that a few persons, even in large congregations, have to devise and to carry out all the plans of benevolence and usefulness. In some cases the idea HOW YOU MAY HELP THE MINISTRY. prevails that the ministry, and the diaconate, alone should be wholly alive to the emergencies and claims of the church. How different would be the aspect of things if the whole of the members felt that they should be co-sharers in all church labours, and in all church responsibilities. That every one on entering the church of Christ should earnestly enquire," Lord, what wouldst thou have me to do?" and having discovered their Lord's will, should at once most devoutly and faithfully labour to fulfil it. When this view shall be fully realized and carried out, what activity the church will display; and who can tell the hallowed power it shall exert for good. This consecration will deliver and preserve the church from spiritual drow. siness and formalism, and impart holy healthfulness and joy to all its members. But the ministry may be helped by the church : II. By the church contributing its influence to make the ministry itself efficient, The church may kindly foster the gifts of its youthful members, and encourage the young men whose hearts are drawn towards the ministerial work. The churches in our denomination have provided a school for the intellectual and moral training of such young men as give hopeful evidences of fitness for the work, so that we need not now suffer from an ignorant or illiterate ministry. But when the young men are duly prepared to enter on their work, they are still extensively dependent on the churches for that sympathy and aid absolutely essential to extended sucIt is needful: cess. 1. That they should be freed from distressing anxiety about the things of this life. No young man of sane mind, will ever enter our ministry with a view to worldly advantages, or to obtain earthly mammon, but he may be reasonably expected to conclude that the church which employs him will not forget his temporal nc 15 cessities, and that these will ever be cheerfully, freely, and promptly met; that his support will not be doled out with a niggardly hand, as though he were an hireling; but that it will be evidently a work of love, and that it will enable him to live in all honesty and christian respectability; that it will do more than give him food and raiment, in making provision for his mind, so that he may have his mental resources constantly supplied from the current literature of the day; that in all respects he may be a man up to the age and circumstances of the times in which he lives. I fear very few of our brethren are thus comfortably situated. I say comfortably, because less than this must harass, and perplex, and impair his means of doing good. Surely the christian minister should not have a smaller income than the respectable clerk or artizan: if so, his people will never be able to give him that standing and influence in the town where he resides, so important to the honour and success of his calling. It surely would be far better, where this cannot be done, through the fewness, or poverty of the members, that small and feeble churches should unite, and jointly support a minister among them. Besides, if the minis try among us should not be adequately supported, young men will conclude to follow other callings, and labour occasionally in the employment of the preaching gift they possess; or some will be tempted to unite business engagements with the pastorate, which, however admissable, and even essential in the early history of the denomination, cannot now be done, except in extremely rare cases, but with great spiritual loss to the church itself. Besides, in that way we cannot com pete fairly with the other denomina. tions around us. If these ministers are fully given to the work, then in respect of pastoral visitation and other public engagements, they will occupy ground much to their advantage and to our connexional loss. Besides, the work of the ministry is enough for any man, however talented, however active, or whatever amount of energy or tact he may possess. stronger food, must all grow in spiritual attainments, mutual affection and holy zeal for the prosperity of Christ's kingdom. The light in the church must be brighter and clearer. The power of the church stronger. The influence of the church more energetic and extended. It is thus that the work of the ministry in the church is evidently efficient; thus the end of the ministry respecting the church is secured. But the other great object must be Will the churches of the body look to this question fairly and fully, and then to the utmost of their ability I am sure their aid in this respect will be freely imparted. But besides the support of the ministry it is essential also that there should be a regular attendance on it: that the attendance on the word preached should be accompanied with an earnest desire to profit, and with a holy longing for its success in winning souls. That for the attainment of this great object, the spirit of constant and importunate prayer should be cherished. That the minister should feel that his hands are being held up, and blessings pray-jointly labour with the minister that ed down upon his soul and labours by an affectionate people. Ministerial plans of usefulness,-I mean such as bible-classes, or other services by which the young are to be specially benefitted, must have the cordial help of the church. In one word, the minister should feel that in all he does, he goes forth sustained by the sympathy and kindly help of the whole church. Thus he will be inspirited. Thus he will labour with hope and cheerfulness; and thus only will his abilities and gifts have a fair opportunity of useful development and success. The ministry will be aided III. If the church will never lose sight of the great objects and ends of the ministry itself. Now these objects, vast and comprehensive as they are, may be reduced to two great particulars. 1. The edification and building up of the church in knowledge and obedient love. The spiritual house must grow up in heavenly mindedness. The Saviour's family must progressively assimilate to the likeness and spirit of their Divine Lord. The babes in the church being fed with milk, and the young men with 2. The conversion of souls, The minister is to labour, to save souls, to win souls, to be a fisher of men, to turn men from darkness to light, to persuade men to be reconciled to God, to bring men over from a bitter enmity to a blessed subjection and love to the Lord Jesus. And the church must the saved may be daily added unto them. That sinners may flock to their divine assembly as clouds, or as doves to their windows; that multitudes may believe the gospel, and unite in holy fellowship with God's people. Now this sublime object may be greatly furthered by the church, if the members will see to it that all the moral machinery of the church is energetically worked. The sabbathschools well supplied with prayerful, efficient teachers; that the walks of tract distribution are constantly supplied with pious, persuasive, and skilful labourers; and that the occasional hearers in the church receive the kind invitation to attend regularly, while the consciences of the regular hearers are well plied with affectionate entreaties, to go with the people of God to the better land. How much might be done for God's cause in this way. Strangers would be encouraged, the timid strengthened, and many enquirers, who have gone mournfully for months, exclaiming, "No one careth for our souls," would reply to the gentle exhortation, "We will go with you, for we perceive that God is with you." DILIGENCE : A PAPER FOR SUNDAY AFTERNOON. 17 ing and flourishing in all our churches. And now let me add, how truly de- | be lifted up, will draw all men unto sirable that the ministry should thus me." Beloved friends and brethren, have the help of the churches. Soon, think of these things, and may we so very soon, then, would the whole as- unite all the manifest agencies of pect of the denomination be changed. christian gifts and influences, with Our statistics would not give a series fervent prayer for the Divine blessing, of decreasing or stationary churches, and humble reliance on the aid of the but additions in large numbers would Holy Spirit, that we may speedily bebe the rule; and instances of an oppo-hold the cause of the Redeemer revivsite kind the rare exception. Officers and members would then cheerfully rejoice together. The experience of the aged would be greatly enriched; and the growth of new converts be rapid and visible. Then the church would tell on the world, and instead of the world's population increasing at a much greater ratio than the churches spiritual increase, the change would be so striking, that the little one would become a thousand, and the small people a great nation. The best tractate against scepticism would be a spiritual church, the best homily against worldliness the happy increase of the Saviour's kingdom. Then there would be hope for the world; and the declaration of Christ would be better understood. "And I, if I And fill the coldest heart with love; Speak thou, and from the haughtiest eyes, DILIGENCE. A PAPER FOR SUNDAY AFTERNOON. "Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither theu goest." And thy hand will find much to do. It was not intended that there should be many unsoiled and unused hands in this world. Everything within us and around us calls for exertion. The body calls for it, which can find in exertion only, alternated with rest, its healthful development. The mind calls for it, for it is in its nature active, self-moving. All the circumstances of our mundane condition call for it. Society-needing the exertions of every member, and the services of every generation in order to its conservation, improvement, and progress -calls for it. And the general analogy of nature calls for it also. For ECCLES. ix. 10. all things work, at least in the sense 66 day."- "Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do," &c. These words exhort to energetic diligence in the discharge of duty. They are terse and full of meaning. Perhaps that meaning will be better apprehended by considering it under four aspects. 1.-As opposed to a spirit of sloth and inaction which declines all duty. It is not more certain that there is something for the hands of all of us to do, than that we are all sometimes more or less indisposed to do it. We often detect in ourselves a reluctancy of feeling, a tendency to inaction, a slothfulness of spirit, which temperament or circumstances may perhaps palliate, but cannot justify. It is well when these tendencies are successfully resisted even from lower motives, and better still when they are vanquished by the indwelling power of Divine grace. In their unchecked ascendency and developement they make up the sluggard, that character so odious and despicable among men, yet, unhappily, too common. With what a graphic pencil has inspiration depicted his features, his wretchedness, and his end! You see him as the morning sunbeams dart gloriously through his window and disturb his rest, offering his morning prayer. What is it? a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep." And when he rises it is not often to active effort, for the slothful man saith, "there is a lion without, I shall be slain in the streets.' Yet if he can not flatter himself upon what he does, he gives himself ample credit for the judgement which leads him to refrain from exertion. For" the sluggard is wiser in his own conceit than seven men that can render à reason." is a social nuisance, a domestic incu. bus, a drone in the hive. His advantages pass by unimproved, for "he roasteth not that which he took in hunting." Acquiring nothing, he yet consumes more than they who "Yet He do, for "the slothful is brother to him that is a great waster." And hence, "as smoke in the eyes," of all nuisances the most difficult to bear or to cure, "is the sluggard to them that send him." And what is the effect of this inaction upon himself, his spirits, comforts, and social position? "The desire of the slothful killeth him, for his hands refuse to labour." His cravings are never satisfied, for "the soul of the sluggard desireth and hath nothing." As to comfort and progress, of the slothful man shall be under tribute." Ruin is his doom, for "by much slothfulness the building decayeth, and both the mind and the body of the master share the fate of his tenements. ends his days on the scant dole of charity, and is often denied the crumbs from its table, for "the sluggard will not plough by reason of the cold, therefore shall he beg in harvest and have nothing." 66 "the way He So that to all who are in danger of indulging these tendencies to inaction and to all who do indulge them, the meaning of this exhortation is, Why stand ye all the day idle?" "Go work to day." Put your hands to the plough of labour. They may find something to do-Do it. 2. As opposed to a too fastidious spirit in the choice of duties. It is characteristic of some people not to be unemployed but sedulously misemployed, to prefer to be where they are not wanted, and to do anything rather than that which they ought to do. "Ought," in their rule of duty, seems to have been expunged and "like" to have been substituted for it. But these persons, comprising among others the many who leave their own business to take care of their neighbour's, and neglect their domestic kingdom to settle in noisy disputation the affairs of the realm, do not exactly illustrate the spirit to which we refer. Among the many |