Preachers and Preaching. preacher and this preacher, too, was sincere in his endeavours! THE REPROVER OF SIN. EVERY part of the duty of the minister of religion is more easy than to mainAh! but to speak efficaciously of tain, in vigour and purity, the spirit he the holiness and justice of Almighty needs as The Reprover of Sin, and God, and of its future consequences;guardian of virtue. It is easy to to speak in modesty, tenderness, and teach the articles of belief, and easy to power of the approaching doom of the illustrate the branches of Christian impenitent, is altogether another matethics; it is easy to proclaim the ter; and one that must be left to those Divine mercy; and easy to meet and whose spirits have had much commuassuage the fears and sorrows of the nion with the dread Majesty on high. feeble and afflicted. But to keep in As the punishment of sin springs, by full activity the POWER OF REBUKE, an ineffable harmony, from the first demands moral qualities of the rarest principles of the Divine nature, and sort. It is utterly fruitless to turn infringes not at all upon benevolence, from side to side in search of substi- so must he, who would rightly speak tutes for these qualities. The preacher of that punishment, have attained to a may, for example, avail himself of far more intimate perception of the abstract demonstrations, by which to coincidence of holiness and love than vindicate the unalterable rigour of the language can convey, or than can be Divine government; and he may prove made the subject of communication irrefragably that the Supreme Ruler between man and man. This knowof the moral system can never pass ledge belongs entirely to the inner over trangression; but must needs circle of the soul, the centre which the exact the appointed penalty, either rational faculty does but imperfectly from the transgressor or from his sub- penetrate: it is a sense or emotion of stitute. The erudite argument, for the immortal essence: it is conveyed any substantial effect it will produce, to the spirit by the Father of Spirits; might as well have related to the mo- and only conveyed, in any considerable tions of the planets. Or feeling the degree, where much meditation, and incongruity of abstruse reasoning, prayer, and abstraction from earthly when addressed to the commonalty of passions, opens the way to its recepmankind, he musters the means, and tion and entertainment. All other brings together all the resources of elements of devotional sentiment may eloquence. He is, in turns, descriptive, pathetic, indignant; he flames; he weeps; he astounds the hearer by the prodigious accumulation of his terms and figures of terror. Idle labour! Even while the walls are ringing with these sounds of alarm, the covetous man, in his corner, is mentally counting his gold:-the eye of the vain and prurient is darting from An indispensable qualification for object to object of illicit attraction:- the vigorous exercise of the Power of the envious and malign is brooding on Rebuke, by the Christian minister, is new calumnies, to be propagated at such a conviction of the truth of Christhe church door:-the ambitious is tianity as shall render him proof plotting the destruction of his rival; against all assaults from within and and the fraudulent and rapacious are, from without. And is there not reain cogitation, stretching the net for son to fear that in this qualification the feet of the unwary. And yet every multitudes of Christian teachers are rule of the most approved systems of wanting? Every one who has rerhetoric has been observed: yes, and flected maturely upon the workings every intelligent hearer goes away of the human mind, perceives that, amazed at the skill and power of the whether the fact be confessed or con : lodge in the heart sooner than this. Hence it is that, on this point, more conspicuously than on any other, ordinary teachers are at fault; and not a few, honest to themselves, and abhorrent of pretension or artifice, avoid almost entirely a subject on which they feel themselves to be unprepared to speak with feeling and energy. DULNESS IN THE PULPIT. cealed, the stress of the controversy tion of the certainty of the future concerning the divine mission of Christ punishment, and the reality of the pends upon the doctrine of future means of escape. punishment. The affirmations of our Lord and his apostles on this subject, though they fall in with the smothered forebodings of conscience in every I ALMOST think there ought to be a man's bosom, give a distinct form to tax imposed on every dull, good man apprehensions from which the mind who ventures to open his lips in the strives, by all means, if possible, to way of moral prosing, considering the escape; and which it will never cor- injury he does truth and goodness; he dially admit until the moral faculties ought to be forbidden to preach to his be rectified. The quarrel of the world fellow creatures, except by what is with Christianity comes to its issue infinitely more persuasive than any upon this doctrine of future retribu- eloquence-good deeds and an attraction. And as often as any mind recedes tive example. It is melancholy to from the spirituality of its perceptions, think of the havoc which a dull speaker it falls back upon this disagreement; will soon make in a crowded audience. and at such times, if the argumentative conviction of the truth of Christianity be imperfect, the darkness and perplexity of scepticism will come in upon the soul like a flood. The preaching of some good persons is like reading the riot act, or reminds one of that ingenious method by which it is said the magistrates of St. Petersburg sometimes cool the zeal of a mob in that genial climate-that is, by play Not less necessary to the minister of truth is an unaffected and sensitive ing on them with a fire-engine. I cancompassion towards his fellow-mena compassion of that efficient kind which nothing has ever produced in the world but the Gospel. The servant of heaven can execute his commission only so far as he gains access to the human heart; and there is no other path of access, no other law of affinity, no sympathy, but that of love. The rugged, the severe, the petulant, will in vain arm himself with thunder, or fill his mouth with imprecations; truth, if indeed he has it on his side, retains neither edge nor temper in his hand. By such stern vindicators of Divine Justice it seems to be forgotten that the special reason why men, not angels, are sent to preach repentance, is, that the proclamation of mercy may always be heard in that tone of tenderness and humiliation which it naturally receives when it issues from the lips of one who himself has sinned, and received pardon. The benevolence of angels is, no doubt, perfect in its kind; but the compassions of man have a special property, which imparts pathos and persuasion to the awful announcement of God's displeasure against sin. The end of all reproof is mercy. If there were no redemption at hand, it were idle or cruel to talk of judgment. But the reprover is the very same as the herald of peace, and must draw his arguments, whether of terror or entreaty, from his own blended convic not conceive of what use this poor clergyman can be, unless indeed our churches and chapels were crowded to suffocation; then one or two like him might be employed to itinerate about the country, and bring down crowded congregations to par. A very few, however, would be sufficient; the effects of the sermon, and, consequently, its length, might be regulated by a thermometer. But great care would be necessary in the application; for a little excess in the duration of the humdrum might end in the extinction of the audience altogether. In any case, I think, it should be provided by law that no such enthusiasm-extinguisher should be permitted to play more than an hour, lest the congregation should be annihilated. One might then read such announcements as these: "The church of that lively preacher, Rev., was on Sunday sennight so excessively crowded, even to the aisles and pulpit-stairs, that it was found necessary to send for the most 'distinguished' of the 'extinguishing' preachers to counteract the effects of his oratory last Sunday night. So effectual was the eloquence of this gentleman, that, in twenty minutes, the thermometer fell ten degrees in the gallery, and the air of the church before the benediction became delightfully cool and salubrious." Greyson Letters. Sabbath Schools. THE WHITE STONE. In primitive times, when travelling was rendered difficult by the want of places of public entertainment, bospitality was exercised by private individuals to a very great extent. Persons who had partaken of this hospitality, and those who practised it, frequently contracted habits of regard and friendship for each other; and it became a well established custom, both among the Greeks and Romans, to provide their guests with some particular mark, which was handed down from father to son, and insured hospitality and kind treatment wherever it was presented. This mark was usually a small stone or pebble, cut in half, and upon the halves of which the host and the guest mutually inscribed their names, and then interchanged them with each other. The production of this stone was quite sufficient to insure friendship for themselves or their descendants whenever they travelled again in the same direction. Now it is evident that these stones required to be privately kept, and the name written on them carefully concealed, lest others should obtain the privileges, instead of him for whom they were intended. How natural, then, is the allusion to this custom in the words "I will give him to eat of the hidden manna;" and having done so, having recognised him as my guest, my friend, "I will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no knoweth, saving he that receiveth it a pledge of my friendship, sacred and inviolable, known only to himself!" CHEERFULNESS. man How much does usefulness in the world depend upon a pleasing demeanour and an agreeable manner! We have often seen efforts to do good prove. fruitless, just because of the harsh or rude way in which they were done. such an idea as that have been formed by a visitor in your home, dear reader? the greatest importance to cultivate a As a teacher of the young, it is of cheerful and friendly spirit. Children and they are easily repelled by a hasty are very susceptible and observant, look or an unkind word. In the brief writer observes, "I always felt how memoir of a poor old woman, the beautiful that Christian character appeared in Jeanie, and that even the irreligious must have admired it. She was spoken of among the children as the 'old woman who loved God.' I never knew them to bestow the same appellation upon another. She had a very happy way of winning the artless affections of children, and never missed an opportunity of dropping an earnest word to them about that little children to learn, telling them blessed truth which all must become that they would either be prepared for longer days, or fit for early death.' Her cheerfulness and kindness of heart showed itself in peculiar kindliness of manner. TWO KINDS OF TEACHERS. THERE are two kinds of Sabbath school teachers: one kind express all their interest by words-the other show theirs by acts as well as words. We do the most good they can with the are not to doubt that they all try to opportunities offered them. But we cannot help thinking that the one who takes pains to do some act by which attachment is strengthened, is more certain of securing the interest and gaining the affections of the young heart. And, of course, by this means he is more likely to succeed in the work of Sabbath school instruction. BE SHORT. TEACHERS, make your lessons short. When Lord Peterborough stayed Make your questions brief. Never be for a time with Fenelon, he was so more than three minutes in your delighted with his piety and amiability, prayers. Children soon grow listless, that he exclaimed at parting, "If I and when once you have lost their remain here any longer I shall become attention, all your work is worse than a Christian in spite of myself!" Could useless. Christian Work. PARISIAN WORKMEN. as these last are by the mixture of the working population of the departments with that of Paris itself. sionary field than the workmen of our Dr. E. DE PRESSENSE thus writes con- great city afford, whether as to extent, cerning the Parisian workmen: Our facility of access, and prompt enworking classes have precious quali-couragement; or, as to results, doubled ties. Their minds are incredibly active and open, their hearts are warm and generous. They readily kindle with M. Frederic Monod first started his enthusiasm for a great cause, or general idea, which renders them, indeed, Sunday school in 1820. This faithful very liable to deception, but also ac- servant of God, now no more, did cessible to the higher interests of the much to arouse the lethargic feeling soul. They have a certain general among Protestants. During the next culture, acquired from all manner of ten years the Bible, Religious Tract, sources, from books, from the theatres and Missionary Societies were esthat they frequent with passionate de- tablished in Paris. The last named light, from newspapers which they began its labours in Paris itself; and devour, and from the conversation carPastor Grandpierre opened his house ried on in the work-shops. Generally for religious services and for the trainspeaking, it is easy to find the way to ing of young missionaries. The overtheir hearts; and they have a sort of throw of the bigoted and papistical instinctive charity which leads them government in 1830 removed a great to share their bread with their poorer companions. The adoption of destitute orphans is no rare incident amongst our artisan families. With all this, they are a light-hearted set; they are habitually jocose, and they lack that on many legal hindrances, and an era favourable to evangelisation began. About the same time the Evangelical Society of Paris was started, and in 1831 the Semeur appeared, a journal which has had a wide and very bene ficial influence. FEMALE REFUGES IN LONDON. supplied, the Refuge receives, clothes, educates, and trains destitute and homeless children. Besides being instructed in reading, writing, and arithmetic, and constantly brought under the influence of Scriptural instruction and Christian example, work is the order of the day. inestimable Biblical foundation which, in England you can generally build. Their religious education has indeed been nil, never going beyond a little rapid catechising,-if that. Moreover, they are greatly prejudiced A. REFUGE differs from a Ragged against the priesthood, and decidedly School, in that while in the latter hostile to Catholicism. All those who morning and evening teaching only is are familiarly acquainted with this class, agree in affirming that the thirst for instruction exists among them to an extraordinary degree; for they per ceive that in this lies, for them, the one infallible way of escape from poverty. Accordingly, whatever is done in this direction will be eagerly welcomed by them. In a religious point of view they are very ignorant, but very accessible, for they have no prejudice, and the fear of public opinion has no influence in a town which is a world in itself, and where there is, so to speak, no such thing as neighbourhood. Every effort made to carry the Gospel to our working population is sure to obtain a success. I do not cooking, cleaning; they also make and hesitate to say that there is nowhere mend all their own clothes. The Girls' Refuge in Broad Street, Bloomsbury, presents a scene of cheerfulness, industry, good order, and cleanliness, which could not be surpassed, and at Acton a similar Refuge is found. Each of the inmates has her appointed duty, and the industrial training to fit them for the work of household servants comprises washing, ironing, These in the world a more important mis- girls have all been saved from immi General Baptist Incidents. MORAVIAN MISSIONS IN GREENLAND. 57 nent peril: large numbers of them are orphans utterly unprovided for. In such Refuges as these, many a fatherless one has found, in connection with Christian teaching, the Father of the fatherless as her own Father. The Moravian teachers, male thus rescued, and a specimen of and female, are generally truly con"some of the prominent fruits of the verted people, undertaking this labour movement in 1859,"—who is now in for Christ's sake, and their Christian service in the country, lately enclosed mode of life is both exemplary and a sum of five shillings to the secretary, attractive. as a token of gratitude to the teachers and to Him who had compassion upon her. THE Missions of the Moravian brethren were commenced in the year 1703, and consist of four stations in South GreenOne land. Here New Herrnhut is situated near the coast of the fiord Godshaab. there are mountains, such as Hjorte Lakken, 2,400 feet high, the Great Malen 3,600 feet, and the Little Malen 1,200. The chief building on the station is a house of one story, with a hall in the centre, and two-storied wings. The houses of the natives, which surround it, are like little mounds of earth. The West Street refuge, Smithfield, contains a large number of young women. Thither they had come penniless, starving, and ready to perish. There a kind, loving master had received and sheltered them, and there, too, a number of them had been separated from the rest, retained for a time to make up clothing and to be The first two Moravian missionaries otherwise trained, and not allowed to sent here, Matthew Stark and Christian go away until provided with situa- Stark, arrived on the 20th of May, tions. A whole class at that night 1733. They landed at Boulrevier near school was composed of servants who Godshaab, and built New Herrnhut, a had enjoyed these benefits, and whom plain hut formed of turf. They persetheir mistresses allowed to come every vered amidst incredible difficulties, Sunday evening to receive religious and under their care the first Greeninstruction from the lips of an intelli- landers were converted. In 1750, gent lady, who devoted herself to their Vatteville visited the country for the special benefit. How happy they first time, and the people named him looked; how diligent were these stu- Johannes Assebeak, the "Much-lovdents of Scripture; from what a preci- ing." One of the first missionaries pice had the hand of Christian love was John Beck, whose descendants drawn back each of them; what plea-laboured in the mission in Greenland sant associations have they now with and Labrador for 117 years, till 1857, the West-street Female Refuge, and when his grandson, after working for the never-to-be-forgotten night when thirty-four years, returned to Denmark. -faint, weary, hungry, and well- It was on the island of Konjek that nigh lost-they found a mother and a Egede first erected his dwelling, of home! which scarcely any traces remain. General Baptist Incidents. HOW THE PERSECUTED OBTAINED REDRESS. In the beginning of 1744, the quarter sessions were held at Leicester, when, the cause of the Barton "Methodists" being heard, they were cast. A decision, so evidently partial and contrary E to the laws of the country, induced their attorney, Mr. Peck, of Leicester, to advise them to carry their cause to a higher tribunal. A statement of their case being drawn up, was laid before an eminent counsellor, who gave an opinion decidedly opposed to the verdict |