Christ's Intercession.—

I ought to study Christ as an intercessor. He prayed most for Peter, who was most tempted. I am on his breast-plate. If I could hear Christ praying for me in the next room, I would not fear a million of enemies. Yet the distance makes no differance—he is praying for me!

—M'Cheyne.

Three Duties.—

There are three things to which the Christian ought to habituate himself—retrospection, or looking back; inspection, or looking within; and anticipation, or looking forward.

Moral Aspect of the World.

Protestant Missions.—The whole number of Foreign Missionaries are as follows:—

North American Indians, 105; Africa, 236; Western Asia, 31; India, 365; Burmah, Siam, 33; China, 54; South Sea Islands, 110; West Indies, 324; Greenland, 30; the Jews, 37; total, 1,345; total Assistant Missionaries, 233; Native Assistants, 1,958; Communicants, 174,426; Scholars, 122,542.

Let the pious reader look at these two accounts, and he will sigh over the millions which are yet “sitting in darkness, and in the valley of the shadow of death,” And let him ask himself, what have I done to help forward the cause of Christ?

The Philosophy of Preaching.—

It is objected that when sermons are heard so often, one sermon tends to thrust out another; so that persons lose the benefit of all. Such objections against frequent preaching, if they be not from an enmity against religion, are for want of duly considering the way that sermons usually profit an auditory. The main benefit obtained by preaching, is by impressions made upon the mind, at the time, and not by an effect that arises afterwards by a remembrance of what was delivered. And though an after remembrance of what was heard in a sermon, is often times very profitable, yet, for the most part, that remembrance is from an impression the words made on the heart at the time; and the memory profits, as it renews and increases that impression.

—Edwards.

The Law and the Gospel.—

It was admirable advice which Mr. Wesley records as having been given by a woman to a preacher; ‘Preach,’ said she, ‘the Law first, then the Gospel, and then the Law again.’ It is the method which God himself hath observed throughout the Sacred Writings, ‘Cease to do evil’ first, saith Jehovah, then ‘learn, to do well.’

—M. F. Shepherd.

Obedience and Blessings.—

Moses says, ‘If ye will diligently observe to do all these commandtments, statutes, ordinances, and judgments, which I command you this day, then all these blessings shall pursue and overtake thee!” as if he had said, ye need not run after the blessing, only walk in the commandments of God, and all the blessings shall run after you, pursue you, and overtake you.

—Ibid.

To Ministers.—

The alternating of day with night is not more essential to the well-being of the physical frame than is the cessation page 275 from all labour one day in seven. Man is a machine, and like a clock must be wound up one day in seven. It takes twenty-four hours to wind up the system. All laborious exercises of body or mind, and dissipation on that day, force the circulation when it should repose. I have advised clergymen, in lieu of the Sabbath, to rest one day in the week; it forms a continual prescription of mine—I have seen many destroyed by their duties on that day.

—Dr. Farre.