in the great work of preaching the gos- | placed him-it is the prayer of the apospel, that the word of the Lord might be glorified. Oh, let the history of the church, in past ages, encourage you, my friends, to the spirit of prayer! This will be to your own pastor, and to all connected with him in the ministry of the word, the most delightful evidence of the reality of your faith, and the sincerity of your devotion. This will be evidence which God himself will acknowledge and approve. You never knew eminent usefulness secured without an eminent portion of the spirit of prayer. What is it that has embalmed, in the history of the Christian church, the illustrious names of Brainerd and Martyn, and others of modern times, who stood before us arrayed in the beauties of holiness, and who are lights thrown on our path to guide us onward, and to animate us in the Christian pilgrimage? What was it that distinguished those men? The spirit of earnest, fervent, persevering prayer. When we see our places of worship crowded at the period when we meet for prayer-when we see the arrangements of social life, as far as possible, made to adjust themselves to the period agreed upon in the church for united prayer-when we see religion made the object, the commanding object, to which every thing else is subservient, both in the arrangements of the family and the world, then will the church arise from her lowly state of degradation-then will she put on her beautiful garments, for God himself will have arrayed her with salvation-then will be the precursor that he himself is about to arise, and pour out his Spirit in rich effusion on the church and on the world; and then will come salvation; and the kingdoms of the world will become the kingdoms of our God and of his Christ, and he will reign for ever and ever. The duty of prayer is enjoined,

tle to the church over which, by divine authority, he was commissioned to preside-it is the prayer we present to you this day, as the united pastors of churches mingling our supplications with those of our beloved brother at the throne of the heavenly mercy, and we say to you, "Brethren, pray for us." The minister is encouraged in his work who knows that his people are thus engaged. Like Moses on the mount, he is upheld by the hands of prayer. The man goes through the labours and the toils of his pastoral duties, and the various engagements of his office, who is surrounded by devout men who bear him up in their affectionate remembrance in private retirement-in the family circle. When you meet for prayer, if you knew how much of the true comfort, of the holy courage, of the sacred joy of the Christian minister is connected with the spirit of prayer for him and for the success of his labours, you would never be weary in well doing in this respect-you would never forget him. You would not remember him-nor would he be anxious that you should remember him-on the ground of any merely personal and selfish considerations; but he is anxious you should remember him, because in proportion to the degree of your zeal, and sincerity, and constancy in this work, you will listen to him with affection-his doctrine will distil as the dew, and drop as the rain on the tender grass, and your hearts will be open to receive the ingrafted word. The man who comes to the sanctuary in the spirit of captious, capricious feeling, desiring to make a man an offender for a word, is one who has not presented for his minister earnest supplication. The man who is indifferent and unmoved, who sits before the pulpit altogether unconscious of the importance and authority of the truth presented to his notice, and hears as though he heard not-that man has not the spirit of earnest and fervent supplication. If he had, there would be vitality-there would be deep and affectionate interestthere would be earnest concern to profit It is the prayer of the Christian minis--faith would be mixed with what he ter to the church over whom God hath | hears-there would be a right construc

4thly. Because those engaged in promoting this object, who have it directly in view, whose office it is peculiarly to regard it, have especial claims on you. "Brethren, pray for us."

tion put on every explanation given, and while there would be a faithful regard to the authority of God's word, as the only rule of doctrine and precept, still there would be that humility, that teachableness, which is always found connected with spiritual success, and with social edification.

5thly. And finally on this point, that in proportion to the spirit of prayer, really and honestly cherished, will you be prepared to manifest the spirit of activity, of liberality, and of Christian zeal.

the success which has been secured. You have too high a standard of character, and motive, and principle, brought before you, to feel self-complacency; you know that every statement of the truth to which you are accustomed to listen is intended to abase you before God-to produce the deepest personal humiliation

But all this depends on the spirit of and, oh, for that humiliation that eleprayer; and if God is to be honoured in vates the standard, both of your efforts this sanctuary by his assembled people and of your hopes! Still, humiliation if you are to comfort the heart of your does not forbid gratitude; and abasement pastor-if he is to succeed in the hallow-before God, on account of our personed work to which he has devoted himself, al short-comings, and our multiplied you must enter into the spirit of this apos-transgressions, is not incompatible with tolical injunction, and pray for him, that thanksgiving for what he has done hiththe word of the Lord may have free course erto, in us or by us. And if in any meaand be glorified. Your own interest is sure the word of the Lord is glorifiedintimately connected with it. And re- if the church of God is enlarged-if those. member, brethren, are brought into connection with the church, who not long before were walking in paths of folly and of sin-if there are continued and repeated acknowledg|ments before God, and the church is constantly saying, "These, where have they been, and who hath begotten me these?" -and if, as the effect of these additions, your hearts are continually rejoicing in the progress of the truth, in the conversion of sinners, I may say to my brethren, Pray for us, that the word of the Lord may have free course and be glorified, even as it is with you." Bless God and take courage. Be not satisfied with the past-be not satisfied with the presentbut be concerned that in all other churches, in every place where the name of Jesus is recorded-under every pastoral administration where the truth is proclaimed, and the ordinances of the Redeemer are administered, the word of the Lord may be the power of God to salvation-may be glorified among you, and in like manner glorified among others.

Holy constancy of prayer will regulate all the motions of the inward man, and all the actions of the outward man; and you will be holy in all manner of conversation, in proportion as you walk humbly with God, take hold of his strength, and maintain a daily correspondence with heaven, and live not to yourselves, but to Him who died for you and rose again.

But this apostolic injunction, while it brings before us the great objects of Christian zeal, and enjoins the duty of prayer in order to their accomplishment, in the

III. Place, REFERS TO KNOWN INSTANCES OF SUCCESS, AS A GROUND OF ENCOURAGEMENT. "Brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may have free course and be glorified, even as it is with you."

I am confident, my brethren, that without intending to awaken any feelings whatever allied to self-complacency on your part, much less which could subject the speaker to the charge of adulation, I may with humble confidence and devout gratitude make the appeal of the apostle, in the text, to the church of Christ before me. You, I am persuaded, are not taught by your pastor to be satisfied with VOL. 1.-25

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How was it glorified among the believers at Thessalonica? It was glorified by faith-it was glorified by the liberality of the church-by the patience of hope-by the self-denial of their liberality. The word through them sounded out into all the surrounding region, and many turned from dumb idols to serve the living God through their instrumentality. Pray that the word of the Lord

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may have free course every where else, Oh, if this opening service shall be so as it has been glorified among you. And followed with the blessing of the Most why did the apostle thus refer to known High that some hardened spirit shall be instances of success as a ground of en- subdued-some careless hearer brought couragement? For two reasons. As an to experience anxious solicitude-some illustration of what God can do, and as a wanderer restored to the paths of wisdom pledge of what God will do. and of peace-there will indeed be reason to rejoice in the recollection of this day. It will be hallowed in the future remembrance of the church, and even with thanksgiving through eternity. Are there some connected with the congregation, especially assembling together with this church-are there any brought by other circumstances to the services of this day, who have been living without God in the world? You are asking, perhaps, why all this excitement-why this manifestation of liberality—why this concern to enlarge the place of worship, to increase the number of hearers, to bring more within the sound of the gospel, and the administration of the ordinances of God? Ah, my friends! you have never yet reflected on the value of the soulyou have never yet reflected on the danger to which you are exposed-you have never yet considered eternity in all its appalling realities-you have never yet asked, "What shall we do to be saved?"

May I not say to some who are members of the church of Christ here, Is there any case of depravity, of opposition to the truth, of ignorance of vital interests, greater than that which you yourselves once exhibited? Look upon the history of your own conversion; consider how the arm of the Lord has been made bare in turning you yourselves; how the word was glorified in bringing you to the Redeemer; how the ministry of God's servant was honoured in your conversion! Pray that others, by the same power, in connexion with the same truth, may be led to the feet of the Redeemer. There is nothing which God has done that does not encourage the hope of a still greater manifestation of his power and of his mercy; and there is nothing that we are warranted to expect him to accomplish that he has not already effected. The power that is requisite to convert the world to himself is not greater than the power that has converted your heart, and turned you, from being enemies, to be his friends, and led you to the obedience of the truth as it is in Jesus. Therefore the apostle, you perceive, reasoned on this ground to encourage the believers at Thessalonica to pray. He knew that the experience of divine energy in their own conversion warranted the most enlarged expectations of success. He knew they could not refer to themselves without thinking of what the mighty grace of God had effected, and therefore he indulged in all the confidence of future triumph. Expect great things, and then you will attempt great things.

The subject, my brethren, DEMANDS INQUIRY. Has the word of the Lord been glorified in you? I would not pass by the opportunity which the first service of God in this place presents for making a direct appeal to those before me whose consciences tell them that they have not yet received the truth in the love of it.

you have never yet fled to the refuge of mercy. If you had, there would be no surprise. You would not wonder at any effort, or any possible demonstration of zeal, or devotedness, or charity, in promoting the object for which we are this day assembled; and if there had been ten thousand times more zeal and liberality displayed, still you could feel no astonishment, if you had ever felt the value of the soul. The very feeling of surprise that the professors of religion manifest any solicitude, or make any efforts, for the objects connected with the truth of God, the word of God, the honour and the glory of God-that very feeling is an indication that you have never yet thought about your own eternal destinies. I beseech you to remember that the word of God must be to you the savour of life unto life, or death unto death. Remember that if you are not receiving it, you are rejecting it—that there is no neutrality here, no middle state and condition

THE PULPIT GALLERY.

NO. IX.

REV. JOSEPH FLETCHER, D.D.
Of Stepney.

DR. FLETCHER was born in Chester, in the year 1784. In his native city he obtained a classical education, and in his eighteenth year was removed to Hoxton College. In 1804 he went to the University of Glasgow, and remained about three years, preparing himself for the ministry among the dissenters. In 1807, he graduated, taking the degree of A.M. and was ordained to the pastoral charge of a congregation the same year. He shortly afterwards became divinity tutor in the Dissenters' College at Blackburn, at the same time discharging the duties of a pastor over the Independent church in that town. In 1822 he received a call from the church at Stepney to become their minister, which he accepted. The university in which he graduated has not been inattentive to his preaching, his principles, his character, and the manner in which he spends his time. In 1830 he was honoured by the Senatus Academicus of the University of Glasgow with the diploma of Doctor in Divinity.

here you are either for God or against him. We live in eventful times-we live in times that are bringing principle to action-we live in times that are trying men that are exhibiting the true character of men, whether they are the friends of God, or the enemies of God; whether they are the friends of man, or the enemies of man; and it becomes each individual, capable of reflection, to look at passing events, and to consider what will be their future results: and, above all, to look forward to the period when the secrets of all hearts shall be revealed, and when the convulsions of empires, and the destinies of thrones, will be nothing, and less than nothing, compared with the value of an individual immortality. Yes, big as present events are with the fate of empires, important as are the results of pending circumstances in the present condition of nations, all these results, and all these events, are less than nothing and vanity are but as the shadow of the morning-are but as the feverish dream of night-are but of momentary insignificance, when compared with the immortality of one individual hearer of the gospel this morning. Your salvation, your individual salvation, my friends, is of more consequence than the state and the condition of the whole inhabited globe, The preaching of Mr. F. is distinguish. as to every thing secular, and as to every ed by various excellencies. His appearthing temporal: for "what shall it profit ance commands respect. His capacious a man if he gain the whole world, and forehead, his eloquent and expressive eye, lose his own soul?—or what shall a man unite with the seriousness and solemnity give in exchange for his soul?" I then of his deportment, to convince every atturn your attention to your own salvation, tentive observer that he is about to hear and would lead you to ask-Is this word an intelligent, eloquent, pious sermon. of the Lord glorified in me? Is this word His voice is good, and occasionally pow. of the Lord glorified by me? Am I obey-erful; his diction is easy and graceful; ing the gospel of God?

Let this subject encourage hope. The word of the Lord shall be glorified; for the purposes of the Most High-the promises of the everlasting covenant-the state of the Christian church-the prospects of the world-support our confidepce.

The subject enjoins activity. "Be ye steadfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord."

his action is chaste and impressive; and there is an impassioned glow about his whole address which causes the hearer to listen with eager attention. His exordiums are pertinent, and often striking; his arrangements simple and luminous; his conclusions pointed and energetic. His whole sermons are indicative of a mind richly furnished for the office of the ministry, by retirement, meditation, and prayer; and are well calculated to inform the judgment, to convince the conscience, and to lead to the Saviour.

SERMON XXI.

THE EXCELLENCY OF THE HOLY SCRIPTURES.

BY THE REV. J. BLACKBURN.

“The words of the Lord are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times."-Psalm xii. 6.