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prayer of a cousin, now dead, who had uncommon fervor in prayer. QUICKENED SENSE OF SIN-The numerous strangers which in the spring crowd this prayer-meeting adds interest and solemnity to the The week of prayer still sheds abroad its benign influence. This is seen in the requests for prayer which indicate a highly quickened sense of sin and danger on the part of many who ask prayers for the conversion of others, and on the part of many who ask prayer for themselves. It is by no means uncommon for persons to state their anxieties for themselves dating with the week of prayer.

A YOUNG MAN ASKING PRAYER FOR HIMSELF.-He stood in the

back part of the room. He had been standing through the meeting. Toward the close he said that he felt it was his duty to ask for prayer. He had for sometime felt his need of the salvation which is in Jesus Christ. He hoped the meeting would pray that he might be led into the exercise of faith in Jesus Christ.

A strange clergyman, as he appeared to be, arose on the instant and offered a singularly affecting and appropriate prayer. Many hearts responded to the earnest petition that this young man might at once embrace Christ as he is freely offered in the Gospel, and that he might go away saved from condemnation and sin through

faith in Jesus Christ.

HOSPITAL CONVERSIONS.-By the wonderful mercy of God, many soldiers of the army will be converted and saved, who, had they remained at home, had died in impenitence. The chaplain of the

hospital at York, Pa., says: "We have had here nearly three thousand patients since opening, about the first of July, 1862. We have been cheered by seeing quite a number turning to the Lord. Each month of this year I have baptized some, and added them to the general Evangelical Christian Church. Among them have been several young men of much promise, from New-York State. My humble experience, both in the regiment and in the hospital, has been that the been so oracularly announced. We chaplaincy is not a jailure, as has have had many discouragements, and sometimes felt almost as if it was a failure; but this was often so before in a pastorate of fifteen years. I believe I have never admitted, within the same time, so many men to church privileges on their profession, as I have done within the last three months. God's name be all the glory. We are quietly working on, and desire an interest in the prayers of God's people."

Clock of Conscience.

To

HAVE you ever heard of the great clock of St. Paul's in London? At mid-day, in the roar of business, when carriages, and carts, and wagons, and omnibuses go rolling through the street, how many never hear that great clock strike unless they live very near it. But when the work of the day is over, and the roar of business has passed away-when men are gone to sleep, and silence reigns in London-then at twelve, at one, at two, at three, at four, the sound of that clock may be heard for miles around-Twelve !-One !—Two! -Three-Four! How that clock is heard by many a sleepless man. That clock is just like the con

science of the impenitent man. While he has health and strength, and goes on in the whirl of business, he will not hear his conscience. He drowns and silences its voice by plunging into the world. He will not allow the inner man to speak to him. But the day will come when conscience will be heard, whether he likes it or not. The day will come when its voice will sound in his ears and pierce like a sword. The time must come when he must retire from the world, and lie down on the sick-bed, and look death in the face. And then the clock of conscience, that solemn clock, will sound in his heart, and if he has not repented will bring wretchedness and misery to his soul. Oh no! write it down in the tablets of your hearts-without repentance, no peace!

The Greatest Street-Preacher.

ARCHBISHOP LEIGHTON, return ing home one morning, was asked by his sister: "Have you been hearing a sermon?" "I've met a sermon, was the answer. The sermon he had met was a corpse on its way to the grave; the preacher was Death. Greatest of street-preachers! Nor laws nor penalties can silence him. No tramp of horses, nor rattling of carriages, nor rush and din of crowded streets can drown his voice. In heathen, Papal, and Protestant countries, in monarchies, and free states, in town and country, the solemn pomp of his discourses is going on. In some countries a man is imprisoned for even dropping a tract. But what prison will hold this awful preach

er?

What chains will bind him? He lifts up his voice in the very

presence of tyrants, and laughs at their threats. He walks unob. structed through the midst of their guards, and delivers the messages which trouble their security and embitter their pleasures. If we do not meet his sermons still we can not escape them. He comes to our abodes, and taking the dearest objects of our love as his text, what terrible sermons does he deliver to us! Oh! what weeping audiences sometimes has this silent preacher! Yet there is a secret doctrine, an occult meaning running through his discourses, which is often not apprehended. Few "lay it to heart." His oft-repeated sermons still enforce the same doctrine, still press upon us the same exhortation. "Surely, every man walketh in a vain show. Surely, they are disquieted in vain. Here there is no continuing city. Why are you laboring for that which I will presently take from you and give to another? Take no thought for the morrow. Prepare to meet thy God."

God's Love.

"For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."-JoHN 3: 16.

MR. NOTT, missionary in the South Sea Islands, was on one occasion reading a portion of the Gospel of John to a number of the natives. When he had finished the sixteenth verse of the third chapter, a native who had listened with avidity and joy to the words, interrupted him and said: "What words were those you read? What sounds were those I heard? Let me hear those words again." Mr. Nott again read the verse, "God so loved," etc., when the native rose from his seat and said: "Is

that true? Can that be true? God love the world when the world not love him? God so love the world, as to give his son to die, that man might not die? Can that be true?" Mr. Nott again read the verse, "God so loved the world," etc., told him it was true, and that it was the message God had sent to them, and that whoso ever believed in him would not perish, but be happy after death. The overwhelming feelings of the wondering native were too powerful for expression or restraint. He burst into tears, and as these chased each other down his countenance he retired to meditate in private on the amazing love of God, which had that day touched his soul; and there is every reason to believe he was afterward raised to share the peace and happiness resulting from the love of God shed abroad in his heart.

Whitefield's Experience. "My mind being now more enlarged, I began to read the Holy Scriptures upon my knees, laying aside all other books, and praying over, if possible, every line and word. This proved meat indeed, and drink indeed, to my soul. I daily received fresh life, light, and power from above. I got more true knowledge from reading the Book of God in one month than I could ever have acquired from all the writings of men. In one word, I found it profitable for reproof, for correction, for instruction; every way sufficient to make the man of God perfect, thoroughly furnished for every good work and word. About this time God was pleased to enlighten my soul, and bring me into the knowledge of his free grace, and the necessity of being justified

in his sight by faith only. Burkitt's and Henry's Expositions were of admirable use to lead me into this and all other Gospel truths."

To these habits of reading Whitefield added much secret prayer. "Oh! what sweet communion had I daily vouchsafed with God in prayer! How often have I been carried out beyond myself when meditating in the fields! How assuredly I felt that Christ dwelt in me and I in him, and how, daily, did I walk in the comforts of the Holy Ghost, and was edified and refreshed in the multitude of peace!"

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ONE OF THE PASTORS OF THE COLLEGIATE DUTCH CHURCH NEW-YORK.

THE CRUCIFIXION AND ITS WITNESSES.

" AND sitting down they watched him there."-MATT. xxvii: 36*

WE behold the gospel in a single, comprehensive view when we stand before the cross of our dying Saviour. Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners by his atoning death-this is the good news of salvation. It is true the gospel was announced in few and mysterious words in the garden, it was amplified in successive promises, it was typified in the economy of symbols and sacrifices, it was preached by the prophets, it was heralded by John, it was taught by Jesus. All this was indeed good news about salvation, but on Calvary is salvation itself. All that was

revealed before was the gospel in word, but there is the gospel in substance-Christ dying for sinners. There, at Golgotha, the place of a skull, the eternal purpose is fulfilled, the everlasting plan accomplished. The Father's love is manifested, the grace of the Son is revealed, the power of the Spirit is applied. In one final, comprehensive manifestation, all that Jesus had said, and

*Sermon for Sacramental services.

But the

felt and wrought, was brought to view. His deep words were not comprehended until that final explanation; his loving heart was not understood until it broke; his ministry was not apprehended until he bled a sacrifice of reconciliation; his kingdom was not conceived until he wore a crown of thorns. If you would understand salvation, come up to the hill of crucifixion ; if you will know Jesus, stand beside the cross. They who were inspired to proclaim the first messages of redemption ever led the way to the death-scene, and turned the longing eye to Jesus there. They, indeed spake of the manger, of the Jordan, of the wilderness, of Bethany and Olivet and Jerusalem, of the temple and the garden; but these they pass swiftly by-lingering only at the last-that they might hasten on to Calvary. They preached Christ, but Christ crucified: they preached salvation through him, but by the cross. The sight of the dying Saviour is the regeneration of the sinner. He may see him speaking as never man spake, walking in holy example as never man walked; but all this does not reach his heart and meet his case. But when he sees the bleeding heart, his heart is melted. When he beholds the dying sacrifice, he dies to the world and sin. At the cross he lives the life which is by the faith of the Son of God. The Christian life is quickened by looking unto Jesus. scene in which the believing eye beholds him is always laid somewhere near the cross. The eye looks for the Master all along his weary, sorrowing way, from Jordan to Pilate's Hall for instruction and for guidance, but it is ever a way that leads up to the mountain of the cross. In duty and in suffering the look for the Master is always directed towards Gethsemane and the road that leads from Gabbatha, the place of the pavement to that sacred spot which was "nigh unto Jerusalem." And when in that strange throng that presses along the way of grief, the eye rests. on one who bears a cross, faith tearfully exclaims, "Rabboni." But when, at last, the up-lifted form of the dying one is brought to view, and the wounded hands and side are seen all stained with atoning blood, and Pilate's words come ringing on the heavy air "Behold the man," then, then the Christian's love, and faith, and zeal, and hope reänimated and fired anew, find full expression in words of holy fervour, "My Lord and my God;" my life and my salvation! The life of faith and love, the life immortal begins at the cross; it goes to its fountain, day by day, by seeking anew the dying Master's presence. Faith comes away from its toils and its sorrows, its work and its burden, and sitting down before the cross, meekly folds its hands in meditation, prayer and praise, and lingers long and loves to linger, where sat the Gentile soldiers, of whom it is remembered that, "Sitting down they watched him. there." To-day the Church invites the followers of the Saviour to come together to this solemn place. She repeats the Master's

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