The religious papers give copious accounts of the movement in different localities, numbering the converts by tens of thousands, and are obliged to stay their hand for want of space to record all that God hath wrought. Even the secular papers have referred at great length to so remarkable an event, and generally in a proper tone. From all that we can gather of the nature of the work, it is a true revival. That word has been much abused, and has consequently fallen into disrepute in many quarters. It is associated with the idea of questionable arts in getting up an artificial excitement, of hasty and wholesale professions, and subsequent utter relapse. But this revival is not of such a character. It began with a day of small things during the Panic of last year. Business men in New York, under the pressure of that awful calamity, felt their need of prayer, and began to meet together in the middle of the day to call upon God. The ministers did not start the practice, nor was it a denominational scheme, but a spontaneous arrangement of the Christian people generally, to meet a want of their own. We believe that the noon prayer-meeting was the beginning of it. But it was not long ere the flame spread into other parts of the city, and now, we are informed, there are daily prayermeetings in almost every church in New York!

In course of time, tidings came in of spiritual interest being felt in other parts of the land, in the east, the west, the north, and the south. It was not connected with

the labours of professional 66 evangelists," and it did not seem to require very much extra labour on the part of the pastors. "The people had a mind to work." They came of their own accord in throngs to the prayer-meetings. They took part freely in the exercises, and conducted them too. There was very little nervous excitement, but a sober and earnest seeking after God.

It is among the marked features of this work of the Lord, by which unbelieving men are peculiarly constrained to acknowledge his hand, that to such an unusual extent its first appearances have been outside of any extraordinary church efforts or influence. Unconverted men have thronged spontaneously to the house of God, and have made request in some cases for additional and special services, which have been commenced at their instance; and slumbering churches have been startled to exclaim, "Who are these that fly as a cloud, and as doves to their windows?"

Among the novel modes of singular efficiency and propriety that have been developed, may be named

a

"Prayer-meeting Association," with a devout and influential layman at its head, which goes in a body from church to church, holding meetings, and calling upon the brethren to awaken, and " come up to the help of the Lord." A number of churches have been awakened by this instrumentality, and powerful revivals are going on in consequence. It is estimated that more than a hundred "business men's daily prayer-meetings" have been

opened in different parts of the country since the original noon prayer-meeting was started in New York. The names of two or three well-known politicians in that city, lately converted, are mentioned among the most fervent and zealous exhorters. Perhaps, however, the most wonderful display of Divine power ever seen in this or any other revival within the memory of man is to be found in the uprising of the abandoned creatures on the Five Points, in New York, corresponding with St. Giles's, London, where hardened and imbruted outcasts of ten, twenty, or more years' standing, have pressed into the chapel of the Methodist Mission, casting away their abominations, and eagerly asking for the temperance pledge, for prayers, and what they must do to be saved. Twenty or more of this class-not children, or youth, but generally adults in years and sin, often bloated and disfigured with infamous vices- are believed to have become truly penitent, believing, and regenerate.

It is, in fact, in the general opinion, a day of Divine visitation to the whole land, such as has seldom or never had a parallel in its history.

Several things are noteworthy respecting this revival:

1. It was not introduced by any apparently special agencies. A few of those useful labourers, called evangelists or revivalists, have been about during the winter-Mr. Finney, at Boston, and Mr. Knapp, at Washington-but they have attracted no interest in the country generally, and the present marvel

lous work has arisen amid the ordinary means of grace.

2. It seems to be almost universal and simultaneous. No important part of the Northern states, at least, remains unaffected by it; and the news of its appearance in them all came with remarkable sudden

ness.

3. It prevails chiefly among a class of men who are usually the least affected by revivals-the practical business men of the cities. Many twelve o'clock meetings in New York are crowded, and overcrowded, by such, every day.

4. It is remarkable for its calmness, notwithstanding its profound and pervading power. It has been attended by scarcely any of those "physical phenomena" which have been incidental to most local revivals, and which have seemed almost unavoidable in great religious awakenings.

5. It has been characterized by a remarkable spirit of Christian charity. In New York, and in many other places, the public exercises are in general what are called "union meetings;" all denominations crowd the noon prayer meetings, all take part, but no sectarian collisions have occurred, no spirit of proselytism has revealed itself. The one supreme end of saving souls, by bringing them near to God in prayer, apparently surmounts and displaces all other considerations. This is one of the most significant facts of the work, and gives it a moral beauty which even gainsayers respect. The Alpha and the Omega of the matter is PRAYER!

THE VESSEL OF HONOUR. Look at that clay in the hand of the potter; how soft, pliable, easily to be operated upon! Unlike a piece of rock-flint, it offers no resistance to the pressure of his hands; it yields passively to his will; hence he can mould it into any form he thinks proper. A man of taste and skill, he operates upon his unresisting material; and see, what a beautiful form he gives it! Its outline is indeed elegant,-so chaste, so classical, so beautifully symmetrical. What festoons of flowers and fine groupings of figures he attaches to it! Does it not win your admiration and delight? And do you not honour the man in his work? It is the expression of his genius,-the visible embodiment of his fine taste and master-skill. Submitted to certain processes and to the action of fire, the beautiful workmanship of his hands is finished. It is indeed a magnificent vase, a splendid specimen of artistic beauty and skill, fit for a monarch's palace. There it goes: admired and prized by its regal owner, it is placed in a firstrate position, where it can be well seen, and there it stands,-a vessel of honour and beauty in his palace, filled with roses, tulips, and flowers most rare, choice, and fragrant; and all who gaze upon it gaze with admiration and delight.

We borrow the idea, and figuratively apply it to you, Christian. Be not like the flint, hard and pressionless,-unless it be against temptation, and whatever is antagonistic to the Christian faith and thy soul's highest interests; then stand

like a rock of flint,-resistless, firm, defiant,-that their on-rushing billows may be stayed, broken, and dashed into harmless sprays. But in reference to the Divine Spirit, whose great aim is your present and everlasting good, let not your disposition find its true type in the hard, resisting, unmouldable flint, but in the soft, passive, mouldable clay. Resist not the Holy Ghost; but in everything cheerfully and gratefully yield to him. Like the clay in the hands of the skilful potter, so let your soul be in the hands of the Heavenly Potter. Soft, pliable, susceptible to every heavenly touch; having no will but Heaven's will, no desire but Heaven's desire, and yielding to the Spirit of God, as the clay did to the potter, he will so operate upon your spiritual nature, will so mould it into the heavenly, will give it such a heavenly form, such a celestial outline, such ornaments of grace, such beauty of holiness, such splendour of truth, such majesty of principle, such flashings of heaven, such touches of divinity, that your spiritual nature shall indeed be, in a high and glorious sense, a vessel of honour,meet and sanctified for the Master's use, admired by all heaven, and by the wise, pious, and good.

And what then? Shall such a vessel perish? No. The beautiful vase of earthly make, composed of earthly elements, may perish, may be dashed in pieces; not so the Christian vessel of honour, spiritual in its nature, and divine in its make. It shall stand on earth; Heaven will protect his own. The Christian has but to be faithful, and he

is safe. And when the spiritual vessel is finished, and the Master thinks proper, holy angels will come and carry the beautiful and sanctified soul from earth to heaven, to the palace of the Great King; and there it will stand for ever, near the throne, reflecting its splendour, filled with light, and bliss, and glory, an object of admiration to the celestial ones, and on which the Deity himself will gaze with complacency, pronouncing the workmanship of his Spirit to be indeed 'very good."

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Christian, into this vessel of honour you cannot mould your spirit-nature. No effort of yours can do it; neither genius, however splendid, nor intellect, however mighty. Care, discipline, and a determined mind, in continuous action, may improve the mind, and morals, and character, and influence; but to make the soul scripturally a vessel of honour requires more than human power,-a power no less than Divine. Such a vessel is essentially of heavenly make,—it is the workmanship of God. Then let God work within you all the good pleasure of his will. Resist him not, even in the least; always yield most unreservedly to the plastic hand of Him who seeks to make your spiritual nature a vessel of honour, glory, and immortality for the heavenly palace. Then He will work, and the sublime and glorious destiny will be yours! Your soul, let it be as clay in the hands of this Heavenly Potter!

WILLIAM BEresford.

BUSINESS A MEANS OF
GRACE.

WE often hear Christians complain of their leanness and emptiness, and attribute it all to their business. If they are correct in the cause of their want of religious enjoyment, then either they are engaged in a wrong business, or they are pursuing it in a wrong manner. No lawful business-and a Christian cannot engage in any other-pursued in a proper manner, will injure the religious enjoyments of the child of God. He that has the love of God in his heart, and does his duty each day toward God and man, will never find occasion to charge the blame of his leanness to his business.

The true Christian, who does all that he does to the glory of God, is never more happy than when full of business. Let him connect his business with God; let him work for God every day in the week, and consecrate all his income to the furtherance of his cause in the earth, and he will find that his business, instead of being a hindrance, will be a help-a real means of grace to him. Instead of letting his business swallow up his religion, his religion will swallow up his business.

To all who are crippled in their religious enjoyments by their daily callings, I would recommend the course pursued by Normand Smith. When roused to a more entire consecration to God, falling in with the common notion that a life of secular business is incompatible with a life of eminent usefulness and piety, he seriously proposed to abandon it.

But more scriptural views led him to continue in business, consecrating it to God. He put on record the "purpose to engage in my business that I may serve God in it, and with the expectation of getting to give." From that time it was observable by all who knew him, that he had made rapid progress in religion. There was a fervour and engagedness of spirit, a purity and elevation of aim, that could not be misunderstood or concealed. He rose towards heaven like the lark of the morning. From that time he found no tendency in his worldly engagements to chill his piety, or to enchain his affections to the earth. His business became to him a means of grace, and helped him forward in the divine life, just as truly as reading the Scriptures and prayer.

ALL IN CHRIST. MAN, or woman, or child, do you want anything? Are you anxious about the matters of your soul? Are you disturbed? Are you ignorant? Do you feel, "It is wisdom I want;" or, "It is righteousness I want;" or, "It is peace I want;" or, "It is power I want;" or, "It is heaven I want?" Well, it is all in Christ. In the knowledge of him is eternal life. And do you understand it is all with Christ? You do not receive it from Christ; you receive it with Christ.

"He that hath the Son hath life.” There is no salvation out of him. We become bound up in him by faith, and then all that belongs to him is ours. As it is all in him, it

is all with him. Once more, it is all for Christ. Do you understand that all we receive is to go back to him? It is given to us that we may glorify his name. Are we justified? Are we sanctified? Are we bloodbought? Are we temples of the Holy Ghost,-heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ? It is that we may have liberty to serve God, and glorify the name of our Redeemer. Thus all that our salvation implies is in him; all that salvation implies is with him; and all that salvation implies is for him, in time and eternity.

My brethren, Christ is a root, Christ is a rock. He is a root from which flows the sap of grace through the branches, and the soul that is united to him as a branch receiveth it. He is the Rock of Ages, and the soul that is based on him the gates of hell cannot prevail against; it shall rise up a mighty tower unto the skies,-a building that shall manifest the wisdom, the power, the grace, and the glory of God, throughout eternity.-Molyneux.

"GOD WITH US."

GOD with us! with ourselves! How inspiring the doctrine! Art thou a pilgrim walking in perplexed ways? He is thy guide. "In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths." Thou art a creature of affliction and sorrow. He is with thee as thou passest through the water and through the fire. "Call upon him in the day of trouble, and he shall deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify him." Thou art tempted. But he is thy shield