As if he had said, This is the man, and that the woman, to whom I intend to be good forever: this is a man for me. O holiness, how surpassingly glorious art thou!"

There can be no doubt that an eminent degree of holiness goes far to render acceptable the services of a minister of comparatively moderate intellectual endowments. One of its great advantages is that it is connected with mental illumination in spiritual things. The discernment of piety surpasses that of genius. A minister, who is earnestly devoted to God in his work, and is "mighty in the Scriptures," possesses a capacity for dealing with the souls of men which one of inferior spiritual illumination can never equal by superior learning. And besides this, as all success comes from God, the man of devoted piety and of fervent prayer is in the way of securing greater blessings upon his labours. Dr. Alexander once remarked that he never knew of an earnest, devoted minister, with good common sense, who failed to do well in the ministry, even though his talents were of a moderate order.

God provides, in his providence, a place for every one whom he calls to the work of the ministry. The field varies as much as the mental character of ministers. Where the highest grade of service cannot be obtained, the people learn to appreciate that which is comparatively inferior. How many destitute settlements, and feeble churches, would remain for years without the preaching of the Word, if God did not send to them men, well adapted to this selfdenying work, although incompetent to occupy more responsible stations. "Depend upon it, if the minister be truly called, and faithful to his calling, the Spirit will make the most of him. Whether as a natural orator he be a good or bad specimen, musical or harsh, graceful or awkward, brilliant or dim, deep or superficial, ideal or unideal, pathetic or not, he will be sure to be good and useful; and whether the world will hear him or not, the true Church, the spiritually discerning Church, will always regard it as a privilege and blessing to sit under his ministry; and even the world shall be constrained to confess that there is something about him which art can neither imitate nor equal."

Whilst the standard of ministerial qualification needs to be raised higher and higher, Providence does not exclude from the service those who are not eminent in mental endowments.

XI. Young men, BORN IN AN OBSCURE AND LOW CONDITION, are sometimes discouraged from looking forward to the work of the ministry.

The ministry, as has been already stated, has never sought its distinctions in high genealogies. Our blessed Lord was lowly born; and his apostles were called-many of them-from the most ordinary occupations and positions in life. In all ages of the Church, the supply of the ministry has been chiefly from the middle and poorer classes of society. "Pauperism is a very different thing

from poverty-which in itself is neither dishonourable nor demoralizing. A poor man is by no means of necessity a pauper. An honest, hard-working mechanic or labourer, may be as truly independent and as worthy of respect as the man of wealth. His straitened means may serve only to call out all the latent energy and strength of his nature; and thus often one who is poor becomes more truly a MAN than if he were rich. There is a poverty which invigorates both body and mind, which teaches the virtues of frugality and economy, and which leads to hardy industry."

The true dignity is in being born again. There is a spiritual genealogy which traces ancestry up to the King of heaven, and ennobles character with the wealth and titles of worth. The graces of religion, more than the adventitious circumstances of this life, give true position to a man whom Providence destines to usefulness.

Education comes to the aid of the lowly. It not only trains the mind to an equality of ability and privilege, but it polishes the manners, refines the language, purifies the taste, and qualifies to take rank in the most prominent spheres of employment.

All professions find, in the children of the obscure, some of their brightest ornaments. A hundred years ago, there lived a poor boy in the city of Oxford, whose business was to clean the boots of the students in the University. This lad became, in the providence of God, the eloquent George Whitefield, who preached salvation to thousands on two continents. Nathaniel Bowditch was born of obscure parents, and in low circumstances. On account of poverty he wore his summer clothes to school one winter, and became the laughing stock of the scholars. When only eleven or twelve years of age he was apprenticed to a shoemaker, who allowed him a slate and pencil on his bench, and he rose, in the appointed time and way, to be the renowned mathematician. Benjamin Franklin was the son of a tallow-chandler, born to penury, but destined to be a philosopher, and to stand before kings. Sir John Copley, a Lord Chancellor of England, was the son of a Boston portrait-painter. Hugh Miller worked for several years as a stone-mason. Virgil's father was a potter. Luther was the son of a poor miner, and Zwinglius of a shepherd. Bunyan was a tinker. Columbus was the son of a weaver, and Milton of a scrivener. Bloomfield, Gibbon, Gifford, Linnæus, Dr. Carey, and Roger_Sherman, were shoemakers. Cowley was the son of a grocer, Pope of a linendraper, Collins of a hatter, Beattie and Butler of farmers, and Akenside and Henry Kirke White of butchers. Jeremy Taylor was the son of a barber, John Hunter a carpenter, and Scott, the commentator, was a shepherd.

A lawful and honest occupation brings honour to any man. According to an ancient custom in Prussia, which obliges all the princes of the royal family to learn a trade, the Prince Frederic William, recently married to the Princess Royal of England,

learned the trade of a compositor in the printing office of Mr. Hauel, at Berlin. Was there anything disparaging in this?

"Honour and shame from no condition rise;

Act well your part: there all the honour lies."

No man's outward condition keeps him from the work of saving souls. If God has put it in his heart to enter the ministry, the Church bids him a welcome to the office, whether high or low, rich. or poor, polished or uncouth. Providence will take care of him, and give him the qualifications, internal and external, to fulfil the duties of his calling.

XII. Another thought, calculated to repress and discourage an ingenuous youth in his meditations about the ministry is, that IT IS

TOO VAST A PROFESSION.

Certainly the ministry is a profession of immense magnitude, of fearful responsibility. Even Paul could not contemplate it without bewailing his insufficiency. Angels could not fill it in their own strength. To preach salvation by Jesus Christ, is the greatest work in the universe. Well may a sinner of a mortal race feel that it is a vast profession! May the Lord, in his mercy, impart unto all ministers and candidates a more serious impression of its functions and obligations than has ever yet been realized!

There are three considerations to commend the office in the midst of the fearful discouragements of its greatness. FIRST. God has ordained the ministry as an office to be filled by men, not angels; "that the excellency of the power might be of God, and not of us.' (2 Cor. 4:7.) SECONDLY. It is an office to be filled by men whom He calls; not by men who enter upon it by their own independent selection. "No man taketh this honour unto himself, but he that is called of God, as was Aaron." (Heb. 5:4.) THIRDLY. It is an office to be filled by men whom He helps; not by men who engage in it in their own strength. "Our sufficiency is of God, who also hath made us able ministers of the New Testament." (2 Cor. 3:5, 6.)

CONCLUSION.

The class of topics, specified as causes of anxiety to young men who have the ministry in view, invites careful consideration and importunate prayer. The present discussion was designed to assist in removing some of the perplexities of candid and inquiring minds. It is a sort of general commentary on popular objections. From the nature of the case, a more copious discussion of all the topics, in a single paper, was impracticable. Notwithstanding the cautions frequently interposed throughout this paper, it is quite possible that some minds may take undue advantage of the prevalent spirit of encouragement which pervades it. Throughout the whole discussion, the Board assume, and regard as fundamental, the following

propositions: 1. The individual possesses, in other respects, the qualifications requisite for making a useful minister. 2. The Holy Spirit can alone give a call to the work of the ministry. 3. The standard of mental and moral requirement, prevalent in the Presbyterian Church, is not intended to be lowered by the arguments and incidents herein stated, but on the contrary, the age demands higher qualifications than any preceding one.

There are exceptions to all rules; and some rules allow more exceptions than others. In all cases, however, a candidate must exhibit such evidences of a call to the ministry, in his spiritual, mental, literary, and outward qualifications, as satisfy the Church that God has appointed him to edify the body of Christ.

A GEM FROM AN OLD CASKET.

THAT familiarity begets indifference, has passed into a proverb. Such is the law to which all things are more or less subject. The old must give place to the new. This is eminently true with regard to literary style. The intense, never-ending demand of our times is for something new, and to meet this, everything must be said and done in some new way. Many have no patience with the logical method and severely simple diction of former times. The colloquial and rambling style is the fashion now,-and fashion much sways in the world of letters as in the world of pleasure. Even the Gospel message must be set off in new style and pointed with wit and anecdote, or smothered with flowers of rhetoric; for men, they say, will have it so!

But let there be reason in all things. Extremes are to be shunned. A thing is neither better nor worse for being old or new, and it is not wise or just to pass indiscriminate censure or praise in either direction; to disparage or overprize the past or the present. Since we are so made that novelty charms, let us wisely note this law of our nature. But let us take care not to abuse it; which we do, when, to entertain a succession of novelties, we neglect those better things, that have won the suffrage of the wise and good, and stood the test of criticism for centuries. The treasures of past ages should be had in everlasting remembrance. There are books the world could not afford to do without. What a blank would be left were it possible to erase from the world's literature Butler's Analogy, Milton's Paradise Lost, and works of kindred excellence!

What, then, is to be done when old works of surpassing merit are in danger of being eclipsed by a multitude of new-born productions of subordinate value? There is danger of this. In fact we see the actual result every day. Books of great intrinsic worth are virtually postponed for others of very questionable value and ephemeral

character. It becomes then a question of some importance, by what means to restrain this tendency, without, however, proscribing everything new; for then the productive mind of the world would be brought to a dead stand. Mr. Hamilton, of London, in that gem of a book, "The Mount of Olives," has indicated the true plan. "The desire of novelty," says he, "is not in itself blameworthy; but there is one form of it which we would like to see more frequent. To freshen old truths is nearly as important as to discover new ones; and instead of telling or hearing some new thing, our time would often be as advantageously occupied in thinking over and brightening up some old thing." This is just and striking; and it falls in so exactly with what I wished to say, that it gives me great pleasure to quote it.

One often thinks what a pity that so excellent a work as the "Westminster Shorter Catechism," greatly as it is prized, shouldnot be prized and used far more than it is. Let us freshen it up. Let us commend it, not only to the young, but to the old too. Let us point out its beauties and dilate upon them. Take for instance the answer to question thirty-six. "The benefits which in this life. do accompany or flow from justification, adoption, and sanctification, are assurance of God's love, peace of conscience, joy in the Holy Ghost, increase of grace, and perseverance therein to the end." What a cluster of diamonds! What an assemblage of glorious things! Is it possible in any other words of the same compass to set forth so much of the blessedness of the Christian's portion this. side of heaven? Poor, sorrowing, lost, afflicted soul; sometimes thou art sorely tempted almost to despair. But cheer up. Think of thy portion-not of that unspeakable one in sure reserve, but of that now in hand. No matter what thy lot. It may be thou art overwhelmed with ills that mere nature cannot sustain thee under. But think a moment. Thou hast a title to-nay, thou hast possession of priceless blessings. Think over these five several benefits. Assurance of God's love.-Not his general love, his love of benevolence merely, but of complacency too. He delights in thee for what he has wrought in thee. Amazing grace! And to be assured of this benefit; to have a warrant to say, I know in whom I have believed, and am persuaded he is able to keep what I have committed to him, against that day. This blessing all do not attain to; but God has graciously made it accessible to all; and what but the Christian's own fault hinders his actual possession of it. Then, Peace of conscience.-Ah, thou art somewhat sensible of thy ill desert and sinfulness. But the gracious covenant is so ordered as to make full provision for thee. God in Christ is not only reconciled to thee, but He has in a measure removed thy unholy opposition to Him. And since thou art reconciled to God, thou knowest the import of the blessed word-peace. John, 14: 27. Thy glorious Advocate has so triumphantly interceded for thee, that the next benefit in order, Joy in the Holy Ghost, follows as a