Christian, all becomes theology for the theologian; all is application or proof of the truth. Study has a very direct practical importance. There is no development of the human mind which may not be an aid or an obstacle to religion. Nothing is indifferent; all aids or injures. And the most scientific doctrines, the most abstract systems, at the end of a certain time, descend among the people.

We have seen how quickly the fountains of thought will dry up without study: It is with the mind as with the earth; it is the variety or alternation of culture which maintains its fertility.*

* M. Vinet has added in the margin: "As preaching improves by our various reading." This is the complement of the idea. The last two paragraphs received some amplifications in the same lecture, and we think we ought to reproduce them from the note-books of the students.

"We may think, perhaps, that the minister has quite enough to engage him in theology; and that for him the time for studying the profane sciences is past. Let us, first, remark that profane is an opprobrious term improperly transferred to things which are not wrong in themselves. For those with whom religion is not every thing, there are, in fact, two spheres, the religious and the profane; but for the Christian nothing is profane; every thing is subservient to holiness. Still, we accept the word, and apply it to sciences which have no necessary connection with religion. What is the meaning of the word theology? Its first signification is special: according to this, theology is distinguished from philosophy, from literature, from art, &c. The distinction, no doubt, is useful; but after carefully defining the province of theology, we must not then maintain that it excludes the other sciences. It embraces an immense amount of profane elements; philosophy, history, chronology, grammar, &c. Separating the scientific elements, nothing remains but the religion of the community of believers. It is important, then, to study all that which, as connected with religion, constitutes theology. We must not set absolute and impassable limits. In a wider sense, we may say that theology attracts all to itself, that it subordinates to itself all the sciences, and receives from them their tribute. And without disputing as to the word theology, consider that there is not a development of the human

Positions, likewise, are very diverse, and require or permit more or less. There is certainly some difference between a country and a city pastor. But it would be wrong to think that the former might dispense with study; nay, to him it is all the more necessary, as his life is more isolated. We have spoken generally; we have said what ought to be required of an ecclesiastic in an ordinary and a tranquil position. He ought to apply himself to regular, methodical, specific study; to cultivate science liberally, with candor, with a true spirit of research. A minister, doubtless, need not ordinarily reexamine the foundation of his faith; but he may possibly be obliged to do this, as is proved by the example of Richard Baxter, who, finding himself in doubt about every thing, reestablished his historical faith by the strongest studies.

To complete what we have now said on the individual life of the pastor, let us add, that he ought to lay out a plan of life, to draw out for himself certain rules; not to allow himself, without any resistance, to be borne and led away by the flow of hours, and by the flux and reflux of affairs. tainly, no man, in one sense, is less a master of his life than he; nevertheless, he will gain something for his soul, and also for his ministry, by introducing into his life as much of regu

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mind which does not either benefit or injure religion. As it borders on every thing, so every thing borders on it. It must embrace all life, under penalty, if it does not, of being banished from it. This is true now more than ever. Our time, notwithstanding its chaotic aspects, is still a time of organization. Piety only can organize the world; and to be organized, the world must be known. Preaching, accordingly, that of the pulpit and that of books, must undergo some modifications. The minister must know many things, not to be cumbered with them, but to serve himself of them with reference to the one thing needful. The more we sift every thing, the more shall we be able to bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ."-2 Cor., x., 5. The great awakenings have all been promoted by science. The Reformers were the learned men of their age. Unenlightened men have never succeeded in any thing.-Edit.

larity as possible, always prepared, nevertheless, to sacrifice regularity to charity. In doing so, he will spare himself much trouble, and gain much time.*

The economy of time is a secret which no one ought better to understand than the minister, since no one as much as he should reverence time, of which eternity is made. He may lose much time without gaining a proportional amount of rest. We save time by doing nothing superfluous, and by not adding superfluous things to our necessary works, and by combining some works with others. We save it by knowing how to defend it against importunity and indiscretion: It is difficult to do this when looked at in a worldly aspect, but easier when regarded as a religious duty.†

We can not here too earnestly recommend to the minister the habit of early rising. The hour of dawn is the golden hour. Later, there is in the mind a sort of noise of all external and internal ideas. At dawn nothing has preceded our impressions, and nothing embarrasses them. Without considering that the minister can answer less than another for what his day is to be, he ought to appreciate more than any other the advantages of this custom. It was thus with the royal

* Duguet refers to a bishop who dismissed persons who interrupted him in his reserved hours with these words: "Sufficient unto

the day is the evil thereof.”—Traité des Devoirs d'un Évêque, art. ii., $ 90.

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† An aged American pastor relates that in London, at the beginning of his ministry, he visited the Rev. Matthew Wilks, who received him with cordiality. After some moments, when they had told each other the most important religious news they had heard, the conversation dropped. Mr. Wilks broke the silence by saying, "Have you any thing more to tell me?" 'Nothing of special interest." "Do you desire any further information from me?" "None." "Then it is best we should separate: I am engaged in my Master's business; good-by, sir." I thus received, continued the pastor, a lesson on the impropriety of encroaching on another's hours, and on the firmness with which we should defend them.-Anecdotes on the Christian Ministry: an English work.

ASCÉTISME.

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prophet, who says, "In the morning will I direct my prayer: unto thee, and will look up."—Ps. v., 4. My heart said to me on thy part, Seek my face."*. Ps. xxvii., 8. "I prevented the dawning of the day, and cried."-Ps. cxix., 147. Now who should say this with more propriety than a minister ?† Moreover, it is a victory over the senses; and the minister, whatever may be his situation and his views, should act as if he were preparing himself for a career of privations and fatigues: He should, more than any other, be poor in spirit, and exercise himself every day in dying to himself.

This brings us to ascétisme.‡

"Bodily exercise profiteth little," says St. Paul. — 1 Tim., iv., 8. He speaks elsewhere of human ordinances, which have, as to truth, an appearance of wisdom in will-worship, and in a certain humility, in that they do not spare the body, and that they have no respect to what may satisfy the flesh. -Col., ii., 23.

Saint Paul is against bodily exercise, apart from piety, to which he opposes it in the same verse of the first epistle to Timothy; and certainly such an exercise does profit little. He found only an "appearance" in human ordinances, of which the principle was self-righteousness and the merit of works. He there opposes in advance, and for all times, the ever reappearing hydra of self-righteousness. But, on the other hand, he would not have us make our liberty a pretext for living after the flesh.-Gal., v., 13. He says elsewhere: "I keep my body under, and bring it into subjection, lest, after having preached to others, I myself should be cast away." -1 Cor., ix., 27. Again, he says: "Make no provision for the flesh, to satisfy the lusts thereof."-Rom., xiii., 14. Hence I do not think that he has condemned, under the name of bodily exercise, any thing besides legal practices, "ordinances,"

* The French version.-Tr.

Prayer of Bacon. See Appendix, note G.
Not asceticism.

The French word is retained.-Transl.

as he himself calls it; I think he does not condemn exercise as such--voluntary exercise. I do not find, in truth, a trace of fasting, or any thing parallel, in the history of the apostles; but, on the other side, why should these exercises have been mentioned if they had a place, since the apostles' aim was not to permit abolished servitude to put itself in the place of liberty? If these exercises were practiced, it must have been in secret; for they must have conformed themselves to the recommendation of the Savior: Thou, when thou fastest, anoint thy head and wash thy face, that thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father, who is in secret."-Matt., vi., 17, 18. Besides, the life which the apostles led was a continual fast, which they had no need to aggravate; exercise was not wanting as to them. It is, however, remarkable that St. Paul, whose life, certainly, was no less a continual fast than that of the other apostles, should have said, "I keep my body under, and bring it into subjection."*-1 Cor., ix., 27.

I do not think that, in a more happy external condition, it is either forbidden or useless to treat our body with severity, and to impose on ourselves, at least now and then, certain privations which our ordinary condition does not impose on us. Moreover, it is well to break through our habits. Do we know to what we are to be called? As to our liberty to do so, 'I see that our Lord fasted."-Luke, iv., 21. I see also, in many places, that he supposed the legitimacy of these exercises, forbidding only publicity and ostentation, as the passage above cited proves (Matt., v., 17, 18); and this other place: "When the bridegroom shall be taken from them, then shall they fast" (Matt., ix., 13); which presents fasting under a

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* "I was in fasting and in prayers:" Cornelius the centurion.Acts, X., 30. 66 That ye may give yourselves to fasting and prayer." -1 Cor., vii., 5. Fasting is always represented as inseparable from prayer; but voluntary fasting is fully sanctioned by this passage: This kind (of demons) goeth not forth but by prayer and fasting." Matt., xvii., 21. Now we have demons to cast out.

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