ing that God will raise up labourers simply in answer to prayer; whereunto shall we be likened but to a company of beggars who think it more blessed to receive than to givemore honourable to live upon the industry of others than to help themselves. We must seek to bring forth more labourers by watching the indications of capability, &c., in our brethren; encouraging and assisting them to develop the same; and raising our hearts to God to aid both them and us.*

Jesus said to his disciples, "Whatever you shall ask, in my name, that will I do." I will do it." Whatsoever you shall ask the Father, in my name, He will give it you. Hitherto you have asked nothing, in my name; ask, and ye shall receive." John xiv. 13, 14; xvi. 23, &c. Some, on reading these passages, suppose that any one may ask “whatsoever” he pleases. But these promises were made to the twelve as disciples, if not particularly so, as apostles; and are connected with certain conditions. One condition is faith; and faith rests upon testimony or promise. From John xiv. 12-17; Acts i. 4-12, &c., we learn that Jesus authorized them to pray, and directed them to wait for the Spirit. And therefore they could wait and pray, in faith. Their assembling, (Acts i. 4, 13, &c.,) and their petitions were both to be in the name of him who has "all authority both in heaven and upon earth." (Matt. xxviii. 18.) And whatever is promised to us, as christians, we may ask in faith; but not for all that we in our ignorance may incline to ask.

In 1 John v. 16, 17, we have the case of two disciples haying sinned--and the wages of sin is death, One was forgiven and saved from death; and the other was not so. "The prayer of faith" was offered for the forgiveness and life of the former, but not of the latter; for the sin-in the latter case, was unto death." See James v. 14, &c. Here we see that prayer was offered for a sick brother. It was the prayer of faith," for it was in accordance with the will of the Lord Jesus; it was presented in his name, by his authority, and through him as Mediator. "Whatever you"-after I have finished my work

"The Lord Jesus will, indeed, provide labourers for his harvest; but in his own way, and not in compliance with our negligence."— Wm. Jones.

Prior to "the new institution."

Matt. xviii. 19, 20; Mark xvi. 17, 18, &c., are addressed to the apostles, as such.

here, entered upon my office as Mediator, and endowed you with the Holy Spirit," whatever you ask, in my name, that will I do."

(To be Continued.)

LETTERS TO THE PEOPLE.

No. 21.

DEAR READER,-It is a common mistake to suppose that people may worship God as they please. God has given men no such right. If they are to worship him acceptably, they must do so as He pleases, not as they please. The object of worship is to please God, not men. God therefore has been

pleased to make known to men the worship that does please Him. Only when men so worship Him is He or can He be pleased. To suppose otherwise is to imagine one of the most childish, absurd, and mischievous of folies. Only think of subjecting the most serious and sacred buisness of life to the changeful caprice of foolish, erring, sinful man! How supremely egregious to think to please a holy and righteously jealous God doing as you like ! Why, what is sin but the doing of what the sinner likes instead of what God requires ? It is thus that the very services of the sanctuary become abomination to God. No one will deny that things are done there prompted solely by the likings of men without a shred of authority from Heaven. Visiting a very splendid place of worship lately, a lady, a member of the congregation, pointed out the many artistic beauties of the place, and, in particular, drew our attention to three magnificent stained-glass windows, erected ostensibly "to the honour and glory of God Almighty," but really "to the honour and glory of the donors," whose names were emblazoned beneath. Which, sir," said she, of the three windows do you like best?" "Which, madam," we replied, "does God like best ?" "Oh," was her answer, thought of that." So we supposed, for so it is too generally. The worshippers never think of that." They act on the supposition that they may worship God as they please, and so, of course, they do what pleases them, not Him. Whether God is pleased has become so secondary a matter, that whenever His pleasure is found to cross theirs, it is conveniently left to itself in the Bible, and to those who are odd enough to find their pleasure in doing what so unpleasant a book bids them. Yet after all, these odd folks are in the right; their choice is the better part, for, seeking to please God they please themselves,

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I never

while those who seek or not to please him, as it may happen, are not pleased-not certainly in the best sense of the word. Gratified they may be, for a little, by going to church, much as they are by going to the theatre or a concert. They have gratification in the fine sermom and finer music; but they are not satisfied In this sense they can be no more pleased than God can be in any description of will-worship, for, as the apostle says, it does not even go the length of satisfying the flesh, and as for the spirit or conscience, it can more satisfy it than sin of any species can. The truth is, "God is Spirit, and those who worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth." To establish such worship, and to "perfect the worshippers," the Messiah came in fulfilment of the word, Lo I come to do thy will, O God," and his verdict is, "In vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men." Edinburgh.

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THOMAS HUGHES MILNER.

EVANGELISATION.-No. III.

OUR argument has now gone the length of supposing one or more evangelists at work, and that for the supply of their necessities they must look to the churches. Query. How ought the churches to proceed in rendering the proper supply?

Ought they to organize a missionary or evangelisation society? or metropolitan, national, state, country or district associations? If what we have already advanced be correct, namely, that the church is itself God's missionary society-heaven's organization for the prosecution of this greatest of enterprises, plainly, it ought not to establish a society within itself-a kingdom within a kingdom, for so doing, there can be no question that the rules of the one would interfere with the laws of the other. At least, such organization is needless. It proceeds on the supposition of the imperfection of the constitution proper of the church, and is, therefore, a standing reflection on the wisdom of its Founder.

Yet arrangement there must be. A hap-hazard, chance-medley state of things cannot possibly prove permanent or successful; and to guard against such disorder, there stands the apostolic injunction to do all things decently and in order. The first churches made their arrangements, but they formed no separate societies. They did the work to be done without recurring to any of that officious formalism which distinguishes this conventional age. Their arrangements were of the most simple kind; yet all the more efficient and sufficient because of their simplicity. They simply committed their supplies to the care of chosen brethren.

These brethren were hampered by no formal "rules and regula tions," nor did they place the recipients of the bounty of the churches under any such yoke, in bestowing that which was committed to their trust. It was left to each party simply so to act in the administration of the provided abundance as that no man should blame them. It was enough that each could give satisfactory account of the trust to those from whom it had been received.

While at Rome, Paul wrote a letter to the church in Philippi, "Now ye Philippians know also, that in the beginning of the gospel, when I departed from Macedonia, no church communicated with me as concerning giving and receiving, but ye only. For even in Thessalonica ye sent once and again unto my necessity. Not because I desire a gift: but I desire fruit that may abound to your account. But I have all, and abound: I am full, having received of Epaphroditus the things which were sent from you, an odour of a sweet smell, a sacrifice acceptable, wellpleasing to God. But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus." iv. 15 to 19. From this we have example of the most direct communication between the donors and the recipients-the church and the preacher. A well-known brother was the channel of communication. And this example is no exception to the rule, for whether as in this case, when one church sought to communicate with one servant of the Lord, or in the more general business when the churches of entire regions determined to send their contributions to Jerusalem, approved brethren brought the gift to its destination. Thus were brethren chosen of the churches, or appointed to travel with those gifts which were administered by these trustees to the glory of their one Lord, and to the declaration of the ready mind of the donors. See 1 Cor. xvi. 1-4, and of Cor. viii. 16-24.

The appointment, then, by choice or letter of one or more brethren, as the case may require, for the supply of the need of the Lord's servants or people, is the example on which the churches ought to act. They need trouble themselves no further with the question of organization. Their internal arrangements so complete that they can make up their bounty on a given day, and the brother or brethren ready of good accord to act as the messengers of the churches, the supplies finding their way to them would, in due course reach those for whose benefit they had been gathered. And, really, beyond the informing of the contributors of the safe dispensation of their bounty, this is all.

One

Yet one or two questions may be answered in conclusion. will ask, Should the messengers always travel with the bounty they distribute? Their doing so ought to depend on the circumstances of the case. Doubtless, the dispensers of the bounty of the first churches travelled no more than they deemed necessary. Neither should we. Yet a personal visit to the field of labour has many advantages over communication by mere letter. Sympathy can be expressed; advice given; information received by the former method much more fully than by the latter, and this is a great deal in such a work, as every one engaged in it will testify. Still, it must be left to the brethren when to write and when to go.

Another will inquire, whether one metropolitan or central batch of brethren or numerous local messengers be preferable. While it is true that union is strength, yet it is not well to over-centralize it. If there be sufficient strength, and also various centres of effort, the strength ought to be localised accordingly. One church might be sufficiently strong to maintain an efficient evangelistic staff of itself: in that case, it were absurd to send its supplies hundreds of miles off only to come back. When distance is so considerable, that the bre-. thren entrusted with supplies, cannot readily visit the locality of labour, it certainly becomes advisable to make another appointment. If, however, the whole available strength were so small as to suffer

by division, better to suffer a little temporary inconvenience than divide. But we conclude that such a day of small things is now past, and that there is sufficient power to work efficiently two or three centres of supply between Land's End and John O'Groats. Be it understood, however, that these merely circumstantial_details do not affect the principle, and that having this clearly before us, it is ours to work it as best we can, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that our labour is not in vain in the Lord.-ED.

ADDRESS ON BAPTISM.

To the Editor of the Christian Advocate.

DEAR BRO.-Rejoice with me! After seven years' anxious and prayerful waiting, I have to report the immersion of my dear father, at Hopton, Suffolk, on the 15th ult. He had been a Methodist local preacher for 40 years. May I add that his isolated position commends him to the sympathy of all immersed believers. Should you deem the following brief outline of his address on the occasion of his baptism suitable for your pages, it is at your service.

Dysart, Fife, May 9, 1860.

J. B. R.

CHRISTIAN FRIENDS,-After more than forty years' connection with a pedo baptist church, it may be matter of surprise that I should seek for and submit to immersion as a divine institution. By some, I may be blamed for my folly; by others, pitied for my weakness; and by but few, approved for my change. This change, however, is not the result of impulse, but of conviction and principle; not hastily decided upon, but after several years of anxious thought, of close study, of painful mental conflict, and allow me to add, of not a little earnest prayer. It would have afforded me not a little pleasure to have found that my former views were correct, as they were sincere. For long-standing religious ties cannot be broken without regret, nor friendship severed without a pang. And to be forced to the conclusion that those with whom we have taken sweet counsel, and gone to the house of God in company, are in an error, and that not merely on a matter of indifference, or of opinion, but on a subject which involves the kingly authority of the Son of God, and the "obedience of faith" to be obliged, I say, to such a conclusion, is a trial one would gladly have shunned. But convictions, arising from close and impartial investigation,—motives furnished by faith in Christ, and love to him, and principles recognized and enforced by the Word of God, demanded the sacrifice; and the sacrifice has been made. May it be acceptable!

Deeming it a duty owing to the persecuted cause of truth, to state publicly the reasons which induced me to be immersed, I applied for an opportunity of doing so, which was readily given, and for which I now express my thanks for the kindness.

If I now make a statement of some of the reasons which have influenced me in this decision, it may possibly suggest inquiry in some minds, which have been indifferent; or may assist some persons who have been "halting between two opinions," to come to the right conclusion, that it "is better to obey God than man.”

I. My first reason is this that I believe, that immersion is a