you say so, even now, when quaintance with him is very But when you have sat at his ong as I have, the beauty, the the loveliness, the grand perof his Godlike character will o you so vividly that you will urself and all your efforts todness nothing, absolutely nothomparison. I am to preach ing, and my subject will be e object of life.' I hope you present, for I propose to dise questions in which you are ed.' ll be there," said Elisha, and ersation ended. sermon of Mr. Weatherby's deep impression on Elisha. I like to give some of the points e, but must hasten on to re a and Mr. Weatherby continch together, and the upshot of was that the former told his one day, that he believed he ike to join the church at the mmunion. loctor was overjoyed, and urged publicly express his intention. I help others to make up their he said. a was a courageous fellow unt circumstances; but he shrank is ordeal painfully. However, made up his mind to do what sidered to be his whole duty, would not flinch at the outset. made himself heard one evend although his legs trembled him, and his head swam round und "like a gosling in a wash. tub," as he afterwards said, he really made a very manly and satisfactory little speech. "Let us pray," said Deacon Wilder, fervently, the moment his old pupil resumed his seat; and he returned thanks with such unfeigned sincerity, that Elisha was quite melted, and from that hour forgave him all his tediousness as a Sunday-school teacher, in the years gone by. Well, of course, everybody was pleased to see Elisha "come out," and all the old ladies and all the old men had to shake hands with him and tell him how glad they were. "La," said Mrs. Wilder, breathing hard and speaking to her friends promiscuously; "I always knew Elisha's wildness wouldn't last long. Such a good father as he's got, and such a saintly grandmother, and such a praying aunt! I only hope now he'll hold on. He spoke real well now, didn't he? If there was any thing to be taken acceptions to in his remarks, it was that he didn't appear quite numble enough. I like to see a young convert numble." Well," said Grandma Prime, who chanced to hear this observation, "if he isn't humble enough without, I've no doubt the Lord will humble him." That night, as Elisha sat on the edge of his bed with one boot in his hand, he said: "It seems odd, the way things have come around. A week ago I was determined that I wouldn't join the church, and to-night I pledged myself to do that very thing. I wonder if I am called to the ministry. Do you believe in such calls, Johnny? Mr. Weatherby says that he does. What a man he is! He has a wonderful influence over me; and somehow I can't get rid of the impression that in the future he and I are to be again thrown together. It is strange that he should have come here just at this time! I had a singular dream last night; I dreamed that I was in great peril, and that he save my life." IS A SHORT ONE. Elisha had a fierce dislike of everything that appeared to him like cant or hypocrisy. The instant he detected any one in the use of either, in that instant he withdrew his respect, and could thenceforth hardly treat the person who had offended him with civility. One day he came in decidedly out of sorts. "I do wish," he said, "that people wouldn't talk platitudes. If a If a man can't talk about religion in a sensible, manly way, he'd better keep still. These old, worn-out, threadbare phrases that don't mean anything-I'm sick of them! Where's Mr. Weatherby?" The doctor also had recourse to Mr. Weatherby. He was concerned for his son, who often seemed ill at ease of late, if not positively unhappy. "Do you think," he asked, "that Elisha is really converted?" I think conversion is hardly the proper term to apply to his experience," was the answer. "Some are converted. But a youth who has been brought up in a Christian household, and taught from his very babyhood the fundamental principles of religion, can hardly be said to be converted at any particular time. Elisha's position has hitherto been a negative one with reference to religion. He has now taken his first step towards making it a positive one. It is the result of a decision of his own mind. The Christian life is a growth at least, it should be such, and with Elisha it must be such. He has come into his present attitude under the combined influences of early teaching, his own sense of duty and desire to do what is right; and he is strongly influenced also by you and me, and indeed by all the family. Johnny's mind is differently constituted, and his experience is altogether different. He is more easily satisfied, and for a long time will be happier. But in the end Elisha will rise to me "No man," said he, "is dearer to than you, Brother Weatherby. There is a strong tie between us, for we both have suffered." "When I last saw her who was afterward so dear to you," said Mr. Weatherby, "she was a little girl, but she looked like her mother, and I loved her for her mother's sake. The moment I saw your boy I recognized in him also the fine features and, on further acquaintance, the noble nature of the woman I loved; and I loved him, too, for her sake. Ah! how beautiful she is in her old age! Time and suffering have not, in my eyes, impaired her comeliness. Before I came I had a wild idea that even now our lives might be united; but it was a selfish thought. I put it away and resolved, instead, that for her sake I would befriend the boy: and the other night I dreamed that his future and mine were in some mysterious way linked together-that we together came into deadly peril from which but one of us escaped alive." "Do you believe in dreams," asked the doctor, gravely. "The Hindoos do," he answered, smiling; "and I have lived so long among them that I may have imbibed some of their superstitions in spite of myself." "If you are thrown in contact with my son in the future," said the doc better for it. Yo him incalculable "Perhaps I E wou should Idolatry at t such as ours that " Cove that the ne tion of one His servic etousness, this muc needs to this poin many res fect in hold. -r it. You have already done somewhat," said Mr. Weatherby. "Were it necessary, I would lay down lculable good." haps I may have helped him my life for him." (TO BE CONTINUED.) THE PRESBYTERIAN WEAKNESS. would be a bold man who hould dare to lay the sin of at the door of a great Church ours. Yet, if it be admitted ovetousness is idolatry," and neglect to offer a just proporone's income to the Lord for vice, be a fair indication of cov. ss, it will be allowable to say ch, at least, that our Church o examine herself candidly on nt. Our system, so perfect in espects, seems especially imperproviding for our own houseThe doctrine of voluntary supthe ministry and Church, has nost unquestioned from the be. Any thing looking like taxes, ssessments, has been most senresented. The Reformers, reFrom civil taxes for Church sus, passed to the other extreme of voluntaryism. "The law of has been the popular cry, and non too. As a consequence the love has been left without any system; shorn of any method of ing in any order that love into organized fruitfulness. The love has been a principle withexternal code. As usually ined it has been an impulse in And the law of love has been stered by the annual or semistirring up of the impulse from o temporary half-aroused activAs a result, the returns have ever feeble and inadequate to the of the Church, and not correng to the ability of her memberHer ministry has not been more alf supported; many of her es have languished and pined away; and the Holy Spirit has been withheld. She has suffered from the curse of leanness. No one will pretend to assert, we presume, that the spiritual returns have been adequate to the means in operation, had those means been properly employed, and blessed as God promises to bless their righteous use. The memorial offerings exhibit a startling array of Church debts and Church wants, the supply of which seems essential to her successful progress. Country churches, where is large wealth, have let their houses go to rack, and their ministers suppliment their insufficient salaries by devoting their time to the fields, or to literature, or to half-concealed agencies for books, insurance, and the like. In the cities the pew-system has set ministerial support in a business shape, and men have received a quid pro quo in sittings, for the preached gospel. In this way the poor have been thrust, quite necessarily in a business point of view, into the background, which is, in practical operation, putting them out of church doors. Grave doubts exist as to whether this business method which prevails under our present system of voluntaryism, will meet the demand of the Lord for gifts as sacrifices laid upon His altar, or will be counted in His presence as offerings of the heart to Him. Nor does this system rest upon the vaunted theory of the law of love. It is the law of necessity and respectability. You can not have a pew unless you pay for it, and being a professing Christian you can not afford to be without a pew; therefore, you are taxed to the amount of your pew rent, churches of like position, will draw though you may choose high or low tors for his own ho a man assured] or tion to trust ate meanstry are total hemmed in question. can, to ma and is exp one else. work whe to do ju family. ple, to Why do yoursel a stated tion, th to year does tithing shall men stand clear A man ent min is Te be na W 0 wn household. But how can suredly do this in the minishat becomes of the families of ministers? They are usually, eir father have inherited a paand often even then, thrown y on the world to struggle erty. How can I educate my in the ministry? You say I must the Lord. But it is presumpust without the use of appropris—and the means in the ministally inadequate. A minister is in on every side on the money He may not do what others ake money. He receives less spected to give more than any I do not feel called to a ere I can not see my way clear ustice to myself and to my You ask me, Christian peogive myself to the ministry. O not you who do not give es, at least give of your means systematic, and fair proport can be relied upon from year for ministerial support? Why t the Church provide for a or a system of some kind that ieve the consciences of young those difficulties, which now the way of their feeling a l to the work." such a response from a young ms justifiable under our presnagement of the methods of ial support. Now, you say, it to find fault, but not easy to But, we reply, if the fault y taken, and be of an essential the Church ought to give its and energies to the correction some shape. Lest we seem to a mere iconoclast, let us offer a edial suggestions. It seems ear that the voluntary system, resent administered, is inadeo our necessities. Two methremedy open: First, the voluntem might be made efficient. w churches are found where all ght contribute, and who would 'properly approached, do now any just proportion. A thor ough canvass under favorable circumstances of our congregations, with an efficient and prompt system of collecting subscriptions, would increase the salaries of our ministers twenty-five per cent. The general laxity or total lack of the present mode is notorious. It is so even in the pew-system, which has forced itself upon us by reason of the inability of the "law of love" lawlessness. Many subscriptions from those who take no pews might be made if properly approached, and the subscribers would be better and happier for it. And many pewholders who are conscious that their pew rent is not an adequate offering of their income, might be permitted thus to ease their consciences and subscribe in addition. Indeed, it seems to the writer that the whole pew-renting system needs remodeling to this extent, at least, that under our present plan the salary should be raised by voluntary subscriptions from all members first, and then if individual pews be selected, the subscriber be allowed the price of the pew selected, out of his subscription, and the balance to be called extra subscription, if that will satisfy. We assume, what we believe to be true, that the people are ready to do their full duty, if only the matter be efficiently managed and placed in some systematic shape, equally to divide the responsibilities. And if it be true that giving is a means of growth in grace, and that withholding dwarfs the Christian life, then it becomes the first duty of the Church to see that all are brought under a pressure to do their just share. The other method suggested is a practical superseding of the voluntary or "cold and hot" system, by a constraining law of steady heat. It is taken for granted, generally, that by the law of Christian profession, each professor assumes an obligation to bear his proportion of church burdens. Let this fact be publicly recognized in the pledge taken upon joining the church. Here is where the voluntary idea should come in. It is voluntary |