which material might be found for pages of pleasant criticism. We can but point out "Milan," "Ludlow," "Jersey," "St. Swithin's," and "Plymouth; "* in hope that the pathos of the first four, and the useful sprightliness of the fifth, will be discovered by practice.

This

It may be well to add a caution to those who may adopt this Book, in regard to the manner of commencing its use. As stated in the prefatory pages, it contains some tunes too difficult for congregational use. must not be considered a defect, but rather an additional improvement, for the use of choirs and private circles whose taste may attain to Bach and his kindred; while those who prefer simpler harmonies and melodies will yet have an ample supply, as large and as good as they need. But let none venture on tunes marked with the magic name of the wizard of four-part harmony, John Sebastian Bach, unless there is a competent choir, and a fair sprinkling of musicians in the congregation: otherwise, only failure and disappointment may be expected. Those who patiently use and study the rest of the collection will find themselves in excellent training for the great master. It is pleasant to believe that the insertion of these chorales will considerably aid the effort now making to diffuse through England a just knowledge and appreciation of the Protestant Princeps Musicæ.+

This paper may close with the rules of a trustworthy modern master, which, if practically accepted, will insure both pleasure and profit in the use of the Westminster Book. Well have the editors carried out the dicta of Carl Engel :-"When we rise up to praise God, our music must be in its character devotional, free from every taint of the passionate or sensual, as well as pure from every admixture of vulgarity or meanness. It must be simple, and consequently without mere ornament or accompaniment, and without abruptness or violence in the movement. It must be beautiful, that it may attract all ears, uneducated ones as well as those prepared. And it must also have a certain degree of ease, that it may acquire the only desirable kind of popularity."

DOES OUR SUCCESS CORRESPOND WITH OUR AGENCY?

(Continued from page 449.)

It is important to the prosperity of a church, or, in case of decline, to its recovery, that the absence of success, or of adequate success, should not be attributed to secondary causes; as if their conjoint agency constituted something uncontrollable and inevitable. It is conceivable that a church or an ecclesiastical community may be so traduced, and, for a time, so lowered in public estimation, that general hearers do not as before eagerly crowd

* Why should the name of this tune be changed? It is "Cookham" in the "Sacred Harmony." Needless alteration creates confusion.

+ A name bestowed on Palestrina by the grateful Italians, after his rescue of Roman church-music in 1562.

its auditories. But, in respect to those who are there,-where the ministry is intelligent, earnest, and acceptable; where the saving truth of the Gospel is clearly, boldly, and urgently advanced; where the precious promises lie open before heaven, and the Holy Ghost in His plenitude is present; and where there are also the living souls of redeemed men, and the whole ordinance is the LORD'S,-we must hold that there, in that place, at that moment, are all the needed elements of success. Here are the word, the Spirit, and the living ministry of the word; and what is absent can be dispensed with, for GOD IS THERE,-God all-sufficient; and His communications are limited only by the unbelief, or faintheartedness, or want of earnest perseverance, of those who wait on Him. The human heart may be hard and hardened; it may be bound down with the chain of its sins; it may be proud, self-conceited, self-righteous; it may turn a dull ear to the heavenly message; the preaching may be as a blunted instrument to it; it may accord its approval, its "countenance," its "patronage," to what is said, without the least tendency to yield to its authority :-but what of all this? of these difficulties, or any difficulties? GOD IS THERE! And what strength, or power, or might is against the Lord? What pride, what obstinacy, yea, what insensibility? Here is the arm of Omnipotence; the will of an infinite compassion; the ALMIGHTY GRACE! What hinders then? Obstacles there may be; they may be many and great; but surely in this Presence they are not insuperable.

If, then, such a conjunction as this has not corresponding success, what is the cause? That is a most important and most needful inquiry. Has this church, or this community of churches, "grieved" the adorable Spirit of God? or has it any standing impediment that prevents His co-operation? It will become such a church to make this the first inquiry; to pursue it with candour; and to evince a willingness to make out a case against itself, if possible. For it is safer to err on the side of severity than of laxity in such an investigation. Any indisposition to search thoroughly, to look to the bottom of things, to examine weak or sore places,—or any eagerness of selfjustification, however it may excuse men to themselves, or to others,―is likely to leave the case as before; if indeed not worse, so far as the Holy Spirit is concerned. He is not likely to be deceived because a church deceives itself, or to be conciliated by its over-sensitiveness on the point of convicting itself. A church may clear itself, may wipe its mouth, and say, "I am clean; there is no iniquity in me," and things may go on as before; -as uniform, as dull, as lifeless, or from bad to worse. For the Holy Spirit will be faithful to Himself. But if, on the other hand, with extreme anxiety to set things right, and to see the blessed results desired, this church should over-charge itself, and confess as sins and faults what He did not ́esteem as such, this were a very venial error, of the very nature of virtue; an error likely to be beneficial in its action, and to call down on those who made it the earlier benediction of God.

Nevertheless, should this church, eschewing all voluntary and volunteered humility, be unable to discern in its faults any sufficient cause for

the withholding of the Divine blessing, that cause must be sought elsewhere. If the Holy Spirit be not "grieved," then, is He asked? Is He asked in faith? earnestly asked, asked with continuance, without ceasing? Do men pray 66 always," pray "without fainting," pray "in the Holy Ghost?" Do they know that the kingdom of heaven suffers the violence of believing prayer, and that the violent take it by force? Do they magnify the Spirit's competency and His willingness, "lifting up holy hands, without wrath or doubting?" For if the Holy Spirit of Christ is not grieved by anything in the constitution or habits of a church, or by any of its past sins yet unrepented of, what can let or hinder His grace, but that men ask not, or that they ask amiss? Into what little compass, then, does this most interesting question of SUCCESS resolve itself!

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To apply all to ourselves. Is our success, as Methodists, equal to the means we employ, or have at command? If not, why not? Some success, thank God! we have: but is it adequate success, such success as ought to satisfy us, (calling to mind our ancient renown,) in sight of the work to be done, the resources of power accessible, and the great and precious promises? Have we as a denomination done anything to "grieve," even in part, the Holy Spirit? Have we magnified ourselves too much,-our soundness of doctrine, our efficiency of discipline, our wisdom of counsel, our unity, our strength, our power of recovery from blows and injuries, the grandeur of our Missionary enterprise, the vastness of a Christian empire having one centre of deliberation and authority, and the consideration in which we stand with secular governments and potentates? Have we compared ourselves too much to our own advantage with other churches? or overlooked, or looked down upon, those weaker vessels, which nevertheless the Holy Spirit deigns to use; looking too attentively on our own things," too little on the "things of others?" Have we stood too much in the glory of our fathers and patriarchs, exalting ourselves by extolling them, without being sufficiently concerned to imitate their self-denial, their industry, their devotedness, and altogether to walk in the steps by which they attained that glory? In one, or more, or any, of these ways, or in anything not named, are we in fault, or partly in fault? If so, let us not evade, let us not excuse ourselves, let us not quibble; but with Christian and manly honesty acknowledge our error, deplore it, humble ourselves before God on account of it, and at once put away it, and all semblance to it. Let us take this short and sure way to recovery, and blessing, and honour; and not put off the evil day, which is certain to come earlier or later, if we set not ourselves right with the Holy Spirit of God. What is a powerful subject with a court and kingdom at his feet, if the Monarch from whom he receives all, and holds all, turn his back on him? How does one simple transaction (in a high quarter, truly) rend all from his grasp, and it is scattered, and disappears; whilst he gradually retires into loneliness and obscurity! What that fallen statesman is, that is a church, or community of churches, bereft of the countenance and succour of the Spirit of Christ. Only that the operation is more sure. No matter what its magnitude, the

solidity of its structure, the perfection of its combinations, its promising appearance, or the great expectancy it excites; it is doomed, and, in due course, will crumble to nothing, if the Master-Builder desert it. The sapless branch is not more dependent on the return of the nourishing stream, than a half-dead church on the return of the Spirit's grace. He is "the Fountain of life."

All this may be true, and Methodism * not very much in fault on any of these points, even on a close and honest examination: yet it is still well to keep before our attention the points of danger, and the standard of excellence, and the way of safety; and to ponder well and profitably. It is an infirmity of our nature, no doubt; but it is with communities as with individuals, that they are much more ready to acknowledge the right way whilst they are yet in it, than after they have left it. A man very unwilling to retrace his steps will hold on his course and keep the right path, if he be but warned in time. There may be a little self-complacency at work here; but we need not discuss that. A weakness that may so easily "lean to virtue's side" is not very much to be complained of.

Supposing, however, that no serious fault can be detected, why then have not we more of the "demonstration of the Spirit" in our ordinances? What withholdeth? If our former reasoning is right, everything needed is within our reach; within reach of our means faithfully used. What shall withstand the power of earnest, faithful, persevering PRAYER? Behold, he prayeth!" What a promise of good there is in such an

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*We say METHODISM, not " Wesleyanism :" for, though Wesley's name would honour any community, Methodism (so called) was originally CHRISTIANITY, in renewed life and vigour, growing out of the New Testament,—not untruly or presumptuously called, “Christianity in earnest." The name "Methodism," given by somebody (possibly in the order of Providence) to this spiritual and earnest Christianity, was accepted by those to whom it was applied, and generally adopted. Why, then, should not this name given by enemies, accepted by friends, used by all, rendered famous and venerable by time and goodness-be retained by us, as our great and chief designation? It denominates a large and extending circle of the Christianity of the world,—the manifest work of the Holy Spirit; and it were better that so great a work should receive an indifferent name, (if indeed it require a distinctive one at all,) a name that has no great meaning, but derives all its importance from that which it represents, than that so great a work of Christ should receive a name of significance, inferior to His own; meaning something indeed, but something infinitely less than when the religion of the New Testament is called CHRISTIANITY. In accepting our humble name, we are free from the charge of man-worship, or self-laudation, for it originated in ridicule; and yet Christ has se honoured it, that whatever is most like Him, among the things bearing His name in the earth, is called "Methodism." We also think that the distinctive prefix, "Wesleyan," might with advantage be less frequently used. It is no longer admitted to be distinctive of ourselves. It has been adopted by others. We are the old original body, still the great body (certainly the chief star in this firmament). Let us call our system METHODISM, and our people METHODISTS, and leave the world to make out, as they may, all the rest. Of Wesley's name and work we are not likely to be ashamed while we walk in his ways; when we do not, it were better that we should not bear his name.

attitude! Already the heavens grow dark, the clouds collect, and portend an overflowing and refreshing rain! Let us then at once address ourselves to prayer ;—prayer more earnest, more constant, more expectant; prayer in the closet, in the sanctuary, in the fellowship of saints; prayer with study, prayer before public service, earnest pleading; prayer before the congregation; prayer that accounts little of human resistance in the presence of allsufficient grace :-"Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto" (for the gracious results) " with all perseverance." For "this is the confidence that we have in Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He heareth us: and if we know that He hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of Him." "Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered." "If we, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto our children; how much more shall our heavenly Father give His Holy Spirit to them that ask Him!" "He that spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not" (let unbelief answer)"with Him also freely give us all things?" What an argument, and what a gracious encouragement to a holy boldness and expectation in prayer, may be found in all these sweet passages! Let us savour all such praying with holy tempers, and a holy life. Let us "live in the Spirit," and "walk in the Spirit;" let us "put on Christ," and "walk in Him." "The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much."

Is it to be believed that such prayer shall pervade the spirit of a Minister, or the services of a church, or the religious offices of a whole community, and there shall be no marked result? "Shall not God avenge His own elect, which cry day and night unto Him, though He bear long with them?" Unbelief hesitates; it has a difficulty, an objection; nay, more than one. Then let the Saviour's blessed lips, which first put this question, answer it; and answer it amid the very unbelief which He felt to be around Him,— that dulness and obtuseness of man's nature which cannot open itself to the conception of so great condescension and goodness, though announced by a Messenger from heaven, a Messenger no less than Divine :-" I tell you, that He will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless, [true as it is,] when the Son of man [the Messiah] cometh, [to announce this great good, and present the pledge and earnest of it in His own person,] shall He find faith on the earth?"-faith to receive and embrace it? How clearly the Saviour saw that men would not believe the love that God hath toward them, the greatness of it! and how forcibly and sweetly He here puts it, so as to stimulate and strengthen what faith there was! Reader! how is it with thee? DOST THOU BELIEVE THE WORDS OF THE SON OF GOD? Does the Son of man find faith in thee? Or art thou now repressing the gracious excitement that stirs thee up, and emboldens thee ?-casting about for difficulties and objections, until at length thou sayest, "A lion is in the way;" instead of rather holding fast whereunto thou hast attained,