stones, and sticks, and innumerable obstructions in its course, continues to ripple and wind, and insinuate itself, perseveringly, through every opening, till it has left them all behind; when deep and broad, at length, it runs into the sea."*

ILLUSTRATIONS.

And there came a certain poor widow, and she threw in two mites, which make a farthing. And he called unto him his disciples, and saith unto them, Verily, I say unto you, that this poor widow hath cast more in than all they which have cast into the treasury: for all they did cast in of their abundance; but she of her want did cast in all she had, even all her living. Mark, xii. 42, 44.

As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. . . . . If any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth. 1 Pet. iv. 10, 11.

To them who by patient continuance in well doing, seek for glory, and honour, and immortality, eternal life. Rom. ii. 7.

XII. PROCRASTINATION.

Make the most of your minute. - AURELIUS.

THE attempt to pray without a form seldom becomes less difficult by the delay of an effort to

* Tyerman and Bennet's Journal, vol. i. p. 305.-This is, I believe, the first quotation from Polynesian authority. Blessed be the God who has honoured missions for this new source of spiritual illustration.-ED.

accomplish it; and no advantage can result from long intervals between the periods of engage

ment.

The Christian who begins with the short and simple petition of the publican, and allows his prayers to "grow with his growth, and strengthen with his strength," is likely to make far more rapid advances than those who lose, by procrastination, all the advantages of early impression, and of habitual exercise from the earliest infancy of grace in their souls. It is not often that such efforts are, first of all, necessary in public; but there are few exceptions to the general rule "delays are dangerous," so far as the closet and the family are concerned.

A man who feels his need of prayer to-day is not likely to be better qualified by delay for the attempt to-morrow.

Life is wasted, a day-or rather a momentat a time.

Neither wicked men, nor wicked children, delay to employ their tongues in the service of Satan.

"Procrastination is the thief of time."

"To-morrow is in the fool's calendar."

The Christian who begins to pray in his own ds to-day will probably pray the better tocow for his previous exercise.

Rust corrodes more than common service, and the moth hurts a garment more than six days' wear.

"There are no hours when God cannot be spoken with."*

"They that do the will of God heartily will do it speedily."*

They worship best in heaven, where they are always worshipping.

If the cross of the Christian should be taken up to-day, it may become heavier if left till to

morrow.

There are some duties which, if delayed, become increasingly difficult every day-if attempted, increasingly easy at every effort. Why should a man defer his happiness? "It is never too late to begin; it is always too late to delay."+

ILLUSTRATIONS.

Thou shalt not delay to offer the first of thy ripe fruits. Ex. xxii. 29.

I made haste, and delayed not to keep thy commandPsalm cxix. 60.

ments.

Boast not thyself of to-morrow. Prov. xxvii. 1.

Only take heed to thyself, and keep thy soul diligently, lest thou forget the things which thine eyes have seen, and lest they depart from thine heart all the days of thy life. Deut. iv. 9.

• Henry.

† Mrs. H. More.

XIII.-FORMS OF PRAYER.

We are far from deprecating forms of prayer in all cases; they have their uses, and even their excellences too. But it is impossible to frame a form of prayer to meet every new and pressing occurrence.-JAY.

THE New Testament suggests ideas as much at variance with a haughty disregard of the aids which may really be conveyed by forms of prayer, as with the employment of constraint in enforcing their use. The latter is an infringement on Christian liberty, and sometimes an unnatural effort to make babes speak like old men, or to induce old men to speak like babes ; but the former results from prejudice, and may either render prayer almost impossible, or, in equal contrariety to the manner of nature, prevent that improvement which the best examples are always calculated to impart. A child would not be likely to attain becoming powers of speech by a rigid confinement to set phrases; neither would it be in more favourable circumstances if compelled to regard every expression used by its companions as forbidden language to itself. "Doth not even nature itself teach ?"

When our Lord preached on the mount, he said "after this manner pray ye;" when, two vears afterwards, a disciple asked to be taught

to pray, Christ replied, "when ye pray, say, Our Father, &c." Some divines have considered this sufficient evidence that either the manner or the words might be copied by the disciples; and it may be observed here, that while we have no positive proof that the disciples did use the precise form as given either in the sermon on the mount, or on the later occasion when it was somewhat altered, yet few can suppose that if they did use either, as a form, that they were violating the spirit of Christianity. If JESUs permitted the employment of either method, it does not become Christians to revile each other because of a preference for one or the other:-it does become them to profit by either, so far as it may be available in their particular cases.

The differing characteristics of different men render it expedient that persons who would excel in prayer-and indeed in any other exerciseshould endeavour to understand their own minds, in order to a discovery of what is best for them.

Some have profited by employing a form, without confinement to all its parts, or limitation when they could advantageously enlarge; and not a few of these have, in the end, become well qualified for extempore prayer.

Others have composed forms for their own