enough to keep us humble; or spiritual conflicts to lay us low, and give us other matters to think of than vainglory. What I am about to say may be as much a mystery to you as the rest of it: it is the life of faith to work for God, and give him all the glory back again, when any good has been accomplished. This is one of its divine and most noble excellencies;-neither to tact nor talent, nor to prayer nor labor, nor to zeal nor holiness, not even to the faith that removes mountains, be glory, but overcoming "through the blood of the Lamb, all glory be unto the Lamb, and to him that sitteth upon the throne for ever and ever! Amen!" This is the soul's centre,—its rest,— its heaven here below.

CHAPTER V.

TO AN OBSERVER-A GREAT QUICKENING.

WHERE is a marvellous quickening among the people,

I admit; and the effects are marvellous to some. But you and they are only beholding illustrated a striking remark of a Scotch preacher, that "He who shall raise the dead in church-yards, can wake dead in churches!" The suddenness of this awakening, and at a time when there was the least likelihood of any such thing, and this shaking among various classes, have affected some as disagreeably, it would seem, as would have this morning's dawn, had it rushed into noonday with the force and suddenness of an explosion! Have they forgot ten that it is written, "For he will finish the work, and cut it short in righteousness: because a short work will the Lord make upon the earth"? (Rom. ix. 28.) We may say of a revival among a people, what one said of sanctification in a single soul: it may be "gradual in preparation, but instantaneous in accomplishment." Some revivals resemble rivers running underground, unknown to everybody, till they discover themselves. Most revivals of God's work, I have thought, begin in this secret way. It is no wonder that worldly-minded persons know not what to make of such sudden manifestations. But is

it not marvellous also, that those "good people" of whom you speak cannot discover the tokens of the Lord's wisdom and power, and that they cry not out with the disciples of old, on seeing a multitude of fishes in the net, "It is the Lord"? Or that they find it so difficult to allow that God may work just where, and when, and how he pleases!

2. My habit of going to the point at once, direct, when preaching, and not by circles, under cover of much verbiage and art, may constitute, perhaps, the difference. But I mistake the spirit of the age, if the generality of hearers dislike it; especially those who desire to know the truth, the whole truth, as it is. Those who prefer comfort to safety, and have no wish to see the worst of their case, prefer a different style; nor need one marvel at that. But God knows what is best for them and for the people; and usually provides it, without asking their leave. The spirit of the age, it has seemed to me, requires something of the kind. We live in an irregular and impetuous age, and it needs some such sort of preaching to cope with it. God knows I have much to humble me as it regards the imperfection of my style, both in writing and speaking. In some degree I am conscious of it, and humbled on that and some other accounts, more than I can express. But effects do sometimes comfort, and lift me up out of oppressive humiliation. I wish, and often try to do better, to avoid abruptness, and cultivate a smoother and less rapid style of delivery. But deep convictions of truth, and the value and peril of souls, with intense emotions, seize and carry me headlong into the subject; and it is not till after all is over, that Prudence overhauls me: if the effects happen to be such as the doctrine would seem to warrant, I am let off without the

loss of part of my night's rest. This is saying more than I intended; and is, perhaps, part and parcel of my other faults. I was cheered the other day with the remark of one regarding the stately and elegant style of Gibbon the historian,"keeping step elegantly and in perfect time,"-that a break in the cadence would be the greatest relief, and a false quantity endear the historian more than the most rigid correctness in the world! for, I thought, maybe, after all, something of this in my preaching may serve as good a purpose, through the divine blessing, as the more smooth and polished style which graces much of the eloquence of our times!

3. Nevertheless, it is sweet to reflect that, whether a Paul may plant, or an Apollos water, or a Boanerges thunder, or a Jonathan shoot his arrow, or a Joash smite the ground with a handful of arrows, contrary to all the rules and uses of archery, it is God who giveth the increase. Peter's hook and Peter's nets both succeeded, when let down as Christ commanded. The work is ours to do, but the deed is God's, else all our work is vain. Bede preaching to a heap of stones, and we to a congregation of sinners, without divine help, have equal prospect of success. "I may teach, and you hear, but God must do the deed when all is done," said a faithful preacher, centuries ago. Aye, the same Lord that opened the heart of a Lydia under the preaching of Paul, and the heart of a jailor by the shocks of an earthquake.

4. Ezekiel, the prophet, is an example of directness, when prophesying to "the valley of dry bones." Had " some of our judicious hearers" been present just then, with as little faith in supernatural influence as they seem to have just now, most likely they would have pronounced him also "somewhat too

Mark the simple

eccentric for good taste, when he stood and cried, "O ye dry bones, hear the word of the Lord." But he would not have varied his mode of address on their account: "So I prophesied as I was commanded." The secret of the effects produced we find in that one short sentence. The result was a noise, and behold a shaking, and the bones came together, bone to his bone." (Ezek. xxxvii. 1-10.) Read the whole. directness and the faith of this man of God. Twice he tells us, in those ten verses, 66 So I prophesied as he commanded me.” And the effects were in accordance-a direct response from the bones-a stirring, and a shaking, and a sounding, and a coming together, bone to his bone. And, behold, those hitherto dry and dead bones were instinct with the breath of life, clothed with flesh and skin, "and stood up upon their feet an exceeding great army." He that hath an ear to hear, let him hear! Let the messenger of Jesus Christ "declare the whole counsel of God" unto the people, in the manner, and with the power, in which he wills it should be declared, and may not similar effects be witnessed among and upon hitherto dead sinners!

Look around you, my friend, and what do you behold? The appeal originates not from pride or vanity, but for the glory of God. Look around you. You know in what state these sinners were a few months since, and you see, in some degree, the change that has been effected in them. Sinners, hitherto possessed of torpid consciences, with faculties disjointed, and dispersed from life, from God and godliness, and sepulchred in flesh, sin, and unbelief! Behold the change. Think of how it was effected. An impulse, mysterious as that which stirred the valley of dry bones under the prophet's