temporal and spiritual blessings. In temporal blessings, there are no specific promises given, and, therefore, no specific answers are certain; while, as regards spiritual good, the promises seem all but unconditional. When Christ in the garden prayed for the avoidance of bodily suffering, he added, after the greatest importunity, Father, not as I will, but as Thou wilt." In praying for spiritual gifts, he makes no such condition or contingency, He says, without any proviso, "Father, keep through thine own name, those whom thou hast given me." "Father, I will that those whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am." "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do." And again appealing to the fullness of paternal love in giving to children, he says, "How much more shall your Heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him." We think there is also a preference given to those things which are covered directly by the atonement. By this we mean things to which the atonement had immediate reference.

There is, indeed, a sense in which all good of every kind bestowed on man is through a Mediator. But in regard to all common temporal blessings, this relation to the atonement is incidental only. It comes by the atonement, only as the probationary state of this world comes in

this way. We do not suppose that Christ died that men might have rain and sunshine, or civil privileges here for a season. In God's remedial system these things are means, not the end itself.

But the forgiveness of sin, the sanctification of the heart by the Spirit, and eternal life in heaven, are direct results of the atonement. In reference to these it was made, and only in view of it could God consistently grant them. . When, therefore, Christ says to his disciples, "Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, I will do it," he must have had things of this sort in view. "In my name," must have reference to what Christ has done, and must, of course, be inapplicable to everything not depending on the atonement by him effected.

In those things which thus are covered by the sacrifice of Christ, and which fall under the operation of the Spirit, we seem to have unlimited license to enlarge and multiply, and urge, and repeat, our requests, as we please.

Here again, however, we do not know certainly that even spiritual blessings will light down just where we wish, and in the very manner we would prescribe, even on the supposition that our own frame of mind is pleasing to God.

Some of God's promises and plans are shaped expressly to the union of many hearts, and many hands, in gaining a desired end. In all such cases, the answer must not be expected unless the union is complete, and the desire ardent, and the number, and the perseverance such, that God's appointment will be honored in a favorable response.

What God has promised to secret, or individual prayer, he will sacredly fulfil, according as that prayer is more or less such as it should be; and there the promise rests. So, too, what God has promised to public united prayer he will grant in the same way.

A case may arise in which the divine economy demands that the circle of prayer be enlarged, and that more hearts be combined, or that longer trial of faith should be made, or a more public testimony be given for God. All these things tend to produce a degree of uncertainty in regard to a specific answer to prayer, even in spiritual things.

Not knowing fully what is done, or what is required to be done, we cannot know beyond doubt, whether a particular blessing will be granted at all, or if granted, at what time, and under what circumstances.

It may be, also, that if prayer be offered for an individual, that individual may have so

they are more or less useful according as they are well or ill conducted. There is no magic charm in the mere name of prayer-meeting.

If any are pleased to make light of our views, by calling them the advocacy of religious machinery, we are not careful to deny the charge, as a fact, though we repel the insinuation of wrong, as unfounded.

Religious meetings have often, no doubt, been injudiciously managed, by what has been familiary lcalled machinery; and so too, they have been badly managed by other means-so that such a fact decides nothing.

Whatever is to be done in things material or spiritual, machinery of some sort, is necessary to the doing of it. God always employs it in carrying on his works. What wonderful principles are employed in the motions of the hea vens, and how nicely are they adjusted in their application. Consider the agencies concerned in the rearing of a plant, or the formation of an insect. And why should there not be machinery employed in moving and shaping the human mind? The human soul does not undergo transformations by a mere divine fiat, like that which said "Let there be Light, and there was Light." Machinery of various kinds is to be employed. To mention a single instance, in preparing souls for heaven, the gos

pel is to be preached, nor is it a matter of indifference how it shall be preached. God always gives the increase, but he does not give it equally to every kind of tillage.

If ministers will preach the Bible without perversion. in ever so homely or unskilful a manner, it will be likely to save some; but when preached by Paul or Whitfield, it saves thousands. So a company of pious men, having the spirit of prayer at all, can hardly manage a meeting so poorly, that no blessing shall be obtained; but when have we seen, and when shall we see, a prayer-meeting so rich and so blessed in its results, as was that held in an upper room, by the disciples of our Lord, during the interval between his ascension and the day of Pentecost?

We do, and we must, insist upon it, that some methods of procedure are more pleasing to God than others, and that an orderly and comely meeting will, other things being equal, answer its end better than an uncomely and disorderly one. We believe that some means are more likely to induce the spirit of prayer than others, and, of consequence, more likely to obtain a favorable response. We believe that here, as everywhere else, an effort made for the attainment of some tangible and intelligible object, is more likely to result favorably than