When the sheik paused, I put my another, stroking their beards; hand into my bosom, and drew "wonderful!" and every harsh and forth a New Testament. forbidding feature was softened "I have a religion," I said. down to quiet, calm attention. "Would you like to hear what it" More! more!" teaches on these high matters?"

I read on: 66 Moreover, when ye fast," &c.

"Bismillah!" exclaimed the sheik; "this is wonderful!”

By this time the attention of all my guards was directed to me. Their quick, sparkling eyes were fixed fiercely, as I thought, upon I needed no further urging on. me, their dark visages looking more Verse by verse, paragraph by paragrim by the flashing fire around graph, I read on to the close of the which they were seated; and their chapter, interrupted by the hands were ready to grasp a weapon clamations of wonder and approthat would speedily bring down bation. vengeance upon the head of the infidel dog who dared to blaspheme against their prophet.

"Listen," I said, as I opened the Testament at the sixth chapter of the Gospel according to St. Matthew. "You speak of almsgiving: hear what my Koran says about alms; and I rendered into Arabic the first four verses, "Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them," &c. When I stopped I looked up, and the dark countenances around me were glistening, but not with anger.

"Good!" exclaimed the sheik; "this is very good; go on."

I gathered courage, and read again" And when thou prayest," &c. I read, translating as I read, to the fifteenth verse. Again I looked around me.

"Bismillah! but this is wonderful! wonderful!" exclaimed one to

ex

"Wonderful!" said my worthy friend the sheik, when I at length closed the book; "but this is wonderful! And what good people you Christians ought to be!"

I never forgot, and I hope I never shall forget, the lesson taught me by that desert fire. In the first place, I saw as I had never before seen, that caution may degenerate into cowardice; and I learned, in the second place, the enemies of Christianity themselves being our judges, that if the professed followers of Christ were but in all things what they ought to be, "like-minded one toward another according to Christ Jesus," then would they, "with one mind and one mouth, glorify God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ;" and the constrained verdict of the unbelieving world would be, "Nay, but this is wonderful!"

PRIVATE PREPARATION FOR PUBLIC WORSHIP.*

BY THE REV. W. FRY.

WORSHIP may be regarded as the common heritage of universal man. In every heart there is an innate consciousness of the existence of a superior power which demands as a duty, reverence, adoration, worship. We wish, however, to distinguish here between this common

* Read at the Annual Meetings of the Western Association, held at Bridport, June 10th, and printed by request of the ministers and delegates.

instinct of human nature, and that living, enlightened devotion which springs from a new life produced by the Divine Spirit. "God is a Spirit: and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth." This is the scriptural ideal. True penitence, living faith, godly sincerity, must be at the root of all that can be truly pleasing and acceptable to the Father of lights. We have no evidence to prove that the observance of public worship in its relation to the Christian Church originated through a Divine injunction; it was rather the outgrowth of a sanctified love, a regenerated life, a yearning for holy confederation. It is, however, very evident that the gathering together of the early believers was according to the Divine mind; and any indifference or laxity manifested was met by solemn caution or reproof. "Not forsaking the assembling of yourselves together as the manner of some is, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as ye see the day approaching." It is impossible for us to fully estimate the advantages of public worship. By it the Christian constituency is largely preserved in that unity and brotherhood which is essential to strength; in its exercise we receive instruction, stimulus, and power for the duties and conflicts of life; and its influence upon those who have no real sympathy with the truth as it is in Jesus is most valuable in awakening attention and challenging inquiry.

We are quite aware that a vast number depreciate public worship. Some with touching poetic feeling speak of nature as their temple, and the birds as their choral songsters, and the forest trees as their inspiring teachers. Now, with all our admiration for the beautiful in nature-which we believe is calculated to excite devout thought, joyous emotion, and true pleasure-we nevertheless enter our protest against this species of Pantheism, which is a violation of the social element, and which gives to the inner life no real satisfaction. There are others who speak of public worship as a formal routine performed by mechanical practitioners, a something from which their righteous souls shrink with pious horror into "the calm retreat, the silent shade." Now, whilst we would strongly condemn that which is heartless or extravagant, unmeaning or artificial, we would, with equal emphasis, express our disapproval of that unctuous, sanctimonious, self-complacent sort of thing, which can find no rest for the sole of its foot on any of the green spots which are under the Divine culture and We conclude, however, that those who constitute our gatherings in connection with this Association have no sympathy with either. We believe in the fellowship of saints, in social and public worship; and we believe that the wilful neglect of the same does the soul an irreparable injury, sets an example to those around which has a baneful influence, and exposes the neglecter to the conscience-piercing question of the God of truth-"If I then be a Father, where is mine honour ?"

care.

Our principal design, however, in this paper is not to demonstrate the duty of public worship so much as to set forth the desirability and

importance of engaging in it in a spirit befitting the high and holy exercise. Much is said in the present day about pulpit preparation and pulpit power. Preachers in general are exposed to the red-hot criticism of their hearers; and should there be sometimes a little weakness in their analogical utterances, or if the interpretation of the word be not according to a certain ideal, if there should be hesitancy of speech, or a little obscurity of expression, keen is the sarcasm and cutting the words which fall from incautious lips. Now, we do not wish for a moment to apologise for brethren who run without a message, or who stand up to preach without careful preparation, and thus let off their rhapsodical effusions to the disgust of all intelligent hearers; neither do we wish to regard the general array of preachers as beyond criticism. We willingly acknowledge that we are not perfect beings, and that listening to our preaching must be often very dull work. We are quite aware that we are not such angels so as to be out of the reach of headaches, heartaches, and other terrestial evils. We know that our analytical and illustrative powers sometimes fail us, and that we have not always the marvellous faculty of keeping people awake when they come on purpose to sleep. We are quite prepared to acknowledge this, and much more; but does all the responsibility pertaining to public worship, its liveliness, its spirituality, its savour, rest with the preacher ? No-emphatically no! There is a work for the people as well as the preacher. The House of God is not a mere theatre, where the preacher performs a drama to a company of idle spectators, but a temple where spiritual sacrifices are to be offered by the whole royal priesthood, and to which all should come with a devout preparedness of heart. One of the old Greek philosophers in his day taught his followers not to worship or sacrifice carelessly, "but to prepare themselves at home beforehand." Wholesome advice, which we in our higher service and worship would do well to give attention to!

Now, there are two or three reasons which we may suggest to show how incumbent this duty is upon all true worshippers. In the first place, we go to the house of prayer professedly to meet our God, the High and Holy One, who condescends to dwell and commune with him who is of a contrite and humble spirit.

ner ?

"The King Himself comes near,

And feasts His saints to-day;

Here we may sit, and see Him here,
And love, and praise, and pray."

Shall we go, then, to meet our King in a thoughtless, indifferent manShall we come before Him without duly considering our errand, or rightly estimating His Divine character ? Nay, rather let us put our shoes from off our feet, knowing the place whereon we stand is holy ground. Should we think of approaching an earthly prince to present a petition, without first studying the best mode and most becoming

attitude? Should we, uninvited, rush into his presence with dishevelled hair, filthy garments, and in a rambling, incoherent way tell our tale? Should we not rather thoughtfully, modestly, in lucid, quiet, persevering speech, present the carefully prepared petition ? And shall we be less careful in approaching the King of kings and Lord of lords, whom angels adore and delight to serve, and who weighs every principle and tests every motive? Gross presumption were this the case. Let us, then, ever remember when we go to the house of prayer that it is to meet our God whom we have insulted and grieved, and from whom we need pardon and life, and this will tend to solemnise our feelings, to produce humility, and whilst we contemplate His high and lovely character we shall be filled with profound adoration, and shall thus worship Him in the beauty of holiness. And further, when we go to the house of prayer it is professedly to hear what God the Lord shall say unto us. We assume that no reverent worshippers go there merely because it is customary or respectable, or simply to relieve the monotony of daily life, but to hear the Word of God. We need food for our souls, and where can we get it but at the King's table? The body is jaded, and the mind is racked and disturbed by the excitement of life, and the din of worldly strife; and we want to hear the calm, soothing, yet withal soul-inspiring, words of Jesus. Now, is it consistent for us, under such circumstances, to go with the day-book in one ear, the ledger in the other, and the whole soul absorbed with losses and gains, liabilities and bar. gains? There is a certain picture in the world of art which is quite a study. The scene is a church, during morning service. In one of the pews stands a man: the Prayer Book is slipping from his relaxed grasp, as with clouded and anxious face the words slowly but earnestly fall from his lips, "Now, I wonder whether Messrs. S. protected that bill after all?" Such a picture requires no exposition, its impressive teaching is palpable to all. Surely if we thus go to the place of the Holy we shall have no blessing, but barrenness and disquietude. Can it be expected, if we carry the world with us, and are brimful of its engagements, if our little bucket is full of the polluted streams of earth, that we can receive and carry away much of the heavenly cordial ? If our mouths are in the dust, and full of dust, how can we join in hallowed praise? If we are chained down to the earth, how can we expect to feel much of the heavenly breeze? Preachers, certainly, are not such miracle workers as to be able by a single touch of their wand to disentangle the minds of their hearers from all the pursuits and engagements of life, and bring them into the clear noonday of exalted worship; neither can it be expected that the good seed they sow will take root and be fruitful if it falls into uncultivated and unprepared soil. Let us, then, be thoroughly mindful of our errand when we go to the house of prayer; let us seek to be emptied of self and the world, that we may be filled with the fulness of God; and let every other voice be hushed when Jesus speaks.