SIR. It is not my intention to revive the controversy on Sunday Evening Lectures, which I have long felt to be most important and valuable means of grace; but I wish to recal attention to the subject of Evening Prayer Meetings, which has not, I think, received that consideration in your pages which its importance deserves.

Prayer Meetings prevail very generally among Dissenters of almost all denominations, though I observe from the complaints in some periodicals, that they are not so well attended as in former years, but these assemblies are not very common among the members of our own church, and I am aware that ministers of considerable eminence for talent and piety have doubted their general expediency. Much however must depend on situation and circumstances; and still more on the talents and piety of those by whom these meetings are conducted.

It has always appeared to me that when persons are favoured with two or three opportunities of attending public worship on the Lord's Day, they can very seldom join in prayer meetings, without neglecting in a greater or less degree closet or family religion. 1 know some persons who regularly attend an assembly of this nature at seven o'clock on the Sunday morning, and are also frequently found similarly engaged on a Sunday evening after the third service of the church; but I find that they are almost uniformly too late at church, seldom coming in till the Psalms or Lessons; that in some cases they have not prayer in their own families, while in others their conduct, temper, and general conversation can scarcely be regarded as adorning the gospel of Christ. And I have therefore been led to conclude, that such persons would

SEPTEMBER 1838.

be better employed in attending to their own souls, instructing their own families, and being regularly in their own places at the House of God in due time, than in exercising their gifts in prayer meetings. It is deserving of serious attention that some of the most painful disorders which have arisen in the congregations of the most eminent ministers have been excited by those who were regarded as leaders in prayer meetings, select societies, &c.

But still there are cases where prayer - meetings may produce a beneficial effect. It frequently happens, and especially in country places, that the services of the Church occupy a very small portion of the Sunday. The prayers

are

sometimes very improperly curtailed, and one short sermon is the extent of pulpit instruction. The Morning Service begins perhaps at eleven, and the Afternoon Service is over by half-past three or four. There is thus a long morning and a still longer evening in which no religious opportunities are afforded. Persons who have the care of families, or who are of a literary turn, find indeed abundantly sufficient to occupy their hours; but our servants, labourers, mechanics, and young persons in general, who read perhaps with such difficulty as to take little interest in and derive small benefit from books, find many hours hanging heavily on their hands, and may therefore with great propriety avail themselves of these opportunities. Where, indeed, the heads of families set up the worship of God in their houses, and seriously instruct their inmates in divine things, it is the duty of all parties to join in the domestic service; and were every house a house of prayer, the advocates of prayer-meetings would be con

2 X

fined to a very slender field of argument.

But such is, unhappily, not the case. I fear domestic religion is at a low ebb. In most of our towns, and in almost all our large villages, there are numbers of poor young ignorant persons, who have no opportunities of religious instruction or improvement, except what they may be favoured with in the services of the Church. Many of them can only attend once in the day, while at the same time they have usually the evenings very much at their disposal. A walk in the fields is in many cases impracticable; the opportunity and ability of improving it by religious discourse and meditation is still more rare; while many who do not hesitate to spend the Sunday evenings in general conversation, have yet scruples as to the lawfulness or propriety of walking in the fields as a species of taking their pleasure on the Lord's Day. Now, I cannot but think that if a few such persons could meet together on the Sunday evening, they might very properly improve their time by singing of hymns, reading the word of God or the writings of good men, and uniting in prayer to Almighty God; and it may deserve serious consideration whether such meetings might not be so arranged and so regulated, as to avoid most of the evils with which they are usually charged.

There are two kinds of prayer meetings which may deserve attention, the one where a minister presides, the other where the assembly consists exclusively of the laity. Where the minister pre sides, every thing should eventually be under his control. He should arrange the whole service, read, pray, and expound himself; the assembly is in fact a species of cottage lecture. The devotional part may preponderate; nay may almost exclude in some cases the didactic; but whether the service

consists of exposition or prayer, the minister should exclusively be the voice of and to his people. Whenever laymen become elders, leaders, stewards, &c. there is always an infusion of self-importance which leads to spiritual pride and other evils; and whenever ministers allow laymen to engage in prayer as it is called in their presence, the system invariably leads to mischief; nor have I ever met with a case of this kind which has not sooner or later issued in such painful results as to impress upon almost all parties, the importance of the caution, "Cease ye from man."

The minister will indeed usually find it convenient if not necessary to have one or two persons on whom he can depend to lead the singing, though it is very desirable that every clergyman should be able to set a plain psalm, or hymn tune, that he may not be compelled to desire assistance occasionally from some of whom he may have cause to stand in doubt; and I cannot but wish that our young men who are preparing for holy orders would generally cultivate this art. A very few lessons would make them theoretically acquainted with the notes of a plain tune; and a little practice would enable them occasionally to lead a short, common, or long measure far better than most of our parish clerks, singers, &c. who are not usually the most deserving persons in our parishes. The minister may also well avail himself of the eyes of the elder and more stayed and serious attendants, that every thing in the room may be conducted orderly, and that any incipient levity either in going or coming may be repressed.

The other class of Prayer Meetings is when the assembly consists solely of laymen. Of course these meetings must vary exceedingly, but they will generally speaking consist of a few middle-aged and somewhat better-informed persons,

while the majority of the attendants will be young and comparatively ignorant. The common plan I believe is to sing a hymn, and then one of the party prays; a second hymn is then sung and followed by another prayer, and so on till the time is exhausted. The assembly is usually of a rather promiscuous character, and varies a good deal according to accidental circumstances, and is not unfrequently attended by persons who worship in different congregations, an intermixture which is usually found injurious. The persons who officiate are not called upon in general in any regular order, and the time of commencing and closing is not usually very exactly defined. It requires very little penetration to perceive that meetings thus arranged and conducted must be liable to the intrusion of various evils and inconveniences.

In endeavouring to obviate such inconveniences, it may be advisable to consider what is the specific object of these assemblies. Prayer meetings are, I conceive, intended to promote the glory of God and the welfare of men, by improving a certain portion of time in communion with God and with his people. Communion with God is the first object, and mutual edification is also to be steadily kept in view; and the meetings should as far as possible be regulated with reference to both these points.

The

Instead, therefore, of being regarded as promiscuous assemblies to which all may come, it appears desirable that they should rather be regarded as private opportunities to which only stated members, and their own particular friends should be admitted. service should begin and close as nearly as possible at a given time, that parents and masters may know when to expect their dependants home. Some portion of God's word should be read, and, generally speaking, some plain exposition

or short discourse, and all attempts at display should as much as possible be discouraged. We still want a commentary exactly adapted to such occasions. I am inclined to think the Religious Tract Society's is the most suitable of any, but the annotations are rather longer than is desirable.

The senior attendants on these meetings, and especially the elder women, should take care to leave at the same time with the younger, and thus by a prudent oversight preclude those temptations which are said to be common on such occasions; though I have never been able to ascertain that the charge rests on any solid foundation.

I have known social meetings of this nature now for many years. There is one in the parish in which I live, where a number of poor well-disposed people meet at each others houses on Sunday nights, and on one week night, and on the whole, with a beneficial result. Cases have arisen where individuals have been puffed up by their presumed gifts, and have been drawn aside for a time at least, from the good way; but these meetings have certainly conduced to the edification of others have helped many inquirers forward in the divine life; have afforded a refuge from temptation to young people of both sexes, and have not, as far as I can discover, led in any one instance to improper attachments, or those evils which are commonly laid to the charge of evening meetings.

On the whole, therefore, I am disposed to encourage prayer meetings to a certain extent, and among a certain class; but at the same time they appear to me to require careful management, and if not properly regulated, may lead to very perplexing and painful trials. Believe me to be,

yours most truly,
CORNELIUS.

FOR the better observing, and the more easy understanding the rule in the sixteenth verse, walk in the Spirit, St. Paul here sets down a catalogue of the works of the Spirit. In the catalogue I consider three things, I. The property (or nature) of the works of the Spirit, in these words, the fruit of the Spirit. II. The kinds of works, and they are nine. III. The benefit that comes by them, in these words, against such there is no law.

I. The fruit of the Spirit. It is the property of the works of God's Spirit in us, to be called the fruits of the Spirit. And by this, much is signified; namely, that the church is the garden of God, Cant. iv. 16.; that teachers are planters and settlers, 1 Cor. iii. 9; that believers are trees of righteousness, Isaiah Ixi. 3.; that the Spirit of God is the sap and life of them; and good works and virtues are the fruits which they bear.

In that the works of the Spirit are called fruits thereof, hence it follows, that there are no true virtues and good affections, with out the

grace of regeneration. The virtues of the heathen, how excellent soever they seemed to be, were but shadows of virtue, and served only to restrain the outward man, and no further.

Again, here we see the efficacy of the Spirit, which makes men fruitful, or bearing trees of righteousness, Psalm i. 3. Yea, trees that bear fruit in their old age, Psalm xcii. 14. Here we have cause to cast down ourselves. For the most of us are barren trees, that bear no fruit, but the bad

Again, good works are made acceptable to God, even by his grace; and therefore they are called the fruits of the Spirit: and hence it is that they are acceptable to God, Rom. xv. 16. We that are by nature wild branches, must be taken out of old Adam, and set into Christ; and after our insision (or ingrafting) draw a new sap and life from Christ, namely, his Spirit, and then our actions shall be fruits of the Spirit, and consequently acceptable to God.

Lastly, hence it follows, that free will of itself is a dead or rotten piece of wood, and that it bears no fruit, but as it is quickened by the Spirit, John xv. 5.

II. Thus much of the property; now follow the kinds of the works of the Spirit.

1. Love. It may be demanded, how is it a fruit of the Spirit?

Answer. First, the Spirit of God works faith, then regeneration, then love, 1 Tim. i. 5. Love follows faith; because we must know first that we are loved of God, before that we love God, 1 John iv. 19. And love follows regeneration; because till the will and the affections be changed, there is no place for love. The Papists then err, who teach, that the first act of love, that is, the inclination to love God and man aright, is by nature; and that the second act, namely, the exercise of love, is from the Spirit. Again, they err in that they teach, that charity, or love, is the formal

righteousness of a Christian. For it is a fruit that follows regeneration.

The love here mentioned is either of God or man. The love of God is a holy affection, whereby we love God in Christ for himself. There are three special signs whereby it is discerned. 1. A desire of fellowship with God, and Christ, and the Holy Spirit; and therefore to be much and frequent in the use of the word, and prayer: because in the word, God speaks to us; and in prayer, we speak to Him. 2. To love the word of God above all earthly treasure; and to tread our wills under foot, and to desire that God's will may be preferred in all things, 1 John ii. 5. There are many houses among us, where the cards and tables, (chess-boards, &c.) are walking, but the Bible is seldom or never seen. And this argues

the want of love.

* In illustration of this exposition, a beautiful passage may be quoted from Fox's Martyrs, page 1755, folio edition. Fox, in delineating the character of CRANMER, applies to it the words of 1 Tim. iii. 2, 3. Under the head of not angry (the old translation) he says as follows Surely if overmuch patience be a vice, this man may seem peradventure to offend rather on this part than on the contrary. Albeit for all his doings I cannot say for the most part, such was his mortification that way, that few we shall find in whom the saying of our Saviour Christ so much prevailed as with him who would not only have a man to forgive his enemies, but also to pray for them that lesson never went out of his memory. For it was known that he had many cruel enemies, not for his own deserts, but only for his Religion's sake; and yet whatso

2. Joy. Joy is twofold; joy of glory after this life, and the joy of grace in this life and it stands in three things. The first is, to rejoice in the true acknowledgment of God, that he is our God, and reconciled to us in Christ. The second is, to rejoice in the work of our regeneration. The third is, to rejoice in the hope of eternal glory.

This grace of joy hath a double fruit. First, it moderates all our sorrows, which makes us rejoice in the midst of our afflictions. 1 Thess. v. 16. Secondly, it causeth men to rejoice at the good of their neighbours, Rom. xii. 15. And this joy is here meant specially:. for joy is here opposed to envy and emulation.

This fruit shews, that we are most of us bad trees. For the joys of the world are for the most part in iniquity, and in the works of the flesh. And it is our common sin not to rejoice, but to pine away with grief, as Cain did, when we see God's blessing upon our brother.

3. Peace. It is a care and desire to maintain concord, as much as may be, if it be in us. * Rom. xii. 18. It is an excellent virtue. For the kingdom of God stands partly in peace. Rom. xiv. 17. For the maintenance of peace, observe two rules. 1. Neither take offence nor give offence. Abraham chose rather to lose his right than to offend Lot. Gen. xiii. 8. and so did Christ. Matt. xvii. 27. Seek

ever he was that either sought his hindrance, either in goods, estimation, or life, and upon conference would seem never so slenderly anything to relent or excuse himself, he would both forget the offence committed, and also evermore afterwards friendly entertain him, and shew such a pleasure to him, as by any means possible he might perform or declare. Insomuch that it came into a common proverb, 'Do unto my Lord of Canterbury displeasure or a shrewd turn, and then you may be sure to have him your friend while he liveth.' * In our power.