9. A portrait, engraved some years since, and ready at hand, prefaces this volume, in uniformity with all the volumes from the beginning of the second series, as promised.

It may not be amiss to say here, that the present Editor of the PREACHER has conducted it for about fourteen years, with an interval of several years, when it was not in his hands. During his connection with it, he has printed and published not far from one million four hundred and seventy-five thousand copies of different discourses, as the figures show, from a goodly number of the ablest and most devoted ministers and pastors of this country. The varied authors of these discourses will doubtless learn in heaven the amount of good thus done to the cause of Christ and the salvation of souls. Many of these devoted ministers have years ago gone to their reward.

Fulton-Street Prayer-Meeting. faith has been brought into exerWE hope to report each month cise, how many hearts gladdened the most interesting and instruct- on earth and in heaven by the ive portions in the current his- conversion of many souls ready tory of this most remarkable to perish, will only be known at prayer-meeting of modern times. the disclosures of the final day. We have less space for it this The old South Church will month than we intended. The ever be a memorable spot as the And as origin, history and progress of birthplace of souls. the Fulton-street prayer-meeting, money could not buy the ground during the past years, and its for commercial purposes, it would fruitful results, are marvelous to seem as if God had put imperishall observant eyes. Scarcely since able honor upon it, as honoring the day of Pentecost has there him in the midst of such a city occurred in the annals of the as this, and before all the world, Christian Church such a chapter wherever the fame of it has gone. of blessed history, such answers to prayer, such a spirit of supplication, so widely diffused, and influencing and affecting so many hearts.

For The Prayer-Meeting.

A Day on the Iceberg.

BY A NEW-YORK CITY PASTOR.

With such a record of results, THERE are moments in the life so new and fresh, it would seem of almost every man, which seem as if the praying ones in all Pro- to him peculiarly solemn-motestants churches would never ments when his insensibility gives again distrust the power of the way, and he feels the pressure of Holy Ghost, or God's readiness eternal things. He hears some to hear and answer prayer. How startling message; he is appallmany prayers have been offered ed by some sudden calamity; and answered, how much strong he is summoned to take a last

farewell of some one called away fore the loud crash of the crumbbefore him to the silent land, or ling mass was heard. The scene it may be that, by sharp disease, of their gayety was covered with he is himself brought, for hours the huge fragments of the falling or days, to the verge of the grave. pinnacles, and the giant iceberg But these only are his solemn rolled over with a shock that hours. He shakes off the im- sent a thrill of awe and terror to pression, and plunges anew into the breast of every spectator. the vanities of the world, as Not one of that gay party could though probation were a holiday ever be induced to try that rash and death a dream. experiment again.

But is not all of life solemn? But what is this world with all Is not every moment momentous its brilliancy, with all its hopes, in its issues? Is there any point and its alluring pleasures, but a of time around which eternal in- glittering iceberg, melting slowly terests do not cluster-any stage away? Its false splendor, enin the pilgrimage of life which is chanting to the eye, dissolves, not beset by imminent dangers, and as drop after drop trickles or invested with solemn respon- down its sides, or steals unseen sibilities? through its hidden pores, its very Some years since a vessel lay foundations are undermined, and becalmed on a smooth sea, in the the steady decay prepares for a vicinity of an iceberg. In full sudden catastrophe. Such is the view, the mountain mass of frozen world to many who dance over splendor rose before the passen- its surface, and in a false security gers of the vessel, its towers and forget the treacherous footing on pinnacles glittering in the sun- which they stand. But can any light, and clothed in the enchant- one who knows what it is, avoid ing and varied colors of the rain- feeling that every moment is bow. A party on board the ves- pregnant with danger, and that sel resolved to climb the steep the final catastrophe is hastening sides of the iceberg, and spend on?

the day in a pic-nic on the sum- Is it in a merely fanciful alarm. mit. The novelty and attraction that we warn you to flee from the of the hazardous enterprise blind- wrath to come, that we tell you ed them to the danger, and they that every moment of life is full of left the vessel, ascended the steep the deepest solemnity, and that we mountain of ice, spread their ta- admonish you of the treacherous ble on the summit, and enjoyed character of hopes that glitter like their dance of pleasure on the the pinnacles of the iceberg in the surface of the frosty marble. No- sunlight, which a moment may thing disturbed their security or crumble to ruined fragments, marred their enjoyment. Their strewn over your grave? If it sport was finished, and they made is solemn to die, is it not solemn their way down to the water level to live, when any moment may and embarked. But scarcely had be the door through which you they reached a safe distance be- may pass into eternity? What

are all the objects upon which you any reason to believe that they rely-health, strength, youthful had rest in Jesus? If parted vigor-but the frozen marble be- from you now, would there be neath your feet, that may yield in any ground to hope that you an hour, when you dream not, would stand together at the right and leave you to sink in a river, hand of the Judge? which no plummet can fathom? Could you be so secure, so heedless of warning, if you realized your true condition?

For The Prayer-Meeting.

And yet God has made you largely responsible for them. You can almost draw them with you into the ark, if you will truly enter yourself. You can dedicate them to God; you can intercede in their behalf; you can Come with all thy Family. hold up to their view the peace, "COME thou with all thy house," the blessedness, and hope of a is the divine invitation and the child of God; you can point to divine command. God has linked heaven, and lead the way. Oh! you by the strongest affections to if the venom of your example others-friends, kindred, bone of should poison their lives, if your your bone, and flesh of your flesh. contempt of Christ and his ordiHow kindly, how tenderly has he nances should be copied by them, bound up the welfare of others if your prejudices and passions with your own! They can not and schemes should be transsuffer, but you suffer with them. planted to their bosoms, if the They can not rejoice, but your taint in your blood should be heart beats in glad sympathy with transferred to their veins, if your theirs. Let their names be tarnish- selfishness, vitiated tastes or dised, and yours is involved. Let eased piety, should become their them become profligates, blasphe- inheritance-then, though you mers, reprobates, and your gray yourself might be saved, even as hairs will be brought down in sor- it were by fire, how would the row to the grave. Let them be harvest of your folly descend to brought low by sickness, so that them as their heritages of woe! the flame of life flickers in the You can not fail in duty, you can socket, and you begin to fear that not refuse to enter, or enter hesiyou must soon prepare their tatingly the ark, without imperilshroud and coffin, and how a ing their salvation. Oh! bring weight of lead rests upon your them with you as you come! If heart! you have found Jesus, point him But are they not in greater out to them. You are united in peril? Is not their immortal affection; you are conjoined by destiny at stake? Are they not a common sympathy. Beware living without God, and without how you allow any line of sepahope? Are they not every day ration to be drawn, which will adding new sins to the catalogue leave them excluded from the of an ungodly life? If they were refuge in which your soul has cut down now, would you have found a shelter.

For The Prayer-Meeting.

Lights Hid under a Bushel.

bred people possibly think their habit strange; but they care not

How many of the professed for that, it is the fashion at court. disciples of Christ are guilty of What need, then, that the godly hiding their lights under a bushel! should be so tender-foreheaded, They fear the judgment of the as to be put out of countenance, world pronouncing them fa- because the world looks on holinatics. They are so sensitive to ness as a singularity? It is the the unfriendly criticisms of un- only fashion in the highest court, converted men, that they feel yea, of the King of kings himimpelled as much as possible to self." conform to the fashions of the day. The "Puritan" has ever been a term of reproach.

G.

What occasion have you-who bear the name of Christ, and who profess to be clothed in the robes of his righteousness-what occasion

For The Prayer-Meeting. Unspotted from the World. But how extended, or rather A DISCIPLE of Christ can not how limited, is the field in which be too careful to keep himself these judgments prevail! They "unspotted from the world." have dominion only of a little Stains of sin upon his robe are corner of the universe, and an spied out by a thousand eyes. inch or two of time. They are Rents in it are noted with triprovincial at the best. They do umphant derision by the enemies not reach above the turrets of of the cross of Christ. It is not palaces, or more than six feet be- merely the believer's personal neath the sod. In the grave welfare that is at stake. It is his they have no place; in the realm Master's reputation; it is the of spiritual existence they are prosperity of his cause; it is the outlawed; in the hour of sick- salvation of souls. ness or disease they share the fate of the enfeebled body, and perish with it. A few years at the longest, and he that vindicated these most boldly, repudiates have you given for the world's them as folly. Why, then, should reproach? Is your profession a Christian be moved by them? stained with the greed of worldly How pointed the reproof of an good? is it dishonored by pasold divine in this matter! "What sionate indulgence? by unbecom though the polite man count thy ing speech? by violations of fashion a little odd and too pre- Christian charity? Is your Mascise; it is because he knows no- ter's honor in your keeping, and thing above that model of good- have you thus betrayed it? Are ness which he hath set himself, lost souls looking to you, excusand therefore appears nothing ing their errors by your own? beyond it; he knows not God, Are the careless and the godless and therefore doth not discern comparing their lives on the score and esteem what is most like him. of morals, with yours? If your When courtiers come down into garments are stained with sin, or the country, the common, home- draggled in the mire of the world,

who shall estimate the evils and tall spires rising before him, and mischiefs that shall flow from looming up to his delighted eye. this neglect? He seemed ready to step ashore Most appropriate is the ex- the moment the steamer touched hortation of the saintly Leighton: the pier. We saw no luggage, "Let us then remember our way, no incumbrance about his perand where we are, and keep our son, to trouble him or delay his garments girt up; for we walk landing for a moment. And no amid thorns and briers, which, if wonder, thought we, at his readiwe let them down, will entangle ness to go ashore, for all his famand stop us, and possibly tear ily, save one, had gone before our garments. We walk through him. His eye kindled as he a world where there is much mire gazed toward the distant spires, of sinful pollutions, and therefore and his bosom swelled at the it can not but defile them; and thoughts of a reunion of the loved the crowd we are among will be ones who had reached the celestial ready to tread on them, yea, or city before him. He has not yet our feet may be entangled in gone ashore. them, and so make us stumble or possibly fall."

The Celestial City.

GOING ASHORE.

in

As the venerated pastor alluded to has been successfully laboring for many years to bring men into sympathy with the character of God, and from his house of faith and from the windows of A FEW months ago we received his belief, been pointing many to a brief letter from a venerable look toward the celestial city, we and veteran pastor now, and have used the incident above to for many years past, at his high preface the following sketch from post on the walls of Zion the Three Months' Ministry, rewhich he alluded, with character- cently published: istic beauty and graphic imagery, "It is impossible that we can to his expected landing at the ce- aright understand either God's lestial city. The brief allusion word or his power, unless we are seemed to drop naturally and in sympathy with his character; gracefully from his pen, as if and if, then, we are not in symamong his familiar thoughts. We pathy with that deep and patient caught a glimpse of the good man, love in which the fullest expresthrough this little word-painting sion of God's character is given, of less than a dozen lines, so we shall not apprehend any Bible vivid that we see him still. He truth as we might, and specially seemed to be standing on the up- in its relation to future existence per deck of a gallant steamer un- and eternal good. You may preder full headway. He had taken sent to a man a book in a small his position there, looking on- type, and say: 'Can you read ward over the bows to descry this?' He answers: 'No.' You away in the distance the first present it to him in a larger type, sight of the celestial city and its and again ask: 'Can you read