of the North as it is to-day? And is it not also true that our disposition to do the duty was never before so strong?

It ought not to surprise, and it need not trouble us, that the sword of steel has been drawn in this contest. We may wish it were otherwise; we may wish that the triumph of the Prince of Peace were fully come. We may long and pray for the hastening of the time when the voice of strife shall forever cease. But when that day shall dawn, the blessings which it shall shed, rich and abundant as the light upon the earth will be the blessings of the completed triumph; while the history of the world has only shown a struggle for the victory which it has not yet attained. But let us remember the nature of the struggle, that it is not with flesh and blood, though by means of these, but against "principalities, against powers, against the rules of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places;" and remembering this, let us not fear the result of our present commotions-not because man is wise nor institutions are mighty; not because the tocsin of war has been sounded, and our young men have gone up and are going forth strong and earnest for the struggle; not because of the victories upon land and by sea, which have filled us with joy, and for which we praise the God of our fathers to-day-not upon these let us place our hope. "Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we will remember the name of the Lord our God." It is the struggle of Christ's kingdom, and the Lord is king, blessed be his name forever. He who was annointed for the special work of preaching liberty to the captive, and the opening of the prison-doors to them that are bound, will proclaim these glad tidings, and nothing shall stay the coming of this acceptable year of the Lord. What are nations, what are men, what are agents of time to this? He has time onough for it all, for he works even as he dwells in the fulness of his own eternity. "A thousand years are before thee as one day, and one day as a thousand years." He has not only time enough, but generations and nations sufficient for the result. "He increaseth the nations and scattereth them; he enlargeth the nations and straiteneth them again."

The tears which flow to-day over loved ones who have fallen need not be tears of unmixed grief. Not one of the brave departed has yielded up his life in vain. There are other interests in this struggle than those of flesh and blood; there are other ends to be gained by it than the eye of sense can

and for these momentous issues there has been no fruitoffering. Not a tear, not a drop of blood, not an earnest t, not a noble soul has been given to this sacred cause for

naught. Not one shall be unrecompensed in the great result to which all have ministered; and not one shall be forgotten in the day of great remembrance, when all things now obscure shall see the light. There is an Eye which has watched where every hero fell; there is a heart which has sounded every depth of agony which this bitter strife has cost; there is a Hand, never weary and never at fault, which has garnered up and shall sow as fruitful seed for future harvests every work of self-devotion, every uncomplaining act of loyalty to truth and right and liberty and God. Oh! no, my friends, amid these tears, which it is right to shed, and these agonies which at times we cannot fail to feel; amid the weariness with which we think of toils already suffered, and the anxiety with which we wait for tidings yet to come-tidings which we always long, but often dread to hear; in the remembrance of all that is past and the uncertainty of all that is to come, we may yet rejoice, and this is a fit occasion of thanksgiving. We praise God that this struggle is his own, and that he is never defeated. We praise him for the victories already achieved, and the complete salvation he graciously permits us to expect at his hands. We praise him for every step of the way in which it has pleased him to lead us; for the days of darkness as well as those of sunshine; for the battles lost as well as the battles won. For in all these, in defeats as well as in victories, has he not guided us in the way we can now acknowledge to be the best, not only teaching us, by them all, new lessons of submission and patience and fortitude and courage and hope; but by them also enlarging our views of his plans, and strengthening our faltering resolutions to do his will? Therefore, do we praise him because "he bringeth the counsel of the heathen to naught; he maketh the devices of the people of none effect. The counsel of the Lord standeth forever, the thoughts of his heart to all generations. Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, and the people whom he hath chosen for his own inheritance. There is no king saved by the multitude of an host-a mighty man is not delivered by much strength. A horse is a vain thing for safety; neither shall he deliver any by his great strength. Behold the eye of the Lord is upon them that fear him, upon them that hope in his mercy; to deliver their soul from death, and to keep them alive in famine. Our soul waiteth for the Lord, he is our help and our shield. For our heart shall rejoice in him, because we have trusted in his holy name. Let thy mercy, O Lord! be upon us, according as we hope in thee."

The Fulton Street Prayer Meeting.

them, and they must be held. Many are converted. Many are singing a It is a matter of devout gratitude new song, in whose mouths, not long and thankfulness to God, who so since, were oaths and cursing and bitcontinues to bless this consecrated terness. It is a good time in that place of prayer as to make it like army. True there is a great deal of the well-watered garden of the Spirit. roughness and wickedness. But these No finite mind can measure or estimate men have tender hearts, and the Gospel the blessed influences of this daily can reach them. The gospel is good He had seen its power prayer-meeting in its ever-widening and for the army. salutary effect on the souls of men, and among the soldiers, as he had seen it the prosperity and progress of the Re- nowhere else. You will have to go deemer's kingdom. There is a manifest into the army," said the speaker, "to fresh baptism of the Spirit from day to know how much the Gospel is worth day in a newly awakened interest above to a soul, and how unspeakably prethat in weeks gone by. The Spirit of cious Jesus is to a believer dying with God seems to inspire the devotions of wounds or disease. Oh! how peacethe hour. This revival of interest, we fully they die! It seems as if Jesus think, is in direct answer to prayer. made up the lack of near and dear Christians have been praying for many friends, and their kindly ministrations, days past that the Lord would revive his work. Now and then persons relate what God is doing by the power of his Holy Spirit in other places, and the fire kindles. Some rise and ask for prayer for themselves or others. Some relate the facts of their own recent religious experience. All this shows that the Lotd has not forsaken us.

Brigade Prayer-Meetings. The following statements should stimulate the hearts of all praying ones to more earnest supplications for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the army. It seems almost a miracle of grace that souls should be awakened and converted amid battle-scenes. But nothing is too hard for God to accomplish.

A gentleman said he had been now about two years engaged in the Army of the Potomac. He was engaged in distributing, religious reading. He said he had just come from the army of the Potomac, and he was happy to say that there was a greatly increased religious interest among very many of the regiments in this branch of the service. Regimental and brigade prayer-meetings are held nearly every day in some portions of this army. Some of the chaplains had said to him that they could not discontinue the prayer-meetings if they would. The men demand

by his more immediate and sensible presence. Come with me and see a soldier die, and you will feel all I feel. Only the other day I called upon a wounded soldier to know what I could do for him. I found him wonderfully calm and peaceful, lying upon the cold ground:

"Can I do anything for you?' said I.

"Oh! no; I want nothing. I have Jesus here with me, and he is all I want.'

"But you can not live but a few minutes or hours.'

"I know it; but I am in perfect peace. Please put my blanket over me, and cover my face over, and let me shut all out but Jesus, and so let me

die.'

similar. An Eastern little boy was bound out to an old farmer, who became very much attached to him; but he perceived the boy was very disconsolate. He asked what was his trouble? The lad said he had no Sabbath-school to go to and no church, and he could not live so.

The old man said: "Here is so

their hearts in more active efforts in every good word and work. The following are the beautiful illustrations : A gentleman told the story of a boy who had been a member of a Sabbathschool somewhere at the East, who was taken West and bound out to a farmer in a neighborhood where there were no Sunday-school and no religious services of any kind. The boy was exceedingly much money; see how much others uneasy, and felt that he could not live will give, and we will have books and So. He heard of a missionary fifteen miles off, and he resolved to go and organise a school, if that is what you want." see him, and ask him to come and organize a Sabbath-school. So away The neighbors contributed; but some he trudged all the fifteen miles on foot, doubted about starting the school, for and had a wide river to cross, to see the there was no one to open it with missionary. He spread before him the prayer. The lad said he would pray condition of the neighborhood, and if no one else would; so the school begged him to come and start a Sab- was opened. The speaker said he bath school. The missionary came; would make a long story short by a Sabbath-school was started. and saying that not long afterward, that now, said the speaker, in that place, old man of eighty and that little where there were no Sabbath-school boy were sitting together at the same and no means of grace, there is a communion-table to celebrate the sufchurch of forty members. So much a ferings and death of our ever-blessed little boy can do. and adorable Saviour, who came to seek and save the lost, the old and the young.

Another gentleman from the West said he would relate a case somewhat