kened to the importance of prayer and of effort in behalf of his fellow-men. For a number of weeks, he attended the early morning prayer-meetings, which were held in the lecture-rooms of various churches, particularly those connected with the Pine-street church, distant more than a mile from his dwelling. He preached and performed a great amount of pastoral labor at the Pine-street church, for about three months, and was so happy as to be the instrument of the hopeful conversion of fifty or sixty individuals. His sermous were of the most pungent and awakening character. In the opinion of all, who had been for some time acquainted with him, there was a perceptible and constant advance in the power and effect of his discourses. He thus describes the scenes which he was witnessing.

"Boston, April 2, 1831.

"The Lord has, I trust, begun his work in this city with power. Four hundred and eighty persons were at the different inquiry-meetings last Sabbath evening, and between forty and fifty were found who had been led, as they hoped, to submit to God, within a week. Between ninety and one hundred were present in Pine-street vestry, notwithstanding the inclemency of the weather; and a number were brought, I hope, to give their hearts to Christ that evening. Mr. K., the missionary, says that he has found as many as two cases of hopeful conversion every day this week, in Pine-street congregation. Mr. G. remarks, that he has had no such inquiry-meeting for years, as he had last Sabbath evening, and so says Dr. W. This week, days of fasting and prayer have been observed by all the Baptist churches. Week after next our churches will unite in a protracted meeting. You know I was literally compelled to go to Taunton to attend a protracted meeting. I returned yesterday. The Lord was with us,

and evidently blessed the season consecrated to preaching his word, and to prayer. Mr. H. was there, and related

some wonderful cases of conversion."

At the same time, he attended family religious meetings, of about an half hour in length, three mornings in a week, conversing and praying with parents, children and hired servants. A number of conversions were the consequence of these efforts. During this period, he visited seventeen Sabbath schools in the city, taking the manuscript sketch of the life of Mary Lothrop, a lovely and pious little girl, who had recently died, and in whose history he had become greatly interested. He gave an account of Mary's character to the schools, concluding it with an address, and prayer. He generally visited two schools on the Sabbath, besides preaching three times. It may here be remarked, that at the annual meeting of the American Sunday School Union in 1830, he addressed the vast assembly convened on that occasion, and pledged himself to procure the establishment of one hundred Sunday schools in the valley of the Mississippi. He accordingly employed an agent for one year, for this purpose. Before his death, he received a certificate from the treasurer of the Sunday School Union, signifying that he had redeemed his promise.

During the spring, he also attended the meetings of the foreign missionary associations in Boston, making use of the death of Mr. Evarts, the former secretary of the board, as a means for exciting the friends of the cause to greater effort. From these labors abroad, "he returned to bless his house." His unwonted earnestness in prayer, his faithful admonitions, and his continual watching for the descent of spiritual blessings upon the members of his family, will never be forgotten by them.

In May, 1831, Mr. Cornelius complied with the repeated

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solicitations, which he had received to take the secretaryship of the Presbyterian Education Society, whose field of operations was now to be enlarged to its original extent, embracing nearly all the United States, except New England. It was thought by the friends of religion, in `many parts of the country, that his extensive acquaintance with the Presbyterian church, its conflicting interests, and delicate relations, together with his general experience in such concerns, peculiarly qualified him for the station. The Presbyterian society was, however, still to remain in many respects connected and co-ordinate with the American society. Though he was very happy in his residence in Boston, and was strongly attached to many persons in the city, yet in obedience to the rule which he had laid down for the government of his conduct, when he first assumed the Christian profession, he accepted the appointment, and in June removed to the city of New York.

He was soon called to drink of the cup of sorrow, by the sickness of various members of his family, and by the death of a beloved inmate. These scenes of grief detached his affections more and more from earthly objects, and rapidly ripened him for that inheritance of which he was so soon to be a partaker.

CHAPTER VIII.

CHARACTER OF MR. Cornelius, as a PUBLIC AGENT.

THE employment of soliciting agents for our public charities, is a subject which has recently excited considerable discussion. That there are evils connected with the system, no one pretends to deny. But that the system itself is indispensable to the progress of Christianity, is by no means a matter of doubt. Its claims upon the attention and support of the community, rest on a firm basis. Its general object is one of the highest importance, and demands an organization, in many respects, distinct from the Christian ministry, or any existing institution. It has peculiar principles, which require close study, and which a Christian pastor cannot be expected adequately to comprehend. It demands an acquaintance with human nature, theological and denominational distinctions and prejudices, as well as a minute knowledge of the particular branch of benevolent effort, which is to be advocated; such knowledge as gentlemen in any other profession will never attain. The system proceeds on the well-ascertained maxim, of the necessity of a division of labor. Were the business of benevolent agencies altogether in accordance with the employments and feelings of the stated pastor, he could not give to them that time, which their importance demands. It is one of the greatest

infelicities and discouragements of the ministerial work, at the present time, that it is burdened with excessive labor. No wise man would add to it. Besides, on the present system, advantage is taken of the love of variety and change in the human mind. The principal arguments in behalf of any charitable object are so few and so obvious, that they require all possible aid, from novelty of illustration and freshness of statements and facts. One man, or a number of men, who reside in the same district of country, may be excellent solicitors for a single year; but they will inevitably become monotonous and uninteresting in a series of years. There are great advantages in an intercommunity of public agencies. The ardor and generous enthusiasm of a Virginian, are delightful to an audience in a cold New England latitude; while the habits of accuracy, shrewdness, and perseverance, which belong to a northern man, may be of essential service to a southern community.

The evils resulting from the present system, may undoubtedly be obviated. There is no ground for supposing that the number of important general objects of charity will be greatly increased. The claims of the existing benevolent institutions can be presented annually, and in a definite month, in every city and county of the United States. This arrangement already exists extensively. Minor objects, such as the endowing of literary and theological institutions, and the building of meetinghouses, ought to be confined, as a general thing, to the immediate neighborhood interested, or to individual munificence. The Atlantic States are now supplied with a sufficient number of literary institutions of a high order, while the Western States will ere long, it is to be hoped, attain to such a degree of compactness and strength, as to be able to educate their own population. The rapid and indiscriminate presentation of objects of inferior im