"My dear brother, you have preached the Gospel this day."

Upon returning to his native land, he found the promise verified: his family had been cared for, and his mother was still living. She deceased soon after, being about 90 years of age.

For some years previous to his decease he was much afflicted with painful disease, and toward the last his sufferings were often excruciating. Yet through the power of divine grace, he was preserved in patient resignation to the will of the Lord, and though deprived of nearly all power of voluntary motion, yet such was the peaceful tranquillity and holy joy which covered his spirits, that he could say, it was the happiest period of his life, and that he would not willingly exchange situations with those in perfect health. At one time he remarked: "I have not language to express the consolations I feel. Death has lost his sting. "Thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ."" Again he said: "My prospect

is all cheerful; I have not a cloud on my path." On the 30th of Ninth month, 1837, he quietly departed, aged 74 years; a minister of the Gospel 49 years.

WAS IT TIME LOST?

IN attending a number of meetings held by the Society of Friends, to which the inhabitants of several villages were at different times invited-these meetings commencing, according to the custom of the Society, in silence—I was more than once informed, that the ministry of those, who, in gospel love, had requested these meetings to be convened, had been peculiarly acceptable and refreshing to the people, nevertheless the expression of gratitude from several of them, was acompanied by the observation, "But there was a great deal of time Lost." This simple circumstance led me to consider how it could be, that amongst serious and professing people, the time should be considered to be lost, which is, or ought to be spent in striving in reverential stillness, to subdue all wandering thoughts, and in waiting in humility and faith, for the precious influence of the Spirit of Him, who hath promised to be in the midst of the two or three, who are gathered together in his name.*

I thought, that if the prayer, frequently repeated mentally by persons of many other denominations, on entering a place of worship, were always attended by the lifting up of the heart to its Almighty Creator, and succeeded by an earnest endeavor, in reverential prostration of soul, to centre all its affections on Him alone, who must be worshipped in the temple of the heart, if worshipped aright, the time spent by such persons in

* Matthew xviii. 20.

silence, in meetings of the Society of Friends, would not appear long; much less would it be felt as "Time lost."

It appears to me that one of the great errors of religious professors, and one that is sometimes the occasion of incalculable loss to themselves, is the belief that words are essential to the performance of worship; hence arises the anxious desire, on all occasions when gathered together for this solemn and important purpose, to hear words spoken, or for the congregation immediately to offer up vocal prayer or praises, to the Most High, however unprepared the hearts of some of those assembled before Him may be. When we reflect, that God knows the most secret thoughts of the heart, that He ever beholds its true state; prayer or praise offered unto Him, unless the mind be really, at the time, under the softening influence of the power of his grace, must, at the best, be but an unsanctified offering; and the query may well be put to such as express what they really do not feel, "Who hath required this at your hands ?” *

It may be said, we ought always to be prepared to put up our petitions to the Most High, and to praise Him, in the sanctuary; but is the heart of the most devoted Christian always prepared for this service? Have we not often occasion first to "draw near" unto Him who, through his Holy Spirit, can alone prepare us to perform acceptable worship whether it be in vocal supplication, or in those secret breathings and mental aspirations, which are of themselves true and acceptable prayer, when arising from a sense of our wants, or from a broken heart and a contrite spirit?

"If anything be revealed to another that sitteth by," saith the apostle, "let the first hold his peace." Doth not this imply that the power of Christ, and the prompting or restraining influence of his Spirit, may be known

* Isaiah i. 12.

and felt, in regard to the exercise of spiritual gifts; and that He does really preside over every rightly gathered assembly of his people? If we grant this, can we withstand the conclusion, that his followers ought to present themselves in solemn stillness before Him, waiting for the influence of his Spirit, previous to the offering of prayer or praise, or to the preaching of the word? If we do thus decide, we must, I think, also conclude, that if time so spent in silent waiting upon the Lord be "Time Lost," the fault is our own; and that we are yet but on the threshold of Christian experience.

I should be sorry to appear in the least degree, disposed to accuse my fellow professors of the Christian name, yet I cannot but think, that if we were more in the practice of private meditation-" of communing with our own hearts, and being still;' more constant in seeking to lift up the heart in prayer and thanksgiving unto Him, who knows what we have need of before we ask Him;† if it were our earnest and continual endeavor thus to fulfil the apostolic injunction, “Pray without ceasing; in every thing give thanks, for this is the will of God, in Christ Jesus, concerning you?" we should be better prepared, when publicly assembled together, to "feel after Him," and to meditate on his goodness.

Words, though good, when spoken in the fear of the Lord and under the sanctifying influence of his Spirit, are not therefore, really essential to the performance of true worship-of that worship which our Saviour has declared must be performed in spirit and in truth.§ But words, if uttered only from forms, or prompted from the mere activity of the imagination, must often obstruct the tranquil and contriting influence of the Spirit in the * Psalm iv. 4, 9. † Matthew vi. 8. Thess. v. 17, 18.

? John iv. 23.

heart of the believer, and tend to lead him into a "form of godliness," rather than into the "power thereof."

"Time is lost" if we do not meet punctually at the hour appointed for worship. By this we not only suffer loss ourselves, but disturb the devotions of others. "Time is lost," and condemnation will follow if when met together for the purpose of worship, we suffer the eye to wander, and the thoughts and imaginations to roam at large, instead of seeking ability to worship God aright, and to be prepared to receive, as the thirsty ground, those Gospel truths which the rightly exercised minister may be called upon to communicate. "Time is lost" if we indulge in idle conversation, spend it in frivolous pursuits, devote too much of it to this world, or lose opportunities of seeking an acquaintance with our God, and thus neglect the important duty of working out our own salvation with fear and trembling. Nay, time would indeed "fail me to tell" of the variety of ways in which time may be wasted or lost; and for the right employment of which, as of every other talent, we must give account.

If in endeavoring to worship God aright, we should discover nothing more than our own sinfulness or our inability, in our own strength, to bring into subjection our wandering thoughts, or should only be made sensible that we need this aid every moment, or be convinced of our utter unworthiness, and inability of ourselves to say even "Abba-Father," with acceptance (See Rom. viii. 15, and iv. 6), we shall have learned some important lessons in the school of Christ-lessons more calculated to promote our growth in the root of vital religion, than all the ceremonial of a mere outward worship; or any devotional acts performed in our own strength, and consequently without the help of the Holy Spirit.

Published by the Tract Association of Friends, No. 304 Arch St., Philadelphia.