Luke i. 63.-A preacher ought to make the truths he delivers apparent and manifest in his person, and to be entirely a man of grace. Everything in him should preach.

Luke i. 80.-The duties of an evangelical preacher, before he begins his ministry, are, (1.) To grow in piety by feeding on the bread of prayer. (2.) To give his zeal time to wax strong by reading the Holy Scriptures. (3.) To continue in silence and retirement, until God is pleased to bring him forth and show him to the world.

Luke ii. 8.-It is for vigilant pastors that the light of God is reserved, that they may know the mysteries of religion, and their own duties. The negligent are left in darkness.

Luke iv. 14. When the fame of an evangelical labourer is gone abroad in the world, woe be to him if he goes abroad with it, instead of retiring within his own heart, and recollecting himself there with Jesus Christ.

Luke v. 5.-This mysterious fishing represents that of souls. In vain the preacher labours to convert them, if God gives not His blessing. It is upon His grace that the preacher must rely, and not upon his own eloquence

and strength.

Luke v. 2.-The pastoral charge is a burdensome office to those who endeavour to perform all the duties of it; but the Sovereign Pastor alleviates the weight of it, by bearing it Himself, both in His own person, and in the persons of His ministers who undertake it for His sake.

Luke v. 15.-When a great reputation pursues us, we must fly from it as from a thief, either into the wilderness, (if we can,) or, at least, into the fortress of prayer and humility.

Luke vi. 10.-Those whom fear renders weak and cowardly in the exercise of their ministry, forget that they exercise it in the name and place of Christ, and that they must give account to Him of their unfaithfulness, and of the damage which the church shall have received thereby in her children.

Luke vii. 1.-A good pastor, of whom Christ is the model, proceeds continually from instruction to action and from action to instruction. Words speak only to the understanding; works speak to the heart.

Luke vii. 34.-God alone knows the worth of a soul in His own sight, and at what rate it ought to be valued.

Luke ix. 17.-That pastor who, upon an unforeseen necessity of preaching God's word, commits himself to Him, and, in speaking out of the abundance of his heart, trusts entirely to His promise, shall find sufficient both to fill his people, and plentifully to feed himself.

Luke ix. 23.-Indifference is a crime in a pastor and minister, who is a man of God, obliged by his profession to have the interest of Christ, and of His spouse, at heart. In vain does he flatter himself that he does no evil, if he does no good......That person scatters who does not gather with Jesus Christ, in the unity of His body, in His spirit, and by His grace.

Luke xii. 4.-True friendship consists in exciting our friends to do their duty, and saving their souls, at the expense of all things.

Luke xiii. 20.-A good pastor is never weary of instructing his flock, any more than a tender nurse is of giving suck to her infant.

Luke xiii. 22.-A pastor who instructs his people with care, who visits his flock in the country, and is continually intent on his duty-such a pastor advances very fast toward the heavenly Jerusalem. What fidelity, what courage, ought not these toils and labours of the Prince of pastors, in seeking His sheep, to inspire into the pastors of His church! Form, O Lord, by Thy Spirit, unwearied imitators of Thy zeal!

Luke xv. 6.—The fifth duty of a pastor is to manifest, by his joy, his charity for sinners, and his value for souls. A soul is a kingdom. As many as we bring back to God are so many kingdoms reconquered; and nothing equals the joy of a conqueror. We must ultimately refer this joy to Christ, since the victory and the conquest proceed from Him. Luke xix. 15.-Souls are the treasure of Christ; it is in these He desires to grow rich. A pastor who neglects them, and does not employ his ministry and authority, his time and talents, his industry and labours, to gain them for God,-alas! what answer will he be able to make to Him who has intrusted them to his care?

Luke xix. 26.-Grace, piety, the love of God, and a zeal for His glory, increase in a pastor......in proportion to his labours for the good of the church, and the salvation of souls.

Luke xix. 48.—A true pastor thinks nothing troublesome and grievous, when he finds himself useful in advancing the work of God. The proficiency of souls is his whole delight.

Luke xxii. 27.—A pastor makes no manner of difficulty to stoop to the meanest of his flock; that he is really the servant, not the lord, of souls ; and that He who is their Lord made Himself their Servant.

John iii. 23, 24.-We ought to labour in the work of God, until we fall under an impossibility of performing it, according to John's example. John iii. 30.—A true pastor has nothing at heart but the increase of the glory of Christ; his own consists in promoting that, at the expense of all things. The more he is humbled for his Master's sake, the more serviceable and useful.

John vii. 19.—God frequently suffers a holy preacher to wait a long time without seeing the fruit of his instructions, on purpose to let him know that he ought not to boast of the success of his discourses; to oblige him to pray very much, and to humble himself for his failings, which perhaps are the obstacle; and to make him sensible how much he stands in need of grace.

John vii. 48.-The pride of men is so great, that they choose rather to be eternally lost with the great, than to be saved with the poor and simple.

John viii. 26.—Truth, charity, fidelity, is the motto of an ambassador of God.

John x. 38. A true pastor has no other design throughout the whole course of his life, but only to bring his sheep to the knowledge of God,

and of Jesus Christ; and to give birth, growth, and action, strength, perfection, and perseverance to their faith.

John xii. 33.-Let but pastors be zealous for the salvation of souls, and they will count all labours, pains, and even the loss of life itself, as nothing.

John xvii. 10.-Happy is that pastor who, through a perfect freedom from all self-interest, and a real disengagement from everything, can, with Jesus Christ, truly say to God, "Whatever is mine is Thine," and who can, from a sincere and ardent love, add, "Whatever is Thine is mine!" Miserable is that minister of Jesus Christ, in whom Christ is not glorified.

John xx. 3.-A pastor, when called to the assistance of souls, ought to be very ready to go to them. When to assist a soul in seeking Christ requires his presence, he must lay everything aside.

John xx. 30.-A pastor ought not to neglect any soul; but there are some souls which are given to him in a peculiar manner; and of these he ought to take a peculiar care.

John xxi. 17.-Christ here requires of pastors nothing but love, and recommends nothing to them but the care of His sheep; because their love of Christ, and their love of labour, are the two things concerning which they ought chiefly to examine themselves.

HONOUR DONE TO METHODISM IN ARMLEY.*

ARMLEY is a village of great notoriety in the history of Methodism; for there the first Society in that part of Yorkshire was formed, even prior to any in Leeds. Three individuals from Leeds, called the three Marys, met in class at Armley,-Mary Shent, Mary Weddall, and Mary Maude. In John Nelson's interesting Journal it is recorded: "It was about May, 1742, that Mr. Wesley came into Yorkshire; and toward Michaelmas, Mr. Charles Wesley and Mr. Charles Greaves. I remember Mr. Greaves preached one night at Armley; and when he had done, I gave an exhortation; and the Lord applied the virtue of His precious blood to many souls ; and for a whole week together there were some that felt the atoning blood of Jesus Christ. About this time William Shent was converted, and the Christmas following he desired me to go to preach at Leeds, several of the brethren accompanying me. When we got to Brother Shent, he had prepared a large empty house to preach in; and it was well filled with people that feared God, and received the word with meekness. Now the Armley Society became a nursing-mother to the new-born souls at Leeds; for there were several steady souls at Armley, who had stood from the beginning without wavering; and I trust we shall meet together in heaven."

The first Methodist chapel was built in Armley in 1784, and the first visit of Mr. Wesley was in April, 1745. Armley also had the honour of

* From "The Friend of Many Years," just published by the venerable William Naylor.

having the first sermon preached there at the formation of the Wesleyan Missionary Society, an institution that has been a blessing to many thousands. The preacher was the Rev. James Buckley, and the scripture elucidated was Isaiah lv. 11. A further honour was conferred on Armley, in having, fifty years after, the first sermon preached there connected with the Jubilee Services of that Society, when a collection was made amounting to £804. 4s. 6d. At the close of the service the Rev. W. Arthur well observed: "My desire, my dear friends, is to congratulate you on the happy circumstances in which Providence has cast your lot, and the peculiar favour that God has conferred upon you in this place. You must not account it a common thing that God so ordered it, that the first sermon in connexion with the Wesleyan Missionary Society should be preached in your pulpit. If you think it a common thing, depend upon it, there are multitudes of redeemed, whom God has called out of every kingdom and people by this Society, who do not regard it as a common thing. Do not yourselves think it a common thing that the first service of the Jubilee takes place in your village. The fact that occurs this night will draw to this place the eyes of millions of persons in foreign lands. It will make them think of Armley, and speak of Armley. Many persons, who never before heard of Armley, will now pray for it, and feel for its prosperity. Most of you will never see another Jubilee in this place. Some of you have to-night written, in letters that are recorded in the great book of God's memory, your own estimate of the value of the Missionary Society. It is not to be accounted a common thing, that the man who sat in this pulpit fifty years ago has been preserved to occupy it to-night. He has told you how, fifty years ago, he gave himself to this cause in the service of his God, to pray for it, to preach for it, to plead for it, and give to it, and that he has ever to this moment kept this promise. God grant that during his few remaining years, or days, his lamp may burn with purer light than ever." Amen.

THE PORTRAIT OF MARY IN HEAVEN.

THE French pasteur évangélique, M. Napoleon Roussel, gives an interesting correspondence, under this title, between the Abbess Marie de Saint Roman, of St. Mary's, and the monk, Joseph de Saint Pierre, of the cloister of the Assumption, dated 1564. A few passages follow :—

"St. Mary's Abbey, August 15th, 1564. "MY BROTHER,-I am now placed at the head of this convent, having quitted the world without regret : but I confess to a desire for some of those elegancies which make cloistered life more endurable. I am now redecorating my cell, and the thing I most want is a portrait of my gentle patroness. Such pictures as yours would be as good company as a living being. I write, then, to bespeak from you, at any price you think proper

to fix, a portrait, as faithful as possible, of the most holy Virgin. I wish it faithful, not imaginary; and I fancy I could pray more earnestly to our patroness, if I could represent her to myself exactly as she is now in heaven. "Your humble sister,

"MARIE DE SAINT ROMAN."

To which letter the monk replies, as follows:

"MY SISTER, I, like you, have left the world; but, not having renounced my former profession of painting, I received your order with lively pleasure in this my solitude. I shall indeed endeavour to compose your picture with all possible care, and devote my chief attention to the likeness, as you so desire.

"You are aware that all the well-known portraits extant of the blessed Virgin are merely pictures of the most beautiful women their respective artists could find; and, alas! few of them resembled the holy Virgin. I feel that I shall have to go far beyond the legends and lives' of our patroness, and seek in the fountain-head of Holy Scripture authentic particulars respecting her, to guide my pencil with fidelity. But an obstacle here presents itself—I have no Bible! I have searched for one in vain in the library of our convent, and write now to beg, that, if yours is more fortunate in that respect, you will allow me the use of it while I am studying your picture.

The abbess replies :

"Humbly your brother,

"JOSEPH DE SAINT PIERRE."

"MY BROTHER,-Your plan is charming: but, our convent not affording a copy of Holy Writ, I wrote to Rome to request one from the library of the holy fathers; this holy volume I send herewith. Now, then, work on boldly, and I will pray that your pencil may be guided aright."

After two years, St. Pierre writes again to the abbess :

"MY SISTER,-Here at length is the work completed conscientiously and faithfully. May it please you! In order to picture a face to yourself, you would want to know the age of the person. On the arrival of your Bible, therefore, I opened the Gospel by St. Luke, to ascertain, if possible, Mary's age. And, as she was betrothed at the time of the conception, she was of course of marriageable age, (let us suppose, about twenty,)—so that at the birth of our Lord she was probably in her twenty-first year. From Luke ii. 42 I see that when Mary forgot the Lord in the temple He was twelve years old, and she, by consequence, in her thirty-third year. In the third chapter of Luke Jesus began His ministry at the age of thirty, making Mary about fifty-one. Now we find that the ministry of Christ