"May God grant that you may all learn to know the things that belong to your eternal peace." Amen.

The blessed results of Franké's academical labours described above, and those of his similarly-disposed colleagues, are attested by himself in several places of his monitory lectures. He says, "Many of the students here perceived the peculiar object of our labours, became truly converted, and entered upon a thorough denial of themselves. They renounced all desire for temporal advantage, worldly honour, a life of ease, and the favour of their patrons; ventured all for the truth, and were prepared to endure the scorn and rejection of the world. A cordial bond of love was cemented amongst them, and they encouraged and incited each other to persevere in the narrow path. Those students who were from the same province, or who dined together, frequently agreed to appoint a certain hour for social prayer, or else fixed upon useful subjects of discourse, or read the Bible together for mutual edification; for they prosecuted the study of the Bible with great zeal. Those that messed together also encouraged each other by edifying conversation. They laboured to set a good example to their fellow-students and all that were around them, by their pious deportment, both in word and deed. Hence many other individuals, in the houses where the students resided or dined, attained by their means to a thorough conversion."...

This mutual agreement in divine things at the university, induced them, on their return to their native provinces, to offer each other the hand in their official duties, to live on terms of brotherly

intimacy, and unanimously and with the same confidence which they had cherished at the university, to carry on the work of the Lord. To a certainty, many a one who studied at that time in Hallé, and afterwards removed to some other place, became there a light to others; so that through one man's instrumentality, the eyes of many were opened, they came to reflection, and perceived the danger and impropriety of continuing their corrupt course of life.

"In the same manner, many other preachers were awakened by those that had studied in Hallé for when the former saw that they had not hitherto filled their office with the earnestness and zeal which the latter manifested, they joined themselves to them, after acknowledging their previous omissions and negligencies.""

However, in the latter part of Franké's life, he did not see so much fruit of his labours as before. Respecting the former part, he says, "When fresh students arrived here between Easter and Whitsuntide, and had heard the word for about a quarter of a year-not only one and another, but many came, and made known the effect, which the word had produced on their hearts; they began to confess how heartily they thanked God, for having directed them to such a place what little attention they had paid to religion at the schools or universities they had previously attended-in what a wretched and perverted state they had been-with what sins their consciences were burdened-how they had suffered themselves to be seduced by their fellow-students, and how they had seduced others in return; they testified the grief which they experienced on this

account in their hearts; what a longing and desire they felt that their souls might be saved, and that they might be thoroughly converted to God; asking advice, how they ought to proceed in future, &c. But when I look at our present state, (in the year 1709,) I must confess, to speak according to my own conviction and experience, that the students of divinity now seem less to perceive and take to heart that which we have mainly in view, than was the case at that time. They imagine our chief endeavour is, only to fill their heads with knowledge, and to impart so much of it to them, as to enable them eventually to obtain a living, support a wife and family, and make their way through the world; although our principal efforts are directed to lead them to Christ, and to make of them real subjects and servants of the Most High God, before they let themselves be employed in establishing the kingdom of God in others. But this ruling motive remains hidden and concealed from the greater part. The truth which is addressed to them, exhorting them to turn with sincerity of heart unto God, they regard merely as lifeless knowledge, whilst they despise the power and spirit, life and light, which is sought to be introduced into their souls by the word of the Lord-even as if it were a thing which was of the least importance, and which would at some future time follow as a matter of course......The field no longer ooks so green as formerly."

CHAPTER V.

Opposition and controversy excited by Franke's labours in Hallé.

FRANKE'S great and continued exertions in the cause of truth, and for the salvation of those committed to his charge, especially from the period of his removal to Hallé, could not fail to excite, in the highest degree, the hatred of the whole of that party in the Lutheran church, who were so decidedly inimical to vital religion, and which he had already drawn upon himself in no small measure, by his previous labours and hence Franké's life in Halle, although previously and sorely tried, was a continued conflict for the cause of Christ. Not as if it had been one uninterrupted conflict: for there is that peculiarity in the warfare of the christian, that it consists as well in suffering as in doing, in the defensive as well as in the offensive; so that the conflict is best sustained by a tranquil defence and courageous appropriate confession of the simple and practical fundamental doctrines of christianity, without reference to the persons of the opponents; and hence the warfare which Franké had to sustain, assumes only occasionally the form of a real controversy, in its outward history.

Franké had scarcely commenced his labours in Hallé, when the same commission which had called him thither, again made preparations for removing him. For even in the year 1692, the commissioners of universities at Berlin, and especially Von Danckelmann, the same statesman who had been the most zealous in procuring Franké's appointment to Hallé, sought to draw thither the celebrated civilian Dr. Samuel Stryk, of Wittenberg, in order to render the new university the more celebrated. Meanwhile, very evil reports concerning Franké, as a pietistic disturber of the peace, had become very generally circulated throughout Saxony; by these Stryk ́ was prejudiced in the highest degree against Franké, and he therefore declared, that he would only go to Hallé in the event of Franké's being removed elsewhere. In consequence of this, letters were written to Franké, offering him the choice of several superintendentships and other places; but he would not accept of any of them. In the interim, Stryk received a very honourable and advantageous call from the King of Denmark to Copenhagen; this rendered the matter more urgent, and the commissioners at Berlin gave Franké clearly to understand, that if he would not voluntarily accept of some other situation, he would certainly be removed. Franké however, did not suffer himself to be daunted. He replied, "that he was fully assured of his divine vocation to Hallé; and of the blessing which began to manifest itself there; but that be had not the same certainty with regard to the other situations offered him. If he had committed anything of a culpable nature, he requested that he might be informed of it, and if guilty, punished accordingly; but that