as can be conveniently, preside in rotation. At the hour of meeting, the member whose turn it is to preside for the evening, should promptly take the chair, call the meeting to order, open its exercises by singing a portion of a psalm, reading a portion of Scripture, and with prayer by himself or some other person at his instance. Then, after singing and prayer alternately for a short time, the chairman calling on members to lead in prayer, as near as possible in rotation, the subject of conference agreed upon at the former meeting should be called up, and all the members in the order of their sitting called on to speak. After some twenty or thirty minutes being spent in conference of an intimate, simple, and affectionate Christian character, the meeting should agree upon the next place of meeting, if not otherwise understood, and upon the subject of the subsequent evening's conference, and promptly close by singing a short portion of a psalm. The whole time spent in the prayer-meeting should not, ordinarily, exceed an hour, or an hour and a half.

The importance of rotation, ordinarily, among all the members in presiding and in all the exercises, should not be overlooked. If the weak and diffident are habitually excused or passed by unnoticed, their diffidence and other infirmities will be confirmed, and consequently their usefulness permanently impaired. The prayer-meeting is one of the departments of Christ's school for training disciples for his work. There, in the secluded meeting of a few Christian friends, in the private house of neighbor and brother, the most diffident may be induced to break over that diffidence, and venture upon a course of practical training in company with others equally distrustful of themselves, and so, one encouraging another, and at the same time bearing one another's burdens, all are encouraged and trained together. Here, in the private

room, the doors being shut, almost any weak brother who has ever bowed the knee in family worship, can bow in the same manner and lead in prayer with comparatively little embarrassment. The frightening embarrassments thrown around the public prayer-meeting held in the church deter many from standing up there, exposed to gaze, and leading in prayer, if called by the pastor. And more; this terror of exposure keeps many from the prayer-meeting altogether.

Many minds, by nature gifted for usefulness, are lost to the church, because by themselves buried in their own diffidence, and by their brethren overlooked and never called out in proper place for bringing into activity latent and inert mental and spiritual endowments. And let it be remembered the Head of the church needs every gift and grace he has bestowed on every member of his body; and every one of these he has given to be developed, trained, and used. Few church members feel willing to lead in prayer, in the church, before a large congregation, and before the pastor in the desk; and fewer still, in such circumstances, can summon up courage to speak dispassionately and intelligently on any subject of conference, however simple or common-place it may be. Yet such diffident persons can be induced to bow the knee and lead in prayer at the fire-side of a friend, and in the company of a few familiar brethren; and in the same social Christian circle will venture to express their feelings and views on subjects of religion, to the edification and comfort of all. These things once ventured, and for a little while practised, the most diffident may be relied on for more public duties, and for more enlarged usefulness.

5. In regard to the exercise of Conference in the prayermeeting, something more in detail may be noted in this connection. Perhaps in no other department or feature

of this precious institution is there so much and so extensive failure. Many congregations, which think they really have such a thing as a prayer-meeting, have no such thing as conference in it, and know nothing really about such a thing at all. They have hired a preacher, and they expect him to do all the religious talking for them. And if they ever go to prayer-meeting, it is to hear him talk. And hence, alas! there are so many men in the churches who can make political speeches without any particular embarrassment, who would tremble and hesitate to speak a word in a prayer-meeting on a plain religious subject, or to exchange a thought on experimental godliness for the edification of godly people. Is there nothing wrong in this state of things? And is there no remedy for these crushing evils? To meet just such a case, and just such a state of religion as these things indicate, has Christ appointed the prayer-meeting, and the conference exercise for the prayer-meeting. To meet this state of things it is appointed that professors of religion should "speak often one to another" -"exhort" and "admonish one another,” “not forsaking the assembling of themselves together" for this very conference purpose. Then, to aid in securing profitable conference in every meeting, some rules may be of advantage. As,

First. The subject of conference should be agreed upon in the meeting previous to that in which it is discussed. Secondly. Opportunity, and inducement, should be of fered to every person present to speak to the subject of conference.

Thirdly. Experimental and practical questions should be carefully selected for discussion, ordinarily, if not exclusively and controversy avoided.

Fourthly. If a text of Scripture be proposed, it will, ordinarily, be better to present a question or topic raised

from it, and speak to the question proposed, rather than to the text directly. As, for example, Hosea xi. 7, “My people are bent to backsliding." From this text this question might be proposed to the meeting for discussion:What are the signs of backsliding from God?

This question having been before the members of the Society during the week, as a subject of reflection and prayer, could not each one have something to say, or some answer to give to the question that would aid every other member in striving against backsliding? One member might think of this sign: Beginning to dally with temptation. A second might think of this: Beginning to feel indifferent about the evil of sin. Another might think of a different answer: Less relish for spiritual things. A fourth might have his mind turned to this, as an answer: Increased difficulty in duty. Thus, in answer to the same question, involving serious experience, each might think and feel differently, and yet all rightly; each feeling his own answer to represent his own experience, would give something to profit all.

Beside the ordinary week evening prayer-meeting, held weekly in the several quarters of the congregation, meetings should be held monthly, or oftener, in the church. Here any fit person may preside, or the pastor, or an elder; and the ordinary rules observed. This may be a mass meeting, in which the whole congregation may participate. Or, it may be a meeting of the pastor, the elders, and delegates from the several weekly district meetings, especially, if the membership of the congregation be widely scattered.

The monthly general meeting of the congregation will give opportunity not only for prayer, but for the consideration of subjects relating to congregational interests-to the state of religion in the several district weekly prayer

meetings to the cause of missions-to the general objects of benevolence, and to the awakening and cherishing of a deeper interest in the cause of Christ. Here, too, opportunity is given to each member of the congregation to form a personal acquaintance with all the members-to exchange experience and knowledge to strengthen the bonds of unity, and encourage one another in every good work.

In large and compact congregations—and, indeed, in every congregation where circumstances will permit the Session should have its prayer-meeting monthly, or oftener. Here the members will have opportunity for consultation and conference in relation to all matters concerning the welfare of the congregation, and matters coming under the official notice of the Session, whether of discipline, or any other matters in which pastor and elders have a joint concern. In these meetings opportunity will be offered to the elders to report from their different quarters the state of religion, and the condition of the several weekly prayermeetings, as also anything that should require the cognizance of the Session, or the attention of the pastor. Through these, by the aid of a faithful and co-operating eldership, the pastor may always know the spiritual state of his flock, and the particular wants of every member, as also, of every opening from without for the extension of his labors and usefulness. A good Staff is sometimes of more importance than a good General-in-Chief. Indeed, without a good Staff, how much could the most skilled generalship avail? So, here, how important a discerning and faithful staff to secure ministerial success! Many fruitful fields and inviting openings for doing good are overlooked and lost to the pastor through the neglect of an eldership defective in systematic vigilance. Pastors are often charged with dereliction in duty while ignorant