would remove. Our prayerlessness and inaction will prove a barrier so long as they exist. "The things which are written must be accomplished."

But must the execution of God's purposes be deferred until all the church has come up "to the help of the Lord against the mighty?" No: Jehovah "can work by few as well as by many." We need not· we must not wait for others. Nay, rather let us endeavour, in this respect, to perform the work of others. Let those who are interested in missions, pray with so much the more importunity.

Abraham's intercession would have saved Sodom. Lot's prayer did preserve Zoar. Moses averted threatened destruction from three millions of souls. Elijah closed the windows of heaven for three years and a half; and the united prayers of the Apostles, and "the little flock" with them, brought down the Pentecostal effusion upon the church, and introduced the dispensation of the Holy Spirit. My brethren, let us remember for our encouragement, that if every sermon preached were applied with saving power to the soul— if every religious volume were sanctified to those who read if the blessing of God attended only half the instrumentality which the world already enjoys, "all kings would soon fall down before him, all nations would serve him."

Oh, let us no longer cherish unbelief on this subject; for the conversion of the world is even now practicable! The power which can alone accomplish this great event belongs to God, and why might it not speedily be exerted? Let us pray too that our fellow Christians may all be brought to unite with us in this struggle of faith that the whole church may come up as one man to the labour and the conflict assigned her.

If Christians knew how much missionaries are influenced by the simple fact that they are remembered in prayer, they would not withhold from us this stimulus to exertion. From the distance of our position, the brightest spots of promise to the church we can discover in Christian lands, are meetings for prayer.

One claim, every missionary certainly has upon his friends. His own family connexions and the private circle of his former Christian companions ought to maintain with deep and unabating interest, a stated meeting for intercession on his behalf. Oh how often his spirits would be cheered, and his energies aroused by the return, or even the recollection of this season.

"If e'er my heart forgets

Her welfare, or her wo,

Let every joy this heart forsake,
And every grief o'erflow.

For her my tears shall fall,

For her my prayers ascend,

To her my cares and toils be given, Till toils and cares shall end."

CHAPTER XXXII.

SIXTH DAY.

THE last day of the week and of the session, was thrown open to such miscellaneous statements and addresses, as any members of the convention might be disposed to offer. A young disciple who had spent two years at sea in pursuit of health, and during that time had visited several islands of Polynesia, and the Indian Ocean, made the first address.

While gazing at the trophies of victorious grace, which surround me, said he, I am strongly reminded of the scenes I witnessed in the numerous islands of the Pacific. How marvellous and mighty are the workings of that Spirit, who has already gone forth to renovate the world.

Before I carry you to those distant islands of the sea, I will mention a fact which may serve as a guide in interpreting the contradictory reports we often hear from the same places, and through sources, in appearance, equally authentic.

On our outward passage, our ship touched at a port, where there were two captains of vessels, both direct from the Sandwich Islands. Cap

tain H boarded us, as soon as we came to anchor, and knowing our destination, began to converse freely on the changes which had taken place in the islands. Among other things, he remarked that he believed the missionaries were not as bad as they were represented to be; yet he thought their zeal exceedingly rash—their plans injudicious their spirit domineering, and their whole influence fatal to the best interests of the Islanders. They had accomplished nothing, and all the favourable reports they sent home were fabrications.

A few days afterwards I was invited by the Captain of my own ship to visit the other vessel which had recently arrived from the islands. We had scarcely entered the cabin of Captain B before he brought forth some of the curiosities he had obtained, one of which was a hymn-book in the Sandwich Island tongue. This or something else introduced the subject of missionary operations, and the glowing description he gave of the progress of civilization, and the power of Christianity exhibited in those islands, formed a perfect contrast to the representations we had before received. I had heard, said he, such contradictory reports of the missionaries and their labours, that having a good opportunity of judging, I was determined to satisfy myself on this point, before