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Christians all over the kingdom were praying for the efforts of the young men on that night, we might have a band of fifty thousand, all working with one aim together, and thousands of Christians sending up prayer for a blessing on their labours.

"If these meetings were held regularly and advertised, young men going from one city to another would know just where to go to find those in sympathy with them, and if unsaved, they would find those ready and anxious to point them to the right way. If the young mon coming from the country to the city are to be reached and influenced for good, it must be when they are strangers to the city. At no other time will they be so easily reached as then, before they have formed associations which may be evil, and while they are yet longing for the dear ones at home.

"I believe, if the Young Men's Christian Associations would take up this subject, and call the young men of different denominations together for prayer and extra effort, it would be well; but if they do not take it up, or if in any place there is not an association, let five or six young men who see eye to eye, and are longing to see souls saved, call a meeting, have some special subject for consideration at each meeting, and let it be thrown open to all. I feel confident that many young men would be reached and blessed through the establishment of such meetings, besides giving an opportunity to many of improving the talents God has given. Accompanied with good singing, a subject such as love, grace, faith, or any Bible subject well thought over, attention paid to punctuality in commencing and closing,-I believe the meetings would grow in interest and attendance, and be a great power for good.

"Having fully made up my own mind to give a part of my time, wherever I go, to work with men specially, I shall feel encouraged to know that others are entering into the game work, and that 50,000 young men are met every Tuesday night to work and pray for young men.

"D. L. MOODY."

MR. MOODY ON PRACTICAL TRAINING FOR CHRISTIAN

WORK.

THIS is another subject respecting which Mr. Moody has addressed a letter to the Christian. As in the paper on the subject of Young Men's Associations, just quoted, the letter exhibits a very remarkable contrast between the epistolary and oratorical styles adopted by Mr. Moody. In the letters there are none of the conventional phrases, the incorrect grammar, the quaint, sometimes even perilous, anecdotes, which distinguish his addresses. All is clear, shrewd, practical and expressed with a neatness and precision which would do credit to a practised writer. Earnest, either with tongue or pen, Mr. Moody always is; but in his literary efforts his earnestness is associated with a refinement of expression and good taste not always evident in his spoken addresses. No doubt he knows the best way to impress a large and miscellaneous assemblage, of which persons without much education or intellectual cultivation form a considerable portion, and adapts the means to the end. We quote the letter we have referred to:

"DEAR SIR,-With much work pressing me, and little time for writing, I yet feel that I must bring before the readers of the Christian a subject which has pressed upon me, and which I hope may be taken up and thought over, and lead to some step being taken for the training of Christian workers apart from the ministry.

"In going through different parts of the country here and in America, the need in Christian work does not seem so much to be more ministers of the gospel, as more workers for Christ outside of the regular ministry. Paul speaks of the evangelist (Eph. iv. 11, and 2 Tim. iv. 5) as a worker apart from the regular pastor. Might not evangelists, both for home and foreign work, pursue some course of study, which might fit them for their special work, and yet not take the length of time that is necessary in preparation for the duties of a regular pastor? It impresses me that there are young men whose hearts are aglow with love to the Saviour, and who long to give their lives to his service, who could not give the six or eight years required for the regular ministry; and while we would not change the course required for them, might not the evangelist and lay

worker have a shorter one, perhaps two years, specially designed for his special form of labour? There are other workers needed outside the ministry besides the evangelist, who have generally had less opportunity for the training needed than these, and this class embraces the city missionaries, secretaries of Young Men's Christian Associations working among the young men, colporteurs, &c.

"We are glad to see that something has been done in Nottingham for affording young men an opportunity of preparing themselves for evangelistic work in a shorter time than has been generally considered sufficient for a regular theological course. There has also been the last few years a college for the education of lay workers in Brooklyn, opened by the Rev. Mr. Talmage, which has been a great help to those anxious to aid in the work of pointing sinners to the Saviour, some of these going through a regular course of study, and others merely attending the evening lectures.

"The want is being felt here very much at the present time, of special training for work among the masses. It is clearly seen that if the lapsed masses are reached, the gospel must be carried to them, and the messengers to carry the gospel do not need so much a high classical education as a good plain English one, with a large share of common sense, and, above all, a loving heart. Would it not be well if such candidates for work could have some opportunity for Bible study, &c., in the morning, and in the afternoon go into the homes of the people and carry the word of life to them? Of course, in the day, many of the working men would be absent; but we think there are many mothers who cannot leave their children who would be glad to have God's Word read and explained to them occasionally; and besides these mothers, are there not many invalids who could never hear the Word read except in their homes? To reach these classes in their homes, we have found the "cottage meetings" a help in Chicago, where we have reached not only those kept by necessity from public worship; but many would go into a neighbour's house after being asked to a mecting there that would not go to church, and have afterwards become interested enough to attend regular preaching services, or even the prayer-meetings of the church.

"I feel that very much more might be done than is done in the homes of the masses, not leaving the work all to be done by missionaries and Bible-readers; but are there not young ladies who, having

leisure and love for Christ, would like to have some part in the work? I believe there are many who would be glad to give part at least of their time to this work if they knew just how and where to work.

"While I believe every one has a special work to do which no one else could do, I think also that many are longing to have some means of learning the most efficient ways of working, that they may accomplish more. Much has been said and written lately about trained nurses for the sick. Why not also trained nurses to minister to sin-sick souls? I believe that classes for the instruction of young ladies anxious to work would be found to be most useful, if under the guidance of a good Bible student, who was at the same time an experienced person in practical work.

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Hoping the subject may have the consideration of some who may be able to give some help in the way of more practical suggestions, I am, &c.,

"D. L. MOODY."

MODE OF CONDUCTING THE SERVICES.

THE mode of conducting their meetings will be best seen by a glance at the instructions which Mr. Moody has himself given to persons engaged in labour of this kind. In the course of a lecture on the subject of "How to make meetings attractive," Mr. Moody urged that people should not be scattered over a large place, as if they were afraid of coming near the leader or of touching one another. If they wanted to make a fire burn, they laid sticks close together; for they warmed and kindled up one another. He further advocated good singing. He did not object to psalms, nor to favourite hymns, such as "Rock of Ages," but they should not have those always. Freshness and variety were attractive; plenty of good singing enlivened the services, and made young people like to come again. As people often fell asleep, not under what was said to them, but for want of fresh air, he suggested that the meeting-place should be well ventilated. When they had special meetings they should have special prayer. "We meet," he said, "for an object-let us keep to that object. If a lot of commercial men had a meeting to discuss insurance, and one began

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talk about temperance, he would be at once called to order." Requests should be received for special cases-a mother's for her family, a brother's for his sister, and so on; and thanksgivings too. If a father gave thanks for the conversion of a son, did it not stir up another father to ask prayer for his ? And why not let the lad tell his own experience? The minister or leader presiding should do little more than give the key-note to the service. He should not kill it with a long address. It was well to give out the next subject at the previous meeting, as this gave time to think and read about it. "Do not scold the people," he continued, “who have come because the rest have not come. If we are discouraged do not let any one know it." No more than two prayers should be permitted consecutively. If there were more, people got wearied; let them vary with a hymn, then an incident or a word upon a text. He deprecated a formal address, advocated short meetings, and the avoiding of discussion. Further suggestions offered were, that if they could not get members to take part in the service, they should go and speak to them about it in private; that they should throw the meeting open half the time, be punctual in opening and closing; and, lastly, that they should seek to make sure that in going to the meeting they were going to it in the Spirit. There were times when one could not feel that, but since he began so to speak he had never gone to such a meeting in the Spirit and come away disappointed. Such are some of the practical and valuable hints thrown out by Mr. Moody, and such is the model on which his own gatherings are formed.

In reference to the invitation given to those whose consciences have been touched by the addresses and hymns, to assemble in the "Inquiry Room," there to converse with experienced friends ready to give advice and consolation, and to pray with them, some objections have been made from quarters and on grounds which deserve respectful consideration. One clergyman, the Rev. R. Staveley, of Killiney, Ireland, who certainly writes in no spirit of hostility, but rather of Christian sympathy with the evangelists, says:

"I heard with profound regret the invitations given to adjourn to the Inquiry Room.' So far as I know, and it tells well for the good sense of Dublin, those invitations to become Christians' (I noted the phrase more than once repeated) were but scantily

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