heavenward, he would have them associate to pour out their common desires for common blessings; reach forth their hands together; lift up their voices in unison, to him who "heareth the prayer of the righteous."

The churches and ministry of an earlier date, who had fallen into the practice of entering half-way into covenant with God, instead of wholly consecrating themselves to him; or who had embraced the still more fatal notion that the eucharist is a means of grace, appropriately used by the unregenerate, had, by relying disproportionately on external means, degenerated into a species of formalism, which rather congealed the churches into harmony, than warmed them. into unity of spiritual life. Undue reliance on human efficiency never promotes a spirit of humble prayer, nor fans the pure flame of Christian zeal. Its tendency is rather the reverse. In the words of Dr. J. S. Clark, referring to the same period of our ecclesiastical history, "Do and live, do and live, had long been sounding in the ears of congregations, that were all the while doing less and becoming more dead." In this state of things the social prayer-meeting, especially as connected with religious conference, the free interchange of views and feelings, and earnest exhortations of the brethren, was to a great extent neglected. The two services of the Sabbath were, for the most part, considered sufficient. If occasional meetings during the week were thought desirable, the pastor must conduct them; or, in case of his absence, one of the deacons, and sermons must be read. The power of the laity was not evoked; their cooperation as a body in personal effort little sought.

Those who welcomed the views of President Edwards and his theological successors in connection with the revival spirit of the times, exalting the sovereignty of God and the spontaneity of divine grace; and entertaining profound views of the depravity and moral helplessness of unrenewed men, experienced a revived interest in social prayer. vinced of their entire dependence, they looked up for all

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their supplies. They felt that prayer was the vital breath of the church; that the social prayer-meeting was an indispensable constituent of church life and progress. They remembered that the Christian church sprang into being and assumed visible form at the close of a ten days' prayermeeting; that it was social prayer which brought down "the promise of the Father," the baptism of the Holy Ghost; that it was social prayer which gave point and power to Peter's pentecostal sermon, which shook the ground on which both Judaism and heathenism rested, and at the same time laid strong and deep the foundations of the Christian church; nay, carried high its superstructure in a single day.

Hence prayer-meetings were looked upon by this class of divines as essential to the full efficacy of the pulpit. True, they had been opposed from the first by the Arminian clergy of the day, and by the churches where Stoddardism prevailed, or had left its bitter weeds. After the extravagances, which grew out of the revivals under Edwards and his coadjutors, appeared, they were still more opposed. For half a century those tinctured with the spirit of their primary opposers, and other cool-headed divines, had a morbid fear of lay-work. But near the close of the eighteenth century, when the writings of Edwards, Bellamy, Hopkins, and others in the same line of theological thought, had diffused their life-giving influences, widening the division between the formalistic and the more evangelical; and the Holy Spirit began to descend, awaking the churches from the deep slumbers into which they had fallen, while the wars and political controversies, extending from 1744 to the close of the Revolutionary struggle, had been too exclusively occupying public attention, the prayer and conference-meeting was again revived. The power of the laity, which had been kept in abeyance, was drawn out and appropriated. Live men, such as Hooker, Mills, Hallock, Griffin, Porter, and those agreeing with them in theological views and revival labors, felt that they could not do without the prayer and

conference meeting. They saw that, judiciously managed and vitalized by the right spirit, it not only gave additional force to the sermon, but awoke a new element of power in the churches.

Dr. Woodbridge warmly sympathized with these views. Prayer-meetings were the objects of his special nurture. He held one weekly in the main street, near the church; and encouraged the brethren to establish similar gatherings to be conducted by themselves in the several neighborhoods, too remote from that central point to allow of convenient attendance there. By this arrangement clouds of incense arose, not only from the closets of God's people, but from these several social altars dispersed through the town. Would not a covenant God smell a sweet savor from these many smoking sacrifices weekly ascending to his mercyseat? Could a scriptural ministry, attended by such auxiliaries, fail of success? True, these neighborhood meetings were not largely attended at first. But a faithful few, gladly escaping for an hour from the world's cares, weekly repaired to them. They gradually increased, and when they had become vitalized into working order, they grew into mighty engines of power. Small they might have been in view of men, but great were they in view of Him who loves a working, praying church.

"In the kingdom of his grace granteth he omnipotence to prayer.”

Sensible that he was appointed by the Master the minister of the whole town, he would leave no part uncultivated.. He would by no means bestow his chief care on the few better educated and more accomplished families, like the farmer who should richly cultivate his garden, rendering it as beautiful as the bloom of flowers and the exuberance of every edible plant could make it, while leaving scores of out-lying acres choked with weeds and disfigured with slimy fens, calling forth the reproach of every passer-by. He would bestow equal care on those who had enjoyed scantier

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educational privileges and fewer opportunities for acquiring social refinement. While he would keep the vital functions beating healthfully at the centre, he was equally solicitous that the vital currents should flow normally to the extremities. He would leave no putrescent pools or filthy quagmires in the more distant parts of his field to send up their pestilential vapors, diffusing disease and death through his flock.

There were some four or five of these out-lying districts at the distance of from two to four miles from his house. To these he went out to preach in turn, usually going to some one weekly. In these humbler labors he was not less exact and self-sacrificing. When good was to be done, however small, he would not spare himself. The weather might be cold and blustering, the rain descending, or the snow falling and cumbering the way; but if it was practicable for him to reach the little schoolhouse or the remote dwelling, where a few families might be collected for prayer and religious instruction, he might be seen at the time appointed, or a few hours earlier, directing his way to the place of gathering. This practice he continued for twenty years. As the way to two or three of these remoter points lay along the banks of the Connecticut, the ride on dark and stormy nights was somewhat perilous; a circumstance often causing Mrs. Woodbridge no little anxiety. But whatever of hardship or peril there was in the work, it was his work, and therefore to be performed. He seldom or never wrote his addresses on these occasions, but with previous meditation and some general arrangement of scriptural thought, was not unfrequently most eloquent and impressive.

Dr. Woodbridge intended to be FAITHFUL IN PASTORAL WORK; particularly in addressing individuals on the momentous interests involved in their spiritual relations. True, he had some disinclination to this part of ministerial duties. He much preferred his study and the preparation of solid materials for the more elaborate address. This is not uncommon

to profound Christian scholars. Engrossed for hours almost daily in traversing stupendous circles of thought, ranging immeasurably above the low level of the "pleasure-seeking train," or those plodding over the dusty thoroughfares of business life, they can but be sensible of the wide disparity between their own mental moods and processes, and those of many whom they are called to serve. They feel incompetent to work themselves down to their mental plane so as to feel at home there. They cannot throw themselves into full sympathy with them, so that conversation shall become at once interesting and edifying. The feeling often comes out in the expression, "I know not how to make myself agreeable to them." It is not a proud feeling of superiority. It is not a want of interest in them or their families. It is not a disregard of their spiritual necessities. It is often the result of extreme delicacy and refinement of feeling, which shrinks from coming into close contact with sensibilities and tastes so diverse from their own. From the same cause in combination with self-depreciation and conscious inaptitude to the work, there is not unfrequently a trembling anxiety lest the religious remark designed to awaken solicitude for the soul and for a holy life, should be expressed in such a manner, or meet the addressed under such aspects, as rather to close, than to open, the door of the heart. Such refined natures also often feel a sensitive dread of meeting the opposition, the silent disdain, the slighting remark, the bitter taunt, or the scornful expression, often called forth; a delicacy of feeling to which coarser natures are strangers. Those who live most retired, most confine themselves to their libraries, are most liable to such nervous shrinking from this personal work, even when they are bold to moral heroism in the enunciation of unpalatable truths from the pulpit. Hence they are prone to postpone or entirely neglect the duty.

It cannot be denied that such or similar views and feelings sometimes deterred Dr. Woodbridge from this personal