man, of manhood in a state of sinlessness, indeed, but still in a state of dependence, of conflict, of danger, and of suffering. In His devotion, then, we see the true model upon which our own should be formed. In His spiritual tone and habitudes we see the perfect standard of human spirituality; of spirituality as it should exhibit itself in a world like this, and in a nature like ours. And in all our aspirations and conflicts to reach this standard more and more closely, we may assure ourselves of His humanlike sympathy, as well as of His Divine aid, to cheer us on and to succour our weakness, until at last, in his own presence, we are perfectly changed into His own image.

3. There is only one other reflection which we wish to add,-it is, the striking testimony which the Saviour's experience bears to the deep calm and blessedness which communion with God secures to the inner life of man, even in the midst of external humiliations and troubles. This Psalm is the utterance of the Messiah during the days of his flesh, and yet it is all radiant with the light of joy and hope; indeed, so much so, that at first it may seem scarcely an appropriate effusion of the heart of the "man of sorrows.' And certainly there were seasons in the history of His humiliation-" hours of the power of darkness," especially when His term of suffering obedience was drawing to a close, when the language of this Psalm would not have been uttered by Him, but rather the pathetic complaints and agonizing exclamations of the 22d Psalm : "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? why art thou so far from helping me, and from the words of my groaning?" The Psalm before us is the expression of His sentiments and feelings, at some stage of His life anterior to its latest and most trying scenes. Still, he is in the valley of humiliation, and at every step He is descending lower and lower; still, He is, with reference to all merely outward sources of satisfaction and happiness, a man of sorrows, instead of joys; poor, not rich; despised, not esteemed; rejected of men, not accepted and honoured. But, withal, His language in this Psalm is the utterance of a soul profoundly calm, contented, hopeful, and happy. And why? How is it that this partaker of our own human nature,—this man like ourselves-is so inwardly blessed while so outwardly afflicted? How is it that He overcometh thus? that He attains

and preserves such calmness in distress, such hope in fear, such joy in sorrow? How is it that His human spirit has become so Divine, his earthly nature so heavenly, his soul so truly great and strong and kingly, yea, imperial? Let us listen to Him, and He will Himself reveal to us the grand secret. "O my soul," He thus speaks in soliloquy to the inmate of His human breast, "O my soul, thou hast said unto Jehovah, Thou art my Lord; my happiness, my portion is only in Thee!""

Poetry.

SPEAK NO ILL.

NAY, speak no ill, a kindly word

Can never leave a sting behind: And, oh! to breathe each tale we've heard Is far beneath a noble mind. Full oft a better seed is sown,

By choosing thus the kinder plan: For if but little good be known,

Still let us speak the best we can.
Give me the heart that fain would hide-
Would fain another's faults efface.
How can it pleasure human pride

To prove humanity but base?
No; let us reach a higher mood-
A nobler estimate of man;
Be earnest in the search for good,
And speak of all the best we can.
Then speak no ill-but lenient be
To others' failings as your own:
If you're the first a fault to see,
Be not the first to make it known;
For life is but a passing day;-

No lip may tell how brief its span:
Then, oh! the little time we stay,

Let's speak of all the best we can.

REASON can never shew itself more about things which are above reason.— reasonable than in ceasing to reason Prosper.

HAD there been a general council of angels to advise upon a way of recovering poor sinners, they would all have been at an everlasting demur and loss about it. It could not have entered their thoughts that ever mercy, pardon, and grace should find such a way as this to issue forth from the heart of God to the heart of sinners. Oh, how wisely is the method of our recovery laid! for that Christ may well be called "the power and wisdom of God," forasmuch as in him the Divine wisdom is more glorified than in all the other works of God.-Flavel.

STRONG affections make strong afflictions.

MAN's extremity is God's opportunity.

In our remarks in previous numbers we have shown, 1st. That the present arrangements for the support of the ministry and ordinances of religion in our Church are unsatisfactory and insufficient; 2d. That the Supplemental Fund, as a branch of the Home Mission Scheme, is unsuitable to the exigences of our position, and 3d. That it would tend to the advancement of our Church, and the prosperity of all its Schemes, to have a Central Fund.

On these points we believe there is little or no difference of opinion; nor as to the advantage and desirableness of the early institution of such a fund. Not the Free Church of Scotland alone, but various other churches, both in this country and America, are alive to the importance of the subject, and are acting accordingly. "The Sustentation Fund,' said Dr. Chalmers, "is a natural means, the main pillar of the Church, being that which is to give it efficiency, stability, and expansion.'

The Synod of the English Presbyterian Church, at its meeting at Berwick in 1844, affirmed the principle of a Central Fund, and much was then said as to its importance. The delay seems to have arisen chiefly from the absence of any definite plan of working the principle, and from supposed difficulties standing in the way. It may be long before a perfect system be discovered, but this is no reason why we should not now proceed in the best way which our own consideration of the subject, and the experience of other churches, can indicate, leaving ourselves open to adopt whatever improvements may hereafter be suggested.

PLAN OF A CENTRAL FUND:

Whereby a fixed minimum stipend would be secured to each minister; and a fixed ratio of increased stipend to all, according to the contributions of each congregation; the surplus to be devoted to the support of missionary stations, founding new charges, and other missionary work.

The first thing to be done is to determine what congregations are to be on the fund, so as to be entitled to share in the distribution. For this, there ought to be a fixed minimum required, and no con

gregation contributing less ought to be on the fund, except by special appointment of the Synod, or its Commission, or Committee appointed by it. Presbyteries may report or recommend; but it is better, in order to avoid local partiality, that the Synod determine as to the placing of congregations on the fund. Other congregations may be aided by special grants; and the rest regarded simply as mission stations. latter class we have no hesitation in saying that several of our existing charges ought to be reduced; and also that there might be a better disposition of our force, both of men and means, than at present.

To this

Having fixed the congregations to be on the fund,-viz., those entitled by a certain annual contribution, and those sanctioned by the Synod, the next point is the mode of distribution. In this, the object is two-fold; first, to raise all the lower stipends up to some fixed minimum; and second, to encourage local exertion, and to apportion somewhat the stipends of ministers to the importance of congregations, and other circumstances indicated by the amount contributed to the common fund. We are confident that by the right working of the following plan, not only would poorer congregations be greatly aided, but the stipends of the ministers of all our churches would be increased and made more sure.

*

Let the number 10 be taken to represent a congregation contributing_to_the Central Fund 100l. per annum. Let the difference of each 201. be represented by 1:-for instance, a congregation contributing 1207. would be represented by 11; 1407. by 12; or 80l. by 9. We think that none under 801. need be

reckoned; and some that are now beneath that minimum could be raised to it by proper working and slight exertion.

To save figures we take the unit at 207.; intermediate sums may be easily calculated, 107. counting as a-half; and, by decimals, any other fractions may be readily noted.

*We believe that the principle of this plan Esq., Edinburgh; and it is being worked out was suggested by the late John Hamilton, by the Free Church in Canada, as reported in their Missionary Record for December, 1847.

In the next place let us find the average sum obtained by dividing the total contributions to the fund by the number of churches on the list. Let us suppose that the amount in the Central Fund would, if equally divided, give to every minister 140%. We take this merely for illustration, the actual average at present being considerably higher, or about 160l. The object not being an equal division, the most fair plan of distribution will be found by multiplying the representative number of each church by the number of the average for the year. Thus if 1407. be the dividend for 1848, (140l. equalling 12), a congregation contributing 1007. or 10, would receive 1207. (10 × 12); congregations contributing 1607. or 13, would receive 1567. (13 × 12); 2007. or 15, would receive 180l., and so on; the surplus from the richer churches going into the

The proportion of available surplus at first sight seems large, and to increase rapidly, from the wealthier congregations; but let it be remembered that in these cases the other sources of revenue (such as pew-rents, church-door collections, &c.,) are proportionally larger. And it is easy to make some modification of the plan, if deemed advisable, for congregations contributing above a certain amount. In the scheme adopted by the Presbyterian Church of Canada, arranged by Dr. Burns, eighty per cent. of all sums above 2201., go to the minister's stipend, and the remaining 201. only as surplus to the fund. We hardly think such a modification necessary in our church; at least in Scotland, large sums are ungrudgingly given by the wealthier town congregations for the common support of the Gospel. The formation of a central fund at all, takes for granted the abeyance of the purely selfish or independent principle, of every church taking what it can, leaving the rest to shift each for itself.

It will be observed further, that while the plan proposes to aid poorer congregations by drawing somewhat on the resources of others more able, this is not done at the expense of the salaries of the ministers of these Churches. Every existing salary we expect to see considerably raised, and this by the efficient òrganization and working of the congregation, for the drawing out of resources now latent. With the exception of the seat rents and collections, the contributions at present towards the salaries of ministers or other expenses come from a very small number of individuals. By distributing the burden over a larger number, as is done in well-organized congregations, not only will there be a more equitable voluntary assessment, but a far greater amount will be procured.

Difficulty may occur with regard to churches on which a large debt presses. The deacons or managers of these will naturally be inclined to seek first the diminution of their local burden; and very properly-because the more this is effected, the freer will such congregations be to aid others. Some of the Churches, which would be the most productive to a general fund, are at present in this crippled condition. From them we cannot expect so much at first; but they will still give the annual collection to the Home Mission or central fund, and those members who choose to contribute through

an association ought to have opportunity of doing so.

We have not yet said much about the collection of the central fund, because we are far more anxious about the principle, than about the mere pecuniary amount. But in order to remove any difficulty that may be felt on this score, we invite attention to the following facts.*

Take the number of our congregations at seventy-five. There are more on the list, but such as ought only to be counted as preaching stations. Of these seventyfive, at least one-third are below the present standard of 100l. as the minister's income; some of them very far below. But the amount of stipend paid to all the ministers is above 11,000l. Let us take the amount as averaging 150l. only to each, if the sum were divided.

In order to bring every stipend up to 150%., at the same time increasing those now above that amount, and giving grants to churches and stations not on the list, we calculate that 3,500l. in addition to the present amount paid for ministers' salaries, would suffice. No one will say that this is an unattainable sum. If 9,000 persons (less than one-half of those who now contribute to the support of our ministry) were to give only 1d. a-week, and one shilling a-quarter, the amount would be 3,7967. 13s. 4d. The number in our churches who would contribute above that minimum may be variously estimated, but anyhow, we have little doubt of ample resources being at our disposal, if right organization be established. Without taking illustrations from the Wesleyans or other denominations, the experience of our own Church proves that wherever Congregational Associations are at work, the amount obtained through them is far above the average sum required for the object we are advocating. And in this respect the Free Church of Scotland may serve as an example and confirmation. That Church has collections for missions, and schools, and other objects, the same as we have. For the building of churches

* It is sufficient for our present purpose to give approximate numbers. At the meeting of Synod the exact statistics of our Church will be procured, in the returns of the "schedule of queries" recently issued by order of the Convener of Synod, the Rev. W. Chalmers, Convener. We need scarcely remind the brethren of the importance of having all these schedules placed in the hands of their presbytery clerks as early as possible.

they have also required to make special exertions. The calls upon their wealthier members have been great and incessant. Nevertheless, they have done much for the sustentation of the ministry and the support of ordinances, by the wellorganized efforts of their associations.

We have before us the "Statement of the collections and seat-rents, minister's supplements, and other accounts of the Free Church, for the year from March 31, 1846, to March 31, 1847." The total amount remitted to the Central Sustentation Fund for the year was 79,5297. 16s. 2d. The Congregational Funds (including ordinary collections at the church doors and seat-rents) were 64,4957. 16s. The Congregational Funds are applicable for supplementing ministers' stipends, for extinction of debt, and for local expenses. The amount raised for the Sustentation Fund for the current year already exceeds that of last year by more than 5,000l. In the year ending March 31, 1845, when the Associations were very imperfectly organized, the Sustentation Fund was 76,2001. 19s. 5d., of which 67,6417. 19s. 5d. was from the local associations, and only 8,0331. 4s. 04d. from individual and miscellaneous donations. The Congregational Fund for that year amounted to 69,964l. 13s. 3d. During the same period (1844—1845) the amount raised for the Building Fund was 115,5921. Os. 111⁄2d. ; and for missions, college, schools, and other schemes of the Church, 68,0857. 2s. 11 d.

The Free Church contains very nearly ten times the number of congregations of our English Synod. We do not say that our seventy-five churches could do a tenth part of what is done by the 750 of the Free Church. But setting aside the two richest and most influential Synods in Scotland, the Lothians, and Glasgow and Ayr, we say that the English Synod has resources equal to the average of the remainder of the Scottish Synods, or to any average seventy-five congregations in provincial or rural districts. We have observed that for other objects, missionary or educational, where a collection has been made over the Free Church, and over our English Synod, even including Glasgow and Edinburgh, the amount raised by us is generally at least one-tenth of that raised in Scotland, i.e., if their collection brings 5,000l., ours will bring 500l. We mention this to prove, that we have available resources for the Central Fund in proportion. If we had only a tithe of the vigour and wisdom and organization of

the Free Church, no difficulty would be experienced in this or any of our enterprises. When it is said that similar organization cannot be attained in England as in Scotland, we reply, that wherever it has been attempted in our own Church, it has been successful. The few congregations with working associations contribute far the most largely to all our schemes, in proportion to their numbers. And the experience of the Wesleyans (with average resources, and the station of their members in society below ours), confirms the possibility of success through effective organization. If we have too little esprit de corps, and if our Church has degenerated in practice towards Independence, nothing will tend so quickly and surely to create or restore our Presbyterian brotherhood as a central fund. Each Church will be thereby directly interested in the success and progress of every other, and all the acknowledged benefits of a common interest will be attained. Of these benefits the mere pecuniary revenue is not the greatest; and although the dividend for the first two or three years were ever so small, we should equally desire the immediate establishment of this central fund.*

* Mr. Handyside, the superintendent of the Free Church Associations, and managing agent of the Sustentation Fund, is strongly of opinion that it is our wisdom to proceed at once in this matter. In a letter the other day he says, "I know your difficulties, having often spoken with some of your most zealous and intelligent laymen, as well as ministers. I tell you if your church will set herself to work in the right and thorough way, you will get over these. I think in three years you might secure 150l. to every one of your ministers out of a central fund."

Let a card similar to the above be put into the hands of every member and adherent of our Church, with the request that the sum each may be able and willing to contribute may be inserted. The cards may vary for monthly, quarterly, or yearly contributions. The in-gathering of these sums could be with little trouble made through the deacons and their collectors The in each congregation. amount will range from one penny a-week up to 1., at which rate some at present contribute to the support of the ministry, in addition to their seat-rents and collections. Supposing that onehalf of those able to contribute returned these cards in each congregation, calculations may very easily be made of the probable product of this appeal.

We would conclude by recalling attention to some very sensible remarks that appeared in an early number of the "Messenger," in December, 1845, on the subject of Associations :

"A man who gives now a penny at a collection, would give a penny every week if you only asked weekly; but if you apply to him only once a-quarter, he will still give you only a penny. His heart will not suffer him to part with more at once; but his heart would not oppose his giving it oftener. Besides, his wages or income will not permit him, with due regard to all the demands upon him, to part with more than sixpence in a week. Six or seven shillings at once he would feel a very serious income-tax upon his earnings; and if your collection is only once a-quarter, depend upon it he will give you at the utmost not more than a shilling. But try another plan. Give

an opportunity of contributing weekly, and he may afford to give you a shilling; and this, according to our edition of Cocker, will amount to somewhere about six or seven shillings a-quarter. Now suppose a congregation of 300 contributors at a shilling a-week each, this would amount in the year to 730l., a larger sum than any one of our congregations ever raised by collection. In short, it is an established rule-a principle in human nature, as unalterable and as universally operative as the law of gravitation-that men will not give at once the sum they will cheerfully give by instalments. They will give you a sixpence a-week paid weekly, but they will not give you seven shillings at once at your quarterly collection."