st. We appeal to such of our readers as are doing good
service, that they pray to be kept from backsliding in heart, lest their
oars be broken, and they become a dead weight in the boat.

Some of those who are with us, and yet not of us, are accumulating
wealth. We appeal to them to bear in mind that their money makes them
greater difficulties than ever, and that the more their balance at the
bankers' grows the greater their dead weight in the boat. If we could
only get rid of these people, how lightly the boat would spring forward!
Sometimes we are ready to wish that these men could lose their money,
they would then become manageable.

What is to be done? We cannot but think of Circuit after Circuit where
men of talent and influence are keeping the Church of God from coming to
the front. What a loss life is to them! How much better if they had
died in their useful days! If they do not repent, what a hell awaits
them! How could such people enjoy heaven if they were sent there? For
them to behold the other part of the crew, who did their duty, crowned
for their faithfulness, must, as a matter of course, make them reflect
that their chances were the same, but that they ceased to toil, and
hindered those who would have accomplished much for God but for their
baneful presence.

There are other lessons we learned from this same boat-race, to which we
will refer at some other time. Suffice it that for the present we pray,

LORD, SAVE US FROM DEAD WEIGHTS!

LI. "WHY COULD NOT WE CAST HIM OUT?"

And a very sensible question, too. When men fail there is a reason for
it; but we cannot always find out what the reason is. But these
followers of Jesus, who had not been able to cast out the deaf and dumb
devil, asked their Master how it was. He had given them to see that it
was not impossible to cast out even that sort, but THEY could not. And
why not? It is worth our while to know, for just now the Methodist
people are not succeeding as they wish to succeed, and we are inclined to
think, for the same reason that caused the disciples to fail.

Jesus said, "THIS KIND GOETH NOT OUT BUT BY PRAYER AND FASTING." What
does this mean, if not that

MEN WHO LOVE EASE MUST EXPECT THE DEVILS TO LAUGH THEM TO SCORN?

If we are not prepared to fast, it does not matter how well we do other
things--not only abstain from food, or drink, or tobacco, but from other
things we like. We know some men who would do well t