MINISTERS OUGHT NOT TO BE DISCOURAGED BY WANT OF SUCCESS.

A godly clergyman was greatly discouraged after many years of hard labour among his people, at seeing no spiritual harvest reaped. He was so much troubled, that he meditated changing his field of employment, believing that he might prove more successful in another sphere. Whilst his mind was taken up with these sad thoughts, he dreamed that he was a poor man seeking employment, and that at last he found an employer, who gave him a sledge hammer, and showed him an immense rock, as large as the largest church, and told him to hammer upon the rock until he had split it to pieces. After hammering for some time he remonstrated, that the work given him to do was impossible. His employer replied, “That is nothing to you; I shall pay you for doing the work. Whether you succeed or not is no concern of yours. Do you the work! only do the work!” Upon this he redoubled his blows, but was on the point several times of laying the instrument down. Still the employer said, “Keep to your work. Smite the rock! smite the rock!” and he kept on smiting, with his heart sinking at the hopelessness of the effort, when all at once the rock rent asunder, and by the convulsion he awoke from his dream. The impression did not end in a dream, for the devoted pastor took courage, and continued his efforts in the old sphere with fresh zeal; and it was not long before he saw the fruit of his labour, and had the privilege of gathering in a glorious harvest of enquiring souls.

The Remembrancer.