rtsligteriau Xisuns. ?IMBUED% WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 8, 1864. YOUNG NM THINK OF 1T Just at this time the various Colleges of our country are sending forth their young men, trained by long application on their oNn part and by careful culture on the part o' their preceptors, to take upon them life's more active duties. Within the com pass of the few weeks past and a few weeks yet to come, hundreds of recruits, prepared by the intellectual drill of academia halls, will have been added to the ranks of edu cated men. Some of our graduates, under the demand and pressure of the times, will enter at once upon the employments of busy manhood : some will devote a few more months or years to especial prepara tion for their selected walks of usefulness. Amid the whirl of excitement in which we live, and which has communicated itself so largely to our Schools and Colleges, we fear that the claims of the Gospel ministry upon our pious and educated young men, will not receive thit thoughtful, prayerful consideration they so pre eminently ,deserve. It seems to be taken for granted that, as these are exceptional times, the motives and arguments which are ordinarily pre sented to our Christian youth, are inappli cable now; that it is impossible, amidst the clash of arms, to prepare for the min istry of peace; and that even those who had consecrated themselves to this sacred work, are temporarily released, by higher considerations, from the immediate fulfil ment of their vows. Is this, indeed, true_? Can there be any higher consideration than obedience to the' mandate of our divine Master—the call of our sovereign ? Can there be any distrac tions arising from the existing conflict, for 1 which his grace will not supply h sufficient i preparation or support ? Can there be any loftier patriotism, any more efficient way of serving our country, than to be actively en gaged in the great work of extending, pure religion ? On your knees, in your closets, and in the felt presence of the great Search er of hearts, Christian young men, ask yourselves these questions. It is a solemn thing to turn your feet away from the altar. Momentous issues—eternal interests—are involved in your decision, not for: your selves alone, but for multitudes of immor tals. But, we hear you say, some eminent ministers have entered the service of their country as soldiers : why may not we ? Un doubtedly, emergencies may arise that would °all you to the field. If, however, you have been chosen of God to the min istry, you would find a wide sphere foi self denying labors this opened before you; and by conversation, by exhortation, and by example, you may effectively, even in camp, preach the Gospel of the great Cap. taro of your salvation. The clerical sol: dier has not demitted his higher office in superadding to it a lower one, and can nev er consistently sink in the duties of the soldier the more exalted functions of an ambastildor of th - e --- Piiii - ce - uf Peacer. We aro much mistaken, also, if our military brethren would not themselves admit that their oases are exceptional ones, and that the circumstances must be marked indeed that would assign to the minister the gar ments rolled in blood. The skilful surgeon offers his country a far more valuable assistance by enlisting in his professional capacity, than by shoulder. ing a musket and entering the ranks. In the former ease he may save the lives o.' hundreds, who thus become in a sense his , eabstitutes for the service he might person ally render on the field. And is care for the soul of the soldier less important than. the cure of his body ? But, you will suggest, many excellent and pions men become lawyers, physicians, mer- , chants, or farmers : why may not we ? Un doubtedly, there are Christians in all these walks of life. Sad would it be for the Church and country, were it not so. Would that far more of our educated men, in ev ery department of labor and usefulness, were devoted Christians. Nor do we con tend that it is the duty of all young men of education and piety, regardless of eir camstances and qualifications, to become ministers. Least of all would we presume to say to any one of you—" Your duty is to preach." But the one point about which there can be no doubt or dispute—the one ground on which, if you are indeed' Christians, you can make no compromise, is this : that you surrender yourself wholly to the Master's service—that whatever hopes of fame, or visions of wealth, or &cams of ease, or taste for literature, or love of silence, or even schemes of minor usefulness, you may have cherished, all these you are willing to abandon, if it be God's will to invest you with the high office of b.sing his minister. And there, on bonded knee, humbly seeking Divine direetion, and uncondition ally submitting yourself to God's will, we leave you; and if such he the spirit of our educated young men, our hopes for the Church and the world will be bright in ,deed. A few words to those who have come ; crated themselves as laborers in the whiten ing harvest. The ministry* of the ever lasting Gospel—how unspeakably solemn a responsibility—how inconceivably exalted an office. To stand as God's ambassadors to sinful men—to bear his messages of mercy to dying, and yet deathless spirits—your selves to remember, and to bring home to others, the tremendous realities, unseen, but yet eternal, that depend upon the ac ceptance or rejection of that mercy—to watoh your own deceitful hearts, to control your own frail tongues, that you may live, as well as preach, the Gospel—to comfort God's smitten ones, to restore the erring, to support the trembling, to arouse the slothful, to stand by the bedside of the dy ing with God's own words of power to con quer death—to point all classes and condi tions of men to the Lamb of God—well might an angel covet, yet tremble, to un dertake so solemn an office. The man who not ld believe himself equal to its responsi bilities, would only piova himself unwor thy of the trust. Yet through this mkt* instrnmentolity--the foolishness of prime- ing—Uod is pleased to save them that be lieve. And tho rewards of the faithful minis ter—of him that shall save a ' soul from death—of him that shall turn many to righteousness, how incomparably superior to all the honors and the happiness the world can bestow. Humble the pastor's path may be—obscure his home—unknown his name—incessant his labors—severe his trials—few the comforts- and none the ele gancies of life that may attend his lot, whilst his companions in college halls, Mit partners—it may be, his inferiors—in col lege toils and successes, have achieved die tinotion in the world, filled offices of trust and honor, or accumulated large fortunes for themselveiand families. It may be so. In fact, it has been. so; and we draw not upon fancy for a sketch. Yet still we say, how incomparably su perior the faithful pastor's meed for duties done ! In all his trials the sweet promise —" My grace sufficient ;" in all his weak ness—"''My strength made perfect ;" in all his toils and tribulations, the ever-presence of the unseen Comforter---" I will never leave thee;" . in all his anxieties and afflic tions, a "peace that passeth understanding;" and when his ministry on earth is over, to hear from the lips , of - the Saviour whom he loved and served, the sweet words of grace —" Well done;' and to receive from his pierOed hand the gift of love he died to purehase—ti a crown that fadeth not away." Young Christians, so soon to enter upon the wide field of life's labors and duties, how can you best serve the cause of Him who gave himself for you ? The question is a solemn one. We pray you—think of it. THE CHRISTIAN COMMISSION. We have so often commended to our readers this noble organization, and have published so many communications illus trative of its workings, and filled with the clearest, evidences of the blessings it dis penses amongst the defenders of our coun try, that we almost hesitate to add another appeal to what has been already said. But we cannot shut our eyes to the fact that the outward flow of its benefits and charities, for which the demand is at all times Eo great and sometimes alniest overwhelming, can only be continued by the unceasing contributions of those who love our sole diers and the cause for which .they are straggling and suffering. Could we introduce our readers severally to the delegates of the Commission, as they return from their errands of mercy, and detail with kindling eye and glowing hearts the incidents of their six weeks at the front, or on the march, or in the hos pital—above all, could we introduce the soldiers themselves, the recipients of the kindnesSes for which the Commission is so suitable a channel, and let them tell with the eloquence of heartfelt gratitude, their individual histories of life preserved, of pain assuaged, ...f sickness soothed, of ten der ministrations, of Christian prayers and eonnsels—no other appeal would be re quired than the simple story of what the commission has done and is still doing, so ram 42.0- Li.- L. order to commend it to the continued favor of those who have already approved them selves its friends. A circular, just received from the Phila delphia office of the Christian Commission, assures us that ten thousand dollars a day could be used to the greatest advantage, in the Army of the Potomac, in the trenches alone, in the great work of saving Hies and saving souls. This opportunity, from the nature of the case, will soon cease; or soon many who might have experienced, in body and in soul, the benefits which the Commission labors to convey, will be beyond its influence. Help is therefore earnestly galled for at once—liberal, generous help. . Imagine. /arty acres of Hospital on the high south bank of the Appomatox, a mile from its confluence with the James, and what scenes of suffering must be, daily wit &seed over that broad area. Picture the fifteen tents of the Christian Commission, allotted to the various departments of their humane—we might say, divine—mission, to administer to the wants of the sick and wounded, to sustain and restore, if possible, the sinking body, to save—by God's bless ing upon the means—the undying soul. Yet this is but one field of labor occu pied by the Commission. In every city, East or West, where there is a military hospital; on every field where our armies meet the foe in deadly strife; .on every weary march, where hundreds fall exhaust ed by the wayside ; in every camp where a brief respite is allowed our toiling troops —the well-known badge of the, delegate of this heaven-sent Commission announces to the war-worn soldier that a friend and brother is at his side, and that through this agency a grateful people testify their, care and love for the defenders of our lib erties and laws. We have spoken of these benefactions as a charity. In an enlarged sense they are properly'so denominated, being the legiti mate outgrowth of Christian love. But in the restricted sense often placed upon that term, they are not a charity, but a just end honest debt, a debt, moreover, even after all our liberality, too feebly paid. For what can we do too murk for those who are haz arding their lives for us, or who are suffer ing from wounds received, or disease in curred, whilst enduring exposure in our behalf? Is the utmost we can do for them more than a righteous debt ? Did we have regard simply to the policy of the measures pursued by the Commis oion, to the military .advantages incidental ' ly derived from it, this consideration alone should prompt us to far more energetic effqrts in its behalf than any heretofore put forth. The thousands of veteran soldiers who have been saved by this agency, under the Divine blessing, to - the cause of our • - country, could they'be arrayed in regiment and brigade, especially could they be placed beside the undisciplined troops we are now hurrying to the field, would con stitute an army corps that, in numbers and efficiency, would establish at once the mili tary value to our country of the labors of our devoted delegates. Bat the strongest claim of the Commis sion upon Christian sympathy and aid, rests upon its efforts to promote the spirit ual welfare of the soldier, whilst oaring for PRESBYTERIAN BANNER.---WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 3, 1864. his bodily wants, and multitudes of pre eioussouls, ingathered from the very fields where the angel of death had thrust in his sickle, attest the diiine approval of a work inspired by the precepts of the Gospel of love. Our readers will bear with us, whilst again we place before them, and press upon them, the urgent wants of the Christian Commission. Much has been done, but much remains to remand immediate atten- don. Our soldiers still suffer, and bleed, and die. Will not those whom God has blessed with plenty—will not all, according to the measure of ability that God has given, contribute of their means to this noble work? • Our columns have frequently been en riched by contributions from the pen of one of our devoted missionaries in Siam, whose latest letter will be found on our fiat page this week. In these letters we are introduced to the inner life of heathendom, b its every-days wretchedness and degrada tion-as they meet the eye and move the heart of the missionary, and are made ac quainted with the national characteristics of the people amongst whom . he labors, with their habits and prejudices, with their daily occupations and modes of existence, and with the opportunities for finding ac cess to their minds and hearts. We travel with the missionary in his slender pinnace through the labyrinth of canals that inter sect this singular country, we Witness the luxuriant—often grotesque—forms of trop ioal vegetation, and we admire the good ness of the Creator who has provided for the lands that burn under the fervid rays of a vertical sun, the delicious refreshment of fruits unknown to our colder zone. But the great value of this correspond ence is, that it keeps alive our interest in the efforts matte for the spiritual welfare of a people who have shown in many ways a disposition to rise to a higher scale of. civ ilization. They will fail indeed of the chief object which their writer has .in view, if they do not stir up such of our readers as love the cause. of Missions and long for• the coming of the Saviour's king dom, to more earnest prayer and more vig orous effort in behalf of the work to which this writer has consecrated his life. We hope to be favored with many more contributions from the .same source, and trust that one effect of their perusal will be to preserve us, amidst the distractions and calamities of our own unhappy country, from forgetting our brethren 'who are la boring in distant fields, and who watch so eagerly, on those far-off shores, for the latest intelligence from the land of their birth. 'We have kept our readers apprised of the fluctuations in the cost of paper, if that may be said to fluctuate which is all the time advancing. We regret to be obliged to say that another two cents per poured has been added to its coat; and though this may seem to be a small advance, it should bnremembered that the additiOn of a sin _le-cent-to theoost et - paper; adds -araworal hundred dollars per annum to the necessary expenses of the printing office. On every hand,"' both East and West, newspapers are either increasing their sub scription price, or Curtailing their dimen sions, or suspending publication altogether. The Banner at $2.00 a year, when gold is worth $2.60, is the same as if it had been furnished at 77 cents a year when gold was at par. So that we are now issuing a much cheaper paper, in reality, than the Rayner was when first commenced. If we take into consideration the fact that the ex penses.of articles of prime necessity have increased in even a higher ratio than the rise of gold, it will be found that we are furnishing the Banner at the same rate now, relatively, as if it had been originally about sixty cents. The cheapness at which a paper can be published, depends evidently upon the ex tent of its circulation. So long as there is any margin of profit left, however entail, upon each paper, after deducting all ex penses, the aggregate of profits, and con sequently the stability and, usefulness of a paper, will depend upon the largeness of its circulation. Whilst we gratefully acknowledge the kindness of our friends in the additions they have already made to the list of our subscribers, we" trust they will see in the considerations we have mentioned, renewed cause for their generens exertions: Unless we are greatly mistaken, our readers, as well as ourselves, will feel an interest in the prosperity and extended usefulness of the Banner. Washington College.—Tbe catalogue of this institution fOr the collegiate year 1863 —64, exhibits the following summary :—Se niers, 18 ; Juniors, 14; Pophomores, 14; 'Freshmen, 14; Preparatory Department, 40; Total, 101. The Faoulty is composed at present of the President, three Profes sors, and three Tutors; the Chairs of Math ematics and Latin being vacant, and tem porarily filled by the other Professors. The exercises connected with the annual com mencement will be, Sept. 4, Baccalaureate sermon by the President; Rev. John W. SCOT; D.D.; sermon before the Society of Religious Inquiry, by Rev. W. D. HOWARD, D.D.; Sept 6, Address- before the Literary Societies, by MILTON SAYLER, Esq.; Sept. 7, Commencement. The Family Treasure, for August, Con tains a number of very readable articles, amongst which might be particularized the interesting sketch of Dr. BEECHER, My Girls' in Attica, Misunderstandings, Lang Syne, with other matter, original and se lected, making one of the best numbers of the Magazine. Its editors are - determined to spare no pains - to furnish an Evangelical and attractive monthly. Minutes of the General Assembly.—lt gives us pleasure to acknowledge the receipt of the Minutes of the General Assembly, which, though requiring so much care and labor in the preparation of the accompany ing tables, have been brought ont thus promptly, and in a manner creditable to all who have been engaged in their rnoduci tion. Price of the volume this year, Z 5 LETTERS FROM SUL ADVANCE 1N PAPER. ots. " We give elsewhere a summary of the statistics The Day of Prayer.—We need not re mind our readers that to-morrow, Thurs day, August 4th, is the day appointed to be 'observed as a day of national humilia tion and prayer. The events of each pass ing week constitute a new call to humble penitence and feryent priyer. NEWS OF THE CHURCHES AND MINISTERS. PRESBYTERIAN, Old Seheol.—Rev. David Waggoner was installed pastor of the Georgetown church on the 24th of June, by a committee of the Presbytery of. Erie. Rev. Wm. M. Rob inson presided and preached the sermon, and Rev. John W. McCune delivered the charge to the pastor and people. Mr. Waggoner was installed pastor of the same church some twenty-six years ago, served it acceptably for sixteen years, then, at his own request, was dismissed, and labored in another field. The chureh, with entire unanimity, recalled him, and he reenters this field with prospects of much usefulness. The death of Rev. Wm. J. Hoge, pastor of the Tabb Street church, Peters burg, Va., is announced in the. Richmond papers. He died in Chesterfield County, Va., July sth, at the residence of James Jones, Esq. Dr. H6ge`urill be remembered as the .associate pastor with Rev. Dr. Spring, of the Brick churci, New-York; and previously as pastor of the Westminster church, Baltimore. His Cspousal of the cause of the rebellion gave pain to thou .sands who had learned to love him as an able and faithful minister of the Gospel. A correspondent of the Presbyterian an nounces the death, in the hospital at Memphis, Tenn., July 10, of Rev.' James W. McKean, of Hopkinton, lowa, son of Rev. J. McKean, of Scotch Grove, lowa. He was a graduate of Jefferson College, class of 1859, and of the Western Theolog ical Seminary, class 1862. Having spent about a year as on evangelist, in the Lake Superior region, he more recently engaged as Principal of the Hopkinton Synodical Academy.; and when •its male students en listed in the hundred day service, electing him as captain, he went with them in that capacity, though his preference was for , the duties of a chaplaincy. Taken ill in' camp, he was removed to the hospital, where his brief, though useful career, soon terminated in death. Rev. R. W. Henry, D D., has accepted the call to the North Presbyterian church, Philadelphia, and wilienter Upon the du ties of his charge, Sept. Ist. The deaths of Rev. Wm. R. Sim, of the. Presbytery of Saline, at Golconda, Ill.; of Rev. David E. Curtis, of the Presbytery of Potosi, at Farmington, Mo.; and of Rev. Samuel Pelton, of the Presbytery of Hud son, on the 10th inst., suddenly, from apo plexy, in his 88th year, at Monticello, N. Y., are announced. The private library of Rev. Dr. D. X. junkin, the accumulation of thirty years, . ate. .np - +it -the fire, JulT.ith, vhit-tr consumed the old Canal Street Presbyteri- an church. united —The Minutes of the oth General Assembly of the U. P. Church, held at Philadelphia, in May last, have already been published in neat and convenient form, creditable alike to those engaged in its preparation and publication, taking the place of the July number of the Evan gelical Repository. They furnish abun dant and pleasing evidence of the prosper ity of this important branch of the Presby terian family. We gather the following interesting summary : Synods. ........ 7 Diatbs ... 1,128 Presbyteries..... 46 Removals 3,266 Pastors,. 371 Infants baptized 3,698 Ministers -with- Adults 4 , 267 out charge 142 Domes. Miss $16,495 Ministers, total.. 618 Foreign Miss.... 28,611 LiCentiates 47 Education 1,588 Students or The- Publication 1,664 ology . 54 Church Exten.., 4,887 Congregations... 698 Assem. Fund.... 595 Families 25,447 Synod Fund...... 8,018 Communicants.. 57,795 Sal. by c0ng.....207,869 Added on exam- " by Assam.— 12,404 ination • 2,610 Gen. contr 148,631 Added on certif- total am0unt....898,075 irate 2,541 Aver. per memb. 6.91 To which we may add, that the above statistics show the average salaries of the 371 pastors to be $594, Whilst we con &se the sins of our neighbors, we have un- fortunately too many similar ehortcomings of our own, to permit us to indulge in any upbraidings There are in connection with the U. P. ehurch, three Colleges, three Theological Seminaries, five Foreign Mission stations, embracing twenty-six missionaries. Rev. J.-B. Clark, D.D., of the 2d U. P. church, Allegheny, has again entered the service of his country, under the late call for 100 days' men. He was unanimously chosen Colonel of a regiment, lately formed in Camp Reynolds, near this city, and has departed for the scene of strife. Reformed Billet —Rev. T. S. Doolittle, of Flatlands, L. 1., has been elected Pro fessot of Rhetoric, Logic, and Mental Phil osophy in Rutgers College, and will enter upon the duties of his (We at the begin ning of the next term, Sept. 20, 1864. LUTHERAN. At the meeting of the Synod of lowa, July Ist, in Tipton, 10., Rev. J. G. Scheel. for, charged with fraud, was deposed from the ministry, and expelled from that Min isterium. ,Synod also refused to recognize him as President of lowa Lutheran Col lege, and recommended Rev. A. M. Geiger for that position. There are three Lutheran churches in San Franciaco, Cal., a German, an Eng lish, and a Swedish one. Much energy and liberality have been shown in collecting and building up these churches. METHODIST.* - The Indiana Methodist Conference has resolved to erect and sustain a first-class female college within the bounds of that Conference. A committee has been ap pointed to select a location. Rev. John Sages, the well known friend of Africa, for several years engaged in the se r- . vice of the Colonization Society, and of the U. S. Governmenl-in connection with its plans for ameliorating the condition of the blacks, hairecentlyreturned from Afrioa,aud though frequently prostrated by the African fever, and upwards of sixty years of age, he re tains much of the fire of his youth. He is now with his family in Springfield, Ohio. Mrs. Winchester, of Charlestown, Mass., lately deceased, has bequeathed $15,000 to Trinity M. E. church of that city, and $lO,OOO toward providing a home for aged indigent females of that place: these be quests constituting about one half of her estate. BAPTIST. The Baptist church at Antioch, N. Y., which celebrated its fifth anniversary on Sabbath, July 3, may be regarded as a nov elty in modern ecclesiastical arrangemente. The church, as we learn from the N. Y. Chronicle, rents no pews, never held fair, festival, or concert to raise money, yet meets all its expenses, and does a vast amount of missionary work. It raised and disbursed the past year nearly $5,0b0. Its pastor has no salary, but receives what is voluntarily given ! In this way he re ceived during the last year $1,857.09 in cash and presents. The church is Com posed of poor members exclusively, proba bly the poorest in proportion to its mem bership .in the country. They have a printing office connected with the church, s and issue a monthly'magazine, and other works. Over 200,000 pages have been published during the year. Can any other °Mitch in the land present such a record, in proportion to its means ? Rev. Dr. Kennard, Boston, has, in forty six years, preaoh,ed 10,000 sermons, bap tized 2,033 persons, married 4;089 Couples, and attended 3,900 funerals. CONGREGATIONAL. The church in Harpswell, Maine, built more than a hundred years ago, is still standing, its frame as sound apparently as ever. It is used as a town house, the-cen tral pews having been taken out. The side pews still remain as first constructed, with backs so high as to hide the occupants from view. The visitor to this ancient structure can thus obtain some idea Of the way, as to externals, in which our fathers worshipped. - A Congregational Council in Maine hav ing refused .to install Rev. Mr. Walton over tbe Third Congregational Society in Portland, the Society has engaged him to preach for them for a year. Mr. Walton, in a letter to the Portland Press, explains the nature of his heresy, which caused the Council to refuse to install him. He says, on the points respecting the future state of man his mind is not entirely settled; he thinks the punishment of the wicked may not be eternal, but may < end in annihila tion; and that the heathen and others not having the privilege on earth, " may in an other world have the offer of salvation." But he says he is fully persuaded that " there is no such thing as restoration in the case of those who die impenitent be neath the light of Christianity ; and that the lost in the future world continue in a state of punishment, as long as they exist." Generat View of the Presbyterian Church dur ing the year ending May, 1864, Synods in connection with the Gen eral Assembly 85 Presbyteries 171 - 292 Candidates for the Ministry 866 Ministers .2,265 Churches 2,626 Licensnres 81 Ordinations 95 Installations 121 Pastoral relations dissolved 100 Churches organized t 38 Ministers received from other denomi nations 11 Ministers dismissed to other denomi nations 11 Churches received from other denomi nations 8 Churches dismissed to other denomi nations 3 Ministers deceased 34 Churches dissolved 12 Members added on examination 9,250 Members added en certificate, 7,016 Total number of communicants re ported 281,960 Adults baptized.. 2,880 Infants baptized 9,801 Amount contributed for congregation al purposes 1.1,677,106 Amount contributed for the Boards.... 422,857 Amount contributed for disabled Min isters' Fund 15,606 Amount contributed for miscellaneous purposes 220,102 Whole amount contributed $2,245,671 The following ministers have died dar ing the-year : NAMES. PRESBYTERIES. Joseph Sweetman, Albany, John N. Campbell, Do. John Avery, Mohawk, . James Rogers, Ogdensburg, Calvin Pease, Rochester City. James Nichols, Do. Samuel Lawson, Nassau. Henry V. Rankin, Ningpo. Joseph Rogers, Raritan, Henry Steele Clarke, Philadelphia Cent. Robert Taylor, Philadelphia 2d. John- W. Grier, New,Castle. A. B. Clarke, Huntingdon. G. W. Thompson, Do. J. W. Yeomans, Northumberland. Wm. D. McCartney, New Lisbon. • James Hoge, Columbus. Josiah D. Smith, Do. James Baber, Do. William Gage, Chillicothe. H. S. Fullerton, DO. L. C. Cheney, Miami. M. Russell, Do. F. J. Neuhaus, Cincinnati. T. 3. Biggs, Do. J. D. Shane, Do. Charles Lee, Madisbn, Wm. L. Mitchell, Kaskaskia. George Cairns, . Peoria. James Green, Des Moines. Jepbtha Harrison, Missouri. E. P. Noel, St. Louis. L. W. Green, Transylvania. H. C. Read - Do • Total reported, 34. For the Presbyterian Banner Christian Commission. LEEOHEURO, July 29,1864 MR. JOSEPH ALBREE, Treasurer C. C.; Pitts6urgh :—I have a little molto say before closing this correspondence. And I wish to say it simply because I believe it ought to be said. Every body knows, or ought to know, that there are two great benevolent agencies at work in behalf of the soldiers, especially of the wounded and th 6 sick ; but every body does not seem to know that these agencies differ from each other materially, both as it respects the work proposed to be done, and as to the proper method of doing :t. Men may hon estly differ in judgment as to the compara tive merits and claims of these associations, and eachanay certainly•be permitted to ex press that preference, and the reasons for it, provided it be done in words of truth, courtesy, and candor. Asd whilst present ing the claims of the Christian Commis sion to the Christian public, and pressing those claims as I believe their comparative merits will justify, I would not be under stood nor Interpreted as waging war against the Sanitary Commission. I have seen too much of - the good which that C , mmission has accomplished, of the blessings it bas borne to the wounded and the sick, to per mit me to become its emtmy. I know that the suffering soldier has often, with tears of gratitude, invoked God's blessing upon the Sanitary Commission, and I cordially join in that prayer. lam glad to see its Treasury well filled, and I trust that there are yet thousands, yes, tens and hundreds of thousands of dollars in the hands of phi lanthropists and patriots, which are destined_ to find their way to its Treasury. But when I address the Christian patriot and philanthropist on this subjecb, I must tell him that the Christian Commission has high, and holy, and paramount claims upon him. This is obvious from the fact that the Christian Commission can and does acoom plish much more for the soldier, in propor tion to its means, , than the Sanitary. It operates almost entirely by mesas of gra tuitous agencies. In the whsle Army of the Cumberland, ttretching from Louis ville to Atlanta, there are but three sala ried agents. And whilst due att.intion is paid to the wants, the health and comfort of the delegates, it is all done on a system of rigid economy, not parsimoniou3ly, but Pare-fully husbanding its funds • so that an expenditure of not more than five per cent. of the moneys received is sufficient to keep the whole machinery in active motion, whilst the remaining ninety five per cent. finds its way directly to the needy soldier. On the other hand, the Sanitary Commis mission, operating altogether by means of, agents both salaried and subsisted, necessa rily incurs a much heavier outlay of funds, in proportion to the number of oe ratives employed and work accomplished' . Thus, on the score of economy, the Christian Commission manifestly presents the higher claim. Again, the. Christian Commission can and does reach and relieve the wants of a large and needy class of soldiers, who lie beyond the reach of the Istem of opera tions adopted and practiced by the Sanitary Commission. I refer to those found in de. tail camps and guard-houses. In detail camps, where soldiers are found detached from perhaps every regiment in the de partment, with neither regimental nor line officers, nor yet descriptive roll at hand, they can have no access to Government supplies of clothing. And with no partic ular Surgeon in charge to issue orders upon the Sanitary Commission, they can have no access to its stores, however needy they may be. And the same is true of prisoners in the guard-house, with- this ag gravating difference, that their calls for re lief are generally treated, not only with indifference, but contempt, by those who have them in charge. To all these, however, the Christian Commission can, and, to the extent of its means,4does extend a helping hand. Its delegates seek out the needy, inquire into their wants, and in the exercise of their own judgments, always -with the concur rence of the proper officers, they supply those wants as far as they are provided with. the means to do it. I have seen many soldiers who were in need, yes, in distressing need of clothing, who, for want of their descriptive rolls, could have no ac cess to commissary stores ; and who, for want of a Surgeon to issue the required orders, could receive nothing from the Sanitary rooms—who, but for the Chris tian Commission, must have suffered on; and rarely indeed is the supply of hospital goods in the Christian Commission .stores equal to these pressing demands. Again, the Christian Commission can give to the benevolent donor much the most positive assurance that all his bene factions will reach the desired end. The Sanitary Commission operates through agents whose duties extend to the distribu tion of goods from their own rooms. This is . done systematically, on the order of sur geons either of camps or hospitals. The order comes to the agent duly signed, and with all promptness the goods, if on hand, are issued, the wagon is loaded 'and sent off; and the agent can follow them no farther. Nor need be do so, if it were cer tain that all surgeons, stewards, cooks and nurses were humane and honest men ; but perhaps they are not always so. Some times, l iterchance, the appetite may out weigh the conscience, especially when these men know that''for this class of goods there is none to call them to account; the result is, the soldier often gets but the faagments of what was wholly his own. On the other hand, the supplies of the Christian. Commission are often furnished to the wounded, the sick, and the needy, by the hand of its own delegates. Goods, however, are often issued by the cart or wagon load to the order of surgeons; but the delegates are at work in the camps and hospitals where they are sent; they know, too, the class of sufferers for whom - they were designed; they inquire in due time if those goods have reached their destina tion ; if so, all is right; if not, there is something wrang—it must be investiga ted. Those who receive Christian Com mission goods in charge, know all this, and hence rarely, very rarely indeed, are such supplies turned out of their proper chan nel. The needy soldier gets them—this is a moral certainty. Thus it is clearly seen that, so far as it respeeth the supply of the temporal wants of the suffering and needy soldier, - the Christian Commission is- etiti tied to the highest measure of confidence and support, inasmuch as it works the cheapest, reaches the farthest, and gives the fullest assurance of faithfully fulfilling its trust. Bat beyond all this the Christian Com mission justly claims the cordial and liber al support of the Christian public, because it seeks to provide for the spiritual wants of the soldiers, and to secure the salvation of his soul. The man who claims to be a mere philanthropist, but not a Christian, May fail to'appreciate the force of the su perior claim thus presented; those who es teem the body as of more value than the soul, who regard time as worth more than eternity, may consistently present their of ferings through other channels; but surely the Christian who knows something of the worth of the Bo it cannot undervalue this peculiar feature V the Christian Commis sion's work. The fact that it proposes to send, and does send, active, earnest, Chris tian men to preach Christ to the soldiers in the barracks and in the camps, to seek to enlist him as a soldier of the Cross, to car ry the sweet words of Jesus, slow , e' with the needed cordial, to the soldiersfallen, wounded, dying upon the battle-field; to speak words of cheer, of warning, or of consolation to the sufferers in the hospitil ; to distribute freely to all the destitute, whether sick, wounded, or well, the word of everlastint , life; in short to minister in holy things to those who so much need, and so highly prize those ministrations, cannot fail to commend the Christian-Commission to, the warmest sympathies, the earnest prayers, and the liberal support of all who appreciate the value of spiritual privileges, or know the worth of the soul. Say, Christian patriot, have you dis charged the debt you owe to the brave boys who are struggling, bleeding, dying for our common country ? . Can you conceive of any other medium through which you could do them more good for time or for eternity, than through the agency of the Christian Commission ? If not, then duty is clear; will you do it ? J. E. OARIITILERS. The fires in the Wisconsin woods destroy ed $150,00 - 0 worth of property in th.e north ern counties of that State. Several villages were berried. - P.tr the Presbyterian Banner, Letter from a Delegate. CHATTANOOGA., TENN. JOSEPH A LBREE, ESQ., Treasurer U. 8, C. C., Pittsburgh :—Dear Sir—l reported to Mr. Russell, of Louisville, within a few days after leaving home. There is great need of labor at that point, as you may judge, when, through Exchange Barracks alone, during the past Winter, 11.8,000 men have passed. How much need of spiritual instruction in Taylor, and Park, and No. 2 Barracks, besides all the hcspi, tale. I visited those places as far as po.. s i • ble, meeting men from every State in the land—conversing, praying, preaehing. Oh this is a great work. I am beginning to feel, when I see the intense interest mani fested in the sparkling eye and the attentive ear, and the genuine piety where piety ex . los, that the reflex influence of the Chris tian Commission is to show that, instead of the country Christianizing the army, the army is to eventually Christianize the country. •Every day however I meet me n who, in days of yore, belonged to some church; but freely, confess that since join ing the army they have neglected their du ties, and, in many cases, have been ashamed of Jesus. This candor of the soldier is, after all, an encouragement. There is none of the straight-jacket, simpering manner so well known and vexing to the pastor in old and long-established parishes, which operates like a freezing solution upon the energies of the best disposed. No. The soldier is very apt to speak his mind. If he loves Christ, he will say so. If he swears, drinks, plays cards, or is addicted to any other vice, he speaks out; and there are few who will not appreciate the sympa thy of a sincere Christian. One old man, having two sons in the army, was exceed. ingly affected during our conversation. I could scarcely tear myself from him. "Don't go away; I'll have nebody to talk to," was his constant reply to every sug gestion on my part as to going to some other point. Of course you know all about Nashville. There I spent the time very pleasantly from Friday until Monday. What an im mense building is the Zollicoffer House, known now as Barracks No. 1., crowded from bottom to top with troops I Howev er, I know more of No. 2., once a Female Seminary; I visited it frequently. Many a boy asked me for a Testament, as be was going to the front and wanted one. It was precious to me: On Monday, being on the street with some reading matter, I met a body of the less serious eases of sickness and wounds, just from the front; and, in five minutes, the poor fellows had taken all. " You belong to the Christian Com mission," said one man ; " I shall do all I can to assist you in the hospital when I get there." It is delightful to attend that daily prayer meeting, held in Nashville every at ternoon. And then the meetings in the Court House of the 18th Michigan, with Col. Doolittle praying with and advising his men. By the way, I was indebted to Sergeant Mc- Kinney, of that regiment, for the favor of getting to the dome of the Capitol, from which I could gaze on the wide scene around. May his faith have as solid a foundation upon the Rock of Ages, as that splendid structure has upon the 'unyielding lime stone underlying the city. I rejoice that the Commission meets with such favor among the t4oldiero. They will do any thing for it. Officers and privates work for it. I have only space and time to mention the name of W. Clendenin, As sistant Medical Director, Army of the Cumberland, who has in all instance afford ed the most ample opportunities and the most generous encouragement . I feel sure that he will be gratefully remembered by the friends of the soldier. Gems for Christian Ministers, by Ministers. For a number of past years, I have been in the habit of culling precious gems or mottoes from various writings of pious and learned Divines. Some of them are from our own side of the house. They will be encouraging, interesting and useful to preachers and students in theology. 1. A. Christian preacher must preach nothing else but Christ, that he is our Sa viour, who, by his blood and death bore and took away our sins, and that thereby he makes us pious and righteous. What does not sound like this is no Christian sermon. —lfartin Luther. 2. Happy is the man whose sermons riv et the attention of the hearers not on the preacher, but on themselves, on their own character and relations to God.—S. S. ,Schmucker. 2. He is the best phys;cian who effects the greatest number of cures; and he is the best preacher who tarns the greatest number of ignorant and wicked men to Christ and holiness.--.-Benjamin Kurtz. '4. Thus the time has never been when the Christian minister could fold his arms and say, "Nothing more remains for me to do; I can now sit down and contemplate the fruit of victory, and repose on my laurels." No, the command is to 66 Occupy till I come."—John Bachman. 5. 0 ! if you should succeed in inducing but one of your own children to become a faithful minister of Christ, what a great work you would perform.—S. W. Harkey. 6. The poorest and least.honored among the ministers of Christ may have a peace and joy to which kings and princes are strangers.—J. A. Brown. 7. As preachers perform work which an gels cannot do, so they are nearer to God's throne and dearer to Christ than even an gels, even now; in this life.—Rev. iv: The angels surround the living creatures; chap. v 11.—John Ryland. 8. The text should not be merely the motto, but the life-blood and soul of the discourse.--Philip Schaff. 9. 0 that all my talents this year may be laid out for God. I desire to bare this as my motto .for the year : " Occupy till I come." Let me look backward and forward, then, for help to do this. My talents are money, time, influence, ability, the minis try.—Rev. Edward Bickersteth. 10. What will be to us even the salva tion of others, if we ourselves should per ish ? What will it avail us to have the vineyards of others, if ours be unfruitful? —Rev. John H. Hinton, A. At. 11. No good man preaches, I am confi dent, without doing some good, and more than he knows of, or will know of, till the great discovering day.—Rev. Thomas Sted man, 111. A. 12. For where is there one of us, the poort.et and the weakest, the most ignorant and the least-influential, who, if he lives as he ought, and . , prays as he ought, may not be sure that, with the Divine blessing, he will be the means of saving more than one soul besides his own ?—.—Anonymous. NOTE —Number twelve is a most pre cious gem or motto, about laboring for the salvation of immortal souls; it appeared years ago, in a missionary tract of twenty four pages, published in Boston, entitled, " Christian Public Spirit, or Living for the Kingdom of Christ." Who the author is of this very encoura g ing gem I know not, nor is it likely that I ever shall know it, and yet I should like very much to know who he is. In all my religious reading of a pe riod of nearly forty years, I have never met with such encouraging words, so truth- G. M. SPABAROVE
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers