GENESEE EVANGELIST.—WhoIe No. 724. ffsrlrjr. For the American Presbyterian. FOR DIVINE INDWELLING. Enter my heart, O God of grace! Make it thy quiet dwelling-place *, Enfold me in thy changeless peace, That I from all but Thee may cease. Forgive that oft my spirit wears Her time and strength In trivial cares, Forgive that I so oft have done What I as sinful ought to shun. Draw me to Thee, for I would rise Above these earthly vanities; Let me with pure and quenchless fire Thy favor and thyself desire! Henceforth let every thought and deed On Thee be fixed, from Thee proceed; Oh come, thyself my soul prepare, And mike thy dwelling ever there! PRAYER FOR EDITORS. Muoh is said and written, at the present-day, upon the importance and benefits of prayer, and too much cannot be said. The religions papers almost weekly, present earhest appeals for the united prayers of Christians, in behalf of colleges, seminaries, missionary societies and kindred Chris tian associations, that God’s Holy Spirit may rest upon and guide them, so that the influences they send forth may be pure and holy, healthy and saving wherever felt. And how often is special prayer urged for the clergy, particularly when their pasition is commanding, their influence wide spread, and their power indisputable and almost irresistible over the multitude, that these watch men upon the heights of Zion, swerve not from duty, nor blow from the Gospel trumpet an un certain sound. These soul-stirring appeals move the great deep of earnest Christian hearts, and they humbly bow before God in fervent supplica tions, for the regenerating and sanctifying in fluences of the Holy Spirit to be poured out in rich measure upon these centres of thought and action. Quickly they are gladdened with the glad tidings that the Comforter has visited those places, for whom prayer has been sought and offered, with His gentle, refreshing presence, or in mighty, overcoming power, and turned the tide of thought and desire, from worldly ambition and self-ag grandizement, to consecration of heart and life to God and His service. Lofty intellects and hoarded treasures are now laid willingly upon His altar; the benefits of these new recruits and substantial aids to Zion's hosts are felt world-wide, and the work of the Lord is greatly accelerated in the earth. Well may now those who have prayed in faith and waited in expectation for these great blessings, set afresh “to their seal that God is true,” and givd glory to His dri&h ha the heater and answerer of prayer. 1 hlive Oftfeir tvonderea, when reading appeals for the prayers of God’s people in behalf oi these various objects and in dividuals, that there were so few in behalf of Christian editors and the religious press at which they stand as helmsmen; yea, why this object was not deemed of sufficient importance to demand concert in prayer, a day set apart, as for colleges. Surely there is no religions: instrumentality, aside from the word of Ggd, that, with the Divine bless ing, could be brought more effectually to permeate the masses and exert a continual, controlling and saving influence, than the religious newspaper. It comes regularly as a true and interested friend ■ with its heavenly messages. And its faithful warnings and admonitions, warm appeals and ear nest exhortations, coming before the mind unob trusively and without annoyance, must be felt Thus the Gospel, with its claims and requirements, is preached not only upon the Sabbath, hut through the week, and its benevolent origin, its progress and glorious results, become familiar and interest ing subjects of reflection, thus leading to enlarged and correct views of life and its duties, ahd con sequently making intelligent and active But eminently to accomplish so great a mission, it needs the special presence of the Holy Spirit, In answer to prayer, to accompany its weekly visits, and apply effectually its messages of love. Would that our own American Presbyterian might be so baptized with the prayers of its conductors and readers, that it Bhhll go forth as an earnest, faithful missionary of the Church, so imbued with the spirit of Christ, that it will walk lovingly into every heart with which it comes in eontact and win it to the love and service of our Saviour. Will not all its friends unite in fervent supplica tion to God, to make it, from its infancy, a revival paper? Not merely an advocate and chronicler of revivals, but, like some faithful, devoted pastors and churches, with whom the Holy Spirit seems to love to dwell, distilling blessings like the gentle dews of Bermon, that its editors may be*so taught and led of the Divine Spirit, in its management, that wherever it goes, God will bless it to the deepening of the work of grace in the hearts of His children and to the importunate inquiry among the impenitent after the way of salvation, and thus many he turned unto righteousness through its instrumentality. I have been led to these reflections on the true mission of a religious paper, by a pleasing and touching incident, that came under my observa tion a few days ago: A* lovely Christian just entered upon the work of the Gospel ministry, to which he had conse crated his fine intellect and talents of a high order, to be laid aside after a brief labor of four months, emaciated with disease and panting for breath, was drawing nigh the gates of death, when, one evening, the American Presbyterian of Feb. Ist, was brought in from the Post-office. He took the paper, and his eye soon rested on an ar ticle that riveted hiß attention. 'His wife, fearful that the effort would overcome him, requested to take the paper and read to lath; but he Reclined, saying he had found an article he was .enjoying so 1 much that be would prefer to read it himself. It' was the article entitled “The righteous hath hope in his death"—the dying testimony of many Christians. After he had finished it, he seemed delighted, and said it expressed his own feelings perfectly. • That was the last he ever read, though the next day, and* after he coaid scarcely articu late, he said, “the way to heaven was a glorious way," and that “these light afflictions were Work ing for him a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory"—and soon after calmly fell asleep n Jesus. Thus go on, dear Presbyterian, and carry .many words of comfort and encouragement to the way-worn pilgrims on the highway of life, and follow them even down to “Jordan’s strand,” with some sweet foretastes of the bliss in reserve on the “Shining Bhore,” and you will nobly fulfil your loving mission. tl. For the American Presbyterian. METHODS OF STUDYING HISTORY. BY WILLIAM C. WINSLOW. Is it best to think of history as a series bf bril liant pictures, fanciful and dazzling dramas, With out regard to truth? or is.it best to read and study it by a slow, thoughtful, careful process of inves gation?—for it is “philosophy teaching by ex amples.” By following the latter course, We are better enabled to understand its relations, and place a just value upqn its specific object. A historical method, assuming some apprehension of its object, and a definite conception of history, with boundary lines, fixed limits, and connective links, elears the way of many donbts, throws light upon mysteries, and leads the mind to a better conception, and more masterly comprehension of its significance and aim. Whatever is here said on the methods of studying history, will apply more to the mature intellect, and have but little reference to those beginning the alphabet of this extensive subject, and to whom the vast- regions of history are but Bo many tangled, unexplored plains, where the eye has never penetrated, or the feet never entered. Angelus, 1657. The modern traveller, visiting Rome for the first time, or London, finds it much to his ad vantage to asoend St. Peter’s cathedral, or St. Paul’s, and-take a bird’s-eye view of the various elements, blended, but distinct, which reach around and far below his stand-point. Thus his mind becomes a chart, impressed with the main objects and points, or, as a compass; directs itself, and knows the bearings. So in history, let a general survey be taken as the first step. In this rapid, preparatory movement the past approaches in the panoramic march, and burning cities, battle-fields, and rivers colored with blood, move just before the eye; then aii age of mythic dwarfs and giants, strange beasts and enormous serpents, the rites of magi, and enchanted waters, and of mythic beings, whose home was the dark woods, —dr gods who spake in the thunders of Olympus. The Athe nian age of poetry and sensualistic beauty is called to life, and Spartan vitality passes in the brief, general review. The quiet, but momentous, in troduction of the Christian religion, with clear outlines, and continual progress, giving joy to man, ahd blessing the race, is viewed in turn; After this, the intellectual ages of Germany, Italy, Franee, and England, engage the attention; the revolutions and their effects, and, in short, what ever of science, literature arid art has been known to the world since the reign of Elizabeth. As ah Ulustrafidh,' Wb above, With inrieh else, will greet the student, in a general survey. Use a good map. For instance, in the victori ous march of Alexander among the eastern na tions—while reading, have a reliable map at hand, by which you can recognize the localities referred to, mark the'battle-fields and their surroundings, or_ trace the.course of the conquered from city to city. This simple plan ensures accuracy, and helps the memory; first, by fixing faets correctly in the mind; and, secondly, by retaining them by an association with places. * Ohronotogieally. Unless time be considered in historical pursuits, all the divisions, sub-divisions, and even the outlines of the system,, becoml char otic and vague. Nor will memory perform well, unless systematic endeavors and classifications be always in view. Thus men and great events may be classified in the order of time. Who were the great men of Ghrist’s time? of Luther’s? of Franklin’s?—the -nations contemporaneous; and the great events? What battles in the reign of Philip 11., and the time of Nelson? Whoever studies history with an improving aim, and would vividly reeall whatever has been passed over, let him give teed to such a manner, and he will the better retain his knowledge. Philosophically , or with reference to cause and effect. The philosophical eye of tile historian, viewing the phenomena of the world, and the laws of nature which reveal the principle of cause and effect, per ceives d chain of influences and events connecting the great divisions of history, as well as the minor portions. From creation a chain off connexion runs, and the links are the events off time, bound by a mutual dependence. Hence the principle' of cause and effect is seen in all the outlines and movements of history. This principle, be ing the natural property off history, and existing with it, it is important to study it philosophically, or there is no science in it. The way brightens, and a serene region of perfect harmony opens to the eye, in the light of such a plan. The con fusion Of disordered elements, general outlines, and specific details, all vanish away. . Ideas act and re-act upon each other, event follows. event, popular enthusiasm and liberty'succeed iron des potism, and nomadic tribes are elements for a powerful race; but for each and. all there is a cause. For example, the French revolution of Louis XVI. was caused by preceding monarchs. Their courts, brilliant with beauty and gilded vice, their corrupt and oppressive reigns, paved the. way for, scenes of blood and horror. Galileo discovered that the world moved. The swinging of lamps in a cathedral caught his ready eye, and the great atidd Solved a problem which has immortalized his name. Seize on the generic facts, the general prolific causes. A generic fact is a distant fact, or an original cause. Thus the building of Rome is a generic fact in that it was the beginning of a mighty em pire, and distinct by its isolated feature. An ori ginal cause is a primary fact. Thus feliS or cer vus are primary facts, from which feline or cor vine are - derived as effects. So much for generic facts. General causes are productive of grand re sults on an extensive theatre of action; as, for ex ample, the battle of Waterloo, which changed the destinies of Europe. Prolific causes generate a train of events which affects the entire life of na tions. The discovery 6f a passage round the Cape of GoM Hope was prolific of great results. The commerce of the Mediterranean was ruined, and wealthy cities declined in power. The civilized world received a new impetus, The East poured forth its boundless treasures, and enriched the British nation. The whole course of society and PHILADELPHIA, THURSDAY MARCH » 1860. nations is thtts sometimes changed by a single event. That event should be carefully noticed. All history should be studied with reference to that unity which enters into the Divine plan. Uniform and eternal principles govern the world, and hence throughout the entire fabric of nature there is perfect unity. Uniform and eternal prin ciples control the destinies of man, and hence throughout the historic fabric there is corriplete iinity. He who acknowledges no God, and be lieves in no hereafter, who comprehends no divine agency in the scenes of earth, the mystery of stars rind other worlds, who ascribes only chance to things seen and unseen, the glories of the heavens and the existence of other systems, fails to com prehend the historic unity and harmony, perfect and beautiful in all its parts. Hence no atheist can be a good historian, and his efforts, hoWever brilliant, fade at last. No sympathy with the inner temple of human nature, or the hopes which look beyond the grave, appears in its pages, and its-vitality is lost, But to be a real historian, and possess an intelligence moving in a circle of light, appreciating the nature of man, and devoting the highest powers of the mind to a" noble end, one must have some of that light which was Milton’s, “Whose genius had angelic wings.” How saddening that the gifted Gibbon never gave his splendid talents and attainments to such ends as that blind bard of London, whoso name mingled With songs of angels, and caught their fire. That bitter spirit which constantly appears, in “The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire,” often obscures its real merit; and the Christian reader overlooks its superior workmanship, in his abhorrence of its selfish aims and pernicious prin ciples. That monument of Gibbon is no glory to him; it will fall as did the people it celebrates. He who keeps ever in view the harmony of his toric principles, rind the Iriws of the universe, in his pursuits, is constantly cheered by fresher in sights, brighter lines of demarkation, and.deeper impressions of futurity. As he grows in know ledge, time imparts a better lesson of its value, and pencils life with a truer color, A future is* written in his sky, and his eyes are fixed on its language,.that in the still air of morning, and by the setting sun, he may interpret its letters of prophecy. He learns to inscribe on his heart, as the Sultan did on his ring,—“And this, too, must pass away.” POPERY IN THE SOUTH OF FRANCE. The remembrance of the cruelties perpetrated in the dragonnades of Louis XIV., and the hard ships inflicted on the Protestant people, especially in remote localities and small villages, even down to the very outbreak of the Revolution, is still fresh in the minds of the numerous Protestant families whose ancestors were the sufferers. The dark dungeons of the castle of Aigues-mortcs, in which.so many hundreds of Protestants have pined away at different times, its thick walls, upon whieh one may read inscribed countless names of these unfortunates, the sad tales which .the keeper Lipi- Belf will tell you Of them, as for instance, of a Protestant maiden kept a prisoner for 40 years in one and the same dungeon; these things combine to preserve a lively remembrance of that era of hatred and barbarity: Rut the Catholic popula tion of the present period pursue a cotirse in no way adapted to remove these sad impressions from the memory of Protestants. Not to chronicle’ ex pressions of fanatical priests, or to quote froth the Univers itself, we-may refer to the general out break of popular disapproval in 1856, when an officer, who had gone over to the Evangelical Church, was; by decision of the proper authorities, in Orleans, allowed to return and educate his own children. It was not only among the lower classes; but among the cultivated, not only among the be lievers, but among people Whose indiffereutism was notorious, who never attended mass the whole year through, and who, as the saying is, believed neither in God nor devil, that opposition, of the bitterest kind, appeared to this act of simple jus tice. ‘ The strong ultramontane feeling of the Roman ists in this section off France exhibits itself in various ways. Nearly every Catholic here is a member of some order of Penitents; these orders have a yearly, celebration or procession in the last week in May, which, in fact, is pretty much the' only sign off life they give the whole year round. They are divided according to the color of their dress into white,, blue, gray, &c., penitents, and since in nearly every place, even the smallest, several such societies with their own churches and priests, exist; one who is in the neighborhood from the 26th of May and onward, may see procession after procession every day for a week. These consist of great numbers, sometimes amounting to many thousands, who march two and two with, slow and solemn Step through streets strewn with flowers and carpets. Children and-women, and men of the highest and the lowest stature alike, take part in them; all are clothed alike; even the men appear in long white female dresses with white, blue, gray or other bands; and with' long white bandages around the head; so that only the mouth; nose and eyes, can be Seen. They wear wreaths and carry flags, books, lighted candles; they sing, pray, read, swing censers of incense: before them marches a military band playing lively airs, scarcely suited, with their drums and cymbals, to the character of a penitential procession. This, with the intoxicating effect of the smoke arising from hundreds of censers, gives the whole a more heathenish appearance; perhaps, than any other ceremony of the Church. Of eoufsfe there would not fail to exist great rivalry among the different orders or colors; and the greatest exertions are put forth by each to exceed the other in the mag nificence of the canopies under which the priests walk, in the richness of their chasubles, or rdbes, in the multitude of the silver lamps and censers, the banners and garlands, in the splendor of the portable altars and in the number of the partici pants. Indeed a gray penitent has spoken to me of the Church, the singing, the music, &c., of the white penitents, in the same contemptuous'tone which he had previously used of the Protestants themselves. The principal reasonsforthe existingunpopularity of Protestantism in these regions, are the misre presentations and falsification of Protestant doc trines and history disseminated among the people, with even more than the usual zeal and industry of the priests. A friend was recently travelling through the department off. the Alps in regions formerly inhabited by the Waldenses. Coming iuto the neighborhood of a cave well known in the campaigns of the Waldenses as a place in which 6UO of these unhappy people were destroyed by French' soldiers, by means of hunger, fire and sword, lie inquired of a guide for the cave of “the Vaudois.” No one understood him. He de scribed it and detailed its history; at length a farmer understood him and said, “Oh! you mean the cave of the kivdgesl” The farmer explained that the people whom he called Vaudois, were known in that country only under the name of Savages, for “they Were fierce robbers, who by night sallied' forth from the ck«e, to plunder and to kill.” Yet it is well known that the enemies of the Waldenses were astonished t'o find, that from their earliest youth they were'universally taiight toread and write; and now they are regarded as barbarians by a people the greater part of whom, to this' day, ’ can neither dor even read! ' - It is Said that therearebtilytwo ofthe higher clergy of France who are'ftot Jesuite, and it is, known that the Society niiiibers more adherents in this than in any other country. Thp assurance;; with which these men felfify even the histoiy ®! recent events in their colleges and in every sphetb accessible to them, is astonishing. I have been credibly informed, says the correspondent, of a Jesuit, who, in giving instraetibn in history, dic tated the following sentence: The battle of Am terliiz was gained by the Marquis of Bonaparte, Commander-in-chief mutiff his majesty, Louis XVIII! I was told by a Jesuit that he was taught that that battle was won under the white standard (the lily of Bourbon,) and! hot under the tri-color. At the restoration of thfe- Bourbons, historical works were put in circulation) in which Bonaparte was described only as Constable of France, and for the time of the Directory, the Consulate and the Empire, Louis the X"VlII. was constantly re presented as king. This iegard for the' Bourbon family is sht’forth) also, in|ifiscriptions which are said to exist everywhere through the country, and one of which I myself saw) in Montpellier, upon a memorial stone erected vih honor of a Jesuit mission. It reads, “ Ere^ss ;: ih JLBI6; the 21ht» year of the reign of Ejaj|'’ : lkmir 4 X ; yi£L” It must be remembered that the Bourbon familywere the most energetic in their dealings with the here tics, and that Napoleon I. had humbled the Pope to a degree, hitherto unparalleled. And at this day, through the influence of the Jesuits, the number of adherents of th&Count of Bordeaux in this vicinity, is great. '[ The Bishop of Montauban, who, in late years, suddenly became an Ultramontanist, undertook, some years ago, to wage a’ controversy with the Protestant theological faculty of that place, After reiterating the old complaifit; that the Revolution Was a fruit of makes the boldest attack of all by asserting tjat Protestantism does not properly exist any longer, and he establishes the point from the fact, as he says, “ that in all Protestants there is an invofnntary feeling that the Catholic bishops, and not the Protestant preachers, are their rightful Pastors—a feeling which they show even now by taking Jjf their hats whenever, they meet the bishop in thp streets.” When this is the style- in which the higher clergy make their attacks, what can be expected from the lower? A friend of mine, once,travelling in a steamer on the Rhone, feH .into coßsprsation with a priest who, in defending the 4jaims of the Romish Church, asserted that “all.the leading scientific men ofthe world had been Catholics, as lBewton, Kepler, Liebnitz;” and nothing would convince him of his error. A priest of the Gathodral of Carcassone, once attempted the conversion of a- Protestant lady of my acquaintance. She was somewhat conversant with the Greek language, and, ia the argument, appealed to the original of the New Testament. The astonished priest . in quired whether .she understood Hebrew, and was surprised, beyond measure, to learn that the New Testament was written in Greek, not in Hebrew, and had to confess that he , was totally unable to read Greek. As proof of the pitiable ignorance of the French clergy, the.opinion of the -‘.Obser vateur Catholique,” in its. issue of June X, 1856, deserves to be read. Thp-disclosures are made with a frankness unusual with the Romanists. We close with a few-extracts: One needs but cast a glance upon the Church of France to perceive the deplorable condition of its clergy. Ignorance of theology and of all the ecclesiastical sciences has. reached its height. The. ; studies- in, the jgipjsMiM®s,3rg. next thing to. nothing- A great number o£ priests after being thrown into the ministry) give up studying en tirely, and forget even thßjyttle they learned in their youth. To this we must add, the well nigh absolute dependence of the inferior clergy upon the bishops; dependence which is not a rational subordination, but a blind obedience. . . ,; , To-day, it must be admitted that the priests, who distinguish themselves by their, intelli gence and the nobleness of their sentiments, are too often viewed with suspicion. One might say that, the clergy present no other appearance than that.of obsequious slaves of the bishops occupied solely with the attempt to merit their good grace by humbly, executing their very caprices. A REMARKABLE CONVERSION IN BROOSA. Or. .Hamlin of, Constantinople, writes to one, who in 1857, went with, him on a visit to Broosa, giving an account of a case of conversion which strikingly illustrates of divine grace. The person referred to was' an Armenian fire- Up to within two'itfonths of our visit, this fireman had been a great rowdy, a drunkard, a vile, filthy blasphemer, and a'ctuel abuser of his family and Ms aged parents. His conversion Was ' so singular, that its reality was for a time distrust ed. He left his home one Sabbath morning, al ready half ■ drurik; to go down into the market place to join : his fellows: Passing, -the shop and residence of a Protestant shoemaker; he 1 heard him reading and'stopped--.td liSteh by the open door. “Walk in," said the shoemaker, “I am reading the Word of God." He stepped in, and sat down. The shoemaker was reading in Isaiah, sth chapter: “Wo unto them that rise up early in the morning, that they friay follow strong drink," etc. The fireman • thought, at .first, that he was making it up*as he Went along,"id order' ! to chas tise him in that way for his notorious drunkenness and rowdyism; and was meditating the infliction of a blow that would effectually knock him down, when he would escape. But still something in the words enchainM him* - The shoemaker-read on, turned over the leaf; and the fireman became convinced that all he had heard was truly the Word of God to him. At length the shoemaker closed the book, saying, “It is time for me to go tochurch; come with me." . So they departed to gether; but when they came to the bridge, which you may recollect passes over the ravine not far from-our church, the fireman-turned, off, saying, “I must go-home and get'my breakfast." “Come first with me and partake of our spiritual food,” said the shoemaker.; “We have the bread that cometh down from' heaven, of which, if a man eat, he shall never hunger." The fireman, half-so bered; and in a sort of maze at all he had heard, and doubting whether these Protestants really had some strange kind of food to eat, or what this spi ritual, heavenly bread could mean; turned : back and went with the shoemaker;. It;was curious that- the", text should,be:in the same style of oriental metaphor; “ Ho, every one that thirsteth,” etc., Isa. Iv. I—3. The native pastor described very vividly.the power! of thirst, and. the vehement, impelling desire which'it can aW j cara van in the desert; exhausted and. dying in despair, when the cry of “ water found!' is heard, rises, rashes forward, and all; drink and live! . He then spoke of the sense of sin Which the sinuer must have, the desire of salvation, and' finally of the free pardon accorded to every de sinng soul. The. fireman listened, himself tor mented with a raging thirst, but still held, as by a spell, to. the close. He then rushed out to the! fountain, always flowing in the court of the church,. and drank freely. Conscience then awoke. He thought: “What a miserable sinner am If All my life I never bestowed a' thought upon iriy sal-' vatiou from sin; but as soon as I am thirsty, how impatiently I rush to the water.” He went home a sobered man, eanie again in the evening, arid' was soon found to be an earnest 'seeker after the way of life. ' ■ ; - He was received to the chttycK only after a good trial of his faithful, prriyeiful,' Consifcterit Walt. Hw- N.-Evang. Kirchenzeitung. perseeuted in Bis own'family, but at length his wife could no longer resist the wondrous change, >ftn<l above all the meekness and patience with Which he, the former tyrant of the household, pjiore all their jeers.and curses at his being a pro-, jfcstant. She joined him, with all their children, in the house of God. Last winter, the aged pa rents, at the eleventh hour, came also. And when the father, tall, erect, and slender, but with hair and beard white with the snows of eighty winters, rose in an evening meeting, confessed his lost state as a sinner, and sought the prayers of his brethren and sisters for his salvation, if such a lost soul could be prayed feuythe whole church broke down; weeping filled the place; one after another at tempted to pray, but could not find-utterance, so that the pastor himself had to close the meeting. The old man’s conversion was a clear and remark-' able case, and he is ah hnthble, valued member of the church. I saw them all at meeting, and at the Bible class) and listened to the fireman’s hum ble,.earnest prayer, which would have hushed any audience to perfect stillness. Is it a slight thing to see such a family lifted out hf the lowest depths of ignorance, degradation ahu’ siD !- 1 dut’bf the veiy’filth and mire of the pit; and sitting together in heavenly places, their hearts! filled with heavenly hopes? God speed the day, when all the miserable population of this Empire, shall thus be transformed. •*IS THE RELIGIOUS WANT OF THE AGE Under this title the’March-number of the Atlantia Monthly, has a very sensible article on the ministry and preaching. We make a few suggestive extracts, on the preparatory training and qualifications for the ministerialoffice. The writer says:- “ That a man is found! or finds himself in any calling is ho evidence whatever that'he is fitted for that calling. This is just as true of the ministry as of .any other vocation. Every man of business knows this.. The clergy seem to us behind the age in being astonishingly blind to it.- Men of business know that only a very small fraction of their number can ever attain eminent success. They know that, in a term of twenty years, ninety-seven men in a hundred fail. Here and there one develops a remark able talent for the specific business in which he is engaged. The ninety-and-nine discover that they have a*weary contest to maintain with, manifold contingencies and combinations which no foresight can preclude. “The application of this general truth to their profession the clergy are backward to per ceive. The consequences of this backwardness are very hurtful to their interests. Because of this, we have an indefinite amount of puerile and undignified, complaint from disappointed men, of disingenuous misrepresentation from in competent men, who have entered upon labors they were never fitted to accomplish. Such men undertake their, labors in ways that want And must want the Divine sanction; and they are tempted to ward off a just.verdict of unsuit ableness and of incompetency by bringing many and grievous charges against their flocks.. ‘ A mania for church-extending, ’ ‘a'hankering for architectural splendor;’ ‘or for,discursive and satirical preaehing ;’ ‘or for, something florid or profound:’ these and the like imputations have Been put forward, as a screen, by many an nn sueeessful preacher, who failed,—-simply failed, 7—not in selling horns .or hides, shirting or sugars,-—but failed to recommend Christ and bis Gospel,—failed for want of head, or heart, or industry, or all three.” False notions about the qualifications for ministerial success are thus noticed: “The prevailing impression among the mi nistry appears to be, that the man who cannot write ‘an able doctrinal discourse' is but an in ferior man, fit only to preach in an inferior place; and that it would-be a great gain to the 1 church, if scholarships were only so general that the standard of the universities could be applied; arid only Phi-Beta-Kappa men allowed to enter the ministry. No doubt, those who incline to this view are quite honest, and not unkindly in it. Bat those who think this grie vously misunderstand the necessities of the age in Whibb we live. -Reading' men know where to firid better reading thati can possibly be fur nished by any man who is bound to write two sermons weekly, or even one sermon a week; and to train apy corps of young men in the ex pectation that any considerable fraetiop of them will be able to win. arid maintain a commanding influence in their parishes mainly by the weekly production of learned discourses is to do them the greatest injury, by cherishing expectations which never can be realized. Why do you edu cate men of other professitms so seldom, and so reluctantly contribute to the addresses in our religious assemblies? Precisely because they understand the difficulty of meeting the popular expectation which is created by, the, prey ailing theory; a. theory which demands that, sermons, and not only that sermons, buf also that all re-- ligious addressed should be chiefly characterized as learririd, acute; scholastic even. An Irish preacher is reported in an Edinburgh, paper as saying lately, that ‘he had been led to think of his own preaching and of that of his brethren, His saw very fe w sermons in the New Testament shaped after the forms arid fashion in' which they had been accustomed to shape theirs; -He was not aware of a sermon there, iri which they had a little motto selected, upon vftuch a dis quisition upon a particular subject was hung. The sort of sermons which the people in his locality were desirous tgjhear were sermons de livered on a large portioiPof the Word of God, carrying through the ideas as the Spirit <jf God had done,’ And it is,,in-part at least, because of ihe prevailing, disregard of the most reason able desire, that parishes so soon weary of their ministers.” Here are, a few very sensible utterances: “It is not; worth while, for any man to go into the ministry who cannot, relish the Apos tle’s invitation, running thus—“l beseech yon, therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies d living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.” If that seem not reasonable, ay, and'exceedingly inviting too, better let it alone. All men cannot do all things. Better raise ex traordinary potatoes than hammer out insignifi cant,ideas.—Ton do not see the connection ? yon were a Phi-Beta-Kappa man in College; and know that you can write better than many aiinan in a metropolitan pulpit? Very likely; but we of the few go to church to be made bet ter, men; and riot by fine writing, bat by signifi cant ideas, which may come in a homely garb, so they only be pervaded with an affectionate piety, but which can come to us only from one who has laid all- ambitions self-seeking on the altar of God. There is a power of persuasion in every minister wffo follows God as a dear child, and who walks in love, as Christ loved us, which the hardest heart cannot long resist, —which will win the congregation, however an individual here and there may be able to harden himself against it. You think that the great power of the pulpit is in high doctrine presented with metaphysical precision and acuteness. We have no disparagement to offer of your.doctrinal knowledge, nor of your ability to state it with inetaphysieal precision and hair-splitting acute ness. But we know, from much experience, that there is a divine truth, and a fervor in im parting it, with which God iuspircs the man who is wholly devoted to Him, in comparison •with which the higher achievements of the man MET?” who lacks these are trumpery and rubbish- Many, many men hare failed iu the ministry, are failing in the ministry every day, because their principal reliance has been upon what they deem their thorough mastery of the sound est theories of doctrine arid duty. They were confident they could administer to minds and hearts diseased the certain specific laid down in the book, admeasured to the twentieth part of a scruple. Confident in their theoretical acqui sitions, they could not comprehend the indis pensable necessity of a large experience in actnal eases of mental malady. Arid for the Want of such experience, it was absolutely im possible that they should be en rapport with the souls they honestly desired to benefit. Can you heal a heart-ache with a syllogism ? There is no dispensing with the precept arid prescrip tion, —‘Weep with: those that weep!’ ‘Be of the same mind one toward another!’” Still another extract is worth presenting: “How long ought a sermon to be? As long as yon can read in the eye of seven-eighths of your audience. Pray, go on. If you cannot read that, you have mistaken your vocation; you were -never called to the ministry. The secret of the persuasive power of our favorite orators is in their constant recognition of the e bb and flow of the sensibilities they are acting upon.. Their speech is, in effect, an actual con versation, in which they are speaking for as well as to the audience; and the interlocutors are made almost as palpably such as at the ‘ Break fast-Table’ of our dramatic ‘Autocrat.’ In con trast with this, the dull preacher, falling below the dignity and the privilege of his office, ad dresses himself, not to living men, but to an imaginary sensibility to abstract truth. The effect of this is obvious and inevitable; it con verts hearers into doubters as to whether in fact there be any such thing as a religion worth recommending or possessing, and preachers into complaiuers of the people as indifferent and in sensible, to the truth, —a libel which ought to render them liable to fine and punishment. God’s truth, fairly presented, is never a mat ter of indifference or of insensibility to an in-‘ telligent, nor even to an unintelligent audience. However an individual here and there may eon trive to withdraw himself from the sphere of its influence, truth can no more lose her power than the sun can lose his heat.” ORGANIC UNITY. The true Church of Christ is one. Its various parts must be united in doctrine, spirit, apd life, or they cannot claim Connection with the Great Head. With this essential unity,- different forms of external' organization are not Inconsistent, and hence we find as the result of various causes that the Church exists in a variety of forms, ranging from those which approximate spiritual despotism, to the. absence of-almost all form in a loose rind irresponsible democracy. Prelatists adhere to the former, and Independents to the latter; while Presbyterians have attained the happy medium in a system, which in the largest possible measure combines both law and liberty. Bach class claims. that it is right, and each must answer to God for the views it holds, and the consequences that follow them. We are not now concerned to discuss the claims set np by either extreme, but,to state briefly the Presby terian position; for we consider ignorance of it to be' the cause of many evils, arid’a proper understanding of it to be essential to our suc cess as a body of Christians desiring to extend the; kingdom of our Lord. The view given in our standards, is that, in the Church of Christ in its most Scriptural form, there,is not only a unity of doctrine, spirit, and life, but also of organization; and that this latter unity may be made in the highest degree subservient to the protection and extension of the truth, the edifying of the body, of Christ, and the evangelization of the world. This unity is thus described (Form of Government, chap, xii.:) “The radical principles of Presbyterian Church government and discipline are:—That the se veral different congregations of believers, taken collectively, constitute one Church of Christ, called emphatically the Church;—that a larger part of the Church, or a representation of it, should govern a smaller, or determine matters of controversy that arise therein; that in like man ner a representation of the whole should govern and determine in regard to every part and to all the: -parts-united, that is that a, majority shall govern; and consequently that appeals may be carried from lower to higher judicato ries, tillthey be finally decided by the collected wisdom of the whole Chureh. For these prin ciples and this procedure the example of the Apostles and the practice of the primitive' Church are considered authority.” This statement of organic unity applies di rectly to government and discipline; but that these principles have a wider application, and relate equally to movements for the advance ment of the Ohnreh, is clear from the eighteenth chapter of the Form of Government relating to Missions, which is as follows: “ When vacancies become so numerous in jany Prpsbytery that they cannot be supplied with the frequent administration of the Word and Ordinances, it shall be proper for any Presby tery or any vacant congregation within their bounds, with the leave of Presbytery, to apply to any other Presbytery, or to any Synod, or to the General Assembly, for any such assistance as they can afford. . . . And the General Assembly may, of their own knowledge, send missions to’ any part of the Chureh to plant churches or to supply vacancies; and for this purpose may direct any Presbytery to ordain evangelists or ministers, without relation to any particular churches,” etc., 1 etc. . This feature of unity pervading oar system, is beautiful, impressive, and effective. It is not the unity of despotism, to subjugate aßd de stroy, but that of benevolent sympathy, mutual protection, and cooperation. The liberties and rights of individuals and of separate churches, are sufficiently guarantied and protected; while the combination of all under one superintending and temporary-head, secures such concentrated and powerful action as is impossible in a condi tion of independency. It furnishes, moreover, a mighty element in evangelical aggressive effort. Our Church is a great brotherhood, affiliated not only by “holding the Head,” but by infe rior yet strong bonds of affection. A minister or member holding a good and regular connec tion with one Church, bolds the same every where throughout the body; all are his peculiar brethren. Whatever a Church on the Atlantic does to aid another on the Pacific, she does for a sister of the same household. The strong must mist the weak, and the wealthy the indi gent. The pioneer missionary, miuister, or lay man; goes not’forth alone, the steps of ah army are behind him. The distant and the feeble need, not-droop and die, the warm hearts and strong bands of brethren of the same family are ready to furnish needed supplies. No laborer is absolutely solitary, his “kindred iu Christ” and in the Church remember him in their prayers, and will aid him in his work. Let this, idea of unity be realized; by judicious itineran cies and other well adapted local arrangements, let the Presbyteries and Synods carry on the work of missions, and let the General Assembly perform its duty of supervision; and direct the sympathies and benevolence of the able and the strong, where they shall encourage and assist the poor and the weak, and it will be found that no. more efficient instrumentality can be found for Aggression on the kingdom of darkness. VOL. IV.—NO. 3L—Whole No. 196. This idea of organic unity our Church has carried out very faithfully, so far as government and discipline are concerned, but has until re cently ignored it, for purposes of evangelization. IN o body can ignore its fundamental principles ana meet with large success; no one can dis pense with so powerful a principle as this with out serious detriment. The Old School have turned the Presbyteriau organization into an evangelizing agency, and their success in fulfill ing their responsibilities to build up the kingdom of Christ is most commendable. We cannot approve all their measures, nor their spirit in all things, for we think they have yielded to the temptations that accompany success, and are in clined to vaunt themselves, and sometimes re strain their brotherly kindness and charity to other denominations. But we do maintain that they have done well in taking away the reproach that Presbyterianism is a barren set of forms, and that it busies itself only about matters of order, and have shown that it has a mighty en ginery for doing good. In the last few years the effort has been made to recall the attention of our Chrirch to this principle, and the-convic tion is growing that we r must act on it, in order to a vigorous life. How it may be developed, and produce a most efficient working Presby terianism, we hope to show at another time. RELIGIONS WANTS OE A BHSY LIFE. . Social action and material enterprise and ag gressive discovery, which are the grand charac teristics of modern society, bring along with them the hazard of an irreligious self-reliance, a skepticism about all that is invisible and im palpable to sense, and a feverish propensity to judge everything by its show and Its returns. So the bulk of our enterprise outgrows its strength; and in the pride of all his pushing schemes, and marvellous inaehinery, man comes to esteem himself little less than a critic of Revelation and copartner with the Almighty, whom the church of Christ ought to consider herself much beholden to if he condescends to say kind things of her, and whom God himself cannot fail to covet as an ally for so much busi ness and motion, if Indeed there is any other God than the science that perfects the engine, and the motive-power that turns the factory wheel. As long as you *preach to such a man about his stupendous capacity, and stimulate his arrogant activity, he hears. But tell him of the deep things of God; of self-renunciation and repentance, of a cross and a consecration, of silent worship and solemn faith, of resting in the Lord, and waiting patiently for him—and you seem to clash against his glorious career of aggrandizement. All the more do we need this deeper and stiller element in onr piety. We want not only to work, but to believe that God in Christ works, and with mightier forces than we; works through and by us, or without us, as he will; and that we are at best but in apt, and incompetent instruments in his hands. “Be still, and: know that I am Godi”—let our loud inarch of audacious civilization hearken to that.— F. D. Huntington, I). D. “Be still—make no noise—let me die quietly.”— Vice President King. , “Be still!”, ...The hour of the soul’s departure is at hand; earth is fading from its vision. Time is gliding from its presence. Hopes that cluster around young life, that swell in the bosom of man hood, have fallen from around it like the forest leaves when the frosts of autumn have chilled them into death. Ambition with its hollow promises, and pride with its lofty look, have vanished away. The world with its deceitful ness, pleasure with its gilded temptations, are gone; and alone, in utter destitution of all that time promised, it must start on its solemn journey across the valley of the shadow of death! “Make no noise!” Let the tumult of life cease. Let no sound break the soul’s communion with itself, ere it starts on its returnless flight. Trouble it not with accents of sorrow. Let the tear stand still on the cheek of affection, and let not the wailings of grief break the solemn silence of the death seene. Let it gather the accents that come from within the dark shadow of eter nity, saying to it, Come home! Afar off the music comes floating to it in the air. ’Tis the sound of heavenly harps, touched by viewless fingers: mar not the harmony by the discord of “Let me die quietly!” The commotions of life,'the strife ana warring with human destiny are over. Wealth accumulated must be scattered, honors won must be resigned, and all the triumphs that come within the range of human achievement must be-thrown away. The past, with its trials, its its accumulated responsibilities, its clinging memories, its vanished hopes, its rendering up to the future account —disturb not the quiet of that awful reckoning. Speak not of fading memories, of affections whose objects perish in their loveliness, like the flowers of spring, or wither in slow decay. Talk nob of an early home where loved ones linger, where a seat will soon be vacant, a cherished voice hushed forever, or of the desolation that will seat itself by the hearthstone. The soul is at peace with God, let it pass calmly away.- Heaven is opening upon its vision; the bright turrets, the tall spires, the holy domes of the eternal city, are emerging from the spectral darkness, and the glory of the Most High is dawning around them. The white throne is glistening in the distance, and the white-robed angels are beckoning the weary spirit to its ever lasting home. What is life that it should be clung to longer? What are the joys of the world that they should be regretted? What has earth to place before the spirit of a man to tempt its stay, or turn it from its eternal rest ? The intelligent reader will declare it of no second importance. Surely the great demand upon earth is the publication of the Gospel, and surely that publication is more important in re gions where it has never been uttered, than where it has been for years or ages reiterated. Beyond the memory of the oldest inhabitant in many an enlightened locality have been the re verberations of sermons to "bnild up” God’s people as well as give pastors a support, while the hearers generally have “built up” for them selves surplusages in worldly goods sufficient to keep a dozen voices sounding to Buddhists or Brahmins. There is a responsibility for the great wrong somewhere. It is not upon men in a mass; When the great white throne shall appear, the inquisition for the blood of sonls will hot come down upon Churches, conferences, or synods, bat upon individuals. Then you, dear reader, whether you are a preacher or a layman, (as surely as the humble writer,) will have to answer to the inquiring Judge whether yon let your own missionary light concentrate, like rays through a sun-glass, with sufficient steadiness upon your heart to start and sustain the fire of missionary zeal; and whether you did, in preaching, (not merely once a year,) and in talking, (not merely in annual formality,) and in praying, and in giving, (in your-own-sonl saving alienation from mammon,) whether you did thus clear your own sonl. Eli Whitney, the inventor of the cotton gin, was born at Westborougli, Mass.; Dec. 8,1765. He worked his way through college and graduated at Yale in 1792; ■ * ' - “LET ME DIE QUIETLY” SOMETHING TO BE HEAD- Evangelist. Macedonia.
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers