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