122
lietritan 'reolxgtittiso
-.AL N D--.
GENESEE EVANGELIST.
THURSDAY, APRIL 3, 1862.
JOHN W. NEARS,
THE FIGHT AGAINST SIN.
IT is not alone numbers or strength that makes
an enemy terrible. These may be met, evaded,
or parried, or neutralized by superior skill or sa-
gacity. But when to strength, the enemy adds
depth, skill, strategy, he becomes truly formid
able. When, moreover, he has spies and even
traitorous allies in our own camp, when we' are
uncertain of the faithfulness of our own pro
fessed adherents, and when we have but recently
disavowed an ancient allegiance, and still wear
upon our necks the traces of the yoke, and still
bear a nature habituated to slavish submission,
then the struggle, from a merely human point of
view, would seem to be well nigh hopeless. If
maintained at all, it could only be with the
straining of every nerve, with the exercise of
extraordinary wisdom, with comprehensive plans,
and a never slumbering, untiring vigilance. -
Suctk is the conflict with sin in our hearts.
Not a mere struggle with abstract principles, but
a contest, a strife, an agony. Not merely the
action and reaction of diverse forces in our own
natures, but a struggle in which great spiritual
natures without and around us take an active
part. For we wrestle not against flesh and.blood,
but against principalities, against powers, against
the rulers of the darkness of this world, against
spiritual wickedness in high places. Be sobek, be
vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a
roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may
devour. The Saviour, and Paul, and Luther,
and Banyan knew, and every Christian in his
measure knows, the fearful reality and tension of
the struggle, the resources and subtlety of the
enemy—he knows the indecision and fatal trea-
ehery of his own heart, the uncertain issue, the
humiliating defeat, the suspense, nay, even the
awful though temporary despair of various stages
of the life-long conflict.
How shall the Christian carry it on ?
That be should make it_his first business,,tlmt
lie untiring and unresting, earnest,
energetic and vigorous, adding to his faith, sol
dierly virtue; that above all he should be prayer
ful, trusting not in his own strength—all this is
plain. More particularly he should.
- I. Examine himself. He should know the
nature of the enemy within him,, where he is
strongest, where he is entrenched, Which are his
weak points, and what is the beat mode of attack.
He should not fight ac one that beats the-air.
Only an utterly ignorant or utterly' reckless
leader goes to meet his enemy, without gathering
first such information as he may of his position,
force and arms. It is particular sins of which
we are guilty, and against which we have to con
tend. And though all sin can be traced inn
general way to -pride and selfishness, and is op
posed to the one great law of love, yet•in each
nature assumes different forms and phases, de
manding different modes of treatment and of re
sistance. Vagueness and- earnestness are incom
patible. We - must have. a well-defined aim. We
must acquire-the highest sort of knowledge, self
knowledge, in order to take an efficient part in
the oonitiet. We must deal with the utmost
plaiimess with ourselves in this matter. What
are our sins ? Wherein do we come short—how
do we transgress ? Let us take the word of
God, the ten commandments, the two great com
mandments, the Sermon on the Mount, the
imitable part of the character of Christ; let us
read our characters and examine our conduct in
the light of Scripture example. Let us take the
faith of Abraham,the meekness of Moses, the
patience of Job, the uprightness of Daniel, the
forgiving spirit of the Saviour, the liberality of
the poor widow at the templeAretuniry, the burn
ing zeal of Paul. Ceasing to measure ourselves
VIM among ourselves, let us take these divinely
given tests and patter% and thus learn in what
good trait we are wanting, in what evil, one we go
beyond, Thus discriminating, we shall work in
telligently and at a definite and a real object
We shall discover especially our besetting sin—
the point where we are weakest,.and where the
enemy may take us at a disadvantage. Upon
this we should lay out our strength. The ene
my's demonstration's upon this point, we should
especially labor to meet and to.foil.
_
2. Just here is the place for the exercise of
strategy. We should take peculiar measures for
overcoming this besetting sin. It is the key of
the moral position. It is the central point
around which gather the entire forces of evil in
the soul. Win your battle here, and you will
virtually vanquish the whole of the enemy's
forces, or compel their withdrawal to a remote
line of operations. Be this sin what it may,
lust, or pride in dress, or covetous,ness, or evil
curiosity, or a prating tongue, or greediness, or
a hasty' temper, a victory here will both break
the power of sin and elevate and quicken the
better nature "most wond'erfully in its' future
struggles.
8. It is often a point of strategy in contend•
ing against besetting sins and inveterlite habits
and practices, to go beyond the strict rule of
duty, and deny ourselves in things in thenkselves
indifferent or harmless. The power of a vicious
habit can be' broken, and tone restored to a de
praved system, and the moral nature be made to
work healthfully only by a severe moral regimen
(askesis). The enemy can be foiled only by re
fusing to have anything to do with those in
themselves harmless channels, by which he finds
access to us. The man given to profane swear
ing may find it needful to abstain even from or
dinary conversation. The covetous man may
see it to be necessary to follow the advice given
to the young ruler, as the only effectual cure
for the idolatrous vice which has ground itself
into his nature. Innocent pleasures may be
found secret doom of entrance for sin, to the
heart long given to the pursuit of forbidden en
joyments. Total abstinence from intoiieating
drinks, so largely agreed upon as a duty among
evangelical christians, is to be regarded in the
light of a moral stratagem. No one now at
tempts .to argue that moderate drinking is in
itself sinful, no more than Paul ever argued that
eating meat was in itself sinful. But if the vice
of intemperance can be cured or prevented only
by total abstinence in the individual, then it
must be included as a part of his plan of opera
tions against the foe; then it will be sinful not
toabstain totally. The foe must be routed at
whatever cost. The avenues by which he makes
his successful approaches must to blockaded or
destrdyed utterly, delightful or even useful
though they may otherwise be.' And the whole
_evangelical community, as participants in this
strife, as sympathizing with the weak and strug
gling victims, as - coilberned for its own safety
against thi) inroads of intemperance in this and
coming generations, catching the spirit of Paul,
flings away the sparkling cup and vows it will
drink no wine while the world standeth, rather
than a weak brother should be offended. The
temperance movement was a great and a needed
piece of strategy Against a hitherto triumphant
enemy. It was to a very large and encouraging
extent successful. It needs to be practised
now. It is not a narrow, short-sighted policy.
It is
_bold, comprehensive, sagacious, Pauline.
Let as, as wise and earnest combatants, practice
and recommend it with all our power.
4. " The sin which doth so easily beset us"
all is unbelief. This is the one to which the
teachings and exhortations of the apostle to the
Hebrews are mainly directed. We do not look
i3utficiently to Jesus. He has endured the Cross.
He has fought the battle. In person he has
menthe great enemy, and has repulsed him. His
dying declaration was "It is finished." In that
death agony he triumphed. The seed of the
*Oman has bruised the head of the serpent.
Adam miserably failed in the struggle, W and in,
him we all suffered disastrous defett. Christ
took up the conflict and won it gloriously for his
people. He looked and saw there was none -to
help; he wondered that there was none to up
hold ; therefore his own arm brought salvation;
He came from Edom, with dyed garments fiona
Bozrah, glorious in his apparel, travelling in the
greatness of his strength, speaking in righteous
ness, mighty to save. He is the captain of our
salvation. Our great business is to trust in him.
This.our highest strategy—to have no strategy—
to disavow our own strength—to accept and ap
propriate his work—to take refuge in him as our
rock in all assaults of the foe. Thus we shall
most effectually triumph over our enemy, by
making our own the grand exploits of him who
ascended up on high, leading captivity captive
and giving gifts.unto to n. Nay, when the
enemy employs his most dreadful enginery—tii
bulation, distress, persecution, famine, naked
ness, peril, sword—in all these: things we shall
he more -t4u- conquerors, •through hini that
loved us.
Editor.
But a few weeks ago we chronicled the
. aceep-
Janes of a chaplaincy in the 51st New York Re
giment by this brothor, then pastor of our church
in Apalachin New.. York. We have now the
melancholy duty of repeating the announcement
of his death as given in the military defpatches,
in the desperate struggle which preceded the
capture of Newborn. His regiment was promi
nent in the struggle, the . uierings, and the glo
ry of that engagement, and Mr. Benton, like the
true man that he was, shrunk not from sharing
in its perils. He has died the thrice noble death
of the faithful christian minister, the brave pa
triot and the, martyr to his country. It fell to
his lot under Providence to be the first sacrifice of
the kind in the war.* - The first life of a minister,
acting in that capacity in the open field, sacrificed,
in this cause, was taken - from the ranks of our
church. While we feel our loss deeply, and
while the fountains of our sympathy are opened
towards his bereaved relatives and friends, we
cannot find it in us to grieve. We do indeed
gain clearer views and deeper convictions of
the sacredness and solemnity of the struggle in
which we are engaged. ' Over such sacrifices,
we indeed feel prepared to pledge ourselVes anew
to our country's. cause. Law and liberty and
union are dearer watchwords since they have
been breathed from the.nor cold lips of our-slain
brother in the master's service. But such deaths
are too honorable to consort with ordinary grief.
They illustrate too many noble qualities of the
man the minister, they leave examples too
lumihous and benign in their influence; they are
far rather the glory of profession and of a peo
ple. The death of a minister of the gospel on
the battre AeOil, where unarmed and - fearless he
had been passing to and fro, carrying the heaven
ly consolations of his religion to the wounded
and dying,—sudden death, while engaged nn-
shrinking in a perilons duty,—is a enthanaiy, is
enviable, even when occurring, as, it did in the
ease of Mr. Benton, in the very prime of a use
ful life.
Mr. Renton, as we learn from one of his fel
low students, pursued his theological course at
Union Seminary New York; after which lie was
employed in a missionary capacity by.the Amei
can Sunday School Union. The field of his la
bors was is the vicinity of Lynchburg Via.,
where he acquitted himself to the acceptance of
all. Recently. he has been pastor of the church
in Apalachin in the Presbyte7 of Tioga N. Y.,
and from that charge he waa called to assume
the responsible position which he held in the
army of our brave - defenders when fell.
Up to the time of going to press, we have
heard nothing beyond the bare announcement
of hbi death, ttul shouldhe glad to learn ths'par
ticulars from any of our readers who maihaie
become acquainted with them. -
* The case of Chaplain Lenhart of the United
States ship Cumberland was not unlike.' The Chris
tian Advocate and Jinarntil says that Chaplain Len
hart of the Cumberland, had been in the Naval ser
vice fifteen years and that the day before the disas
trous engagement in which he lost his life he wrote
to a friend -" It is as near myheavenly home from
the old Cumberland as from any. other plack."
Speaking of the two fallen chaplains Messrs. Len
hart and Benton, the same paper says "They
halm gone up almost in the same chariot together ;
one from the salt sea wave, the other from a field of
blood and fire. On a sea of glass mingled with fire
they now stand ; they hear the roar of battle no
more, but there are palms of victory in their hands,
for they overcame through the blood of the Lamb,
and are set down at the right hand of God."
TILE OLD BOHOOL OHUBOIC IN KENTUOKY.
The excellent •service done by Rev. R. J.
Breckenridge D. D. to the cause of our country
in Kentucky, is known and warmly appreciated
by loyal people ever, where. True, Dr. B. for a
time was dazzled by the remarkable qualities and
brilliant prospects which he fondly conceived to
belong to his nephew the late Vice President,
and for a time he insisted that Kentucky should
and could take no part in the contest and should
exclude both combatants from her soil. But as
the nephew's treasonable proclivities developed,
and as the unavoidable crisis approached in Ken
tucky, the Dr's. views gained decisiveness and
clearness, and his late essays in the Danville Re
view have been as sturdy .and effective blows at
rebellion as have been administered in any quar
REV. 0. N. BENTON.
Ameritan grtolittrrian and Olotutott Orangtlifit.
ter. A number of Old School ministers from
this state are also serving as chaplains in the
United States army; bat for the rest, a wide
and, as we must believe, an irreconoileable diver
sity of sentiment prevails among brethren of the
Kentucky Presbyteries and Synods. The Pres
byterian had information some weeks ago, that
a scheme was on foot to draw away the churches
of Kentucky to the seceding organization of the
Southern States. The language of the Presby
terian showed that this was by no means to be
regarded as altogether a hopeless undertaking.
The Presbyterian Herald, hitherto the organ of
this portion of the church, denies the statement
of the Presbyterian but it has carried out in its
columns to this day the neutrality policy which
the state repudiated so overwhelmingly last sum
mer. We do not undertake to say whether Dr.
Hill, the Editor, is at heart a loyal man—it would
be a great misnomer to call the Herald a loyal
pap:tr.
Recent developements, we are sorry to say,
show no signs of improvement in the - spirit of
theseKentuckyPresbyterians. Dr. Breckenridge's
Danville Review is on the point of extinction on
account of the odium created by_ its bold and
powerful arguments for the cause of the Union.
The company of: . Old School ministers by whom
it was started is broken up, and the subscription
list has got out of Dr. B's reach. IFor once, this
able leader and tactician has been butgeneralled,
and is obliged to cry out for succor from the
machinations of his Kentucky brethren, to any
and every quarter.: It is a strange spectacle
when this Cesar of the Old School church, in a
region which but lately was a. strong-hold of
Presbyterianism, is compelled to- cry out to men
of all denominations, New School among the
rest, " Help me, Cassius, or I sink!" We say
this in no unkind spirit; we are merely- taking
a note of an interesting and important phase of
events in the- other branch of the church. We
sincerely hope his Review will be liberally sus
tained. " But to crown- all, we observe that Dr.
Stuart• Robinson, of Danville Seminary, and one
of the originators of the Review, is about to start
an intpendent Journal in Louisville Ky., with
the it:W'wed purpose of advocating the pestilent,
but hereabouts defunct, heresy of Dr. Thornwell
—the complete separation of spirituf and tem
porarmatters in the church.. This tkw paper is`
to bear- the pretentious title of the "True Pres
byterian." It will take - a position antagonistic
to the loyal action of the late General Assembly,
,and so far as it is patronized will, doubtless, un
der the very able leadership of Dr. Robinson,
coneribUte to the further demoralization of the
Old School ranks. We hope the good sense and
genuine loyalty of the larger part of the church
in the North will frown upon this venture in the
direction of South Carolina logic in morals and
religion. If all feel with the Presbyter of
Cincinnati our hope will - be fulfilled. That pa
per says : •
- "We are to have, in a loyal State, a religious
journal of the Thorn Well stripe. If Dr,. It is as
shrewd as the father of the doctrine he espouses,
he will be able in urging. the devorce of the
spiritual and temporal:order' to discuss the tem
poral ad libitum.
"We suggest that the first number of Di.
'Robinson's - new weekly journal' shall give several
forms which may <be -used with= safety, Without
mixing - the temporal and-spiritual—in asking a
blessing or saying grace at meals. Is 'eating and
drinking temporal or spiritual ? We are told,
Whether ye eat or drink, or whatsoever ye do,
do all to the glory of God.' To glorify God is
spiritual. To eat and "drink are temporal. Should
a blessing be asked at-meals t"
WORSTITP.of
WE have been deeply interested in the peru
sal ofDr. Darling's pamphlet on " Worship as an.
Element, of Sanctuary Service," reprinted by
Mr. Young, from the forthcoming number of the
Presbyterian Quarterly Review.' It ably discus
ses the prevailing wrong tendencies in the pub
lic services of our own and affiliating Churches,
and points out the 'means far correcting them. It
gives utterance to a want, deeply and widely felt
among the devout members'of these non-liturgi
cal bodies, and which occasionally dri4es them
away into connections where more regard is paid
to the devotional parts of the Sanctuary service.
It.cannot be doubted that among us the sermon
has attained "undue prominence, and that while
some are driven away, with many others, as Dr.
Darling says, " the only motive of church-going
is sermon-hearing." The undue prominence
given to;the sermon, or rather to the element of
instruction as compared with that of worship, ap
pears also in 'the unstudied and inappropriate
character of the prayers offered, and to the in
creasingly subjective type of our hymns, as well ,
- as •in the indifference of thecongregation towards
both of these parts" of the service. Hymns of
experience and of doctrine, rather than psalms of
adoration and praise are demanded and are mul
tiplying in our collections, and even so, our con
gregations show tooreadyndisposition to delegate
the whole business of singing to a select paid
choir. The people are not scrupultms to'be in
season for the opening services of the sanctuary.
Their external demeanor, too, while there, con_.
treats unfavorably with that of a Roman Catholic
congregation. Of the Papal Church, Dr. D.
says, It mnst'be.conceded that it is seemingly
at least, more obedient to that command, 'Keep
thy foot *hen thou goest to the Haase of God,'
than many other Churches that hold a more
scriptural faith." And it is not only " a mistak
en notion of the peculiar sanctity of the place in
Which divine service is held:" which produces
this reverent demeanor it is the great promi
nence, too, which is given to the element of
worship in all the religious exercises of this
Church.
But the evil of this *rant of balance in our pub
lie,
services is traced by the writer to other, and
less perceptible, but not less pernicious results.
We quote a paragraph which strikes us as impor
tant, not to say alarming :
irregularity likewise of attendance upon
Gbd's Houle, and 'that attendance graduated by
the character of the expected 'discourse, is among
the evils that forgetfulness of worship, as an ele
ment of sanctuary, service, has a tendency to pro
duce. Some of our oldest and wisest divines
have remarked, that there seems to be of late,
even ariOtg the professed followers of Christ, a
far lower sense of obligation, with reference to
the attendance upon God's house, than formerly.
Many Christians now permit very trivial causes
to keep them from filling their place in the sane
tuary: They regard church-going rather as a
privilege than '.a duty, and are quite satisfied if
they avail themselves of it occasionally, or, at the
most, upon a part only of the Sabbath. And is
not this the necessary result of that theory or
practice of sanctuary service which wholly ig.
nores the element of worship? If the church is
man's church, and the leading conception in the
mind is the listening to a set discourse, is it
strange that men deem it a' inatter of little mo
ment whetlins they I,ttind regularly upon its ser
vices ? Ay, more :;, if spiritual instruction con
stitute the very, seltc, Or a sanctuary service—
if we are to Ole God's house alone to be taught
divine truth---why sionld not a man stay away
from it, when at home, by his own meditations
or reading, he honestly believes that that spirit
ual enlightenment would best be promoted,? That
God should be adored, and that this adoration
'should have some outward expression, all men
instinctively feel. Satisfy than, then, that this
is the great aim of sanctuary service, and • they
will not so often, and for causes so trivial, desett
it. And are not Protestant and unliturgical
churches just here in great danger.of losing their
hold upon the unianetified masses ? With the
Murat nothing but a school, can all the teachers
be so eloquent, or any one always so eloquent, as
to receive,-on the part of voluntary pupils,' corp.
stant and unviried attendance ? Apart from the
direct outpouring of the Divine Spirit, we do not
believe that anything -would be more effectual in
laten.
enlarging Sal) ' '`" Itir t 'gntionak ancL..maliing
them more unifo his, than an iliditas
ed attention to wershlii As - nn element of sanda
-1 ary service. • ,
It is not difficult for devnt persons to realize
that they have worshipped, in attending the ser
vices of a liturgical church; even the impenitent
and unbelieving if the natural 'religions suscepti
bilities are not utterly - dead,' receive' impressions
and go away awed: They have something to go
to church for, even if the element of instrection
is insufficient to briug ahem. How then shall
we accomplish the same results under our simple
forms of worship I' How shall we satisfy the de
vout and impress the thoughtless with a sense of
something more than human in the aim and
reference of the exercises ? By intreducing litur
gical, elements ? So, not a few have argued.. In
the earlier history of 'the Church, both in. Gene
va and Scotland they were frequently and even
regularly t_ . a.ts,(l... The great names of CalVini-Beza
add KuCi t ina -., . ..qu,' el" in their faior.' Bpt,
they were neV. s , ' , - , .' . ;ed as authoritativer and
Dr. Darling *ill have none of them. He says
" Let it be distinctly' understood that we have
no sympathy with that class of minds among us,
who are continually hankering after, a ritual, and
who make themselve,s the small imitators of other
denominations than, their own, _ No,; away
with prayer-book and gown, rubrics and bands I
Associations of the mystical Babylon still cluster
around them. Give us a free voice and a free
arm, as we attempt to direct the worship of the
,
sanctuary. Let the full soul pour out itself in
gracious expressions, of its holy thoughts into the
bosom of the Almighty; and if there should be
some stops or solecisms in the fervent utterance
of our wants, these are so 'far from being offen
sive, that they are the most pleasing, music to the
ears of that_G-.4 unto whom our prayer§ come.
To this imperfect , elocution, our Heavenly Father
is. o other Wise affected, than an indulgent-earth
ly part nt is to , Wwifclipped, and,. broken Janguage
of his dear -chihl. 3 '-• I . ... 7 - •
After thisitol„andunqualified declaration,we
it
look with some i * threat to the writer's proposed
improvement in our method. It is found simply
in a closer adherence to our. Directory, which even
a casual reader nay: see lays great stress upon
devotion, and warns Ministers against-making
"their sermons Iso long' as to interfere with or
exclude the mor4iimpOrlant duties of prayer and
praise.” We must net becothe liturgical but
'simply more thoroughly Prestyterian. Dr. Dar
ling believes it to `be necessary en the , part of
preachers, simply to give a more devotional cha
racter, and to throw - a : greater degree of interest
and e trnestness ipto. the forms or worship already
in use. Let us have. objective hymns,--"hymns
in which both writer and reader come entirely out
of themselves, magnify God and have their whole
souls ravished by the Conception of his matchless
perfections." Ile congregation should join in
the singing...,
~, c- JO music of the Befortna
tion,, a singing g stt
, vin introduced, when,,' rin
the use tel em p l et- Marot's metrical version-of
the Psalms, he introduced a revolution as wide
speed and as iniportant, perhaps,. as that pro
duced by his political and theological writings
and discipline,--ihis -is 'what we need in place of
the too prevalent choir-singing of our time.
•
The prayers of thevginctuary - serviee should be
more largely madp up: of adoration'; they should
be scriptural in language : and spirit; they should
be made matters of study and preparation by the
minister; the people must not be too indolent to
take part in the Oby some change of posture and
reverent attitude.--Commeuding this,pamphlet,
so seasonable, so admirable and,. evangelical in
spirit, so thorouglily-Presbyterian in tone, though
its proposals may be regarded bksome'es insuffi
cient, we leave its-with the quotation of the 'eon
eluding paragraph: , -
"In closing t...arti:ele**Efeannot refrain-from
inviting the sper attention of onr.reaflers ASA,
thought which, ongl4has appeared all along
the line of our aiktment;ls still 'worthy , of a -se
parate and distin4 notice. The-thotight is this:
All that is'necessay to give to worship, as an ale
talent of sanctuareservice,lts true importance, is
a full and faithfill' development of that order
which is embodied in our own Directory for Wor
ship. We frankly confess -our sympathy with
those, who-, upon rettridg frOm some of our Pres,
byterian churchea t after, their Sabbath services
are over, feel a Truro of dissatisfaction. They
have, indeed, heen well instructed, but theylave
not worship/red. ; They have been in a school,
rather than in a church. Their intellects have
been fed, but their hearts have not been:touched.
They have had nothing to do is the service. But
what, to. meet thiefelt want, shall they. do ? Go
elsewhere?. tniti themselfes with some liturgi
cal church, thong her doctrines and-'ministerial
orders are op " I , s"their belief r. Of, staying
at home;"shalith` seekle jet& upon the Pres
hyterianChuzch.s• hat' is unseriptural and oppos
ed both to her - spl
t',-aed- history ? Whence this
lack of true worn :p in her services? What is
the cause of this leficiency;of-which some com
plain ? Is it in
. rent to her very- - structure ?
Is it of her essence, or simply a 'defect in her ad
ministration? We are bold to proclaim the lat.
ter. - Let every minister -and, layinan carefully
study our Directory for Worship, and, inthe ser
vices-of God's hOttseLfeit4fallY carry out all its
provisions, and every just ground for criticism in
this particular will, we are, sure, be removed.
Worship and instruction, the two great elements
of sanctuary service, will then haye to each other
their just relations. Neither will be unduly or
dispropor - tionably develpied,. but both in' such
beautiful symmetry as tOintake the whole appear
but one act of grateful homage to Jehovah, just
as a star, really binary, looks out upon us from
the skies=one world."
Two articles on the. History and the Theory
of Public Worship, translated from the German,
and of great interest, will be found =in<the Re
view for July and December, I&i7.
A THOUGHT FOR THE MONTHLY 00NOERT
" WHEN the Son of Man cometh, shall he find
faith on earth ?" It seems to us that this
inquiry may be appropriately made with regard
to the present attitude,of the Church towards:
the work of missions. The Son of Man has
come, in the opening up of the world and the
ripening of the spiritual harvest, but how inade
quate the faith and zeta with which he, is met !
In truth ) the movements of Divine Providence
are too fast foi us; we cannot keep pace with
them. The cry is everywhere, enlargement,
new fields, more laborers, teachers, books, funds.
Everywhere in the heathen world the Gospel is
received, and its preaching, after no protracted
period, rendered fruitful. Light is breaking in
Micronesia; Mohammedans are exchanging the
Bible for the Koran; the two-leaved gates of
- China - have yielded u-Christian - king rules on
the lately persecuting throne of. Madagascar;
Ethiopia's mysteries cleared up, behold a long
injured continent stretching forth its hands unto
God ! 0 privileged day the Church is op
pressed with its opportunities'; God is trying its
zeal and its sincerity, by bringing upon it the
answer to its centuries of prayer. With what
trembling anxiety should we seek to rise and
respond to these opportunities, to recognize our
glorious day of visitation, and. to meet it with a
full: consecration of power and property to it?
Otherwise, may not the leading part in the high
enterprise be taken away from us and given to
some Christian - community now .scarcely known,
who in future shall be summoned to carry the
Gospel over the earth, when . our 4 .Thristian
temples are in ruins, and our civilization, unsup
ported by an active, self-denying, pure Chris
tianity, has laprd into barbarism? Who know
eth whether.we are come to the kingdom for
such- a time as this? -
PHILADELPHIA EDUOATION 800IETY.
THE annual meeting of this Society was held
in the Presbyterian House, on Tuesday, 25tkof
March: ' .
In the absence of the President, Mr. Joseph
H: Dulles was called to the chair, and the Rev.
Robert Adair was appointed clerk. The meet
ing was opened with - prayer. The minutes Of
thelast annual meeting were read and approved.
From the annual report of the Directors, pre
sented and read by the Corresponding, Secre
tary, the Rev. Charles Brown, it was shown that,
notwithstanding the embarrassed condition of
the country, the Society had made fair progress
in its work of educating young men for the
nistry.. Fifty-six candidates had received aid
during the whole, or part of the last year. These
were pursuing their studies in varieu.s institu
thins, and distributed in 'four Theological Semi- .
naries; twelve colleges, and six academies. Four
candidates had- compd*their course of study
since the lasride - efilig, aridixe nOW - usatilly, en
gaged in the work, of th"ininistry; Zeltet".
others - will be licensed to preach .:vvithin: - a few
months hence.
The numerous demands for nioney,, growirt
out of the necessities of the war, rendered it dif
ficult .to obtain the 'usual amount of funds for
educational purposes, and yet, 'excepting-a par
tial reduction which occurred in the appropria
tions of one of the quarters, the Society was
enabled to meet all its liabilities for the year.
By the treasurer's report it was seen that the
receipts for the year,, from all sources, were
$4580.114; the 'expenditures, for all purposes,
$4327 18.
An abstract of the annual report was ordered
to be publiehed, which` will soon be issued.-
The following officers were'unanimously elect
ed for the ensuing year : '
PRESIDENT.
Ambrose White.
, VICE-PRESIDENTS.
A
John . Brown, Hon. William Darling.
oonnEsPoNiAutt SECRETARY. '
* Rev:Charles Brown.
TREASURER. - •
William Purves.
AUDITOR.
Clem Tingley. :
• ,Dmagrons.
Brainerd;Rev.•Thos. rainerd, D.D. Joseph. H. Dulles.
" John Jenkins;D.D. Benedict D. Stewart
" David Malin', Y.D. A. S. Naudain.
" Robert Adair. Alexander Whilldin
" Thos. J. Shepherd. John Sparhaik.
" John Patton, D.D. J. S. Kneedler.: •
" J. Helffensteini DD. Wm. E. Tenbrook.
" Edward B. Bruen. 11. X. Williams, Esq
"E. E. Adams. - George W. Simons.
" J..G..Butler. James S. Earle.
_
S.IL Perkins , Esq J. C. Chance.
Alexsnder Fullerton. Areled:WElroy.
Adjourned 'with prayer. -
ICOMZ MISSIONS
NOTICE
I—To Presbyteries
It is desiiable that Presbyteries which have
feeble 'congregations receiving or liable to need
aid from the ‘‘ Presbyterian Committee of Ilome
Missions," should appoint a Standing Oimmiittee'
on Home Missions , and fonira****artrames to
the' Aisembly's Cominittee; 'WA'. 150 Nassau
street, New York.
2—To MisScmi-Crat.-
All MimiOnaries under , appointment of the
Comrttittee," are requested, as instructed by the
tern&of their commissions, on, or immediately
previous to, the first of 4241, to forward :a statis
tioarreport for the year preceding, or for the
part of a year during which they have been in
commission, .to the G-eUeral Secretary, it the
saw place. " H. KENDALL,
- dens?* Secretary Home Afiesior t +Committee.
A SiMIT of new life and enterprise is mani
festing itself in the different Oakland churches.
The Presbyterian Church, under the' able and
wise, labors of Rev. R B. 'Walsworth, is taking a
long start ahead of anything it her. done 'for
years. The church edifice, both inside and (Mt
_
side, is undergoing material improvements for
the better, and the grounds_ around the building
are not 'neglected. The congregations are- in
creasing, and a unity of spirit . and action, always
,
essential to the highest, ortler of ,success, most
happily prevails.
HOME MISSION*
WE have welcomed to oui,,cohnins therecerk
Contributions of 'our Committee on Home Mis
sions, selected chiefly from the communications
made, to them by the Missionaries. -We shall ex.- ,
peet to be the medium of such communications
to our readers, at least once a month. Those al
ready furnished, have been.of a deeply interest
ing and encouraging character and well calculat
ed to rouse and quicken the denomination iii the
great work of evangelization which it has most
appropriately undertaken; Our brethren in the
missionary field arc becoming more and more
fully and happily convinced that they are eared
for, that-their work.is 'appreciated and their trials
made matters of sympathy and prayer by the de
nomination. They will be sustained. One hun
dred and thirty-five missionaries are now on the
list of the committee, and we are informed that
at its last meeting every application, which ap
peared worthy, wasfavourably acted. upon. It is
expected that by the meeting of our Assembly
next month there will be one hundred and fifty
. : missionaries receiving aid through the commit
tee: The churches, too, are, entering.with some
proper zeal into the work, and by degrees are ap
proaching the measure of its demands. There
can be no doubt that they were ripe for the
change made last year: The harmony and stead
iness with which. ouz affairs are moving in this
department proveS it. Peale churches look up
to our committee as the or , an of a united, liberal
and enterprisinedenomination, with hope. Mean
time, it should be understood that the constant
demands made upon the committee, call for-con
stant supplies from the churches and it is hoped
they will be prompt and liberal in forwarding
their contributions.
, 41tt rat ftwo,
A NEW CHER= n NEW Yons..--A n:ew
Church, which promises to be one of the most
prominent in the city, was organized at Dod-
worth's Hall, corner of Fifth Avenue and twen
ty-first sts, on Friday evening, March 2lst. Dr.
Prentiss, brother of Sargeant S. Prentiss, former
ly pastor of the Mercer-Street Church, and wide
ly known in theAenomination, is to be the pas
-tor. Drs. Skinner and Smith, of the Union The
ological Seminary, have been very active in ea
tablishing this nucleus of what is designed to 'be
a large up , toin church. It begins with eighty
three members.—The . Methodist.
REV. A. L. BROOKS, late of Indianapolis and
former pastor of the 3d Presbyterian Church,.
Chicago, has accepted the unanimous call of the
Edwards church of Chicago, 1 6d entered upon
his labors on
_Sabbath, the 16th ult. The Ed
wards church is located en the " West Side," in
that part of the eity . least occupied by evangelical
churches, and is surrounded by a population of
some 20,000 who need the Gospel. There is al
ready a Sabbath school of 200 scholars, and con
gregations fill the present house of worship.
The prospects for usefulness before this church,
with their new pastor, are very encouraging, and
it is expected a *rger house will soon be requi
red.--Crkris:ian Herald.
iti,Jew,. t'iibti - rOivii.o' ••
Messrs. Brown & Taggart, of Boston, have re
sumed the publication of their very fine library
-eftion of the WORKS OF LORD BACON. Volume
thirirlMS been laid on our table, which consti
tutes the eighth of thepresent issue, and leaves
,
seven to be ' , supplied as yet., These will be
issued regularly'hereafter at the -•at,e, of one a
month. The present 'volume .comprises, several
books "De Augmentis Scientiarurn, Historia
Ventorum, and the curious WorkrHistoria Vita!,
et Mortis. We have already pointed - out the pe
culiar excellencies of this edition of the:great
English philosopher's works. Its completenefes t
its systematic arrangement, the careful annota-•
tions and introductions which explain without
burdening the text, leave nothing to be desired
in these respects • while the faultless exterior of
the American reprint, is a credit to the pnblish
era and their co-ksbaers in and about Boston.
-The famous Riveriirle . Press oflt. 0. Houghton
supplies the type. We cannot but believe that
a service of the highest order is done to the cause
of true philosophy arid Christianity, in this age
ofpantheistic speculation and: of atheistic ten
dencies in'natural Science by the issue in such
an attractive form, of these great monuments of
sober, practical and profound Christian thought..
As such, we rejoice to hear of their wide circu
lation, andlope it may largely increase. For
sale in this city by Joseph Buck, No. 43 North
Sixth street., - -
WASHINGTON A- CHRISTIAN,..-Thi is the
title of Rev. Dr. Wylie's discourse delivered in
-the First Reformed Presbyterian Church of this
city, the Sabbath following Washington's birth
day: It is a very simple, but apparently ex
baistive,- presentation, of the evidence to prove
...the true evangelical piety and belief, of the ho
nored Father of hiacountry. Who can calculate
the influence for good upon the Amerilum people
of this lofty - and almost unqualified exanipie of
public integrity and Christian , eiolzi VOld
lug- the foremost in the natibrial history?
The profits of thetudeufthis valuable:discourse
are devoted.ta the army committee of the Phila
delPitiaYoung Men's Christian Association. We
bore it may have a wide circulation". Published
by W.,S. & A. Martien.
From T. 0.. H. P. Burnhain 'BOStOrt• we have
-two works of fiction of unexceptioßable charac
ter: " The Old Lieutenant and his Son," by Nor
-maw-McLeod (paper, 30 ets.) ":Can Wrong be
Right?" by Mrs. S. C. Hall (paper 38 cents.)
The Stone publisher announces the issue of a
very important series of works, viz : Translations
and' new e4itioni of the Sacred Books of all Na
tions. Sale's Horin has already appeared,"and
_will be followed by the Zendavesta, the Vol*
the Edda, etc. The Koran is published at the
-.lo* price of ft, and sent by mail, postage pre
paid. ' - •
The author of Meiiiorials of fiedley Vicarshan
done another good service to the cause of_piety
by her late work, Tan LIFE or ARTltipi VAN-
Innnun, of the Royal Artillery. Besides . the in
terest attaching to the:story of Christian, heroism
amid the horrors of war,-we have in this ,hia
graphy the life of one whoi , hylthe grace of God,
was a christian from the cradle to•the grave ;
One whose path of light,' trodden at first by infant
feet; became with feiv - intnrruptions, brighter' and
brighter unto the perfect day. 12nie, pp 03,
illustrated. New York : R. Carter & Brothers.
Philadelphia: C. S. Luther.
PEE
*B..
„Rum
,g 5 CirretAM' New
Yoarke'o P lL l a t °:::
issued a Boot Apotrx DOCTORS, being
--4 ..
collection of anecdotes, covering nearly 500 lar ge
_
duodecimo pages, • and presenting the craft in
every imaginable attitude of interest to
publier' Buch a work, even if clumsily don e.
could not fail to be entertaining; this work is
really valuable for the very considerable amount
oteurionuinformationubout medicine and prat.
tice in past generations which it conveys, be s id es
the constant entertainment its portraits and anec.
dotes furnish to the reader. It is an English
work, and its sketches appear to be drawn exclo_
sively from the lives of British physicians, i s ..
chiding quacks, pretenders of various sorti,-..
male and female, and apothecaries. The field is
broad enough. For sale in this city by Messrs.
W. S. & A. Kaden.
A POPULAR TREATISE. ON DEAFNESS, i ts
causes and prevention, by Drs. Lighthill, with
illustrations,, has just been,issued by Carleton,
publisher, (late Rudd & Carleton) New York.
It is a very clear and sensible discussion, design.
ed apparently to recommend the authors' treat
ment of ear diseases by cbemical vapors. 1 9 m o
pp. 133. For sale by W. S. &A. Martin.
DAYBREAK, or Right Struggling and Trium
phant. This is the title of an English story, re
published by R. Carter & Brothers. It is d e .
signed for older children and youth r and opens
very well. 18mo, pp. 277, illustrated. For sale
by C. S. Luther.
MAGAZINES AND PAMPHLETS
LIE AMERICAN THEOLOGICAL REVIEW for
April, maintains its high and scholarly repute.
Prof. Hickok, of Union College, opens in an
article on the Pantheistic 'Aspect of Modern RA
losophy. _ His own peculiar view is introduced as
meeting the demands of faith and philosophy
alike—" a truly rational Psychology, in which is
the only door 'of escape from Pantheism and a
philosophical entrance Upon a :'pure Theism."
Swedenborg on the Divine Human,—expose s
faithfully the gross errors and the pernicious and
immoral tendencies of the system which goes by
the name of this arch-heretic. The Perpetual
Observance of the Sabbath is mainly a favorable
review of Dr. Hessey's Bampton Lectures on the
Sabbath. The Origin of Idolatry, the Roman
Question , etc., make up the list of Essays. Theo
logical and Literary Intelligence, arid - Review's
of books are valuable.._ From the former depart-
ment we learn that the British and Foretlgn
Evangelical Quarterly Review of January last,
in quoting Dr. Stearns' article on the Moral As
pects of the Present Struggle, from the Ameri
can, says, apologetically, that it merely wishes to
show how the American Secession is viewed and
explained by an intelligent Northern writer!
With such caution and reserve do some of the
best men in Great Britain talk about our present
condition. The American Theological Review
is published by Mr. W. H. Bidwell, 5 Beekman
street, New York.
TuE ATLANTIC MONTHLY for April, opens
with:" A Letter to a Young - Contributor," full
of sound advice to literary aspirants, sparkling
with bright and apposite illustrations drawn from
a fertile and well-stored mind. Prof. Agassiz's
paper on Method's of Study in, Natural Science
is .of great value mid interest... The .sonndness of
this truly great naturalist'swiews on such ques
tions as those mooted in Darwin's late work on
Species, is worthy of note. We give an extract
in another page. We are pleased to find it the
purpose of the proprietors to pursue the sonic
path which bas been lately followed, through
-which the Atlantic has attained to such general
acceptance. More than 10,000, copies have been
added to its circulation since the beginning of
the year. Boston : Ticknor &:Fields.
We are pained to find that our monthlies can
:not dispense with an occasional sneer at avenge-
Heal religion. The KNICKERBOCKER for April
opens with the continuation of a series of articles
bearing the Somewhat affected title of " Sunshine
in Thotw,ht;" thhir style is strained, and in the
present issue, there is a repetition of the attempt
often made bypeudo-reformers, to draw a broad
distinction between Christianity as at present
taught, and the teachings of Christ himself, to
the great disparagement, not to say utter repu
diation of the former. The Editor's Table is
thickly spiced with jokes depending for their
humor on profanity of expression. We regret
to pronounce these unfavorable judgments on a
magazine otherwise Valuable and attractive to the
reader. New York . . J. R. Gilmore.
THE - CONTINENTAL MONTHLY is earning a
high position in our periodical literature. Such
papers as the historical resume on the War in
Missouri in the April number, that on the Its
guenot Families in America, Among the Pines,
and others that might be named, are on a par
with the - best to be found in other quarters. The
Editor's Table for this month is sparkling with
gems of every size and quality. Boston :J. R.
Gilmore ; Philadelphia : T: B. Callender.
Tam Ecxxono for April presents a list quite
as attractive - as usual, with a very . fine portrait of
her Majesty the, Queen of Prussia. Those who
wfit.hr for the cream of the British , ' reviews and
magazines, regularly, promptly, and judiciously
selected, can have their wish gratified at very
reasonable rates, besides enjoying sundry extras
in the form of valuable 'portraits, etc., by sub
scribing for the Eclectic Magazine. W. H. Bid
well, No. 5 Beekman street, New York.
ARTHUR'S Home MAGAZINn is a' Philadel
phia " institution" ably edited by T. 8. Arthur
and Virginia F. Townsend. Besides lighter ar
ticles, we notice in the present number, Arme
nian Marriage Customs, Kings and Queens of
England, Battle-fields of our Fathers, " What
Came Afterwards,"-by the editor. T. S. Arthur
& Co., 823 Walnut. street. -$2 a year.
THAYER'S HOME * MONTHLY having failed to
reach us for a couple of months, is again on our
table, and. welcome. Rev. Wm. M. Thayer is
the editor;
.D. W. Childs & Co., Boston, pub
lishers. To be most cordially recommended to
all Christian families.
larrin'sLiv - ord AGE for this week contains
a 3floss Choice miscellany, opening with one of
the ablest of English articles on our crisis, that
from the Wesleyan Londrn Review of last Oc
tober. It is one of the exceedingly few, too,
written from a favorable point of view.
m • '
A.ME PULPIT AND ROSTRUM, No. 29, for April
contains Mr. Bancroft's admirable oration
on the 22d of February, to which is added Wash
ington's_Farewell Address.
- -I:RE'INATIONAL PREACHER for April contains
sermons by Drs. Pond and Hawes. That of the
latteria on Decay of PoWer in the Pulpit.
APRIL 3,