flie kTnericark Presbyterian GENESES EVANGELIST. A DZLIGIONS AND FAMILY NEWSPAPER) IN RICI INTIMOT OF THE Coruatitutional Presbyterian Chnreh. PUBLISHED EVERY THURSDAY, AT THE PRESBYTERIAN HOUSE 1334 Chestnut Street, (2d Story,) Phiindelible. Rev. JOHN W. NEARS, Editor and Publisher CONTENTS OF INSIDE PAGES. E , LOOND PAWS—FAMILY: Thou wilt Never Grow Old—My Refugees-7 Learning a LeSl5Olll, THIRD PAGE—Entroa's Testa : "Sunset Thoughts"—Boyd's "Catechisms"—".The Communion Week"—" Mary Newt on" Saxe's "Clerei Stories of Many Nations"--MoKeever's" .Woodeliff"— Fuller's " Mother Michel and her Cat". l -Boyd's "Au. Lump Holidays of a CountriParson"—Magazines and Periodicals—Chtist's Character the Greatest Moral Miracle in History—Religion.. ' . • Strut PAce—Commspormarent: • Open Air Meetings, No. Xl—Browning's Death of St. John, fourth paper and last , 4lev. &lbqrt - Barnes' Sermon—The Satanic Origin of the DileaSee mith which many of the Children of God are . Afflicted— Bringing Joss to Terms—Pauft Estimate of Heaven —Social intercourse in Churches. SzvErra Peoz--Miscaturreoros: A Grwefill Life and a Tranquil Death—Begin RightL'- Catchinx and Handling. Sheep—Figs—ldols Manufac tured in En gland-LAnierican Physique. TRE,AIITHOR OF REVIVALS. That which is born of the flesh is flesh : that which is born of the Spirit jig spirit. The stream can rise no higher than the fountain. All titut man does or proposes in his own strength, springs from his fleshly, sinful nature, and can reach no higher elevation. In vain do we, of °arse's:7'es, plan for revivals—the result must be a failure 'and a delusion. Our greatest work and best prepara tion is to be rid of all notions of self-suf ficiency, to put away the leaven of pride, to empty ourselves for the coming and indwelling of the Holy Spirit to fill our souls and to communicate his power to all the springs of activity, and to use us as his instruments in accomplishing his own glorious work in the hearts of men. To regenerate the soul, and revive the affections is the peculiar work of the Holy Spirit. He takes of the things of Christ and shows them to the inner understanding. The scheme of redemp tion, perfected by the death of ChTist, is committed to Him to be brought into vital contact with the Boni. The whole process of conversion is his work. He rouses the eonscieneel he enlightens the understanding; he convinces of sin ; he -shows the sinner his guilt and danger and misery ; he urges with infinite pa tience and persistence the duty of sub mission upon his awakened mind ; he holds up Christ, reveals his perfections, shows his fitness, and enables the peni tent soul to lift .the eye of faith to the great Sacrifice, and to say, , lly, Saviour,l witnessing with our spirits' that we are= born of God. He carries on the work of sanctification, imparts strength, dwells in the regeneiate soul and keeps it from falling. Through his indwelling we be ;; come partakers of the divine nature;: He it is by whom Christ lives in us and becomes our life. All the graces of the Christian character are the fruit of the Spirit. His presence 'is the life of the Church ; his energy is the source of its ability; his quickening breith is the source of its purity and soundness. He sits as h refiner, and purifier.; :he purifies the sons of Levi' and purges them .as gold and;silver, thatethey may offer un to the Lord an offering iirrighteons ness. • When the , risen Lord ascended np On high, leading captivity captiVe, be gave gifts unto men. And His first, greatest, and still continued gift to ; the Church, is the abundant ; presence, of the Holy Spirit. A gift Which was formerly con fined in its manifestations to a few, .now in its evangelical energYstid' fresbnetis, filled the , primitive Church with astonishing gifts, and' overawed and converted the bitter enemies of the Church and the murderers of Christ, by" thousands in a day. PENTECOST marks the glorious epoch of the Church,. un der which it is our privilege to live and labor still. The Holy Spiritlie a'gift of our risen and glorified Saviour; as a Toy al bounty to signalize bis perSenal tri umph and an earnest of the" final tri umph of his Cause, as an, agency and an influence superior even ,to his own pert' eonal presenee, is the great• mark and privilege: of .the,age in Which This is the age 'of -thetlispensation of the Spirit,--these are Pentecostal times. Hence there need'of,tWo' simple cautions to those who are` longing and praying for a revival. the sovereignty ,of the Holy . Spirit. " Ac' knowledge Rim as , the , sule sohree, of the godd you , seek,---ef spiritual good and spiritual life. , :te fully conVineed of your own inslifficiency. 'Expect every thing you desire as an answer to hum ble, believing prayer. Be prepared to ascribe all the. praitie and glory of the work to his p l ower and . grace alone. Seek not the npotEring t of divine infln, ences with any narroW; selfish view, for the npbuilding.Pf any Personal) local, or, New sernle;s, Vol. I; No. 50. denominational ertdsmerely. Rise'to the ,height`` - where tire - glory of God and the Inanifestati i on of j the grace of Christ, shall seem worthy to be the controlling, absorbing objectof the Christian's ac tivity. Be content that the Holy. Spirit shall exhibit his power, as is his wont, when, where and how He will; as the wind which bloweth where it listeth. Let no preconceived notions hinder you from recognizing' Him, in any mode. in whichHe may see fit to manifest himself ; but be ready cordially to work with him wherever the signals of his-presence ap pear. Be not so afraid of counterfeits, as to reject the true indications of spiri tual life. Be not so alarmed at the ex .hibitions of frothy enthusiasm whichyou have witnessed, as to become the un happy victims of an unconquerable suspicion towards everything a little ex traordinary in religious movements. It was to the Thessalonians, who were suffering from just such an exhibition of enthusiasm, that the sagacious Paul addressed the warning: " Quench not' the ppirit, despise not prophesyings."* (2.) While standingin awe before the great Source of all spiritual life, and humbly waiting his movements; we may not forget that to give life, to re generate, to revive, and to 'do it abund antly, is TM very business, his very na ture. To fill the Church, the body of Christ; with gifts and graces, to make it shine with the radiance . of his own holiness, to bring all its powers into Nig orous activity, to make:it an aggressive triumphant power in the world,,, to clothe its ministers with salvation, to give energy to their words so that they shall be - mighty to the pulling:down of strongla r olds, to - pierce the dark depths of the impenitent soul, to pervade the masses of men with sympathetic thrills of fear, ,remorse, and godly sorrow, to' scatter in a moment the wide-spread in difference, worldliness, unbelief and su-_ perstition of the multitude, and make them. keenly alivnto all the great reali ties of Eternity and all the blessed of fers of the Gospel,—these things are his appropriate work These things are ex actly whit he is' Wveroign to accom plish. Riding upon the whirlwind, courting= in .;the, sarth.quake, treading in ithe footsteps of calamity, war, Plague, or without , perceptible heralding by marked providenobs, he combs to do his great' work'in graciously aPplying the atonement to the race of men, and Car rying out the plans of God. in a world of redeemed sinners. Therefore we must view Him with, confidence. We must rely On him with expectation and hope. He seeks the truiting,b6lieving 'ones, as the ch'annels of his blessed influences. If his manifestations are limited, it is because ,the expedtations of believers are narrow. and unworthLy;, their lack .faith. inCapacitates them for the large' measure. of Servic4 ,to 'which hP put T them. !We a,re;straitioned in our selves' not in Him. We -- wrong him; ,we tnisitpprehend his very nature and office, when we viewed his attitude towards t • our race doubtingly, and, see not 'our fallen world girdled by the arms of his infinite _lJove. He, would have us ;ex pect great things,of him. In replacing the ascended Redeemer, in the ,Church He made his first movement=llzwrs ciiir. .A.;titte Feist of Harvest Marked the ,beginning of his work,—surely not tb intimate thatall that followed,should 'be mere gleanings, but that - his whOle work was a Harvesting,-a work, amid s.bundance of; stithering in by sheaves, and in civerwhelming abundance, thavast harvest of redeemed souls. IU - humble boldni3ssithen; let us cast burselves upon the great'Aut,hor , of Ie alohe can quicken us by 'hit life-giving.'breath and lig only waits .the prayer of faith, the expectant _atti tude, the.ready, • instrumeut_through which, to; manifest the richness of 'his grace and the .glory of his pOwer. '(' : • *2„ These. 6: 19,,20. Ellicott, .in his, CommentarY