eliarrop6titti,
OPEN AIR PREACHERS.
NO. VI.
HISSING LINKS-RICHARD CUNNING-
BY EDWARD PAYSON HAMMOND
The remark has been made in these
hasty papers on'open air preaching, that,
with the proper encouragement, men
calculated to reach the masses would
spring up on every hand. Yes, many a
" missing link " would be found adapted
to get hold of those beyond the reach of
the ordinary means of grace.
The success of the " Bible readers " of
London teaches a lesson to those who
would reach the masses in other places.
It was found that Christian ladies and
gentlemen from the higher ranks failed
in their efforts to get hold of those sunken
in sin and vice in that vast city of three
million people. Experience proved that
those who „had been rescued by divine
grace from sinks of iniquity, were the
best fitted to speak• of Christ in a way to
reach the hearts of the fallen and debased.
•
This idea of employing those who, for
years, have been familiar with haunts
of infamy, to rescue their wretuked,,aaso
elates from the depths of degradation, is
the prominent one enforced by the author
of the " Missing Link."
Those, too, who have had much to do
'with open air meetings for the masses,
have understood the, importance of using
this agency. They have known that the
announcement that some convert 94
gambler" wasto speak of the:gielat change
which he had experienced, was sure to
bring out a class sui generis. In Scot
land, judicious men, like Rev. James
Smith, of Gray Friars' Free Church of
Aberdeen, Rev. Andrew Boner, the au- %
thor of the life of Robert McCheyne, and
Rev. Wm. Arnot, rejoice to take part in
meetings where some of these " Missing
Links " are expected to pull the " burn
ing " " out of the fire."
I can never forget one of these "miss
ing links," whom I often used to see,
with tears running down his cheeks,
while speaking to large audiences, of
what God in mercy had done for his
guilty . soul. This,man was Robert Cun
ningham. But he was better known as
"the Bridgegate Flesher." He was a
decided " character " in his way. A
notice appeaPing anywhere in Scotland
that he is to speak in a given place, is
enough to draw crowds of eager listeners.
In external appearance Mr. Cunningham
is a burly, well-built, navvie-like figure of
middle height. His complexion is ruddy
and weather-beaten ; his features- com
mon-place enough. His general- stamp
is that of a hard-working, swarthy son
of Erin.
At one Of the open air meetings at
Huntly, where ten thousand were pre
sent, among whom were doctors of di
vinity, and many of the leading ministers
from Scotland and England, this Robert
Cunningham was one of the chief speak
ers. The reporters, at any rate, seemed
to regard him so, as his was almost the
only address they attempted to report in .
full. I am not sure that his reported
words will interest American readers.
But if they but knew the man, they
would love, as the Scotch do, to read
every word that falls from his lips.
Some, I know, with tears read words of
his like these, which I shall venture to
quote. God has wonderfully used this
humble-minded man to promote his saving
work. Though like " the Jew. Apollos,"
he may need to have "the way of God more
perfectly expounded unto him;" yet, like
this.same Alexandrian, he is regarded by
the ,
masses who hear him, as a "man
mighty in the Scriptures." May the
Holy Spirit •bless to the salvation of
some lost sinner :
ROBERT CUNNIGHAM / 8 WORDS TO TEN
:TBOUSAND PERSONS IN THE OPEN AIR
1,14. SCOTLAND
My dear fellow-sinners, here is a monu
ment of God's grace afore you. I was forty
seven years of age afore I ever seed God's
table served. That was the first time I ever
heard a sermon. My dear brothers and
sisters, I was a wicked man—a man that
neither feared God nor regarded man. I
lived in wickedness and drunkenness. I seed
one of my comrades die, and another of them
die. They died blaspheminr , ° God. They
died drunkards. Oh, what a fearful evil
drink is—Scotland's curse. My dear brothers
and sisters, I wandered laden with iniquity.
God let me see I was a sinner. Thank God
for it. He let me see there was nothing but
hell for me ; he let me see the fearful pit—
where he will turn the wicked in, and the
nations that forget him. Oh, I was a sinner ;
but where was I to find the Beloved—where
was I to get Christ whom God so loved the
world that he gave, that whosoever believeth
on him might not perish, but have everlasting
life.' I was part of the world ; but where
was I to get the Beloved ? Oh, brothers and;
sisters, till we know that we are sinners we
will never cry for Christ. The Lord kept me
wandering, or raither I wander't mysel', an'
the Lord drew me up to the Wynd Church—
I wanted Christ—' Christ for me.' I wantit
the Beloved. God's servant was preachin'
the simple gospel from the thiid chapter of
Acts; aboot the lame man that was at the.
beautiful gate. The lame man expected
something, and God's servant said, silver
and gold have I none,' &c., but in the name
of Jesus Christ.' Oh, I took hold of that.
I found peace to my wearied soul—after
forty-seven'years wan'erin' i' the broad road
that leads to hell—where many men an'
women are goin' that go to God's house every
day. I askit Mr. M' Coll to let me be a mem
ber. I did'ria ken nae mair aboot member-:
ship than that post. He askit me to come
up next mornin . I knew nothing about
sanctification or justification—l knew nothing
about the Scriptures, but I had found Christ..
The master I servet never mindet me afore.
I had been in a twenty-four ropit ring fecht
in [fighting—he had been a pugilik],' some
times they had me in the jail—sometimes
kicket oot o' a public house afore the bar;
aye,,kicket oot. But what could I do noo
w 1166. the enemy of souls came to me—' Christ
for me,' 'Christ for me.' I sat for eighteen
months under the Gospel—eatin' the Gospel—
eatin' it, mind you, for souls need food.
Young women,
young men, what think you
of the . Beloved? Has God been your guide?
Old grey-haired sinners, have ye lived sixty
or seventy 'years an' no found peace?, Oh,
you must all come to Christ ; it is not:sitting
in God's house will save you. There is no
other way but Christ.. He says, 'lt is finish
ed.' - I had nothing to say. I had not helped
to build a church, I had not helped the
Widows' Fund, nor the Sustentation Fund.
No, I kent naething aboot them. I had
nothing to fa' back upon. Oh, if you only
knew the love of Christ. I canna write my
ain name yet, but, thank God, I ken the
Gospel better than I can express. I was no
church-goer. My faither and mother sat
thirty year together in church. But though
my faither sud hae fioggit me as he liket, he
never could get me to kirk or schule. I had
a praying mother—oh, pray on mothers I
sing on mothers ! and I have-a living mother
yet—she is eighty-two years of age. Satan,
the maister .1 had served, let me alane the
time I was fechtin' and gaen to jail. He
never middled wi' me till God revealed Christ
to me. I never kent I had a soul until the
Lord let me see ; my comrades used to ea'
me a good soul' when I had plenty o' money.
But now there's nae need for my • mother
coming to the
, jail to see her son, but a' is
joy an rejoicin . Speaking of the progress
of Gospel truth, he said—''See whatthey're
doin' in Dundee. See the very Roman
Catholics comin' buying Bibles, determine&
to see for themsel's what's their contents.
God says `I will pour out, my Spirit,' and
God is doin it. He is doing it here. Come
to Christ Oh, winna ye come I Will ye no
forsake the world—ye canna carry Christ in
your pouch—ye mann carry him in your
heart! Are ye gann awa wi' the train ' an'
no get Christ ! 0 dinna gang without Christ!
Speaking of Satan's government, he said
—` Ye may think Satan's people are easy.
Ah but they re no easy. Ye may think he's
using ye well. The devil used me like a
gentleman—but ah, I wasna easy! Dinna
trust him. Come to Jesus—come as you are.
Auld man, dinna be cast doom . : Ohl I would
put ye a' into Christ's bosom if I could. But
1 canna do that. Oh, ye maun come yoursels.
I mieht speak here till I was grey, and you be
no better. Oh, winna ye come? 'There's
God's servants rinnin' -this way and that,
wearing out their life. Mothers' (he ob
served in the course of another appeal to
them), ye were the first that had prayer
meetings wi' Jesus in Scotland, the first that
:were wi' him on earth, an' the hindmost.
0h,.P11 no forget the time I got the present
of:a Bible. Just as I was goin' home Wit the
the Bible, the Bible She repeated exultingly,)
mfg sister that used to cry for me in my
drunken days meets me, and haddin up her
hands, she cries wi' joy, " Ah, here's my
mither's prayers noo I" Oh, come to Christ.
He's • pleadin' Fi' ye to come. I think I see
the 'Father and the Son in heaven—the Son
looking in the Father's face, an' saying,
'Father, they'll no come."
At a meeting composed of all classes,
like the one at which" this man spoke,
some would, no doubt, be reached by
homely words like, these, who would pay
little attention to more polished utterances
Rev. John Murker, of Banff, in de
scribing this great meeting of ten thou
sand people, where Tor two days a great
variety of speakerkboth lay and clerical,
endeavored to hold up Christ, says
Therh were * hardly . any expressions used,
either in the addresses or the prayers, to which
reasonable exception could be taken. There
were , no dry theological discussions, nor aim
less sentimental vapouring: By much variety
of illustiation, every encouragement was held
out to induce convinced sinners to accept the
offers of a preient salvation by fearlessly, and
in faith's full confidence, hanging up all their
hopes of eternal life ,on Him who is mighty'
to save. The addresses and prayers of the
" Glasgow Flesher," and of the Fisherman
from Hopeman, as 'ell as those of the more
cultured laymen, whotmove in the first ranks
of polished society, were greatly appreciated,
because they were peculiarly fragrant:with
gospel sentiment and devoti.onal feeling, and
were, therefore, effective.
If you hope to witness in the United
States scenes like the above, does it not
appear that we must employ - some o'
those means which the Holy Spirit hat:
so signally blessed in other , places ?
Plenty of "missing links l !;l_ might be
found who would render valuable assist
ance at Open air meetings.
LETTER FROM REV, H, H. JESSUP.
- GREATHAM HOSPITAL,
COUNTY OF DURHAM, N. E. OF ENGLAND,
December, 16, 1864. .%
MY DEAR MR. MEARS :—lt WaS
intention, before leaving America for
Syria, to write a few lines to your jour
nal in acknowledgment of the Christian
hospitality and liberality with which I
was received by the churches and pastors
of Philadelphia during my recent - visit.
My stay of fourteen weeks in my native
land was, from first to ' , last, one of re
freshing and spiritual enjoyment, but the
period spent in Philadelphia will always
be remembered as one of the most de
lightful. Your churches, Sabbath-schools,
and pastors will never be forgotten:and
a new bond has been formed which, I
trust will - never be broken. A visit to
his native land, after eight or ten years'
absence, is a great privilege to the Chris
tian missionary, and whatever may be
the - influence upon the churches at home,
it is unquestionably of the greatest value
to him. After living for yea - rs in a foreign
land, speaking a foreign language, sur
rounded by a people whose customs,
dress, religion, social and moral position
are so different from what he left behind
him, and hav,ing but infrequent commu
nication with his native land, the friends
and associates of his youth falling one
after another by the way, and the circle
of his home acquainttmce gradually nar
rowing as years roll on, the old church
edifice where he was baptized and re
ceived to the church.on profession of his
faith, and whose every beam and pillar
are invested with the most sacred asso
ciations, razed to the ground and a new
one reared on its site, and perhaps the
old loved pastor removed to another
church or gone to his eternal home, and
a stranger filling his place,—there comes
over the mind, by degrees, a 'feeling of
distance and separation when thinking
of home and friends ; local attachments
and sympathies in his chosen field of
labor become more intense, and thus his
missionary life becomes • more and more
an expatriation and an exile. But the
THE AMERICAN PRESBYTERIAN, , THURSDAY, JANUARY 26, 1865•
moment his foot touches his native soil
all the old scenes and memories are quick
ened into life. He finds the churches,
Sabbath-schools, benevolent societies,
pastors, teachers, and people engaged
with zeal and earnestness in the Master's
service. On every side is growth, ac
tivity, and sympathy with the work of
extending the Redeemer's kingdom. The
missionary work'he finds to be most dear
and precious to the hearts of all God's
people, and instances of self-sacrifice and
liberality, among the poorest as well as
the most affluent of Christians at home,
show him how much he had forgotten,
'and how little he had understood, of the
deep spiritual life and- missiopry spirit
which pervade the minds of the people of
God.
In every part of the land he meets
those who have been praying for his
work, and perhaps for him personally, for
many years. He is surplised to find
how deeply the churehes are interested
in everything pertaining to his distant
work. What has become so familiar to
himself as , to be commonplace and unno
ticed, he finds to be just what Christians
at home are most anxious to knoW, and
thus he learns, an important lesson with
regard to his future missionary corres
pondence. Difficult as it is, and must
always'be, for a missionary to leave his
aid of labor, - wherethe harvest is so great
and the laborers so few, it is none the
less important to his own spiritual growth
and future usefulness to revisit his native
land, revive his acquaintance with the
churches, and re-cement the bonds which
bind the hearts of Christians at home to
their brethren in distant parts of the
earth: It is a most precious illustration
of the unity of the Church of Christ, and,
its effects cannot but be good upon the
great work of missions.
FRIENDS AND PREACHERS IN ENGLAND
I am now visiting, for a few days a
loved Christian friend, the Rev. H. B.
Tristram, vicar of this parish, and Master
of Greatham Hospital, with whom I
formed a pleasant acquaintance during
his recent visit to the Holy Land. In
ten days I leave England for‘ Syria,
hoping to reach Beirut by the Bth of
January. The Atlantic voz,age in the
steamship, City of London was remark
ably quiet for the Season of the year.
We had not an hour of fog or storm ; and
in ten days and a half entered the harbor
of Liverpool. The Rev. J. N. Ball, of
the Western Turkey Mission, with his
wife and children, were my travelling
companions, and I met Dr. Bliss in Lon
don, where he is engaged in making the
preliminary arrangements for securing an
additional endowment for the Beirut Pro
testant College.
Last Sabbath I heard Dr. Cumming
preach in the morning, and Mr. Spurgeon
in the evening. Dr. Cumming's discourse
was most delightful and spiritual, on the
text, " Take no thought for the morrow.
His exposition of the doctrine of Divine
Providence, and the Christian's duty to
trust in the Lord at all times, was rich
in practical suggestions and spiritual les
sons. Mr. Spurgeon's sermon. was ex
ceedingly plain and simple, the very
essence of the gospel, on Matt. xxii. 9.,
the gospel invitation to all to coins to
Christ. His appeals were earnest, ten
der, and affectionate, and I could not but
thank God, as I heard his words and
looked upon that immense multitude,
nearly 8000 souls, that so many in that
great city of London hear such plain and
earnest preaching of the simple gospel of
Jesus Christ. Mr. Spurgeon is now en
gaged in delivering a series of controver
sial sermons against the Church of Eng-
and, in which his attacks are bharac,terized
''tlkik great violence and personalityi and
crowds throng to hear him. After finish
ing the Church of England, he proposes
attacking the Presbyterians and Inde
pendents on the subject of infant baptism.
Yet is doubtless doing great good, and
the o.°re - is it to be regretted, on this ac
count, that he should be so bitter in reli
gious4gontroversy.
The course of Sir Henry Bulwer,
British Ambassador in Constantinople, in
winking at the recent persecution of con
verted Turks, and the closing the mission
ary establishments by the Turkish au
thorities, is treating great indignation
among ti angelical clergy and laity
in the Church of , England. The Re&ord,
their organ, has'contained several articles
of late, attacking Mr. Bulwer in a most
caustic manner, and it is stated openly
that the Derbl-party will bring the mat
ter before,Parliament at the coming ses
sion, milling it the ground of an attack
upon the administration of Palmeiston.
The High Church pFty feel equally ag
grieved, on: ficcount, of / the wrongs done
to the agents or the' "Propagation "
Society, and -between tlfe'se upper and
lower millstones it is thought Sir Henry
will be crushed.
ZNGLIV- OPINION ON 01,Ei CONFLICT.
I have met a few friends7lour country
in England, but they , are exceptions.
The Morning Star and 'Daily News in
London advocate mit pause,but the masses
of the people sympathize with the South.
A most excellent clergynwi of the English. -
Evangelical Church told me that he sym:
pathized with the South,: - because he
thoUght our government too' large, and
if it continued to increasef inr population
and in power,_it would be dangerous to
the peace of the world, and that slavery
was doomed, whether the South succeed
or fail, and therqore he hoped we . sho4ld
be divided into two` governments. - There
is lamentable ign.orpece everywhere with
regard to the genius of our institutions
and the nature of the struggle now going
on. One great reason of , English tanti
to the North and 'sympathy with
the South is the almost universal attach
ment here to monarchical government,
and hostility to Democratic institutions,
and the prevailing idea that the South
are more aristocratic and less democratic
than the North. Many are affected by
the hope that the South will give Eng
land its coasting trade, and remove all
export duties on cotton. Others cannot
forget 1176, and almost all seem to ignore
the fact that the North are now fighting
for the extinction of slavery. It does
not help our cause among the Evangelical
party, that so many of those who do ad
vocate our cause in England are of the
Broad Church school, whose Jooseness in
theology is thought to give rise to their
sympathy with the republielkism of the
North. One worthy man expressed the
opinion that Prof. Goldwin Smith's sym
pathy with the North was attributable
to his Broad Churchism. The great
difficulty, however, - in' England, is igno
rance of America. Mn-:Cobden was not
far from the- truth when he proposed to
establish in Oxford a professorship of
geography to teach - the young men of
England, stating that he was confident
that very few of the young men in that
University could tell within a thousand
miles the locality of the city. of Chicago I
MR. TRISTRAM'S FORTHOQMENTO WORK ON
PALESTINE
The Rev. Mr: 4l Tristram, whose guest
I am, visited the Holy - Land last winter,
spending ; six months in making collections
to illustrate the Natural History of the
Bible. Hd brought home more than a
thousand specimens of stuffed birds, (1870
in all,) many mammals, besides collec
tions of the land shells, plants, (900
species,) trees, flowers, insects, reptiles,
minerals, and fossils of Syria and Pales
tine. He is to publish in the spring two
volumes of notes of travel, and later in
1865 a large illustrated work, containing
prates of the various objects of natural
history which he collected. He is to
send, in a few weeks, a box with dupli
cate specimens of the birds of Palestine
to the Smithsonian Institution in Wash
ington. -Afr. T is well known among
scientific men in America, as one' of the
most distinguished of living English
naturalists, and his forthcoming works
will be looked for with the greatest in
terest. He is vicar of a • small country
parish and Master of Greatham Hospital,
and private collections in natural
history are among the most valuable in
England. He is a thoroughly evangeli
cal man, of a broad and catholic spirit,
earnestly devoted to the work of saving
'souls.
It was my privilege to meet him in
Syria last winter, and co-operate with
him in the - development of a locality
which he had. disc.overed near , the. Dog
River, of fossil bones and "teeth of extinct
mammals, mingled with what appeared
to be flint implements of the " stone
period." Since his return . to England,
Mr. T. has ascertained that the bones
and teeth belong to "the bison minor of
the British bone caverns, and the Bos
longifrons or some closely-allied ox."
As . the bone breccia in Syria is quite
recent, there can be no doubt that since
the days of Noah there has existed in
Syria a race of wild oxen of great size,
which is now extinct. Mr. W. Hough
ton, the celebrated zoologist, agrees with
Mr. Tristram in regarding these remains
as possibly belonging to the "reem" of
the Hebrew Scriptures and the 6 unicorn "
of the English version. Mr. Houghton
wrote the article on the " unicorn " in
Smith's Dictionary, ,and his opinion is
entitled to great.weight. lam not with
out lidpe "that we may yet discover in
Syria skulls and larger bones in these
ancient ",bone caverns," which
. will de
cide the question more conclusively.
This• little village. of North East -Eng
gland, in the county of Durham, is in
north latitude 51 . deg. 40 min., and yet,
in the middle of December, the grass is
fresh and green, the roses, violets, prim
roses, and wall-flowers are in bloom, and
the air is more like. Syria , than America.
In the corresponding latitude in North
America there is almost perpetual frost
and snow. • American travellers have
often remarked upon the superiorphysique
of the men and women in England in
comparison with that of our own people.
One does not need to remain long in
England to understand the reason. Phy
sical exercise in England is the rule, in
America the exception, especially among
the women, and girls. I was struck with
this fact to-day. Mr. Tristram's little
children go out and take a walk of four
miles as a light recreation. This after
noon I accompanied him to Hartlepool, a
flourishing seaport town about eight miles
distant. We took tea with a clerical
friend of his, and I took the seven o'clock
train 'to return home, as the night was
dark and stormy. ,He preached in Har
tlepool at half-past seven, and at nine
o'clock walked home eight miles in the
darkness, a raw east wind blowing in
furiously from the German Ocean, and
the rain falling in torrents. At half-past
ten he was at home, and after supper,
which the English eat at about 'eleven
P. M., he was ready to begin his prepa
ration for the two sermons of the Sab
,bath. This, he assured me, is only an
ordinary occurrence. Men trained to
such physical endurance at home are well
•fitted to be explorers in foreign lands.
Very truly yours, H. H. J.
THINKING may drive away many
cares and lighten many sorrows ; but
for suspense, for uncertainties, for anxi
eties, whose issues we cannot know, it
seems to me that there is no remedy at
all but prayer. -.
IT is wise:and well to look on the cloud of
sorrow as though we expected it to turn into
a rainbow
LETTER FROM EAST TENNESSEE.
KNOXVILLE, EAST TENNESSEE - ,
1 .
December 30th, 1864.
MR. EDITOR.—I find myself once more
writing from East Tennessee to the
AMERICAN PRESBYTERIAN. When the
prospectus of your paper was first pub
lished, I was associate editor of the
Presbyterian Witness. Thoroughly dis
gusted with Dr. Converse, and the
Christian Observer, for the iniquitous
subserviency to the interests of slavery,
I favored the new paper. I believed at
that time, that Dr. Converse was doing
our church more vital injury than any
other man North or South. Time has
onlibonfirmed me in that opinion.
The' AMERICAN PRESBYTERIAN was
commenced none too soon. I wish the
prospectus had been issued ten years
sooner, and it might have checked, if not
prevented, the mad plunge of Dr. Ross
and his misguided confreres from the
Cleveland General Assembly, into the
Southern- "'United Synod." Dr. Con
verse attended the Richmond Conven
tion in 1857 ; he returned to Philadel
phia, to work with all the more zeal for
the ruin of our churches. The Chris
tian Observer became more false and
libelous and sectional than ever; until it
was appropriately transferred to Rich
mond, where, as Dr. Ross used to say,
Providence punished the aged editor, in
the line of his sins. He has had the
luxury of paying $350 per barrel for
flour, as a part of his reward for villifying
good men, and for defending treason,
perjury, and theft. The worldi does not
yet know the full history of his misfor
tunes, but as one greatly wronged by
him and his paper, I shall be rejoiced to
hear of a genuine repentance.
Our brethren North can have but a
very inadequate idea of the utter desola
tion of the Southern churches. The
worst - of all is, that the guerrillas still
prowl around in every county and through
every neighborhood, conscripting for the
rebel army, or robbing and killing Union
men, so that it is unsafe,_ and therefore
unwise, to attempt, in many places at
least, there-establishment of public wor
ship. Some of the hundred day men
have just been discharged, and if they prep
perly organize and arm themselves, they
may protect themselves and their neigh
bors from violence and robbery. •
There are hundreds of refugees in
Knoxville, some of whom have been able
to reach here only within the last few
days, and I have heard some of them
sat, ;that for the last two years they
have ; never laid down a single night,
without a dread of having their houses
broken open and fired before morning.
I have no heart to weary you with de
tails of the sufferings of many Union
families the rebellion has made house
less, homeless,. penniless. Nearly nine
tenths of these are soldiers' families. It
will take many busy hands and kind
hearts to relieve their wants during the
winter that is upon them. Their dis
tress has been prolonged and intensified
by obstructions thrown in the way of
transportation by Hood's army.
General Stoneman's raid in East Ten
nessee and Southwestern Virginia was
a brilliant success. His army destroyed
one hundred and thirty-fife . bridges, an
nihilated the salt works and lead mines;
of vast importance to the rebels, and cap
tured several thousand stand of arms,
nearly two thousand prisoners, and a
large quantity of army. stores. Because
our men were fired on from the houses
at Abingdon and Wytheville, those vil
lages are in ashes.
The Synod of Tennessee failed to
meet, for want of -a quorum, and I fear
the winter will pass away before we can.
secure a. meeting. The impassible con
dition of the roads is such, and the risk
of going abroad on one's own horse, or
on a borrowed one, is so great, that min
isters are inclined to remain close at
home.
Yours very truly,
SAMUELSAWYER
LETTER FROM CHAPLAIN ENOCH K.
MILLER.
[Many of our readers doubtless remem
ber the brief history of the writer of this
letter. Joining the army as a private
and as a Christian desirous of doing good
to his fellow soldiers, after a career of
great usefulness, he was shot through
the body at Gettysburg, and long re
garded as beyond recovery. But having
been-restored, by the Divine blessing, he
resolved to seek a higher sphere of use
fulness, sought and obtained ordination
at, the hands of the Fourth Presbytery of
Philadelphia, and was chosen Chaplain
of one of the colored regiments recruited
at Camp William Penn; near this city,'
(the 25th.) The following letter to the
Fourth Presbytery, shows that his faith-.
ful labors among the soldiers of his regi
ment are bearing excellent fruit.]
FORT BARRANCAS, WEST FLORIDA.,
December sth 1864
DEAR BRETHREN IN CHRIST.-My
conduct towards you is scarcely excusa
ble, but my duties have been so nu
merous and pressing that it has seemed
utterly impossible for me to communicate
with you sooner.
Since my ordination, in May last, in
old Pine street Church, I have been per
mitted to preach the gospel forty-five
times, besides conducting over one hun
dred prayer-meetings. During this time,
I have administered the communion
three times, and baptized eleven adults.
Very many times have I been ealled to
bury the defenders of our country, and I
have always endeavored to render those
seasons impressive to the living.
In my regiment, I have gathered
about me a church of fifty-three members,
all of whom, I believe, are sincere Chris
tians. It is a Union Church, for at least
three of the orthodox churches are repre
sented. Although my labors are ardu
rous, yet the good Lord has blessed me
with excellent health. Seven men in
this regiment have professed conversion
since my arrival here in August, and one
more last night
As far as I am able to judge, they are
giving good evidence of a change of
heart. Three of them were men of more
than average intelligence, but were very
impious indeed. God has been preparing
the way for me and inclining the hearts
of men to reverence his ways and thus
my labors have been "not in vain in the
Lord."
In some of our prayer-meetings there
has been more animal excitement than I
could have desired, but I ant endeavor
ing to convince them that it will be bet
ter for them, as well as for the ‘ cause of
religion, to be less demonstratfrye and
more spiritual.
I was in hopes that TKE AMERICAN
PRESBYTERIAN would have been sent me,
so that I might have known what was
doing in our churches at home; but, un
fortunately, we are so far removed from
the bounds of civilization, that the arm
of the Christian Cominission scarcely
reaches us, and hence our knowledge of
what is going on in the Christian world
is meagre. Will some of you be kind
enough to send me papers occasionally?
Although my acquaintance was but of
short duration with, you, yet the solemn
vows made in your presence can never
be forgotten, and I trust that you will
not forget to pray for the weakest mem
ber of your Presbytery, so far distant
from you. If it will not be trespassing
too much upon your time, it would af
ford me much gratification to receive a
letter of counsel and remembrance from
any of my - brethren in the Presbytery.
In conclusion, let me assure you that
with you I shall endeavor to do all in my
power to advance the kingdom of Christ,
and may the Holy Spiririt sanctify us
wholly, through Christ Jesus our Lord.
With my sincere love, I am, brethren,
Yours truly,
ENOCH K. MILLER,
Chaplain, 25th U. S. Colored Troops.
To Fourth Presbytery, Philadelphia.
ICE STARS AND SNOW, STARS.
In Tyndall's late remarkable lectures
upon heat as a mode of motion, we find the
following pleasing and striking illustration
of the fondness, so to speak, of Nature for
the display of her starry firmament, the
highest, perhaps, of all her shows. " How
shall I dissect this ice ?" In the beam of an
electric lamp, we have an anatomist compe
tent to perform.this work. - I will send the
rays of this lamp through this block of
pellucid ice. It shall pull the crystal edi
fice to pieces by accurately reversing the
order of its architecture. Silently and
symmetrically the crystallizing force builds
the atoms up ; silently and symmetrically
the electric beam will take them down.. I
place this slab of ice in front of the lamp;
a portion of the beam is arrested in the ice,
and that portion is our working antagonist.
Well, what is he doing ? I place a lens in
front of the ice, and cast a magnified image
of the slab upon the screen. Observe the
image : here we have a star, and there
a star; and as the action continues, the ice
appears to resolve, itself into stars,-each one
possessing six rays, each one representing a
beautiful flower of six petals. And. as I
shift my lens to and fro, I bring new stars
into view; and as the action continues, the
edges of the petals become serrated, and
spread themselves out like fern; leaves upon
the screen.
"Few are aware of the beanty latent in a,
block of common ice. And only think of
lavish nature operating thus throughout the
world. Every storm of the solid ice which
sheets the frozen lakes of the North, has
been fixed according to this law." And to
complete the charming spectacle in this re
semblance to the aspect of the sky at night,
each ice-star flower, by a direction of the
illuminating beam, will be seen to yield
a spot in-its centre, shining with the lustre
of burnished silver. By immersing it in
hot water, you can melt away the ice all
around the spot; the moment you do this,
the eye of the star and flower, glowing with
celestial brightness, is gone, and not a trace
of it is left. The spot is a vacuum. So
creative skill evokeS, builds its graces, its
glories, out of nothing—out of everything.
Nor is it to the eye alone that the ice and
the firmament are equally full of stars.—
Our ears, trained by true science, may
hear nature laying her beams in music.
Meteors and stars are said to sound and
sing—ice-staxs are known to have a voice
whenever the flashing spark_ is struck,
which unveils them in their frosty sphere.
Snow, likewise, found in a calm atmos
phere, exhibits the same regular and ex
quisite fibres that we discover in ice. Snow
crystals are built upon the same type with
icy crystals, the molecules forming six-sided
stars. The six-leaved blossoms assume the
most wonderful variety of form • their
tracery is of the finest frost gauze,. and to
their rays cling other spangled rosettes, the
nebulm of the frozen field. Beauty is
piled upon beauty; as if nature, once at her
task, delighted to show the wealth of her
wonderful resources' within the narrow
limits of a snow wreath, ice ship, melting
at a breath, or within the boundless sweep
of the hoses on high, enduring forever.
We regret that the Transcript cannot readily
publish copies of the wood-outs in Prof..
Tyndall's 'work. That of the snow stars is
familiar to most of our readers. A bit of
dark cloth will catch such stars in any
gentle snow fall. The ice-stars we hope to
give ere long, if we can secure the neces
sary and inexpensive apparatus, with the
aid of a friend, whose science, skill and
genius we have tested, for the revelation of
the stars of the literary firmament of our
language.—Boston Transcript.
frequentofauthority • •
THE o use impairs
it. If thunder were continual, it would
excite no more sensation than the noise of a
mill.