Carre,spaiAntr.
THE SABBATH A NATIONAL BULWARK.
BY REV. H. AUG. SMITH
That nation into which the observance
of the Sabbath has instilled a reverence
for "pure religion wreathing household
laws," has taken a step from which it
cannot retrograde. Thought can never
die'in such a country. It has attained
its spiritual majority—its manhood. The
sense of duty braces the nation's heart,
and overcanopies its life. Thera .is_in
spiration in such a people. Compare
Presbyterian Scotland with Papal Italy
to-day. Scotland, with her crystal lakes
and granite hills, is full of inspiration
and vigor ; while the beautiful shpres of
Campania are the stronghold of banditti ;
while Pisa, and Florence, and Genoa re
call, in their deserted palaces, a magnifi
cence that has passed away. Contrast
Holland with Portugal ; contrast the col
onies of Protestant England with those
of Papal Spain in America. " The
people of New England," says Bancroft,
" were full of affections. They enjoyed
religion. The consequence was, univer
sal- health, one of the chief elements of
public happiness. The average duration
of life in New England, compared with
Europe, was doubled; and the human
race was so vigorous, that of all who
were born into the world, more than two
in ten, full four in fifteen, attained the
age of seventy. Of those who lived be
yond ninety, the proportion, as compared
with European tables of longevity, was
still more remarkable."
Who, then, that looks upon our coun
try with a patriot's eye, will not prize
our time-hallowed, time-sanctioned, Chris
tian Sabbath, as the very bulwark of our
liberties ? We have great dangers to
encounter here. When we see the ten
dency to licensed and revolutionary
democracy ; a foreign population pouring
in, untaught to - revere the Sabbaths and
untrained in the school of freedom; when
we see the multiform infidelity of the
age marshalling its hosts for one grand
and final onset, under the very guise of
liberty seeking to ally itself with the
dominant spirit and civilization of the
Age ; and when we look at the increas
ing power of Popery—cool and wary,
but bloodthirsty still—when we think of
the profound and subtle affinities that
bind together these foes of free. institu
tions—infidelity, popery, and the spirit
of mobs—it is not without alarm that
we see them commingling on a theitre
of action so transcendent as this country
and this age of ours. We shall need the
Sabbath thrown up, as a stupendous
bulwark and breakwater against the tre
mendous sea that is raging in upon us.
Only then may we predict the stability
of the great Republic, when all over ,.. its.
imperial expanse, from the green 'hills of
New England to the prairies of the West,
and the golden gates of the. Pacific slope,
each Sabbath's sun shall look' upon as
sembling multitudes going up together to
worship the Lord in the beauty of holi
ness.
JOTTINGS FROM A PARtSH , JOURNAL.
NO. IV.
In a city not quite so important and
not quite so old as this goodly city_of
William Penn, there was, in the fall of
1862, a very great religious interest.
Under God the movement was the result
of a refreshing visit from the Rev. E. 'P.
Uammond. Most of the Presbyterians
of that community were from the mother
country, and not a few of them from the
land of Livingstone and Samuel Ruther
ford—the land of the MeCheynes and
Bonars—the land of Chalmers. Yet
;while in theory they professed to believe
in the possibility of a revival, it was not
in a Yankee revival. Probably, had
Livingstone. or Chalmers risen from the
grave and given them a,psaltn of Rouse's
Version, " line upon line," they might
have attended .a revival service ; but
Hammond sung hymes, which was a
very serious drawback to the revival
devotions. Then Hammond held " in
quiry meetings," something new in con
nection with the staid and stereotyped
forms of Presbyterian Christianity to
which they had been accustomed. But
the most grave and, in fact, unsurniount
able obstacle in the way of CONSCIENCE,
was that Mr. Hammond allowed chil
dren to speak for Christ; nay, in fact,
that he encouraged the young to pray,
sing and speak of the precious blood of
the Lamb of God that bad purified their
young warm hearts and consecrated them
to God.
One of the pastors of the goodly city
in question, in his round of pastoral visi
tation during this season of refreshment,
happened to call on a devout and exem
plary family from the Highlands of Scot
land., This family were models of Chris
tian consistency. They walked in all
the commandments of the Lord blame
less. A junior member of that Christian
household had been brought to Christ
during the revival, and after passing
through a dreadful struggle—a conflict
which few young persons have to., en
counter—the young convert had found
peace with God. This pastoral visit was
intended more especially as one of eon
_
gratulation—a rejoicing over the lost
piece of silver—a making of spiritual
mirth over thelPreturning prodigal. It
was a happy visit. The' matron of the
house, now ripening in years, but fresh
and healthy, welcomed the pastor with
teaks of joy rolling down her cheeks.
Often had she greeted the welcome min
ister on entering her happy home be
fore, but never till this day did she feel
as she expressed it, that her "bairn,
had entered the kingdom." It was a joy
ful meeting. The young convert sat
down with calm, composed and modest
mien, and in the most pleasing simplicity
of heart told her delighted pastor of all
the joys she felt since she had found
Christ. Her narrative was more like that
of a ripe Christian than a young convert;
yet it was so simple, so unaffected, and
so heartfelt, that it did not fail to draw
tears from her affectionate pastor's eyes.
After she bad finished her sweet and re
freshing tale of sorrow and of joy, they
united in singing a couple of verses of
the beautiful little hymn so frequently
sung by Mr. Hammond at the children's
meetings :
"Nothing either great or small
Remains, remains for me to do,
Jesus died and paid it all,
All that I was due."
and the pastor united with them in
prayer.
On rising from their knees and taking
up his hat, the devout and grateful parent
requested him to wait for a few moplents,
as the family had been greatl3rexercised
by a visit which had been paid them on
the evening before by an elder in one of
the churches of the city—a man whom
they believed to be a very wise man.
Indeed they said he was called in the
neelands o' Scotland " ape of THE MEN."
The pastor was not utMlling to hear
their troubles of conscience, and, seated
himself for a few moments as he was re
quested, when the conversation turned
upon the wholesome counsels of the' "Man
of Ross." " Fray what, objection has the
good man to the revival meetings," said
the minister. "I have seen him at some
of those precious meetings." "-Oh, aye,
he says he has been at some of the meet
ings, but he does nae gae thfre to pray„
it's as a luker on!"
Well;" : replied the minister, " Zaccheus
went up on the fig tree as a looker-on,
and he came down a weeping, praying
pe t nitent." " Oh! aye ;,but D— is a
far wiser and a far better man than
Zaccheus ; that is, in his' own esteem."
"Please," said the pastor, " mention his
difficulties in regard t 6 sour -meetings."
(At this very time, be it noted, there
were three crowded meetings daily, be
side a diet of open-air preaching going
on in the city.) "Weel, ~ w eel, sir,
what exercised us was just this : he
says we manna sing hymes ; and when
he was on his feet, stepping awa frae the
door, he shook his head , and shook his
cane, and said: Noo, Mrs. —; dinna
let the bairns spealc, for its no shoocli
shious. ~
To these grave objections the pastor
felt it to be his duty to reply, and pulling
out his pocket Bible, he said : " Let us
read> Mattthew 'And when they
had sung an hymn, they went out into
the Mount of Olives.' Here you see
that the Blessed Master closed the com
munion by singing a hymn !" " Aye,
aye ; but we had that ower heed, and he
told us that in the Gaelic it reads 'they
sung a psalm!' He says that Mr.
Hammond's hymes are no scam, and the
.bairns should not be allowed to sing
heresy. He says there's nae soup hymes
in America, and that the deevil aye
brings error into the kirk by singing it
in first, then preaching it in afterwards."
'" But," said the pastor. The para
phrases are hymns. Why, sing them ?"
"Peel, we telt him that, sir," replied
the good woman, " and he said, the less
we have o' the paraphrases the better.
There's naething like the gude aul
psalms of David in Gaelic or Hebrew.' "
"Well, well," said the pastor; "let him
sing them in Gmlie or. Hebrew ; but be
assured Mr. Hammond's hymns will not
do your family any harm. Can any one
object to such a sweet anthem as
There is a fountain filled with blood,
Drawn from Immanuel's veins?"'
And no sooner had he repeated the lines,
than the young convert, as if by intuition,
started the air, and we all united in
singing the entire hymn ; when he said :
"Do you feel any thing the worse of
that ?" " Na, na ; :that's a precious
hym I" was the reply. " Now," said the
minister, when about 'to start ; " as to the
bairds speaking; the good elder says,
dinna let the bairns speak!'
" Let us read Matthew xxi., 15 : 'And
when the chief priests and scribes saw
the wonderful things that he did, and
the CECILDREN crying in the temple, and
saying, Hosannah to the Son of David,
they were sore displeased, and said unto
him, illearest thou what these say ?'
And Jesus said unto them, Yea ; have
ye never read, Out of the mouths of
BABES and SUCKLINGS thou hest perfected
pritise ?' So you see that eighteen hurl;
dred years ago, there were ELDERS who
said 'Dintla let the bairns speak" and not
only so, but they would neither speak for
Christ themselves, nor let the bairns
speak for him. They were lukers on..'
If Christ were among us, he would let
the bairns speak."
On reading and expounding this pas
sage, the pastor left this pious home,
and at the next juvenile prayer-meeting
the young convert opened her mouth and
spoke for Jesus. This child of Jesus is
now a member of the church, and an ef
ficient, devoted teacher in one of the Sab
bath-schools of that city.
It were unjust for one moment to throw
a shadow of doubt upon the personal piety
of the elder in question. He is a con
sistent Christian man, as many of the
members of the church believe and will
attest; but manifestly one of those Chris
tian men whose views and habits in re
gard to religious matters have been
cramped and hampered by stereotyped
forms, so that he cannot move one hair's
breadth out of the beaten track. From
THE AMERICAN PRESBYTERIAN, THURSDAY, MARCH 23, 1865
his earliest days he has never heard a
hymn sung in the kirk of his fathers, and
has been accustomed, all his life, to asso
ciate hymn-singing with Methodism and
all kinds of heresy. Re has formed the
idea that Unitarians, Universalists, and
all errorists sing only hymns, whilst the
truly Orthodox and Evangelical Churches
sing only Rouse's Psalms.
Again, in the school to which he be
longs, the belief is all but universal that
it is the very height of presumption for
any one, save such as have obtained the
highest diploma in the divine life, to speak
of Experimental Religion.
The grand fallacy among this class of
Christians is simply this---they forget
that an infant is a Wing creature, as
truly ., as is a giant; and that a. babe can
scream, if it can neither talk nor sing
that the child at school has a soul to feel
and a mind to think, just as well as the
philosopher. And why should not the
infant cry, if there is a felt leant, and re
joice and be merry, if the want has been
supplied? If Christ loved.little children
and, took them to his arms, if children are
the heritage of the Lord, if babes and
sucklings could only, cry " Hosanna," let
npt their mouthS- lie stopped. In the
church in glory: their voices are hymning
the praises of the Lamb. In the "gene
ral assembly and' "church of the fuck
born" they blend their notes with the
niinstrelsy of ,angels; why not, speak
and sing on earth as well as in heaven ?
Erskine's "STRIFE IN IlnA.v2N"is
,surely
an orthodox piece. One of itS'-closing
couplets deserves devout commendatiOn.
It is so apropos, that no one will object
to its insertion here
"334.wis.thither caught from womb and breast
Claimed right to sing above the rest,
Because they found the happy shore
They never saw nor sought before."
A
PUPIL (SF CHALMEF.§.
AN ILLUSTRATION. OF CITY MISSIONS.
MESSRS. EDITORS :—Last Sabbath I
attended thelte*house of worship in the
southivest Part, of'our city. I was much
pleased to find there a very beautiful and
commodious place of worship: It is in
a part of the city, too, where one is much
needed; and now, as the writer does not
belong to this ,branch of the church, you
may allow him to speak " somewhat" in
praise of what he saw and heard.
The house is neat, not gaudy;. Save
perhaps, in the - point of Rev. Dr. Cox's
expression of " Staining - the light of
Heaven before they let it in" lt is
guilty of this. But this has become so
common, in these days, and we have.So
many times transferred this item from
our Episcopal brethren, that we begin
to, feel that we have a denominational
right to do it.
We have heard it said that this house
was built by the donation of one man;
Mr. Baldwin. If Aso, it is a-deed worthy
of all praise, and will be one of, the.
" good works' that; will follow hini" to .
heaven. We thank 'him for the deed.
The people there thank him ; thewhole
church thankk - MM. The writer` once
went to him to. beg. for a benevolent ob
ject. With a smile, the good man said,
" how flinch do you want ?" And the
answer was no sooner given, than, with
the same benignant smile, the amount
asked was handed over. It has also
been said that the same man has built,
or , largely aided in building, several other
houses of worship, and in supporting the
.ministers. - -
One likes to ask, under such cases of
wide-spread beneficence, is there but one
man in Philadelphia, in all the churches,
who is able and willing to put his hand
to this work
It -has been said, by those who
ought, to know, 4hat there are more
than three .hundred thousand souls, in
this city for whom there is no room in
the present churches. If this be so,
what a resposibility lies upon Christians
here. And what a debt of gratitude is
due to the man who has built, or been
the means 'of half 'a dozen
houses of Worship ?' IS-there not a man
in 'all the other denominations who will
build one ?
Air. Van I'leurs? text God for
bid that I should glory, save°illy in the
cross of our Lord Jesus phrist; by which
the world is crucified unto me, and I
unto the world."
It was remarked—the term Cross is
used in three different senses in the New
Testament.
Ist. It means the wood upon which
Christ was crucified. Some have a great
idea of this wood.
2d. It is used to represent the re
proach and blame attending a Christian
—" Christ bore the cross and despised
the shame."
'3d. It denotes the doctrines of the
gospel. It is used in this sense in the
text.
In the next place, the preacher showed
what was meant by glorying in the
cross. Then he told us how the world
was crucified, dead, to such as gloried
in the cross. They did not seek its
wealth, its honors, its fame, itc. So,
also, they were crucified to it.
The sermon was a plain, simple exhi
bition of trath—no flourishing of trum
pets, no proclamation of what the speaker
was going to do—no "things hard to be
understood ;" no hard words, even. It
was delivered with feeling—as though
the preacher ..pelieved what he said.
While I was baring it, I thought it did
not call for a prophet to tell why there
has, been a constant revival, or constant
additions to the church from this field.
Our Danish brother is surely a pattern of
simplicity, and we ban say of him, as
Paul said of hipmelf, he used great
.plainness of speech." While he preached
with great simplicity, it was not simple
preaching.
It has been said over three hundred
souls have been added to the church
from this Mission since Mr. Van Deurs
has preached there. Surely the plain,
simple truth is all that Christ requires,
preached with earnestness and simpli
city.
Now, ;this sketch has not been written
to praise Mr. Baldwin, for he needs no
praise ; nor to exalt Rev. Mr. Van Deurs,
for he would not be exalted by anything
that the writer could say. These men,
it is not doubted, are doing their duty.;
and the object of this paper is to ask,
who else will come up to this work of
preaching the gospel to the poor in this
city ? What other man will build a
church ? What other Church, besides
Calvary, will support a Missionary ?
There is not a more promising field
for missionary laborers, on earth than
Philadelphia now presents. There are
men and women who have no knowledge
of the way of salvation. There are those
, who are being educated for the peniten
tiary. As soon as one crop passes to
their home = the poor-house or the prison
—another comes. Our grog-shops-rare
doing the work of destruction at a fear
fUl rate. We make one, hand wash the
other—by the grog-shops, we make "the
paupers, and then have the largest poor
house in the world, for which we tax
ourselves to support them.
I would advise a different course.
Spend money to keep these persons frpm
idleness, and sin. Better do that, and
save their bodies and souls, than support
them in the almshouse, and let them "be
destroyed, both soul and body in laell."
Let this work of, prevention of sin be
tried. Let, every church member do
what he can to save these poor, misers ,
ble creatures, and in one year the whole
city Would be regenerated.
W. 14. C.
CHAPLAIN STEWART'S LETTER!
WASHINGTON, D. C.,,March 10, 1865
RELIGION IN OUR ARMIES
REAR BROTHER :-A poet prophet,
many centuries since , promised, that in
the good time coming, " There shall be,
an handful' of corn in the earth upon the
top of the mountains." A very un
promising locality, however, both with
respect to soil and climate for an early
or a bountiful harvest. Yet does the
same writer assure us, " The fruit thereof
shall shake like Lebanon."
Often already has the fulfillment of this
been verified in unexpected and wonder
ful ways. The most unpromising moral
fields, both as it respects individuals and
communities, have not unfrequently
been made 'to bloom like the garden of
tie, Lord. No field in' itself is more un
-promising for the conversion of sinners
and sanctification of believers than lirge
94.P5. Xet through the labors of
Chaplains, the large hearted liberality of
the Christian' Commission in either fur
nishing entire, or assisting in the provi
sion of suitable places for religious wor
ship;in 'connection with the services of
many faithful delegates, all 'accompanied
with God's blessing, there exists a con
dition of things at present in the Army
of the Potomac and James, perhaps un
equalled since the days when Cromwell's
army, sang Psalms, offered prayers, and
gained victories.
During a late visit, extending through
the entire Army of the Potomac and
James, a fair opportunity, both. by in
quiry and personal observation, was
afforded for judging of this matter. Ac
cording to human judgment, sinners-are
converted, the lukewarm revived, and
the earnest strengthened. A single in
stance of my own experience may convey
a just conception of matters in camp.
Preaching in a tent of the Christian
Commission, at Henry Station, in the
Twenty-fourth Army Corps, one Sabbath
evening, I reasoned with. the men of
righteousness, temperance, and, judgment
to come--urging upon them an earnest,
distinct, and manly profession of Christ
in camp. About two hundred were
pre - sent, entirely filling the tent. Deep
earnestness, attention, and stillness were
manifest during my preaching. It is not
my wont to call out or - invite any mani
festation from the audience after sermon,
but allow the hearers quietly to retire
and meditate on what has been heard.
The congregation, on this occasion, had
other feelings, and intents. For pre
sently, after, the sermon, one got up and
, said he was already on Christ's' side;
another, that he was now going to place
himself there akatiother asked all to pray
for him, that he might not be ashamed of
Christ, and thus another and another
arose, until nearly the whole were up.
Talking, singino• prayer, and exhorta
tion continued until a late hour.
After we were all asleep in the cabin
house of the Commission, we were waked
by a knocking at the door. I arose and
asked what was wanted. Two young
Soldiers desired admission to talk and
pray. The door was opened, a light
struck, myself dressed, and a fire started,
as it was a chilly night and now one
o'clock. The young men had been at
the evening service ; gone to their quar
ters and lain down, but could not sleep.
They talked long together, without com
fort; finally they 'had risen and walked
to a wood near brand prayed, but found
no peace ; and had now come that I
might talk and pray with them. Long,
earnestly, add affectionately we com
muned together, carrying their cases
before the mercy seat, and before the dawn
separating, not perhaps to meet again till
at the judgment bar.' God's Spirit was
working in their hearts; whether effec
tually, the end will show.
Although all this is very hopeful, yet
must not Christian friends at home be
too sanguine nor mis-judge the real con
dition of things. With all the large
hearted provision for the religious ac
commodation of our soldiers in their win
ter quarters, perhaps not a tenth of - those
now in the army could be accommodated
though all were packed to their utmost
capacity. Nine-tenths perhaps never
enter one of these places of worship,-
neverwish to enter—are growing harder
and more abandoned because some are
becoming softer and more in earnest.
As a class, these religious influences in
camp do not reach nor seem to' influence
our officers. The rarest thing imagina
ble is to see a shoulder-strcip at any kind
of-a religious meeting in camp.
Nor, is our sanguine hopes for great
results, must it be forgotten that excite
ments of any kind "are easily gotten up
in camp—religious ones not excepted.
The soldier is accustomed to excitements ;
lives on them as far as possible ; and
can be led into religious excitements also
without,any special or extra efforts. Yet
may these pass away almost as readily
as - any other 'camp excitements. The
turmoils, the dangers, the weariness and
the wickedness of an active campaign
are generally sufficient to banish from
the soldier's mind-nearly every good im
pression ; make him almost forget there
is a Bible, a Sabbath, or a God. This
especially unless these impressions have
been worked into principles,, and the soi
-1 dier have also e faithful chaplain or some
such teacher from God to accompany
him through all his exposures -; in order
to warn, entreat, rebuke, and encourage.
Such at least have been my own experi
ences and impressions after long trial.
BENJAMIN,FRANKLIN'S PROPOSAL OF
PRAYER
IN THE CONVENTION FOR FRAMING}
THE CONSTITUTION
When the body that were assembled
to form. our national ConstitutiOn had
been in session several weeks, the vene
rable Franklin rose, and made a solemn
address to the President, in which, after
adverting tithe fact that the y', had been
examining constitutions and searching
for models of government through all
history, and still were groping in the
dark to find political truth, he proceeded
thus :--
'" In the beginning of the contest with.
Britain, when we were sensible of dan
ger, we had daily prayers in this room
for the Divine protection. Our prayers,
sir, were heard and were graciously an
swered. All of us who were engaged in
the struggle must have obServed frequent
instances of a superintending Provi
dence in, our favor. To, that kind Provi
dence we owe this happy opportunity of
consulting in peace on the means of es
tablishing our future national felicity.
" And have we forgotten that power
ful Friend ? or do we imagine we no
more need his assistance ?
"I have lived, sit, a long time; and
the longer live, the more convincing
proofs I see of this truth—that God gov
erns in the affairs of men. We have
been assured, Or, in the sacred writings,
that except" the Lord build the house,
they labor in vain that build it.' I
firmly believe this, and I also believe
that, without His concurring aid, we shall
succeed in this political building no bet
ter than the builders of Babel. We shall
be divided by our little, partial, local in
terests, and we ourselves shall become a
reproach and by-word to future ages.
"I, therefore, beg leave to move, that
henceforth prayers, imploring the assist
ance of Heaven and its blessing on our
deliberations, be held , every morning be
fore we proceed to business."
That august assembly, not of mere
politicians, but of noble statesmen, felt
that they needed God's wisdom, and they
reverently asked for it. Wonderfully
were they guided in adjusting its princi
ples to the complicated and conflicting
interests of different States.
Experiment hae shown that the man
agement, as well as the formation, of this
vast machinery, is attended with diffi
culty-. Equally, if not more, is prayer
now needed by our rulers, and for them
to guide and preserve our glorious heri
tage.
WITH ME IN PARADISE.
, c To-day shalt thou be with me in Para
dise." What a day to that dying map I
How strange the contrast between its open
ing* and its close—its morning and its
night ! Its morning saw him a culprit,
condemned before the bar of earthly judg
meat; before evening shadowed the hill of
Zion, he stood accepted at the bar of
heaven! The morning saw him led out,
through an earthy city's gate, in company
with one Who was hooted at by the crowd
that gathered around him; before night fell
upon Jerusalem ; the gates of another city,
even the heavenly, were lifted up, and he
went up through them in company with
one around whom all the hosts of heaven
were bowing down, as he passed on to take
his place beside the Father on his everlast
ing throne. Humblest believer in the
Saviour, a like marvellous contrast, is, in
store for you. This hour it may be, weak
and burdened, tossing on the bed of agony,
in that dark chamber of stifled sobs and
dropping tears; the next hour, up and
away in the Paradise of God, mingling with
thejust made perfect, renewing death
broken friendships, gazing on the unveiled
glories, of the Lamb. Be thou, then, but
faithful unto death—struggle on for 'a few
more of -those numbered days, or months,
or years, and of that day of your departure
hence, in His name I have to say it to you,
Verily thou shalt be with me in Paradise.
Rev. Dr. Hanna.
SOUND AND TIMELY SUGGESTIONS. -
To every pastor, ruling elder, and gen.
erous-minded Christian in our church, we
commend the following sensible and well
expressed views of a cotemporary of the
Episcopal church, the Christian Times:
A well-conducted religious jcurnal sup
plies a place in every parish that nothing
else can fill. There is a vast variety of
subjects which properly come before the at
tention of the Church, though wholly un
suited to the pulpit. We have ne diposi
tion to magnify the press at the expense of
the pulpit, yet it is evident that the pulpit
cannot consistently attempt' to do every
thing and perTorm all the work of the
Church. It needs the press as an auxiliary.
Besides, few of the parochial clergy can
command the attention of their congrega
tion for more than fifty-two short half-hours
in the course of a year. In this brief time
comparatively little can be done. There is
no space for anything more than an exhi
bition of the prominent tedchings of the
Gospel, and hence, in families where'no re
ligious paper is regularly taken, can we ex
pect to find an intelligible understanding
of the general condition of the Church, and
a proper acquaintance with Church work?
We believe not; and in those cases where
a certain midnight darkness prevails in gon.-
nection with such points, how can the clergy
expect to awaken a proper dearee of inter
est when appealing to their parishioners in
behalf of the work and institutions of the
Church ? Full intelligence must always
precede zealous and united action. The
people need to be kept constantly informed
of what is going on in the Christian world.
They must be made acquainted. with all our
religious and benevolent enterprises. Whyte
there is no knowledge, on these points,
there will be no life, activity, or interest.
Now do the clergy at the, present time
realize this as they should ? Do they, con-,
sides how much they would actually be
aided in their work by having a good reli
gious paper constantly read in every familY
under their charge? Do they realize what
an advantage it would be to have the minds
of their congregations previously prepared
by facts and figures for every appeal they
make to them in behalf of our missionary
and benevolent institutions? Do they also
realize that every hour spent by families in
perusing the religious journals on Sunday,
is an -hour saved from communion with
worldly, and often pernicious sources of lit
erature ? —Every religions paper that enters
a family banishes something else, and in a
large majority of cases the outgoing publi
cation would be one devoted to sentimental
trash of a skeptical bearing, such as robs
our churches of thousands of worshippers
every Sunday.. Let all the friends of reli
gion remember this fact, and cheerfully give
their influence to sustain the publications
of the Church. No family can afford to do
without a good religious journal. It re
turns a hundredfold for the annual invest
ment. It will "awaken the interest of the
young in all matters relatinc , to Christ's
kingdom; it will ..keep. alive the zeal of
those who have long labored in its support;
it will everywhere encrender an intelligent
and zealens activity, and hold up the,hands
of burdened and laborious Rector. We
therefore urge alien all classes the necessity
of entering upon the support of the religious
- press with a feeling of deeper appreciation.
We especially invite the parish clergy to
aid us in extending our own circulation.
They do not hesitate to ask the press to
help them ; why, then, should we hesitate
to return the compliment? •
A. M. STEWART
ist~Uan nto,
OUR PUBLICATIONS-THE CLOSER
WALL
Our publications are too little known,
even among our ministers. Their distribu
tion throughout our congregations would
do much to promote growth of Christian
character. They would furnish instruction
to the people which would be a good basis
for the minister to build upon. One of
these books is "The Closer Walk," by Dr.
Darling_ Its object is to hold up to our
views •_the beauty of holiness, and to point
out some of the means of attaining a higher
degree of satisfaction. The meaning and
character of santification are given. It is
a growth, a progressive work It is a part
of the Christian's life work "to grow in
grace." No one can, without blame, remain
" a babe in Christ." Progress .is shown to
be an essential eharacteristic of true piety.
We learn more from example than precept.
The author, recognizing this fact, gives Paul
as an example of sanctification. One chap
ter is devoted to the methods by which he
came to such strength of Christian charac
ter. The key to this chapter is found in_
Paul's own word's :--"Brethren, I count
not myself to have apprehended; but this one
thing r do, fiirgetting those things which
are behind, and reaching forth unto those
things which are before, I press toward the
mark for the prize of the high calling of
God in Jesus Christ."
The connection between holiness and use
fulness is the theme of one chapter. The
usefulness of the Christian depends upon
his deep and abiding sense of the condition
of sinners. Feeling that God works by
human instrumentahty—that he may be a
colaborer with Him—he earnestly engages
in every good work.
Will you not seal this "closer walk with
God ?" Your higher usefulness demands it.
You must be good to do good. The perils
of religious declension threaten you if you
do not advance.. If, with you, in the dine
life, there is no progression,
there must be
retrogression. The way of santification is
the only way that leads to a "full assurance
of hope." To make your " calling and
election sure,' you must.diligently cultivate
in your life every grace of the Spirit.
And each new step which you take in holi
ness here, will add new lustre to that un
fading crown of glory that awaits you in
heaven."
Pastors have you carefully read this little
book and commended it to your congrega
tions 7--Christian Herald.
Gon will, accept your first attempts to
serve him, not as a perfect work, but as a
beginning. The first little blades of wheat
are as pleasant to the farmer's eyes as the
whole field waving with grain.