glw :k lurk u •-•ticsbgirri4u
New Series, Vol. IV, No. 52.
$3 00 By Nail. SS 60 'By Carrier.
50cts Additional after three Months.
John klVetr
auttritait Insiayttrian.
THUIISbAY, DECEMBiIt, 26,4867.
A THOUGHT ON On: WAY.
Can this over-busy age . of 'ours, with its
clever promptness in speaking and in eating,,
ho ever again brought to believe in theduty
and expediency of deliberate reflection, arid
calm self-converse? Is the lightningTox
press to be its whole ideal' Of hUrnan
conduct? Can no style , ,
or reasoning be , to.k.
- crated but that which leaps,vtith instinctive
rapidity, from premise to conclusion ? TJn-.
happy civilization, if it . :llliis' made thinking
the privilege of the. few;. while it pute the
masses at the mercy o.."sp.ch . an infinitude
of artificial wants, or wheedles tlietin, into
such an inconceivably mad ameenfter world
ly " success," as to nearly destroy both the
possibility and the inelirkatien for reflection
upon the sober themes and realities of life.
Surely this closingseason of the,Year may
he hold inviolate from the distracting influ
ences of pleasure or husinelni.' Here surely
are hallowed hours anci.ealffring .influences.f
Nature herself gives a lesson of - sohrie s ty find
repose. The heurs - of daylight are tut
short and the long:paled: of stilenbses ittivites
us to self-inspection. - ehlef occupations
oven of the business man are. those, of re
view and settlement. The year is closing:
our lives are made up of but a. feW years at
best. We are mortal and our race is fast
running. Shall we pass from time into
eternity in a mere unthinking rush; tumb
ling restlessly down cataracts, and without
pause, shooting Niagara at last ?'
1. Lot, us at this season Of the, - year, resolve .
to set up some effectual barrier to the tide. -
Let our lives henceforth have some element
of independent thought in them. Let each
day have some sacred moments - of solitary
reflection, upon our own character, upon
duty, upon God, upon eternity, upo's
great principles, upon the divine dealings
with us and ours, upon the character . , perils ,
and proper training , at our childieh:: 'Take
seine text of Scripture, some pungent word.
from the pulpit, and let it employ and noun
ish your, miailessabet , tassili.listrr
lot moral beauty have some inward reality
to your thought. Dwell on the love of
Christ., the inexhaustible theme of heaven
and earth, until the deepest and most en
during motive of action, Christian gratitude
is aroused within you. In spite of manifold
hi nderanees and almost impossibilities, strive
to bring your thoughts into captivity to
Christ. Wo fear we have quite too much
the organized, associated, ably talking
and cleverly and zealously-acting sort ofpiety
in our day, which must and will exhaust
itself; and re-act into a state of hopeless
nervous prostration and paralysis, if it is
lint backed by a richer and more spiritual
inward life.
2, Let us live more by deliberate plan
True we know not what a day may bring
tbrtli, and we dare not boast of to-morrow;
but we may be sure the large power of fore
sigikt, given to us was not meant to lie un
used. We are to trust God in all things,
but we have no encouragement to cast upon
Lint what is in any measure, within range
of human faculties. God, whose decrees
are from eternity, does not and cannot ap
prove of a desultory way of living in any. of
his intelligent creatures. Lot us ask: What
Nurse of life shall we choose ? Or, if we
hive found our place, what part of our work
'hall we do this year ? What particular
duties are to meet us to-morrow ? Can we
anticipate any of them and assign them
their place, so that we shall not go about
the whole day's work in a flurry? Are the
i!rolmble temptations of to-morrow within
range of ealculation,the frivolous company
we aro likely to meet; the pressure likely
to come upon this or that right principle ;
the trials of patience ; the incitement to
Pasty speaking? What scattered moments,
the gold dust of time, shall we have at corn
aad what provision can we make for
their employment? There aro days so pre
'lulls that they may be anticipated during
a whole previous week—such is Communion
uabbath ; such are anniversaries, important
events—birth-days and the like. But it is .
beyond doubt that each day's work may be
facilitated and the reins of events may be
goinowhat brought in hand, by even a few
moments spent in anticipating and planning
1 4,0 day before. Life is a campaign ; each
one ticeds to exercise generalship in antici-
6july 68
pating its contingeneies from day to day.
S. But in order to wise preparation for the
future we need aoquaintance with the past.
The sagacity of the, statesman arises from•
the study of history. The general's skilful
plan arises - , in part at least, from the know
ledge &Test plans; from remembered ex
perience in war; even from past' defeats.
This is the time for a review of our lives.
This is the time to inquire-,after character
istie finilts, after habitualeriors and failings;
to set up Warnings over the known perilous
places, which, by the laws of our nature and
our position in life, are'likely,to rscur, in. a
word,,o,ur besetting ,sins. This, is the time ,
for a revised estimate of our' character and
conduct'; for an examination. of the grounds
orour hope; for an addition tO l duk stock'of
self-knowledge k for improving - our acquaint
ance with that'person, so much,s, stranger
to us--ourself. This is =the time for frank
ness• and fair-dealing- with Ourselves, whom
'we cheat so desperately, the,time to go he
hind the world's,ptiblie estimate - of us ;to si r
lence the whispers of pride ; to hear fully the
long suppressed admonition& of conscience.
Where has our pharacter shown a painful
lack of Christian symmetry; where is the
excess 'and Where is the defect? Have we
understood, -or humbly sought to profit by
our afflictions? Has our gold been refined? ,
Has patience had her perfect work? Look
lug back, can ''Ve . " count ;it all joy' that
we - fell into divers temptations ? Has our
character been invigorated and developed
by them ?, Has thO . power of grace been
manifeated and so God glorified in us'?
And if the Christian is palled on to make
,
such diligent self-inquiry, much more should
the unconverted man employ this season in
thinking •on his ways.-- On his knees he
Should seek to be penetrated with a sense
of his error 'and danger. Without long
thi4ing he should make haste, and delay
not, to' keep the commandments which he
already knaws his life has been spent in
breaking. lie should hear, as addressed to
himself, the oft : Escape for thy life ; look
net behind thee, neither stay thou in all
iff6"plain Vecape to the mountain, lest thou
be conskeV" He should think enougtk
otlnvf teivithithitlf; mid-iirthirdsiiiVistioil. cif his
wretchedness to arise and go unto his Father.
Holy Ghost ! give voice to the closing year,
and through every one of its 'associations
may it cry into his inmost heart, "Awake
thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead,
and Christ shall give thee light."
CHURCH ERECTION.
ITS RELATIONS TO HOME MISSIONS
They are one and the same in the great
common aim of promoting the Evangeliza
tion of our country. They form each a part
of the generic work of Church Extension in
the broadest sense. They are not one how
ever in such a sense that either can', in any
degree, take the place of the other.
They are not one in such a sense that the
co-operation and sitpport of the Churches
can be concentrated upon either to the ex
clusion of the other.
The Home Mission Committee never
build churches, however sorely they may
be needed, and the Church Erection Board
never helps to support a missionary.
If the aim of the denomination is to carry
on its work of Evangelization symmetrically
and in such proportion as to secure the high
est efficiency and the greatest aggregate
result, then it behooves all pastors and
churches to carefully consider the question
of greatest deficiency and greatest need,)
and to ruapportion their contributions
accordingly.
There are those, and they are many, who
announce themselves as fast friends of the
Home Mission Cause, but have no zeal for
Church Erection. On the other band there
are others—especially at the West—who
would have us believe that the Home Mis
sion work was almost an absolute waste of
funds without a house of worship, and that
the one paramount interest is now the erec
tion of sanctuaries.
The last General Assembly, after a care
ful consideration of the whole subject, de
cided upon one, to two and a half, as the pro
portionate need of the two causes for the
present year—or one hundred thousand
dollars for Church Erection, and two hun
dred and fifty thousand for Home Missions.
Would it not be wise for our churches to
adopt this scale and work to it, in the efforts
which they, make for the Home work?
PHILADELPHIA, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 26, 1867.
The temptation to reach ~a large and note
worthy figure for one 'olteet will be too
strong in some eases. The proportion is as
low as one to twenty, in some cases, and
often the less popular cause is ruled out al
together.
But there are indications of a more and
more prevalent disposition to give wisely
rather than strikingly, aid, as Carlyle
would say, "picturesquely," it is found
that continued neglect of the weak cohimni
leads ultiinitely to• the flanking of the strong
er., and :thus the whole evangelizing foiree
suffers.
When
.a missionary organization has been
suffered to linger along for years without a
hotse, other denotnilMtions often assume
(and they Araperfectly right)°that the field
of their labor is not worthily occupied, that a
young and growing town - in the West de
mends a far better husbandry, and that it 4s
high time that, somebody' take bald in - ear
nest,and rear a standard, and baild an altar,
and day permaneni ! ,fopmlailons, and form a
centre and a rallying pit that shall at
tract the people.
Thus a mission church 'which had long
been sustained by us at great expense, is
swallowed up in another name.
The-Home Mission Committee reap the
harvest, but leave it in shocks on the fields.
The Church Erection Bbard gather into
barns. Both must be done.,
HOME MISSIONS IN 'PHILADELPHIA.
We rejoice at every suitable means em
ployed to arouse and strengthen the interest
of the people in the great causes of the
Church. Voluntary Societies have long
been accustomed to regard great public
Meetings as among their most promising
means of success. The annual and anni
versary meetings of the American Board
are probably regarded bi t the managers of
that body as essential to itti popularity. The
subject of Home Missions eau be made quite
as effective on the platform as foreign mis
sions, We are glad the Presbyterian Com
mittee of Home Missionkrhas recently ad
ded this to the otikeragenc*by which they
, eek to -reach-our people: - it-meet
ing was held in Madison Square Church,
New York, last Sabbath a week, when Sec
retaries Kendall and Ellinwood, Rev. Mr.
Martin, of Nevada, Rev. Dr. Hitchcock, and
Hon. Wm. E Dodge, made addresses of the
deepest interest. Our churches in Philadel
phia which are so abundant in labors for the
religious needs of the city itself, do greatly
need to be stirred up to more lively partici
pate in the work of evangelizing our whole
country, and a similar meeting will by God's
blessing, do us great good. Arrangements
have in fact been made for holding two next
Sabbath; one at Clinton St., and one at North
Broad street. Rev. Drs. Kendall and Ellin
wood, the able and interesting Secretaries,
and Rev. William Martin, fresh from the
mining regions of Nevada, will address. the
- meetings. Two fine maps of great dimen
sions will aid in illustrating the addresses,
and seasons of great interest may be ex
pected. The meetings will commence at
7i o'clock, P. M., and the Churches of our
branch in the vicinity will be closed, to en
able the congregations to attend.
AT HER OLD TRICKS.—We see it stated as
one of the expected though as yetungratified,
results of the late great Episcopal council at
Rome, that the Bishops of the church through
out the world are to be invested with the
rights of Roman citizenship—in other words,
to come - into political, as well as spiritual, sub
jection to the Pope; into organic relations to
his civil as well as ecclesiastical dominion.
This consummated, the Pope will have a sub
ject bound to the political advancement of the
Papacy, in every Romish Diocese on the
face of the earth. Points for the diffusion of
influence will be occupied by men whose
power over vast and dangerous masses is
almost unbounded; and their civil status
will enforce the duty of using that influence
sio to shape the policies of the country
where they reside, as shall most advance
the aims of the governmentswhich has their
I higher allegiance. Virtually, this is about
the state of the case now ; but with an Ac
credited citizen of the Pope's government
as his Bishop, every true Romauist must
feel a more profound regard for the authority
of the Episcopal chair, over his political ac
tion. We believe that forty-five is the
number of the political outposts of Rome,
which will thus be insinuated into our coun
try. Rome can never give up her ancient
claim Of the right of supremacy in the poli
tics of the , World—the. right to obedience
from all kings and goSernments. The far
ther the hope - of realizing this ideal recedes,
the more madly she clings to it.
MEETINGS , IN NEW YORIG
HOME MISSIONS AND . 04111C.0R EXTENSION.
A very= pleaefing and instructive meeting,
on the subject of Home Missions and Church
EXtension s waateld in the Madison Sqtiare
church, last Sunday awning The attozihd
ance was large, as is usual at that church.
Dr. AdamS,Alie pastor, conducted the •exer
cises. Addresses were made by Rev. Dr.
Kendall, Secretary': of Home Missions; Rev.
Mr. Martin, of Nevada; Rev. Dr. Ellinwood,
Rev. Dr. Hitchcock, of the. Union Theologi
cal Seminary, and Wm. E. Dodge. Assisted
by large 'map,' recently prepared by the
Committee, Suspended behind the pulpit,
the Secretary set fprth, very impressively,
the constantly expanding, and almost un
limited boundaries of pur growing country.
The extending of the railroad system west
of the Mississippi, toward the Rocky Moun
tains and the Pacific, is rapidly filling up
the unoccupied lands from the. British pos
sessions down to Texas and Mexico. The
wave of population flows westward at the
rate of from fifteen to twenty-five miles a
year. All along the lines of these, roads,
towns are constantly springing up, opening
new and inviting fields, calling on the
Church to occupy. Five hundred ministers,
and the means to support them, are wanted
to-day, to supply the requirements of the
Home Mission service. The General Assem
bly voted to double the amount this year over
last. Last year it was $130,000. This year it
is put at $250,000. At the beginning of De
cember, the Committee was $29,000 in debt,
and need $14,000 at this time, to pay the
salaries now due to missionaries. He said
that Dr. Adams, of the Committee, favored
sending the entire senior class (about forty
five) of the Union Theological Seminary,
into MismnirLand.-- , K-ausaer-if—they :go;
trei . are all needed. there: . Quitea'rmurber.
have already made up their minds to go and
occupy those inviting fields.
11ev. Mr. Martin, for some years at Vir
ginia City, said that the success of the mis
sionaries. who had settled among the active.
and.thriving population of the mining States
was very encouraging. He called upon those
who are making fortunes out of railroads in
these regions, to send the Gospel among the
people along the lines.
Dr. Ellinwood showed the close connec
tion existing between the Church associa
tions and church edifices. He had in mind
thirty churches in pressing need of houses
of worship. What an opportunity is here
offered to Christians, who, under the bless
ing of God, are in the enjoyment of the
good things of this life, to extend and build
up the visible Church
Rev. Dr. Hitchcock, alluded to the growth
of civilization, in connection with the influ
ence of commerce, said it was the duty of
the men of large means to take an active
part in the moral civilization of the country
and the world. If those who had the money
would, furnish it, the men would be forth-
coming
Hon. W. E. Dodge, spoke of the wonder
ful influence of railroads in spreading the
population, and filling up the unoccupied
lands. He appealed to men of means to re
gard themselves as God's stewards, and to
consecrate their treasures to the building
up of the kingdom. The meeting was a suc
cess, as well in respect to the large attend
ance, as interest manifested in the object
sought to be advanced
UNION MEETING
In accordance with the recommendations
of the late Union Meeting of Presbyterians
in Philadelphia, and at the, invitation of a
number of the pastors of Presbyterian
churches in this city, a meeting was held in
the Brick Church (Dr. Spring's,) Thursday
evening. Dr. Gardiner Spring presided, as
sisted by Dr. Wm. Adams. The attendance
was small, and before the opening of the
meeting, it was thought by many expedient
to adjourn for greater niimbers. Dr. Adams
attributed the slim attendance to the want
of sufficient publicity given to the meeting
through the pulpits and the press. Dr. H.
B. Smith made an exceedingly interesting
statement of the action and spirit of the
Genesee Evangelist No. 1127.
Ministers $2.50 H. Miss. $2.00
t Address:-1334 Chestnut Street
Philadelphia Convention, urging in conclu
sion the great good to be espected to the
Church from a Union.
Dr. Murray [T] said he had been very
much imprepsed with Dr. Smith's remarks,
and he wished, that they might be heard
by the great body of the Presbyterian
churches in ,this city, and• be accordingly
moved au adjournment to the first Sunday
evening of the New Year. The Motion - was
agreed to, and Dr. H. B. Smith, fenny Day,
Esq., and Mr. Gilman, were •appointed a
committee - to make 'arrangements for the
meeting. NEW YORK., DECEMBER 21s-r.
ifTHE, BEGGARS, (W HOLLAND AND GRIN-
Many favorable opinions have been "e±pressed
by critics of this book. We venture to quote a
few of them from sources not in any way connect
ed with 'the publishers or author. The Chrit
tian IntellzVencer, organ of the Reformed (Dutch)
Church, in a very warm and appreciative notice
of all the Committee's late issues, speaks of the
above-named volume as " a new and capital His
tory of Holland, especially of the Reformation in
that country. A copy of this work should be in
each Sabbath-school in our Church, and in every
family of our denomination. It is the only good,
faithful, popular history of the rise, conflicts, and
triumphs of the Reformed Church in the Neth
erlands which has yet been produced in this
country. The author having thoroughly master
ed his great theme, has handled it with an ability
visible on every page. A good map of the Neth
erlands and several illustrations lend their attrac
t tions to this welcome and admirable history of
one of the grandest of revolutions. We trust
that pastors will quickly discern the merits of
this work and the good use they can make of it."
Hours ae. Home, for December, says it "is a spir
ited, graphic and eloquent history of the Reforma
tion in the Netherlands from A. D. 1200 . to 1578,
illustrating the heroic constancy and almost su
perhuman endurance of the witnesses for the
truth in Holland during the period which Mot
ley's histories have rendered familiar to us and
immortalized; the cruelty of their Spanish per
secutors and the noble and sublinie resistance of
the people led on by William, Prince of Orange.
There is in all history scarcely a more interest
inc, and thrilling chapter than this, and the au
thor, in giving us the religious side of it, and
adapting the history to the capacity of the young,
has done a really valuable service. It is a book
that daseries a high. and-permanent place in our
religious literature!'
THE REVIVAL AT NEW ALBANY.
A private letter contains the following account
of this recent blessed work—the first marked in
stance of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit in
any of our churches this season. The letter is
dated New Albany,Thiana, Nov. 25,1867.
Rejoice with us, as I know you will, in a re
cent work of the Spirit in His converting power.
The gracious shower descended on " Mt. Tabor,"
a point outside the city limits, around which a
portion of our Church reside, and where I preach
in the afternoon of alternate Sabbaths. At a
communion season the first Sabbath of October,
four persons presented themselves for admission
to the Church. One of these was a man of so
cial and business prominence through the entire
community; and as he with the others knelt and
received the sacred, solemn rite of baptism, few
eyes witnessing the spectacle but were moistened
with deep emotion. Meetings were continued,
brethren in the ministry giving highly valued
aid, several weeks. Repeatedly the place was a
Bochim; weeping bitterly for sin often WWI
into tears of joy too deep to find expression in
words. Many and signal displays there were of
the power of God's Spirit to subdue the stubborn
will, bringing the whole man into subjection to
the law of Christ. More than three-score per
sons give evidence of having shared savingly in
this precious work of grace. The number of
households blest with salvation is an interesting
feature. Fourteen husbands and their wives
stood up together to profess Christ before men.
In the case of six others, their companions were
already members of the Church. Twenty fami
lies are, by the consecration of both the heads
thereof, constituted Christian families. And in
nearly every instance the family altar was at once
set up. Two of the young men express a desire
to study for the ministry.
This was a genuine revival—a real baptism of
the Holy Ghost; and to God be all the praise.
GREATNESS OP PRESBYTERIANISM.--A cor
respondent of the London Freeman, after referring
to the recent controversy about the numbers of
Anglicans and Wesleyans, " reminds those ' who
lay so much stress on numbers' that the Presby
terian Church is the largest in tht world. Of
course, nearly the whole of Scotland is Presby
terian, and this section of the Catholic Church is
very strong in the North of Ireland, in Wales,
and in America, as it also is in our colonial de
pendencies. Then there is the ancient Church
of the Vaudois, not to speak of the churches of
Holland and Switzerland. A Pan-Presbyterian
Synod would assuredly put that at Lambeth into the
shade, and I suspect it would utter a less uncer
tain sound."
DEES OF SPAIN."