jintricau Prtsb-tfinian. THURSDAY, JANUARY 9, 18G8 itta - On the Second Page find an art;cle on Dr. Buell by Dr. Gilteit, an account of the bril liant anniversary of the Central Church Sabbath- Schools, Wilmington, Decorum in Churches, Hints for the pulpit from Dickens; Schools in Chicago, What becomes of the Circulars, and a letter from J. S. Woodside, Missionary in India; Page Third, Editor's Table; Page Sixth, a fine ori ginal poem by Miss A. Warner, author of " Miss Ala, and Little hungry," with several capital pieces for the children ; Page Seventh, a .Miscel lany jbr the Farmer and a couple of thoughtful articles from Dr. Bushnell's Moral Uses of Dark Things. Itar Attention is called to the very full re port of the Union Meeting held in Dr. Adams' church, New York, last Sabbath evening. Unless our correspondent has failed to catch - the spirit of the occasion, the demonstration, on the part of the "other branch" was far less significant than on the part of the "New School." THE PRESBYTERIAN HISTORICAL SOCIETY, embracing as it does, all the different branches of the Presbyterian church, is one of the important movements of the day. This Society took the first step in the union movement, which we hope now soon to see consummated. When, three years since, in this city, these five branches of the family met in one house and were addressed bTRev. and .good Dr. Brainerd, now in heaven, and by Drs. Wylie, Dales, Cooper, Barnes, Mc- Lean, and others, They felt that they were bre three; and from that day to- the present, this fraternal feeling has been increasing. We be lieve this was the only Society or meeting, previ ous to the late. Convention, in which all these braticlns of the Church have been in one grand concert. There is to be a meeting of this Historical So ciety in New York, in Rev. Dr. Adait's Church, cm the evening of Thursday, the 16th of Janua ry, to aid in the great union movement and to give an impulse to the Society in erecting a fire proof building to hold our library. This meeting will be presided over by Rev. Dr. Skinner, Pres ident of the Society, and addresses are expected by Rev. Prof. H. B. Smith, D.D., and Drs. Hall, Breed, Adams, Thompson, Murray,-Blair, and by several laymen. It is requested that other papers of the vari ous branches of the Presbyterian Church will notice this meeting. Cori. LETTER FROM GALESBURG, ILL. [Readers must judge for themselves to what extent the criticisms of our, esteemed brother, resident in Galesburg flying correspondent are justified ] GALESBURG, ILL., Dec. 26th, 1867 MY DEAR BuornEa.—Accidents will happen in the best regulated families; and mistake,s will occur in the best regulated newspapers. Rome times the rdost reliable of correspondents will gel, "mixed," especially when '° on' the wing," but very seldom does a paragraph contain such a lu dicrous concatenation of mistakes as is to be found in the last letter of your travelling corres pondent, "on Galesburg." Ecce .679num. 1. "Monmouth is a large town." " Galesburg is a large town." The city Directory, just published, gives Galesburg a population of twelve thousand or double the number of Monmouth. 2. " Galesburg, hai a much more.miscellane ous population than Monmouth." On the contrary, the population :of Galesburg is remarkably homogeneous, viz :.Americans and Swedes ; the Swedes' being to us what the Irish, and Germans and Norwegians are elsewhere. 3. "Heretics abOund in Galesburg as might be expected from a Universalist Institute there." Out of the fifteen churches here, we have one Universalist, one Oath°lie, and one Jewish. The rest are Evangelical. 4. " Paddy got to G-alesburg before the school- Waster." If so, be must have got here before 1836, when a Christian colony came from New York State, and established Knox College. The city itself is nothing,but all offshoot of Uhrist • ian' ed ucation. The Universalist College is of much later date. 5. "ON THE WING" saw invitations in the shop windows for Norwegians to come in7.&c. Norwegians are as scarce here as snakes in Iceland; there are 'none. Our' foreigners' are Swedes, and to show how much they are Ameri canized, only last Sabbath morning, I preached in Eaglirh to a congregation of Swede Luther ans over Seven hundred strong, and very seldom have I received a heartier welcome or enjoyed a service more. " A new weekly paper called the Liberal, is started there in which the theological liberals co operate with the spirituous !iberals in oppesirtm Prohibition." Widely as I differ from our Universalist friends, and plainly as I preach against their er rors, I am not willing to see injustice done to them. In-the matter of prohibition "Liberals" and " Orthodox" work hand in hand, as the rum sellers know this week to their cost. The new Gospel of Temperance, according to the late Gov. Andrew and Rev. J. P. Thompson, D.D., has gained very few converts among us. When the simple question is whether to license vice or prohibit it, we say PROHIBIT. And so says our Uity Council, who have just passed amore strin gent ordinance than ever. If gentlemen who advocate the new doctrine would .only,deny facts and refute arguments, instead of favoring us with THE AMERICAN PRESBYTERIAN, THURSDAY, JANUAIiY 9, 1868. mere assertions and theories, they would stand a much better chance of converting some of us than they do now. 7. The worst mistake of all is in reference to the Cottage Prayer-meetings held weekly in the different wards under the auspices of the Y. C. Association. The last meeting for this ward was held in my own house, last Thursday eve ning, and a most excellent meeting it was. The Rev. Mr. Beecher," who was one of the two leaders, is a fine young man, not yet licensed. He is the son of Dr. Edward Beecher of this place, and a recent graduate of Yale College. Many of your readers will recognize him as the young Beecher who was so nearly drowned with his brother and cousins last summer. We are a modest people here in the " College City," notwithstanding our prosperity and our ex tensive railroad connections, or I would tell you about the six hundred teachers who met here last week in the State Convention—and of the Chris tian County Convention we expect to hOld here next week. But we don't like to. be misrepre sented. The only way that we can charitably ac count for the numerous errors:of your correspon dent, is on the supposition that he.must have ob tained his information from a stra f ,y, copy of the Liberal, or rerchaiide fr:om 'the editor himself. Some weeks since I botided-In...yreligions. news paper published in New York; sOliittry and valuable item of Christian and ecclesiastical in: telligence " from ,our correspondent," "that but ter was selling in Galeaburgfat forty-fly cents a poUnd." . To all Whom it May concern I here by certify that for the last, pound- bought, I paid thirty-five cents. Whether' this in - dicates that we are on the advance or pbel retrograde in morals, this deponent with not. Yours truly, GEORGE DUFFIELD, JR. FROM OUR ROCHESTER, CORRESPMENT. •We propose a. letter=bf Urns, selecting from quite a large hudeetin hand-, only,-.those-which seem most important, for the present time : Rev. J B. Richardson, who has acted for many - yeari as a mokacceptableOid'useftil Witt of the American Bible society, has, _resumed his former field, Western New York, - (he was for a time employed in the gentraliiii:t of the State), and is now ,visiting -the churches of this region. He is welcome to pastors and, eople wherever he goes. His residence remains in.. Geneva, as be , REV. CHARLES H.WilEtrAn., axecent graduate of Auburn Seminary, has become Stated Supply to the. Presbyterian church at Penfield, and is la boring with some encouragement ia that ch p reh, which haS not been very - prosPerons of late. A PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, of twenty-six members was recently formed at Rushford, in connection with the Presbytery ,of Genesee Val ley. This" the second chureh . organized by that Presbytery in the past year. RF.V. J. R. I')Dlr.Eit,"ie-lently received into the Prebytery of Genesee Valley, from the Presii tery of Cleveland aad Portage, is doing an admi rable w rk at .Franklinville; imparting new life to the congregation, and strengthening the things which remain. - Quite a' Tetnikrance Raival has been Ciperi enced at llornellsville ; partly. under the faithful and judicious labors of Rev. Milton Waldo, of Cie Presbyterian Church. 'Rev. F. A. Spencer, the Seeretary-of the ,Sate Temperance Society, has also spent a Sabbath in the place, and aided to puslfon the movement. Some four hundred names had then been obtained to, the pledge, and it was hoped that a thousand would soon be se-. cured:. AEV. MERRIT GALLEY has resigned tbe pas torate of ihe Presbyterian Churc of Marion. Whedbe *Mat to this church from Auburn Se minary, two and a half years ago, it was in a very low condition. Under his ministry, the congre gation has been much enlarged, and the churvh edifice'almoigt, mace line*. The ohureli has also beconie Presbyterian in forrn,ligviii,g recently elected elders, and connected itself with the Pres bytery of Lyons. he ingathering from the powerrul revival re cently enjryed Churchm7 . P, numbered forty received to the Congregotional church a week ago last Sabbath. Ten more have been examin ed for the same .communion;. and probably as many as fifty have also been received into the Baptist and Methodist chnrchee. Rev. C. A. Rudduck, .the acting pastor of the Congrega tional church, preaches also, each Sabbath to a small congregation two . miles north-of Cburdh- Jlere a Christian organization was some what flourishing- in former years, but lately had pretty much run out. The, revival extended to `to these dry bones also, and they have now been re-organized as an orthodox. Congregational church. REV. T. P. HunsoN, of North East,' (Pa.,) is battling the " Wine Question" manfully, in the ".derald," printed there. Vineyardsare springing up rapidlT in that region, along -the,l,ake Silo e, and many Irofetsing Christians are justifying wine making, claiming, as elsewhere, that "pure wines," "light wines," as they callythem, will promote the cause of temperance. M. littdson brings a powerful array of facts and testimony to show that it has not been so in France, Switzer land or Italy, whatever may have been hastily asserted to the cintrary. He warns Christians against aidinc , intemperance, as they are in dan ger of doing, by the manufacture of these wines. Fermentation_ produces alcohol, and alcohol ee ith. THE LAFAYETTE Err. CIIIJRCII, Buffalo, dedi cated a new chapel, in Minor street, for Mission purposes, on New Year's Eve. It-is a beautiful structure, well adapted to the uses for which it ii designed. —We notice, also, that Dr. Hea cock, the Lafayette street pastor, preached an admirable sermon last Sunday evening, in vindi cation of the character and heroism of the Pil grim fathvrs. That is a theme which would well. suit the preacher, and we do not wonder he made an earnest and eloquent presentatiou of it. Of course, the maligners of the Pilgrims got a scorching. It seems that Rev Dr. HAWLEY, of Auburn, was at St. Thomas during the terrible visitation of earthquakes ; was in great peril by sea and land, but was mercifully spared to return to his flock, and has entered again upon his pastoral duties. The Pastors and Etdcrs of the Presbyterian churches of this city have had two Union meet ings by themselves, in which fraternal love and re-union have been admirably talked up, and prayed over. Further meetings are to be held, once a month, which will doubtless draw them more and more together. Four Old School Presbyterian Churches, two New School, and one United Presbyterian, were represented by pastors and elders in these meet ings, and after the most free and harmonious interchange of views, the following minute was unanimously adopted : "Thoroughly convinced of the imporlance of a higher state of Christian Union, and especially of the desirableness of the speedy organic re-union of the Presbyterian Church of this country, we, the Pastors and Elders of the Presbyterien churches, of Roches ter make this declaration I.Fiesotved That we 'rejoice in the =movement Yn - progress for ,the _organic unio,p -of the various branches of the Presbyterian Church in the United States i-dad thai= we express our especial devout gratitude for the'spirit of ilove,—which is the Spirit of God,—that assembled and guided the - meeting of Presbyterians xecently held .in the city Philadel phis. "Resolved, That we pleje ourselves to use all wise and practicable measures to forward this good object; that wewill - discountenance anfthing that would open old issues or recall old difficulties ; and that we. will openly ailvocate, and earnestly,,labor for ; the grand consummation. for which we are here assembled.. Among, the many imitators of Weston's walk ing folly, one man in thiiregion, tried it " beast fashion," on all fours. For a wager of ten dol lars, he walked on his hinds and feet bet Ween two and three miles, and the foolish exploit came near costing him hi,s li.fe... y-• The New Y;orl-, Central Railway reports $13,- 900,000 an the earnings, of the past year. It carried 3600;000 piss&tgers; - atidnaoired 1 1 600,- 000 tons of -freight:: uses 289 lodinietikes ; 300 passenger coaches; and 5,000 freight cars. Its property is estimated at_ $41,000,900. The renewid ofsiron rails du•ririg•the year -.amounted to 21,000 tons equal to 220 miles of track. The number of ties • renewed . during the same time ..was A 02,687. Vast sums of money_ate,_annqally . expended. - .to keep this. rOatin good emidition. There is none"tnore adMirably managed for the safety and comfort Of its passengers. The new Com. Vanderbilt,. is inaugurating considerab'e changes, looking to the more economical and efficient management of the road. THiTYFURNAcE, THE SOLARTYbE—it is a great success. A fire was kindled'in it last Octo ber, which has' not yet' been out. It can be managed. as easily as a mantel dock. It gives a summer heat, pure air, inestimable comfort, all through the dwelling. GENESEE. • Rochester, January 4, 1868. MEETING FOR PRESBYTERIAN - UNION. "'NEW YORK, Monday, Jan. 6, 1868. The Madison Square Church was crowded last evening by one of the most influential Pan-Presby terian congregt,Ltions_ ever, assembled in this city. Every, pew, in the church was filled. Quite a large "cumber retriainectsteading throughout the entire services. Dr. Wrn .A.darns„pastor of the church in which the meeting was held presided, Addresses •ind remarks Were made by Dr t .,,Adams,A Prof. H. B—Smith, D.lb N. S., of the. Union Theological Seminry, Rev. Charles B. Imbrie, D.D., 0. S., Iron. Wm. *E." Dodge, - 1!1. S., Henry Day, Esq.; 0. S., Rev. J. R. W. Sloane, Reform ed Presbyterian; ReV...5:112.„ .Aldiander,D.D., 0. S., Rev: A. H. Kellop 0. S., Rev. M. C. Sut phen, Se,otch Presbyterian ; Rev. H. Blair, Uni ted Presbyterian, and Rev. James 0. Murray, Drs. Alexander, Adams, Murray, and Cox, occupied seats'in the pulpit. Dr. Adams in a few pertinent Opening reniarks ' referred to the remarkable indications that brought the two General Assemblieslogether in St. Louis, in the Spring of 1866 The fraternal spirit and action of those Assemblies had made a deep, in pression on the whole country. . The real oneness of the , two lianehes# „'e Church became apparent- to those who - ng taken upon trust the tra-- dition of the . -upposed difference. When the two Cotemitiees on Union appointed.hy the two Assemblies met, it was surprising to find the close agreement and harmony in which they found themselves.' He alluded to . the Conven tion held .. in Philadelphia, last, Novcntber, as an extraordinary -gathering; that will : go down to posterity as another Pentecostal visitation. The causes for separation no longer existed if there ever were any sufficient. He pitied the man who suppised that one body of the Presbyterian church had more honesty than the other, in its interpretation of the standards common to both. There is Dothinc , in the external condition of either branch that makes Union. a necessity for its prosperity. Both branches are spreading over the country-, increasing in numbers and influence. This movement for Union was clearly from a higher source than motives of mere ecclesiastical expediency:' ;There_ was:a great work to do in this country, f It was time for the Churches to go forward.hand in band-for the rescuing of the country, from heathenism, Popery and indelity. After a fervent prayer" bilteir. "Dr. S. D. Alex ander, (son of. Rev. Archibald Alexander), and singing Rev. H. B. Smiih, D.D., made a short and telling address. He said: In the history of Church and State, there were similar periods of separation and reconstruction. The separation is only fur a Certain`period. The bodies remain sound. This was a period for reconstruction. It was now thirtyyears since the separation. Thirty years means a, generation come and gone. While there are such rnanifeStations on every hand fa voring Union, still we are not to attach too much importance to the opinions of men. The question is : 'What - is the - mind' of the great Head of the Church, as far as imijr be known by the indica tions ef his •=pirit ? This is the most important thing for the follower of Christ to consider. Let these churches come together, and they can accomplish as much as any other denomina tion. They stand upon common ground in re spect to doctrine and policy. If united, they bring to the united church elements of power, that neither possessed whet] alone. We are to re gard the present eonditioe, of a Church, and not take our point of departure from the history of past differences. We may set an example, among all Protestant denominatiods that may produce great results in the future. One of the greatest evils of Protestantism is its own divisions. This tendency to division among Protestant., has al ways operated to dwarf the power and check the growth of Christianity. It has always been used by the Papists as one of their most powerful weapons, offensive and defensive. The Union of the Presbyterian churches has already been ac complished in all the British colonies. In Scot land, all of the Presbyterian families, the Free Church, the Reformed, the United, and the Church in England, are in earnest discussion on the subject of Union, and are agreed upon all questions of doctrine. The only question re maining unsettled is that of the endowment of the Church by the State. There may have been ;good reasons in the past for the divisions in this country, but such reasons no longer exist. After all, division is weakness, and constantly needs to be defended. Union is aMU - C6 of strength ani defends itself. - • Dr. Imbrie ' of the Newark Presbytery, 0. S., thought the feeling manifested in this great as sembly, was a true exponent of the feeling in our churchei throughout the country'. He thought the separation- during the last thirty years but tended to show how much there was -in common in the branches of the Church. During all this time, they had been drawing : together, and thus good had grown out of the separation. Dr. Lu brie reviewed, in a strong speech, the:doctrines of the Chureh, showing their entire agreethent. Some had said, that- this union movement was founded on feeling only, and not. on the calm judgment, 'growing out . of the knowledge Of the facts. He'showed that the depth. and intensity of gth ,this Onion "feeling" increased in . stren as thefads' in the case become better known. .He .•• , • , showed their - agreement if! subscription to a cot:a corn standard, , If there was an agreement as to what the Holy; Scriptures taught in fact, that was • enough ;- no Church could, remain -united if each member was - required to accept the reason ing for their belief. That there is no difference in doctrines and policy, is shown by the striking fact, that neither party has made any chann, in, or new interpretation of, the common starairds. The sabstautial of.the Chnreh was apparent to nine t , , ,tenths of all its members: He earnestly counselled the joining of hands in Christian fel lowship. After prayer 'by ' Rev. Mr Sutphen, Hon. Wm. E Dodge made an address abounling. in "plain sense" and telling truths. He had been reared •in what is known as' the Old School braneh of the Chareh. His father was for many years an elder in the Wall Street Church, of which Dr. Rodgers was pastor. When the sepa tion took, place they found themselves,without • any action •of their own, among the churches e'x-, scinded for-heresy. He well - remembered the-an guish felt by his father and mother on account of the position the act.of separation placed them in. He said there never was any feeling to any - extent among the laity favoring disunien. And now, he ,believed, they were almost unanimous in favor of union. He spoke of the need of union, the pressing need , nom to, carry on the work of the Church in our growing country. We are work in.' in parallel lines .side by side. Our choiCe men in our ;large towns and villages -ire taken out of the pulpits to than the different boards of, the two- organizations. The union would release , large numbers to fill the vacant pulpits, and push forward and occupy new fields. `"He had had some experience lately in the consolidation of some of the great railroad lines. The stockholders were all in favor of, union, the opposition usually come from presidents, superintendents, &c., who were afraid they might be displace& So it seemed' to him in regard to the union of the _parallell churches. The laity, the _stockholders, were all in favor of it, the _opposition appears to 'come from the presidents and superintendents. -There would be some difficulties in the adjustment of values. - But they were not insuperable. Henry Day, Egg., an esteemed lawyer of this city, said _he had the_ pleasure of being a-member of the General Assembly, (0. 5.,) held in St. Louis in 1866. He spoke of the difficulty of deciding the supposed differen r es between the two branches of the eresbyterian Church, neither understood by the laity or clergymen. He thought the course to be taken was. clearly indicated by the workings of God's providence. .Be could say and feel that wo be to the men who attempt to stay the pro gress of the "-ark of God." What great things could be accomplished by the union of the Church se in this country—in this city? We could put a hundred in the work here within five years. • Mr. Day was followed by Rev. J. R. W. Sloane, who said the Reformed Presbyterian Church-would cast away all of the non essentials, the hay and stubbleof their system, for the sake of union. Rev. A. H. KO:tug spoke briefly and well upon the 'work of the Holy Spirit, ie pro ducing the "feeling" sometimes alluded to, as at the bottom of the union movement Dr. H..a. Blair said his heart was in the union movement. He explained the position .of the U. P. Church as favoring the union move ment. The meeting was one of 'unusual interest and will tell all over the land. I Continued until ten o'clock, and was diswissed with a benediction by Rev. Dr. Jas. 0. Murray. • . RimsTxtuAL.---Williain D. Ballantyne, from -the Presbytery of Toronte, - Canada, was received underthe care of the Presbytery of lowa City, and ordained as pastor" of the First Presbyterian Church of Brooklyn, Powesheik county, lowa, On the 11th of December, 1867, with a salary of seven hundred dollars a. year. This Church has expended about-one thousand dollars for a house of Worship -this, year, without -aid from the Church 11-ection . Fund of the Assembly ; and Mr. Ballantyne enters-upon a very hopeffil mis sionary pastorate, with a church out of debt.— The article written . by Rev. Henry B. Smith, Professor of Theology-in' ale Union Theological Seminary, New York, and published in the Ante rican Presbyterian' Repiew, in pamphlet form, has been widely distributed among ministers, by the liberality of an Old School - elder of New York. . COMMISSION,ERB —Rev.' M. B. Gelston, of Naples, and Elder Benjamin Farwell, of Painted Post, were appointed Commissioners from Sten ben Presbytery to the nest General Assembly. Rev. W. A. Niles,. Rev. 'O. -11-. Seymour, and Elder J. MeLanry were ,appninted Corntnission era to Auburn Theological Seminary. FAREWELL OF MR. VAN DEU33 Sabbath evening, December 29th, 1•67, memorable point in the history of the Tab. , :- byterian Church of this city. It was on that, ing that the pastor, Rev. George Van Deur- , . ed his farewell sermon, after more than nine re,.. of incessant labor, untiring devotion, an , 1 unrivalled success. The church on this occasion, as may posed, was filled to its utmost capacity; ev er , „, was watching the speaker with affectiQnate eap, ness, earnest attention, and often with tearful Lion. The text was taken from 2 Cor. l 3: "Finally, brethren, farewell. Be perfect, be 0t', 00 .1 comfort, be of one mind, live in peace; and tilc God of love and peaee shall-be with you." Preliminary to considering and applyin g ti. e above words of the arrstle, reference was :nade 1 , 3 'some of the peculiar circumstances under which the congregation had assembled. It was the last time in the year when they w0u: , .1 be convened for • the worship of God. Tile %ea r about 'to close'had brought to them many sorrow,, and trials, but, in' the midst of them all, the good ness-and mercy of God to them, had also abound e d .and should callfcrrth their:gratitude and praise. It was also the last trims; so far as human knowl edge could penetrate the, future, that he would stand in. that pulpit, as their pastor, though beither bye of gain nor any other worldly motive had i:,- duced him to think of separating himself from them; but as the word of God - Caine of old to Eli jah and to Abraham, so the providence of God had now spoken, to him, and pointed out to him the path of duty by a call to go and preach the unsearchal4 • riches of Christ in another city ; which call and various attending circumstances he had duly and prayerfully considered and already accepted. • He then eluded, in most. appropriate terms, to the ebanges which had taken place in them and in the neighborhood, since he came among them. They were then mutual strangers. They had hoi yet 'labored with him, nor could they repose in him their confidence. . Many of -them' had no appArehi interest in divine things, did not love the woreliip, God, "and Thad none of the comforts of Christian faith. The neat and beautiful temple in which thee -were assembled had not, their been built by its nij nitleent'donor, who, from the, battlements of heaven could now look down ,upon the scene - there- pre sented. ' For more than nine yeitra of the prime of his life, he had lahored, with them building "in up tEe Redeemer'S i kingdom, though he had not been iv stalled by man over them, but, as it, were, in a spe. cial manner by Christ himself, as the result of his labors would prove. They had honored him with their confidence, and entrusted „him with mane c . their secret sorrows; fears, and temptations ; all L: which he had regarded as too sacred to be name.!, even in his own fathily, and had never inentiont-1 them except, and that often, before God in closet. " In all ibeir sorrows- they had ever found h's ready sympathy. He, had been with them in tilt' chamber of sickness, at "the bed of death and the graie, as they committed their treasures to their last reatint Place: They were his children in tilt , .Lord; 'and he had tried to`-watch' over them with i.- (laity and tender care. It - was painful for ltitn to - think that he was to meet them no more in their sweet seasons of communion and social prayer, an i that he.was looking upon them and addressing thee: for the 'eat time. That.he had, however, so eum-I.; the guidance of the Ho% Spirit in his ininistratoi,,, and so set the truths of the Gospel before them tha: he had ridthing to fecal' or regret if summoned th,,: hour to give an account of hie stewardship. The great principle by which he had been actmc ed-in the ministry and his constant aim had been. he affirmed, to copy the example of Christ, am: sympathize, with all.of every class who need sym pathy and.will receive it.. That on this broad plat tOrm, he had been4permitted by the grace of God to collect and buildup a church. That it was only hl pursuing such a course that useful churches tom , : be'gathered, chnrclio3 that would be an honor theiChristian religion. Thai it was a mistake le suppose.that the success or any churcli depended on great organizations Or, on the minister's beihg able to please and entertain by his intellectual e.- forts a certain class only of his hearers. The chore;: was not constituted - so much for the cultivation o; the intellect as for that of the heart. The Method ist-and EPiscopal churches' were gaining greatly nUmbers and strength by gatheriiig in the masses o: the people,-and the. success of any church wotil,i be just in proportion to-the extent that she placed herself on the platform. already described, and unt,ie herself' a home for the weary of every name. Addressing himself then idirectifto the member , of the Church with the design .of impressing uptril them the.true meaning and force of the text whim he had chosen and which haS ab:eady been stated, he remarked-:. . . That the prosperity of ar church did not conslst in numbers alone, however cheering it might be to a pastor to see many coining from the ranks of the World• to unite with' sod's . people. Neither did it consist in the amount of worldly riches known to I be possessed by its members, however useful applied. Wealth might be in-advisucing Christ's ea Neither must the prosperity of a church be roes t,tred hy.the abundance of' what are called spiritual gifts. For men have been found in the church who were able to- preach like - -'apostles, to bring form strong arguments in support of religious tenets, and who were yet out of Christ. And large churches and wealthy, churches; were not unfrequemly places where• the spirit of this world rather Owl the Spirit of God held the control. To know whether a church is prosperous or not, we must inquire whether its members exhibit in their lives the spirit, of Christ, sympathize with the _poor and the afflicted, and strive to gather in the wretched and the wandering to partake of her coin iforts and joys. If so, we - mayAnow that the sever injunctions of_ the a.postleare heeded by them, and that they are, in the Brit place, pressing on towards ppfection; not that they have, already *attained it, but having-Christ's perfect 'example in their eye, they are. continually becoming more and more like . him, and thus furnishing one of the surest signs of religions prosperity. - • • A second mark of a .eliurch's prosperity is, that -its members are taking comfort in the promises of God which are all yea and amen in Christ Jesus.. A third mark of true - prosperity is unity. By th'" its not `meant that there should be no difference! of opinion : .for that would be impossible; but is meant oneness of mind. in Christian labor, in up "holding the Church to which God in. his providence had guided their Ste'ps, adding that his people could give him no liefter proof oftheirlittach met t to hits than by maintaining the means of gracejo the l est and contributing to causes of benevoience as far RS they were able. A fourth sign of 'prosperity and last injunction of the text is living in peace, avoiding disputes and ail causes of. strife, as there could Ino real prosperity in that chnrch where . the spirit: of peace did nut dwell. The above is but a brief synopsis of the point! which were presented and illustrated at considerate length alter which 'he bade the different classes his hearers farewell, with touching simplicity and tenderness, saying, , however, that he would not 19 ,1 farewell to those; - who were still out of Christ r as the Bible informed us that peace to the wicked and 11 1,- believing was jmpoisible, - and urging all such to heed this his last exhortation and turn to 0.3
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