Presbyterian banner & advocate. (Pittsburgh, Pa.) 1855-1860, August 01, 1857, Image 1

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    PRESBYTERIAN ' BAN) FR & ADVOCATE.
Presbyterian Banner, Vol. V, No. 45.
Presbyterian Advocate, Vol. 11X, N o . 404 I
DA ID MeKINNEY, Editor and Proprietor.
TEEMS.-IN ADVANCE.
Original Vocirß.
Harvest Time.
The golden grain is ripe,
The harvest time is come,
The husbandman his harvest reaps,
Then brings his treasure borne.
The, God ofuature gives
Seed time, and havest too;
To sow, to reap, to gather in
-I'o Him our thanks are due.
We praise thee for thy gifts,
Of bounty, to us, Lord;
That wo hare daily bread to eat—
We still rest on thy word.
0 give us heavenly bread,
While we on earth remain;
That when from earth wore called away,
We heaven may obtain.
Another harvest comes,
When earthly harvest ends;
A separation will be made
Between Christ's foes and friends.
The drama, then, of time
Will close—the curtain fall;
The righteous saved, the sinner- lost,
And God be all, in all,
July 21, 1867.
For the Preebyterlan Banner and Advocate
Religion; • ,
OR, LETTERS TO A FRIEND ON THE DOCTRINES AND
DUTIES OF THE. BIBLE
Letter XIVIL—The Agent and• Means in
Regeneration.
Of his own will begat he ne with the word of
truth.—Jas. i: 18.
MY OMAR FRlEND.:—Before I close what
I wish to say on the Agent in regeneration,
allow me to give some quotations from Char
nook. These will be found both interesting
and profitable. He says : "Regeneration
differs from conversion. Regeneration is a
spiritual change; conversion is a spiritual
motion. * * * In renneration man is
wholly passive; in conversion, he is active;'
as a child * * * contributes nothing
to the .first infusion of life; but after it
hath life, it is active, and its motion natu
ral. The first reviving of us is wholly the
act of God; * * * 'but after we are
revived, we do actively and voluntarily live
in his sight, * * * Regeneration is the
motion of God in the creature; conversion
is the motion of the creature to God. *
* * • This is not the birth of a darkened
wisdom and an enslaved will. We affect a
kind of divinity, and would centre ourselves
in our own strength; therefore it is good to
be sensible of our own impotency, that God
may have the glory of his own grace, and
we the comfort of it, in a higher principle
and higher power than our own. Sin hath
turned man into a beast; and Omnipotence
can , alone turn a bestial man into angelic
and divine, There is a less distance be
tween the least dust and the glorious God,
than there is' between the holy God and an
impure sinner; sin and grace are more con
trary to one another, than something and
nothing. A straw may with less power be
made a star; than a corrupt sinner be made
a saint." Yet this change the great God
effects by his own Divine power , ; it is the
work of his blessed Spirit. He is the
Agent in it. See : Oharnook on Regenera
tion, by Board of Publication, pages 90, 91,
180, 245, &e.
" How helpless guilty nature lies:*
Cneonsoious of her load 1 -
The heart unchanged can never rise
To happiness and God.
Can aught beneath a power Divine
A stubborn will subdue ?
'Tie thine, eternal Spirit, thine
To form the heart anew."
I do not know whether I have succeeded
in giving you clear and correct views on the
points of which I have treated. If I have,
then you must see that from the necessity
of regeneration, and from its very nature, it
must follow that the Agent in it is Divine;
for it is the work of 'God's Spirit, impart
ing a capacity of spiritual perception to the
soul. To illustrate—Here is a blind man;
he has eyes, but he cannot see; God only
can give him sight. Well, suppose God
opens his eyes, and gives him the power of
seeing. That is None thing. Then, having
this power imparted to him, he sees, and
has a clear and correct' view of what is
around him. That is the first effect of the
new power given him ; and then, as he now
sees, it follows of course that be acts upon
this new view of things. His eyes are
opened, the power of seeing is given him,
he sees, and acts accordingly. Now, apply
this to the case of the sinner. He is blind,
and none but God can give him sight.
Well, this he does. God opens his eyes and
gives him a capacity to see spiritual things;
this is one thing, and this is regeneration.
Then, h av i ng this capacity to see, he sees,
and has new and clear views; and these
are the first effects of regeneration. Then
he embraces the truth thus seen, and rests
upon the Saviour therein offered to him.
This is saving faith, by which the renewed
soul, is united to Christ. Some call the new
views, or the illumination of the mind
which immediately follows the opening of
the blind eyes of the soul, saving faith. I
have said the embracing of the truth thus
seen is saving faith ; but the difference is
slight, for the illumination of the mind and the
belief of the truth involve each other, and
they can not be separated. What we know
we must of course believe; and I have said
the truth= seen by the enlightened mind is
embraced, and the Saviour thepin set forth
and offered is received and rested in for sal
vation. All I would observe further on this
point is, that the change in the mind, the
opening of the eyes of the soul, is the work
of the Holy Spirit. He is the Agent in it.
Thus much of the Agent in regeneration.
I come now to the next point proposed,
which is the means in regeneration. This
is clearly taught in these words of James:
Of his own will begat he us with the word
of truth.—Jas. i: 18. The word of truth ;
this is the means, truth, the word of God,
as it is written. Being horn again, not of
corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by
the word of God, which liveth and abideth
for ever.-1. Pet. i : 23.
That the Spirit can renew the heart with
out means, and independently of the truth,
ia evident from the case of infants ; for no
they have a deiniveeriattirep`they need re
generation ; and yet they can not perceive
and understand the truth, nor be in
fluenced by motives. Of course they can
not be converted by moral suasion. Yet,
as we believe, they are renewed and saved;
for "elect infontl, dying in infancy, are re
generated and saved by Christ through the
Spirit, who worketh when, and where, and
how he pleaseth. So also are all other elect
persons, who are incapable 'of being out
wardly called by the ministry of the Word,"•
such as idiots, &e.--Con. of Faith, Chap. x,
See. 3. But that the truth is the ordinary
means, is evident from the command to go
into all the world and preach the Gospel to
every creature ; and it is written, How shall
they call on Him in whom they have not be
lieved and how shall they believe in Him
of whom they have not heard ? and how
shall they hear without a preacher? So,
then, faith cometh by hearing, and hearing
by the Word of God. And it pleases God
by the foolishness of preaching to save
them that believe. We have this treasure
in earthen vessels, that the excellency of
the power may be of God, and not of us.
—Mark xvi : 15; Rom. x : 13-17; 1.
Cor. i : 21; 2.,C0r. iv : 7.
There is no defeat in the .truth as a
means; it is perfect. Neither is there any
defect in the natural faculties of the mind.
True, they are weakened by sin; but they
are not deitroyed ; they remain, so that we
are moral agents still ; and we may have a
rational perception of the truth as preached
or read, and a rational conviction of it; but
as, sin blinds the mind, there can be no
spiftual perception of the truth until the
eyes of the mind are opened, and a capacity
of spiritual perception is imparted by the
Holy Spirit. This is his work, by a direct
and supernatural influence ; for the , excel
lency of the , power is of God ;, not of us,
nor of the truth, but of God.-2. Cor. - iv :
7. The truth, as a means, is presented by
men—it is heard or read;. the Spirit
touches, opens, quickens, renews the heart,
and thus gives efficiency to the truth by the
excellency of his own power. Then the
truth is seen in a new light; then there is
spiritual knowledge; then there is saving
faith, for these involve each other. There
can be no faith where therwis no spiritual
knowledge of the truth; nor can there be
this spiritual knowledge 'without faith; for
to know the truth spiritually and savincly,
is to believe and embrace it, and lay hold on.
the salvation it reveals. Thus Paul to the
Thessalonians : But we are bound to give
thanks always to God 'for you, brethren be
loved of the Lord, because od hath from
the beginning chosen you to salvation
through sanctification of the Spirit and be
lief of the truth, whereunto he called you
by our Gospel, to the obtaining off the glory
of our Lord Jesus Christ.-2. These. ii
13-17.
J. RSA
The Gospel, then, is the means in regen
eration. And says Charnock : This " shows
us the reason why the Gospel is so much
opposed by Satan in the world. It begets
those for heaven whom he had begotten for,
hell. It pulls down his image and lets up
God's; it pulls the crown off his head, the
sceptre from his hand, snatches subjects
from his empire, straitens his territories, and
demolishes his forts; breaks his engines,
outwits his subtlety, makes his captives his
conquerers, and himself, the conquerer, a
captive; it pulls men out, of the kingdom
of darkness, and translates them into a
kingdom of light.—Col. i : 'l3. * * *
It is a sign, -then, God has some to , regen.'
erate, when he brings his Gospel to any'
place. * * * God never sends his Word
to any place, but it is received and relished
by some as the savor of life. It looseth the
bands of spiritual death in some, and binds
them harder upon obstinate sinners: to them
that perish it is the savor of death. * *
Prize the word of truth, which works such
great effects in the soul." Despise not the
Word of God; treasure it in your heart,
believe and obey it, that it may be the
means of your salvation. Read Ps. xix, and
exix; and Hymns 37 and 77; and also
s Oharnock on Regeneration.
Remember that as knowledge without
love is nothing, so knowledge without faith
is nothing Cor. xiii : 1, 2. " Paul
teaches that with regard to a large class
of objects, knowledge without feeling is
nothing; it supposes the most essential
characteristics of the object to be unper
ceived: And he teaches that love is the
highest form of knowledge. To know God
is to love him ; and to love him is to know
him. Love is intelligent,, and knowledge
is emotional. Hence the apostle says, If a
man thinketh that he knoweth any thing;
that is, if he is proud or conceited; he is
ignorant. He does not apprehend the
true nature of the objects which he pre
tends to know. lie does not see their vast-
fleas, their complexity, their majesty, and
excellence. ` These are the attributes of re
ligious truths which are the most essential,
and without the apprehension of which,
they can not be known." Thus to be ap
prehended and known, the mind must be
enlightened by the Sphit of God; and when
thus apprehended and known, they are be
lieved and loved—there is saving faith ; for
if any man love God, the same, is known of
him—he is both taught of God and, approved
by him; he has the right kind of knowl
edge, and is wise unto salvation. And of
this heavenly wisdom, the truth is the means;
for - the Holy Scriptures are able to make
wise unto salvation through faith in Christ
Jesus.-2. Tim. iii vl4---11.7. Read Hodge's
Commentary on 1. Cpr. viii : 1-3 ; 1. Con
xiii. One more letter will'elose this series;
till then, adieu. Youns, TRULY.
LOVE AND CHARITY.—There is much
Vague talk these latter days about love and
charity. Men profess to admire and desire
to see themincreased, and yet hate the prin.
oiples which alone can produce them. Let
us stand fast in the old paths, We cannot
have fruits and flowers without roots. 'We
cannot have love to God and man without
faith in Christ, and without regeneration.
The way to spread true love in the world,
is to teach the atonement of Christ, and the
work of the Holy Ghost.—Rev. Rile.
DisccibruNT.--Peevish discontented minds
will find fault with that which has no fault
in it, bufthat it is too good for them. It is
very provoking to God to undervalue his
favors, and to put a but upon our common
mercies. NotFing but manna. Those that
might be very licippy i often make themselves
very miserable "bp their discontents. '
"ONE THING IS NEEDFUL:" " ONE THING HAVE I DESIRED OP THE LORD:" "THIS ONE THING I DO."
PUBLICATION OFFICE, GAZETTE BUILDING, FIFTH STAEET, ABOVE SMITHFIELD, PITTSBURGH, PA.
FOR THE WEEK ENDING SATURDAY, AUGUST 1. 1857.
For the Presbyterlon Banner and Advocate
How the Sabbath Afternoon is Desecrated
by Many.
-MR. EDITOR :-With your permission, a
few suggestions will be offered upon this
growing evil. That the Sabbath afternoons
are misspent by many professors of religion,
is, it is to be feared, alas I too true. This is
not us it should be. This cannot exist where
vital godliness prevails. The one will, and
must necessarily destroy the other.
If the Fourth Commandment, which all true
Christians recognize as'binding, means any
thing, it means that one day in seven is to be
kept holy. If it means the whole day, then
the whole twenty-four hours should be hal
lowed unto the Lord. If it means that the
Sabbath is over after coming from church,
then the great proportion of the true Israel
of God , spend more time "in the public and
private exercises of God's worship," on the
Sabbath, thaii God requires.
With those whose hearts are right with
God, there is no difficulty in understanding
that the one-seventh of our time must be
consecrated to God in "holy resting all that
day." On the other hand, those who'can
frame an excuse for doing otherwise, show,
at least, "a low state of religion" in the
soul, if ' indeed there is any , religion there.
This being understood, the next inquiry is,
how should this seventh part of our time—
one whole day—twenty-four hours, be spent?
A clear and unequivocal answer is found in
God's Word. .0t the many portions relating
to this subject, but one need be recited. In
Isaiah lviii : 13—" Not doing , thine own
ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor
speaking thine own words."
With this unmistakable direction, is the
Sabbath hallowed 'unto the Lord, when, on
coming from church in the forenoon, and
after dinner, to go to bed, to sleep and lounge
until supper, and time to prepare for night
seivice . ? As it has lately become customary,
in some quarters, to ask Doctors of Divinity to
solve such inquiries, I would take the liberty
of doing the same, were it not for the solemn
fact, that some of them, with their whole
family, set such a strange example. But is
it right? Does God's word give the least
countenance to such an unseemly practice?
Did ever the Church Of Scotland, of which'
all• love to speak, follow it ? In one word,
did ever the -Church of Christ, in any age of
the world, practice such a thing? Every
one, in whom the Spirit of God dwells, will
answer unhesitatingly, no, no, never!
The writer will ever remember the in
structions: of his dearly loved, • and, highly
esteemed pastor, the Rev, Dr. , on
the • sanctification of the Sabbath, particu
larly a sermon on the subject, heard when
quire young. Among the many ways in
which the Sabbath is desecrated and God's
law broken by many, the following was men
,tioned by that pious and godly ,man :
" Sleeping longer on the Sabbath morning
than usual on other mornings; spending any
portiere of the day in lying down 'to
unlesa in -case of illness; reading secular
news; either ins books or in newspapers, or
the - a - cattier newttportion of religious - papas ;,
seeking the company of the vain and trilling
f L o pass the time away ; sauntering through
the. fields or groies, alone or in company,
for amusement; anti speaking on 'business,
amusement, or. pleasure," &c. These and
many more, were enforced with lb holy unc
tion that made a deep impression on many
hearts.' Who dare call any of these ;posi
tions" in question? ' Are they not the teach
ings of G.od's holy Word?
Seeing then that things are so, what fear
ful examples many of God's people, and
some 'of God's ministers, set before others !
What a fearful accountability incurred !
How can any minister expect God's blessing
on his labors, when practicing such things ?
How can he consistently obey his marching
orders, "Cry aloud, spare not : lift up thy
voice like a trumpet, and show my people
their transgressions, and the' house of Jacob
their sins, warning them to flee from the
wrath to come," when he, by, his example,
" neither points to heaven ,nor leads the
way"? Let the man who reads these lines,
which so fully and plainly'point out his sin
in this thing, take warning in time. Let - him
arise' and "build- the walls of Zion over
against his own house," in his, own •heart,
and in his own family. Then will Zion "arise
and shine, for thy light is come, and the glo
ry of the Lord is risen upon thee." M.
Western Correspondence,
Du.. McICaNNEy :—An absence of two
months from the West has rendered me, in
some measure, a stranger in it. To keep
pace with the onward stride of the young
giant, you must be at your post, constantly
marking the progress of the rapidly succeed
ing events; and now that two months have
elapSed since I conferred with your readers,
I am at a loos where to begin, or what mat
ters first to introduce.
Permit me first to speak of the manner in
which the decisions of our General Assem
bly upon the great leading questions before
them, have been received by our Church in
this region, so far as I have been enabled to
hear from them. I believe that the action
of the Assembly in reference to the Ameri
can Bible Society, is universally approved;
and the letter of Dr. Leland, since pub
lished in the New York Observer, is quite
asaenerally lamented, and his suggestions
condemned. We love the American Bible
Society, and believe that we are its true
friends when we withhold our sanction to'
any assumption of power on the part of that
Society to edit the Scriptures, believing, as
we do,
that the moment that power is as
sumed and exercised, that moment the So
ciety loses the confidence and support of
those churches by whose contributions it
has mainly carried on its work hitherto.*
The action of our Assembly upon this sub
ject, was conservative and cautious—be
coming such a body upon such 'a question,
and we hope and believe it will do good.
The fact that our Assembly maintained her
position:upon the Slavery question, meets,l
find, with , the hearty approval of her friends
in this part; of her field. It cannot be
denied that, politically, the West is soon to
bold the balance of power between the North
and the South, if that time has not already
* As we understand the word "edit," it ex
presses the solemn duty of the Society. Never
should the Scriptures be put through the press
without an editor—a wise, discriminating, care
ful, conscientious man, who, while ho would not
add;nor, take away a letter or a point, would not
suffer an error to creep into nor be perpetuated
in God's holy Book. Our views on the American
, Bible Society we purpose, soon, to present to our
,readers, endoreing . fnlly,, ~he action of the late
tgisembly. t " '
arrived. In connexion with' our Church,
the West is also soon to be in'n position to
exert a controlling influencetin the great
questions which are to:come before her judi
catories. It is, then, gratifying to find her
conservatism upon the question of African
servitude, responded to and' adopted in a
region where fanaticism of every grade finds
a congenial soil. Whilst upon this subject,
permit me to remark that I haielieen pained
since my return from the Assembly, to find
Christian journals in this region, misrepre
senting our position anclactiou,,, The United
Presbyterian of the West, devoted to the in
terests of the Associate Refoilined Church,
and published. at MonmontlOffinois, has,
in several of its late issues, unwittingly, I
hope, borne " false witness'? iiainst us, by
representing that it was the Slavery ques
tion which determined the vote in favor of.
New ()rider's, as the next place of meeting'
for the Assembly; and also thttoir'ChhiTel:o
has changed her position upoifthe; subject"
of Slavery since 1818. It shoild hi: known
to the venerable editor of that paper, that
the,.South were urgent to come North next"
year, and that the vote'to go to4New Orleans
was 'determined by the Western members,
upon , the sole ground that the Assembly had
never met in that city, whilst they had had
several sessions in some of the', Alger cities
of the North. It should likewise be known
to him that, were it necessary, or if
any possible good could be acabitiplished by
it, the identical action of 1818' . .could every
year be re-enacted in the Asse,
_111) ly, by such
a majority as to leave no doulit as to what
the view of our Church nowlis upon that
vexed question." We are not, hOlever,
to be driven into any such= uSeless.and fool
ish, measure, though it should have the effect
to close the mouths of those who eithAr do
not or cannot understand ue We have
taken our position ; other Churches have
taken theirs; let posterity judge between
us—l fear not the issue.
Upon the whole, we thanks God for the
wisdom and sound discretion 7which char
acterized the action of the last General As
sembly. Let all future Assemblies be direct
ed by her example, to attend- to the strict
duties devolving upon them, laboring to
buildup and extend the kingdom.of Christ
at home and abroad—controlling and cheer
ing her noble Boards in their great and good
work—leaving to others the so-nnich-to be
praised agitation of the question of Slavery,
a question which has been a source of alien
ation and division wherever it has.been in
troduced and discussed in the Assemblies
of the Churches.
The Executive Committee of the Theolo
gical Seminary for the North-West, have
recently had a meeting, : and resolved to go
forward immediately in the erection of a
building for the use of the Institution. I
had the pleasure, a few days since, of visiting
the grounds donated-to the . Seminary at
Hyde Park, near the City of Chicago, and
was most favorably impressed with' the
beauty and healthiness of-Alin - „,,, i etuation.
Something over. thirty acres' orland,--Iging
upon the Western shore 'of Lake.Miehigan,
fronting upon a most beautiful park forever
open to the public, constitutes a' noble
landed donation, subject to but one restric
tion. Nine acres, in the immediate vicin
ity of the building, are to remain forever 'as
the site of the Seminary. The remainder
is to be laid out in city lots, and sold to cover
the expense of constructing suitable build
ings, for the, use of the Institution. The
edifice now to be founded will post, when
completed, about $70,000. This*ill not in
clude Professors' houses, which willbe event
ually added to complete the entire design.
Grounds in the neighborhood sell, at pres
ent, for $3,200 per acre; but the Trustees
will not sell until the lands are worth vastly
more than this, as they will be, in all prob
ability, in a very few years. I shall hope,
.from time to time, to report 'the steady on
ward progress of this, enterprise, which, if
favored of the Great, Head of the Church,
will be brought at length to take its place,
side by side, with the other Theological Sem
inaries of our Church, in the great work of
raising up an energetic conservative'minis
try, to make their impress upon the world.
I have so many items of news, that I
shall only be able, in this letter, to notice
the first that present themselves. I men
tioned in one of my last, that brother J. C.
Barr, of Prineeton, had resigned his charge
of that Church. I have now to report that
brother Milligan, recently of Wheeling, Va.,
is laboring for a limited
-time in the church,
with marked and gratifying success. It is'
sincerely hoped that God will so unite the
hearts of the people upon him, that when
the six months, his present engagement,
has expired, he may be induced to take:the
pastorate of the church. Brother Barr's
Post-Office address is still at Princeton,
whilst he labors in two new and highly en
couraging fields in the neighborhood. The
one, Dover, is upon the .Chicago and Bur
lington ,Railroad; the other, Tiskilwa, is on
the Chicago and Rook Island Railroad.
Both are thriving railroad towns, exceed
ingly inviting to 'persons in the East, who
are seeking locations for business in the West.
In passing through the city of Rock Island,
a few days ago, I was gratified to see that
the walls of a noble church edifice, for th e ,
benefit of brother S. T. Wilson's charge,
were slowly, grandly rising above their foun- -
dation. I could not avoid the reflection,
that in their massive strength they resem
bled that , system of truth which I trust
and believe will be promulgated within
them. If I had time for speculative reflec
tions, I would point out what I conceive to be
a style of architecture suited to my concep
tions of the systems of religious truth held
by different denominations of professed
Christians. Suffice it to say, that our
church edifices should have strength, with
the beauty of symmetry and proportion,
rather than of gaudy ornament or tinsel, de
signed simply for show. This, I should
judge by the plans, is to be the character of
the truly noble edifice in process of con
struction by the church at Rock Island.
Brother Wilson's health, which for a time
was precarious, is, I am happy to say, much
better; and he is now able to discharge his
usual duties. A notice of brother William
C. Mason's church enterprise, at Fulton, and
other items of news connected both with our
own and other churches, must be. reserved
for my next. •
I close by saying, that we have at present
the prospect of a most abundant crop of all
kinds of , grain. With the exception of corn,
s there probably was never, in this State, a
'foodlarger growth of for' both Mau and
beast. "Oh that men would praise the
Lord for his goodness, and for his wonderful
works to the children of men."
Yours, &c., NORTII-WEST.
From our London Correspondent.
Revolt in Inclia—The Dispatch of British troops—
Prob . able Causes of Insurrection—The .Debate on
the Ballot—Trial of Hiss Smith, of Glasgow,
for Murder—Visit to the Art. Treasures Exhibition
at Manchester —Summary of the f'aintings—Ex
traordinary Concentration of Works of the
Great Masters, , Ancient and Aradern--Religions
Perseention--Conversion—Docto! Afaclirale—The
Special Suggestiveness of the British Portrait
Gallery The Kings and Queens, Statesmen, and
the ;Poetical ," Singing- Birds "—The Lessons—
The Peril—The Prospect—The Beatific Vision.
LONDON, July 3,1857.
On the morning suhsequent to the dispatch
pfi ray - I
-list letter, tidings by' , telegraph, of
A Walefrmintrarid disastrous character, reached
tas metropolis..,z4 portionlof.4Miative
Sepoy troops, in Bengal Presidency, were in
a; state of revolt, .and had - murdered e'riarn
ber of their officers together with women
and children. Being ipursued, the insur:
gents fled to Delhi; where the Mohamme
dans joined in the revolt, and• set ups scion
of the ancient Mogul dynasty as King.
G-reat atrocities on Europeans had been
perpetrated at Delhi also. .Besides this, in
the Punjaub, symptoms of disaffection had
show ad themselves, and flying corps of
troops had been formed to suppress it,
wherever it threatened to burst forth.
The Cabinet immediately met, and after
conference with the Directors of the East
India Company, it was resolved to dispatch
a strong military force to India. The total
number of European troops now on their
way, reaches about fourteen thousand. The
regiments on their to China stopped at
Ceylon, and also those happily released from
the Persian war would soon effectively aid the
Governor-General, and it:is probable by this
time the revolt is quelled, and the ringleaders
punished. It is pleasing to know that in
the other two Presidencies of Bombay and
Madras, the native army is devoted to the
British crown.
As to Oe cause of this revolt, some say,
it is to be found in the use of cartridges
prepared with the fat of pigs and oxen, and
given to the soldiers, who felt their religion
thus outraged. Others say that the disci
pline of the Bengal army has been bad for
years, and that a .great mistake has been
made in admitting only the Brahminical
and high-elass men into the ranks, while
those without caste—who form such excel
lent soldiers elsewherehave been excluded.
One thing is 'asserted, that the revolters
were firmly persuaded that it was the design
of the British Government to convert the
soldiers to Christianity by force I Certainly
the antecedents of the East 'lndia Company
do not justify this aeousation. At first
they jealously excluded missionaries alto
gether from. Indio,. Afterwards, while they
tolerated them, they continued to, pay, large
sums aiiinially to the priests ofJuggernaut,and
-for -the tens:nee of other -
of idolatry. And, last of all, =they set up
Government schools, in which (until re
cently, and in a modified sense, as a book of
historical reference,) the Bible was not per
mitted to be used.
The sagacious Times thinks that we must
have no more nominal princes in India, and
that Britain- must consolidate her power
there at once and for ever, and use it for
the highest interests of the people.
Doubtless the Great Governor will eduee
good out of 'evil. Ile has not 'given ussuch
vast empire in the East, without beneficent
results to follow, if we are only faithful to
our trust. And it is truly a matter for con
gratulation that the miss . ionaries in India are
by none ,accused of having, by any impru
dence, produced popular 'disaffection. While
teaching the Gospel, and denounoingidola
try, they have stood up, for the rites of-
Bengal, oppressed with severe taxation, and
have proved thernielves the best friends of
their physical welfare.
PARLIAMENT is discussing the estimates,
and Voting away large sums. Still, our
revenue continues elastic, and merchants
and tradesmen hope for cheaper money in
the prospect of a bountiful harvest.
The subject of, vote by ballot has been
discussed in the House of Commons. Fre
quent references, in the course of the de
bate, were' made to the United States. But
it was stoutly denied that even there
the ballot was secret, in the proper sense of
the term, or that it necessarily secured pu
rity . of election. Certainly, we are every
day learning, on both sides of the Atlantic,
that none but a religious and understand
ing people can give to themselves and to
the world, security, that constitutional lib
erty shall prove areal and permanent bless
ing. The great advoente of the ballot is
Mr. Graotley Berkley, who brings forward
an annual motion on the subject, and is
always beaten. He is the pet of the publi
cans and the Sunday League, and his char
acter and associates
in do not make his cause
appear a very favorable light to serious
and sober people.
The trial of Miss MADELEINE SMITH,
FOR MiaEDER; commenced three days. ago,
at Edinburgh, is still proceeding, and will
not conclude till next 'week. It excites
great interest. Her appearance is described
as very lady-like and prepossessing, and her
aspect such as to indicate either an unpar
alleled strength of nerve, or else a con
seiousness of innocence which nothing
can disturb. The charges are that, on
three separate oceasiens, she administered
arsenic to M. D'Angellier, a., young French
man a clerk in a merehant's office, between
whom and herselfas very many letters
written by her show) there bad been the
most intimate relations in the way of fre
quent meetings and correspondence, without
the knowledge of her family. The last oc
casion—after having gone to a watering
place to restore his• health, shattered by
attacks of vomitings ' produeed by some un
known cause—he had returned in. response
to an urgent letter from Miss Smith; and
coming home late, his landlady was roused
early by his bell, and found him in terrible
pain, and after some hours he died. A
friend of Miss S. was sent for, at his re
quest, but before she arrived he was dead.
On examination, the Doctors found eighty
two grains of arsenic in 'the stomach ! and
thus far the evidence'gives ground, to say
i
the least, for grave suspicions. Her ndiffer
ence and want of feeling in Court, do not say
much, for her womanly feeling; -and it, is
to be feared, that the Trench education
• which She received, and the life d fashion
,
able indulgence which she led, mark a wide
contrast between her and the great majority
of well.trained Scottish maidens.
We have NEWS FROM THE SOUTH SEAS,
that the French Jesuits have made a vio
lent attack do the Protestant 'Missions in
Oceaniea. In France, among other acts of
intolerance, a process has been instituted
against recent converts in Charente In
ferieux. In Mecklenburg-Schwerin, a Bap
tist minister from Hamburg having admin
istered baptism to three adults, .a resident
minister (who had previously been , imprison
ed fourteen days, besides paying the ex
penses of the trial,) had a demand made on
him for a fine, under penalty' of immediate
execution.
In SARDINIA, the work of evangeliza
tion excites, opposition, and a:prosecution
against persons, who had read the Scrip
tures,
~declarearthat. Christ was.„the, only
head of the Church, and . could alone for
give sins,, was instituted `k :the Oovern
nient ! Fines were imposed, and - prnhibi
tion to preach issued.
It is interesting to know that when the
EMPRESS OF RUSSIA was at Nice, a consid
erable number of ladies and gentlemen of
her suite attended the Waldensian Church
there, of which Pilatte is the eloquent
minister. The result has been that several
of thee have been really brought to the
knowledge of Christ, and the Obedience •of
the faith. M. Pilatte is a Frenchman by
birth, was for some time in New _England,
married an American lady, and speaks' our
language fluently. He is a man of rare
DOCTOR MORALE, the notorious Irish
Ultramontane Bishop, the friend of O'Con
rid., is-this day under examination before a
Committee of the House of Commons, on a
case of disputed election for the County
Mayo: The bishop and priests are charged
with spiritually , intimidating the people,
which undoubtedly they did. I have just
come from the' scene. Dr. McHale is a
stout man,. about sixty-eight years of age,
with true Milesian head and features, very
cool and collected, and very deliberate and
clear in his answers'.
I paid a visit, last week, to a scene unique
in its character—THE ART TREASURES Ex-
IMPUGN, at Manchester: Thither are re
pairing the lovers of the aesthetic, the an
tique, anti the beautiful, from every part of
the civilized world. ' The Exhibition was
opened by Prince Albert, on the sth of
May, and this week the Queen made' a State
visit, preparations for which were going for
ward rapidly last week, among which into
be mentioned, : a Triumphal Arch, just at
that part of the road to the. South-Western
siiburb of the city, ;where the exhibition
building comes in sight. 'Next month; the
Emperor and Empress of the French will
come to England, and' ; may,' perhaps, visit
Manchester. .
The works of Art contained in this . exhi
bitien: coinpreriend - `l:' Paintings by 'An
cient ' Masters ; 2. Those by Modern Mas
ters ; 3. British ,Portrait Gallery ; 4. Col
lotion, of Historical Miniatures ; 5. Muse-,
um of Ornamental Art ; 6. Sculpture.; T.
Water. Color Drawings; 8. Original Draw
ings and Sketches, by the, Old Masters;
9. Engravings ; 10. Photographs. -It is
vain'for me to 'attempt a desoription of this
vast, and. varied collection—a collection of
unparalleled value and, interest, brought to
gether from Royal Palaces, the Halls of.
Nobles, the 'Mansion Houses of the landed
Aristocracy, and the Cabinets of the retired
Merchant and the wealthy Millionaire. As to
the Paintings by the Ancient Masters, I had
seen many on the Continent, but not even the
Louvre or the Luxembourg of Paris, could
concentrate' such treasures as here are
brought together from their scattered recep
tacles throughout the United Kingdom. So
likewise, with, regard to those by Modern
Masters; some of the choicest of these, my
eye had rested on' oftimes, but here you
have before you such a number of the best
pictures of a Turner, a Standfleld, a Mediae,
a Landseer, a Northcote, and an Etty, among
the more modern •of the. modern Painters,
and such a convergence of the glories of a
Benjamin West, a Sir Joshua Reynolds, and
others of the7ast century; that you feel over
whelmed by their spelndor. -
Then,;as to the "'British' Portrait Gal
lery," it is so arranged,as to, become a, veri
table and trustworthy guide in the study of
English history—of Monarchs,
Courtiers,
and Statesmen, since the days of Edward I.
to the days• of the Prince Regent and the
Duke of Wellington. This part of the col
lection is never, to be forgotten. You have
Queen Elizabeth and her hated rival, Mary,
Queen of Seotts; you have the deceitful
Charles I. and'his Queen and the profligate
Charles 11. .and his. Duchesses and Coun
tesses, as' worthless as they were fair. You
have great' Statesmen, from the figure of
Lord Burleigh down to that of William Pitt.
You have Philosophers frem Sir Thomas
More to John Locke; gamuel Johnson, and
others later still. And here, too, are the
most accurate portraits of
,our greatest Bards.
" Any thing like so large and important a
series of British portraits .has never before
been brought' together; at no time have so
many Vandykes been under one roof. , Edge
Hill and Naseley,did not see wimpy Cava
liers and Roundheads of note, in real buff
and armor, as are here assembled upon can
vass. Windsor and Hampton Court cannot
vie with the Lely and Radler beititieS of the
Restoration that smile (in the Central Hall
of the Manchester Exhibition) upon the he
roes of the civil war. •
"As for Poeta, the eurionti will find a whole
nest of singing birds, from Shakepeare and
Ben Jonsonto Dryden and Pope, and from
Dryden and Pope to Byron and Sir Walter
Soott.".
So writes Peter Cunningham, F.S.A., to
whose able hands was given the task of ar
ranging these invaliiable historical portraits—
of-them so suggeeilve, many of theta so
saddening. The Historical Miniatures were
also colleetad by the same gentleman, who
adds native Scottish indwary to his natural
genius for historical and antiquaiian stales.
The Same idea may be formed of the ex.
tent of this collection, by the"following
summary: The. Paintings by the Ancient
Masters, number 1079, besides 44 exquisite
pictures, of fabulous value, from the ,collec
tion of the Marquis of Hertford, containing
specimens of the powers of Murillo, Van
dyke, Velasquey; Rembrandt, Reynolds,
Rubens ' iSalvator Rosa, Andrea Del Sarto,
kc.; wlliLehtothave_been. mbnitted to see in .
the private_ gallery of Hertford Reuse, Lon-
Philadelphia, 111 South Tenth Street, below Chestnut
By Mail, or at the Office, 111.50 per Year, t SEE PROSPECTUS
Delivered in the City, 1.75 " "
WHOLE NO. 258
don, aforetime, would have been counted by
the real lover of art, a favor and a privilege
never to be forgotten. The Paintings by
Modern Masters, amount to 689, and those
iu the Portrait Gallery number 386. Of
Sculpture, classical and modern, including
statues and busts, there are 160 specimens.
The ranging of these down the great Central
Hall, and in the side saloons, each a noble
gallery in itself, produces a noble effect
when viewed perspectively. The Museum
of Ornamental Art contains as many eases
as there are letters in the alphabet. Besides
furniture such as was used from the 15th to
the 19th century, here are specimens of
Glass, and subjects in glass, down from me
dimval times; Enamels; Porcelain; Oriental
China; Italian Majolica, or colored earthen
ware; Goldsmith's Art and Metal Work;
Sculpture, in Bronze or Terra Cotta; Me
dallions and Cameos; Carvings in Ivory;
Armor and Arms.
This part of the Exhibition also' contains
the fanions 'collection of ,M. Sonlages, of
Toulouse, which was recently purchased at
a large expense, by the Executive Committee.
It contains also the Government Contribu
tion, from the British Museum, Maribor- ,
ongh House. Here, also, is the Oriental
Court, including Persian Paintings, Carpets,
and Embroidered Cloths; Cotton, Silk, and
Gold Fabrics; Jewels, Arms, Pottery, Tiles,
Ivory Carvings, &c.,.&c. The Drawings in
water colors number 969; the Miniatures
and Enamels, (chiefly English,) 59.
To the admirable Catalogue published by
the Committee, is a most valuable Index,
and Biographical Notices of Ancient Mas
ters, the study of which, in connexion with
the view of the pictures, will give to any
one a fair acquaintance with what an edu
cated man ought to know of Art and Artists,
ancient and modern.
Such is a condensed notice of what is
worth while crossing the Atlantic to see, by
those who have the leisure, the means, and
the strong desire. Still let me not be un
derstood as intimating that such spectacles
as these can satisfy the thirst of an immor
tal spirit, or'fill up the void which not earth's
fairest, noblest, best, can ever occupy, so as
to secure peace,. gladness, perennial and
eternal. Alas ! how many of these Painters
and
,Sculptors—how many of these Kings,
Queens, Statesmen, Orators, Poets, and
famous ones here honored on the canvass,
or speaking from - the marble, were 'un
happy—because without God ! And where
are they now? And what are earthly repu
tation, fame, wealth, to him who dies with
out hope and perishes without rescue or re
prieve, and that forever! The sum 401 is,
to over-estimate nothing earthly—to as
cribe the glory of all that genius can accom
plish to the Giver; and to anticipate, with
outstretched hands and longing eyes, and
yearning heart ; the day. when Art, Science
and Literature, shall be viewed under the
shadow of the cross of Christ, and subordinat
ed to his claims., Often do I fear, amid the
rage now prevalent for the finest music for the
ear, for grandest spectacles for 'the eye—
lest, even while the-masses may be weaned,
somewhat, from gross indulgences, and the
middle classes advance intellectually, as well
as acquire those accomplishments that give
to social life its grace and polish—there
should come upon us, as a nation, a love of
the sensuous, a frivolity of spirit, a want of
real Scriptural " moderation" such as alone
Can eduoate a people up to the standard and
stature of Patriarchs, Apostles, and saints
of the olden time. The Gospel never was
so widely and so purely preached as now :
but may not its comparative want of power
be largely traced to the fact, that fashion,
and art, and spectacle habitually come be
tween the eyes of multitudes, (who hear that
Gospel,) and the things unseen and eternal.
Better than earthly music and song will it
be to hear the choir. of Angels, and of the Re
deemed; and a nobler than the noblest of
earth's speotacles, to stand before the Lamb,
and to SEE HIM AS HE Is. J.W.
:14 . 0':iiilt . 'flepinto.
PRZAOHERS--Whitfield used to say that
we need to have in our pulpits "first the
saint, and afterwards the scholar." -
MAGNETISM.—The things of this world
which are seen, dra*Strongly from the pur
suit of the thinks of the other world, which
are:not seen. The magnetic virtue of this
earth prevails with most people above the
attractives of heaven itself.
,OaraNANcEs.—As those who, against
their minds, are forced to absent themselves
from GOa's ordinances, may comfortably ex
pect the favors of God's grace under their
afflietion, so those who of choice absent
themselves, may justly expect the tokens of
God's wrath for their sin. Be not deceived,
God is not mocked.
TumPTATIoNs.--We must never be as
pmished at temptations, be they ever so
outrageous. On this earth all is tempta
tion. Crosses tempt us by irritating our
-pride, and prosperity by flattering it. Oar
life is a continual combat; but one in which
`Jesus Christ fights for us. We must pass
on unmoved while temptations rage around
us; as the traveler, overtaken by a storm,
simply wraps his cloak more closely about
him, and rushes on more vigorously toward
his destined home.
AN OLD DlSOlPLE.—Ninety4even years
ago, a little girl of ten years was hopefully
converted to God in Lee, N. 11. That little
girl is - still living, in good health, and "ap
parently-as likely to live a number of years
as other aged persons." Her mind is un
impaired, although sight is gone, and hear
ing affected. Oa other than religious sub
jects she does not incline to converse, but
delights to speak of Divine things; dwell
ing.upon the justified, pardoned state of the
true Christian, and the precious promises of
God's Word. She has "surprising famili
arity with the Scriptures," and her memory
is filled with a store of pious hymns. Our
young friends will please take notice that all
the good children do not die in youth, but
often live and grow old; yes, even outlive
multitudes who are born after them. Their
advanced age, corresponds to their early
years, and their whole life thus becomes a
continual thank-offering to him who at the
beginning called them by his grace. The
oldest woman in New Hampshire, perhaps
in New England, is also the oldest Christian
there, and began her pious course almost a
Century age.