PRESBYTERIANH'IANNER'"& ' ADVOCATE Pr•obytorlon Bummer, Vol. V,No. 50. filreobitorion Advocate, Vol. XIX, No. 45.1 DAVID MeKINNET, Editor and Proprietor. TERNS.-IN ADVANCE. Original Detrg, Going Houic • Ant—b , Home, Again." Happy home 1 peaoeful home Thrills with joy my heart, To know that to thy sacred walls My soul shall soon deparl. I drop no tear; I feel no fear To cross death's darksome sea, For well I know a happy home Awaits, beyond, for me. Going home I going home To that peaceful shore, Where mires and tears can never come . ; Where sorrows are no more . , 1 1 Music soft, music sweet Floateth through the air; -Home-spirits tune their harps to greet • My homebound spirit there. ..'Angelie tones; sweet, welcome tones . Above . ; around, I hear; While falls the Sa,viour's tender voice. I On my enraptured ear! Going home! going home To that peaceful shore Where cares and tearS-ean never come; Where sorrows are no more I I ' Heavenly light; visions bright Burst upon my view 1 Heaven's glittering domes, and pearly walla; And radiant spirits, too Celestial bands, with ready hands To bear ,me home, I see; And Jesus—look ! he beckons them ; He sweetly smiles on me ! Sin no more ! sorrow's o'er 1 Home, at last I'm come ; Vain earth, farewell ! Hail 1 peaceful shore, My happy, heavenly HOME! Steubenville, Ohio., For the Presbyterian Banner and Advocate Eiridenoes of Regeneration. Letter IV.—Unessentials. Therefore, if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature ; old things are passed away, behold things are become new.-2. Cor. y: 17. MY DEAR FRIEND :—As was observed in a former letter, these words teach us several important lessons. Here is union. with Christ; to be in Christ is to be united to him. There is a legal union with Christ. 'When one is surety for another, there is such a legal union between them that, if ;the principal fails, the surety must pay the debt. The law holds him responsible. Hence this union is a legal union. So Christ acts for his people. He is their Surety. They have., failed; he, pays .the debt.; • and he does this because he is their Surety. There is a leial or covenant union between them and him. And' there is not only a legal or covenant; but also a vital union; they are united to him -by faith as well as by law or covenant. And here is the result—or inseparable adjunct—of this vital union, a new creation, the new birth: if any man be in Christ; he is a new crea ture. And here are the evidences of this change; it will be manifest in the life; being renewed, old things are passed away; be hold, all things are become new.-2. Cor. v: 17. We come now to the evidences of regen , eration. It is very important 'to have right views on this point; and hence I shall show, first, what are not certain, evidences of regeneration; There is danger of rely ing upon false evidences . ; and,there is often much perplexity about things of,no real moment in this affair. Hence I sall first give some attention to these preliminaries and unessentials. For instance, some are perplexed because they cannot tell just when and where they were regenerated ; .or when and where they found peace in believing, This is not necessary. The wind bloweth where it listeth, says the Saviour; but you cannot tell any thing about it, where it comes from or where it goes.—John iii: 8. The great question is, Does it blow 7 or has it blown ?. Look at the effects; look at the evidences; if these exist, that is sufficient. Have you faith? Do .you believe 7 If the thing is there, no matter whether you can tell when, or where, or how it came, or not. Have you felt yourself a sinner, and in need of Christ and his salvation? Have you asked what you must do to be saved? Have you prayed for mercy? Have you seen in Christ a suitableness to your necessities? Do you see that he is just the Saviour you need ? Do you approve from 'your heart the way of salvation through him ? Do you oast yourself on him ? Do you trust in him and rely, upon him? It is but a few days since one trembling sinner gave me an affirmative answer to all these questions; and if you can. do so, no matter whether you can tell when or where you were born again or not. But few can fix precisely the time and the place; and all I have to -say to you is, believe, trust in Christ and serve him, and you are safe. Your serving him in cheerful and loving obedience is the. _proof that you do believe and trust in him, and that you are in him a new creature, burn of the Spirit, born from above. Others are distressed because they have not felt as they thought they should feel when they experienced religion ; or they have not felt us they wanted to feel; or therdo not now feel as they want to feel, or as they think they ought to feel. They make up their minds beforehand what it is to experience religion, and how they must feel, and how they ; and because they have' not felt just so, and do not feel just so, they are perplexed and distressed. Now this is just as unreasonable as it would be for a blind man who had , been restored to sight to doubt and question whether he did really see, because seeing proves to be such a different thing in fact from what he thought it was while he 'was blind; he 'thought, perhaps, colors were to= be felt, whereas he finds they are only perceived ; and hence he doubts whether he sees, be cause he cannot feel the colors of objects. Now, the sinner is blind; and what can he tell about spiritual sight and spiritual feel ing ? The fact is, religious experience is, almost endlessly diversified; and when one makes up his mind beforehand what itis to experiende religion, or how he must feel, he is almbst etre to be disappointed, and consequently 'to feel perplexed.' ' iniis his God's plan to humble human pride. The blind be leads in a way, they , knew not.— Isa lx : 16. The main use of the publica tion of religious experiences is, not to teach men just how they must feel When they be come Christians, but to illustrate the rich and free grace of God, and show the diver sity of the Divine operations upon the souls of men. This is the great value of Dr. A. Alexander's Thoughts on Religious Expe rience. He 'has been said to have known more of experiniental religion than any man in America, both in his own personal expe rience, and in his collected experiences of others. Many of these are given and com mented on in his Thoughts. It is a treasure which 'all should possess 'and study. I would again recommend it to you. Read it carefully. And read also his "Life," and his " Way of Salvation," and his "Divine Guidance," all published by the Presbyte rian Board. But be not distressed becauie your experience is not like that of others, nor..because you do. not feel just as you think you ought, or as you desite to feel. The great point is, Have you faith? Do you believe ? Let yoni trust be Jesus Christ, and,'serve him with all your heart. He will be your light and your salvation, your peace and joy. In some few points—the great outlines— the experience of all is alike, or very .simi lar; but in the details, religious experience is almost endlessly diversified. two. are just alike.; just ,as no two human faces are exactly: alike; just as no two human minds are exactly alike; and just as the condition and circumstances, and the influences - under Which they are placed, of 'no two are exactly and in all respects alike. There are diver sities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all.-1. Cor. xii : 3-7. Hence be not disturbed because your ex perience is not just like that of others; nor because, you have not felt just as you thought you should; nor because you,do not now feel just as you wish you did; nor be cause you do not always feel just alike, or have the same degree of peace and Coll denim. Religion is not mere feeling; it is a vital 'principle, and the .prineiple may be there, though not always equally. active. The'great point is, Have you fled to Christ ? pa you believe ? Do you trust in him ? Do you rely upon him ? Are you living to his glory? Is he precious, to you ? And 4o • you delight in the way of salvation through him ? Does that 'way appear ex cellent and glorious, and' is Testis Christ the beloved of your soul,' the rchiefest among ten thousand and altogether lovely.? Are you living,a life of faith and prayer ? So may it be ! Solomon's Song v . : 9-16. Hymn 83. 11.C.141 ! My ever bleseed.3esus, - galye thee I witih to aing.; To my soul thy name, is precious, Thou my Prophet, Priest, and King." YOtlits TRULY MiIIEIMEIIEIMMI 'Ebianeial ,, Embarrassment. Misslow Rooms, 1 No. 821 Chestnut , Street, PhiNdelphia. I The treasury of the Board , of Domestic Missions is.being rapidly drained, and will be very soon exhausted. The balance now in hand (August 17th) is more than eleven thousand dollars less thin it Was at the same time last year ; while the accruing liabilities are very much greater than they were a year ago. The probability at present is, that the treasury will nof only be entirely exhausted be fore the issue of another numberof theßecord, but that by the first of October next the Board will be considerably in • debt I The amount now• in hand is not more than suffi- cient to meet , the ordinary disbursements of three weeks I I Under these circumstances, the Board have felt corapaled to restrict their operations and reduce their appropria tions; and must continuelo do so, in order to prevent still greater difficulties, unless re lieved by the more general and liberal ton tributions of the friends of the cause. The present financial embarrassment has been mainly occasioned by the failure of the churches to respond to the enlarged opera tions and increased appropriations of the Board. During the past 'four years, the number of missionaries has been consider ably augmented, and their average salary, previously inadequate to their support, ad vanced nearly fifty per cent. The Board have also established new missions, especi ally in the newer States and Territories, which has involved a heavy additional expense. This liberal policy ,has been repeatedly. and earnestly commended by the General As sembly, and we •believe has met with the decided approbation of the whole Church. Such an increased expenditure by 'the Board, required, of course, a corresponding increase in our receipts. Instead of this, however, last year the total receipts, as com pared with the year preceding, fell short nearly four thousand dollars; while the excess of appropriations over the former year amounted to nearly nine thousand dollars ! Notwithstanding this, the Board still went for ward, hoping that the contributions of the churches would improve when these facts were made known to them. In this we have been sadly disappointed; for instead of an increase, the receipts have fallen off during the past five months : of the present fiscal year, as compared, with the corresponding months of ,the year preceding, over three thousand-six , hundred dollars. While the receirits,have thus:fallen off, our payments, as compared •with the corresponding months of last year, .have been between five and six thousand dollars more. Under these °lieuinstances, the Board are obliged, in renewing commissions, to re duce the amount of! their appropriations to the missionaries, and ; will . be oompelled to suspend, to a great extent, all further ag gressive movements. These effects are truly, deplorable; for our' missionaries, in general, were barely able •to live •with the amount appropriated to them, on account of the greatly advanced cost, of living, and many of them must actually suffer by the reduction of their meagre salaries: More over, there 'never was a time when evan gelical ministers were more in demand throughout our country, nor when our Church was in so advantageous a position to extend her boundaries. Very many pieces of great prospective importance might and ought to be occupied` by us without delay. But why should ; thp Board be left to the necessity of reducing their appropriations and restricting their operations ? Are not `the ppcunutr3r resources of the Church "amply sufficient to relieve the . Board and enable; them toilestime iheir.iteept liberal ,petior T. "ONE THING IS NEEDFUL:" "ONE THING HAVE I DESIRED OF THE LORD: - " THIS ONE THING I DO." It t -N RDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 1557. Is there not sufficient intelligence to appre ciate the importance of this great cause, both to our Church and our country? Is there not piety enough among us to co.o mend the means which are indispensable to the vigorous and successful prosecution of the vitally important work of Domestic Mis sions? Must the Board continue to decline the establishment of new missions, however urgently needed or promising.? Must they continue to redocethe- salaries of our self denying and laborious missionaries—salaries which are now scarcely sufficient for their support—and either drive them from their fields, or oblige them to resort to some se cular employment in order to procure bread for themselves and families? And yet such must be the action of the Board , unless our receipts' are promptly and largely increased. The Board can only disburse what they re ceive, and-will--feel it to be their duty to bring; their liabilities within their, income, as Speedily as circumstances will , allow. It shonld be remembered that we have no collecting agents in the field, and must therefore rely upon the pastors and churches to take up collectioni for this cause. The plan of Systematic Benevolence, which is designed to supersede the 'necessity- of em ploying pollecting agents; has worked as well, perhaps, for the time,,as could be reasonably expected; and it would most certainly suc ceed, with the Divine ble,ssing, if our pas tors and churches would universally and zealousy co.operate in giving it effect. But while this plan is slowly taking the place of our former method ,of of, funds, our treasury is being exhausted, and our, necessi ties are too urgent for delay. We need ina mediate relief, or we can not show his spite,' thureverend mum bent conies not himself to'. the ; funeral, but sends his curate;-who, moreover, only reads the service at the - grave, : net taking the body into the church 1 If he lad not received the Sacrament lately,. from a 'Bishop, and thus died in the Church, he would have , lain; in a heretical %grave. At the best, M.r. B. thinks him a send-saldionatic. ~ Suclizis a little illustration of,. Tractarianistn in England. Others ;I..can furnish 'from .my own observation at,l3—, but ' , forbear for the present, and turn away to other themes, hoping tn beexcused for the length of these remarks in co,nnexion with a subject .so ,in,-, teresting to us Londoners,, just now, "as "going' out of town. o ,- The report Of, the FALL pp DLaI was premature. :It, had,its , influence on the Stook Exchange, but it was nothinibetter than a rumor unconfirmed, and so we wait anxiously, for another mail, eight or ten, days hence. Who can tell but that Delhi, at this, season of,' the, ,year, so, trying to English troops in, India, with, an abundant supply at least of water,, With. stores of artillery and . - ammunition, ;which (with stray fortifications recently added to the , walls,) we hadAttious. ly collected theie and placed under the care of ,Sepoy . Regiments, alone---who can tell but that Delhi may prove the Sebastopol of Hindoostan,P 'Thither the mutineers from the' whole, of 13engal,who have not retired to their hemes," or beep arrested, have be, taken theinselV,es. If 'Delhi fall, then, as in a ,trap, the conspirators are taken to suffer a terrible decimation; and, the rebellion will' be erushe'd. If Delhi long hold out, Madras and Bembay may rise, and then the con quest of India must begin again. The details of massacre, and of putrages. worse than death preceding their death, , on European ladies , the dashing out of children's brains on the earth, before the agonized parents' l „oyes, or the throwing up the little ones - into the air,. and 'catch ittig, them as ,they, fell, ,on their4ei-S-- live awalteneit intense' horror in this coun ,‘ t , ' , 11 til lii'qtajlirili `.V.l'lqi till eY 1 try. The Oriental is quiet in his ordinary bearing, bat roused, tie is a fiend in hu man form. There were fourteen out of sev enteen officers massacred at the mess-table, at Allahabad. The Times anticipates and justifies terrible retribution. Delhi is the capital of a province which once formed apart of the.renowned Empire of the Great Mogul. The capital formerly consisted of three pities, built near to each other. Thc,first, long since destroyed, had fifty-two gates, and formed the residence ,of King Poins,*ho was vanquished by Alex ander' the Great. The second' city was de ?nolislied by Shah_ 4:ehan, to ;furnish the materials to buildthe ; city, which bears his name. Delhi alone remains. The road be tween it ' and Agra' that 'famous 'walk planted by Jehin•Ghir;Jour