31MIVahi I 8. LITTLX
VID ACKINNEY Bo CO.
Editors and Proprietors.
TERMS IN ADVANCE.
tsILE SUBSCRIPTIONS
18 CLODS
DELIVERED IN EITHER OP VIZ CITIES
Fur Tun Dotts.as, ue . will send by mall seventy number
Ikrut for ONs DOLLAR', thirty-three numbers.
eastore sending us liseNTS subeerlbers and upwards, will
thereby entitled to a paper without charge.
male ehoUld be prompt, a little before the year expire!
Bend payinuMs by tate hands. or by mail.
threat all lettere to DAVID WIIINNET a CO, 1
Pi ttsburgh, Pa.
For the Presbyterian Banner.
Prayer. •
I. Prayer it; an immediate address of
the soul to .God. It is an emotion of the
heart to the Deity. .It is the pouring out of
the soul in devout supplication. "It is
mit eloquence, but ,earnestness; not figure
speech, but compunction of soul."
.1-R,he prayer supposes,
1. A sense of want. This is the very
soul of prayer; there is rief such thing as
real prayer without it. We cannot ask in
earnest for that whioh we do not feel the
need of. It is the hungry man that longs
for food;
. the thirsty who is anxious for
water; the sick person who longs for
health; the wounded man who groans to
have his wounds bound up.
2. An eye to -the Saviour. ( 4 looking
unto Jesus, is the next thing tdo.l6'e noticed
in prayer. A consciousness of our guilt,
danger, and helplessness, may lead us into
despair. God's justice may appear so ter
rible to an awakened conscience, that he
-
must look to God through the tonement
of Christ to prevent despair. We have
nothing to satisfy the demands of the holy
law of God, but what Christ has done;
nothing to silence our guilty conscience but
the sprinkling of his blood. God, •the
Father, for his sake, opens his hand to give
you all you want; pardon for your sins,
cleansing for your pollutions, peace for your
conscience, strength for your obedience,
comfort in your sorrow, grace and holiness
fo; life, joy for the present, and hope for
the future.
2. The spirit of prayer. This is a
spirit of genuine humility and profound
se.f-abasement. If you ask the children of
God, they will tell you that every day of
their life convinces them that a spirit of
prayer is eminently a gift from God. "
wi 1. pour out upon the. house of .Davidond
upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the
spirit of grace and of supplitation."—Zech.
sli : 10. " Likewise the spirit .also help
eth our infirmities .* * * with groan
jugs that cannot be uttered." You see that
those unutterable groanings of .the soul,
use desires too bi?. to be , put into words,
which sometimes swell the heart of the .be-
liever, are all produced by the Spirit of
Cod : he is the author of prayer; he
teaches to pray; he helps to pray. None
can convince of sin but the Spirit of God.
Again, hie peculiar office is to "testify of
Christ," to " glorify Christ," for said the Sa,.
viour, " He shall take of mine, and shall show
it unto you."—John xv : 26; xvi: 14, 15.
This is the -reason why the Apostle Paul
speaks of "
.praying always with all•prayer
and supplication in the spirit," and Jude,
in like manner, of " praying in the " Holy
Ghost."—Jude 20.
IL The encouragements to, .and .advan
tages of, prayer are great indeed. Prayer
is the key of the Kingdom of heaven.
It unlocks the storehouses of Divine grace.
Prayer is the keeper of the human -heart.
Prayer, like rest or music, brings an even
ness and serenity over the mind of the
Christian. It calms._ the soul of the be-
liever, till it becomes , radiant, tranquil and
happy. • Prayer elevates and purifies us.
But when the 'saint of God prays for oth
ers, the generous emotion of , unbounded
love, makes him resemble his dear .Redeem-
er and Advocate with the Father. 411 m
good man thus goes abroad in his earnest
desire for the salvation of others, like .an
angel of mercy in his ministrations here
below.
What bas not prayer ,done? What
.mountain of :difficulty has it not, removed?
Has not Jehovah often spared a whole city
or apeople at the prayer , of one holy man'?
Are not God's
:dear children the salt of the
earth which preserves it from corruption ?
Do not the:prayers of the children of God
prevent him:from leaving it to dissolve by
its own discord ? The prayers of holymen
have delayed God's judgment and hasten
eth them. Prayer has turned aside his
anger, and inflamed it. It has repelled
most powerful tempatiohs. It has procured
the ministry of angels. For •'sickness it,
has brought •health ; for drought, rain ;
-for famine, plenty ; for death, life. Prayer
has given nerve to the timid and - weak. It
has made torments, appear easy; dangers
unheeded, and_it has• engendered a courage
which qualified.,God's children to kiss the
stake to which they were bound by the
cords of the.executioner !
And in the exercise of prayer we need
no eloquence but that of the unfortu
.nate and needy beggar. ,A sigh may con
.;tain a prayer, ‘a :groan, a tear, a cast of the
'nye, may each• , iwrap up a petition. The
~current of the thought is like the limes
, sant flowing of gi mighty river. :Oh!
how niggardly the .soul, that cannot 'afford
few , drops.
, But some prayers are like the sluggish
nd creeping mists that hang over the 'stag
nant marsh. They are not-aufficiently rani
fled , by holy fire. They proceed from for
mal professors. They are as unpleasant
breath in , the nostrils of God. , :.He smells
na sweet savor of faith, and love, !and eon
rition and hope,in them. They turn back
,upon the unbelieving -suppliant without
ever reaching the skies.
What can an indifferent , prayer do ?.
Can it save a soul from death? Can it
even vampish. a sinful passion, or obtain -a .
,piece of bread ? If men must•be in earnest
to bespeak effectually benefits from men,
'bow much more from God? If the non
-earns of life be worth fervency and impor
tunity, how much more •the one thing
needful. . .
God hates a cold prayer worse than none
at all. For it is pouring contempt upo n
tf use things on *hi& he himself has put
ift..ifr value by the death of his' Son,.than
hath p . utupori the 'crowns; and sceptres
of imperial kings—upon 'the hidden trees
' urea of golden mountains;:or the pomp and
• fame of 'conquest; •
• 'Do the statements we- hive made over
rate the 'power of prayer No. Elijah
carried, for years, the key of the Visible and
'cloudy heaven, but prayer pitices heaven
l'far higher and more refulgent: Reader,
, see 'yourself encompassed with 'cloud of
witnesses to its singular exploits. Jacob,
'.who by wrestling in prayer, had. power
with God 'and prevalled—the man'Of God
at the Red Sea—David, in regard to
Abitiophel's teaohing—Nehemiah, • while
ministering in hid office at a critical •mo
- ment before •an earthly prince—the' 'con
science-smitten Publican—the dying thief
—all "Abraham's spiritual ,seed." And
is not his ear as quick as ever to listen,
and his hand as strong to save 7 But, there
is a pattern, nobler still, which has all the
force of a motive and a law. Think of the
Xing of saints—of his midnight wreetlings
on the mountains—of the incense of grate r
ful adorations that rose from his lips—of
.01.50
. 1.23
2.00
VOL. X., NO. 41.
his strong crying and,tears in the prospect
of his dying anguish ; and of his prayers
for his murderers while he hung upon the
Cross. Meek and immaculate sufferer!
may we drink into thy Spirit, and tread in
thy steps I
But, reader, do not think that we are
about to rest Christian peace and hope to
ward God, on any of the instruments or
fruits of holy living—or anywhere else
than where Divine justice found, rest—the
death and righteousness of the Son of God.
" Other foundation can no man lay, than
that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.' Our
motto, our only motto, must be—" Looking
unto Jesus." To' hear his, voice and obey
him, " abide in me." This is •religion , —
this is happiness. He is invusted with the•
whole dispensation of the Spiit, who alone
can touch the springs and move the wheels.
of prayer. His blood of, atonement has a
voice whose omnipotent Amen, "Father,
will," mingling with the voice of your : --pe.-
titions cannot but prevail. Thep, believer,
obedient believer, " Be notfaithleas but be
lieving." And never forget, that, prayer
and praise are the lungs, of a Christian.
GAMMA.
Pittsburgh, Pa., June 16, 1862.
For the Presbyterian Banner
Half-flour's .Chat.; on. Election.
Dropping into elder• Goodman's shop one
morning, I found hinrengaged with one of
the students, in an interesting conversation;
the substance of. which is here given.
"You Presbyterians -are the most enig
matical people I ever saw," said the young
man. " Ever since I attended school -in
Silvertown, I have been trying to under..
stand you, but can't."
"In what respect, Charles ?" said the
elder.
" Oh !'those awful doetrines.! you send to
perdition poor infants not a span long;
you drag the elect to heaven whether they
will or not, and the poor reprobate, in spite
of his struggles, is refused an interest in
Christ!
"But, why do you call us enigmatical?"
" Because, first, the more I learn about
you, the more I am convinced you are the
most intelligent denomination in this whole
region; why should you believe such un
scriptUral doctrines? Secondly, as regards
Christian deportment and deep-toned piety,
you seem also to excel; but men are sanc
tified through truth, not such errors as
these. Lastly, why should you be so loth
to defend your doctrines if they admit of
defence, or discard them if 'they do not ?
Mr. Parsons never advanCes one of them."
"This` problem is easily solved. We
never held =eh, doetrinei. • Our ministers
never preached them, and our books never
contained them."
"Why, then, do others, preachers too,
charge you with holding them? I sup
posed there was no doubt - about it"
"Some have done it through a misunder
standing of oar views and others, be
cause they wished to build up their own
party at our expense. So far are we from
holding 'infant damnation,' that here is a
tract—(No.. 132,) published by the Board
of Publication, of our Church, against it.
As to the other doctrines you mentioned,
do we not give the most cordial invitation
to everytinner to come .to Christ, with the
assurance that he will'be received ? The
Saviour puts our views on the whole sub
'eat of Election in a single sentence, as fol-
owe, 'All that the Father giveth me, shall
come unto me, and him'that cometh to me
I will in nowise cast ont."—John vi :.37.
" I suppose you refer to certain persons
being given to Christ, but has not every
person been given to him ?"
" Then, according to the text, every
person would come to him and all would be
saved."
" I see. That is not, -only unseriptural,
but contrary to what we observe; most
men never - come to Christ But may this
passage not mean, that that come' to'
Christ are given to him, and those that do
not come, are not?"
" That interpretation —turns the whole
passage wrong-end foremost, and destroys
the meaning; , itdoes not.rean diall that come
shall be given, but .all thaV.are given shall
come."
" Yes, that is true. But why does the
Saviour use that expression ?"
"He ,epoke at a time
,when the Jews
were rejecting him, and _When many, of
his disciples were returning to the world.
In that tad hour his, only, consoling thought
was this, I shall see of the travail of .my
soul and be satisfied; if the world forsakes
me, still this guarantee remains, all that my'
Father gave me as an inducement to under
take the work of Redeutption, shall come,
unto me."
"It certainly were a blessed thing if,
God could thus insure him a seed, else all
his sufferings might have been in vain.
All might have rejected him."
"Rather say, all would ,have rejected.
him. Men are dead in sin,' to them,.
Jesus has no form nor comeliness; they'
hate his holiness, and will not come unto
him for life until they-are begotten anew, -
born again."
"It mere sad, indeed, for Jesus to Shed
his precious blood, and yet not ,a single
Soul come to that fountain to.be cleansed;
',but how could God bring , them.without de
stroying their free-agency?"
',;',He tellsus, Eck. xi :.19, that he
changes their dispositions, gives them
sweet .views of qhrist; fills them with love,
to ,Christ r enables them to see their own
sinfulness and loathsomeness, and then his
people are willing in the day of his
power.'"
" I can Only, say
"Tuns the saute love that ,spread the feast,
That sweetly drew ms in,
Else I had still refused to taste,
And perished in my sin.' •
" But is it not the opinion of your Church,
that while God thus' gives some to - Christ,
he hinders others from coming ?"
"Not at all, sir. The merits of Christ
are sufficient for the whole world. 'Hence
all are invited to come, and if they would
come, he would 4 in nowise cast them out.'
God's giving some to Jesus, in.ne manner
keeps others away : if they perish; it is, be
cause they chose death of themselves."
"But, then, does not God do mere for
some than others ?"
"Hovr does daily experience answer' that
question ? He has given you eyes, while
Nellie Saunders was born blind. Bro. Sciib,
there, has a rational mind while Tom Lit
tle was born an idiot. We all are children
of pions parents, surrounded with Gospel
privileges, while others are taught to wor
ship •idols and are shut 'out from the light
of the Gospel. God ,gave the world a
violin. he never offered the devils one. Af-
it . . ciL? -
..
, .
• , t . tI n ' a .'
cu b
r ,
~,,,, .0 •,
, .
~,
~
~ „.„.....
~,,,,i;„.i
it' '-‘ ' '' -
~.
ter he gives us oar due, we can demand no
more.—Matt. xi: 15. If all are disposed
to reject him, he has a right to bring some
to Christ. Jesus cannot die in vain."
" Is there any truth in the saying, if a
man be given to Christ, he will be saved, do
what he will ?"
"In one sense there is; but then the
text tells us what he will do; he will come
to Christ; that is, he will forsake his sins,
believe on Jesus, and lead a godly life."
"'But, will not God's purpose to save
him render the use of means unnecessary?"
" No, sir. This is the only reason why
we should use means. Prof. Kingsley has
determined the Ae.ademy shall prosper; so
he uses every means to this end. Fernier
Janes has determined to raise a crop; so I
see him through the window planting his .
corn. A year ago Dr. Sharp determined
to cure you of your sickness; so he gave
you medicine. Now, this is the reason
Christ <died for sinners; this is the reason
why the Holy Spirit lea.dsthern to Christ, be
cause he.has determined to save them. This
is the reason why we are to preach the
Gospel, to believe the Gospel, and use the
means of grace, because God has deter
mined through these means< to =save us.
Christ •cloes not say, all that the Father
giveth me shall be saved whether they come
or not, but all that the Father giveth me,
shall come unto me, and be saved in that
way; as I •heard a- negro preacher once re
, mark, no come, no save. .)
"But, how .may we know •that we have
been given to Christ Secret things be.
long unto the Lord."
"Jesus anticipated this difficulty in the
latter part of the verse'; 'him that cometh
unto me I will in nowise cast out,' as much
as to say, you cannot now tell whether you
have been given to me or not, but if you
come I will receive you certain, and by this
you shall know that you are the gift of my
Father.' Why =should a‘ sinner quibble
with this question when the door of mercy
is open and Jesus is inviting him to, enter
in ? If any come they will in nowise be
cast out."
" That puts the whole affair in a new
light. It explains many Scriptures that
before seemed so dark, particularly the
eighth and ninth of. Romans, and first of
Ephesians. It gives all the glory of man's
salvation to God. 'He gives is Son to die
for sinners, gives -the sinners .to the Son,
gives the Holy Spirit to regenerate the sin
ner, and all that the sinner does that is
good, is ,God working in him to will and
to do of his good . pleasure."
Just then the hell' rung for recitation
and the conversation - was ended. SORIB.
To if y Sister.
My sister dear, I think Otlyou,
Though far from friends,and home ;
Sweet memory brings you to my views
Though distant now I roam.
Your merry laugh,..l think,i hear
Ring out irr wildest glee ;
Your loving words sound in my: ear,
Although so far from me.
I;see you, when the day is past,
Bow downin sacred ; prayer;
In.humble tones for mercy. ask,
And for God's constant care
Wei him,who's gone to meet the:foe,
ELbattle's deadly, strife;
To shield him from the deadly blow,
And from the assassin's knife.
But if it, be his holtwill
, That he should fall in death,
With holy thoughts his mind to-fill,
When gasping his last breath.
And:o, if we do nevermeet
irpon.the.earth again;
Maywe be found at Jesus' feet,
Eternally to reign!
Camp Jamison, Va.
EUROPEAB COIRESPONDERCE
The Act of Uniformity—Discussion in the House of
Lords—Sketches of the Speakers—Analysit of
Speeches—The Perils of the Church of. England
Growing _Power of Dissimt—The Scottish As
semblies—A Halting _Establishment and its Con
trast--lree Church Revenues—The New Principal
and Professor—Dr. Begg 8' Report on popery in
Scotland and Elsewhere—Army Chaplaincies and
Prisons—The Ragged School _Anniversary —I-acts
and Figures—D'Aubigne and Geneva—John
Newton and his former Church—Newton's Orig
inal Letters—Eztract—Postseript.
LONDON, Nay 31; 1862.
TIM ACT OF UNIFORMITY haßibeen; this
we,ek, , in one •of tits phases and bearings,
under discussion in the House of Peers.
It was quite a treat to be present—as I was
able to be—because it called out a number
of representative men to give their views,
:as well as threw light on the seething and
agitated, state ofEnglish Church life. The
occasion of this -diseusion was the pro
posal of Lord Bbury (brother of the Mar
quis of Westminster, a most amiable, gen
tle, and excellent man,) to give relief to
" tender ,consciences " so far as to repeal
that second :declaration taken by and re
quired„ from clergymen when taking pos
session of a benefice T-namely, affirming
'their "consent and assent” to everything
contained in the Book of Common Prayer,
and to substitute , instead of it, a ,deolara-'
tion ,of conformity ,to the .usa of the Prayer
Book in the public worship, and service .of
the 'Church.
As a matter,,of history; it is well known
that-the clause thus sought to be repealed,
was intended by,the wicked and cruel rulers
who were the
,4 authors of the Act of ;uni
formity, to drive - out .of the Church of
England the Puritan and Presbyterian
clergy—represented by such men as Bax
ter, Philip Henry, Bates Howe, and Al
liene---and that they would-suffer naaltera
don or modification of, the Baptismal
service, that for the Burial of the Dead,
and the Visitation of the Sick. And it is
equally well-known that thus two thousand
godly ‘men were driVen out of the National
Ohurehin one day.: , ;No womieritherefore,
that while men likkDr:l.NoNeile, of Liver
pool, Marsden, author of the History, of the
Puritans, and some bishops also, have stig
matized the Act of Uniformity as tg cruel,"
and while now many young men who would
otherwise serve in the "National Church,
cannot with safe consciences do so, that
Lord Ebury and many . more should wish
Liturgical. Revision. The, peril to the
Church of ,England is not immediate, but
it is, .netwithstanding, as Lords Shafts
buryand Russel hinted out in'the course
of the discrission, very serious: liarl Rus
sel truly said that men used to, act in con
cert and in bands, but that of this age the
characteristic, was, that of individual and
PITTSBURGH, SATURDAY, JUNE 28, 1862.
;For too grepbyterian,Barirter
J. A.
independent thinkine on every subjeot ; and
on this account he affirmed his conviction
that there were thousands " of Christian
young men whose talents, if devoted to the
Church, might produce works of learning
on the one hand, and powers 9f cultivation
on the otherovhich would strengthen her
in the affections of the people at large, but
who, from certain scruples which they en
tertained, were unable to join the Church
in which they might otherwise be lealous
clergymen. it ,wculd be .a greet misfor
tune, which would affect both Church-.and
State together, if they were to be .deprived
of the assistance of such men." Lord
Russel tlaerefore declared that while he de-
precated any premature division of the
House on `tre subject; that -the question
was " one of pressing importaece. He
spoke, indeed, in a most genial and kindly
spirit, and his colleagues in the ministry
on the front bench evidently and audibly
sympathized with his views.
Lord. Shaftsbury took the same views
generally,,and said that . " it Was irupoSable
to mix with the clerical, or what iskealled
the religious world, without' .seeing that
)
there mere principles at work whie 4 iii§lar.
sooner or , later issue in somethi' !Amt.
serious. to the Church of England. ,One of
the greatest dangers was that whiph was.
known under the name of Litufyidat 12e-
Unless they did something to
meet the feelings of tender consciences, he
was afraid that the welfare of ,the , Church
would be very much compromised. At
present many excellent young men did
.not
offer themselves for ordination; ;but if
their scruples could be xmet, hundredi and
thousands of them would present ',them
selves to, the bishop, who now • joined,
the various bodies of Nonconformists."
The Bishop of London spoke very much
in his usual tone, kindly conciliatory, but
very cautious, and in the true spirit . , of a
"'Compromise," prelate as he r ds. ,He
thought, it was a very serious thing to tam
per in the slightest degree, with an Act of
Parliament which had been in existence
for nearly 20,0 years, which 'was - attempted
to be altered in this manner "tWenty-five
years after it. was passed,.a„nd in the, great
Revolution, and which bad not suffered even
in that shock. All this indicates not only
the man, but the Church dignitary, view,
and a very celdhearted one. These men
have such a horror of change; and fear ef
results, that while not in their hearts en
dorsing.(l. except here the Bishops of , Ex
eter and Oxford,) the animus of Archbish
op Selden, of 1662, or of those Bishops
who,' in .1677, and •again in 1688;-refused
to sanction any scheme of " comprehen
yet the3rdo build the •.sepulehres'of
those!,ecelesiestical:: tyrants. The Bishop
of London, indeed ,apprOves the principle
that " declarations on such solemn:subjects
should be made as plain and simple as pos
sible," and he dreams of the coming of the
day when that great mistake which sent,
'the whole of the Wesleyan body adrift,
from the Church of England might ,he
remedied, and those persons whose great
leader was a minister of the.Chureh, might
return to strengthen their handel..; but he
proposes nothing ; he and others ilostpene
to some other, day, when it wilL cc too
•and when the; rising tide of Evangelical
Nonconformity, backed by pepular disgust
at seeing High Churchmen, Tractarians,
Calvinists, Arminians,'Rationalists, all de
claring their "-assent -and consent" to a
Book of Creeds which,they -.cannot all be- •
lieve ,in,.shall come like a mighty 'fined
around the foundations of the Establish
ment, threatening to sweep it utterly.away.
Dr. Tait said truly enough, that -the un
ion of Church and State was the objection
of the majority of the Dieseetere ,of the
present day. It certainly ,is so, and will
be so increasingly. His idea of the future
absorptien of the Wesleyans is likewise a
dream never to:be realized ; for their min
isters regard their ordination as valid,,and
would not submit'to re-ordination by bish
ops; they also have taken their position,
which is a-moet important one, rich in fa
cilities of usefulness at home, and of in
definite extension all over the world. So
that, while the Methodists do not call them
selves Dissenters, use in some places the
Liturgy in public worship, (in a` modified
form,) and are not on principle opposed to
the'Establishment„ they are not at..all like
ly ever to be absorbed into it, unless, in
deed, Evangelism in. it becomes dominant
and triumphant.
Meanwhile listen, as I did, to that big
cited and Boeotian Lord Dungannon, who
has a large Presbyterian tenantry in Ul
ster, whose ministers he 'regards as desti
tute of the true , apostolical succession—his
very aspect that of -proud , and yet stupid
and thick-headed obstinacy—and nextmark
the,uprising.ef that, :square-headed, harsh
voiced .nobleman, Lord Lyttelton, who is a
kind, of Coryphasus among High-Church
men, and whose future, , in -connexion with
.the project of a pure and unmixed Episco
pal emigrationi settlement at• Canterbury in
New-Zealand; has proved a ridiculous Uto
pia (non -Episcopalians, , and "
completely dominant there;) look say,
and listen to him as.he deprecates , allin
terference with such matters as ;the Act of
-Uniformity , by Parliament, and ,pleading
that reference should be.imadeto "•Convo
,eation," that shadow which; occasionally is
now allowed to appear and flit about inlthe
Jerusalem Chamber at. Westminster. Last
of all, see how Samuel- of OxfOrd rushes
into the arena, ridicules the statements of
Lords' Russel and Shaftsbury as " then
sande " of young men who have scrnples,
;saying, amid " laughter and ,cheers" from
Lord Derby and his backers,, that they are
but men of " buckram.;" and mark how he
almost insults Lord Ebury, and then say,
after all this, what 'likelihood is there,fer,
any change
,comitg from the Church dig
nitaries, or sanctioned by Parliament i for
alteration in terms of subscriptions. Un
fortunately relaxation in the "Broad
Church " and Essayists sense, would be
the admission of perilous departure from
the -old faith of the common salvation.
'Mere -than this, Lord 'Ebury's "relief"
would be no relief at all, save to
clergymen who, as .curates, and on taking
orders, did give-their " assent and consent,"
but who; from secret scruples now, in mak
ing that declaration or taking benefices.
A gigantic evil exists, and 'from within
must come , the exodus .and•dieliverti,nce, , no
doubt hastened on by the ever inereaeing
and powerful action of public, opinion, and
of Nonconformist, ability; learning, and
•
pulpit power'over-the masses of the people,
and also•over many.eclectic young men. ,
'
THE FR TIEEE uRCH 0 a
430fiLAND
now in session at Edinburgh, as is also the
Established Church. The latter, as %vial,
lugs and lingers far behind its disenthralled
and vigorous rival. So poor and imperfect
is the support given by the Established
clergy and their parishioners to the
Schemes or the Church, that Dr. Muir, of
Saint Stephens, Edinburgh. proposed that
for the failing funds of the Assembly's
Jewish Mission (a really useful one,) a
subscription paper should be sent through
the Church, and a zealous minister • from
Glasgow went so far as to suggest that any
clergyman who did not make collections
.for the : schemes in ills church, should be
brought to the, bar of the .Assembly. Dr.
' Norman McLeod rated the parish ministers
well last year, and declared that he was
" ashamed'? of them. But they. and their
rich heritOrs:are, as,a body, comparatively
inactive. Only nine Presbyteries replied
to circulars seeking to .elicit suggestions,
and;to stimulate zeal, and the committee is
obliged to admit "that a considerable
amount of apathy is prevalent in regard to
the schemes," and "that a considerable
amount of this apathy is.beyond the reach
of legislative action." 'Very significant of
somnolence, as' well as of the worldly ele
ment; still %largely leavening the Scottish
_Establisi„,liment, are admissions like , these.
The 'Assembly is, suffering still from the
influence, of patronage, and even the sup
posed mild yoke of Lord. Aberdeen's Act
—a miserable legislator'was he—is becom
ing so intolerable, that the people begin to
ask for ir libertywhieh will be scarcely ac
.corded to:them. The parish clergy are, ,as
usual, .conservative of exclusive rights.
- Renee their futile opposition, two years
ago, to the abolition of tests in the Uni
tereity; hence their horrer of the Lord
Advocates Education Bill, 'which -would
make ',eligible to schoolmasterships, men
well quailed, not of the _Established
Church.
The contrast presented in the Free
Church,- is striking. A whole diet of the
Assembly has been 'devoted' to "the con
sideration, in more special connexion with
the ministry, how best to improve And re
tain the spiritual - blessing with which the
Lord has of late visited so many parts of this
country, as well as the likeliest way toward
a further. and more extended , ble,sping."
Revivals are thus cherished joyfully and
thankfully,by the Free Olinrch. In like
manner the Assembly takes up the ;subject
of the ejection of Presbyterian ministers
in 1 , 663,10 which diseussion,'D. V:, I shall
, refer fully in ,my 3neat.. The Established
Assembly will•keep cle,a,r of any such .eon
siderations.
As to the'Finances of the Free Church,
their elastibity and 'prosperity in spite of
";hard times" and bad trade, are indeed
;marvellous. The,lfollowing statisticaindi
cate this in a mery striking,manner :
TR! 371.1ANC!iS coy ME ciIIRCH.,
Mr. Meldrum gave in, the report of ,the Belent
'Finance COrtniittee.' The = whole Commitees of.
.the pma,- except .one,_ close this year with a
balance in hand, and, with regard to, the College
Building Fund, vrhichis the only exception, the
debt is redueerkfrom' £3; 453 1.95. 10d, at 31st
March, 1861, to £3,081,148. 10d, in March, 1862.
There is an increase in the general charges,
caused by the necessity of setting apart a sum
of £5OO, tti meet the expense of taking, posses
sion of and furnishing the new offices. The ex
penses. of committees - aro-also, - £BB.o' advance
oftast year, whi64 ,partly exp'leined th
fact that'the' l .Educittion Committee' and Foreign
Missions Committee had seal employed an extra
agent _last year. lite eight colleetiens for the
schemes amounted to £21,803, including a par
tial &Altmann for foreign missions. The follow
ing is„art. abstract of the funds
General Church and Manse Build
ing andnebtExtinction Fund £3,820 3 1.1.
Local - 88,618 4 1
Suatentation Fund (Elo9,oBB,)in
cludingAged and Infirm Fund 115,815 17 2.
Congregational Fund 105,841 18 10,
Education • 15,480 18 1
College (including Dr. Webster's
Donation for Cunningham
Scholarships and Lectureship) 18;685 8 7
Missions-- 1 1 0 Tue,,I4h 1 Pnd,-0 010-
nieS,Continent,Forewn,,Tews... 40,867 6:11
&mural' Trustees and' Miscalls,-
neous 3,:3O0811
!rota ..e,886,589 6 6
Saildrieo 614 19.54
Grand total
.This is the largest amount for any one year
since` the Disruption,. with the exneption of 1858-
, 59, thatjear haying been raised , above tbe ay
erage by a large amount of
,legacies toAhe &ged
and Infirm .Ministers' Fund. The Disruption
year, produced £363,871, but that included,
Z 228,000 for general and local building purposes.
With reference to Congregational ;Funds, • Mr.
,Meldrtun said it. was. interesting to notiee.their
gradual increase for,several ,years,past. In 1868,
they amounted in round numbers to. X 92,000; in
1859, to £9 - 4,060; in 1860, to £97,„000 ; in 1861,
, to £100,000; and in 1862, as above,
t0,£105,000.
The • Rev. Sobert , S. Candlish, D.D., has -
been olected Principal of the'lree-Church
College ; while yet (a colleague assisting,)
he .retains his= pastoial charge at Free •St.
George's, Edinburgh. The Rev. Robert
Rainey has been elected-as successor to the
lamented Dr. Cunningham, as-Professor of
, Church History.
The. Earl of -Dalhousie, (formerly Lord
Pantoure,) now restored to health, takes an
active ; part, as an Elder, in the business of
the Tree .Church Assembly. Dr. Begg
leads'-the van in , resisting Popish aggres
'sion.in -Boger:id ; dwells on the alarming
substitution -in.Sootland• of Irish for Scot
tish laborers- ? on the suppression by the
Glasgowmagistrates of open-air preaching
at tlie• Bridgegdte, at the instance of Ro
manists ; on the.addition of -three , Romish
hhapels in Edinburgh, .the recent Popish
processionin Dundee; the increase of nun
neries,. and -the enormous increase of pan
-perism,-from Romish emigration. He also
pointed out that-the Society of Vincent de
Paul is taking means tO watch eases before
the Scottish police courts, to sew that all
Romish boys. be- sent. to Romish Reforma
tories; how-there are-now one hundred
and fortyrfive.:4ll
0 0sh -,chaplains in the
British army, exclusive of India, where
there :are pwenty-One more, who receive
£18;000 a -year ; how chaplains are now
introduced,7or the priesthood reeognizedin
convict ; priions; and that they were likely
soon to be recognized in general prisons.
TWO last is a step which Lord Palmerston
hitherto-has-resisted; but- I fear much that
in,thecriticaLstate of political parties ; this
Also It• is pleasing to hear
from Dr. Wylie, that Dr. ---.—, who has
been identified with the new Protestant
Institute in Edinburgh,' has had about one
hundred and fifty young' men under train
ing in the Romiah and Protestant contro
versies, during the Winter. These young
men will form a well-equipped band for the
defence of the truth.
THE RAGED SCHOOL MON Is carry
ing on a noble work, the nature and extent
of which receive fresh illustration from the
anniversary,mcctiug lately held in xeter
Hall. F,Tem ithe report ~read, 'it }appears
WHOLE NO. 509.
that there are in connexion with the Lon-
don Ragged School Union 171 school-buitd
lugs, 201 Sunday Schools, with 25,000
scholars; 172 day schools s with about 18,-
000 scholars; and 211 evening schools,
with above 9,000 scholars. The Industrial
Schools, in whichthe children receive
~ins
truction in making their own clothes and
various handicrafts, are 3,600. The volun-
tary teachers number 2,800. What a noble
band of disinterested, and devoted laborers
these are I And, in truth not , less so, are
the paid teachers for they are the true
laborers, who are worthy of their hire—a
scanty income in truth allowed them to
pursue an object snored in their eyes, dear
to their, hearts, and ,the love of ,Christ
and pity for.souls ever constrainina '' them.
The entire income of the Unionfor the
year was £8,600. This sum is made up of
" donations," nearly X 3,000 from the Lord
Mayor, the city merchants, &c., in answer
to a recent appeal. " Subscriptions,"
tributions to schools named by donors,"
" legacies," amounting to £760, with sums
from sale of the magazines 'of the Union,
balance of find for those Refuges whioh
lodge, board and train younvpeople of. the
lowest class with such marvellous success.
The blessing of God,. and the quickeninc ,
energy of the Divine Spirit, have been
largely manifested in connexion with this,
great enterprise, which finds imitation all
over the Kingdom. Some :of the most
trust-worthy servants to business in the
city of London- have been Ragged School
boys • many of them have entered the
Royal Navy, and it does one good to see
them coming, , after -their first veyage abroad,
to the office of the Union with,thembright,
happy and grateful faces —their -brawny
strength and proportions „brought out, by
their flowing blue jackets. The 'stimulus
and start in life given 'to.' young people of
both sexes, who otherwise would, have been
engalphed in the terrible maeistroom of,
vice and. crime, is such as -to stamp the
,movement as prekninently one of patriet
ism, and philanthropy.
Seven hundred emigrants have ,gone
forth from 'the London Ragged Schools.
4,500 servants, during nine years, trained
thus, have been rewarded .for fidelity in
their situations, by prizes publicly present
ed. Well conducted shoeblaoks, 862 in
number, last year earned: £4,665. Eighty
six penny banks collected £8,520, and
fifty-four clothing, clubs. above £9,000, in
the year.
Lord Stratford De B.edelifie was ,one of
the, speakers _at the Ragged Scheel Anni
versary, as also Dr. D'Aubigne, of,Geneva.
Lord Oiaftsbury made special, reference , ; to.
,Geneva,..as formerlY 4 the home of oppressed
Protestants in Queen Mary's .and
breathed an ardent prayer for the continu
ance of its prosperities. "No Englishman
who is worth; a straw : cap ever be indifferent
to the welfare.and honor of Geneva When
' I recollect that, in troublous times.she gen
. eronsly ,and fearlessly offered .a__-refuge to
English. Confessors, ,I will this night and
forever put up,an earnest prayer, that in
that noble city, liberty of conscience, lib
erty of prophesying,' freedom of speech,
freedom of - action, aud ; the Grospel of
Itiareverfienriihvandi•abound.! --
THE CITY BAItTIVERS have been offering
a,fabulous sum for, the site.on which, at the
foot
.of Lombard Street, the Church of St.
Mary, Wo . olnoth, stands. This, would, in-,
volve its entire removal, and it, is not likely
that it will take place. 'lt is a church dear
'to Christians as associated with the quick
,ening and •profitableministry:Of John New
,ton, previously of Olney, andthe friend of
Thomas
,Scott, and . ,Cowper, the poet. ,I
recently conversed with an aged lady, the
daughter of the second' successor of John
Bunyan, as pastor at Bradford, who showed
me a packet of originalletters by:Newton,
addressed to her, ; grandfather, never .yet
published. I was favored with the permis
' sum to make some extracts, of which nne is
as follows
cc A journey looks something important
in the, prospect; when we leave home, who
knows what unexpected -.events-may take
place before we : return 7 Many go frem
their habitations in good spirits, whe never
return alive. Many leave their homes
in peace, and find them houses of mourn
ing when they come back. When :•the
,Lord is pleased to preserve U 8 ,and ours,
when ,abroad and at home, it is peculiar
favour. I hope it
-is your mercy atpresent,
and that he will enable you to rejoice in it
as a fruit of his Covenant love."
Cowper, the poet, is referred to thus': "I
was that day at -Bedford. I accompanied
Mr. Cowper ' who went to. meet, a gentle
man at Cambridge." And again: "My
dear Mr. Cowper, is still in the dark valley,
but the Lord helps, and we wait for deliv
erance." Other extracts I shall reserve for
a future letter. J.W.
P. S.—The Evangelical Alliance last
might, as well as yesterday forenoon, had
special, united .prayer for peace and-con
cord—now endangered by the .Bicentenary
Controversy.
Yesterday afternoon I was one 'of a large
deputation to' Sir George Gray, the Heine
Secretary, in reference to the mischiefs
wrought by the permission of Public
Houses and Refreshment Rooms to be
open all night---pnodtieing disorder, and
greatly increasing licentiousness and crime.
£42,847 8 0
' l %. L 387,204 4.11,
The followingllinute,in,refertance to the
death of Rev. David M'Gay, was, adopted
by - the 'Presbytery of Clarion, at its late
meeting in Rockland :
Our Presbytery, during:the past season,
has been greatly afflicted in some. of its
members, and. still is,. by sickness ;, but now
a heavier stroke has fallen upon us. Death
has claimed one of, our, number. The Rey.
David 111. ) Cay, whom we all highly
.es
teemed as a man, as a minister, ,and
presbyter, is _now no longer present with
us. He has gone to his,reward. In.: this
we recognize the hand of God„w4e.does,all
things right ,and well • who.: acts as. a sov
ereign, and, takes away those to, whom, he
.gave.existertee, just when: and how, he . pl eases .
Hewes, a native of Nifflin County, Pa. ,
graduated at Jefferson College in - the year*
1838, took a regular, theological
,course at
'Princeton, and was licensed-to preach the
Gospel by the , Presbytery of Huntingdon in
.the Spring of 1841. In the Spring of
1842 he. came within,..the bounds .ot. this
Presbytery, and preached to,the churches
of Callensburg ? Concerd, and Bethesda.
So 'acceptable were his labors to these
churches; that a.call Was. made out for hiin
with.great, unanimity, to-become their pas
,ter,RAhloh:ll,e, laiwpted,o apd*Nas ondstiieed
F°r the F.IYO-114/I,Pannor,
Rev. David M'Cay.
PRESBYTERIAN BANNiat
Publication Office :
GAZDTTB EIMiDINGS,B4IPumn 82.,.PIPPPitraally
ParLawspra r boatui-WisT Om. OP Ta AND 011erizt
ADVERTISEMENtS.
TERMS IN ADVANCE.
A Square, (8 lines or less,) one insertion, GO MIS; tech
subsequent insertion, 40 cents ; each line beyond elglA 6 dle
A Square perAusrter, $4.00; each line additional, =as
A ENDLICTION milde to advertisere by the year.
BUSINESS NOTICES of TRN lines or less, $l.OO each nit
ft:tonal line, 10 mote.
DAVVID OPKI ,I4 fX4Y .fir .1
Ps, remotes AND PUBLIFIMME
and installed by the Presbytery over them
in September of the same year. His faith
ful labors were crowned with such succe&-,
that in a few years the charge had so much
increased that.ikwas thought advisable to
divide it. Callensburg , and gope 9x cl. gave
a call for all his 'time, and• Presbytery re
leased him 'from Bethesda. He now de
voted all his time and energies with
untiring < fidelity, , to these churches. His
labors in them, God was pleased to crown
with most abundant success. Often large
numbers were added to their membership,
and on several occasions the Lord. blessed
them with special refreshing& The Con
cord church will doubtless remember with
interest the impression made on one pen
sion by a sermon he preached from the
text : "Break up your fallow ground; for
it is time to seek the Lord till ha come and
rain righteousness upon you." God seemed
to give them grace so to do. The members
of the church were greatly revived. Many
sinners were deeply convicted; and many
were 'added tor the communion of the
These churches prospered greatly under
his,ministry nail the very last ef his la
bors among them. .Little did either he
or they probably think, when he considered
it his duty to go as chaplain to the 103 d
regiment, to which his congregations ear
- dially consented; and 'into which many of
the young men from his neighborhood, in
whom he felt the liveliest interest, had en
tered, that the separation would prove a
final one. In accepting the chaplaincy, he
'had no intention to break up the relation
which had been so blessed of God for good,
existing between himself and the people of
his charge; hence be procured, at a liberal sal
ary, a supply for seven or eht months. He
intended to return about gm close of May,
on a visit to his people, bit was taken down
with typhoid fev,er before be accomplished
his purpose, and was , only able to reach his
friends at Lewistown . , where he died on the
4th of June, in the hope of a glorious
resurrection. Mrs. M'Cay was summoned
to his bedside, but how .sad the duty she
found.it necessary to perform, in conveying
his remains, at his own 'request, to lay them
among the people he served so faithfully
for a period of about• twenty years.
His friends .remember his hospitality, and
the cordial greeting he was wont to give
them when they entered the door of his
houie, which was ever open for their recep
tion. He elso took great interest in the
cause of education, as his efforts in estab
lishing the Azadenay in the place of his
residence, testify.
Whilst. we bow, to the afflictive hand of
God in this dispensation, we tender our
most sincere sympathy to the interesting
and beloved family of our deceased brother,
.praying God to console and sustain them in
their severe affliction.
Resolved That these proceedings be
published in the Presbyterian, of Philadel
phia, the Presbyterian Banner, of Pitts
burgh, and that a copy be sent, with the
condolence of the Presbytery, to the family
of the aftea.sed.
Pulpit Esthetics,
There are IWO ways of regarding a ser-
MOll : either as, a human composition or a
Divine , message. If we look upon it en
tirely as the first, and require our clergy
men to finish it with their utmost care and
learning, fOr our better delight, whether of
ear or intellect, we 'shall necessarily be led
to expect:much formality and stateliness in
its delivery,nnd to think that all is not
well if the Filch has not, a golden fringe
round it, and if the sermon be not fairly
written' in a black book, to be smoothed upon
a c.6bion. -in a majestic manner before be
ginning, all thiswe shall duly come to ex
peck; bilEt we shall, at the same time, con
sider, the treatise thus
. prepared as. some
thing to which it is our duty to listen
without restlessness for half an hour or
three-quarters, but which, when that duty
has been decorously performed, we may
dismiss from our minds in happy confi
dence of having another whenever it shall
be necessary.
But if' once we begin to regard the
preacher, whatever his faults, as .a man,sent
with a message to, uswhich is a matter 'of
life and sleath, whether we hear or refuse;
if we look upon him as set in charge over
many spirits in danger of ruin, and having
allowed him. but an hour,or-two in the.seven
days to speak to them; if we make scnie
endeavor to, conceive how precious these
hours ought to be to him, a small vantage
on the side of God after his flock have been
exposed for six days together to the full
weight of the world's temptations, and he
has been forced to watch, the thorn and the
thistle Springing in their hearts, and to see
what wheat had been scattered there
snatched- from the wayside by this• wild.
bird and the other,' and at last when,
breathless and weary. .witlithe week's labor,
they give him this interval of imperfect
and 'languid : hearing, he has but thirty
minutes to get at the separate hearts of a
thousand men, to convince them of all their
weaknesses, to shame them from :all their
sins to warn, them of all their .dangers to
try by this ; way and that to: stir the, hard
fastening of those doors where the Master
hiniself has stood and knocked, : and
yet
none ,has opened,and to.cairat the openings
of t t hose,..dark : streets where ,Wisdom her
isPit: 80 1'Whed fc'rtk4l 3 r 1. 4 4.144 8 no
man regarded; thirty minutesto rsiee the
dead in ; let us but once understand Sand
feel. all this r and we shall -look with changed
,eyes upon that frippery, of gay furniture
about the plane : from, which diejmagige ,fif
judgment must, be delivered, which ,either
breathes upon the bones that they, may
live, or; if ineffectual, remains recorded in
condemnation, perhaps, against , the utterer
; and Moaner alike,- but assumdly, against
one of them. We ..,shall, not sq,easily bear
withc the silk and gold upon the ,seat ,of
.g.irld'gment, nor with ornament' of oratory
in' the Month of the messenger; we shall
,wish that: his words' may be simple, even
w,hen they ,are ..eweet t est, and Ake .pinee
whereAke,speaks,likea,,,marblegeek,Au, the
deiert, "about which The, p,eop,lejme 400-
' ered in'their thirst.—Ruskin.
, .
4411A0d0r,e, P 1 441,4414.w4e040 9RM4O-d
-,ell our' squadron on the Mediterranean,
-bevelfirea ti'selute on the Sahiit'a:
( entered kharbor =on that.ilay, or being in
„port if a,salgte for any reasorriseas expect
ed,he sent .word ;that ,hejtypuld •,fire Sip
Monday. The silence. of,„our .Aner i imt
'flag=ship was a short and' striking sermon
-on the-Sabbith. "Benieinber the Witted/
~day to , keep it - holy. Ault' dO
no work."