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Morning and Evening Hymns.
BY BIBBOP HEBER
A 'MORNING HYMN.
Tn thee, 0 Lord, with dawning light.,
'My thankful voice I 'll raise,
Thy mighty power to celebrate,
Thy holy name to praise ;
For thou, in helpless hour of night,
liast compassed my bed,
And now refreshed with peaceful sleep,
Thou latest up my head.
Or knt me, 0 Lord, thy quickening grace
Through this and every day;
That. guided and upheld by thee,
My feet may never stray.
Inorease my faith, increase my hope,
Increase my seal and love;
And fix my heart's affections all
On Christ and things above.
And when, life's labors, o'er, I sink
To slumber in the grave,
In death's dark vale be thou my trust,.
To succor and to save ;
That, so, through him who bled - and died,
And rose again for me,
46 The grave and gate of death?' may prove
A passage home to thee.
AN EVENING HYMN.
Creator of the starry frame,
Light of the souls that trust in thee,
Jeans 1 ftedeemer. of mankind,
To thee we gall on banded knee.
Thou, when the tempter's arts prevailed,
Did hasten down with tears of love,
To shield sod save a ruined world,
With health and.peace from heaven above.
Exalted now, thy glorious power
Extends through all immensity;
And saints in heaven, and fiends in hell,
Bow at thy name with trembling knee.
To thee, 0 Judge of all, we look ;
Grant us thy heavenly help, we pray.
Guide us in life, and guard in death,
And.shield us in the judgment day.
For thine tha glory is and power,
flrernal Sire,,etunal Son;
Eternal Spirit, thine the praise,
The Oue in Three, the Three in Gne.
'• Glory be unto God
In the highest."
Amen, Halleluiah
For the PresbytPria Banner.
Renledy for our National Troubles()
What is it? PRAYER. God says, "Call
upon toe in the day of trouble, and I will
dcliver thee." . Eueouraged by our late
victories, and believing as some do that the
rebellion is about " played out,". might
tend to restrain prayer; ,but if we look at
our preent condition, the prospects of
Fitreign intervention, while we lksve 'great
reusoilo to thank God, yet now it, is, witit us,
the gulden hour," and the time 4 i to take
courage," and pray on, and fight on with
renewed zeal, until the rebellion is corn.
pletely quelled, and the throne of civil
power sustained. Let - us rejoice that we
ttra cot "without remedy!' The disease,
though bad, is not beyond cure. There is
stilt balm in Gilead—there is still a Physi
cian there, to whom =f we rightly apply,
will heal us. 0 Lord, help us. Thou. art
our refuge and strength in this " time of
trouble." " Unto whom shall we .go but
into thee." "Lord, save or we perish."
PRAYER A MEANS OF POWER.
What is earnest prayer? It is offering
up our desires. to God, itt: Christ's panics,
tor D . ings agreeable to his will, backed> by
the use of all' God's appointed means to
the blessing sought. " Prayer is no
fie lion," no reverie; no,, it is' 'a quality.
And, says . Phelps, it is literally, actually,
and positively a means of power." " Iteis
a link of counection between human'Mind
and Divine mind, by which, through his
infinite condescension, we may actually,
move his will." It is not power itself, but
the means of power.
The orifice through the throttle connect,
ing the boiler with the cylinder of a steam
engine is very email, but it is an engine of
tti•ghty power Gaze upon the Great East
ern, an she lies upon the placid ocean. Not
a wave to be seen--not a wheel or paddle
in motion. All is calm and quiet. Lift
the valve—the steam escapes,-.enters the
cylinder, starts the piston, moves the huge
clank, turns the ponderous wheel, andlif a
moment all is in motion, and the mammoth
steamer ploughs tbe mighty ocean' and
heaves the very earth and all done simply
by lifting a little valve. So is prayer;
though apparently a weak instrumentality,
it, is "mighty through God, to We pulling
down of strong holds." Behold the earn
est suppliant alone in his closet—there,
upon his bonded knees, he lifts the valve
of his heart; his' desires escape, secant
God's throne, and move the powers of heav
en and earth. It is the power of prayer.
This is evident not only from the sutner
ona cases of answered prayer, but because
God -sops so. The Saviuur "If ye
shall ask anything in my name, T will do
it." "And alt things whatsoever ye shall
ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive:
1 he effeetuali fervent prayer of a righteous
man availerh much: Jacob prayed, had
power with God; and prevailed. Gaze upon
the thrilling scene of Penuel, and mark
the power of prayer..:; Jacob had supplant
ed 14141 LU, and caused'his furious wrath-.-and
murderous indignation to burn against
and being afraid, fled to Paden-areal for'ref
uoe After twenty years' absence he re
turns, and finds Esau's revenge still burn
ing against him; but he resolves to meet
him, and to try' the power 'of prayer to
effect a reconciliation. Having ,sie.pt •his
family and fleas over the brook. Jabbok,
retites alone, prays and wrestles with God,
and prevails The heart of Esau is touched`,
gives way, yields, and • his fratricidal re
venge is turned to brotherly affection and
love; and when they met, they embraced
each other with a kiss. And if we will'
pray and wrestle like Jacob, the direful re
venge ,now existing between the North and
Seuth will give way, and reconciliation and
peace will follow:'
PRAYER. SHUT AND OPENED HEAVEN.
, Take a scene in. Israel. It is a time. of
severe famine. Elijah, who seemed to carry
the keys of heaven in his pocket, "prayed.
earnestly that it might not rain; and it
rained not for three years and six months."
The heavens had become brass, and the
earth iron. Not a, cloud darkens the 'ceru
lean sky. and there is no sign of rain.
Again, ; Elijah enters the -closet, bow#, the
knee, heart;to God ttt. praterp•awir.
a. i It'irtr+
cl:l x . ts. . I. gt.tt:,4lt :....
•:•14. -- .
VOL. XI., NO. 50
suddenly a little cloud not bigger than a
man's hand gathers, and thickens; the heav
ens grow dark, the lightnings flash, thunder
roars, " and the heavens gave rain." But
in answer to the prayer of Elijah, God not
only gave rain, but fire fell from heaven
and consumed his sacrifice, and convinced
four hundred heathen idolaters that Jeho
veh is the Lord. At the prayer of Joshua
the sun stood still in heaven.
PRAYER SAVED NINEVEII.•
Again, take the ease of proud, wicked,
corrupt Nineveh, The " seller of nations,"
and all full of lies and robbery, they killed
until there was no end of the dead. It
was exceedingly wicked and corrupt, and
God himself turns against it, and sends his
prophet to warn them of their impending
ruin. Jonah goes, perambulates the streets,
crying, " And yet forty days, and Nineveh
shall be overthrown." The alarm spreads,
and the terror-struck, inhabitants begin to
eagerly ask, What shall we do? Is there
no remedy ?—no way, of escape? Must
Nineveh, with all her glory and grandeur,
be, destroyed in forty days ? Is it possible ?
Has God ceased .to, be, gracious ? Is the
day of grace over? and has the day of
wrath begun ? Is our fatal doom inevita
ily fixed ? Must we, all perish ? And
again they hear the voice of the prophet
pealing forth the awful sentences "And
yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be over
thrown." Cries and shrieks are heard
throughout the city. Awful terror clothes
every brow---fell despair sits 'upon every
face and surges every heart. They pro-
claim a national fast, and the king and all
put on sack-cloth and .ashes, and decree
that neither man nor heist should eat or
driSk.
~Thus fasting and humbling themselves,
they prayed—cried mightily unto God,
turned from their evil ways, until God saw
their good works, turned aside his fierce
anger, and spared them some two hundred
years,
How encouraging this case! We have
had three days, of national. fasting; and
then encouraged by late victories, we have
a day of thanksgiving. And now while we
have great reason to thank God, we have
stronger reasons to take courage, and go on,
pray on, and
f ight on, until the work is
completed. Courage, brethren; let us take
courage; follow:up the victories. - The re
bellion, the quailing, still exists—though
dying, not yet dead. A few more ,earnest
prayers, and the struggle will be over and
peace restored. What! do you expect to
pray the rebellion down ? Yes. Without
the use of the' means—without the army
and navy ? No. Why then pray at all ?
Pray, because earnest prayer always leads
to earnest action. Prayer, faith and works
always go together. It was said of an earnest
general that be prayed as though God must
do everything, and at the same time he
acted as thougy he must do everything.
himself. That is the right spirit. Pray
and act. Back your prayers by earnest
eprts. The Saviour prayed, " Thy king
dum come," - and he lived, labored, suffered,
died, rose,, ascended, and still intercedes
for its coming; andritas come and is com
ing. The:Apostles prayed for the cause of
Übrist; and they labored,
_suffered and died
for backing their prayers by their
works. Sinking Peter prayed, and he was,
saved ihrongh means. Washington prayed,
and victory crowned his efforts. Earnest
prayer'_alwaya leads to earnest action and to
success. Besides all this,
THE HOLY SPIRIT INDICTS, THE PRAYER
OF FAITH
" The Spirit itself maketh intercession
for us ." Air, in other words; the Spirit
prays through the believer; or, in the lan
guage of 'Dr. Chalmers, " "the man. whom
He .prays foris the organ of his: prayer,"
a titi his flout " the channel" through which
the. petition reaches .the throne of grace.
And since the .Spirit is-omniseientand un
erring,' he not dictate to the Chris
tian to ask what , God isnot willing to give.
For "he maketh intercession` for'the saints,
accordinsr, to thewill of G-o(1.1"—Rom viii :
27. Therefore-God' the Father is the hear.
er, because God the Spirit is the inspirer
of prayer. Therefore, every prayer of faith
will be answered, and consequently , prayer
is a means of power, and - if we call upon
God earnestly with faith, believing, he will
deliver us.' have been lona. ~ praying.
that the rebellion mighthe quelled.and the
Government sustained,- and God has heard
our 'prayers, and given us many signal vic
tories: 'He has sent us. a few severe re
verses and defeats, but they were necessary
to rouse up and call forth the energies- of
the North; and as God sometimes " answers'
by terrible things," , (Pe. lay 5,) they
may have heen, and no doubt were given,
in answer to prayer. Then, encouraged•by
the achieVements of the 'past and The pros
pects-of the future, together with the great
interests at stake both to the Church arid
State, let us toil. on and-pray on, until
these calamities be overpast.
Opp CORRESPONDENT.
- 'For the Presbyterian Banner
Eicuses invalid. .
The invalidity of etcuses &awn from
the lives of 'Christians, appears from 'Sever
al considerations.: •
I. Religion - is a strictly personal-matter.
Every man must be religious for himself or
perish forever: The fact ; therefOre; that
°titers 'neglect religion, or live unworthy of
the profession they malte ; is no. excuse fbr
any •one. The faults Or the neglects •of'
others; will not save him. If:he would be
wise, bet must be. wise for himself. By his
o wn - personal.acceptance or rejectioit 'of the
hope 'set before him, he must stand or fall.
EtobraCe-Clant and you shall be saved.;
reject him and you must perishforever. -
2. Each one must give account of him
self to Gbd. The Christian must account
for own conduct; and - the 'sinner too
niust appear before the judgment - seat of
ChriSt; and give account of himself to God.'
He must be tried ; acquitted or condemned .
fel. himself : The sina of others will not
excuse him there. Reader, you bust an- -
sive! . the charges regigtered against you;
arid "-will . `you MAC that an excuse-here -
which will not.svail - you . as suckrit - the
oro.Gistir
each one' mast bear his own punish=
.No matter who niey perish, you
wrist, if Oirri'd.out of Christ, bear your Own
puniebtocnt. On yourself must lie---reeom
pensed the sine you have committed ; and
the defileOta of- which - you are guilty. The
sufferingi'of others-will not alleviate your
woes. Why-theri 'hazard your soul hecause
others live u nworthily'? Let me entreat
you thus to deceive -yoirrself no longer.
Your soul is tin precidus-Io be
sah th trifled-1
with. stial yotir lttio us n. No
I=EM2I
PITTSBURGH, WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 26, 1863.
longer pray to be excused; but now flee to
Christ—repent, believe, obey !
W. J. M.
Nor the Presbyterian Deaner
Parents, Speak Soft and Low.
CAMP DISTRIBUTION, Aug. 12,1868.
I know some houses, well built and hand
somely furnished, where it is not pleasant
to be even a visitor. Sharp, angry tones
resound through them from morning till
night, and the influence is more contagious
than the diptheria, and much more to be
dreaded in a household. The children are
liable• to catch the disease, and if they do,
it will last for life. One of.our friends has
such a neighbor within hearing of his
house, (when doors and windows are open,)
and even their little daughter has caught
the tune, and delights in screaming and
scolding so annoyingly that she has been
sent by her parents into the country to
im
prove her habits.
Children are more liable to catch cross '
tones than parrots. Where a parent sets
a bad example, you will scarcely hear a plea
sant word among the children in their plays,
with each other., The discipline of such a
family is always weak and irregular. • The
children expect just so much scolding, be
fore they will do, anything 'they,are.bii ;
whereas in a home where the low r firm tone
of a mother, or a decided look of a father's
steady eye, is law; they never think of dis
obedience either in or out ofaight.
Oh I mothers and fathers, it is worth a
great deal to cultivate that excellent thing
in you, ,a low, sweet voice. If you.are,evcr
so much tried or grieved by the mischievous
or wilful pranks of your children, speak
low. It . will be a great help to you to even
try to be patient and cheerful, even if you
cannot wholly succeed. Anger makes both
you and your children wretched. Why
then not speak kindly to your children ?
Impatient, angry tones never did the heart
any good, but doubtless much harm. Read
what Solomon says of angry. words, and
remember he wrote with an inspired pen.
You cannot have the excuse that 'they
lighten your burdens; they make them
heavier. For your own sake, as well as
that of others; learn to speak pleasantly.
Your children will remember that tone
when your heads are under the willows, and
your bodies cold beneath the clods. So,
too, would •they, remember- a harsh and
angry voice. Which legacy will you leave
them 7 A SOLDIER.
Letter from Delegate of the Christitm Com-
mission.
GEN'L HEADQVAIXTERE, ARMY OF THE POTOMAC,
Near Warrenton, Va., Aug. 8; 1863.
Mr. Joseph. Albree, Treasurer of the Christian Coin
%mission, Pittsburgh
SIR : 7 .4 wrote you a few days since, giv
ug an account of our capture and recap
EEM
We are now. located at. General Bead
quarters, three-miles from Warrenton Juno
tion. I remain in charge of the Station
There are• nosrwith us six or eightdele
gates at this Station engaged in distribut
ing reading matter to the soldiers, and ,in
attending to their wants .generally. Mr.
J. B. Miller, of, the 'I heologioal Seminary,
Allegheny, and the Rev. Mr. Ritchie of
Beaver County, are,with us, and are doing
good service.
The soldiers receive us gladly, and it re
'oiees their hearts to know that the Chris-
tiara community at home think of them and'
their wants. But few of the regiments
now haie Chaplains. Soldiers have told
me they have .not" heard a sermon for 14
months, for 10 months, for 9 months, for
7 months. Here at General Headquarters,
they look upon us very kindly, and semi
to think we belong to the army, to them.
They are grateful to .usc we have secured
their confidence - and respect. Prayer-meet,
tings are non held every evening at our
tent, for the soldiers, which are well attend
ed and full of -interest; they unite with us
in addressing the meetings and in calling
upon the Throne of Grace.; such' earnest
ness in prayer ':I have seldom witnessed. I
wasF called , upon yesterday to, know if we
had any more of the Soldiers' Hymn Books
—they wanted to form a choir for the nleet
ings.
Could the Christian. community. at: home
see with what gratitude these poor soldiers
receive what we have to give; see how they
enjoy the means of grace provided for
them, it would gladden their hearts.' -
Nothing seems to please them more than
the little " Housewives," which are small
bags containing needles, pins, thread but
tons, yarn, &c. Most of them contain also
a letter to the poor soldier which he is ex
pected to answer; sometimes a sheet of !Ja
per with a stamped envelope enclosed.
These letters are read with a great deal of.
interest, and, they generally answer them,
thanking the donor. As many as fifteen
or twenty have around the tent at one
time, begging'for tr little thread or buttons
to mend their clothes; 'tis seldom they
cein buy these articles of the sutlers. In
their appeals they have ehown me hey des
titute they, were ; their ingenuity in the
use a substituteS ,is amusing.
On tomorrow (Sabbath,) we have preach
ing at 10 A. M: and• at 3 P. N.
Near us is:the 46 Ring," in which pris
oners are put under guard until they are
sent to Washington, which is done every
two or three days. Among theni' now is
the Rev. John V. -Pugh, pastor- of•-the
presbyterian church•at:Warrenton, former,.
Ay a Lieutenant .in the Rebel army. We
have supplied them with testaments,'relig
ious newspapers, writing paper, envelops;
medicine, &c. 'Tis more than they ex
pected, and they say we' show the true
' Christian spirit. Some of them have ta
ken the oath of allegiance ;,,others would',
but fear to do so lest theßebel army should
return,= and they. 'be unprotected. ,Could,
our peopletat Thorne; who sit under.' their
own vine and fixtree, with none. to molest .
nor malee.them afraid, .see the desolation' of.
this part of;th'is. country, their'hearts amid:
be:drawn outiri gratitude to the . Giver of;
all good; for their home enjoyments.'
It is theintentioreof the Christian Com- .
miesien r , establish a, ,Station near the
headquarters of every corps in the army
of the 'POtaniojnani which read i fig - Mat- ,
tier Will be siferplied; and wbore;''prayer- -)
meetings and Preaching will 'be . held; and:
the wants ; of the soldier - , temporal and apir.,
itual, be provided for as far as,poseible,
The Christian, community heed only to,
know the wants 'of the array and the grati;
tude with whielctle&soldiers' receive-these,
favors, to, inducestheml to contribute still
mere, largely toward -1 sup ply ng . the wants,
of oer , trae ..imitpkaald brave
soldier bays:
leek t*«"di N tri<lisaii:im* , piii*l 3 tit
: 436:
.11 ,V..Anh,1413 al .72,."7,7.
friends of the soldier be laid upon the al
tar, and God will bless both giver and re
ceiver.
As I am finishing this letter, a soldier
insists upon my sending home his contri
bution to the Christian Commission. En
closed please find it. J. B. D. M.
EUROPEAN CORRESPONDENCE.
Convocation of Chrietians at Barnett—The .Rev,
IF. Pennefather--Ris Invitation and the Reasons
Thereof—Subjects Discussed—Silint Prayer and
its Power—The Queettand Brutalizing Sports—
Pauperism and PopeTV--ne :Covenanters De
fended by the Edinburgh ' Review—Death of a
.Decendant of the Scots iVorthies—The New-York
Riots—The Daily News Thereon-4fiscellaneous.
LONDON, Aug. 1, 1868.
A CONCERT FOR PRAYER, mu tu a l Inter
course among Christians, and the building
up of one another word and work of
the Lord, has been beta this week at Bar
nett, a town about twenty miles North , of
London. This is the seventh concert of a
similar kind, which has been -held at the
same place. It has not only originated in
revival times;-but it has largely promoted
and advanced, the ' cause of true spiritual
progress all over the kingdom. Its chief
promoter is the Rev. William Pennefather,
a clergyman of the Chitral, of England—
not occupying the parish Church and liv
ing, .but a distinct Church , within . the par
ish of Barnett. -Mr. Pennefather ,belongs,
to an old Irish Protestant family, was, edu
catedat Trinity College, Dublin, and after
wards came to England. He is a man of
singular levingness,.earnestness, good sense,
and piety. His very appearance, ai yell as
his prayers,, address, ; and conversation, in-,
dicate ..-kindness, and. goodness of heart.,
He is surrounded by eminent lay Church,
men of devoted piety, including Captain
Trotter, who has been for years an evan
gelical laborer in all that is good, and in .
Paris as well as London, has effected great
results. He, , 'with Mr. Blackwood , (the
husband of the young = Dowager Duchess' of
Manchester)r—who also was present at Bar
nett Conference—excels..in, the. exposition
and preaching of that. Wor - of •Life which
seems to have, saturated their moral •nature,-
and make them admirable andmuph-blessed
alike to. _a company of, true -believers, to a
body of railway lahorers, or yillagers 141 a
lea ' school-house, orhern, or to. a crowd of
the West-end Londhners on Saturday after
noons, met to hear , , one , nr_ other of them
preach the .GosPel, Willes's..Rooms, St.
James' Square.
Mr. Pennefather always hitting an annual
circular, inviting ChristiarertC the coming
Conference. In the last circular, - he says
of the , six Conferences already held, he re
counts the blessings received: I know
that God has used theut for the conversion
of sinners, for the edification and cement
ing togetheir in love of his saints, and for
the honor of his holy word. Laborers from
distant parts of the- lord's , vineyard, have
met together , te recount - the triumphs of
the Cross, ine the faithfulness - oftheir
God. Brethren Who - had n't; , erfooked one
another in the face have at once recog
nized their family relationship. . Burdened
hearts have found relief in , prayers that
have entered 'within- the veil`; and new
born soulslave poured forth.their gratitude'
in .songs of. praise that have vibrated;
through the Courts of Heaven, and, found
an echo in the breasts of, those who, ab
sent front the body' are ' present with the
Lord.' ' The claims' of , distant churches,
and of our Isolated missionaries, have been,
presented at the Throne of Grace;, and
while.the Holy` Spirit has made . interces
sion in us, the saute. DiVine Comforter has
ministered to the souls for whom we Prayed,
the consolations which they needed.'
The meetings of the Conference are held
'in a large iron church, beautiful and com
modious, in'the midst of perk scenery, and
close by Mr. Pennefa ther's church, in
which, always.at the close, of each Corfer
enee, there is a unique and reinarkably
catholic and'devout, commemoration, in a
common participation of the Lord's Sup,
per, of the decease accomplished at Jeru
salem. This year the attendance has beep
larger than ever before; men of different
nations were - present from afar, and every ,
branch of the Church catholic,
.add'" male
and female, too-L'alt one in Christ Jesus—
had their representation, and here as here
tofore, God has in his great'mercy
. 80
blended soul with soul, that nationalit.es
and Churches 'have been lost sight of in
the felt power of theloving'Comforter
As reasons for such a convocation, the
good clergyman. had truly said , in his cir
cular: "In the present circumstances of
the world and of the Church of . God, there
m
sees to be alortder call than ever for' us
to unite in prayer' and praise.- How fear
ful is the destruction of human life in
America! How heaving with commotion
are the kingdoms of Italy, Austria, Russia
and Prussia! How lamentable is the po
sition of Spain hind - how,darkly and si
lently is the poison of infidelity and super
stition flowing
does
' our own land!
How peculiar does the position of our wid
owed Sovereign, and that Of the youthful
heir to the throe°, claim our prayerfel
sympathy, and how even, the very elect'
are in danger of heing carried away by
false brethren.' . -
"But are there not streaks of light imong,,
the clonds, which tell of 'the coming day
Isnot the Gospel preached as a Witne s s
hitherto unvisite d':regions of the earth?
Is not the Lord quickly accompliShingii*
number of the elect; and hastening his
kingdom * ? And !nay . we:not hope that the
time to favor 2ifin is 'near, seeing % that
many' , take pleasure in her stones and , favor.
the dust thereof F" .
Thiii Conferences-1 were preeeded , by, a
prayer-meeting on'thevTuesday evening.of
the, present' week, . and then followed ~n
three successive days the,,meetinge, them-,
selves, beginning at P;' M.
Between these two 'great'.'githerinia-:there
werecin tents and elsewhere, Meetings- of a
smaller eharacter, for social' intercourse;
prayer; and mutual • edification. -At • the•
more'putilienssenillies, three 'topics' guided
the 'expositions of thcie:'whe 'spike from
the Word of God': First, The-faint:ea and
preciousnesi „of the' written Word; (Luke
xiiv-i, 44)- j'Stiewidly, The' person and
glory of' the Wbril 'lncarnate,- as •unfolded
by • the Holy Spirit, (3hlurritvi : 14;45)
Thirdly, The duty of 'the
ploy every talent w ith reference to eternity,
(Matt. xxv : 27-2 W) t was present on
one of these occasions. The - eynnfne
one of theloveliest, the flimieis'deekad the
lawn-andgrounds of' the parsonage,'an 11
around"was th`erich uplanda'and ineatfow4
and '-hatveat fields—almost ripe 'l(ii the
siCArle , ; , -Of'nne :of the rielteittaiftien4
/inddltitik4:4:-'‘PW6& ttif
Cal ;;t; 71.7 i 1,=1;
upper ranks and of the humblest, were all
lovingly intermingled ; songs of praise
were led by two young ladies, daughters of
Captain Trotter; written requests for prayer
were read out by Mr. Pennefather, and
after each, the whole assembly bowed itself
for silent supplication. This brief united,
silent appeal to the Father of mercies was
most impressive. Would that it were fre
quently practiced in all our assemblies 1
We depend too tench on the vocal utter
ances of man, and, formalism comes in with
41 much speaking;" but in this kind of
prayer, froth a thousand hearts at once, and
as arrows go up the sighs and supplications
of the people of God—concentrated and
intense. Surely he who heareth prayek,
hears such sighs and marks such prayers.
Tau QtrFEN, has once more, been exert
ing her influence for," good. Ever since
Biondin, the'lreneh Canadian acrobat, ap
peered in this . conritry, the public taste has
lxieri.injurednnd corrupted. by the 4f:sense
don:" and, perilous style of amusements.
Many, also f baY.e been the imitators of Blon
din, and most of them have cothe'to grief.
Athong these was a woman, Who, with her
husband's consent and as a Bonne of profit,-
was engaged ,to walk across algreat- space
in Aston Park, Birnainghath,. on ; a rope
sixty feet high. It was a part of the pro-.
gramme of amusements got "up at, the an
nual festival of the Odd'-Fellows Associa•
tion—working men, associated . for -mutual
benefit fund purposes, bringing their wives
and friends with them. Such a fete. is held
annually at the grounds of the, Crystal
Palace in Sydenham. No danger was' ap
prehended to the• woman, "Maclaine Gene:.
vieve f' but after erosaing the rope twice,
when a sack was-put on her head that she
might walk blindfold over,the rope, sud
denly the' rope,enapped asunder, .(not visi
bly, but inwaidlk rotten;) ani falling to
the ground, she: was instantly killed. In
the levity of the:people, this awful incident
was ere , long, forgotten, and, the revels pro
ceeded. Public indignation and grief have
s•Poken out through a unanimous press, and
now' the Queen's letter to the Mayor of
Airrningham will effectually and —perma
nently put down this kind of disgusting
performance. The letter, as dictated by
the QUeen as follows:,
" ()enemas, July 25, 1863.
:—The Queen has commanded me
to express to you the pain with which , her
Majesty has read the account of ,a fatal ac
cident which has occurred during a fete at
Aston Park,at Birmingham.,
"'Her Majesty cannot refrain from 'mai
log known through you her personal' feel
ings of horror that one of her subjects—a
fentale—shmild have been sacrificed to the
gratification or the demoralizing taste s un
fortunately prevalent, for exhibitions at
tended with. the greatest danger to the
performers.
" Were any pitoof - wantingAbat such ex
hibitions are demoralizitm, I ani commanded
to remark .that it, would be at once found
in the:decision arrived at to continue
,the
festivitie.s, the -hilarity,, and the sports of
the occasion after an event so melancholy.
' " Tbe4Queen trusts than you', iti common
with the rest of the townspeople of Bir
mingham, use .your ,infinpuce:to pre
vent in future the degradation to such ex
hibitions of the" Park, which was gladly
opened by her Majesty and the beloved
Prince Consort in the hope that it would
be made serviceable for the healthy exer
cise amkrational recreation of the people.
4 , I have the honor to be, sir, your most
obedient bitable servant,
•
46 The Mayor of Birmingham."
The Mayor of Birmingham replied ; ex
plaining that, when his name• was given
as• patronising the .fete, he was not aware
9f the-intention to have this kind of per
formance, declaring that Aston Park should
be preserved for such purposes as the la
mented- Prince Consort would have sane
,tioned, and expressing the hope that public
opinion would finally and forever extin
guish this species of entertainment.
PAUPERISM AND POPERY have al ways
been assobiated in Europe, and Italy as
well as Ireland has been a land of beggars.
The pressure of Censtitutionalism in its
neighborhood is 'beginning - to tell UpOn
Rome itself, as well as on those parts of
Italy, now under the sway of Victor Em:
manuel. The following is , the statement of
an Italian correspondent :of Times :.
44 The telegraph brings' us newsy which
,
'must bythis time have equally reaehed E ng
land,' by whiCh we are led to expect to see an
end pie to mendicancy in its - very head
quarters, at Rome. Wonders will never
cease. ' The hackney-coachmen -of Piaui
di Spagna have been. subjected to a - fixed
tariff, neither More - nor less than those of
civilized places. The turn now comes' for
the beggars, those picturesque beggars, who
so greatly endeared the residence - of the
SeVen Hills to"strangers of a sentimental
cast of mind. The Pope is determined to
wage war against' . vagrancy." Alien vasit
bonds are to be, shown out at the frontier ;
native paupers are to wear a badge entitling
them to appeal to privatabenevolence; for
the reit, begging is to be'at an end in the
churches, the houses, the streets, and pub-
lie establishments. The whistle of the loco-
Motive is working its wonted effects.on the
Vatican. The Pope feels the neeeiiity of
owning to terms with the Spirit of the age.
Bien' the rhurchl-;-that Church of Rome'
to` which InendicanCY owei;:i:r net its rise,'
at least its'increment, becomesaivare of the
necessity of undObig , its• own
."liork z—or' at
least of declaring its intention. to Undo it.
So : Much for laws and edicts; So‘ much - far
fine words and professions.'`: Practically;
however Vi i. aria be found diffianit to disso'-
elate Papatßaine'frorn 'the heat of tattei
demalkons whieblias constituted the body
guard of the' Papacy from its•earliest'inai.
Wien. It' will hardly- be possible, and,
indeed- hardly reasonable for -the disciples
of, y r ancis of Assisi to plaim a monopoly,
of the right of` betrging. Praying fur
alins mmit'net be a pritilage - erthe mendi 2 .
cant monks, and the. priesthoOd Would - in"
vain- strive,:_ to wean. a .brutified populace ,
from.,those: grovelling , habits which have
fieen•hallowed by their precepts and prae-.
dee hr centuries, and which they are not
really to discontinue themselies. ,
g4 ' WO against pauperism has been stren
uously Waged here and there , in the prin
cipal °Weer of free. help; beggers, as I
haveoften had occasion to, ,tell you, have
alniOst 'entirely disappelred from ' Milan,
Tiniiii, - Gerioarand •Boloint ; - hut' the` evil
is still very far indeed from a radical; cure
even in-Northerogtalpit-rages-in all its
unmitigatedlrideousnoitssidur We lilomagna
liptio.l. stizPititidinliAitB...wstJom.47
06 V
of f <ticiprli
..1 -- " : . Lia , ..'MKrrov r; ~,•_. . x...". 1., e,' , atif
ohurches "and sanctuaries—wherever the
influence of Rome was longest and busiest
at work, wherever superstition cast its
deepest roots."
THE COVENANTERS of Scotland, we all
know, were the excellent of the land, and
attempts to injure their memories, or to
deny the reality of their martyr sufferings,
(as in the case of the young girl Wilson,
and another, droWned by being tied to
stakes below watermark,) have utterly
failed, and recoiled on their Tory-Jacobite
and Semi-Papiat traducers. The 'Edin
burgh Revi , to has a.powerful article re-
viewing a pamphlet by a Scottish Advo
cate, iViark Napier, marked by recklessness
in his hate d of the good and great cause,
which mak:•a him an easy preyto the lion
thiit pounces on him. By suela literary re
viling amimisreprusentation '
Professor
Agton and men Of that . school will never
succeed in toiling the world believe that
Ciaiverhause'was the pink of chivalry and
honor, or that Montrose was ought Wit a
cruel persecutor and while- smiling and.
courtly was any better.than an exterminator
of God's humble saints
At: such a time as the present, it is good
to be reminded of the services of those
who " lived::obseure,"
"Till persecution raised them unto fame,
• And chased them up to heaven."
Tourists in the Summer months ()Chimes
visit the moorlinds of Fenwiek in the
South of Scotlaled, and the farm-house of
Lochgoin r in that parish. There has lived
for many years,,andthere has•recently died,
Thotnas H.,wie, the son of John Howie,
author of Scot's Worthies, a book Which
is foinia in many a home, where the stock
of literature id small. He lived to the age
of eighty-seven, his• days having been spent
in quiet and peace, presenting a striking
contrast to those of his ancestors. In the
persecuting days. Loehgoin was plundered
twelve times—each time the 'people es
caped. On one occasion they were forced
to hide a Dumber of • coins in the moors;
which lay undiscovered for more than a
century. The coins are still preserved, ;
shown to visitors along with the Fenwick
flrtg, which fluttered in the breeze on the
fields of Bothwell, Bilsythe, and. Drutuclog.
°apt - Patou's Bible, his, sword, and the
drum and drutu.sticks used" by his follow.
ers, are also preserved.
The R:ev. Dr. SiMpson, in Ms Gleanings
among the Mountains, says that "the family
of Lochgoin has subsisted on the spot for
about 700 .years, and came originally as
refugees from some of the Waldensian or
Piedmontese valleys in the, days of eonti-
nental perpecution. No fewer then nine:
and•twenty persons of the name of John
Howie or Hoy,.have occupied the place in
their successive generations."
THE PEOPLE who confided in the Times,
and, in Mr. Spence of_ Liverpool, and, ven
tured their money „in the Confederate loan,
are smarting sCverely." The stock went
down
-within the ' list Week to 16 or ,
More
belaw par. It has rallied a little, in con
cert with the recovery of,the general money
market.. S,,,,rue. say that in case , of peace,
the Federal Government will probably,rec
ognize this or kindred engagements of the
Confederates.
Suictov.s bave been fret:plant of lae.
One of the Queen's. servants threw herself
down from one oE - the towers of Windsor.
Castle.
THE INDIAN, - REVENUE is flourishing.
The =emit for the year . 1862,3, was £47,-
247,000, leaving a net surplus of £1,280,-
000. Mea,ures 'are being adopted of a
sanatory chafacter. to-retinae the Mortality
among European soldiers in India. The
cultivatien of tea in India l is now likely to
be vastly extended. The Times' Corres
pondent at Gilcutta says
"Never has an English Budget been re
6rived with so much interest in. India as-
Mr. Gliidsrene's. The reduction of the
tea-duty nearly one.third'at a time when all
the available land at the , foot and on -the
slopes of the Himalayas, for : a' length of
1.500 is being covered with the tea
plant, promises to give an inipetus to tea
cultivation whibh will soon enable India to
meet. the increased -consumption in Eng
laud, and ultimately take its place beside
China and before Japan. We generally
estimate the annual export of tea frcim In
dia at about two and a half millions of lbs.,
or •just- half what Japan exported - in the
yiar ending July, 1861. Mr. Fortune says
that hund:eds of miles of the finest tea
land lie waste in Japan, and that the tea
producino- capabilities of that country 'are
practically: inexhaustible. But'lndia has
in its favor a still greater extent, of tea
land, .the absence of political difficulties,
the capital and skill of Anglo-Saxon set
tlers, the advantage‘of being a dePendency
of England,-and greater proximity to the
European market. You must not judge of
what India can do, by what it has hitherto
done. In the nine months during which
Lord Canning's land ; rules were in force,.
thousands of acres'werepurchased; and 'are
only now being covered with the indiginous
Assam plant. There is a perfect furore for
the formation of tea ,companies with ! lira
ited' liability, and scrip is hardly put on,
the market when it' riSes to 50 - peecent: -
-pretnium. All •the schemes now afloat are
sound if the matiagef on the spot is . able or
trustworthy. That' is' the sole
_condition of
success .for even the labor difficulty is-now
being overcome."
WE HAVE msgniieent harvest weather.
All the drops are splendid.' nlt is a
, great,
deliverance for the farthing interest, which
suffered terribly , for three past year's. ,Ire
land. was' thereby impoverishe,dt to. the ex,
tent of millions. ,
" C. B. PHIPPS
WHOLE NO. 570
THE LTBRkRY of: the late Mr.: Buckle,
author of 1" The, Ilistory of Civilization,".
containing 20,0P0 volumes, has ; been sold
far upwards of xiB4o. Many of the
books' had been enrinlied byrnarginaantm
tations. A copy of Aclani:Sreith'i Wealth
cif Nations 'sold for ,Zl2.
TIE :AIITUMS= of this year thelFrench
Empress is to make•a•pilgrinaage to Pales-
IN Tux . course. tw % t o 3r , months. with
exception of the me tunnel through the
ppeninee at Monza, Naples 'eotiL
ne wed btrailivrty . witki3ologne, Miliurand
TEE Royal Society have elected two for ,
eign 'nowhere—Professor Kummer; Of
Berlin, for his diseove_iea ja i the theory,,of
numbers, and in partioular.for the concep
tion and development of ideal numbers`;
iMA'piofe;e4or S t sei3 stidp, of Copenha4en.
whose'
the' well khovrn• Naturalist; works on
theialteration of gimerktionsiab d ther „Zoo ,
EAtii-4#3-PAPtedej•A‘E*Atelisairr-
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A REDiTCTION made to aulvertisors by the year.
DIMNESS NOTICES of TAN Ones or lass, $l.OO each ad
hue, 10 cents.
REV. DAVID M'KJNNEY,
netted with the history of man, are greatly
esteemed. The list of fifty foreign mem
bers of the Royal Society is thus once more
completed. J.W.
Indneements to Attend Prayer-Meeting.
1. That you may draw down blessings
upon your country, the world, the,ehurch,
your family, and your own soul.
2. That you may help* to revive the
church, and cause it to flourish, increase,
and grow.
3. That you may encourage your pastor,
and render , his ministry powerful, unction
al, and efficient.
4. That you may comfort, assist, ar.d
stimulate your fegow-members.
5. That you may be useful to souls, to
sinners intbeir conversion, backsliders in
their restoration, and saints in their edift
cation.
_
t. That yob. may resist and conquer
Satan, both as a seducer and an accuser.
7. That you may rise above business
while in it, and live above the world while
passing through it.
8. That you may stimulate and make a
good impressiOn ;upon dull, heavy, sleepy
professors; let them see you go ntgularly
to the prayer• meeting, and there plead with
God for them..
9. That you may see the Word of God
=ire effectual in the conversion of many
sinners to-Christ.
10. That you may be happy in your own
soul, enjoying the testimony of an honest
conscience, and a Divine. ialeSsing on: the
means of grace.
Would you please God, and obtain
the testimony - that Enoch did ? Then, go'
to the prayer•meeting, and -by earnest
prayer hearty praises, and cooperation
with the saints, honor -him whose grace
has distinguished you from those around
you.
Dane' ig
".A.. time to dance "-Eccles. iii :4. On
this passage an ingenious writer inquires :
1; What is the right time ? 2. Is the text
a command, permission or declaration? 3.
What kind of dancing does the text intend?
To avoid mistake, -I have consulted every
passage in the Bible. The most important
xv : 20, and xxxii : 19 ; Judges
xi : 34, and xxi : 21; Ist Sam . . xviii : 6;
24 Sam. vi : 14-20 Psalm xxx : 11, and
:3; job xxi : 7--11; Jar. xxxi : 4;
Matt. xi : 17, and xiv : 6; Luke xv : 25.
From all of which it appears :
1. That daticin - 4,was a religious act; both
in true, and also in idol worship.
2. That it was practiced exclusively on
joyful occasions, such as-natural festivals,
or real victories.
3. That it was performed on such great
occasions only by one of the sexes.
4. That it was performed usually in the
day-time in the open air,in highways, fields j
and groves. .s,
5. That men who peryerted dancing from
a sacred use, to purposes of amusement,
$
were - demi-Jed itifinious.
6. That 'n o instances of dancing ire found
upon recordirt the Bible, in which the two
sexes • united" in , the exercise, either as at
act .of worship or amusement.
7. That there are no instances upon Tee,
ord in the Bible of social dancing for thTliiti&
ment, except 'that of "the vain fellows,
void , of shame, alluded to by Michael; of
the irreligious families: described by job,„ :
which produced increased and :
ended in destruction ; and of the w9rthles,
daughter of Herodias, which terminated`
the rash voir of Herod and the Murder of
John theißaptist.
Be Religious in. Eviry Calling
Sometimns when some Of you have been
stirred up by a sermon, you have come to
me and said : tg:Mr. Spurgeon, - could Igo
to China •? Could Lheconie a rnissiouary?.7
Could I become: a minister . ". ; In vely s
many ca es the.breihren who offer are ex 7
ceedia'g,ly iinfit'for any service of theltind j ,
for they have i'ery little gift'of expressioe' t
very little natural genius, and no adapts?:
tion , for such, 4.work, and ',have constantly..
and freque,ntly. to say, •,‘ My !fear brother,
be consecrated to Christ in your daily call
bag.; do nol,Seek to take a spititifril WiCe%;
but spiritualize yob'. common office:
the..cicibbter - -•can consecrate his latistone,
while,,many a minister,has- desecrated, hid_
pulpit.. , Tsha , ploughman can put his hand:
to' the .:plough in as bolya manner as act.,
did minister to the sabfamental bread.
dealing with your ribbons and your grocer--
handling your. brieks and your jackj.
planes sou.can be as truly priests to God'
as were those who slewr the bullocks and
burned them With the holy fire in the days
of yore. This old fact needs to be brought,
ontagain. We do not so much wanegreat.
preachers as good upright traders; it. is not'
so much deacons and elders we long for, as,
it is to have
,rpen who are, deacons for
Christ in common life, and are realty elders.
of Church in their ordinary conversa
tion. Sirs, Christ did not come into the
world to take all-fishermen from their nets,
though,he did take, etre •;,,,nor to call all
!p,ublicans fronillie receipt of custom, though
lie did call one; he did not Come to make
every Martha into a Mary, though he did
bless a , Martha and a Nary too. He would
;have you,to,be housewives still ; be sisters
of plerey. in_ your own 'habitations. He
,WOuld 'hoe you be traders, 'buyers and
tiellers, workers end toilers still ; for the end
:of Christianity is not to make preacheri,
, but .to: mate holy men ; the preacher is but
'the, tot; he may, be sometimes but the.
scaffold of the house, but ye are God's has
band ' '
.ry ; .yeare:Gods building ;.ve in y our
commen'attiiiiiind common deeds are they
who - are tO:serve God.--Spurgeon.
should nut
a mau that would die at all, be as willing at
thirty or forty,i.v God, secs, lit, as , seventy
or eighty? } Length. of time . cloth not con
quer corruption; it net•er sittersand decays
througlf age. Except- we receive' ail 'addi
titin-Of grace; as - well as tithe, we naturally
grow worse-. " 0 -In 6911.4deparrin peace I"
As..thou wouldst , pot .desire an unlitnited
estate in wea.th or honor' so desire it not
in point of dke: - ''llow many 'of the - pre-
Clone ifervantKif sod; of all ages and places,
have gonnzt:before .theel', Thou art not to
enter an untrodden path, por- appointed
firstrtO break, the ice., li.lacept . Enoch and
whiCh L ef the saints have escaped
death?``And - art better than they?
There - :afe• 'many milliolfs:"of taints , dead,
morathanmowiremainl on the earth, What
Azolimbon 9f Aim s awe bosom friends and
.cfrpaAin i nß Vtity, are now gons,,and why ihniddallhou 186'W-fallow r4Beiter.
; 4 , ;i,11.1t4.11 o•lia tv
PROPRIZIOR AND PUBLII3IIII