IN. DAVID M'KIN Editor and Proprietor. T. I. N. WKINNEY, *EDI' TERMS IN ADVANCE. or En Cluhr,) $2.00 V rta".4 l w IISIIIII OF Tics entail 2.50 I ',ending WI Tea enbrcribers and upwards, ,•ntltted to a pellet without, charge, and anol ‘pc , r for the Second ten ; ko. al-,, , bottld ho prompt, a tittle before the year expi vet nit letters to REV. DAVID M'RINNEY, PITTSBURGH, PA. [Selected.] A Winter Sermon. (liveliest In a warm and cheerful home, roof in Vain the Winter tempest lash houselese wretches 'round thy MIDI roam, whose unsheltered head the to splashes. board is loaded with the richest meats, which thine eyes in stated !so wander ; might live on what thy mastiff eats, feast on fragments which thy sere squander limbs are muffled from the piercing bb In from thy fireside corner thou dost sal have scarce a rag about them oast, 1 which the frosted breezes toy and da host soft smiles Co greet the kiss of love, thy light step resounds within I portal ; bore no friend sale Him who dw above, sweet communion with a fellow mortal. steepest soundly on thy costly bed, led by the power of ltunriet unnuntbo pillow on a atone an aching head, •er again to wake when they have el bored. think of those who, formed of kinds slay, Jen(' upon the doles thy bounty scatters, God will hear them for thy welfare pr - Sy his children, though in rags and tatters. . For the Presbyterian Banner. The Invalid Corps. . Joseph Albree, Treasurer of the 17. S. Christian Commission. DEAR Stu a delegate, and having , e t six weeks in the . field, it is proper t I should make report of my labors. field of labor for four weeks, .was the , slid Corps at Cliffburn Barracks. ese Barracks are situated on the' North. :st of the city of Washington and almost'. sight of the,eity. The Invalid Corps is posed of those soldiers who, _trona .unds or other causes, have been rendered . : ble for the duties of the field. - ~They sent to these Barracks from the hospi ::, convalescent minim' &o. They are e carefully examined as to their ability 'Various duties, and assigned to the first i::cond battalion. The first battalion is Nosed of the ablest bodied Meni . and y carry muskets. The second carry a N . . 11 saber. As they are thorotighly or- .ized, they are sent out to various places perform guard duty. his I found to be a very important field. „re are constantly from 1,000 to 1,500 iers in these Barracks, and these are con .!,;tly changing. Frequently a company -ighty or one hundred men is sent out, as frequently others are sent in to be anized in this Corps. ,N visited the soldiers in these Barraoks . I .; ost .every day for four *eitel and•l _'• ributed among them' many tracts, Hymn Books, Testaments,46., - of which were gladly and 'thankfully :rued. I made it a point to converse madly with as many of the soldiers as `:sible on the subject of their soul's in :sts. I have never met a class of per , s so accessible on this subject, nor any .'re ;impressible. Religious services were d with them as often as practicableat •.t every other evening. In these Beryl-. the soldiers took part, and they talked. prayed like men in earnest, as they ev tly were. here were noble Christian men there— ', possessing and developing a ChriStian of a vigorous type. And. they are ear forward and sustained in their labors sacrifices and perils with a,Christian iotism which is an' honor to any man ; possesses it. -:met a Mr. P— in these Barracks, an Nle ' Christian man, past the prime of who had fled from Missouri when the i;les commenced there, leaving a . fine ;erty, which was confiscated.. He en d from Michigan, or rather he entered . v ice and rendered thirteen months 'a ball' of free or voluntary service N 'e cause of his country,•without any re ration from the Government. He had sons whN) enlisted and entered the -ice ; all of whom were killed in battle, he himself injured in the back for life, is horse falling under him. Well, sir," said I,'" you have certainly e great sacrifices for your country and his Government. Don't you sometimes •; ost regret your course in this matter— t you ever entered this service or 1- raged your eons to do so?" . .1 ram a recumbent posture in .his bunk, quick as thought he raised him Self par ly to a sitting posture, and as his bright, • rkling eyes, and calm, firm countenance i Nressed what words could not do, he re ed: 'No, sir! The sacrifice has been cheer ly made, and if my country needs my in addition, she is welcome to it." any such men as this are met with and istered to by the delegates of the Chris- Commission ; and who would not share their abundance that through this agen such may be aided and comforted, both: to the phlsioal and spiritual man. ur religious services Wong those men e ' not without interest, nor without its. Christian men were revived, and 1 , were brought out in these meetings tioh a way as to know each other;'and n immediate result of this, a soldier's er-meeting was organized, and mess , - adopted for its permanency. a one of our meetings, where there was 'dently deep, solemn feeling, an oppor nity was given for any one to express eir desire for an interegt in the prayers . Christians. One 'soldier stepped 'for ard and knelt 'down bi my feet. I knelt' his side, and two fervent f earnest prayers ere offered in his behalf; • After `which the ngregation was dismissed. He =remained d unbosomed to me his deeplytbardened Bart; he was in great , distress, aura -rrible sinner," said he, " and if:therei-is my way of salvation, .I want you to telime." Certainly there is, dear sit:, but what as caused you to feel as you do " The ooks and traots you gave me 'a few days go, and your remarks in these meetings. ou gave me a Testament, and I have read t. half througli, but the more I read in it lie worse 1 feel." I undertook to explain to him the way; at while I proceeded, as if overwhelmed ith a gentian:44li* ainaphe eiielaimed: " VOL. XII. NO. 18 am an awful sinner. I have tried sin in all its forma, and am sick of it; if there is any other way I want to know it; do tell me if there is." " Yes," said I, " there is salvation for just such sinners as you are." With an expression of countenance which I shall not forget, he looked mein the face and said : " You do n't know what a sinner I have been. I was born at sea; have fol lowed the sea until this war broke out; then I enlisted as a-soldier, and I have been a very wicked man; I don't believe there is any salvation for such a sinner." "No matter, my dear sir, if yen have been a very wicked- man ; you belong to the class that Jesus Christ came to save. 'He came not to call the righteous, - but sinners -to repentance.' And you must not doubt his willingness, for ,he says; 'Come now let us reason together; though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be , as white as snow,' &c. And Christ - himself says, , Come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.' That certainly means you, for you are.heavy laden." " Well, tell me the way ; tell me how to be saved." I replied, "An awakened jailor, feeling. perhaps about as you do, came trembling. before Paul and silas, and said : 'Sirs, What - roust I do to be . saved ?' Their an-, ewer was, Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved.' . And so lam authorised to say to you, Believe : on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt ,be saved.'" " But what is it to believe . ?" he asked. Having explained as well as I could, and having urged him , to give, him: self to Christ;and give all, up fbr Christ, and to do this before he slept, I bade him good night. The second day after, I met him, and his face was as radiant as a sunbeam. riza " Well, my dear friend, how do you feel, to-day ?" " I feel very well. I never felt before as Ido now. Is this religion ?" " If you have given your heart to Christ, and are resting on him for salvation; then these new feelings are no doubt the result." In various ways he expressed his grati tude to me for• my agency in his conver sion. One, night after service in the Bar racks, he took my hand in both of his, and said : "My dear friend, you don't know how grateful I feel to you. If you had not come here I feel that my poor soul ivould: have been lost, but now I rejoice in Christ as my. Saviour.P • Having had frequent interviews with this man for two weeks, I saw no ground ,to doubt the genuineness of his conversion. I left him an active member of the soldiers' prayer-meeting. - In the hospital of this corps, where I visited, and where I .held religious service almost every other afternoon (about 4 o'- clock) there were a number of interesting cases. • Some anxiously inquiring the way of life, and some hoping in the Saviour. One day, after having had religious ser vices in the ward, I was distributing some hospital stores among the patients, and a man who was not a Christian, but who had told. me be was a "free thinker," said : "This looks 'very much like practical " Yes " said I; " as servants of Chi - list- 1 we seek to follow his example. He ever went about doing good, ministering both to the bodies and souls of men." That man's "free thinking" was evi dently somewhat broken in upon. His thoughts seemed to run in new channels. He was-anxiously inquiring. I found him frequently reading his Testament; and I endeavored to point him the way. But I forbear. In my next I will make report of ten days' labor among the soldidrs in the "front." Yours truly, Wellsburg, West Va. . For the Presbyterian Banner: letters to Bible• Men and Patriots, On die Rise and Progress of the Causes of our National Calaniity, with .a Brief In quiry as to their Righteousness. GENTLEMEN address you, for it is a hopeless task to attempt to inform or -con vince those.who do nottake the Word of God for the rule of their 'faith and practice; or, those who sacrifice patriotism to party spirit. I may seem assuming, but as some of you may not have had necessary means of information, as to the causes of .out na tional troubles; and as correct knowledge is essential to our unity as a people, and to our repentance, I propose, in a short series of letters, to do something to unite more firmly, •men of your character. The Apostle James asks, " From whence come wars: and-fightings among - yon ? come they not hence, even of your lusts ?" The lust ot power, the love of money, as a means of gratification, and a •desire for unlawful distinction, are the usual original causes, or foundation for wars, on the one side .or the other. There are, -however, more im mediate provoking or _procuring causes, which are now the subject of inquiry. Southern men, • and their sympathizers, say th g at their rights were invaded—that they were justified in secession and inwar. Northern, men deny both the right of se cession, and that cause was given for revo-. As - some must stand before God, awfully guilty for all the horrors of war, let us take a brief notice of the alleged grievant:n*of the aggressors in this contest. i At a discussion, as -to the propriety of secession, at Milledgevillei in Georgia,, be fore the Legislature, in 1860, - Senetor Toombs maintained, as one ground for it, the > fact that Northern sailors had been paid bounties out of the national -Treasury for fishing it the deep seas. Senator Clay; of Alabama, had caused, in consequence of the .grievance, -a bill for the• repeal -of the bounties, to pass the Senate of theATnited States. ;Senator Stephens, (afterwards Vice-President -of the -Rebellion,) then maintained, that this' was an •insufficient cause -of secession-:and consequent war. By the bounties, people in -the South ob tained their provision , at a.eheaper rate,und the whole bounties only amounted to 4200,- 000 per annum, and, were . really .equally beneficial to all the States. - The second reason •assigned by Toombs, (who became Secretary of , State to the Con lederacy,) was the giving to •American-ves sels the exclusive right of the coasting trade. This was a protection to ourselves; it increased the energy of our navy, awl was equally advantageous to all parts of the United - -Statesi•except that Southern men did not invest-their .capital, nor endure the toils of such enterprises ; and they ap peared to be jealous of those who would connect maritime energy and profit togeth er- - It iappeared.-..3lmtnifallorbhern—mem - •. - • ~ . . 101 . ... _ . .. -1r...'• / . h 46- .. . . , •• + ..,,„.„, ...... „.„..• . •. ... , -: 4 . h., • -if I , %. ....••••••••J . . • .. .•••" -.• . ...‘ vil '....---•-• . It . . : ~, '.. : --r W. M.R. PITTSBURGH, W' would not get profit in breeding and selling and workinc , negroes, they must not have 'it by a lawful trade, allovied them by their Government. This envious view of this measure was not always taken by Southern men, for, said Edward Rutledge, of South Carolina, "We had no other resource in our.days of danger, than in the naval force of our Northern friends, nor could we ever expect.-to become a great nation, till we were powerful on the Waters!! ' The third ground for secession and will', was the injustice of a protective , tariff. Without discussing this subject, it might, be shown that the tariff of past years, had been an aid to the cotton interest, and that of 1857, under which the seceded States' were when they commenced the war, could not have been oppressive, or else South• "Carolina would not have voted for it, as well as Massachusetts. If it had been - that it restricted their profits or made theiiipaY more for their importations, they should have remembered that our Government is a compromise of interests. That the North had borne its share of the postal arrange. meats, which supplied the South at a great loss to the U. S. Treasury, every , year; a large majority of the offices of 'honor and profit had been, since our Government 'was organized, conferred on Southern men; the largest number of Cadets- at West Point were from the Sputh,•and the largest nusi her of midshipmen in our navy were from the South, educated at public expense =by the United States, and then they used their education to destroy the Union.' With but one-third of the population, a larger extent of territory, had been left open for slavery than for freedom. In the language of Mr. Everett, who. was always a fast- friend of. the Smith, until it unjustifiably revolted, " With respect to everything substantial in the complaints of the South against the North, Congress and the States have afford ed or tendered all reasonable, all possible satisfaction. She complained of the kis souri Compromise, although adopted in conformity with all the traditions of the Government, and approved by Me most ju dicious Southern statesmen, and after, thir ty-four,years'-acquiese,enee on the part of the people, Congress repesled it. ' She' asked for a judicial decision of the territo rial question in her ,favor ' and the Su preme Court of the United States, in con travention of the whole current of our legislation, so decided it. She insisted on carrying this decision into effect, and three new territories, at the very last session of Congress, [before the attack on Sumpter;] were organized in conformity to it, as Utah' and New-Mexico had been before it was rendered. She demanded :a guaranty Against amendments of the Constitution adverse to her interests, and it was given by the re quisite majority of the two Houses." [The resolution not to interfere with 'slavery in the States passed nearly unanimously.] Farther, says Mr. E., "She required the repeal of the. State laws obstructing the sur render of fugitive slaves, and although: she had taken the extreme remedy of revolt into her hands, they viere.repealed ormod ified. Nothing satisfied her, because there was ari active party in the cottot-growing .tares ~led .-hysiaibitiouti...me :determined satisfied." • When we remember part of the appeal made by Stephens before the Convention, which was disregarded, We see the truth of the last statement, and have evidence, then candidly given, that there-was no ground for rebellion, and that evidence has been furnished by one who has been compelled by the current of unrighteous feeling to ac oept office in a wicked confederacy. When he dare speak out, at Milledgeville, he said : " Pause, I entreat you, and consider for a momefft what reasons you can give that will ever satisfy yourselves in calmer mo ments—what reasons you can give to your fellow-sufferers, in the calamity that it- will bring upon us. What reasons can you give to the nations of the earth to justify it? They - will be the calm and deliberate judges in the case; and 'to what cause, or what overt act can you name or, point to, on which to, rest the plea of justification,?. What right has the North assailed,? What interest of the South - has been invaded ? What • justice has been denied, and what claim founded on justice and right has been withheld ? Can either of you, to-day, name one governmental act of wrong, delib eratelyand purposely done by, the Govern ment of Washington, of which the Soilth has a right to complain? I challenge the answer. None can successfully accept the chal lenge tof Stephens in his defence of the North. Some, in truth, may say that, indi viduals and associations ipterfered with the legal rights of Southern men to, their slaves. But the Government , never ap proved of such interference, nor did the, masses of, the people. Southern individu als and mobs interfeied with the rights of Northern men, and abused them without cause. South Carolina, by the acts - of her Legislature, made it penal for free colored seamen to enter her ports, and that, too, contrary to Constitutional law. But, say Noithern men With Southern sympathies, the majority , had voted the institution- of slavery a political evil not to be , extended, and others had spoken of it as a - moral evil —not a Divine institution. The examina tion of this. institation.from its commence ment, historically. ,and ;.Scripturally,_ but briefly—the comprmises pad° ,in,ite be- half—,the opinions , and, ,expeeta4ons, hoth of ,Southern ,suet Nerthorn.. men, 4. neces sary, to.uscertain where the blame of our present calamity ; lies. This I must, reserve for the future. I shall make tbe, examina tion, not as a party, man,, though I am a Democrat of the ,Washington stamp, ,and for the country, and For the Preebiteilan . Banner Godl Boverei'gnty. - air Reading "Yoster's Objections to Cal viniem," .I. am fcireibly' struck - with his futile attempts to overthrow those precious tfuthS that` have been well * termed the doe tAies of grace. What are all the labored and sophistical reasonings of man, against the plain teachings of God's. Holy Word.! Shall we not, with a childlike, implicit - therein faith ) receive whatever he has re foaled ? Suppose truths iire taught there,. which would seem to us cOntradictory; the difficulty is not in them,. but in our own weak, powers, of reasoning. If great and deep mysteries are there, is not the great Author himself a mystery ? Dees his Woid tench that all things come to pas,Aby his . predetermination—that as his counsels Yholl- f standipaind AO will his ,ples,4 A r COUNTRY-MAN. sure "—and y this is surely , volume); filial. not fully reem rather let us--sr ment to the Having that " shall -know bk Infinite Wisdoi msri, and ilemr Rather let us Omnipotent 14 will in the al the children us, who can b 4 EUROPE Christmas contei Holiday Altrr Old and :heir ed—" Far Beti --Abundant 1 Population—Tl Flood—Spiritus& - Littftty, Evan geliele—Enurneratiots,:dt Work and .Fruil---Rto vision for the .Perir/f" 2 :-TAa 4f r agiyape irt t„6 a--- - doThe Jubilee— - eyrie id. Th eades- m. Carter, the Popula r' :*allit-4'ersinfetl4fiir to Surrey Theatre—tir e the:Prelleh"-- er, the Address. -t.; ' • - - ..: ' L 0 ',December 25, 1 (C ntefs Day,) 1868. f but "CHRISTMAS comes once a year, And ideal - 4f cornea e t:it brings good cheat"' Such is the old English rhyme,,andsuch. one of the assooiaticia'with this, the most cherished and delig*tftil of all English holidaja. This is tbe period when *Sooidl affections „flow forth= din full tide; when schools break, up ; jand colleges too have, their - shOrt but Mitch-prized vacation; . when the "sending if gate" of all kinds L--: edibles, drinkableei lieantiful . illuitrated books, presents "for - ;the , baby," the - dress-;= ing and lighting up of the Christmas Tree, the garnishing of theipaintings in the .din ibk-rooin and of the mirrors iii the drawing room with holly, ofitell . as - the' Chrisinsas Dinner, ample and excellent— turkeys, hams, &c.; and above all, the "-roast beef of Old. England,", with. the inevitable plum puddina—all conibine to mark and make memorable the time and season. Old peo ple on this day, above all 'days, are:serettely glad, and rejoicet in , the frolics - of their children's children--Frecalling tenderly, yet not oppressivelyirtire. days of youth, and also the faces of the friends dead and gone, who now seem to.loole.out - upon them from' that Spirit-Land; sitither they are gone. At no - other tirne; indeed; are the`menio. ries of derarted 'Christian, friends so vividL as at Christmas Antes; heaven itself is felt to; be near, and ' : w4ile> wilewe sigh for those who may mingle=wi* us no more, and re alise that each Oar Remiss sonic one, yet as we feel, and as itowere, see that they are "with Christ," 4:keeping high and eternal Festival in his:Presence and at his banquet- ting table, we woultt not call them back. if we could, and we einghatieally pronounce their happy state,- their eternal now, to- be indeed .a " FAB:ZETTER." At sueh a time, too, we_ anticipate: a reii- pion with our ftryud ones, as well as with s a h li st 11 , --e fall :4 lY lw 4 ' ° 00 d. :41 -h y -a j-Z-""- t e i: l - 1 1,71 r ri z 4 ._ and eyerlasting comniunion of that I= joy and praise : " Then we with all in glory Shall thankfnlly repeat . The amazing, pleasing story Of Jeatia' love so great; In that blest contemplation We shall forever dwell, And prove such consolation As none below can tell." Tun WEATHER is fine and bracing; not' cold. This Winter, like the previous - one, is ,thus far mild. In Yorkshire and the midland counties, the papers speak of, Spring-like verdure, and here in the South east, we can do the same. The poor have escaped much suffering, by the absence- of frost and snow; the grass is still green for thefeeding of cattle and sheep; the erection. of buildings of every description is pur sued, and finished without interruption. Three years ago, on the night beforeThrist= mall, the thermometer suddenly sunk ton a Polar , cold, and for nearly a month labor was suspended ; the working classes were pauperized by the impossibility of, earning Rages; and distress 'Was very great. 'What a contrast now LONDON . was never morerhealthy than at present—the average number of 'deaths is lower than usual - at this period of the year. The people generally are well employed.. An immense amount of labor is . affOrded.by the ever-increasing demand for new hoUies, both in the metropolis and in all the sub urlis. Besides this, vast Sewerage- works are in progressOhe new railways run• un derground, or are beginning to_span. the Thames and are gradually making a circuit round - London, so as to connect the various termini lea marvellous miner. ` All this, with the enormous traffic and commerce of the City ;Proper, the, number of f )nen r ent ployed in loading and unloading ships at the various doeks and Wharvei on either site of the river; the vast e ou2 importation 'by' land :and water; the , traffic in liVe oxen and:sheep. brought ,into London ; from the interior and abroad; the arrival:and elear jog every morning of fish and oyster vessels at Billingsgate; and the incessant and ever-increising bustle and bdsiness of the Custom House, all tend to keep - multitudes in employment. And. then%what !numbers are engaged-in ministering= to lniurt and wealth; Mid in co - - tering also for-arausernetitssnarfarestions, as- well as •to -, the feeding of thel million. Business reigns supreme in the treat ware houses and innumerable shops of every de scription, as well as in-iinksist ;Lloyd% the Stock= txchange, the Auction 'Marti the" general Post Office, the Courts of Laivisnd , in the prosecution of special manifictures on a gigantic scale. - • The crowd at present in the great thoro fares is something very iffittressive. Near ly all are. evidently intetit , un some 'object, • and comparatively few saunter alotV is • idlers.' •- - The hache.rs' stalls',' with meta' of the' -fiaest desCription, attradt the.: gatO2of maty, and the -peultereria show of turkeys,' gem*, &c., , decerated with ribbons, receives • due admiration.. , But -it the 111911 and roar of the' tiectd filled withLVShieles r and the endless. volume ~,of living humanity, pouring across London ;Bridge, tdong gimp side, down Ludgate Hill, and :Aron& Fleet - 'Street and the Strand, that " -strikes the stranger" most. Mi. George- Alexan der,Sala, an eminent, writer, who bas gone as " Special Commissioner " to . - the 'Coifed States far the Daily Telegraph notices the rush and multitudinous throng, as well as the noise and bustle of Breadway, New ' York, as--isoinethingizery, AY, TANUARY 20, 1864. adding,rthat those who like the noise and crowds of a great pity will find them there. London will soon have a population of 3,000,000, and its future as to extent, is beYond calculation. Its - spiritual necessi ties thus grow gigantic, and most difficult it is to grapple with them. Certainly if the Churches of Christ had not been quick ened frem the stupor of a dead past, and if besides there were not an ever increastng number of faithful ministers (London is spepially blessed with such) and if more over, we had not gdt, within the last few, years, a large body of living, evangelists = mostly drawn frotei the ranks of the masses, and admirably adapted for usefulness amongst the people—the state of things would be: truly alarming. ,Thanks be,-to God for such a resurrection life of , prayerfulnees faith, zeal love and aggressive effort. The Diocesan Church Home Mission, the Scripture Readers' So eieties;' the' London City. Mission, the Lon don Ragged School Union with its offshoots of parents' Classes, Day and. Night, Sun day and Week Schools, together with Ref tkes Ogg and Reformatoriea; the extended i e, Sri-a'of Sunday ' 'Sehoor Unions the IpeettPhinvin iTheattu, and public the Midnight Meeting movement, and the reclamation of the fallen;.the glorious Big. ble:Wninart movementnow closing tinoth-' er year of marvellmis social and spiritual blessing among the poor—all these, with:a larger body of true Christians of all ranks, leavening London than ever before 7 --do tru ly call for thankfulness, and ought to stim nlate to increased, hopeful, believing prayer and labor. Pro Vision for the spiritual wants of Lou don, is still inadequate. But its necessity is_realized and it is being increasingly grap pled with by Churchmen and Nonconform ists. The Wesleyan!, also—far more vig orous hitherto in the country than in the town, and above all than in London—have during the last few years, built a number of noble chapels in the metropolis, and all of them are filled. OonSolidation- and exten siOnare jointly aimed at, and that with ev ident power 'and 'success. Their Jubilee Foreign Missionary Fund now reaches about £99,000, and, every week Circuit meetings bring fresh accessions to its funds. The Independents also have done much of late to build • places of worship in and around London; Mid the Presbyterians have not been idle. -Nevertheless, after-all, vast masses are still- unreached. 3ly and inspired we ciao ?. :a _necessity. He :announces :a hymn. There is a general rustle of leaVes. Very pathetically, and with ..a elear voice, he reads the first verse, the burden of which is 4g 4he_Lamb nailed to the shameful tree," and the corresponding line individualizing the siuger, that Lamb set forth as. having " bled and died for me;" and then, after the-.verse.is, sung, cornea, one of thoselAe viva choruses which have• such power over theapeoplo,lbegiuningp, - /.5 Oh,the Jamb,* WHOLE' .NO. Oga. bleeding Lamb," &c. After this, prayer is offered, and then the reading of the story of Zaceheus" conversion. ThiS is followed by a continuous discourse on -Gethsemane and Calvary, with considerable pictorial power of language, and many solemn • and tender appeals, delivered with great energy. Profound and sustained attention is' given. Carter speaks of coming judgments, and adopting pre-Millennial views also, or -in clined to them, he seems to regard Christ's second coming as near. At the close, he improves the dying year, and the ravages of death—adding that one person in that congregation would probably die during the coming week, and referring to a time when he had made that suggestion before, and when it was treated with mockery by one who yet during that, very week was called away. There are several closing appeals, between each of - which is long pause on the part of the preacher, and impressive silence amon : the people.. One could not but perceive defects as to taste, and accuracy of Scripture interpreta tion, and feel also how4litficult it must be for:an uneducated mare to keep up. variety iri his addresses. Yet there was in the disCoUrse ofi seripg,44ll „ an44l,d4a tl .Z "kW power over the people which q eun possessed by limy prea'Arers - who Itaiti been in colleges. • That is no argument against ,collegiate ; training., Carter would be far more effective and permanent as a teacher, than he is, or can be, without train ing. But still let us glorify God that in Carter and in many more like bitty we see now rsised up to diffuse life, -light and blessing. among myriads ready to perish ; to arrest the spreading leprosy of vice ; to; make sober the driinkard; to save souls from death, and to hide a multitude of sins. -Before dismissing the congregation, the preacher stated that he and his friends would go down into the pit and converse with inquirers; also, that on Christmas afternooithe_ivould be glad to meet at tea as many as were willing to come and spend a-profitable evening together- A PatzE, FIGHT between Heenan, the " Benicia Boy," from,California, and "Tom , King,"-,has come off lately, to the great disgust of all good people. Bven the Press that tortherly endorsed the 'brutal ,sport is now well nigh ashamed of it. The Slaturdit,O. Review likes "muscular Chris tianity" of course, but the , Times hopes I that this will be the last prize fight. One ;of our public writers thus expresses right. ,eons indignation " The 4 Correspondents' have pictured the scene as faithfully as if they watched it in the interests of medical science, and as eloquently RR if they recorded an annal of national triumph. The special train— the policemen, obsequious,to the Fancy,' but stern in their'denial to unlicensed in truders -- the '. select'company, subse quently described as being for the most part acquainted with the courts of. justice, and, as having foreheads villainously low' -L-the oaths - and curses, which were the familiar speech-, the pitching of the ring in the quiet Sussex -field,- the 'fierce eager [Riess of the wretches who, gamble upon- the Atienee of thr litttude for tue" nitre. impatience Of the multitude tor and cruel strife, - the hollow thud' when the crushing blows fell, the stertorous breathing of the combatants, the livid flesh rising in white blisters upon the back and breast, the lip torn and hanging in threads, the face pounded to a jelly so that not a feature could be recognized,. and finally the winner's gaze 'upon what seemed to be the corpse' of his advtrsary—all are •deseribed with a vivida, vis of language which could only be inspired by the thought that there were thousands who would wel come-the tidings, and would gloat over the narrative of how two men,- made in the image of God, battered each other well nigh to the death, in cool .blood, and with no cause of quarrel. Alai! for England, if .this be her national sport. We may cease our vauntings, surely, about our 'ad vanced civilization; and Spanish bull-fights may be held, and the poor matadore fight with beasts' in the arena, safe *Om any protest of ours; nay; we suffer in the com parison with classic and pagan nations, for they were Helots whom the Spartans de graded, and the gladiators in the Roman circus were commonly captives and slaves. It.is reserved fora Christianeountry,in an age of such exaggerated humanity that-it provides henna for wandering dogs, to ex -poie its own free born children to a= brutal ity .at which humanity shudders, and to .send them shouting, as to the shambles, for glory; and for hire." Heenan and King fOualt for £2,000. stakes—the latter the conqueror, and Heenan terribly punished.: They were both brought up a few days ago before the magistrates at Tunbridge Kent, near which the fight took place, and, are bound over to take their trial at the Assizes. 3; W. Letter from the Army. 155 TR RECI'T P. V., 2d Division, 34 Brigade, sth Corps, WARRENTON JUNCTION, Jan. sth, 1864. Will you have a Banner Y" " Thank you, Chaplain." I lay the Atlantic," with its fascinating pages—Dantes Para diso, Glaciers, Ate.--aside for a glance at the random. sheet just placed in my hands. I'look it the'Obituary with a tremulous anxiety, for letters from home have told me of insidious ravages of disease and how this one and that one had passed'from earth into the silent- land. Our old 'Pres byterian families had always an`" In Memo riam " in the Church paper, for their dead. The crownin t s; 'consolation of the saints of the olden' time was- in the thought that their bones should be laid with their gathers in the kirk-yard, and a holy text Should be attached to the record of 'their, demise. I. glance along, and in another column what should meet my eye but the name of I my old college Thum—among the list of drafted in the Queen City of the West ? NO I ' M-anartii. " Often did we turn from the weary yendering of Thucydides to con temgate - our' " possessions - in Spain "L—so we styled the airy, castles of the: radiant future.' And this, is the goal How Wide: ly differing froni the plans of youth. This paper came to my father Blouse when he was in his prime, -and every week since, it has there ..paid its yisit and wrought its sacred mission. I used ta wonder at the deference with which it was treated. When Sunday mornings mune, the ',other news sheets were locked in the desk for the day. Lwas told:they. were ".weekday : papers"— , o &him odorous lof forbidden .fruit. Bat For the Preabyteitan Banner. THE PRESBYTERIAN Bali - Publication Office : GAZETTE BUILDING:3, 84 neva ST., PITTABDEON 7 PA PEILIADILPSIA, 6ODTCI-WEEIT COL OF 7TIT AND CazeTzun. ADVERTISEMENTS: TERMS .I.LV All V. 4 N CE. A erinare, (8 lines or leas,) ono insertion, $1.00; each Ruh ellnene insertion, 60 amps; eao bile beyond eight, 6..cenU, k. Square per quarter, ss.oo ; each line additional, 40 eta . k made to advert isers by the year. EUSINESS NOTICES OrTrer lines or /et% $1.00 ; e f t Iditional. line, 10 cents, NEV. DAVID MtKINNEY. PROPRIETOR' AND• PUBLISHER the Adro , ate lay by the Bible on the "stand;' as complacently as Timothy had sat' with Paul, and it commanded the silent tespeot of us all as much as did the minis ter who was the Sabbath guest as he came to sapplY the pulpit of the village church, or assist on extraordinary omelette. Many whose names thenlh appeared in its col umns,, are. no- more in, the records of the living. • "They are gone;—alli dead-t-in the- ehwrohyard laid, But the Old Treek it still'remainto I used' to hear the alder members- of the family read from it letters on Psalmody. Rouse 's • Version and 'watt's Collection were often the topics of its- discourse. " Union Meetings," " War;' "'The Negro Question," are the the themes' of its con verse now. To have obtruded the present great question- then, would have raised a wail in every community. But I will lay it aside, this Banner - , fbr' Sunday reading. It has been a precioni. gift to me - to night. Like a flower sent me; in a letter, it is suggestive of the ineffable Sweetness of a hundred dewy fields. By its magic influence, I have again trod the halls of youth and home, 'and above the moan of the winds.in a Virginia forest, I seem to hear, _ as of yore, the very tinkle of the bells of the 'deep-breathing trine coning home at sunset from the 'frigiatit , pastures on our old farm lands. Our regiment is at present doing guard duty on the Orange and Alexandria Rail road, at Warrenton Junction. Guerrillas are abundant—threatening our camps at times, and seizing every opportunity to annoy - - our line of communication with Washington. The sanitary- condition of the troops is excellent. Many of the vet eran regiments are reenlisting for three years. The prospect of a bounty and thir ty days furlough is• the pottage that be guiles many of the birthright of citizen ship almost within their grasp. Indeed it looks- sorrowful to see these old troops reentering the sefvice after the privations, toils' and dangers through which they have passed. - Rather let the veteran rest, and send out from the c,o_unting-house, the col.- lege and the farm those who never yet have paid - the price of their manhood, nor - raised an arm' in this struggle. There are thousands at home whose lives are no dearer to their kindred than our own. Why tamper, with the draft? Let the wheel indicate who is to come to war. Friends of our cause, stand aside, and our military authorities will send the conscript on. This is the sentiment of those of us whose names are on the list of volunteers. Our regiment needs to be filled up to its original strength. The 91st P. V., Col. Gregory, of our brigade, went home yes terday, haiing reenlisted. A detachment who declined reentering the service, were transfeired to our regiment. Lieut. Col. A. L. Pearson, formerly an attorney in Pittsburgh, is our present commander. Col_ Pearson's success in this position, we are proud to assure.his many friends, is all that they could desire. Strangers from other corps have remarked of the morale and conduct of his command on — many 'occa sions. John H. Ewing, formerly of Wash ' :,tqn, as Major; E. A..Montooth, First MCI B. Palmer, Quartermaster, comprise the staff. Our Chaplain is Rev. J. M. Mateer, formerly of Clarion Presbytery. He is ' , may popular, not only with the men of his own regiment, but with those of the entire brigade. I sball,,in a fixture letter give you a sample of his sermons in the open air. Truly yours, G. P. F. For the-Presbyterian Banner A Caution. A word- to the impenitent. Do you not sometimes rejoice that the inconsistencies of professing Christians are not char g eable on you ? Suppose- they are not. Rave you occasion to rejoice on 'that account ? Should you not rather weep that your sal vation is perhaps endangered by the incon sistencies and unfaithfulness of Christian professors ? It is true, you cannot be charged with backsliding from God; but there is another charge equally great, that must be brought against you. The charge is. this—and remember it for ever—you have always been 'wandering from God ! From your infancy to this ibour, you have been going farther and farther from God; and still ,you are going astray. You have bean urged to return, and you are now again besought to return. -But still you wander on. You hold fast deceit. You refuse to return. You invent deceitful excuses ; perhaps you attempt to justify yourself by the improprieties of professors; you• feed on their' faults, that you may quiet your consciences in your rebellion against God. BeWare ! There is danger ! Your souls are in peril ! 'Hold fast deceit no longer ; return unto God now; or soon your refuge of lies will' be swept away, and you will perieh for ever ! W. J. M. What the Believer. Says to his Lord. Keep me as the apple of the eye; hide me under the shadow of thy wines. Psa. xvii : 8. My soul trusteth in thee; yea, in the shadow of thy wings will I make my refuge. until these calamities be overpast. Psa. ivii : I 'will abide in thy tabernacle for ever; 1.-*lll trust .in the' covert of thy wings. Psa. lai :.4. Because thou halt been my help, there fore in the shasloat of thy wings will I re joice. Pea. lxiii :7. What the Lord says to the Believer. He that dwelleth in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty ; he shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust. Because than halt made the Lord, which is my refuge, even the Most High, thy halaitation; there shall. no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy ,dwelling. He shall give his angels charge over -thec, to keep thee in all thy ways. Psa. Be still and, know that lam God. Pea. xlvi :10. Pack . your cares. in as small a space as you can, so that you can carry them your self and not let them annoy others. No Noceptiblo Forahip can be either :inter nally or kxternally ofered to .the God of Truth; le we are acting contrary to the .044 a -of truth in our own consciences. Ca a.