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
?. <No?
Agjudg
nxibly be
now, ,: . we
arraign
let, sinful
-actions:?,
miotiod
'death:hie
..Taniong
d - -be for .
ltatr. -
to Spgoial
ten —no
r Depart-
the Poo
wpm of
d its Ham
• A VISiT was paid by "me on the evening
of last,Lord'sday to one of those. London
Theatres which have been specially engaged
for the Winter. and Spring,
for preaching
to the Masses. It Wag to the. Surrey'Thea,
tre,..nn- the South side of the river, that*l
repaired. •As I went thither, and ap
proached the neighborhood, after crossing
Waterloo Bridge, I passed, another place for
preaching, Victoria Theatre. Heke, I learnt
on inquiry, that the. Rev. Samuel Minton,
KA, an Episcopal clergyman truly 'evan
gelical:and catholic in views and spirit, was
about to - address• the people who were as
sembling. I should gladly have gone in
with the rest, and had I done so, would
certainly hate"hearda, refined and eatica
thNial.::ntlernatislid ' , tit Coon -tinaersood
story' of redeeming, - loy - e. But my errant.
and object will be
,the still more popular re
sort, th,e - Surrey Theatre. Reaching the
doors a few 'minutes 'before seven, I found
that "the -boxes" were already, all filled.
I passed into the " pit," and with difficulty
found a seat. Hooked and saw a gieat, eon
gregation above, below, around. What has
biought these people - hither ? who, what,
is the magnet of attraction ? Why, a man
from among the "lower orders," one -of
themselves., No "Reverend " is to tread
the stage to-night; it is -plain William
Carter, once a master chimney sweeper in
the Parish of St. Giles, and wicked ex
'ededingly. But he was one of the first
fruits of the. Revival which began in Lon
don toward , the close of 1859, when godly
ministers and others who had been in Ul
ster and seen' the Divine power there dis
played, came - back filled With zeal, and ani
`mated as with fresh - soul, and summoned
the people of God topray and work.
Since then, William Carter has, with a
natural fervid eloiluence, been a power
both in London and in evangelistic labors
ont of it also. In London especially has he
bee,museful." He has friends who help him
to hire the theatres where he - preaches, and
to bring together—as he has done - with
marvellous results--the sweeps, the navies;
aye, and on one occasion a band (without.
an exception,) of noted thieves These he
invites to tea; they come; when he asks
a blessing they stare—hiving never heard
aught like that before; arid'then laughter,
cheering; and indescribable noises follow.
Then comes the nieal, eagerly devoured;
and after this, and ,genial, kindly talk from
Carter and, friends, (going , round the tables
and:Waiting on their motley inests,) comes
the manifestation of the Truth = by men'
" crafty in this innocent sense; " soul
winners,'?,who .°atop: by a holy.:guile those ,
who otherwise -would have remained in
"enter darkness."' Ere long, Carter be
gins to'speak, and tell of sin, and hell, and
Christ, and also sings hymns full of melt
ing truths ; the rocky hearts begin to send
forth,strearns, conscience is waked up, and
the Holy Spirit sends hoike the arrow.
.Some of the worst and vilest have thus i
been saved " from their sins." And here,
oetliii - babbuth night, I see some of Car
ter's convert's ; ()tug inert" especially, 'Who
=
have; 81h-hymn-book& in their lands,
whose, looks are , ,devout. , and serious, and,.
who watch for. his'expected appearance on:
thustage. "
Followed by four or five working men,
the, preacher , enters and takes his seat at a
table. After- brief .private prayer—the
band covering the. face-,he oasts a look
around the house. over the great congrega
tion: Gradually *there is a hush. He
rises to his.feet ; look= at him. He is about
torty i five years „of ,age, of stout ; burly
figure f Oarkitair, thoroughly English.face,
his . upper lip r obeeks.and.ohin all, covered
with, ;Iv dark beard, and :a :black handker
chief is rOunaltis;throat, which, when he
begins:his address,- hettakes off, 'loosing -at
theisame time the shirt collar, This, for
one, seqlethorie.-,and-- so , vehement Eas a:
speaker, is >: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.