jrtstgterialt anntr. PITTSBURGH, WEDNESDAY, AUGUST I, 1864. YOUNG MEN I TIIINK O 1 1T Just at this time the various Colleges of our country are sending forth their young men, trained by long application on their ovn part and by careful culture on the part 07 their preceptors, to take' upon them life's more active duties. Within the oom pass of the few weeks past and a few weeks yet to come, hundreds of recruits, prepared by the intellectual drill of academie halls, will have been added to the ranks of edu cated men. Some of our graduates, under the demand and pressure of the times, will enter at once 'upon the employments of busy manhood : some will devote a few more months or years to especial prepara tion for their selected walks. of usefulness. Amid the whirl of excitement in which we live, and whichhas communicated itself• so largely to our Schools and Colleges, we fear that the claims of the Gospel ministry upon our pious and educated young men, will not receive alit thorightful, prayerful consideration they so pri . eminently deserve. seems to be taken for granted that, as these are exceptional times, the motives aiid arguments which are ordinarily pre sented to our Christian youth, are inappli cable now; that it is impossible, amidst the clash of arms, to' prepare for the min. istry of peace; and that even those who had consecrated themselves to this sacred work, are temporarily released, by higher einsiderations, from the immediate fulfil ment of their vows. Is this, indeed, true ? Can there be any higher consideration than obedience to the mandate of our divine Master—the call of our sovereign Can there be any distrao dons arising from the existing conflict, for which his grace will not supply It sufficient preparation or support ? Can there be any loftier patriotism, any more efficient way of serving our country, than to be actively en gaged in the great work of extending. pure religion ? On your knees, in your closets, and in the felt presence of the great Search er of hearts, Christian young men, ask yourselves these questions. It is a solemn thing to tura your feet away from the altar. Momentous issues--eternal interests—are involved in your decision, not for your selves alone, but for multitudes of immor tals. But, we hear you say, some eminent ministers have entered the service of their country as soldiers : why may not we P Un doubtedly, emergencies may arise that would call you to the field. If, however, you have been - chosen of God to the min istry, you would find a wide sphere for self denying labors this opened before you, and by conversation, by exhortation, and by example, you may effectively, even in camp, preach the Gospel of the great Cap tain of your salvation. The clerical solz dier has not demitted his higher office-in superadding to it a lower one, and can nev er consistently sink in the duties of the soldier the more exalted functions of an ambassider of t Peace. We are much mistaken, also, if our military brethren would not themselves admit that their cases are exceptional ones, and that the circumstances must be marked indeed that would assign to the minister the gar ments rolled in blood. The skilful surgeon offers his country a far more valuable assistance by enlisting in his profesidonal capacity, than by shoulder ing a musket and entering the ranks. In . the former case he may save the lives o: hundreds, who thus become in a sense his substitutes for the service he might person ally render on the field. And is care for the soul of the soldier less important than the cure of his body ? But, you will suggest, many excellent and pious men become lawyers, physicians, mer chants, or farmers : why may not we ? Un doubtedly, there are Christians in all these walks of life. Sad would it be for the Church and country, were it not so. Would that far more of our educated men, in ev ery department of labor and usefulness, were devoted Christians. Nor do we con tend that it is the duty of all young men of education and piety, regardless of cir cumstances and qualifications, to become ministers. Least of all would we pretume to say to any one of you Your duty is to preach." But the one point about which there can be no doubt or dispute—the one ground on which, if you are indeed' Christians, you can make no compromise, is this : that you surrender yourself wholly to the Master's service—that whatever hopes of fame, or visions of wealth, or &tams of ease, or taste for literature, or love of•seience, or even schemes of minor usefulness, you may have cherished, all these you are willing to abandon, if it be God's will to invest you with the high office of being his minister. And there, on banded knee, humbly seeking Divine direetion, and uncondition ally submitting yourself to God's will, we leave you; and if such he the spirit of our educated young men, our hopes for the Church and the world will be bright in . d eed. A few words to those who have conse crated themselves as laborers in the whiten ing harvest. The ministry' of the ever lasting Gospel—how unspeakably solemn a responsibility—how inconceivably exalted an office. To stand as God's ambassadors to sinful men—to bear his messages of mercy to dying, and yet deathless spirits—your selves to remember, and to bring home to others, the tremendous realities, unseen, but yet eternal, that depend upon the ac ceptance or rejection of that mercy—to watch your own deceitful hearts, to control your own frail tongues, that you may live, as well as preach, the Gospel—to comfert God's smitten ones, to restore the erring, to support the trembling, to arouse the slothful, to stand by the bedside of the dy ing with God's own words of power to con quer death—to point' all classes and condi tions of men to the Lamb of God—well might an angel covet, yet tremble, to un dertiike so solemn an office. The man who could believe himself equal to its responsi bilities, would only prove. himself unwor thy of the trust. 'Yet through this we t s* rwliSbness of prima- ing—God is pleased to save them that be lieve. And the rewards of the faithful minis ter—of him that shall save a soul from death—of him that shall turn many to righteousness, how incomparably superior to all the honors and the happiness the world can bestow. Humble the pastor's path may be—obscure his home—unknown his name—incessant his labors—severe his trials—few the comforts. and none the ele gancies of life that may attend his lot, whilst his companions in college halls, his partners—it may be, his inferiors—in col lege toils and successes, have achieved dis tinction in the world, filled offices of trust and honor, or accumulated large fortunes for themselves' and families. It may be so. In fact, it has been so; and we draw not upon fancy for a sketch. Yet still we say, how incomparably su perior the faithful pastor's meed for duties done I In all his trials the sweet promise —" My grace sufficient ;" in all his weak ness--"?My strength made perfect ;" in all his toils and tribulations, the ever-presence Of the unseen Comforter—" I will never leave thee ;" in all his anxieties and afflic tions, a "peace that passeth understanding;" and when his ministry on earth is over, to hear from the lips of - the Saviour whom he loved and served, the sweet words of grace —" Well done;" and 'to receive from his pierced hand the gift' .of love he, died to purchase—" a crown that fadeth not away," Young Christians , so soon to enter upon the wide field of life's labors and duties, how can you best serve the cause of Him who gave himself for you? The question is a solemn one. We pray you—tbink of it. THE CHRISTIAN COMMISSION. We have so often commended to our readers this noble organization, and have published so many . communication's illus trative of its workings, and filled with the clearest evidences of the blessings it , dis penses amongst the defenders of our coun try, that we almost hesitate to add another appeal to what has been already said. But we cannot shut our eyes to the fact that the outward flow of its benefits and charities, for which the demand is at all times so great and sometimes oldest overwhelming, can only be continued by the unceasing contributions of those who love our sol diers and the cause for. which .they are struggling and suffering. Could. we introduce our readers severally to the delegates of the Commission, as they return from their errands of mercy, and detail with kindling eye and glowing hearts the incidents of their six weeks at the front, or on the march, or in the hos pital—above all, could we introduce the soldiers themselves, the recipients of the kindnesses for which the Commission is so suitable a channel, and let them tell with the eloquence of heartfelt gratitide, their individual histories of life, preserved, of pain assuaged, sickness soothed, of ten der ministrations, of Christian prayers and counsels—no other appeal would be 're- quired than the simple story of what the commission has done and is still doing, so + l . order to commend it to the continued favor of those who have already approved them selves its friends. A circular, just received from the Phila delphia office of the Christian Commission, assures us, that ten thousand dollars a day could be used to the greatest advantage, in the Army of the Potomac, in the trenches alone, in the great work of saving Hies and saving souls. This opportunity, from the nature of the ease, will soon cease; or soon many who might have experienced, in body and in soul, the benefits which the Ciimmission labors to convey, will be beyond its influence. Help is therefore earnestly called for at once—liberal, generous help. Imagine forty acres of Hospital on the high south bank of the Appomatox, a mile from its confluence with the James, and what scenes of suffering must be,daily wit - nessed over that broad area. Picture the fifteen tents of the Christian Commission, allotted to the various departments of their humane—we might say, divine—mission, to administer to the wants of the sick and wounded, to sustain and restore, if possible, the sinking body, to save—by God's bless ing upon the means—the undying soul. Yet this is but one field of labor occu pied by the Commission. In every city, East or West, where there is a military hospital; on every field where our armies meet the foe in deadly strife; .on every weary march, where hundreds fall exhaust ed by the wayside ; in every clamp where a brief respite is allowed our toiling troops —the well-known badge of the delegate of this heaven-sent Commission announces to the war-worn soldier that a friend and brother is at his side, and that through this agency a grateful people testify their care and love for the defenders of our lib erties and laws. • We have spoken of these benefactions as *a charity. In an enlarged sense they are properly so denominated, being the legiti mate outgrowth of Christian love. But in the restricted sense often placed upon that term, they are not a charity, but a just and honest debt, a debt, moreover, even after all our liberality, too feebly paid. For what can we do too much for those who are haz arding their lives for ne, or who are suffer ing from wounds received, or disease in curred, whilst enduring exposure in our behalf? Is the utmost we, can do for them more than a righteous debt ? Did we have regard simply , to the policy of the measures pursued by the Commis sion, to the military advanta.ges incidental ly derived from it, this consideration alone should prompt us to far more energetic efforts in its behalf than any heretofore put forth. The thousands of veteran soldiers who have been saved by this agency, under the Divine blessing, to the cause of our gonnery, could they'be arrayed in regiment ' and brigade, especially could they be placed beside the undisciplined troops we are now hurrying to the field, would con stitute an army corps that, in numbers and efficiency, would establish at once the mili tary value to our, country of the labors of our devoted delegates. Bat the strongest claim of the Commis sion upon Christian sympathy and aid, rests upon its efforts to promet43 tbe spirit ual welfare of the soldier, wbilet oaring for PRESBYTERIAN BANNER.---WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 3, 1864. his bodily wants, and multitudes of pre cious souls, ingathered from the yery fields where the angel of death bad thrust in his sickle, attest the diVine approval of a work inspired by the precepts of the Gospel of love. Our readers will bear with us, whilst again we place before them, and press upon them, the urgent wants of the Christian Commission. Much has been done, but much remains to remand immediate atten tion. Our soldiers still suffer, and bleed, and die. Will not those whom God has blessed with plenty—will not all, according to the measure of ability that God has given, contribute of their means to this noble work ? Our columns have frequently been en riched by contributions from the pen of one of our devoted missionaries in Siam, whose latest letter will be found on our firit page this, week. In these letteis we are introduced to the inner life of heathendom, t) its every.day wretchedness and degrada tion as they meet the eye and move the heart of the missionary, and are made ac quainted with the national characteristics of the people amongst whom he labors, with their habits and prejudices, with their daily occupations and modes of existence, and with the opportunities for finding ac cess to their mind's and hearts. We travel with.the missionary in his slender pinnace through the labyrinth of canals that inter sect this singular country, we witness-the luxuriant—often groteffitte—forms of trop ical vegetation, and we admire the good. ness of the Creator who has provided for the lands that burn under the fervid rays of a vertical sun, the delicious refreshment of fruits unknown to our colder zone. But the great value of. this correspond ence is, that it keeps alive our interest in the efforts matte for the spiritual welfare of a people who have shown in many ways a disposition to rise to a higher scale of. civ ilization. They will fail indeed of the chief object which their writer has ,in view, if they do not stir up such of our readers as love the cause of Missions and long for the corning of the Saviour's king dom, to more earnest prayer and more vig orous effort in behalf of the work to which this writer has consecrated his life. We hope to be favored with many more contributions from the ,same source, and trust that one effect of their perusal will be to preserve us, amidst the distractions and calamities of our own unhappy country, from forgetting our brethren who ,are la boring in distant fields, and who watch so eaGerly, on those far-off shores, for the latest intelligence from the land of their birth. - We have kept our readers apprised of the fluctuations in the cost of paper, if that may be said to fluctuate which is all the time advancing. We'regret to be obliged to say that another two cents per pound has been adored to its cost; and though this may seem to be a small advance, it should be remembered that the additiOn of a sin :to-Cent te the ,east Traperi - adtigi-otavara hUndred dollars per annum to the necessary expenses of the printing office. , On every Land,' both East and West, newspapers are either increasing their sub scription price, or curtailing their dimen sions, or suspending publication altogether. The Banner at $2.00 a year, when gold is worth $2.60, is the same as if it bad been furnished at 77 cents a year when gold was at par. So that we are now issuing a much cheaper paper, in reality, than the Danner was when first commenced. If we take into consideration the fact that the ex. penses 111/ of articles of prime necessity have increased in even a higher ratio than the rise of gold, it will be found that we are furnishing the Banner at the same rate now, relatively, as if it had been originally about sixty cents. The cheapness at which a paper can be published, depends evidently upon the ex tent of its circulation. So long as there is any margin of profit left, however small_ upon each Paper, after deducting all ex penses, the aggregate of profits, and con sequently the stability and, usefulness of a paper, will depend upon the largeness of its circulation. Whilst we gratefully acknowledge the kindness of our friends in The additions they have already made to the list - of our subscribers, we' trust they will see in the considerations we have mentioned, renewed cause for their generous exertions. Unless we are greatly mistaken, our readers, as well as ourselves, will feel an interest in the prosperity and extended usefulness of the Banner. ' Washington College,—The catalogue of this institution f6r the collegiate year 1863 —64, exhibits the following summary :—Se niors, 18; Junior!, 1q; Sopho m ores, 14; eFreshmen, 14; Preparatory Department, 40; Total, 101. The Faculty is composed at present of the President, three Profes sors, and three Tutors; the Chairs of Math ematics and Latin being vacant, and tem porarily filled by the other Professors. The exercises connected with the annual com mencement will be, Sept. 4, Baccalaureate sermon by the President; Rev, John W. SCOTT, D.D.; sermon before the Society of Religious Inquiry, by Rev. W. D. HOWARD, D.D.; Sept 6, Address- before the Literary Societies, by MILTON SAYLER, Esq.; Sept. 7, Commencement. The Family Treasure, for August, con tains a number of very readable articles, amongst which might be particularized the interesting sketch of Dr. BEECHER, My Girls* in Attica, Misunderstandings, Lang Syne, with other matter, original and se lected, making one of the best numbers of the Magazine. Its editors are - determined to spare no pains - to furnish an Evangelical and attractive monthly. Minutes of the General Assembly.—lt gives us pleasure to acknowledge the receipt of the Minutes of the General Assembly, which, though requiring so much care and labor in the preparation of the accompany. ing tables, have been brought out thus promptly, and in a manner creditable to all who have been engaged in their pioduci tion. Price of the volume this year, 75 LETTERS FROM SUN. ADVANCE 1N PAPER. ets. We give elsewhere a summary of the statistics. The Day of Prayer.—We need not re mind our readers that to-morrow, Thurs day, August 4th, is the day appointed to be 'observed as a day of national humilia tion and prayer. The events of each pass ing week constitute a new call to humble penitence and feryent priyer. NEWS OF THE OHUR . OHES AND MINISTERS. PRESBYTERIAN, Old Sehool.—ltev. David Waggoner was installed pastor of the Georgetown church on the 24th of June, by a committee of the Presbytery of Erie. Rev. Wm. M. Rob inson presided and preached the sermon, and Rev. John W. McCune delivered the charge to the pastor and people. Mr. Waggoner was installed pastor of the same church some twenty-six years ago, served it acceptably for sixteen years, then, at • his own request, was dismissed, ,and labored in another field. The ehuich, with entire unanimity, recalled him, and he reenters this field with' prospects of much usefulness. The death of Rev. Wm. J. Hoge, D.D., pastor of the Tabb Street church, Peters burg, Va., is announced in the Richmond mere. He died in Chesterfield County, Ve., July sth, at the residence of James Jones, Esq. Dr. MigUirill be remembered as the associate pastor with Rev. Dr. Spring, of the Brick ,church, New-York; and previously as pastor of the Westminster church, Baltimore. His espolsal of the cause of the rebellion gave pain to thou .sands who had learned to love him as an able and faithful minister of the Gospel. A correspondent of the Presbyterian an nounces the death, in the hospital at Memphis, Tenn., July 10, of Rev.' James W. McKean, of Hopkinton, lowa, son of itev. J. McKean, of Scotch Grove, lowa. He was a graduite of Jeffersqn College, class of 1859, and of the Western Theolog ical Seminary, class 1862. Having spent about a year as an evangelist, in the Lake Superior region, he more recently engaged as Principal of the Hopkinton Synodical Academy.; and wheu its male students en listed in the hundred day service, electing him as captain, he •went with them in that capacity, though his preference was for . the duties of a chaplaincy. Taken ill in camp, he was removed to the hospital, where his brief, though useful career, soon terminated in death. Rev. R. W. Henry, D D., has accepted the call to the North Presbyterian church, Philadelphia, and willenter Upon the du ties of his charge, Sept. Ist. The deaths of Rev. Wm. R. Sim, of the. Presbytery of Saline, at. Golconda, Ill.; of Rev. David E. Curtis, of the Presbytery of Potosi, at Farmington, Mo.; and of Rev. Samuel Pelton, of- the Presbytery of Hud- Son, on the 10th inst., suddenly, from apo plexy, in his 88th year, at Monticello, N. Y., are announced. -The private library of Rev. Dr. D. X. Junkin, the accumulation of thirty years, -Ausynati up-at-the fire,Jily- 4tb, -Vbiat consumed the old Canal Street Presbyteri.. an c ure , United —The Minutes of the 6th General Assembly of the U. P. Church, held at Philadelphia, in May last, have already been published in neat and convenient form, creditable alike to those engaged in its preparation and publication, taking the place of the July number of the Evan gelical Repository. They furnish abun dant and pleasing evidence of the prosper ity of this important' branch of the Presby terian family. We gather the following interesting summary : Synods Deaths 1,328 Presbyteries..... Removals 3,266 Pa5t0r5........ .. . . Infants baptized 3,698 Ministers with- Adults ‘‘ 267 out charge.-- 142 Domes. Mi55.....515,495 Ministers, total.. 513 Foreign Miss.... 28,611 LiCentiates 47 Education 1,588 Students of The- Publication...... 1,564 010gy... 54 Churoh Exten... 4,887 Congregations... 698 Assem. Fund—. 595 Families 25,447 Synod Fund....,. 3,018 Communicants.. 57.795 Sal. by e0ng.....207,859 Added on exam- o. by Assem.... 12,404 inatian - 2,610 Gen. contr .148,631 Added on certif- Pedal am0unt....398,075 lento 2,541 Aver. per memb. 6.91 To which we may add, that the above statistics show the average salaries of the 371 pastors to be $594. Whilst we con ftss the sins of our neighbors, we have un fortunately too many similar shortcomings Hof onr own, to permit us to indulge in any upbraidings. There are in connection with the U. P. Church, three Colleges, three Theological Seminaries, five Foreign Mission stations, embracing twenty-six missionaries. Rev- J.-B. Clark, D.D., of the 2d U. P. church, Allegheny, has again _entered the service of his country, under the late call for NO days' men. He was unanimously chosen Colonel of a regiment, lately formed in Camp Reynolds, near this city, and has departed for the scene of strife. Reformed Meth—Rev. T. S. Doolittle, of Flatlands, L. L, has been elected Pro fessoi. of Rhetoric, Logic, and Mental Phil osophy in Rutgers College, and will enter, upon the duties of his offite at the begin ning of the next term, Sept. 20, 1864. LUTHERAN. At the meeting of the Synod of lowa, July let, in Tipton, 10., Rev. J. G. Sehaef far, charged with fraud, was deposed from the ministry, and expelled from that Min isterium. .Synod also refused to recognize him as President of lowa Lutheran Col lege, and recommended Rev. A. M. Geiger for that position. There are three Lutheran churches in San Franciaeo, Cal., a German, an Eng lish, and a Swedish one. Much energy and liberality have been shown in collecting and • building up these churches. METHODIST. - The Indiana Methodist Conference has resolved to erect and sustain a first-class female college within the bounds of that Conference. A committee has been ap- 1 pointed to select a location. , Rev. John Segos, the well known friend of Africa, for several years engaged in the Ea e•- • vice of the Colonization Society, and of the U. S. Governmenl-in connection with its plans for ameliorating the condition of the bleat], ha's recentlyreturned from Africa,and though frequently prostrated by the African fever, 46 and upwards of sixty years of age, he re tains much of the fire of his youth. He is now with his family in Springfield, Ohio. Mrs. Winchester, of Charlestown, Mass., lately deceased, has bequeathed $15,000 to Trinity M. E. church of that city, and $lO,OOO toward providing a home for aged indigent females of that place: these be quests constituting about one half of her estate. BAPTIST. The Baptist church at Antioch, N. Y., which celebrated its fifth anniversary on Sabbath, July 3, may be regarded as a nov elty in modern ecclesiastical arrangements. The church, as we learn from the N. Y. Chronicle, rents no pews, never held fair, festival, or concert to raise money, yet meets all its expenses, and does a vast amount of missionary work. It raised and disbursed the past year nearly $5,00. Its pastor has no salary, but receives what is voluntarily given t In this way he re ceived during the last year $1,857.09 in cash and presents. The church is Com posed of poor members exclusively, proba bly the poorest in proportion to its mem bership .in the country. They have a printing office connected with the church, 'and issue a monthlyniagazine, and other works. Over 200,000 pages have been published during the year. Can any other Clint& in the land present such a record, in proportion to its means ? Rev. Dr. Kennard, Boston, has, in forty six years, preached 10,000 sermons, bap tized 2,033 persons, married 4,089 couples, and attended 3,900 funerals. - CONGREGATIONAL. The church in Ilarpswell, Maine, built more than a hundred years ago, is still standing, its frame as sound apparently as ever. It is used as .a town house, the-cen tral pews having been taken out. The side pews still reniainasfirst constructed, with backs so high as to bide the occupants from view. The visitor to this ancient structure can thus obtain some idea Of the way, as to externals, in which our fathers worshipped. A Congregational Council in Maine hav ing refused .to install Rev. Mr. Walton over the Third Congregational Society in Portland, the Society has engaged him to preach for them for a year. Mr. Walton, in a letter to the Portland Press, explains the nature of his heresy, which caused the Council to refuse to install him. He says, on,the points respecting the future state of man his mind is not entirely settled; he thinks the punishment of the wicked may not be eternal, but may- end in annihila tion ; and that the heathen and others not having the privilege on earth, " may in an other world have the offer of salvation." But he . says he is fully 'persuaded that "there is no such thing as restoration in the case of those who die impenitent be neath the light of Christianity.; and that the lost in the future world continue in a state of punishment as long as they exist." General.Tiew of the Presbyterian Church dur. lag the year ending Nay, 1864., Synods in connection with the Gen eral Assembly 85 , Presbyteries 171 292 Candidates for the Ministry 866 Ministeri . 2,265 Churches 2,626 Licensures 91 Ordinations 95 Installations. 121 Pastoral relations dissolved 100 Churches organized ' 38 Ministers received from other 11 Ministers dismissed to other denomi nations 11 Qhurches received from other denomi nations 8 Churches dismissed to other denomi nations 8 Ministers deceased 84 Churches dissolved 12 Members added on examination 9,250 Members added on certificate.. 7,016 Total number of communicants re ported 281,960 Adults baptized.. 2,880 Infants baptized . 9,801 Amount contributed for congregation al purposes 1.1,677,106 Amount contribdted for the Boards.... 422,857 Amount contributed for disabled Min isters' Fund 16,606 Amount contributed for miscellaneous purposes 230,102 Whole amount. contributed - $2,845,671 The following ministers have died dur ing the -year : NAMES. PRESBYTERIES. Joseph Sweetman, Albany, John N. Campbell, Do. John A:. Avery, Mohawk, James Rogers, Ogdensburg, Calvin Pease, Rochester City. James Nichols, Do. Samuel Lawson, Nassau. Henry V. Rankin, Ningpo. Joseph Rogers, Raritan, Henry Steele Clarke, Philadelphia Cent. Robert Taylor, Philadelphia 2d. John: W. Grier, New Castle. A. B. Clarke, Huntingdon. G. W. Thompson, .Do. J. W. Yeomans, Northumberland. Wm. D. McCartney, New Lisbon. • James lloge, Columbus. Josiah D. Smith, Do. James Reber, Do. William Gage, Chillicothe. H. S. Fullerton, DO, L. C. Cheney, Miami. M. Russell, Do. F. J. Neuhaus, Cincinnati. T. J. Biggs, Do. J. D. Shane, Do. Charles Lee, Madison Wm. L. Mitchell, Kaskaskia. George Cairns, Peoria. James Green, Des Moines. Jephtha, Harrison, Missouri. E. P. Noel, St. Louis, L. W. Green, Transylvania. H. C. Read Do. Total reported, 34. Per the Presbyterian Banner Christian Commission. LEECHBURG, July 29, 1864. JOBEPH ALBREE, Treastoer_ C. C. Pittsurgl have a little MoMoto say before closing this corresp6ndence. And I wish to say it simply. because I believe it ought to be said. Every body knows, or ought to know, that there are two great benevolent agencies at work in behalf of the soldiers, especially of the wounded and the sick; but every body does not seem to know that these agencies differ from each other materially, both, as it respects the work proposed to be done, and as to the proper method of doing i t. Men may hon estly differ in judgment as to the compara tive merits and claims of these associations, and each.may certainly.be permitted to ex press that preference, and the reasons for it, provided it be done in words of truth, courtesy, and candor. And whilst present ing the claims of the Christian Commis sion to the Christian public, and pressing those claims as I believe their comparative merits will justify,• I would not be under stood nor interpreted as waging war against the Sanitary Commission. I have seen too much of'tbe good which that C .mmission has accomplished, of the blessings it has borne to the wounded and the sick, to per mit me to become its en►my. I know that the suffering soldier has often, with tears of gratitude, invoked God's blessing upon the Sanitary Commission, and I cordially join in that prayer. lam glad to see its Treasury well filled, and I trust that there are yet thousands, yes, tens and hundreds of thousands of dollars in the hands of phi lanthropists and patriots, which are destined. to find their way to its Treasury. But when I address the Christian patriot and philanthropist on this subject, I must tell him that the Christian Commission has high, and holy, and paramount claims upon him. This is obvious from the fact that the Christian Commission can and does accom plish much more for the soldier, in propor tion to its means, than the Sanitary. It operates almost entirely by means of gra tuitous agencies. In the whole Army of the Cumberland, stretching from. Louis ville to Atlanta, there are but three sala ried agents. And whilst due attmtion is paid to the wants, the health and comfort of the delegates, it is all done on a system of rigid economy, not parsimoniously, but Parefully husbanding its funds; so that an expenditure of not more than five per cent. of the moneys received is suffieitnt to keep the whole machinery in active motion, whilst the remaining ninety-five Fer cent. finds its way directly to the needy soldier. On the other hand, the Sanitary Commis mission, operating altogether by means of, agents both salaried and subsisted, necessa rily incurs a much heavier outlay of funds, in proportion to the number of operatives employed and work accomplished. 1 r Thus, on the score of economy, the Christian Commission manifestly presents the higher claim. Again, the Christian Commission can and does reach and relieve the wants of a large and needy class of soldiers, who lie beyond the reach of the 'ystem of opera tions adopted and practiced by the Sanitary Commission. I refer to those found in de tail camps and guaad-houses. In detail camps, where soldiers are found detached from perhaps every regiment in the de partment, with neither regimental nor line officers, nor yet descriptive roll at hand, they can have no access to Government supplies of clothing. And with -no partic ular burgeon in charge -to issue orders upon the Sanitary Commission, they can have no access to its stores, however needy they-may be. And the same is true of prisoners in the guard-house, with this ag gravating difference, that their calls for re lief are generally treated, not only with indifference, but contempt, by those who have them in charge. To all these, however, the ,Christian Commission can, and, to the extent of its means, adoes extend a helping hand. Its delegates seek out the needy, inquire into their wants, and in the exercise of their own judgments, always -with the concur rence of the proper officers, they supply those wants as far as they are provided with the means to do it. I have seen many soldiers who were in need, yes, in distressing need of clothing, who, for want of their descriptive rolls, could have no ac cess to commissary stores ; and who, for want of a Surgeon to issue the required orders, could receive nothing from the Sanitary rooms—who, but for the Chris tian Commission, must have suffered on; and rarely, indeed is the supply of hospital goods in the Christian Commission stores equal to these pressing -demands. Again, the Christian Commission can give to the benevolent donor much the , most positive assurance that all his bene factions -will reach the desired end. The Sanitary Commission operates through agentsi whose duties extend to the distribu tion of goods . from their own rooms. This is' done systematically, on the order of sur geons either of camps or hospitals. The order comes to the agent duly signed, and with all promptness the goods, if on hand, are issued, the wagon is loaded 'and sent off; and the agent can follow them no farther. Nor need he do so, if it were cer tain that all surgeons, stewards, cooks and nurses were humane and honest men.; but perhaps they are not always so. Some times, ¶erchance, the appetite may out weigh the conscience, especially when these men know thaCfor this class of goods there is none to call them to account; the result is, the soldier often gets but the faagments -of what was wholly his own. On the other hand, the supplies of' the Christian. Commission are often 'furnished to the wounded, the sick, and the needy, by the hand of its own delegates. Goods, however, are often issued by the cart or wagon load to the order of surgeons; but the delegates are at work in the camps and hospitals where they are sent; they know, too, the class of sufferei s for whom they were designed; they inquire in due time if those goods have reached their destina tion ; if so, all is, right; if not, there is something wrong—it must be investiga ted. Those who receive Christian Com mission goods in charge, know all this, and hence rarely, very rarely indeed, are such supplies turned out of their proper chan nel. The needy soldier gets them—this is a moral'certainty. Thus it is clearly seen that, so far as it respects the supply of the temporal wants of the suffering and needy soldier, the. Christian Commission is enti tled to the- highest measure of confidence and support, inasmuch as it works the cheapest, reaches the farthest, and gives the fullest assurance of faithfully fulfilling its trust. • But beyond all this the Christian Com mission justly claims the cordial and liber al support of the Christian public, because it seeks to provide for the spiritual wants of the soldiers, and to secure the salvation of his soul. The man who claims to be a mere philanthropist, but pot a Christian, may fail to•appreciate the force of the su perior claim thus presented; those who es teem the body as of more value than the soul, who regard time as worth more than eternity, may consistently present their of ferings through other channels ; but surely the Christian who knows something of the worth of the sell, cannot undervalue this peculiar feature ¶f the Christian Commis sion's work. The fact that it proposes to send, and does send, active, earnest, Chris tian men to preach Christ to the soldiers in the barracks and in the camps, to seek to enlist him as a soldier of the Cross, to car ry the sweet words of Jesus, alone. ° with the needed cordial, to the soldiersfallen; wounded, dying upon the battleleld; to speak words of cheer, of warning, or of consolation to the sufferers in the hospital ; to distribute freely to all the destitrte, whether sick, wounded, or well, the word of everlasting life; in short to minister in holy things to those who so much need, and so highly prise those ministrations, cannot fail to commend the Christian-Commission to the warmest sympathies, the earnest prayers, and the liberal support of an who appreciate the value of spiritual privileges, or know the worth of the soul. Say, ,Christian patriot, have you dis charged the debt you owe to the brave boys who are struggling, bleeding, dying for our common country ? , Can you conceive of any other medium through which you could do them more good for time or for eternity, than through the agency of the Christian Commission ? If not, then duty is clear; will you do it ? 0. E. CARUTHERS. The fires in the Wisconsin woods destroy ed 8150,000 worth of property in the north ern counties of that State. Several villages were burned. Far the Presbyterian Saline. Letter from a Delegate. CHATTANOOGA, TENN. JOSEPH. ALBREE, ESQ., Treasure r U. s 0. 0., Pittsburgh :—Deor Sir—l reported to Mr. Russell, of Louisville, within a few days after leaving home. There is great need of labor at that point, as you m ay judge, when; through Exchange Barrack, alone, during the past Winter, 118,000 men have passed. How much need of spiritual instruction in Taylor, and Park, and No. 2 Barracks, besides all the hrspi. tale. I visited those places as far as mai. ble, meeting men from every State in the land—conversing, praying, preaching. Oh! this is a great work. lam beginning t o feel, when I see the intense interest mani fested in the sparkling eye and the attentive ear, and the genuine piety where piety ex. 15 4 8, that the reflex influence of the ChriE tun Commission is to show that, instead o f the country Christianizing the army, the army is to eventually Christianize the country. Every day however I meet mea who, in days of yore, belonged to some church; but freely. confess that since join ing the army they have neglected their du ties, and, in many cases, have been ashamed of Jesus. This candor of the soldier is after all, an encouragement. There is none of the straight-jacket, simpering manner so well known and vexing to the pastor in old and long-established parishes, which operates like a freezing solution upon the energies of the best disposed. No. The soldier is very apt to speak his mind, if he loves Christ, he will say so. If he swears, drinks, plays cards, or is addicted to any other vice, he speaks out; and there are' few who will not appreciate the sympa thy of a sincere Christian. One old man, having two sons in the army, was exceed. ingly affected during our conversation. I could scarcely tear myself from him. "Don't go away; I'll have nobody to talk to," was his constant reply to every sag gestion on my part .as to going to some other point. Of course you know all about Nashville. There I spent the time very pleasantly from Friday until Monday. What an im mense building is the Zollicoffer House, known now as Barracks No. 1., crowded from bottom to top with troops ! Howev er, I know more of No. 2., once a Female Seminary; I visited it frequently. Many a boy asked me for a Testament, as be was going to the front and wanted one. It was precious to me: On Monday, being on the street with some reading matter, I met a body of the less serious cases of sickness and wounds, just from the front; and, in five minutes, the poor fellows had taken all. "You belong to the Christian Com mission," said one man; " I shall do all I can to assist you in the hospital when I get there." It is delightful to attend that daily prayer meeting, held in Nashville every afternoon. And then the meetings in the Court Howie of the IBth Michigan, with Col. Doolittle praying with and advising his men. By the way, I was indebted to Sergeant Mc- Kinney, of that regiment, for the favor of getting to the dome of the Capitol, from which I could gaze on the wide scene around. May his faith have as solid a foundation upon the Rock of Ages, as that splendid structure has upon the unyielding lime stone underlying the city. I rejoice that the Commission meets with such favor among the soldiers. They will do any thing for it. Officers and privates work for it. I have only space and time to mention the name of W. Clendenin, As. sistant Medical Director, Army of the Cumberland, who has in all instance afford ed the most ample opportunities and the most generous encouragement . I feel sure that he will be gratefully remembered by the friends of the soldier. G. M. SPAUGROVE. Gems for Christian Ministers, by Ministers, For a number of past years, I have been in the habit of culling precious gems or mottoes from various writings of pious and learned Divines. Some of them are from our own Side of the house. They will be encouraging, interesting and useful to preachers and students in theology. 1. A Christian preacher must preach nothing else but Christ, that he is our Sa viour, who by his blood and death bore and took away our sins, and that thereby he makes us pious and righteous. What does not sound like this is no Christian sermon. —Martin Luther. 2. Happy is the man whose sermons riv et the attention of the hearers not on , the preacher, but on themselves, on their own character and: relations to God.—S. S. Schmucker. 3. He is the best physician who effects the greatest number of cures ; and he is the best preacher who turns the greatest number of ignorant and wicked men to Christ and holiness.---Benjamin. .Kurtz. '4. Thus the time has never been when the Christian minister could fold his arms and say, "Nothing more remains for me to do; I can now sit down and contemplate the fruit of victory, and repose on my laurels." No, the command is to " Occupy till I come."—John Bachman. 5. 0 1 if you should succeed in inducing but one of your own children to become a faithful minister of Christ, treat work a (neat work you would perform .—S. TV. .ilarkey. 6. The poorest and least. honored among the ministers of Christ may have a peace and joy to which kings and princes aro strangers.—J. A. Brown. 7. As preachers perform work which an gels cannot do, so they are nearer to God's throne and dearer to Christ than even an gels, even now; in this life.—Rev. iv: G. The angels surround the living creatures; chap. v : I.l..—John Ryland. 8. The text should not be merely the motto, but the life-blood and soul of the diseourse.--Philip Schaff. 9. 0 that all my talents this year may be laid out for God. I desire to have ais as my motto for the year : " Occupy till I come." Let me look backward and forward, then, for help to do this. My talents are money, time, influence, ability, the minis try.—Rev. Edward Bickersteth. 10. What will be to us oven the salva tion of others, if we ourselves should per ish ? What will it avail us to have the vineyards of others, if ours be unfruitful? —Rev. John H. Hinton, A. M. 11. No good man preaches, I am confi dent, without doing some good, and more than he knows of, or will know of, till the great discovering day.—Rev. Thomas Sted man, At A. 12. For where is there one of us, the poorest and the weakest, the most ignorant and the least-influential, who, if he lives as he ought, and prays as he ought, may not be sure that, with the Divine blessing, he will be the means of saving more than one soul besides his own ?—,—Anonymous. NOTE.—Number twelve is a most pre cious gem or motto, about laboring for the salvation of immortal souls; it appeared years ago, in a missionary tract of twenty four pages, published in Boston, entitled, "Christian Public Spirit, or Living for the Kingdom of Christ." Who the author is of this very encouraging gem I know note nor is it likely than ever ever shall know it, and yet I should like very much to know who he is. In all my religious readiug of a pe riod •of nearly forty years, I have never met with srieh encouraging words, NO truth-
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