as never to comfort, save when the soul's grief should be assuaged, and never to alarm, save when fearfulness is needed.

But one thought more remains; and it is the same to which we are finally brought by almost every view that we can take of the great subject of preaching Christ, viz., the importance of personal experimental piety to the efficient discharge of the duties of the ministry. A sanctified heart is the fountain of all true pulpit power. Those burning thoughts which enkindle. a fire in the souls of the hearers, emanate from lips that have themselves been touched from on high. If a man has never experienced the wormwood and the gall of transgression, and knows nothing of the blessedness of those whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose transgressions are healed; if from the depths he has never cried unto God for help, and from the horrible pit has never felt the uplifting of God's almighty hand-how can he discriminate between the different classes of his hearers, and as a faithful steward of the mysteries of God give to each his portion in due season? He can indeed preach the ethics of Christianity, and the philosophy of religion, and present its doctrines in their abstract form and relations; but to set home the truths of inspiration to the hearts of men, each in its proper place and time, is a task that he is utterly unable to perform. This can be accomplished alone by him, who has an experience of man's lost condition and of his salvation by Christ, and who possesses that irrepressible desire for the salvation of others which is born alone of the Spirit.

Preaching, to be nicely discriminating as to character, must be deeply experimental. When the Shunamite's child died, Elisha sent his servant Gehazi to the house, and bade him lay his staff upon the child's face; but it was in vain. The prophet had to go himself and to come into personal contact with the child, mouth to mouth, eyes to eyes, hands to hands, before the flesh grew warm, and it came to life. It is so with the minister of Christ. He cannot expect to do his work by a cold and distant application of the truth. No; his own living heart must be felt to be in actual contact with the dead in trespasses and sins, before its flesh will begin to warm, and he will see it reviving and living again.

VOL. VI.-15

ARTICLE IV.

THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF 1857.

THE Sixty-third General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church was held in the Second Church in Cleveland, Ohio, beginning on May 21st. It was opened with a sermon by the Rev. DR. HICKOK, Vice President of Union College, Schenectady, N. Y., the last Moderator, from Ex. xvii. 11, 12, 13. The sermon has been kindly furnished by Dr. Hickok for this Number of the Review.

The Rev. DR. FISHER, of Cincinnati, was chosen Moderator, and the Rev. GEORGE DUFFIELD, Jr., of Philadelphia, and Rev. F. R. GRAY, of Kentucky, Clerks.

This was considerably the largest Assembly which has sat since the division, 125 ministers, 100 ruling elders, and 4 delegates being present, making in all 229.

NEW SYNODS.

The first business of the Assembly that was matured, was a report from the Committee on the Polity of the Church, recommending the formation of two new Synods, which was unanimously adopted. The three Presbyteries of Milwaukee, Fox River and Columbus, in the State of Wisconsin, attached to the Synod of Peoria in Illinois, were, at the request of that Synod, formed into the SYNOD OF WISCONSIN.

At the request of the Presbytery of San Francisco, that Presbytery was divided, and two new Presbyteries, SIERRA NEVADA and SAN JOSE, were constituted, and the three Presbyteries were formed into the SYNOD OF ALTA CALIFORNIA.

CHURCH ERECTION.

The Trustees of the Church Erection Fund reported that the whole number of Churches aided during the year was 55, and the total amount disbursed was $19,343. The number of donations was 12, and the average amount, $191. The loans amount to 43, and their average is $396.

This gives a very favorable view of the condition of the fund. Our readers will remember that it amounts to $100,000. The loans being made without interest for three years, two years will elapse with but few returns to the treasury. It is best, therefore, that the disbursements be not too rapid, so that funds may always be in hand to meet pressing claims. It is worthy of notice, too, that the maximum of loans being $500, the average is $396.

The following is the report of the Committee of the Assembly, which was unanimously adopted:

The Committee on Church Extension presented a report in reference to the Annual Report of the Board of Trustees of the Church Erection Fund, which was adopted, and is as follows:

The Standing Committee on Church Extension, having examined the Report of the Trustees of the Church Erection Fund, recommend the adoption of the following report:

We see in the statements which are given by the Trustees of the Church Erection Fund, abundant evidence that this Fund, according to the present plan of distribution, must prove a means of incalculable good to our missionary churches. We find, thus far, no reason to doubt that the most sanguine hopes of the contributors to this Fund will be fully realized.

In consequence of important changes in the relations of our Synods, since the first apportionment of the Fund was made, it is found expedient to vary the apportionment, at least for the ensuing year, so as to

To render the security for loans in all cases satisfactory, the Trustees are hereby authorized, to require that the churches on which they take mortgages shall be kept insured, whenever they may deem this precaution

necessary.

The following Trustees, whose term of office expires at the present time, are hereby nominated to serve for the term of three years: Rev. Asa D. Smith, D.D., Rev. James W. McLane, D.D., and Norman White.

EDUCATION COMMITTEE.

The report of the Permanent Committee on Education was presented by the Secretary, Rev. Thornton A. Mills, D. D., and referred to the Standing Committee on the subject. The Chairman, DR. CONDIT, subsequently presented the following report, which was read item by item, and unanimously adopted. Now that the system of the Committee is fully inaugurated, we hope it will be cordially sustained, and become increasingly efficient:

The Standing Committee, to whom was referred the Report of the Permanent Committee on Education for the Ministry, respectfully report, recommending the adoption of the following resolutions:

Resolved, 1. The General Assembly recognizes, with gratitude to God, the organization of the Permanent Committee on Education for the Ministry, and the appointment of a General Secretary, Rev. Thornton A. Mills, D.D., who has entered on the duties of his office; also, the fact that the Report of the Committee presents and enforces the foundation principles of this work, especially in its relation to Churches and Presbyteries.

Resolved, 2. The Assembly, deeply impressed with the importance of a plan of action, which shall develop the resources of the whole Church, and bring each section of the Church to the work of training its own ministry, adopts the arrangement recommended in the Report of the Permanent Committee, with some additions and alterations, in the following form:

1. It is the duty of the Church, in obedience to the Saviour's last command to preach the Gospel to every creature, to give constant and becoming attention to the increase of the Ministry.

2. The Presbyterian Church, in its Congregations, Sessions, Presbyteries, Synods, and General Assembly, possesses a superior system of means for conducting this work in a most successful manner.

3. It is particularly desirable, that each Presbytery should make the subject of the Ministry a topic of serious consideration in its stated meetings, at least once every year; and adopt arrangements, to have presented to the churches, through their own ministers as far as possible, the wants of our Church, our country, and the world, in this respect; to press on young men their duty to give themselves to this work; on parents their obligation to dedicate their children to it, and train them for it; and on individual churches their privilege and duty, to see that all their sons, who give promise of suitable qualifications for the ministry, are sought out and encouraged to enter it; to make adequate provision for the education of all such, as are in circumstances to need their aid, and who show by their characters and improvement that they are worthy of it; and to see that in each church an annual collection is made in behalf of this cause.

4. It is important, that the claims of the Christian ministry on pious young men, in a course of education, should be publicly presented once every year in all the Colleges within our bounds; and it is recommended that the General Secretary, in connection with the officers in these institutions, secure the performance of this service.

5. While the General Assembly does not design to interfere with the action of separate Churches and Presbyteries, or the combined action of a number of them in their synodical capacity, it decidedly recommends its Permanent Committee as the bond of union and medium of coöperation in this work; and it is hereby urged on each Presbytery and Synod, whether coöperating or not with that Committee, to forward, through its Stated Clerk, to said Permanent Committee, at some time in the month of April in each year, a full report of its doings, in reply to such questions as may be proposed to it; and the information so given shall be embodied in the Annual Report of the Committee to the General Assembly.

6 Each Presbytery, designing to coöperate with the Permanent Committee, shall appoint annually a Standing Committee on Education for the Ministry, whose duty it shall be, to examine and recommend, in the vacation of the Presbytery, such young men as require assistance from the funds at the disposal of the Permanent Committee; and to exercise over them such pastoral supervision as may be possible, while they are prosecuting their studies. And all such Committees are hereby enjoined, to give strict attention to the rules prescribed by the Permanent Committee, in any recommendation which they may make, so as to avert dishonor from this enterprise of the Church, and avoid the waste and misapplication of its funds.

7. Every Presbytery, coöperating with the Permanent Committee by presenting the subject to its churches annually, and taking collections to be paid to the general treasury, shall be entitled, as far as the means placed at the disposal of that Committee will allow, to receive aid for all candidates for the ministry under its care, however much the appropriations to them may exceed the contributions of such Presbytery.

8. It is recommended to all the churches so to arrange their contributions to benevolent operations, that the uniform time for that in behalf of Education for the ministry shall be the Sabbath preceding, or succeeding, the last Thursday in February in each year, the day of the Annual Concert of Prayer for Colleges.

9. As it is desirable that this cause should assume a prominent and permanent place in the contributions of the churches, it is recommended, to those whom Providence has favored with means, to endow temporary scholarships, by the contribution of the requisite sum each year to assist a student through his theological course; or the contribution of such a sum each year to assist one through his literary and theological course; or by the establishment of permanent scholarships by donations or legacies, under the management of the Permanent Committee; and, to afford facility and security in doing this, the Permanent Committee are hereby directed, to apply to the Legislature of the State of New York for a suit