that of occupying new ground, planting churches and extending their boundaries. Thus are doors opened for their operations on every side, and, Moderator, there are many valuable ministers in the Presbyterian Church, who could and would gladly go in at these doors and occupy, had your Board the means upon which they could venture to send them. But your Board has never yet had the means of carrying forward this part of the work. They have been struggling hard to maintain their posts. Shall this continue to be the case, my brethren? or may we not rather hope, that God, in his providence, has directed that this convocation of the Assembly should be held in the centre of this great domestic missionary field, in order that, from this point, all the church may look on and see for themselves, those important openings for effort; and that seeing may affect their hearts and rouse their energies for action? Should this be the result-should a new impulse be thus given to the great work of spreading the gospel throughout our land, you and I may live to hear the expression of gratitude for the meeting of this Assembly in Louisville. Let us pray then that such an impulse may now be given, as God may be pleased to own, and bless, and continue, till our churches shall be built up in every valley and our beloved land shall overflow with gospel intelligence."

The importance of the work to which this Board is devoted, was urged on the attention of the Assembly by Rev. Drs. Potts and Rice, and the Rev. Mr. Gurley.

Board of Publication.

After reading the report of this Board, it was referred to a committee, at whose recommendation, the Assembly ordered it to be printed and circulated among the churches. 2. It was resolved that the Assembly approve of the fidelity of the Board during the past year. 3. They recommend that a copy of the publications of the Board be given to each of the theological seminaries connected with our church, and it was urged on the presbyteries to take such measures as would secure the publication of the entire minutes of the General Assembly.

We regret that we have no means of giving any account of the operations of the Board during the past years, as the report has not yet been published, and we have seen no abstract of its contents. We notice that the Free Church of Scotland, in their late Assembly, refer with commendation

to this department of our operations, and propose to imitate our example in providing a cheap theological literature adapted to the wants of their people. Dr. Candlish threw out a suggestion which it may perhaps be worth while for our Board to consider. He thought it would be well to obtain a number of annual subscribers for the publications of such a Board, and entered into some calculations to show how many works might be published on the basis of a list of a given number of subscribers. Thus 1250 subscribers at four shillings sterling, say one dollar, would authorize the publication of two volumes 12mo. of 352 pages, and leave a surplus of £78; 2000 subscribers would enable the Board to publish three such volumes, and leave £22 surplus, and 5000 subscribers, eight volumes and leave £1,302 surplus. In this way it was hoped the people might be supplied at a cheap rate, with many of the standard evangelical works.

Memorials on Slavery.

Several memorials in relation to Slavery were referred to the committee of Bills and Overtures. Dr. Spring, as the organ of that committee, reported that they had taken the memorials into respectful consideration, and recommended that the subject be dismissed. Mr. Bushnell presented a minority report recommending that the memorials be read, and referred to a committee. Dr. Spring read a paper which he proposed as a substitute for the report of the majority. Dr. Plumer moved that the whole subject be laid upon the table. This motion prevailed, ayes 117, nays 67. A protest against this decision was entered, signed by six ministers and two elders.

We presume the signers of the protest included all the abolitionists, properly so called, in the house, the sixty-seven, who voted against laying the whole subject on the table, comprise all who for any reason objected to such a summary mode of disposing of the subject.

Dr. Hoge as chairman of two committees appointed by the Assembly of 1843, presented two elaborate reports, the one on the method of raising funds, the other on the marriage question, but so much time had been consumed in the discussion of other matters, that these important subjects were laid over to the next Assembly, which is appointed to be held at Cincinnati on the third Thursday of May, 1845.

ART. VI.A Glimpse into the World to Come, in a waking dream. By the late George B. Phillips, Preacher of the Gospel. With extracts illustrative of his spiritual progress; and a brief memoir, by Mrs. Duncan. New York: Robert Carter, 58 Canal-street. Pittsburgh: Thos. Carter. 1844. 18mo. pp. 103.

THIS little book has greatly interested us. Mr. Phillips was educated for the ministry of the Church of Scotland; and in the course of his preparation, passed through a very remarkable spiritual conflict. We do not recollect to have met with a more clear and striking record of the struggle of the heart, in the darkness and pride of its native state, with the free offers of salvation, than in the few, simple, broken notes preserved by Mrs. Duncan in this little volume. There are thousands of professing Christians, whose dark views of the real doctrines of free grace, and whose feeble hopes and faint joys consequent upon those dark views, would receive a clear elucidation, as to their cause and cure, from the experience of this interesting young man. His protracted spiritual trials, however, had undermined his health; and after preaching his third sermon, he was seized with haemorrhage of the lungs, which interrupted his ministry, and finally, by repeated returns, put a period to his life. It was during one of his seasons of extreme bodily prostration, that his views of eternal things, under the influence of a lively Christian hope, and a glowing imagination, formed themselves into the beautiful but occasionally fanciful pictures, found among his papers, which forms the first portion of this little morceau. We recommend it especially to those whose views are gloomy and desponding. We should be glad if it were a great deal more full.

Lights and Shadows of Scottish Life. By John Wilson, Professor of Moral Philosophy in the University of Edinburgh. New York: Robert Carter, 58 Canal-street. Pittsburgh: Thomas Carter. 1844.

Prof. Wilson is allowed by all to stand in the front rank of authors, in a species of literature which was formerly looked upon as a sort of luxury, but which now seems to be regarded as a necessary of life, in the world of letters: we mean the periodical literature of the age. The sketches contained in this volume were written some years ago, and

are intended to illustrate the social life of Scotland. There is a simplicity about them, and often tenderness, that are peculiar to the author. In some of the qualities of style, we know of no one who surpasses him. His similies, for instance, not only illustrate the point in hand, but often present a picture to the imagination so striking and complete, that nothing can ever efface it. This is the prerogative of a high order of genius.

While some of the scenes here sketched illustrate most touchingly the power of religion, the reader will understand that they are mostly creations of the fancy; and the very fascination of the book leads us to say, that we do not think it the most profitable kind of reading, especially for the young.

A Pictorial History of the United States; with Notices of other portions of America. By S. G. Goodrich, author of Peter Parley's Tales; for the use of schools. Philadelphia: Published by Samuel Agnew, and sold by H. Hooker, 178 Chestnut-street. 1844.

Mr. Goodrich, better known to to our young friends as Peter Parley, has proved himself one of the most acceptable writers of juvenile books. This abridgment of American History is written in a clear and simple style, very much condensed; and yet, from the distinctness of the paragraphs, the events stand forth upon the page without confusion. So far as we have examined, we find it accurate. We should pronounce it an unusually good specimen of compendious narrative. The getting up is substantial, and fitting for a school book. The cuts are wanting in finish, but will no doubt enliven the pages, to the eye of youthful readers.

This is scarcely the place to say, that we have not much confidence in abridgments, for the study of History. We even doubt whether their tendency is to strengthen the memory; or rather, whether it is so easy to recollect historical facts by studying an abridgment, in the manner now commonly in use. The only legitimate way to impress historical details upon the mind, is to awaken a lively interest in their progress and connexion, by a graphic or rather a dramatic style of representing them, instead of attempting to commit them to the memory, in the form of condensed narratives, or brief and dry formularies. Our convictions on this subject are growing very strong, and we ventured to

express our views somewhat fully. See Bib. Rep., Oct., 1840. p. 550. Since then we have been favoured with a specimen of historical composition, which to a degree that we hardly ventured to expect, both illustrates the meaning and confirms the truth of what we attempted to establish. The sale of about 100,000 copies of Dr. Merle D'Aubigné's History of the Reformation, in the United States alone, in so short a space, is a most remarkable and significant fact to the writers and teachers of history. We have a good deal to say on the subject, but, we repeat, this is not the place. We have said thus much, merely for the purpose of attempting to keep the subject before the minds of those who are engaged in literary pursuits.

HYPONOIA; or Thoughts on a Spiritual Understanding of the Apocalypse, or Book of Revelation. With some Remarks upon the Parousia, or Second Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ, and an Appendix upon the Man of Sin. New York: Leavitt, Trow & Co. 1844. 8vo. pp. 707.

This large and elegantly printed volume appears without the author's name. It is thus placed before the public to be judged simply by its merits. As it has been in our hands only a few busy days, we can do nothing more than express a judgment of its leading principle. That principle we find stated in the first paragraph of the preface. "The Apocalypse," says the writer, "has been generally supposed to contain a prophetic account of certain political and ecclesiastical changes in the history of the visible church of Christ; it is here taken to be an unveiling of the mysterious truths of Christian doctrine, with an exhibition of certain opposite Thus the word churches in the apocalyptic epistles is made "to represent assemblages of doctrinal principles or truths," or "systems of true principles." The angels represent "the system of faith deduced from those principles." Mount Zion is "the divine purpose of grace," the Lamb "divine righteousness, by the imputation of which salvation is effected;" the beast is "the imaginary righteousness of self," and so on. This exposition is carried out with a tone of sobriety and consistency which proves the author to be a man of no common understanding, but as it is radically false, the results, in any hands must be nugatory, and in most hands would be vicious. It is obvious that the scriptures on this plan may be made to mean any thing whatever. The