has declared that He will be with the Church, in the exercise of that almighty power, always, even to the end of the world. I rejoice in this, that the success of the blessed and glorious work to which, unworthy as I am, the Lord has of His grace called me, is not instrumentally dependent merely on my ability and faithfulness, or the ability or faithfulness of any or all of those who are the direct instruments in carrying it on, but upon the faith and the prayers of the Church, whose work, under Christ, it is. Oh, if all the ministers and all the members of the Free Church,-if all among them that have the Spirit of Christ were but so sensible of their privileges, so alive to their responsibilities, as to be stirred up to pray always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit on this behalf, might there not be 500, instead of 50, of the gospel-trained youth in our institutions in India, quickened from their death in sin, to be lights in the midst of its darkness? Is not the universal diffusion of the gospel the work entrusted to the Church in the present dispensation? Has not its great Head clearly declared His gracious purposes towards our guilty, fallen race, both Jews and Gentiles?-and is He not giving clear enough intimations now, in the gathering in of an elect remnant from the dispersed of Judah, in the calling of His people out of Babylon, and in the opening up of the heathen world to the missionaries of the Cross for the preaching of the gospel to all nations, that the time,—the set time, for which the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now, is not far distant? If for the temporal deliverance of his own nation only, Daniel was of old stirred up to fasting, and prayer, and supplication, by the arousing consideration that the time was at hand, shall not we be stirred up to pray, even to pray without ceasing, by the soul-quickening thought that the day of redemption, the time of life from the dead to the universal family of man,-is drawing near?-that yet a little while and He that shall come will come, and will not tarry, and that nothing hinders but the backwardness, the inertness, of those on whom He has conferred the high privilege,—the highest and most glorious conferred on created beings,-of being fellow-workers with himself in the preparatory work? Can the Spirit of Christ, through whom all the members of His body live, work in them otherwise than in accordance with the mind and will of their Head? His workings cannot be in accordance with those of our own selfish hearts, which lead us to seek our own, even in spiritual things, to the neglect of the general interests of Christ our King. Their tendencies must be to make us one with Him in our desires, and prayers, and efforts; and if we fall into that which has been the snare, the sin of believers and Churches from the beginning, "seeking our own, and not the things that are Christ's," do we not of necessity quench the Holy Spirit? If in our habitual desires and prayers we come short of seeking that which the heart of Christ himself is set upon,-the full manifestation of His mediatorial glory, in the grafting in again of the natural branches into their own olive tree, and the restoration of an outcast world, are we not frustrating our own object, if that object be our own building up, or the building up of our own Church? What could result from this quenching of the Spirit but barrenness, coldness, deadness, to the souls of individual believers; and to Churches a withering blight, such as that which fell upon our own, when, in the days of our forefathers, it set itself with a single eye to seek its own, practically saying with regard to the rest of Christ's body, "I have no need of thee;" and, with reference to the preaching of the gospel to all nations, "I have no interest in it." Surely the way to obtain in large measure that which is our own is to seek, in the fullest sense of the words, the things that are Christ's? Did not the first movement of our Church on behalf of the dispersed of Judah bring down on it a blessing from above, worth many years of ordinary increase? Oh, if our habitual aspirations, our daily effectual fervent prayers, grasped at nothing short of the full triumph of the great Redeemer over the powers of darkness,—if they could rest in nothing short of the full realization of all that has been promised to our covenanted Head, showers of blessing would descend upon us, and we should be made indeed a blessing. Neither money nor men would be wanting for the work abroad; and, best of all, the Spirit of the Lord would work, " and a little one would become a thousand, a small one a strong nation." Nor should we be stinted at home. The Lord would not remain our debtor. The windows of heaven would be opened to us. Our Church would arise, its light would shine, and glory would dwell in our land. Fathers and brethren, I have the prospect of shortly returning to the work of the Lord among the heathen; and all that I desire for this world is, to spend and be

spent therein. I have seen again in the flesh the venerable father under whose ministry my soul was fed. I have rejoiced in the fellowship of beloved brethren with whom I was wont to take sweet counsel concerning the things of the kingdom. I have seen a General Assembly of that Church which, more than all others in these latter days, has been highly honoured—closely dealt with by Him who walketh in the midst of the golden candlesticks, and my soul has been greatly refreshed. There is no likelihood of my ever seeing a General Assembly of the Free Church of Scotland again; but, fathers and brethren, yet a little while, a very little while, and I hope to see you all, to meet with you all, in the great general assembly and church of the first-born, whose names are written in heaven. Oh, may we all have grace to be" stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as we know that our labour is not in vain in the Lord!" (Hear, hear.)

Dr SMYTTAN said,—It must be gratifying to every one present to know that they had arrived at that stage in the missionary work when the native teachers, trained up under European leaders (as the native soldiers were trained to fight the battles of their country), were now going forth to fight the battles of the Lord. It was a great source of rejoicing to the missionaries themselves, that after so much labour, night and day, in season and out of season, in bringing up youths to the ministry, the great work was being accomplished to which they had given themselves in the strength of the Lord. He did not despair of seeing a great army raised up in India of her own native teachers, to fight the battle of the Lord. But in order to this, they must all do more at home than they had yet done. They must pray for and see that the missionaries were not cramped for want of funds. While there was something of a discouraging nature in what they had heard, there was much to encourage them to hopeful perseverance. One grand encouragement was to be found in the description of the men who were engaged in the work. He had seen much of them, and felt that there was much cause for thanksgiving to God that they were constant, in season and out of season, in the great work to which they had given themselves, and that the young men they had raised up loved them as they loved themselves. (Hear.) They must be careful to see that the work was not now marred for want of temporal means to furnish the instruments through which the great work was to be carried He could not altogether agree as to the inutility of native schools. It was not desirable to employ natives when Christians could be had; but he had reason to know that many of those natives, who had been thus employed, had themselves been converted, and that the branch schools had been the means of doing much good. With respect to Africa, he believed they were very ignorant of the state of things there; but he rejoiced that the difficulties by which they had been beset, and the trials to which our missionaries there had been exposed, were, in the hands of Divine Providence, likely to be overruled for the glory of God and the extension of his cause. He trusted they would all feel the stimulus which such a state of things was fitted to excite, and that the conference which Dr Buchanan had requested would lead, through that wisdom which is from above, to the adoption of such measures as would, by the blessing of God, restore the missions to more than their wonted strength. (Applause.)

on.

The Assembly then agreed to the motion, and defer any farther deliverance on the subject till the conference shall have been held.

The Assembly next took up the

CASE OF KILBRIDE, ARRAN.

This was a reference by the Presbytery of Kintyre as to a call from the congregation of Kilbride, in Arran, to the Rev. Archibald Nichol, minister of Coll.

Mr M'NAB of Campbelton stated the reference. The Kilbride congregation had been vacant since the year 1844. It had successively given calls to the late Mr M'Bride of Rothesay, Mr Nichol, and Mr S. Cook; and this case arose out of a second call to Mr Nichol. When the Presbytery of Kintyre, on the 3d of March, met to moderate in the call, it was moved and seconded by members of the congregation, that Mr Archibald Nichol be elected. This motion being recorded, it was moved by a member of Presbytery, That, in consideration of the Commission of the General Assembly having decided that Mr Nichol should not be translated to Kilbride, and that there is at present in this parish a protesting minority against the

judgment of the Commission being disturbed, the Moderator do not put the motion for the election of the said Mr Nichol. It was also moved and seconded, That the matter be referred simpliciter to the General Assembly. A third motion was made and seconded, That inasmuch as the laws of the Church regarding the election of officebearers, lay down no rule for the guidance of a Presbytery when a congregation give a second call to a minister who has been previously rejected by the Church courts on the occasion of the same vacancy, it is expedient that Mr Nichol's qualification to receive a call to Kilbride, on the present occasion, be judged of by the collective wisdom of the Church: That with this view, the Presbytery permit the election of Mr Nichol, and the subscription of the call, to be proceeded with, resolving that thereafter the whole affair shall be referred to the General Assembly. The first motion, not being seconded, fell to the ground. The second and third motions were then put by the Moderator. The roll being called, and votes marked, it carried third motion by the casting vote of the Moderator. From this judgment Mr Clark dissented; Mr Campbell and Mr M'Neill also dissented, for reasons to be given in. The original motion for the election of Mr Nichol was then put to the congregation, and unanimously agreed to. There was then produced a call to the said Mr Nichol, which, being signed by eighty-five male communicants, and by sixty-six other adherents to the Church, their subscription was attested as genuine. The Presbytery unanimously referred the whole case to the General Assembly.

Dr CLASON said he sympathised with the congregation, which had so long been without a minister; but, from what appeared in the document before the House [the chief points of which are quoted above], there could be no difficulty as to the disposal of the case. The Assembly could have no choice, but in respect of no cause shewn why the deliverance of the Commission in August should be disturbed, adhere to the same, and remit to the Presbytery to decline to sustain the call given by the congregation to Mr Nichol on 3d March last, and he moved accordingly.

Dr CANDLISH seconded the motion, observing that no change of circumstances had been instructed, and no cause shown why the deliverance of the Commission in August last should be disturbed. There was certainly no rule against repeating a call of a minister; but it was not a practice to be followed, unless there was a very clear warrant in the circumstances for doing so, and which did not appear in the present

case.

The motion was unanimously agreed to.

EXPOSITION OF THE PSALMS IN PUBLIC WORSHIP.

The Assembly next considered the following petition as to exposition of the Psalms in public worship, from seventy-eight elders, deacons, and members of the Free Church in Aberdeen :

"The petition of the undersigned, &c.,

Humbly Sheweth,-That it is most desirable that at least one diet of public worship on the Lord's day, simple and plain exposition, suited to the capacity of the most illiterate of the hearers of the Word, should accompany the reading of the Word of God, now so universally and happily practised in the Free Church.

"That in not a few congregations such exposition as your petitioners desire to see universally established, is already practised, but is far from universal; and your petitioners have reason to believe that the practice is least common where it is most necessary, namely, in the country congregations, where means and opportunities are least frequent, and should therefore be most sedulously and anxiously improved. "That in all the congregations of the Free Church it would tend greatly to edification, and give a more distinct tone and character to the worship offered up in our song of praise, were a very short exposition or commentary on the Psalms to be sung, previously made in the hearing of the congregation. But that the service might not be rendered tedious to the people, nor overburdensome to the minister, this exposition might be limited to the first psalm sung at each diet of worship, and be both short and of the plainest and most simple character.

"Your petitioners therefore pray your Venerable House to adopt either or both of these suggestions, as to your wisdom may seem best, and to give forth a distinct order, to be observed in all the congregations of the Free Church accordingly.' Dr R. J. BROWN, who also signed the petition, brought the subject shortly before

the House. He stated that the petitioners, who were laymen, considered that sufficient attention was not given to the Psalms, and that if an exposition was given from the pulpit of at least the first psalm sung in public worship every Sabbath, a deeper feeling of devotion would be produced and cherished. They also believed that if more attention was given to the Psalms as a part of public worship, our congregations would feel that the Psalms were better adapted to all the purposes of Christian worship than any collection of hymns and other doctrinal compositions.

Dr CANDLISH said, that the Assembly must be satisfied with the excellence of the object the petitioners had in view. The increase of intelligent attention to the Psalms was a gratifying feature in the state of the Church in respect of devotional feeling, and he believed an intelligent taste for the Psalms was on the increase. At the same time, while cordially concurring, in the main, in the views of the petitioners, he was not prepared to propose any recommendation to the Assembly on the subject. He was not prepared to lay on the ministers of the Church any stronger injunction or recommendation than they were under at present in this matter. He had no doubt that a brief, terse, judicious exposition either of the first or the last Psalm, might be for edification, and he believed that such a practice was not uncommon in the Church. He did not know what might be Dr Brown's experience; but he (Dr C.) remembered the merciless infliction in the shape of an exposition of the first Psalm, by a father of the Church; and such expositions he did not think were for edification. He considered that they were really not in circumstances to do more at present than leave the matter to the judgment and discretion of the ministry of our Church. (Hear, hear.)

Mr MAKGILL CRICHTON hoped Dr Brown would take down the information to Aberdeen, that the petition had been most respectfully received by this Assembly. (Hear.) He was happy to see the people taking such an interest in an object so excellent; at the same time, he thought it would not be advisable to press the matter, farther than to assure the petitioners that the matter would receive from the Assembly the most respectful attention. (Hear, hear.)

The Assembly accordingly, while highly approving of the spirit and object of the petition, deem it unnecessary to issue any recommendation in regard to the matter therein referred to.

The Assembly next took up the

BRACO CASE.

This case came up as a reference from the Synod of Perth, respecting the call from the Free Church at Braco to the Rev. Peter Grant of the Gaelic Church, Perth. The case came before the Synod in the shape of an appeal, at the instance of the Presbytery of Auchterarder and the congregation at Braco, against a judgment of the Presbytery of Perth refusing to translate the Rev. P. Grant to Braco. The Perth congregation made no appearance at the Synod. Mr Grant indicated his wish to accept of the call. The Synod referred the case simpliciter to the Assembly.

Mr OMOND stated the reference. Mr Grant repeated his conviction that it was his duty to accept of the call, on the ground of his health, which, in Perth, was in such a state as to disable him for several months from active duty. The Perth congregation made no compearance. After a brief hearing of parties,

Dr CANDLISH said, that the Presbytery having withdrawn their opposition to the translation, and the Perth congregation having also withdrawn their opposition, and it being the wish of Mr Grant to accept of the call, the Assembly could have no difficulty in complying; but he should like the deliverance in this case to be in some way qualified. He thought it of consequence to the interests of the Church in the Highlands, that the Assembly should express its approbation of the hesitancy which had been felt by the Presbytery of Perth in translating a minister from a Gaelic to an English congregation; and that they shall take this opportunity of strengthening the hands of any Presbytery which might be placed in similar circumstances.

After a short discussion, in which Mr M. Crichton and Dr Clason took part, the following deliverance was agreed upon :

The Assembly sustain the reference from the Synod of Perth; and while they approve of the conduct of the Presbytery of Perth in hesitating to grant the translation of a Gaelic-speaking minister to an English congregation, yet in respect of the

non-appearance of the Gaelic congregation of Perth, the statement made by Mr Grant in regard to his health; and in respect, farther, the Presbytery now see it to be their duty to withdraw their opposition to Mr Grant's translation; the Assembly sustain the appeals, reverse the judgment of the Presbytery of Perth appealed against, loose Mr Grant from his present charge, and instruct the Presbytery of Auchterarder to proceed with the settlement of Mr Grant with all convenient speed, according to the rules of the Church, declaring that Mr Grant's pastoral relation to his present congregation shall continue until his induction at Braco shall take place." Parties having been called in, judgment was intimated.

The Assembly next took up the

KIRKCOLM CASE.

This was a reference from the Synod of Galloway in the case of the Rev. J. H. M'Lachlan's call to the Free Church at Kirkcolm. The Synod, when the case came up from the Presbytery in October 1846, found that, in the peculiar circumstances of the case, it would not be for edification that the Presbytery should proceed to the settlement of Mr M'Lachlan in the present divided state of the congregation; and therefore the Presbytery of Stranraer was directed to sist proceedings in regard to this settlement till next meeting of Synod, unless they should have evidence that a greater measure of harmony prevailed in the congregation; and, failing in this, to report their proceedings to the next meeting of Synod.

At the meeting of Synod in April last, the Presbytery reported that no change had taken place in the circumstances of the case. The Synod thereupon resolved to refer the case to the Assembly. From the statements made at the bar, it appeared that there were ninety-one members of the congregation for, and fifty-five against Mr M'Lachlan's settlement. After some discussion:-" The General Assembly sustain the reference, dismiss the appeal, affirm the judgment of the Presbytery of Stranraer sustaining the call to Mr M'Lachlan appealed against; but in respect of its appearing that the Presbytery have proceeded in this case without duly attending to the terms of the act relative to the election of office-bearers, and in respect of the peculiar circumstances of the congregation, the Assembly appoint the following members of the Synod of Galloway a Committee to visit the congregation at Kirkcolm, confer with parties with a view to the restoration of harmony, and report to the Commission in August; and the Presbytery are hereby instructed to sist procedure in the case until they shall receive the instructions of the Commission,-viz., Mr Smith, Borgue; Mr M'Millan, Kirkcudbright." Parties being called in, this judgment was intimated.* The Assembly adjourned at a a quarter to two o'clock A.M. of Tuesday 25th May.

TUESDAY, MAY 25. 1847.

Colonial Committee's Report-Cases of Mr M'Tavish, Mr Stevenson, Mr Macnaughtan-Speeches of Mr Stewart, Mr Alexander-Continental Committee's Report-Speeches of M. Audebez, M. Cordes, M. Roussell, Moderator's Address-Education Committee's Report-Speeches of Mr Shepherd, Dr Brown, Dr Clason, Dr Forbes, Mr Anderson, Mr Crichton.

The Assembly met this morning at eleven o'clock. After praise and prayer, the Clerk called for the

REPORT ON COLONIAL CHURCHES.

The Rev. Mr BONAR of Aberdeen then rose, and in presenting the Report of the Committee, said-The work of your Colonial Committee increases day by day, both in extent and importance. The sons and daughters of Presbyterian Scotland are perhaps already more numerous, and undoubtedly occupy far larger and more fertile regions of the earth, than those who remain in the mother country. Great deadness and spiritual decay have, not less by our neglect than by other causes, come to prevail among them. In too many places they seemed rapidly sinking into hopeless in

The Committee at the meeting of the Commission 11th August 1847, reported that Mr M'Lachlan had written to the Presbytery of Stranraer requesting his "name to be separated from the call by whatever steps competent."

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