great assemblage of persons, too old to learn, and | sire of gain; and though all had one object in view, having much to unlearn. Great temptations were this very circumstance often produced a spirit of also placed before foreigners. Among these may competition, which was not at all favorable to unity be mentioned, high wages, and the low price of ar- of action, in promoting any Christian or benevolent dent spirits. These might be procured for two enterprise. The character of society had not, as shillings a gallon. Many, also, of those, who were yet, time to be formed. The materials were there; temperate and steady, were chiefly influenced by but so diversified, that it was impossible to say what the desire of accumulating property; and they look- form it might assume. Here there was certainly ed to the farther West, hoping there to find the el much to dread, as it regarded the interests of relidorado of their anticipations. Indeed, Pittsburgh gion. Yet it was religion alone that could correct was merely a resting-place to many emigrants, till the evils which existed; and its native, unassisted they could fix on some more distant point, to which power to do so, has, in this case, been strikingly they might proceed. In such cases, they could have displayed. no interest in any religious institution of a perma- In order that this may be seen at one glance, it nent kind, which might be calculated to benefit the will be better to give the statistics of Pittsburgh, town. In addition to all this, there was the diver-drawn up by two ministers on the spot; one of them sity of religious opinion amongst the people. Some being Dr. Halsey, the President in the Theological of the denominations were able to secure religious Seminary; and the other being the Rev. A. D. ordinances for themselves; but others were too few Campbell." and feeble to do so. Besides, this was a community of individuals, with nothing in common but the de

The population of Pittsburgh and suburbs is about 25,000.

Looking at these results, we cannot but admit, in | this instance at least, the sufficiency of the voluntary principle; it has supplied religious instruction to all the inhabitants of the town, if they are willing to receive it, as well as school instruction for their children. I do not know a single town in Great Britain, with a population of twenty-five thousand, with such ample means of religious instruction. There may be towns where new churches have been built with grants of public money, and the ministers may be supported by endowments or by taxes. To these may be added, dissenting places of worship, and yet the aggregate will be found far behind this city in the Wilderness. It has, as already stated, sprung up within forty years. No provision is made by the State for religion, no individual is taxed to support even his own denomination; but all emanating from the people themselves, and supported annually by their free-will offerings. In such circumstances, the idea of taxing others to support their religious services could never have entered

8,200 900 400 215
1,500 500 150 110
4,925 2,950 2,600 1,024
2,500 1,800

17,700 1,050 500 170
46,500 4,200 3,000 2,900

203,225 22,568 13,080 7,095

into their minds. Such injustice would excite uni versal abhorrence in that land. This continued support of Divine ordinances is given by men who are any thing but fanatics. They are sober, practical, and business-like men, who act on the honorable principle, that if they are to receive religious instruction, they ought to provide it for themselves, as they would do, in seeking to obtain possession of any other good.

But has this desire to obtain religious instruction gone no farther than themselves? In their wish to secure the gospel, have they forgotten others? Let the history of their Foreign Missionary Society answer these questions. Then, it may be asked again, do they direct all their energies to the distant heathen, and leave their ungodly neighbors and countrymen to perish? Certainly not. The very same ordinances which they support for their own edification, are also the divinely_appointed means for the conversion of sinners. The gospel is preached to the poor, and to all who are willing

asleep, I frequently discovered the same exposure of clothes to depredation. I made inquiry in dif ferent places, if it was generally so; and found that, except in the vicinity of large towns, no precautions to protect property were taken, and no depredations were committed.

to hear it, without money, and without price, even though they may be too indifferent to its value to contribute their share in supporting it. And here we see the beauty and the universal adaptation of New Testament principles. The people of Christ can no where live contented without the bread of life dispensed in the public preaching of the truth, When I approached the mountainous districts, and they confine not the benefit to themselves.- many miles remote from cities, I naturally expected "The Spirit and the BRIDE say, Come!" Thus, the to see the people rude and uncouth in their manvery places round about God's hill become a bless-ners. It was not so; the dress of the men was ing; and the collective body, which supports a similar to what it was in the castern parts of the Christian pastor, as well as each individual mem- State; and there was a neatness and a propriety in ber of it, is as a light shining in a dark place. Sin- the dress of the females of all classes, which most ners are converted-the churches have numbers agreeably surprised me. Among those whom I added to their communion-and as new inhabitants met with, there was of course great diversity, both settle in the town, new places of worship are pro- of character and condition. I entered freely into vided, and the good extends. conversation with them. They were blunt in their It will appear obvious, that considerable exertion manner, certainly, but never rude or offensive. 1 must have been made to raise such large sums for found them in general intelligent, and, especially, the building of churches, and that similar efforts well acquainted with the constitution of their own must be continued, in order to furnish the annual country. Indeed, there is a remarkable acuteness charges incurred in supporting the ministers and in in the agricultural population of Pennsylvania, as keeping the buildings in repair. To accomplish compared with the same class in our country. I all this, there must be a vitality about their system, was pleased to find that few--very few-ever indiwhich no compulsory mode of religion can possess.cated a bad feeling towards England. On the conThere are thirty places of worship in Pittsburgh-the least of which will seat five hundred persons, and the largest about fifteen hundred. Of these, twenty-six are orthodox Protestant congregations, of different denominations. The character of the ministry stands high for propriety of demeanor and for evangelical sentiment. The great peculiarities of the gospel are held and preached by them all, with the exceptions already mentioned. And it is a point deserving special notice, that there are upwards of four thousand communicants who have given credible evidence that they are Christians, before they were admitted to the Lord's table.Such is Pittsburgh!

trary, even among those who were decidedly irreligious, and rather vain of their own political rights and privileges, there was a respect and an interest shown for Great Britain, that was gratifying to me. The religious part of the community with which I necessarily came most into contact, invariably expressed their affection for England, and their earnest desire that peace might be uninterrupted; and that in every way, both by our political relations and religious institutions, we should benefit the world at large. I found, in conversation with persons in the stages, a decided respect for religion. In only two or three cases did I meet with profanity or infidelity, and these were evidently much disapproved of by the rest of the company. I was much annoyed, as other travellers have been before me, with a very disagreeable custom--the frequent use of tobacco, and that in its most offensive form. Even those, who of all men should "keep themselves pure,," were sometimes guilty of yielding to this perverted and extraordinary taste for a poisonous narcotic.

In thus speaking so favorably of the people's respect for religion, I do not wish to be understood as saying that all the people are truly religious, or that the majority are under its sacred influence. There are in the towns, and no doubt in the country like

With regard to the character of the people of Pennsylvania, I can only speak generally. It is plain that a people who contribute so liberally for places of religious worship and pastors for themselves, besides supporting many institutions for the benefit of others, must be considerably influenced by religion. From all that I saw, or could learn by inquiry, the Sabbath is not so strictly observed in this State as in New England, nor is domestic religion so generally prevalent as in that country. But I think I am warranted in saying, that the mass of the people are more under the influence of religion than with us. Among us, the very highest and the very lowest ranks are, perhaps, the least at-wise, open opposers of religion, and neglecters of tentive to religious observances. In Pennsylvania, these extremes of society hardly exist. There are few very wealthy, and few very poor, persons. There are not many places in the State where those willing to be industrious may not find an adequate support. Immense quantities of land are yet to be settled, so that the children of the present inhabitants can find room to locate themselves, without going far into the Valley of the Mississippi. Indeed, I had much pleasure in observing the outward circumstances of the people. The lowest class of laborers could command a full supply of the necessaries of life. In visiting their log huts and cottages, and the dwellings of land owners, who are more numerous than tenants or servants, I found them generally in that happy state which was the object of Agur's prayer. They were freed alike from the temptations presented by luxurious living, and arising from abject poverty. The door of the dwelling where I resided for nearly a fortnight, was never locked. Valuable articles were allowed to hang in the open air all night, and in the outhouses, and none of them were stolen. Travelling early in the morning, when the cottagers were

Divine ordinances, and who, if not controlled by laws and public opinion, would be ready to commit any excesses. But I think it may be asserted, that religion has a very extensive influence in all the ranks of which society is composed in that State, from the general and the judge to the inmate of the og hut, just beginning to clear the forest, and preparing to sow and reap. That it is more than sufficient to produce submission to the laws, and orderly behavior, may safely be said; for a general regard is paid to the ordinances of religion, both in town and country. The chief drawback on the improvement of the people, is the influx of new settlers from other countries, who have no religion. Hence, there is much to be done besides supplying their own population with religious instruction. Vigorous measures are necessary to keep pace with the demands of new adult settlers, who are, in general, disinclined to serious things.

But are the religious people properly concerned for the education of their children? A satisfactory answer may be given to this inquiry, as far as the wealthy and respectable part of the community is concerned. There are nearly a hundred endowed

academies and high schools, and nearly all the reli- | better to remain private, till the test of time has gious denominations have colleges and theological confirmed the hopes excited by them. seminaries. Scattered throughout the State, there With all these drawbacks, however, the reliare great numbers of common or district schools, gious newspapers answer many valuable purposes. especially in the northern part, where many natives Among these may be mentioned the wide circulaof New England are settled. At the same time it tion they give to the transactions of the principal ought to be stated, that education is much neglected religious institutions. I was often surprised, in the among the German population; and in various most remote parts of the State, to find individuals parts of the State, it has not made that progress acquainted with the most recent accounts of the which it might and should have done. It may be operations of these societies in all parts of the said, indeed, that the subject of general education world. And when the continuance of these opehas not received that attention in former years rations requires increased pecuniary aid, an appeal which its importance demanded, and which the can easily be made to Christians throughout the legislature appears now desirous to give. The whole country. It has a tendency to keep the reliproportion of the population under instruction is gious institutions in a state of purity and activity, much less than in the other Middle or Eastern when they are thus kept constantly before the eye States. The resources of this State are great, but of the public. The churches of Christ in different they have not by any means been developed, at places are better able to cherish mutual sympathies, least not in an equal degree with those of the State when made acquainted with each other's circumof New York, with which it is, perhaps, more fair stances. When intelligence is received of revivals to compare it, than with those which are older and in some other section of the State, a desire is smaller. This may be partly accounted for by re-awakened to enjoy a similar season of refreshing. ferring, as we have already done, to the mingled This is a class of reading suited to the taste of the character of the population, which has rendered it young; and it may be expected to diffuse a misdifficult for them to unite in any general plan. But sionary spirit among them. And last, though not the legislature has at length roused itself to dis- least, it is an important auxiliary in refuting dancharge its duty. The subject of education for all gerous errors. The absolute freedom of the press, the children of the State has been discussed; and and the cheapness of periodicals, have enabled the last year a law was passed, which, when brought irreligious and the skeptical to circulate their misinto operation, will, no doubt, supply most of the chievous doctrines. They must be encountered deficiencies which at present exist. The report on with their own weapons, and it is of great consewhich the two houses legislated, is one of an inte- quence that their attacks should meet with a speedy resting character, and furnishes many important repulse. A monthly magazine would be too tardy facts as to the operation of the common school sys- and too unwieldy an instrument of defence. Truth tem in a number of the American States. is important, in whatever form it is communicated; and we may hope that, among the many who have acquired a taste for reading in this way, some will be found, whose increasing thirst for knowledge will lead them on to cultivate severer studies.

After the preceding statement respecting a deficiency of education, it may appear somewhat remarkable, that the number of newspapers is greater in proportion to the population than in any other of the old States. In the State of New York, containing nearly two millions of people, there are 267 newspapers; in Pennsylvania, there are 220; one sixth of the whole number to be found in the Union. I can only account for this fact, by supposing, that the distinctness preserved by the various classes of settlers, leads each to provide their own vehicle of intelligence, rather than to support one of a larger and more general character. Of the number stated of these publications, the religious newspapers also bear a larger proportion to the amount of inhabitants than in the other States. This is a peculiar feature of the press in this country; and, while it must have an important bearing on the character of the people, it may, at the same time, be taken as an indication of what their prevailing character is. There is an eager desire for information on all points affecting the religious interests of the more distant parts of the State. And as each denomination is carrying on its own plans of Christian benevolence, it is natural that each should have its own medium of communication respecting these.

The intellectual tone and character of the people may thus gradually be improved. And as the first step towards this improvement, I think it would be desirable to reduce the number of the publications under review, and by this means to concentrate more of the talent and excellence, which are now scattered through them all. There is nothing in the history of Pennsylvania more remarkable than the rapid increase of the different religious denominations during the last thirty years. The population has more than doubled since 1801; but the number of the ministers and congregations has increased at a much greater ratio. The Presbyterians are now nearly as numerous, in Pennsylvania alone, as they were in the whole United States in 1800. The Episcopalians have increased fourfold since 1801; and the others, with the exception of the German Reformed Church, have multiplied nearly to the same extent. It is also gratifying to know, tha while the orthodox sects have been making such rapid advances, the preaching of error has not prospered. The Unitarians make no progress. It is with some difficulty that they can keep up a congreThat there are disadvantages arising from this gation, even in Philadelphia. It may be said with class of reading, when carried to a great extent, truth, that they have not six congregations, or six there can, I think, be no doubt. It too often sup- ministers in the whole State. The Universalists plies the place of more solid and useful instruction, are more numerous, but there is no reason to beand promotes indolent and desultory habits of think-lieve that they are increasing in numbers or in ining. And where a controversial spirit abounds, it is frequently strengthened and supplied with materials through this channel. It also tempts many writers to expend on ephemeral productions, talents and energies, which, if rightly directed, would accomplish works of standard excellence. I found also that these publications sometimes interfere with the sacred hours of the Sabbath: and they are apt to make premature disclosures as to revivals of religion, or other promising appearances, which are

fluence. Indeed, in various places, the orthodox are making inroads on them, and will, no doubt, eventually destroy them, as error must ever flee before the light of truth.

In conclusion, it must be confessed that the Christians of Pennsylvania have yet a great deal to ac complish, in order to do full justice to their principles, their obligations, their country, and the world. They have by no means kept pace with some of the other States in zeal for the missionary cause, an

COMMENCEMENT AT AMHERST COLLEGE, 1834. PRAYER.-1. Salutatory Oration.-2. Essay. Patriotism.-3. Essay. Common Sense.-4. Discussion. Fact and Fiction.-5. Essay. Excitement.-6. Essay. Independence.-7. Disquisition. Propriety of Ap peals to the Passions.-8. Oration. Moral Influence of Works of Imagination.-9. Dissertation. Guilt, At a meeting of the Bowdoin-street Church, held as affected by Temptation.-10. Dissertation. Pro September the 7th, 1834, a letter from Jacob Abbott,gress of Society.-11. Disputation. Is Phrenology

entitled to special Attention from its practical Util- | proof, and for instruction in righteousness; and that ity?-12. Dissertation. Bibliomania.-13. Discus- they are our only rule of doctrinal belief and relision. Expediency of making Temperance a subject gious practice.

of Legislation.-14. Poem. Death of Byron.-15. III. We believe, that in the Godhead there are Essay. Contrasted Character of Napoleon and How-three persons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy ard.-16. Oration. The Memory of La Fayette.- Ghost, and that these three are one God, the same 17. Dissertation. Despotism.-18. Oration. Natural in substance, equal in power and glory. History of Eloquence.-19. Philosophical Oration. Emotions.-20. Disputation. Are encomiums upon the Dead beneficial to the Living?-21. Philosophical Oration. Mind.-22. Oration. Skepticism in cultivated Society.-DEGREES CONFERRED.-23. Oration. Influence of physical Science: with the Valedictory Addresses.-PRAYER.

IV.

Order of Exercises.

ANDOVER COMMENCEMENT, SEPT. 10, 1834.
FORENOON.

IV. We believe, that God has made all things for himself; that known unto him are all his works from the beginning: and that he governs all things according to the counsel of his own will.

V. We believe, that the law and government of God are holy, just, and good.

VI. We believe, that God at first created man in his own image, in a state of rectitude and holiness, and that he fell from that state by transgressing the divine command in the article of forbidden fruit.

VII. We believe, that in consequence of the first apostacy, the heart of man in his natural state is destitute of holiness, and in a state of positive disaffection with the law, character, and government of God: and that all men, previous to regeneration, are dead in trespasses and sins.

VIII. We believe, that Christ, the Son of God, has, by his obedience, sufferings, and death, made an atonement for sin; that he is the only Redeemer of sinners; and that all who are saved will be altogether indebted to the grace and mercy of God for their salvation.

PRAYER.-1. Gen. ii. 17.; The tree of knowledge of good and evil.-2. Doctrinal preaching eminently proper in a revival of religion.-3. Influence of Calvin on civil and religious liberty.-4. On the Monthly Concert.-5. Inquiry respecting the meaning of 1 Cor. vi. 2, 3.-6. Preaching modified by the spirit of the age.-7. The faithful Pastor.--8. Love to God.-9. Exposition of Rev. vi. 13.-10. Deficiency of classical literature in the spirit of the gospel.-SACRED MUSIC.-11. Augustine.-12. Evil of Sin.--13. Does the word in Gen. i. mean the term of a natural day?-14. Analogical preaching. -15. Evils resulting from the frequent removal of Ministers.-16. On Holiness.-17. How would the conversion of Palestine affect the interpretation of the Scriptures?-18. Puritan preaching.-19. UniX. We believe, that those who embrace the Gosformity of the method of Providence in the spread pel were chosen in Christ before the foundation of of Christianity.-20. Source of lax Theology.-21. the world, that they should be holy and without On Heb. i. 14.-The Ministry of good Angels.-hlame before him in love; and that they should be 22. The religious attitude of Greece.--SACRED saved, not by works of righteousness which they

MUSIC.

AFTERNOON.

IX. We believe, that although the invitation of the Gospel is such, that whosoever will may come and take of the water of life freely; yet the depravity of the human heart is such that no man will come to Christ, except the Father, by the special and efficacious influences of his Spirit, draw him.

have done, but according to the distinguishing mercy of God, through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth.

XI. We believe, that those who cordially embrace Christ, will be kept by the mighty power of God through faith unto salvation.

XII. We believe, that there will be a general resurrection of the bodies both of the just and unjust.

SACRED MUSIC.-23. Influence of eminent piety on the eloquence of the Pulpit.-24. The true end of human and divine knowledge, the same.-25. Remarks on Isa. lxiii. 1, 6.-26. Causes of inefficient preaching.-27. Agency of the Christian preacher in the sinner's Conversion.-28. Agency of the HoXIII. We believe, that all mankind must one day ly Spirit in the sinner's Conversion.-29. Agency stand before the judgment seat of Christ, to receive of the sinner in his own Conversion.-HEBREW the just and final sentence of retribution, according CHANT.-30. Pious feeling as connected with pasto-to the deeds done in the body; and that, at the day ral duties.-31. The true test of pulpit eloquence.32. On 2 Pet. iii. 10: "The earth also, and the works that are therein, shall be burnt up."-33. What bearing should the laws of interpretation have upon Christian Theology?-34. Is self-love the foundation of religion ?-35. Efficiency of voluntary associations.-36. Revivals of religion in England. ORIGINAL HYMN.-PRAYER.-BENEDIC

TION.

of judgment, the state of all will be unalterably fixed; and that the punishment of the wicked and the happiness of the righteous will be endless.

XIV. We believe, that the Sacraments of the New Testament are Baptism and the Lord's Supper; that believers in regular church standing only can consistently partake of the Lord's Supper; and that visible believers and their households only can consistently be admitted to the ordinance of Baptism.

FORM OF COVENANT.

avouch the Lord Jehovah to be your God, the suYou do now, in the presence of God and men, preme object of your affection, and your chosen portion for ever. You cordially acknowledge the Lord Jesus Christ in all his mediatorial offices, Prophet, Priest, and King, as your only Saviour and final Judge; and the Holy Spirit as your Sanctifier, Comforter, and Guide. You humbly and cheerfully devote yourself to God in the everlasting covenant of grace; you consecrate all your powers and faculties to his service and glory; and you promise, that, through the assistance of his Spirit and