Annual Reports of the Boards to the General Assembly

at Leyden and at Basle, might rise in the North and in the South! Would that coming ages might point to us as the first nation of the world that truly fulfilled the prophecies of the word of God, and set up the standard of Christ to the people, and brought their sons in their arms and carried their daughters upon their shoulders, to bow down and serve Him as the Saviour and Redeemer, the Mighty King!

And what will individual believers do in aid of this cause so vital to the Church's life? We have witnessed munificent gifts of tens of thousands to Lafayette College, to Washington and Jefferson, and to others, by noble men. Are there not others ready to aid the schools, academies, seminaries, colleges, male and female, which a few hundreds or thousands from the abundance of numerous professing Christians around them, would establish upon the foundations of centuries, and erect into light-houses to guide many a storm-tost, precious bark into channels of blessing and salvation, and to a final anchorage within the yet to us cloudy vail of the haven where storms of earth and hell enter nevermore?

Are there not in some families living sons to be "baptized for the dead" of the war from which we have emerged-those giving blood for their country and its liberties; these to consecrate active powers to a kingdom which is not of this world, and its rewards on high? Are there not duties to the young around you, which gleam with a new sacredness in the present crisis, as we might call it, of the kingship of the Lord Jesus? Are you not called to pray for the advancement of the objects connected with the raising up of a far more numerous and zealous ministry to preach Christ to all the world, as you have never prayed before, since prayer at this time. goes so straight to heaven, like smoke at the dawn of day? And let every one remember, that as the little grains of sand, which in the fire of the furnace are made transparent and effulgent glass, and become fit for the noblest uses, possessing even the wonderful power to bring down the stars from heaven and reveal to us the secrets of those distant worlds; so the duties of every day, and the trivial details of every employment, may be hallowed by the flame of piety; even afflictions will be transformed into blessings; and through the earthly acts of self-denial and charity, God our Saviour opens to us the enjoyments of heaven itself. How encouraging to keep in mind that we "serve the Lord Christ." How sure the recompense from the hands of Him who is no blinded divinity, such as the heathen imagined, that she could not see the persons of the parties in her presence, but Who is omniscient; Who weighs not the actions or their present results, but Who "weigheth the spirits," and will bestow a recompense of eternal riches and joy.

APPENDIX.

ACTION OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY ON THE REPORT OF THE BOARD OF EDUCATION, FOR 1865-6.

On Friday, May 18th, 1866, the Rev. Dr. Stanton, Moderator of the General Assembly, meeting at St. Louis, Mo., announced the following as the Standing Committee of that body on Education:

Ministers-Rev. Messrs. Joseph T. Smith, D.D., Edward P. Humphrey, D.D., William Bishop, and C. W. Findley.

Elders Messrs. William Mason, Robert S. Clarke, and Ormond Beatty.

On Thursday, May 24th, this Committee reported a minute and resolutions, to be acted upon by the General Assembly.

This paper first presented a summary of the Forty-seventh Annual Report of the Board. It then suggested the following resolutions:

1. Resolved, That we see reasons for deep concern in the fact that the number of candidates under the care of the Board and of the Presbyteries, for the past year, and for several preceding years, has been so small, (not more than half of the number of some past periods,) yet we are filled with gratitude and hope for the future, in view of the recent wide-spread revivals of religion and the conversion of multitudes of young men.

2. Resolved, That in consideration of these revivals, Presbyteries are required to be specially careful in the examination of candidates, as to their character, motives and general suitableness for the work of the ministry.

3. Resolved, That the attention of the ministry and the churches is earnestly called to the great importance of the observance of the day of prayer for youth, schools, and colleges, on the last Thursday of February; and to the first Sabbath in March, as a period for solemnly addressing parents and children as to their duties, and for offering petitions to God for the outpouring of his Spirit upon these several objects: and the Assembly urges a substantial remembrance of the wants of the Board by taking up collections for its funds, in its departments of General and Ministerial Education.

4. Resolved, That in the present dispersed condition of Presbyteries in some portions of the land, aid may be granted by the Board to institutions and candidates requiring it, on satisfactory recommendations from ministers known to it; and that no extra aid be given to any young man unless the same is reported to the Presbytery, and to the Faculty of the institution in which the candidate is pursuing his studies.

5. Resolved, That the General Assembly desires the Board of Education to give all the encouragement and aid possible towards the permanent endowment of institutions of learning, centrally located, promising in results, and under ecclesiastical supervision.

6. Resolved, That the objects of this fundamental Board are commended to the prayers as well as the contributions of the Church, having as the final end in view, a general revival of religion, and the preaching of the gospel to all the world.

7. Resolved, That copies of the Report be sent to the sessions of churches, with a view to its facts and principles being brought more fully before parents, and those interested in the young.

On motion of the Rev. Dr. A. O. Patterson the Report of the Committee was received.

Remarks were made upon topics suggested by the Report of the Board, and the resolutions, by Rev. William Speer, Secretary of the Board, (in accordance with the invitation of the Assembly,) Hon. William M. Francis, Rev. J. C. Caldwell, Rev. Dr. J. T. Smith, Rev. S. T. Wilson, Henry Day, Esq., Rev. Messrs. Robert Herron, Andrew Shiland, J. A. Henry, William M. Ferguson, and Alexander Scott, H. S. Banks, Esq., Rev. Dr. Joel Stoneroad, and Rev. John Crozier; after which the Report of the Committee was adopted.

TREASURY REPORTS.

1866.

May 6. To Cash paid Ministerial Education Fund, $41,027 70

1865.

May 6. Balance in Ministerial Education Fund, $18,313 53

General

3,807 86 445 07

General African

3,498 56 1,039 35

-$45,280 63

1866.

-$22,851 44

May 6. Rec'd for Ministerial Education Fund, General African

43,616 53 3,135 37

24,322 71 $69,603 34

66 66

General
African

46,751 90 $69,603 34

The undersigned examined the accounts of William Main, Treasurer of the Board of Education of the Presbyterian Church in the United States of America, and found them correct, leaving in his hands a balance of twenty-four thousand three hundred and twenty-two dollars and seventy-one cents.