The Board of Education is also employed by the Church in cultivating an acquaintance with candidates for the ministry, with a view to the public interests as well as their own edification. The officers of the Board endeavour to form an acquaintance with the students, as opportunities occur; and this intercourse has almost uniformly been productive of mutual benefit and satisfaction. Visiting from room to room, engaging in direct religious conversation, praying with the students, and affectionately exhorting them on the nature of their duties and responsibilities, have been followed by the most decided and useful results. The Board hope that this opportunity of doing good to the candidates, and of strengthening the bands of love between the two parties, will develope more and more the power of efficient Christian supervision.

In these various ways of private and public co-operation, the Church expresses to her candidates her efforts to do them good, by watching for their souls as they that must give an account.

V. The Church's care in the perpetuation of the ministry is manifested IN THE USE OF SCRIPTURAL EFFORTS TO INCREASE THE NUMBER OF CANDIDATES.

Divine sovereignty, instead of discarding human agency, freely employs it in the execution of its heavenly purposes. The Spirit uses the truth in the regeneration and sanctification of the soul; and in calling ministers into the service of the Church sanctions means adapted to the end. The injunction to "pray to the Lord of the harvest" implies, not only that prayer is a means to the end, but that all other instrumentalities, involved in sincere prayer, are divinely sanctioned and commanded. Prayer for daily bread without working for it, is no more unscriptural than prayer for candidates, unaccompanied by appropriate efforts to secure their increase.

Prayer must ever be regarded as the most important instrumentality that bears upon this subject. Our Saviour's injunction and his practice enforce this duty upon the Church. Prayer brings the soul into communion with God; realizes the excellency and glory of the spiritual kingdom; magnifies the importance of the petition offered in the name of Christ; seizes the promises with the enthusiasm of living faith; and supplies the soul with motives and with strength to labour with God and for God in supplying ministers to Zion. Frequently has the Church set apart a day of special prayer throughout her whole communion, summoning all her pastors and people to plead for the ascension gifts of Christ. Prayer secures the answer, through abounding grace and infinite love.

The Church urges upon parents the duty of consecrating their children to God, of training them up with the view to their personal piety and their becoming instruments for the conversion of the world in any way that God will deign to use them. Without parental consecration and instruction, prayer can scarcely expect the fulfilment of its petitions.

The Church encourages pious and indigent young men, who may be called to preach the Gospel, to rely upon obtaining means to secure an education. Many of these youth would otherwise be prevented from turning their attention to the ministry. The fact that the requisite education was beyond their reach, would necessarily dispose of the question in the negative, without a divine interposition more special than either the Scriptures or Providence authorizes them to expect. The Church, in her concern for the multiplication of ministers, offers to all classes of her pious youth facilities to procure the proper mental qualifications for the office. Multitudes have been thus made available to the Church, who would otherwise have turned aside to other professions and avocations. The sovereignty of God, in the progress of the execution of His decrees, calls for agencies which are ordained as effectual second causes; and among these inferior instrumentalities bearing a relation to the increase of the ministry, is the opportunity of possessing the qualifications which are implied in the call to the work.

The Church, by increasing the number of literary and theological institutions, has assisted in the increase of candidates. It is known to the Board, that a number of youth have already availed themselves of recently-founded academies and colleges to commence their course of studies for the ministry, who would not otherwise have looked forward to this profession. Every new academy and college is an instrumentality to aid the Church in securing a pious and learned ministry. The policy of establishing Theological Seminaries in different parts of the country accomplishes a similar result. With six seminaries under the superintendence of able men, the Church will obtain more candidates, in the ordinary course of Providence, than with one, two, or five institutions. Dr. Buchanan, of Glasgow, remarked in a recent speech that there were six or eight young men, who would study for the miuistry, if there were a theological hall in that city, who would be prevented from going to Edinburgh by circumstances beyond their control, and who would therefore be compelled to seek other professions. It has always been so. Geneva and Wittemburg brought multitudes into the ministry, by the grace and power of God, through the institutions where Calvin and Luther gave their instructions. In like manner, Princeton, and Alleghany, and Union, and Columbia, and New Albany, and Danville, will each be the means of increasing the number of Presbyterian ministers-not as human institutions, independent of the Divine decrees, but as institutions ordained for that very purpose in the counsels of eternal wisdom. The policy of our own Church is well settled in favour of a plurality of theological seminaries; and among other advantages is the unquestionable one, in our position, of that of an increased ministry. By prayer and other correlative means, our Church has always shown her care for the sanctuary.

VI. The Presbyterian Church exhibits her care for the ministry in

THE LICENSURE AND ORDINATION OF HER CANDIDATES.

The Church, in commissioning men to preach the Gospel, merely acts in subordination to the Divine command, and sends forth those only who possess hopeful evidences of a previous call of the Holy Spirit. The ecclesiastical designation to the office presupposes the divine. The Church, therefore, uses great caution in setting apart her candidates to the holy office; and, in order that "weak or unworthy men" may not intrude upon its functions, she guards the entrance with ecclesiastical and public examinations and trials.

1. Licensure is, according to the theory of our Church government, an experiment of the gifts and graces of the candidate. Its object is, to give the Churches "an opportunity to form a better judgment respecting the talents of those by whom they are to be instructed and governed," and, "in order that this sacred office may not be degraded by being committed to weak or unworthy men.' The tests, which a candidate undergoes before licensure, are numerous and searching. In addition to the original testimonials of character and Church connection,--and the close and particular examination before the Presbytery, on experimental religion and his motives for seeking the ministry, he must present certificates of having passed through a regular course of academical studies. He must also have "studied divinity at least two years, under some approved divine, or professor of theology." The Presbytery, moreover, tries every candidate, by its own examination, on his knowledge of the Latin, Greek, and Hebrew language, on the arts and sciences, theology, ecclesiastical history, the sacraments, and Church government. "And, in order to make trial of his talents to explain and vindicate, and practically enforce the doctrines of the Gospel, the Presbytery further requires a Latin exegesis, an exercise in sacred criticism, a Lecture on some verses of Scripture, and a popular Sermon." After the Presbytery has "obtained satisfaction of the candidate's piety, literature, and aptness to teach in the churches," the licensure is granted. All these proceedings, however, constitute merely an experiment; and licensure only transfers the "candidate" into the relation of a "probationer." He is not yet a minister, clothed with the full functions of the sacred office. Ordination, except as an evangelist, cannot take place until the probationer shall have preached so much to the satisfaction of a congregation as to receive a call from them, to be their pastor. Further, "when a licentiate shall have been preaching for a considerable time, and his services do not appear to be edifying to the churches, the Presbytery may, if they think proper, recall the license."

2. Ordination presents the occasion for the last test the Church has it in her power to make, as the careful and anxious guardian of ministerial prerogatives.

When the probationer, or licentiate, has received a call from any church to become its pastor, the Presbytery allows him to signify his acceptance or refusal of the same; and if the answer is in the affirmative, he must "submit himself to the usual trials preparatory to

ordination." These trials "consist of a careful examination as to his acquaintance with experimental religion, as to his knowledge of philosophy, theology, ecclesiastical history, the Greek and Hebrew languages, and such other branches of learning as to the Presbytery may appear requisite; and as to the knowledge of the constitution, the rules and principles of the government and discipline of the Church, together with such written discourse, or discourses, founded on the word of God, as to the Presbytery shall seem proper. The Presbytery, being fully satisfied with his qualifications for the sacred office, shall appoint a day for his ordination." Such are the ceremonies and safeguards, accompanying an investiture with the ministerial functions in the Presbyterian Church.

These various methods, enumerated and imperfectly and briefly illustrated in this Report, show that our Church has a tender, jealous, and earnest care over candidates for the sacred office.

This care must be displayed in outward action as well as in her standards; and in an action that looks to higher and higher results every year. The Church is God's witness. She speaks through her Courts to her children; and at a period of the world when organized error is collecting more powerful resources than ever against the truth, it becomes the Church to array herself with all the heavenly armour, and to appoint officers and standard-bearers for the conflict, who shall "quit themselves like men" in the day of battle. But the Church must forbear placing her dependence upon human resources, if she would obtain the victory by her armies. It ever will, and must be true, from age to age, that we must look away from the things that are seen. And to whom are we to look? To the life-giving one, Jehovah! And pleading his promise to his Son, in the might of faith we are not to cease until Jerusalem becomes a praise, and until he has given his instruments strength in his loving gaze on them. "The Lord looked on Gideon, and said, Go in this thy might."

ARTICLE XV.

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH OF JOHN M'MILLAN, D.D.*

BY THE CORRESPONDING SECRETARY OF THE BOARD OF EDUCATION.

THE portrait of the venerable Dr. M'Millan accompanies our seventh volume of "Home, School, and the Church." The life of the good old patriarch contains interesting memorials in each of these three departments. Our space being limited, we must crowd

*The materials of this Biographical Sketch are chiefly the communications originally published in the Presbyterian Advocate, in 1845, by the Rev. LEMUEL F. LEAKE, and republished by Dr. Joseph Smith in his interesting volume, entitled "OLD REDSTONE, or Historical Sketches of Western Presbyterianism."

into a narrow compass the incidents and lessons of a most valuable life.

I. Providence gave to John M'Millan a SCOTCH-IRISH PARENTAGE. The men who were driven by persecution from Scotland to Ireland, and who were subjected to many fiery trials, were foreordained to an important service in the advancement of the Redeemer's kingdom. Many of their descendants, nursed in the like precious faith and by similar adversities, sought refuge in our own country, where their usefulness to Church and State is recorded with immortal honour by history. John M'Millan was the son of an Irish emigrant, and was born in Fagg's Manor, Chester County, Pa., on the 11th of November, 1752.* The life of the future minister was to be spent among the Scotch-Irish of Western Pennsylvania, and he was born just in time to assist in moulding the character of the new country beyond the Alleghanies. Providence brings forth great men, as they are wanted, and arranges the time, place, and circumstances of their birth.

II. John M'Millan, like Samuel of old, was the CHILD OF PARENTAL VOWS. His parents, having lost an infant whose name was John, vowed to the Lord that, if he would give them another son, they would devote him to the work of the ministry. Thus our pioneer evangelist was consecrated, before his birth, to be a preacher of righteousness. His parents were especially committed to God to pray for his conversion, to use all scriptural means in training him up for his future vocation, and to keep the subject of the ministry much in their hearts and prayers. The young child was "lent to

the Lord."

III. John M'Millan was born of PARENTS IN INDIGENT CIRCUMSTANCES. Their lot was one of comparative poverty. A few acres in the backwoods was their inheritance; a bare subsistence through toil showed their rank; and their children were their jewels. God's best ministers in all generations have commonly been raised up from among the poor. This condition of life helped to make John M Millan what he was. He was born in honour; his parents were Christians.

"Tis not my boast that I deduce my birth,
From loins enthroned or nobles of the earth;
But higher far my proud pretensions rise,
The son of parents passed into the skies."

The name of M'Millan is better known to fame than that of monarchs who wielded sceptres at his birth in the log cabin at Fagg's Manor. Let no one despise a minister because he was born poor;

*The spot was pointed out to me, a few weeks since, by Dr. ALFRED HAMILTON, Pastor of the Church. It is within sight of the Ashmun Institute. The log cabin, in which the young child first saw the light, has disappeared. A house of more modern origin, stands about a hundred yards east of the residence of William and Margaret M'Millan.