as

the membership of the Free Church as it existed in 1900. Further, he believed that all pre-Disruption ministers, probationers, students, and SO far known, elders, who were members of the Free Church in 1843, and survived till 1900, entered the Union. In conclusion, he commented on the fact that there was no difference between the Free Church prior to the Union. The United Free Church to-day and the Church to-day was dependent on the same resources, and had the same objects in view as it had at the time of the Union.

Mr. Cotton, C.A., Edinburgh, one of the auditors of the United Free Church, who was examined minutely with reference to the funds of the Free Church as at 31st December, 1900. The total amount of the balances at that date was £1,214,902, of which £1,072,987 was held by the General Trustees, and £141,915 by other parties. Despite the establishment principle, whatever that might mean, all these funds were freewill offerings. They had been raised as voluntary contributions.

THE SAINTED R. M. McCHEYNE.

There is a beautiful story which has been told by a visitor to the home of the sainted McCheyne. Led by the old sexton into the study where McCheyne's books were still on the table, the stranger was taken to a chair in which McCheyne had worked, and was told to sit down, and when the visitor sat down the sexton said: "Now put your elbows down on the table," and he put his elbows down. "And now," he said, "put your face in your hands," and he put his face in his hands. "And now," he said, "lets the tears fall. That is the way my pastor used to do." He next took him into the old church of Dundee, and stood him up in the pulpit where McCheyne had preached, and he said: "Put your elbows down on the Bible," and he put his elbows down on the Bible. "Now," he said, "put your face in your hands," and he put his face in his hands." Now," he said, "let the tears fall. the way my pastor used to do."

That was

GREAT PRESBYTERIAN UNION. European and American Churches in India United.

A very important series of meetings. of the Presbyterian Alliance of India, presided over by Principal Mackichan, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Bombay, have just been held at Allahabad. Their object was to consummate, if possible, a union of the various Presbyterian Churches in India into one Church, with Presbyteries, Synods, and a General Assembly, and that has been largely accomplished. Home readers are perhaps not aware that in all eleven different bodies of Presbyterians are to be found in India, working for the evangelization of its people. These bodies are scattered over the five provinces, and carry on a large amount of work. They have 33 Presbyteries and 332 churches, with 22,167 communicants, 39,049 adherents, and a total Christian community of 73,983. Delegates from most of these asembled on the 15th December, to the number of forty-eight, with a view to forming at General Assembly. A A Confession of Faith, constitution, and canons, which had been prepared at previous meetings of the Alliance and submitted for approval to the home churches and Indian Presbyteries, were considered in detail, and adopted with a few modification, and thereafter a Provisional General Assembly was formed.

The Churches entering the union are seven in number, and it may be of interest to name them here:

(1) The Church of Scotland.
(2) The United Free Church of Scot-

"In some places the public-houses are almost deserted, the police magistrates find their work materially reduced, and colliery managers are surprised at the steadier work and the absence of the accustomed blasphemies from the pit galleries. In not a few cases footballmatches, which in Wales not less than in many regions of England have been tainted by gambling and brutality, have been abandoned because the members of the teams were ashamed of their 'former conversation.' Prayer-meetings have been held at the bottom of mine-shafts, and open-air services on the deserted

say) that he would be instrumental in saving 100,000 souls. Referring to a scene at which two men had asked to have it shown that there was a God, he said he had never seen anything like the travail of Evan Roberts nor such agonising souls. If anybody did that in London God would give them the victory. In all his life he had never heard anything like the sound of 600 men and women praying out loud and weeping and breaking their hearts for sinners as at that meeting. It seemed like the wind. of eternity, and he felt as though he was standing on the border-line of eternity.

He had never heard anything like that praying of a young girl, whose face was lightened as he had never seen faces He had never heard anything like the lightened before. It was indescribable." HOW ROBERTS WAS INSPIRED.

Mr. Evan Roberts, the originator and leader of the remarkable evangelical revival in Wales, tells this strange story of how "the Spirit fell upon him.'

"You have heard," said Mr. Roberts to the minister of Loughor, "how for thirteen years I had prayed for the Spirit; and this is the way I was led to pray. William Davies, the deacon, said one night in the Society, 'Remember to be faithful. What if the Spirit descended, and you were absent? Remember Thomas, and what a loss he had.' I said then to myself, 'I will have the Spirit.' "One Friday night last spring when praying by my bedside before retiring I was taken up to a great expanse without time and space. It was communion

with God. I was frightened that night but never since. So great was my shivering that I rocked the bed, and my brother, being awakened, took hold of me, thinking I was ill."

Then Mr. Roberts tells how he went to school at Newcastle Emlyn, and one morning, with others, held a prayer meeting at Blaenanerch.

"As one and the other prayed I put the question to the Spirit, 'Shall I pray now?' 'Wait a while,' was the reply. When others prayed I felt a living force come into my bosom. It held my breath and my legs shivered, and after every prayer I asked, 'Shall I now?' I fell on my knees with my arms over the seat in front of me, and the tears and perspiration flowed freely. I thought blood was gushing forth. A lady came to wipe my face. For about two minutes it was fearful. I cried, 'Bend ine. Bend me!'

"After I was bent a wave of peace came over me, and the audience sang 'I Hear Thy Welcome Voice,' and as they sang I thought of the bending at the Judgment Day, and I was filled with compassion for those who would be bent on that day, and I wept. Henceforth the salvation of souls became the burden of my heart."

Leith Ministers' Experiences.

Such

Having the previous Sunday been in Wales attending services and making other personal inquiries regarding the Welsh revival, two Leith ministers, the Rev. A. M. Sutherland, who accompanied Mr. Coutts on his visit to Wales, preached in the Elder Memorial United Free Church in the evening. He was, he said, very much impressed. by the spontaneousness of the meetings. The people en masse were the choir, and the people en masse were the leaders of prayer, and there seemed to be no necessity for a preacher. thrilling music, for passionateness and fervor, one could never expect to hear again on this side of the grave. A striking thing about the meetings was that they were so largely composed of young men and young women. It would not do often to see a vast audience moved in such a way; one could hardly stand the strain. Speaking of Evan Roberts's method of conducting the meetings, Mr. Sutherland said he did not speak in any theatrical way to produce the wonderful tornadoes of emotion. Not a word that fell from his lips was sensational; everything he said was thoroughly sound, and sane, and sensible. He never denounced drunkennes or anything else, he seemed to rely on the "expulsive power of a new affection." He (Mr. Sutherland) had no hesitation in saying that the re-vival far exceeded anything the papers said about it. The human element seemed to be in the back ground; it seemed as if the Spirit of God had said: "Hands off, and I will show you My power."

SUMMER TENT AND OPEN-AIR.

WORK FOR NEW YORK CITY.

JUNE-SEPTEMBER, 1905.

First. That ten or more tents be established throughout the city in districts of homes or clusters of homes where lots can be secured the tents to tarry not less than three or four weeks and all the season if the interest warrants. The tent to be thoroughly equipped in every way.

In foreign sections of the city, where lots can be secured, that a tent also be used and the preaching be in a foreign language.

Second. In the more congested sections, where no lots sufficiently large for a tent can be secured, or where it may not be best to begin work by the establishment of a tent, a stereopticon will be used in the open air, with speaker and good music provided.

Third. On Sunday nights, in addition to the work caried on in the tents or in the open air, that an attempt be made to have one or two of the theatres open, in which preaching services may be conducted; if possible, the running of some halls during the Sunday nights.

Fourth. That in all tents established, children's meetings may be conducted in the afternoon or early evening.

The Bible Teachers Training School, 541 Lexington Avenue, will provide headquarters for the work.

The Evangelistic Committee of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church of the United States of America, has agreed to assist in organizing the work, and has made it possible to secure the services of Rev. J. B. Ely, of Philadelphia, for part of his time until the first of May.

No collection will be taken in the tent meetings. The committee will depend upon the individual pledges and subscription from individual churches and organizations. For the running of ten or twelve tents a budget of from twentyfive to thirty thousand dollars will be required.

The number of tents and extent of the work will depend upon the response of Christian people between now and the first of May.

Subscription for tent and open-air work, in New York City and vicinity, for the Summer may be sent to the office, 541 Lexington Avenue, or to Harvey C. Olin, Treasurer, 156 Fifth Avenue, New York City.

A strong Committee of Ministers and laymen, representing the Presbyterian, Reformed, Baptist, Methodist and others, have the matter in charge. We heartily We heartily endorse the movement and suggest that

every Christian, regardless of creed, should aid this grand enterprise of preaching the Gospel to the non-churchgoing people in our city.

The Simple Story of a Scottish Hero.

The Birkenhead, a celebrated troopship, left Britain with soldiers for the East at the beginning of the year 1852. Off the coast of Africa she struck a hidden rock and immediately began to sink. It was impossible to rescue even a tithe of the women and children on board by means of the boats, let alone the soldiers and crew, and they all knew it. As the boats were about to leave the doomed ship, the captain of the Birkenhead ordered a boy officer of the 74th Highlanders, named Alexander Cumine Russell, who was in one of them, to command it till it should reach land, if necessary. He was but seventeen, this youthful Scottish Highlander of the gallant 74th; he had only just previously left Glenalmond School, Perthshire. The boat was crowded so full that there was not room for a single soul more. As it was, she floated deep in the water owing to her weight. Then, as the Birkenhead sank in the swirl, there came a terrible sight, and those on the boat closed their eyes to shut it out. But a despairing cry aroused them, and they saw the appealing eyes of a drowning sailor as he put out his hand to grasp the side of their boat. In vain! Their hearts bled for him; his beseeching look cut them to the quick. But what could they do? To take him in meant certain sinking of the craft. Some one gently pushed that grasping hand away. Then a woman's shriek rang on the air. It was a mother in the boat, who held a child huddled to her, and wept bitterly. "Oh, save him! Save him!" she cried in agony. "Save him! It is my husband!" Alexander Cumine Russell glanced round. Then he rose slowly, and, with the simple words, "God bless you all!" he sprang into the raging sea, helped the drowning man into what had been his own place and safety, turned from the boat, and was seen no more.-Scottish Patriot.