Satan hath bound, lo! these 18 years?" To this County Society there is already one auxiliary, the like of which we hope soon to see planted in every township of the County. The whole accession of Temperance professors since my last, is 145, embracing much of the respectability and influence of the vicinity. BORDER DARKNESS AND CRIMES. A Missionary of our Board who has been stationed for a considerable time, in the frontier settlements of the South West, bordering upon the Indian country, in a recent communication, gives the following appalling description of the State of Society around him. "I have sometimes thought it my duty to myself and to the Society to speak more fully and more particularly respect ing the people amidst whom I dwell. Christianity blushes that I should record the scenes transacted here for the world to know. Heathens might stand and wonder that men with the Bible in their hands and in the light of gospel truth, should so trample on the ordinances and institutions of the Gospel and humanity mourns for the depravity of heart daily manifest in the degradation of human power. I speak advisedly, the Sabbath is made a day of business and recreation, by the majority;-professing christians are not at all scrupulous about making it a day of journeying. The name of the Lord is most profaned on the most trifling occasions. Children are gathered at the corners of the streets, and taught to utter the most horrid oaths and imprecations. The Father, while dandling the prattler on his knee, instructs his little child to say the "Swearers Prayer," perhaps the mother is the object of the infantile cursing for some trifling chastisement. While the little ones are taught to utter words they do not understand, great care is taken to inflame the tender heart with the spirit of the Prince of darkness. Here perhaps we may account for the reason why these children find use for such language only when they are angry. Drunkenness is unblushing; and lewdness is not ashamed to walk abroad, unveiled in day-light. The anti-republican practice of treating with "ardent spirits" for electioneering purposes prevails here not only in this county, but others, to an alarming extent. ful trifling with the solemn worship and sacred ordinances of God's house are practised. I might here descend to particulars, but perhaps not with propriety. When I have said this, and declare it to be in my opinion the characteristic of the majority of the population in this region, I have said no more than may perhaps be said of a few dark corners of Christendom, (though I have never seen them,) but more than this may be said of us in truth, for ignorance is so universal, the degradation of manners and morals is so great, that there seems to be no foundation for forming good society, or a decidedly pious tone of feeling. There are some reasons why soci ety should be of the lowest order here. There are some very honourable exceptions to the character here given, but, as it respects the majority, in my opinion this must stand. I pray not that the Lord ||would take us out of the world, but that he would work a mighty work of grace I relate these things to you, sir, for us. not from any ill will to iny neighboursnor because I believe that the truth of God and the ordinances of the gospel are to be used without producing their effect-nor to persuade you that they are entirely without effect here; but that you in your extended and extending plans of bringing glory to God and happiness to man, may not act unadvisedly toward us; and that I as a servant of the Lord Jesus Christ, measurably at your disposal, may receive your friendly aid and counsel. * Commendable zeal for the Truth. "Many persons in this región are alarmed at the idea of corruption in the Presbyterian Church, a few have attached themselves to other Calvinistic bodies. Our ministers must adhere to the doctrines of our church or many of their people will forsake them; they cannot all be induced to renounce our Form of sound words and doctrines of the Bibles, and lead into every scheme of accommodation between truth and error, or speculations of what is falsely called philosophy." APPOINTMENTS From September 20th to November 1st. Agreeably to an intimation given in the last Reporter, we now have the pleasure of presenting an unusually large number of new Missionary appointments. It will be perceived from the following list, that the Bacchanalian revels are not uncommon, in which not only drunkenness and debauchery, but sometimes the most fear-twenty-four Missionaries appointed, are to It be located in twelve different states and ter- We Rev. S. H. Morrison for one year, to Rus-' sellville and Bethel Green, Alabama. Rev. Isaac Chase for one year, in the vi cinity of Washington, North Carolina, under the direction of Rev. James Weatherby. Rev. W. K. Stewart for one year, Missionary Agent for the State of Illinois. Rev. Thomas Smith for one year, to Tallahassee, Florida. Mr. A. O. B. Ogden for one year, to the Valley of Kenhawa, Virginia. Mr. Alex. Ewing for one year, to Carmi and Sharon, Illinois. Mr. J. P. Hudson for one year, to the Rev. Alex. Heberton for one year, to Mr. James Wycoff for one year, to the first and second churches of Stillwater and vicinity, New Jersey. Mr. James Anderson for four months, to the Presbytery of Hartford. Mr. Rezeau Brown for one year, to Morgantown and vicinity, Virginia, Mr. Wm. J. Gibson for one year to Morris ville, vicinity of Philadelphia. RE-APPOINTMENTS. Rev. John C. Campbell for one year, to Mr. John M. Harris for six months, to the New Hope, Vigo county, Indiana, and New city of New Orleans, Louisiana, Rev. M'Knight Williamson for one year, to Papertown and Dickinson, Pa. Mr. John Patten for three months, to Oxford and West Nottingham, Pa. Mr. Joseph Mahon for six months, to the western part of Perry county, and vicinity, Pa. Mr. Robert Davidson for one year, to Indiana, under the direction of the Corresponding Executive Committee of Crawfordsville Presbytery. Mr. Robert H. Lilly for one year, under the Corresponding Executive Committee at • Cincinnati or Louisville. Mr. S. S. McRoberts for one year to Vicksburg, Mississippi, or Plains East Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Mr. J. D. Matthews for one year, to St. Mary's, Georgia. Rev. A. M'Cready for one year, to Middle Brook, Union, and Beaver Dam, Pennsylvania. Providence, Edgar county, Illinois. Rev. P. Chamberlain for one year, to the Presbytery of Erie. Rev. E. Hart for one year, to Springfield and Elk Creek, Pa. Rev. A. Leonard for one year, to Truro and Lithopolis, Ohio. Rev. J. L. Edgarton, for one year to Constable, Franklin county, New York. Rev. Isaac Reed for one year, to Bedford, Lawrence co., Oak Ridge, Jackson co., and Richland Creek settlement, Indiana. Rev. W. Brobston for one year, to Elizabethtown, Brown Marsh, South River, and Big Swamp, North Carolina. Rev. Alvan Coe for four months, in Michigan and North Western Territories, among the Chippewa Indians. Rev. R. H. Chapman, D. D., for one year, to Tipton county, Tenn. Rev. Joseph Myers for one year, to Brockport, New York. Mr. J.J. Rice for one year, to Dutch Neck, Mr. Robert Glenn for one year, to Sandy New Jersey. Lake and vicinity, Pa. Rev. A. Aten for one year, to New Jer Rev. W. R. Smith for one year, to the sey and Winchester, Preble county, and Valley of the Mississippi. Jacksonburg, Butler county, Ohio. Rev. T. E. Hughes for six months, to Dunlapsville and vicinity, Indiana. Rev. David Monfort, for one year to Franklin and vicinity, Johnson county, Indiana. Mr. J. A. Mitchell for two months, to the Presbytery of Harmony, South Carolina. LETTERS RECEIVED From September 20th to October 25th. J. B. Morrow, O., A.B. Quay, Pa., J. S. Ball, A. M'Iver, N. C., W. C. Anderson. Pa, S. Montgomery, Va., J. Ayers, Pa., T. Root, Ala., O. E. Snowden, Florida, A. Steele, Geo. 2, R. H. Lilly, N. J., A. Leonard, O., Elders, Constable, N. Y., J. Smith, Pa., I. Chase, N.Y.2, W. Ellison, O., J. W. Robin son, Geo., R. H. Hill, Ky., G. W. Hampson, Pa., I. N. Candee, N. J. 2, N. Murray, Pa., W. Brobston, N. C., J. Wilson, N. Y., Reed, la. 2, A. O. Patterson, Pa. 2, A. Coe and W. Andrews, O., A. N. M'Fall, S. C., R. Brown, N. J. 3, C. Cist, O., J. Alexander, Tenn., Z. Baird, S. C., G. W. Ashbridge, Ky., T. Barr, O. 2, W. R. Smith, Pa., J. S. Irvin, O., W. J. Frazier, Ill., J. Eaton and P. Chamberlain, Pa., A. Hamilton, Pa., J. Andrews, Pa., A. O. B. Ogden, N. J. 2, J. J. Rice, N. J., N. L. Rice, N. J., E. H. Shiloh, Indiana; Bloomington, Indiana; Walker, N. Y., A. M’Keehan, Pa., H. Ha-||St. Marks, Alabama; New Providence, Alamill, N. Y., C. Stewart, O., G. G. Sill, N. Y.,bama; First Church, Northern Liberties, E. W. Conklin, N. Y., Elders, Middletown, Pittsburg, Penn.; Craggy Hope, Tenn.; AlVa., B.F. Spilman, Ill., N. W. Calhoun, Va.,||exander's Creek, Tenn. Total 475. NEW AUXILIARIES. Account of Cash received by the Board of Missions of the General Assembly of 10 00 2.00 Bellefonte, Pa. congregation, per Jas. Lent, Brockport, Monroe co. N. Y. aux. soc. per Rev Jos. Myers, Newcombe, Ohio, collection per Rev. Chs. Stewart, 4 75 Leacock, Pa. aux. soc. per Rev. Jos. Barr, Qak Ridge Church, Ind, collection per Rev. I. Reed, Philadelphia, Robert Ralston, Esq. his subscription for 1831, Alexander Henry, Esq. John Stille, Esq. do. do. do. do. Solomon Allen, Esq. for the Valley of Mississippi, Pembroke, N. Y donation from Rev. Lot B. Sullivan, Philadelphus Church, N. C. collection per D. M'Neill, Silver Spring Cong. monthly concert collection, per Mr. Williamson, Three Springs, Huntingdon co. Pa. donation from Rev. Alex. M'Keehan, SOLOMON ALLEN, Treasurer, No. 34, South Third Street, Philadelphia. THE CHRISTIAN ADVOCATE. DECEMBER, 1831. Keligious Communications. LECTURES ON THE SHORTER CATECHISM OF THE WESTMINSTER ASSEMBLY OF DIVINES-ADDRESSED TO YOUTH. LECTURE LXII. IV. There is a justifying faith, or a faith which, in the answer of the Catechism now under consideration, is called a saving grace. In treating of this grace, I shall endeavour to bring the several clauses of the answer before us under the four following particulars 1. The object of saving faithJesus Christ, as he is offered in the gospel. 2. The author of faith-God in Christ, working by his Spirit a saving grace in the human soul. 3. The nature and acts of faith -receiving and resting on Christ alone for salvation. 4. Some of the consequences, fruits, or effects of saving faith. We are first to consider the object of saving faith, which, although mentioned last in the short definition of the catechism, must manifestly take precedence of every thing else, in an orderly view of this important subject. Faith, it is plain, must always imply an object; that is, something to be believed; and this object, it is equally clear, must be distinctly apprehended, in order to a rational and unwavering faith or belief. The whole revealed will of God, so far as it is known and understood, is the general object of that faith which is unto salvation. God speaks in his word, as recorded in the Bible; and he who understandingly disbelieves any word that God has spoken, is chargeable with the awful sin of making him a liar, and certainly can have no faith that is saving. It is not, however, essential to salvation, however desirable in itself, that the whole of revealed truth, as it is now contained in the Bible, should be known and believed. The people of God at first had no written revelation; and for a series of ages they had but a small part of what we now possess. Even at the present time, the heathen, to whom the gospel is carried by the missionaries, and many of whom appear to receive its saving benefit, have, at first, nothing but oral teaching; and for a considerable time after being taught to read, they have only a few detached parts of the sacred volume. Nor is it, we believe, fatal to salvation, when, through mistake or imperfect information, some apparently good and honest men do not receive as canonical scripture, a portion of that which is really so. Luther, at least for a time, was disposed to exclude the epistle of James from the sacred canon; and till that canon was finally established on good evidence, several books of the New Testament were not received, by some of the primitive churches. 4 K But when men possess, or may easily obtain, clear evidence that any portion of the Bible is the revealed word of God, and yet perseveringly reject, or grossly pervert, its plain sense and meaning, we believe this is really inconsistent with the possession of saving faith. But there is a special object of saving faith, which may be summarily expressed by saying, it is Christ in the gospel offer. It is to this that the answer before us particularly refers, by calling it "faith in Jesus Christ." But here we must take into view the true character, work, and offices, of our adorable Redeemer; and what is required of the sinner, in order fully to avail himself of the benefits of the great redemption, set before him and offered to him in the gospel. The special object of saving faith then, may be briefly stated thus-That Christ is God, the second person in the sacred Trinity that he is "Immanuel, God with us;" having been, as to his human nature, "conceived by the power of the Holy Ghost, in the womb of the virgin Mary, and born of her, yet without sin:" that he is thus "God and man, in two distinct natures and one person forever:" that he appeared in the world, to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself: that he fully accomplished the purpose of his mission, by "becoming obedient unto death, even the death of the cross," ," -restoring the honours of God's law, which the sins of men had violated and dishonoured, by rendering a sinless obedience to it; and by fully answering the penalty of that law, by bearing its curse in the sufferings of his whole life, and especially in the inconceivable agonies which he endured in what has been emphatically called his passion, and which was consummated by his death on the cross that he was entombed and remained under the power of death for a time; then rose from the dead, and after remaining on earth for forty days, and frequently conversing with, instructing, and finally commissioning his disciples to preach the gospel to every creature, he, in their presence, ascended triumphantly into heaven, where he is made head over all things to his church-sustaining the Mediatorial office between God and man, and being the great prophet, priest, and king of all his elect people, and the appointed final judge of the quick and the dead.-Such is the object of saving faith, in relation to the person, work, and offices of Christ. But certain essential doctrines, or fundamental truths of the gospel, are also the objects of this faith. These, indeed, partly consist of the points just stated, and the viewing of them as verities delivered to us by the word and authority of God, and to be received distinctly because they are thus vouched and sanctioned. There are, however, some other fundamental truths, always connected with these, which it may be proper very briefly and summarily to specify-such as the violation, by the primitive father of the human family, of the first covenant made with him by his Creator, by which he entirely lost the moral image of his Maker, became wholly corrupt and sinful in his nature, and transmitted the same to all his posterity-so that without exception his descendants are conceived in sin and shapen in iniquity, and on account of this entire native depravity are declared, by the unerring oracles of God, to be "by nature children of wrath." That hence it becomes indispensably necessary that every child of Adam should "be born again"-be regenerated by the power of the Holy Ghost; be brought to that unfeigned repentance for sin which needeth not to be repented of; to the exercise of that faith which sees in Christ Jesus "the Lamb of God who taketh away the sins of the world," by assuming the sinner's place as his surety, and in his behalf satisfying divine justice, both in its precep |