German University Education; or, the Professors and Students of Germany. By WALTER C. PERRY, Phil. Dr. of the University of Göttingen. German Literature has within the last ten years wrought its way most extensively into Britain. The two great Celtic nations are shaking hands together, and recognizing their common paternity. Whether all this is for evil or good we shall not here inquire. The fact is incontestible. Hence, the strong desire among us to know more of German institutions. This work of Dr Perry will amply gratify such curiosity, in so far as University statistics are concerned. It is full of most valuable information. It is worth while gleaning a few particulars. The dates of the foundations of the Universities are as follow. The following gives us some idea of a German student. His examinations are "Greek.-Homer, Herodotus, Plato, Xenophon, Thucydides, Sophocles, and Euripides. He must also translate German into Greek without grammatical faults. "Latin.-He must not only be able to read all the most difficult Latin authors, but to write and speak Latin with fluency and correct ness. 66 History. He is also examined in Ancient History, German History, (of which he must show a thorough knowledge) and, (more superficially) in the history of the other European states. ، "Mathematics.-In Geometry he is examined as far as solids,' and in Algebra as far as the binomial theorem. "He must also be able to read French, and to write his own language correctly. He must know something of German literary history; the first principles of logic, physics, mechanics, and statistics; and must stand a thorough examination in natural history. "The matriculation of students takes place in the presence of the rector, who requires from them a promise to obey the laws, and more particularly, to abstain from joining any forbidden society, such as the landmanschaft, burschenschaft, &c. The ceremony is consummated by giving the right hand to the rector, and paying four or five dollars. "Within eight days after his matriculation, the student must an nounce himself to the dean of the faculty which he intends to join, to whom he pays a dollar. He is then at liberty to lodge where he pleases in the town, but must give notice of his place of residence to the secretary. He is bound also to attend, (or at least to pay for) one course of lectures during the half year. The more industrious of the students attend two, three, or four lectures every day, of which they take very full notes, and go over them at home, either alone or with others. This latter proceeding is called 'repetiren,' which is often done under the direction, and with the assistance of a young professor. The time devot ed to study by many of the German students is very great, especially during the last year of their college course, when they often read and write ten, twelve, and even fourteen hours in the day, for many months in succession." Pp. 101-103. We give also the Syllabus of Berlin lectures on Theology for last year, (1844). "Theology-Introduction to the Old Testament, (two courses. Origin of the Pentateuch. Prophecies of Isaiah, (two courses). "The Gospel of Saint John, (Neander). History of the Passion and Resurrection of Christ. "The Epistle to the Hebrews. "Doctrinal portions of the New Testament. "Ecclesiastical History, (five courses). "Ecclesiastical Antiquities. "On the doctrines of Christianity, (two courses). "Principles of Christian Morality. Theological Morality, (Neander). "Theological Conversatorium,' (under the direction of Neander). "Pastoral Theology. "Ecclesiastical Statistics. "Homiletic Seminary." Pp. 167, 168. Gathered Flowers from a Bible Class; being a Brief Memoir of two Young Believers. By the Rev. O. WINSLOW. Edinburgh: W. P. Kennedy. 1845. A brief but delightful memoir, particularly adapted to Sabbath scholars, or to the members of a Bible class. To those young persons also, who have no such opportunity, or who have never availed themselves of the privilege, this simple record of the peace in life and in death, of the early taught and early saved, may be greatly blessed. There is much here to encourage teachers in their labour of love, as the early growth VOL. XIX. NO. I. K and beauty of those flowers, so soon to be gathered into the paradise of God, may be traced to God's blessing on the seed sown by a praying teacher's hand. Their ardent feeling of gratitude and love toward their teacher, and attachment to their " dear Bible class," is a striking feature. "That is now the only tie which binds me to earth," was the weeping testimony of one of those young saints, when sickness prevented her attendance, and foretold her approaching removal to a world where she would be wiser than all her teachers. The concluding and introductory remarks are well fitted to win the youthful heart to Jesus; but they are from the pen of Mr Winslow, and need no farther recommendation. RELIGIOUS INTELLIGENCE. CONCERT FOR PRAYER.-We beg again to call the attention of our readers to this subject, to which we slightly adverted in our last number. In reference to it, we would first subjoin the deliverance of the General Assembly's Committee on the state of religion, to whose hands it was entrusted. "Under the authority, and by the special direction of the General Assembly of the Free Church, the Committee on the State of Religion agreed to submit the following plan for the observance of a concert for prayer. "After much deliberation and prayer, it was resolved "I. That in the circumstances of the Church, and still more of the times, it is highly becoming that steps should be taken for observing such a concert, and for inviting as many as concur in this opinion to join in the observance of it. "II. That the season of the year likely to prove most suitable, is the beginning of January. The commencement of the year ought of itself to awaken attention, and the winter affords facilities both to ministers and people, not to be enjoyed at other times. "III. That the concert for prayer should begin on the first Lord's day of that month and end on the second, that is, that it should begin on the fourth of January and end on the eleventh, each being the Lord's day. "IV. That ministers should, on the first of these days, direct the attention of their congregations to the subject, offering such instructions, and making such arrangements as may appear advisable: that on some part of each day during the week, the people of God should be expected, either congregationally or otherwise, to engage in devotional exercises; and that the glory of the Redeemer, especially in a more abundant outpouring of His Spirit on the churches, should occupy much of their attention and prayers at all convenient seasons during the week; and that on the second Lord's day, ministers should improve the occasion, by offering such directions as are likely to carry forward their people, in whatever concerns the advancement of the cause and kingdom of Christ. "V. That to render the whole of these arrangements perfectly intelligible, and to aid in the right observance of the duty, an address should be prepared, and put into general circulation. "D. MACFARLAN, Convener." We subjoin the address circulated by the Committee under the title of THE CALL TO PRAYER :— "Are we satisfied that Jesus has rent the veil that kept us as sinners from entering the holiest? Then let us go in. "Are we satisfied that Jesus has provided a mercy-seat, and, by sprinkling it with His own blood, made it a safe and fit meeting-place between us and God? Then let us draw near; let us draw near with a true heart, in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.' 'Let us come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.' "Is the vessel full that contains the needed supply? And is that supply as free as it is various and suitable? Then, with all our manifold wants, and with all our emptiness and infirmity; with all our complaints and petitions; with all our sorrows and sins; with all our cares and burdens, let us come up to the fountain and dip in our vessels. With joy let us draw water out of the wells of salvation.' Then, not only shall we ourselves be refreshed by the water springing up into everlasting life,' but out of us shall flow rivers of living water' upon others. "Is the promise sure to them who thus draw near? Is it written, Ask and ye shall receive, seek and ye shall find, knock and it shall be opened unto you'? Is it written,Call unto me, and I will answer thee and shew thee great and mighty things which thou knowest not'? And are not these promises commands as well as invitations? Then what is there awanting to induce us to come? How can we remain away? Why do we stand afar off? "Does the Holy Spirit help our infirmities, seeing we know not what we should pray for as we ought? Does he make intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered? Does He open our closed lips, enlarge our straitened hearts, and unloose our stammering tongues? Then, what excuse can we have for remaining away, or for giving way to unbelief, and saying, it is vain for us to attempt such pleadings? We are commanded to 'pray in the Holy Ghost;' and that expression is not merely an intimation of the awful solemnity of that which God calls prayer, but also a declaration of that wherein the secret of our great strength lieth. "The dwelling-place of the saint is the presence of God. It is to this sanctuary that he is brought in believing, and it is in this that he remains, to go out no more. For the Church's home is the house of her God. There she abides. There each saint exercises the spiritual priesthood to which he now belongs. His life is to be one of priestly service in all things. To this he has been called. And it is this that makes the believer's life such a solemn thing. It is not merely the life of one forgiven and saved, but the life of one who wears the priestly garments, who ministers at the altar, and stands in the presence of Jehovah. Each believer is a priest unto God, and, being such, his whole life is to have reference to this. In nothing, either in word or deed, ought a saint to forget the solemn nature of his office. As one of God's priests, he is brought near unto God; and being brought near, his privilege is that of communion with the Holy One of Israel-unbroken fellowship with Jehovah in his sanctuary and at his mercy-seat. Such is the privilege even of the poorest and feeblest saint. He is one that has been brought near, through the blood of sprinkling, to dwell with God, to serve him day and night in his temple, to speak with him face to face, and to commune with him in peace, and love, and joy, as did Abraham, as did Moses, as did Daniel. "Keeping this in mind, we shall better understand the true nature of prayer. It is just one of the ways in which the believer exercises his priestly office. Prayer is the incense coming up out of his golden censer and compassing the mercy-seat and the glory with its clouds of grateful fragrance. It is the utterance of a soul that has come in within the veil, and is living on terms of loving yet holy intimacy with the Lord his God, dwelling in the sanctuary of Jehovah as in his father's house, his true and proper home. 66 Prayer, then, must be confidential, for it is the utterance of one who has been brought nigh to God, and taught to feel at home with him even in his holy habitation, yea, most at home with him there. It is the blood sprinkled upon the mercyseat and round the walls of the sanctuary that gives him this blessed feeling of security and confidence; and so long as that blood is there, he sees that there is no room for distrust and unbelief. That blood which was sufficient to secure his entrance is enough to keep him there in safety and in joy; nay, to fill his soul with the most entire and undoubting confidence. His utterances are the confidential utterances of a child. His whole intercourse with God is that of one who has learned to convey every thing straight to God, to consult with God about every thing, to tell his whole mind, and to pour out his whole heart before him, not only as one who man. can trust every thing to paternal love, but as one who feels that the things he prays for are more God's concern than his own. It was thus that Luther prayed, when, on the morning of the 17th of April 1521, he was called to appear before the princes and potentates of earth. O God, O God, O thou my God, help me against all the wisdom of this world. Do this, I beseech thee,-thou shouldst do this-by thine own mighty power.-The work is not mine, but thine.-I have no business here.I have nothing to contend for with these great men of the world. I would gladly pass my days in happiness and peace. But the cause is thine; and it is righteous and everlasting-O Lord, help me. O faithful and unchangeable God. I lean not on It were vain. My God, my God, dost thou not hear? My God, art thou no longer living? Nay, thou canst not die. Thou hast chosen me for this work. I know it-therefore, O God, accomplish thine own will.' Is not this the confidence of prayer? Is not this the language of one who, in the happy liberty of the Spirit of adoption, could unbosom himself wholly to God? Even so should our prayers ever be,-minute, unreserved, child-like, confidential in all things, whether pertaining to ourselves or others. Without faith it is impossible to please God, for he that cometh to him must believe that he is, and that he is the rewarder of them that diligently seek him.' (Heb. xi. 6.) Therefore I say unto you, what things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.' (Mark xi. 24.) "But prayer must be reverential too. It is priestly service, and all that pertains to such holy service must be most reverentially performed. There is no room for levity, or indifference, or frivolity. All is solemn,-infinitely solemn. Blessed, yet solemn. Confidential, yet solemn. Loving, yet solemn. The place is holy, the Being is holy, the service is holy, the things sought for are holy. God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the saints, and to be had in reverence of all them that are about him.' (Psalm lxxxix. 7.) 6 "But prayer must be importunate too. It is not merely the expression of a wish, but it is the fixing of the heart upon a thing. I will not let thee go except thou bless me.' Prayer is the utterance of a man in deepest earnest. The thing sought for is beyond his reach and power, and this makes him in earnest, for he feels that he cannot do without it. It is in the power of another who has promised to give it for the asking; and this makes him in earnest. It is a thing of too much importance to be delayed or postponed, and this makes him in earnest. He sets his whole soul upon it, and he pours out the fulness of his soul before God. It was thus that Moses pleaded,' Show me, I beseech thee, thy glory.' It was thus that Abraham interceded for the cities of the plain. It was thus that Daniel interceded for Jerusalem. It was thus that Elijah pleaded on Mount Carmel, casting himself down seven times in supplication before the Lord. It is thus that we ought always to pray, and not to faint. To beseech, to intreat, to cry aloud, to wrestle, to make supplication, these are some of the expressions used in Scripture, which shew the earnestness and importunity implied in prayer. Doubtless, mere earnestness is nothing, unless it be believing earnestness. For sometimes earnestness is really the utterance of our unbelief. Sometimes we are earnest, because we think God is unwilling to hear, and we would fain win him over, or force him by our earnestness to give us what we seek. This unbelieving earnestness is displeasing to God. It is in fact just the earnestness of the priests of Baal on Carmel, when they cried all day long, and cut themselves with knives, to induce their deaf gods to hear them. But the true earnestness is that of faith, not of unbelief; earnestness which derives its intensity not from the idea that God is unwilling to hear and to bless, but from the very opposite feeling; kindling into more fervent importunity, by keeping ever in view God's willingness to answer, his desire and delight to bless. "But prayer must be unwearied. It is a continual service that we are called to. It is a continual burnt-offering that is to be laid upon the altar, and continual incense that is to ascend up from our censers. Both because of the very nature of the service, and because of the blessings to be obtained, there must be a holding on, a persevering, a continuing instant in prayer, a prayer without ceasing. Luther prayed never less than three hours a-day; John Welsh eight. Many another saint |