tolic times---that they would speedily revolutionize the world. But, alas, in the best churches, tradition on the one hand, and the love of · novelty on the other, have entangled them with many corruptions! MACEDON.

TO THE EDITOR:

For the Evangelical Guardian,

Rev. and Dear Sir:---As the time for the next meeting of Gen. Synod will soon arrive, I have thought a short notice of some impor tant places, which have not hitherto received any attention from our Synod, might be useful. And the first place to which I would cal! the attention of the brethren who are to compose the next Gen. Synod, is the city of Chicago, Illinois.

Chicago, which was formerly the site of an American Fort, was laid out for a city in 1831. In 1834 it commenced growing in population, and in commercial importance rapidly, and it has since continned its growth not only steadily but with increased rapidity. Its present population is about 11,000 The city covers an area of near two miles square. There were more than 500 dwelling houses built during the year 1844. The condition of schools, and educational facilities of the city indicate that the population of the place intend to be intelligent and enterprising. There are four common schools in which there are 1000 scholars. There are also a Female Seminary, and a High School for boys, both going on prosperously. The Roman Catholics have a College located there; but it is doing very little if any thing. The Rush Medical College, which completes the complement of their institutions, is in a flourishing condition.

The following table will exhibit the religious condition of the city. There are,

Two Presbyterian churches with

800 hearers and 400 Com.

Two Baptist churches

One Methodist Episcopal

One Protestant Episcopal

One German Evang. Association

Two Roman Catholic chapels

One Unitarian church

This table is taken from the City Register made out more than a year since. The churches have generally received considerable accession during the past year, except the Unitarian. That church was "to let" the last time I was in the city.

It will be seen by the above table that not quite one half of the inhabitants attend on their spiritual affairs in all the churches. Among those who absent themselves from the house of worship is to be found a large number of Scotchmen, who on arriving in the place, could find nothing resembling the worship of their fathers; and consequently nothing to engage their minds, and hence they gradually became indifferent to the whole matter of religion.

In regard then to the prospects of the Associate Reformed Church in that place I could find no member there. But the materials are there for building up a large church in a very short space of time, if properly managed. In addition to the Scotch people who do not attend any church, there are a good many families who are at present connected with the Presbyterian churches, who would join us as soon as they saw a prospect of a church being permanent.

Having none of our members there with whom to begin, the only possible way of succeeding will be to send a minister there who 18 efficient and prudent, and withal of popular address, with the means to rent a church, hire board, live and act independent---asking no favors of any man. If the Synod can and will pursue this course they will soon have a large and useful church in the city of Chicago. Any other course will almost certainly prove a failure. And viewing this place as it truly is the great commercial mart of the Northwest, there cannot certainly be a more important missionary station in our home missionary field. If the place is not occupied immediate, ly it will fall into the hands of others, and we will be excluded.

Wilmington Ill. is another place where the A. R. Church has a fair opportunity for usefulness. I have made arrangements to preach the one-third of my time there, until the meeting of Gen. Synod. And I purpose, God willing, to organize a church there in the spring. How many members there will be, I cannot yet tell, but I think there will be twenty and perhaps more. There are a number of Scotch families who are not at present professors of religion but they feel a deep interest in the success of our church, and they will support liberally, so that connected with our cause there, we will have some twenty families of warm-hearted and generous people. They give me a liberal compensation for the part of my services which they receive; and if Synod will send them a minister who will devote him

self to their spiritual interests, I feel safe in saying the appointment will cost the Synod nothing. They want-- they need a pastor and should have one immediately.

Wilmington is destined to be a place of some inportance.

There

are two large flouring mills and two woolen factories there in successful operation. The water power is great, and the country around very fertile.

I had intended in this communication to notice our prospects in the city of Detroit, Michigan, where the Scotch folks have banded together and built themselves a commodious meeting-house and are now waiting until we or some other church of the Scotch family send them a minister, but when I cast my eye over our numerous vacancies, now in a famishing condition my hairt faints, and I feel discouraged.

Will you indutge me, Mr. Editor, in a few remarks concerning the affairs of the Presbytery of Michigan? Our missionary field is large and our vacancies and stations numerous. The last Gen. Synod was able to give us about one half the aid we need to build up our cause, and how has that half of our needed service been performed. Thro' the failure of the missionaries the churches in Michigan will not receive one half of the labor appointed to them. Thus our supply to Michigan is cut down to one-fourth of our real wants. On the Wabash things are about as bad. The Synod after mature deliberation made suitable appointments to our vacancies on the Wabash. But in one case the missionary himself, and in another a Presbytery, reckless of the authority of the Gen. Synod, and of the rights and interests of our vacancies withdraw from us the appointments of Gen. Synod, and on their own authority make appointments for the Presbytery of Michigan. Is this Presbyterial? Has Gen. Synod any authority? May individuals or distant Presbyteries alter synodical arrangements, and force any person they may wish on a Presbytery, or on vacancies?

The Presbytery of Michigan appointed two delegates to the Gen. Synod, and those delegates procured as far as they could such persons as would be suitable to the respective vacancies. Those are withholden and others are sent. Now who are to judge whether the persons sent as substitutes to Camden and Lafayette were of such talent and character as would, meet the circumstances of those places? None but the irresponsibie body, or person who may see fit to assume the duties and responsibilities of the Michigan Presbytery

The young men may be useful. But our Presbytery has not been consulted, and therefore our spiritual care of our flocks is entirely frustrated and destroyed. We do feel that our sister Presbytery has trespassed on our rights and feelings, and whether they can enjoy the smiles of the church's head in doing so is not for us to say.

If the Gen. Synod has any authority I hope that authority will be exercised. If Synod has no authority then we will know what confidence to place in her appointments hereafter.

Hebron, Porter Co. Ia.

WILSON BLAIN.

For the Evangelical Guardian.

THE JUBILEE.

This word is onomatopoetic, and is derived from the Heb. (Yebel) literally a cry of joy, and then transferred to the sound or clangor of trumpets. It was to be celebrated after seven times seven years, even every fiftieth year, by an express command of God from Sinai, Lev. 25th, to which chapter the reader is particularly referred. The jubilee commenced on the 10th day of 'the 7th month, Tisri, or September according to the Julian period, the same day of the great annual atonement, Lev. 23: 27. The favorable circumstances of the occasion, and the gracious benefits impartially distributed to all, in various conditions, could not fail to make this a time of great joy to all the inhabitants of the Holy land. The season of the year in which it begun to be observed, is a time when an almost spontaneous flow of gratitude arises to an all-bountiful Providence, from every reflecting bosom, not chilled by avarice, nor paralized by infidelity. Then the patient husbandman begins to be a partaker of his hope, while he cheerfully plucks, and quietly enjoys the delicious fruits of autumn, having filled his barn with the rich productions of a prolific soil, Lev. 23: 39. And what withal made the celebration more delightful and joyous, was, that while the body was made secure from the attacks of hunger and famine, the souls of the vast multitude assembled in, and around the temple of God, could see by faith an antidote to counteract the poison of sin, on beholding the blood of the atoning sacrifice running warm from the veins of the expiring victim, and the rich perfumes of his body ascending up to heaven from the burning altar for a sweet smelling savor: typifying the lamb of God, who

was to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself, at the conclusion of the Jewish age, and the beginning of the great jubilee of jubilees, Heb. 9: 26., the pleasing anticipation of which caused the faithful patriarchs to rejoice, though seen by them at a period far more remote. John 8: 56. This was a time of universal liberty to all servants in the land of Canaan, and freedom from sin to all believers in the atonement. Every person was at liberty to return to his possession, and to his family. For at the sound of the trumpet liberty was proclaimed throughout the whole length and breadth of the land, to all its inhabitants, Lev. 25, 9, 10. Some, notwithstanding the strength of this passage, and other collateral evidence, contend that this was only a partial deliverance, the servants from the heathen being excepted, and for proof we are cited to the 46th verse of the same chapter. But this evidence is by no means satisfactery, especially to those who can refer to the literal reading of the passage in the original. The word (olam) translated forever does not specify the duration of servitude; but the time that the purchase is permitted by law---to procure servants from the heathen families. The term has unquestionably a similar signification in in the 32d v. of this chapter, and in many other places in the Bible. The 32d v. reads as follows: "Notwithstanding the cities of the Levites and the houses of the cities of their possession, a redemption (olam) at any time, may be to the Levites." We will now give the literal reading of the 46th v. and compare it with this. Ye shall possess them (the children of the strangers) for yourselves, and for your children after you to inherit a possession; (olam) at any time, out of them ye may serve yourselves. See also Deut. 23, 3d v. The Hebrew word in Lev. 25: 23, 30, used to express a firm title to property during, and after the jubilee, is not olam, but tsemithuth which signifies any thing entirely cut off, or alienated from the owner, so as not to be restored to him at the jubilee. Parkhurst. Now this word tsemithuth, rendered forever in Lev. 25, 23, 10, is used to express an absolute title to land, and a dwellinghouse in a walled city, not to go out in the jubilee; but it is never used to express the title to a servant.

The jubilee was intended to typify the whole gospel dispensation, which will appear from the following analogy.

In the first place, the signification of the word (yobel) rendered jubilee, is nearly the same as that of our word gospel, this expressing the cause (good tidings,) and that the effect, (a cry of joy.) When the angel of the Lord at the birth of the Messiah announced good tidings of great joy to all people, Luke 2. 10, it was only a fulfilling