T 
 
 
 VV\ \S CL^' 
 
 feiERN Theological Seminary^ 
 
 AND 
 
 FOREIGN MISSIONS. 
 
 
GRANT, Fj^ES & RODGERS, 
 ELECTKOTYPERS AND PRINTERS, 
 
 PHILADELPHIA 
 
WESTERN THEOLOGICAL SEMINART 
 
 AND FOREIGN MISSIONS. 
 
 A Paper read at the Meeting of the Alumni, North 
 Presbyterian Church, Alleghany, Pa., April 19, 1877, 
 
 By JOHN C. LOWRIE. 
 
 T he service assigned to me for the Fiftieth Anniversary of the 
 Western Theological Seminary, is ‘Ho deliver an address noting 
 its zeal and influence in Foreign Missions, and the work of its alumni 
 in the cause.” There are two parts of this wide theme, you will 
 perceive, but they both belong to the one subject of the place 
 occupied by this Seminary in Foreign Missions. To understand this 
 place rightly, we must go back to the beginning of the missionary 
 and seminary movement in this part of the Church; trace its progress, 
 and consider its benign results. To do justice to so large a subject in 
 a few minutes is of course impossible, while yet some practical 
 views of it admit of brief statement. Apart from the difficulty of 
 doing justice to so large a theme, I find the embarrassment of following 
 in the footsteps of the beloved brethren, Drs. Brownson and Elliot 
 Swift, whose admirable papers in the Me7noridl Volume have pre¬ 
 occupied the ground. They were the fresh and vigorous reapers; I 
 can only be a gleaner. And yet a gleaner may hope to gather up golden 
 grain that might otherwise be lost. 
 
 3 
 
 3414 
 
4 
 
 WESTERN THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY 
 
 I. I would first ask your attention to the common origin of this 
 Seminary and of our work of Foreign Missions as organized under the 
 direction of the Church. We may reverently trace its high origin to 
 the forerunning grace of God, foreordaining the existence of both 
 from eternity; but we may also speak of its origin in the means 
 employed, the labors, self-denials, prayers, and faith of the men that 
 laid the foundations of our Western Pennsylvania Church. It is to 
 the piety of our Christian people, in what was then this frontier country, 
 that we owe numberless blessings, and among them this Theological 
 School and a large part of our Foreign Missionary Work. Their 
 religious views combined in a remarkable degree the high doctrines 
 of divine sovereignty in grace with a deeply inner experience of their 
 power. Those whose privilege it is to remember the preaching of the 
 earlier ministers of this region will agree with me in saying that we 
 hardly‘ever heard a sermon that was not doctrinal in its whole tenor, 
 based on the exposition of Scripture, and that was not at the same 
 time discriminating, searching, and practical in its lessons of Christian 
 experience. Of course there were great differences amongst them in 
 their gifts, but I refer to their common faith and practice as preachers 
 of the Word. This preaching was earnest. These first preachers were 
 men in earnest—missionary men—and yet men who prized the blessings 
 of sacred learning. Such ministers were McMillan, Tait, Hughes, 
 Macurdy, McPherrin and others of the earlier generation of Western 
 Pennsylvania preachers. I need not specify also the names of 
 Herron, Brown, Jennings, Swift, and many others, who have entered 
 into rest, but who can never be forgotten. The venerable name of 
 Dr. Swift will here come into the thoughts of us all. He was not only 
 the founder of our Church work in foreign missions, but he was the 
 first instructor in theology in this Seminary. So of Dr. Herron, one 
 of the noblest of men, closely connected with both the Seminary and 
 the Missionary Committee. The character and services of these men 
 have been well described in the Me 7 norial Volu 77 iey and in the Mmutes 
 of the SyTiod of Pittsburgh from 1802 to 1832, books which ought to 
 be found in every church library in the bounds of the old Synod. 
 
AND FOREIGN MISSIONS. 
 
 5 
 
 These works show the large place occupied by this theological school and 
 by our foreign missionary work in the thoughts and sympathies of our 
 people. They show their earnest piety developed actively in domestic 
 and foreign missions. The Indian missionary work was then as it is 
 still in its nature essentially foreign work, and I think this Synod may 
 fairly claim the credit of having entered on this work years before the 
 movement took place, which resulted in the organization of the 
 American Board. Here was its Board of Trust, or Administrative 
 Committee; its missionary periodical; its regular collections; its 
 missionaries in the field. If these missions were not as encouraging 
 as was expected, it may be ascribed partly to an error in their plans, 
 that of trying to conduct this Indian foreign work in a method better 
 adapted to domestic than to foreign missions,—that of the temporary 
 employment of ministers as missionaries rather than appointing them 
 to a work for life. But the principle of action was right and wise,— 
 alike honoring to God and benevolent to men, combining the united 
 strength of numbers, and securing the supervision of the Church,—the 
 only permanent living organization in this world,—so that we do not 
 wonder when we see the missionary piety of our people founding 
 schools, colleges, and this Theological Seminary, and then send¬ 
 ing forth the well-qualified laborers to their work. Well may we 
 rejoice that our Seminary and so largely our foreign missions were born 
 of such parentage. 
 
 Their common origin carries our thoughts to the meetings of the 
 Synod over in the neighboring city, and there too we find the home of 
 both for some years, in their administration. It was the humble but 
 pleasant little room in the rear of the First Presbyterian Church, known 
 as its Session-Room—a room slightly irregular in form, and about half 
 the size of the Session-Room now in the same place. There the first 
 Seminary recitations were heard, and there did the Executive Com¬ 
 mittee of the Western Foreign Missionary Society ^‘meet statedly on 
 the first Monday of each month, at 2 o’clock, P. M,”—agreeably to a 
 Minute in the hand-writing of Dr. Swift. Some of us well remember 
 that little room. Its windows looked out on graves, white under the 
 
6 
 
 WESTERN THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY 
 
 snow of winter, green with the grass of summer, reminding us of our 
 own mortality, yet in many cases speaking to us of the hope of immor¬ 
 tality as a blessed hope to be cherished by us and to be published 
 among all nations. 
 
 We may not pass from our tribute to the missionary piety which 
 founded these institutions, without noting the generous spirit which led 
 to the transfer of the foreign work to the General Assembly, as a like 
 transfer had been made a few years before to the Assembly’s Domestic 
 Board of the Synod’s home work. This change must have caused regret, 
 and even solicitude, to the friends of foreign missions here, as the 
 times then were passing; but their faith stood the test nobly; indeed 
 they were filled with gratitude at seeing their principles and their 
 work accredited by their brethren in other parts of the country, and 
 their hearts would have glowed with new thanksgiving if they could 
 have seen the sight which our eyes witness of the whole Church 
 endorsing and adopting their principles and measures. We all now 
 stand together in our faith that the Church is a missionary society, 
 whose members are all our Christian people. If we have not yet all 
 reached this ideal standard, we are pressing towards it; and so we 
 may feel assured that the blessing of our Saviour’s presence will be 
 with us in times to come as in times past. And yet times change; it 
 is not easy to look out on the Christian world of these days without 
 feelings of anxiety as to many great interests. But if in our Seminary 
 and our Missionary concerns we should be called to witness any falling 
 away from the old foundations; if we should see our foreign mis¬ 
 sionary work regarded as not ordained church work, conducted in a 
 broad-church policy or in sensational methods, or administered for the 
 benefit of men not disinterested in their motives, whether missionaries 
 or executive officers, then I trust the sons of this old Synod will rise 
 up in the stead of their fathers and place this work where it stood here 
 forty years ago. It is the old sacred work of the apostles and martyrs, 
 and the new holy work of every age, until it is finished and our Lord 
 shall reign from the river to the ends of the earth. Now, as I under¬ 
 stand the case, this reference to the founders and supporters of this 
 
 
AND FOREIGN MISSIONS. 
 
 7 
 
 Seminary will set forth its “zeal and influence in Foreign Missions.” 
 You see the men. You know what their work must be. You see the 
 spring of their action, and you can judge of its movement, and can 
 understand how this cause was always held in honor here. You would 
 feel disappointed indeed, if you saw none of the students going forth 
 to labor in the foreign field. 
 
 This brief statement enables us to understand also one of the good 
 effects of the connection between these two great interests—the home 
 results of the case. The going out as missionaries of some of the 
 students has been of great benefit to the churches. Some there are, 
 indeed, who ask, “ To what purpose is this waste ?” They see a choice 
 young man, or a young woman of culture and loveliness, going to live 
 and labor among ignorant and debased people in Africa or among the 
 Laos, and they think these lives are thrown away. We stop not to 
 argue the case, only asking in return. Did not our Saviour come down 
 to live and labor and die for sinful and guilty men, in his sight all 
 repulsive and degraded ? But suppose these missionaries had never 
 gone abroad, suppose these familiar names of Lodiana, Corisco, and 
 Petchaburi had never been heard of by our Christian people, our con¬ 
 victions of benevolent duty would have lacked an element of power 
 and sacred emotion. Suppose that our brethren had not been put to 
 death in the rebellion of the Sepoys, our Christian sympathies would 
 have been less tender and Christ-like,—our sense of the Saviour’s pre¬ 
 sence and grace would have been less impassioned and complete, and 
 the fullness of his blessing would not have been poured out upon our 
 churches. 
 
 II. Passing these and other views, let us now look at the missionaries 
 and their work. Here we may note some statistics. The whole num¬ 
 ber of missionaries sent from this Seminary to foreign missions is fifty- 
 eight, not counting two or three who went to Texas before its admis¬ 
 sion to the Union, where the work was then, as it is now, essentially 
 in the line of Domestic Missions. But this number includes those who 
 went to the Indians, as missionary work for them, if rightly conducted. 
 
8 
 
 WESTERN THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY 
 
 is substantially the same as work in Africa or China. Of these fifty- 
 eight brethren, nearly one-third have been led by various causes to 
 return to this country. Twelve have been removed by death, to whose 
 memory we will return further on ; but keeping now to the statistics, 
 we may note that the rate of mortality here, as also at Princeton, is 
 slightly less among the foreign missionary alumni, than among the 
 graduates in general. This fact is but what might be expected, con¬ 
 sidering the care given to the selection of men adapted to the climate 
 of the countries respectively in which they are to spend their days. 
 It is a cause of gratitude to find that nearly one-half of the whole 
 number are yet in the field of labor. Still further, as showing the 
 relative number who have entered on foreign ^service, we may divide 
 the half century into three periods. In the first, from 1827 to 1843, 
 the whole number of students was 228, and of foreign missionaries 17 
 —or one in thirteen nearly. From 1844 to i860, the returns were 
 523 and 27—or one in nineteen nearly. And from 1861 to 1876, the 
 numbers were 419 and 15—or only one in nearly twenty-eight. This 
 comparative statement furnishes materials for earnest. thought, and 
 perhaps for somewhat discouraging inferences. But many things 
 have to be considered before one can reach a conclusion in such 
 matters; and at any rate, I do not wish now to pursue this point.* * 
 
 * Some of the friends of missions have favored the appointment of a missionary Pro¬ 
 fessorship or Lectureship, in order to secure greater interest in the cause of missions. A 
 Professorship would give its incumbent a status not to be enjoyed by a Lectureship—a place 
 in the faculty, a permanent chair, and the influence growing out of continued acquaintance. 
 A Lectureship, especially if it contemplated itinerant service, visiting all the Seminaries, 
 delivering some lectures at each, would result practically in a limited range of study and 
 of topics. A Professorship would seem to be preferable to a Lectureship. 
 
 Either would have to contend with certain difficulties : 
 
 1. The limited time available. Even now it is difficult to secure time for the lectures of 
 
 * 
 
 all the Professors. 
 
 2. A few lectures, all that could be given, would not meet the requirements of the sub¬ 
 ject. The cause of foreign missions is one of many relations and wide range. It has a 
 home side, with its various theories and its many practical duties. Its foreign department 
 embraces matters of varying interest in every different country, and such as extend from 
 
AND FOREIGN MISSIONS. 
 
 9 
 
 If we follow the brethren to their various fields of labor, we find 
 that seven of them went to the Indians, of whom only two are now in 
 the field; two went to Africa, both of whom early entered into rest; 
 nineteen went to India, five to Siam, twelve to China, one to Japan, 
 eight to South America, one to Mexico, one to the Jews, and one to 
 Greece, in his purpose, though called to a better country before he left 
 our shores. The General Catalogue does not fill its first page of names 
 without printing several of them in italics. Most of the names on this 
 page were members of churches in the old Synod ; so were most of the 
 devoted women who went abroad as the wives of the earlier alumni 
 missionaries. The first two brethren sent as missionaries were not 
 indeed students of this Seminary, for our Missionary Society thus early 
 showed its wide relations to the whole church, but the first two mis¬ 
 sionaries appointed by the Society were students of this school, and 
 were appointed in January, 1832, several months before any from other 
 Seminaries. 
 
 the corner-stone to the top stone,—preaching, education, training native ministers, trans¬ 
 lations and all the work of the press, organization of churches and self-support of their 
 ministers. These are subject to modification by peculiarities of race, language, religion 
 &c. No Lecturer for all the Seminaries, no single Professor even for each Seminary, 
 could easily do justice to such a vast and varied work. A lecture on Buddhism, another 
 on Brahmanism, and another on Mohammedanism—all very well in their place—would 
 not begin to fulfill the demands of the case. 
 
 3. If some measure of special interest were awakened by a Professor or a Lecturer, it would 
 not only be of narrow range, as just shown, but it would be at the risk of great loss to 
 the cause of missions. The regular Professors would be likely to pass by missionary 
 topics, and leave them to the Missionary Lecturer. The practical result would be such 
 as follow the work of a specialist; the many-sided views of other minds would be seldom 
 given. As the case now stands, each Professor is expected to present the evangelistic 
 features of his chair—thus securing a wide and comprehensive treatment of the subject. 
 
 4. Experience seems to show that special lectures on Missions may easily result in 
 failure. On the other hand, see the influence exerted for this cause by Dr. A. Alexander 
 and others, in their usual course of instruction and example. 
 
 These are but hints, as are some paragraphs in a paper read before the Alumni of 
 Princeton Theological Seminary a year ago, and also an article on the Training of 
 Missionaries in the Biblical Repertory of January, 1867. The subject is one that is 
 worthy of careful study.— May^ iS’j'j. 
 
lo 
 
 WESTERN THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY 
 
 Our next step takes us to the work of the missionaries. You see 
 them laboring for Christ among the Indian tribes, in Western Africa, 
 India, Siam, China, Japan, among the Chinese in California, in Brazil, 
 the United States of Colombia, and Mexico. The population of these 
 various'countries maybe estimated at about 700,000,000, or one-half of 
 the human family, and the greater part of this vast multitude has become 
 accessible to missionaries since this Seminary was founded. The two 
 most densely inhabited countries, India and China, and some of the 
 smallest tribes, are in the missions occupied by these brethren— 
 400,000,000 of the Chinese, and 1000 Omaha Indians; such is the 
 diverse ordering of Providence. We must not despise the few lost 
 sheep in the wilderness, nor be discouraged at the greatness of the 
 harvest in the multitudinous nations of the East. Nor need our mis¬ 
 sionary brethren hesitate to follow the guidance which takes them into 
 either field. John Newton said that if two angels were sent down from 
 heaven, one to rule a kingdom, the other to sweep the streets of its 
 principal city, they would come with equal pleasure. 
 
 If we consider the languages and dialects in use in these nations and 
 tribes, we find over twenty, of which our brethren must learn each at least 
 one—their first occupation, often dry and difficult; but it opens the 
 door to the minds of the people. Some of our brethren abroad stand 
 high in native scholarship. Dr. Newton is, I suppose, the best Gur- 
 mukhi scholar living, and to him we are indebted chiefly for the 
 Dictionary of the Gurmukhi language, and for the translations of the 
 Scriptures in it. In other countries many valuable contributions have 
 been made by these missionaries to this department of knowledge. 
 
 After learning the language, then follows the life-work of all true 
 
 missionaries, that of preaching the unsearchable riches of Christ to 
 
 souls depraved, perishing, even dead in trespasses and in sin. This 
 
 work is one and ever the same, the sacred work of Apostles and of 
 
 true ministers of the gospel in all ages. Yet, if we would rightly 
 
 understand it, we must keep in mind its varied forms. In general, it 
 
 \ 
 
 is preaching in meetings of many or few, it is teaching children and 
 youth, it is preparing and printing translations of the Holy Scriptures 
 
AND FOREIGN MISSIONS. 
 
 11 
 
 and other Christian books, it is training native converts for the work 
 of the ministry among their own people. It is not labor in vain. It 
 results by the blessing of God in souls converted, in churches gathered, 
 in the settlement of native pastors, in the translation of redeemed 
 spirits to the heavenly world—often such as have been purified in the 
 fires of persecution. These greatest results may not in all cases be 
 achieved for many years, but in all cases gospel seed is sown, gospel 
 leaven is implanted, and the time of life from the dead is drawing on 
 apace. No matter how poor, how ignorant, how low down in the 
 scale of humanity, the present generation of the unevangelized are not 
 , worse than others who have been lifted up by the gospel and the power 
 of the Holy Spirit to eminence in social culture, intelligence, morality, 
 and Christian excellence. Even so shall it be in many Indian tribes, 
 in many dark places of Africa, in all the thronged cities of India and 
 China. It is this work in which our brethren are engaged, and we 
 almost envy them their great privilege of being so employed. 
 
 If time permitted we might refer to some of the distinctive aspects 
 of each of the fields in which our brethren are at work, but it is only 
 the briefest reference we can make to them. Here is the Indian mis¬ 
 sionary work, which from the earliest settlement of these cis- 
 Alleghany regions enlisted the active sympathies and labors of our 
 Christian people. It is now a work to be performed in a critical period 
 of Indian life, and it is somewhat discouraging to find that only two 
 of our alumni are remaining in this service, both of them now aged 
 men. When we turn to another part.of the great field, where dark¬ 
 ness has long reigned, we are impressed with the fact that but two of 
 our brethren went to Africa, and after a short time of earnest work 
 they both entered there into rest. We mourn over the early departure 
 from this life of John Cloud and George Pauli. They were devoted 
 and noble men. We do not believe that they lived and died in vain. 
 Their African graves speak to us, and so does the remembrance of their 
 loving and earnest piety. We may fear that their fervent zeal outran 
 their prudence in meeting climatic risks; but the conditions of African 
 work are now better understood, and life there may be preserved as in 
 
WESTERN THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY 
 
 I 2 
 
 most other countries. We trust our beloved Seminary is yet to have 
 representatives in this field—specially connected as it is with our own 
 country, and having peculiar claims on our Christian sympathy. 
 
 As we follow these thoughts, specifying only countries in which 
 some of our alumni met their hour of death, and mentioning by name 
 only those who have thus gone before us, we recall the bright face of 
 Mr. Staicos, who died before he embarked for Greece, his native 
 country. We remember Mr. Samuel Sharpe, who now sleeps in Bogota, 
 a devoted brother, whose promise of most useful service was early dis¬ 
 appointed,—rather, we should say, was early fulfilled in the world above. 
 We recall to memory the two brethren who had given their lives to 
 China—Messrs. Orr and Green. All who knew them would bear 
 willing testimony to their being earnest, faithful brethren, men highly 
 esteemed and worthy of being held in honor as ministers and as mis¬ 
 sionaries. Their good record shows that missionaries, brought back 
 to their native country against their choice, may often be permitted to 
 be very useful in the ministry at home. 
 
 It is when we turn to India that we find in our Catalogue the first 
 starred name amongst our foreign missionaries, that of my esteemed 
 class-mate and missionary colleague, William Reed. He was a sincere 
 and good man, devoted to the cause, well fitted by gifts of nature and 
 grace to be a useful and practical laborer; but he had not entered fully 
 on his long-desired work when the failure of his health arrested his 
 progress. Then followed his embarking for this country, under the 
 impression that he might here live for several years; but his voyage 
 ended in his peaceful departure to a better country, and from its rest¬ 
 ing-place in the Bay of Bengal his glorified form shall rise when the 
 sea gives up its dead. More than twenty years later the terrible rebel¬ 
 lion of the Sepoys swept from the earth in a tempest of wicked passion 
 hundreds of foreign residents in India; many of the strong men, 
 many of the best women, many dear little children were cut down by 
 the pitiless insurgents. All our own brethren and their families were 
 for several months in extreme peril, but through the mercy of God all 
 escaped a violent death, many times apparently inevitable, all except- 
 
AND FOREIGN MISSIONS. 
 
 13 
 
 ing four families, those of Messrs. Freeman, Campbell, Johnson and 
 McMullin. Of these, Messrs. Campbell and Johnson were students 
 of this Seminary. They were choice and devoted laborers, and their 
 wives were like-minded. How was the heart of our whole Church 
 moved to its depths by this great bereavement! Resuming these 
 notices, we next come to the name of Mr. Crane, who went to India 
 under the American Board, but was compelled to return to this country 
 after a few years on account of his health. Here he continued in the 
 work of his Lord until he departed this life in 1856. Speaking of him 
 without personal knowledge, I yet feel persuaded that he was a true and 
 faithful missionary and minister. The next name that rises before us 
 is that of Mr. Fullerton, who died in India in 1865. Few men ever 
 left the Seminary, few men ever served the Saviour as missionaries, 
 who held a higher place in the affections of their brethren. Of fine 
 mental powers, of genial social disposition, of warm affections, all 
 lighted up by a joyous temperament, he was an earnest and whole¬ 
 hearted servant of Christ, and a most efficient and successful laborer. 
 His letters describing his visit to the ruins of the Futtehgurh missionary 
 station and his interviews with the native Christian brethren after the 
 Sepoy Rebellion, are most graphic and touching. It is a wonder that 
 they have not long since been re-printed, as a volume for our Sabbath- 
 school libraries. As we think of Mr. Fullerton and so many others 
 called away in the midst of their days and of their labors for Christ 
 and their fellow-men, we can only say, ‘^Even so. Father, for so it 
 seemed good in thy sight !” The last name on this list of departed 
 brethren is that of Dr. Warren, of whose death at Gwalior, India, we 
 heard but a few days ago. He counted it a privilege to go back to 
 his missionary work, after having been led by Providence to spend 
 several years in the home ministry of the Church. Those who have 
 read his book on India, published by our Board of Publication, will 
 receive a most favorable impression of' his ability, which was much 
 above the ordinary grade, of his varied gifts of service, of his genial 
 temperament, and especially of his sincere labor for Christ and his 
 fellow-men. He translated FlavePs Fountain of Life and Hodge’s 
 
14 
 
 WESTERN THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY 
 
 Way of Life into Hindustani, and prepared other works; but his little 
 memoirs of two native converts, Poor Blind Sally and Jutni, were per¬ 
 haps more attractive. It was touching indeed to read of Jutni’s dying 
 hours—a young Hindu wife and mother borne up above the sorrow of 
 separation from her friends and above the fear of dying. “I know 
 Christ,” she said, ‘‘and can fully and completely trust Him in all things. 
 He keeps my mind in perfect peace,” and so she entered into rest. 
 Her missionary friend has now met her again in the Saviour’s presence. 
 
 Here we might close these brief notices of departed missionaries, 
 who went forth from this school of the prophets. Of those still living 
 in various missionary countries, we forbear to speak, though their 
 record is one that we need not be ashamed of,—rather it is in general 
 one that is worthy of our admiration. But it may be allowed, and 
 our best feelings prompt us all, I feel sure, to pay a brief tribute to the 
 memory of the Christian women who went forth as missionaries, and 
 who have finished their course. We find the names of eleven of these 
 elect ladies, the wives of missionaries from this Seminary, most of 
 them born and brought up in the churches of this region. We have 
 called to remembrance their history, their character, even their looks 
 as we have seen them going out to their distant fields, and some of 
 them as they returned to end their days here at home. We would use 
 no indiscriminate language of praise; they had their different gifts, 
 their varied culture, their diversified range of social enjoyment; and 
 they would all have themselves confessed imperfections which their 
 friends seldom saw; but take them as they were, and I think they were 
 a noble company of Christian women, and as missionaries they were 
 worthy of all honor and love. The Church may well thank God for 
 the grace given to them. This Seminary may point to them as invalu¬ 
 able co-laborers with its alumni abroad. Their husbands will surely 
 praise them. To one of these for more than forty years the memory of 
 his departed wife has been a benediction, and a cherished incentive to 
 continued labor in the cause of missions. For this cause may we ever 
 have the se: vice of consecrated, spiritually-minded Christian women,— 
 adorned with the gifts of education and refined culture, but most of 
 
AND FOREIGN MISSIONS. 
 
 15 
 
 all with the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which in the sight 
 of God is of great price ! 
 
 We have thus glanced at the beginning and the progress of the 
 foreign missionary cause as connected with this Theological Seminary. 
 Imperfect as this sketch has been, it has yet given us some impression 
 of the grace of God as displayed in the ordering of events, in the piety 
 of his people, and in the lives and labors of many of his servants. We 
 are filled with gratitude for what God hath wrought for the Church and 
 for the world in connection with this Theological Seminary. And we 
 are led to indulge high hopes of future and wide-spread usefulness from 
 these Old Synod of Pittsburgh churches and from this School of minis¬ 
 terial training, always chiefly supported by their men and means. We 
 are brought back, therefore, to the old Synod, its churches, its families, 
 its sons and its daughters, and in their piety we see one of the greatest 
 means which God in his grace has appointed f6r the conversion of the 
 world. Here in this home of Presbyterianism, amongst a people homo¬ 
 geneous, earnest, trained in Christian doctrine and experience ; here in 
 this goodly land of hills and valleys, of forests and fields, of wealth in the 
 soil and treasures in the bosom of the earth, what may not this school 
 of the prophets do, what may not this cause of missions .do, if only 
 the spirit of the fathers rest upon their children? We are grateful for 
 the past. We are hopeful for the future. At the end of the next fifty 
 years, I trust, not scores but hundreds of foreign missionaries will be 
 counted as alumni. We must look for a great increase of laborers 
 abroad. The home field must be thoroughly cultivated, but it is fill¬ 
 ing up with laborers. The work in foreign fields is only begun. In 
 China alone all the alumni of this Seminary might find plenty of work 
 to do for Christ and for souls. What we most need is the outpouring 
 of the Spirit from on high upon our churches, our Seminaries, and our 
 own souls. ^‘God be merciful unto us and bless us; and cause his 
 face to shine upon us. Selah. That thy way may be known upon 
 earth, thy saving health among all nations. Let the people praise 
 thee, O God; let all the people praise thee. . . . God shall bless us; 
 and all the ends of the earth shall fear him.”