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42 POETKY._ From the American Baptist Magazine. In Memory of a Friend. Thoti hast gone to the grave, but we twftild not recall thee; There Jesus once slumbered in gentle re ffo care in that chamber of rest shall befal thee, No tva.il of affliction shall tell of earth’s woes. Oh blest!” saith the .Spirit, and gladly we write it— Oh blest are the dead who die in the Ix>rd !” I low rich is Ihc comfort!—and why should we slight it— That thou art enjoyipg thy final reward 1 Dear wreck of mortality ! here will wc leave’ thee — Thou perfect in beauty, thou fairest in form, Thou tender in heart, (for earth’s rude things did grieve thee) Thou mild one, whose spirit hns bowed to the storm. In the grave we will leave thee, frail, beauti ful flower! Too sweet in this sin-troubled world long to bloom; Thou hast cheered us awhile; now we yield to the power That hath called dice far lovelier cliarms to assume. All earth with its ties in vain would have bound thee, While blessedly gazing on yonder bright shore ; No doubting wns-tliine nocloud hovered round thee, But upward thy spirit did joyously soar. As the night wore away and tl*e day-star as cended, Away from this dismal and painful abode, ‘i’liy soul, with her rapturous pinions extended. Winged her way to the sky, to the bosom of God. •thou dost rest from thy toil?, but we will not lament thee; We’ll how in submission to Heaven’s de cree ; And earnestly pray to the power that sent thee That again in the skies wc united may be. In that garner of love, oh what joys are pre paring 1 What gems are collecting, forever to bloom! We’ll then look to that world, for earth little Caring, And seek for like grace, while we part from thy tomb. From the Messenger and Advocate. The House of Hod. 1 love thy tabernacle ijorA, I love to meet thy people there; To hear and feel thy holy word And mingle holy praise with prayer. I love to hear the voice of praise When Zion strikes her tuneful lyre, ■file soul-inspiring rapturous lays And soft symphonious sounding choir. llow sweet the audience divine, While beams of light from heaven descend; Where peace and love their charms combine, And saints in holy reverence bend. 1 love the feeling, melting shower, So gently pouring front above; The cloud of mercy bending o’er. Fresh front the fount of Jesus’ Idve. My Father's residence, how fair! In which his faithful sons are found: The chamber of his presence where Unnumbered comforts do abound. Here, the aggrieved a solace find, The poor are blest, the hungry fed ; The pleasures Heaven for man designed, Are all in ricli profusion spread. Happy those faithful souls shall be While numbering in thy courts their days, They in celestial prospect see Glories on which the arch-angel’s gaze. This, above all I most desire! “The beauty of the Lord to view, Within his temple to enquire” And heaven with constant step pursue. COLUMBIAN COLLEGE. , Rev. ‘ Mr. Cornelius, of Alexandria, has been appointed ■ General Agent for this insti tution instead of Mr. Cloptun, deceased. We hope his endeavors to free it from debt will-’ out delay, will be crowned with success. Mysterious Incident. Lightning. —During the thunder storm oh Sunday week, the Presbyterian church in New Preston, Ct. was struck with light ning while the congregation were at wor ship. The Rev. Mr. Bushnell, of llart. ford, who was officiating for the day, had just commenced his sermon, when the e >ctric fluid descended, first taking the rod on the steeple thence branching off to the ;dgc ofthe building, and taking the stove pipe into the body of the church, where it exploded and evaporated in every direc tion, passing through the foundation, kill ing a hog ofthe distance of fifteen feet, and leaving the church full of sulphurous vh pOr. —Many in the church was prostrated by the shock, but happily none were kill ed 1 In one pew, the door of w hich was shivered by the element, a man was struck, and supposed to be dead, but ho was re suscitated by the use of water. The other branch of the fluid pursued the rod, und spent itself in the earth. THE CHRISTIAN INDEX. Saturday, Sept, til, 1533. Frratta. We perceive with regret, that some er rors in correcting our proofs Inst week, in the hurryof’business, escaped us. We notice two of several, as a fleeting the sense.— These occur in our editorial near the bot tom of the column—for love vs in the thir teenth line, read love as brethren; and four lines below, for farce read force. Revivals. The intelligence wc have received on the subject of revivals is not very reviving, as it is so limited. However, we should be glad and rejoice that God any where, and in any de gree, visits our degenerate world by the out pourings of his holy Spirit in the sdvation of immortal souls. One of our correspondents in forms us, that in Alabama, Autauga county, there has been a revival, and that the brethren are much in the spirit of going tv meeting ; and that meetings hold from one to sevendays. This looks like something is doing. In South Carolina, at Beach Branch and vicinity, ano ther writes—a good and a great work of God has broken out. A protracted meeting of elev en days, was held at B. Branch, upwards of 100 have been baptized already, as the fruit of this good work of the I/jrd iu those parts. A correspondent, in the Western BupCist Association (so named because situate on the Western Frontier of Georgia) writes us that the differences existing among the members of that body had been settled, at its late meeting, “ to the great satisfaction of those in favour of Church rights. The state of religious zeal and fervor; has been quite declined in most of the Churchos, but not all; one Church has had the happiness of receiving and baptizing 63 in theassociational year. We hope to hear well from others soon. The writer says, “Wc had an uncommon appearance of the effects of tlie Spirit on’ Sunday, at Our Association, which attended the ministrations of the wold during the meeting to a good degree.” It is truly a time of spiritual dearth among the Churches, and calls loudly on all the spir itual, to cry mightily to the Lord to tarn and be like a roe or young hart upon the moun tains of Bother, (or separation) that he would come lipping and skipping on those moun ■ tains to their relief! And in this view we would join and say, come Lord Jesus, come quickly. Amen. Ei>. We have received u letter from u Bro ther, travelling in the Western counties of this State, to procure funds in aid of the IrOMoviJurit cf tlui C'onron tion; especially their literary and theolo gical Institute (a manual labor school) chiefly for the benefit of young preachers; in which lie speaks of his favorable recep tion among the people generally, and then says, “ there are some unwilling to help, and others (not many) opposed; and these are chiefly or entirely our own brethren, who cannot reconcile the purposes of God with the duty of man. They s<#;ni to fear that if a silver trumpet is sounded, although the sound lie more certain, and not a ram’s, horn unpolished, that Deity will be depri ved of his glory. They also object to tlie education of preachers upon this ground— that if he is called to preach, he must be qua lified, or God would not have called liim; and that lie must go immediately forth in to the field as Ac is, losing no time ; since God considers him qualified and requires him to stand day and night on the walls of Zion, ami if he take time now to prepare, souls may be lost while lm is preparing, amt their blood required at bis hands:” We presume the difficulty of these breth ren in reconciling the purposes of God with the duty of man, arises from viewing duty only in relation to its agents, and as dependent alone on uninfluenced human vo lition. Their minds therefore revolt at the idea of resting the purposes of God on a condition so precarious and uncertain.— But this difficulty will wholly vanish, when it is considered that these agents and all their works are in the hand of God, Eccl. 9: 1. and directed in truth to the ends designed, Isa. 61: 8. That God has con nected the operations of his people with the designs of his grace, is as certain as he has commanded them; but in appointing the duties of his servants to lie the means of subserving his purposes, lie also has ap pointed his holy spirit to be the superinten ding Lord over them, their works and the things to be accomplished. But we are not to suppose: that God always makes known his designs, with the requirements of those duties, which he intends to make instrumental in the accomplishment of his purposes, or that his people are always conscious of the effects whiehwrH follow I their obedience. In this respect they are often left in great obscurity, while God ! plants his footsteps before them, in the; deep waters, and makes darkness his pavi- 1 lion round about him; and they are left to ; be impelled on only from those motives j THE CHRISTIAN IN9SI. and honest considerations which are con-, ducive to all holy obedience, arising from ; the fear, love and authority of lliin who commands their respect. Thus Christians j should be diligent in the discharge/of those j obligations which ore clearly intimated from the commands of Scripture, the indi cations of divine Providence, and the ope rations of the Holy Spirit in their hearts— humbly looking to God for the desired re sults. If the glory of God depends on the un polished state of the instruments, then the more unfit and. uncouth Ministers can be, the more God would be honored by their efforts ; but wfe presume, none who argue thus are prepared to admit this conclusion. The truth is that the glory of God docs not arise from the instrument (for instruments in their best degree, are ortjv “ vanity and dust”) but from the work dityie, which from its nature and character, demonstrates it self to be of God and not of man ; and so reflects honor upon Him only. The notion that the man whom God calls to the ministry, is already qualified, or God would not call him, too is equally absurd ; for then he can have no other qualifications than those he had being un called, but who is prepared to admit of this fact? If the matter of ministerial prepara tion was l ightly understood, it would be we think readily admitted, that there arequal ifications which God only gives,and can give, and others which lie under the de partment of prudence and duty; and for which the man called of God is responsi ble—sec Luka 12 : 47, “ That servant, which knew his lord's will, a x d fhW.ir ed not iiimsklf, neither did according to his will, SIIALI. HE BEATEN WITH MANY strifes” What man feeling it to lie re quired of him, from God dare enter on so great a work, without preparing himself, as far as lies within his power ? The argument drawn from the conse quences of delay— that souls would be lost — their blood required, tfc. applies with (■(pud force against the Preacher’s working in his shop, or farm 5 or 0 days in the week, for the support of his family, (a common practice among those who use this pica) or even his taking time for any kind of rest or refresomcnl in eating or sleeping, for souls in the mean time may bo lost. It appears to us, there may lx; more fear, humanly speaking, that souls might be lost through his ignorance of the Gcw pei, ms Dima zeal, presumption ana vaiti ty, than through his delay a little, to pre pare himself for so awfully respond hie an undertaking. We are persuaded many of our good brethren arc opposed, from being mistaken in our design. They have gotten it some how, into their heads, that we are emka vouring to make ministers, by giving them thqse qualifications which God only gives; but so far from this are we that none ran be received as beneficiaries, fill they pro duce tlie requisite testimonials fiom the churches, of which they arc members, 11 tat tliey are in the judgment of their brethren, possessed of those gifts and qualifications which God gives; and then it is our desire and intention to afford them some aid in Re quiring those preparations which may render them workmen not m to be ashamed. A Minister of the Gospel is a woikman’ with God, and words are his tools. Can any mechanic, whose mind is, however, well trained to his work, make a good piece of furniture, without the knowledge and use of tools ? No more can a man, called of God to preach the Gospel, let his mental qualifications, be what they mav, prcat h acceptably and profitably to him self or others, without the know ledge and use of words. ‘This knowledge he ought to possess itr some good’ degree—but God does not directly teach it, therefore he must study-to attain it. It is our object to aid those, who desire it, and who arc approved as fit objects to receive it, in the attain ment of useful and necessary knowied e. III COtiMl Alt AT IONS. TOR THE INDEX. Augusta, Sept. 17, 1833. Brother Mercer,— Allow me through‘the columns of your paper to call the attention ofthe Baptist churches, particularly in the middle and upper parts ofthe State, to the Tract cause. It is known to some, though not perhaps to all, that the Baptist church in this place, has resolved itself into a Tract Society under the title of the “Augusta Branch Auxiliary to the Baptist General Tract Society.” The depository has been taken under our particular charge, and we intend to keep on hand a constant supply ofthe Tracts issued by the parent Society. Societies can now be formed auxiliary to our Branch, and this is w hat we would ear nestly urge upon the attention of our bre thren. Many Societies that were organiz ed some time since, are now dwindling, or jxtrhaps extinct; those can be revived and become auxiliary to us, and others might be formed where none as yet have existed. It is a very simple and easy thing to form a tract Society. Let some brother who feds un interest in the cause converse pri vately with a few who will be most likely to second his views, and endeavor to se cure their co-operation; let the minister & deacons be particularly requested to give their aid, (u they are not the first to pro pose the measure, and should they not be first in everysgood word and work ?) and let the subject then be brought forward at some public meeting of the church and congregation, explained, recommended and urged; then let all friendly to the object come forward und Ibrm a Society upon the spot. Two or three lbrms of organization have been adopted in different places; let circumstances be considered, and that plan adopted which on the w hole promises most good. In some places it would be well for the churches to resolve themselves into a tract Society, and agree to raise annually a cer tain sum, one half of which amount, or the | w hole if they insist upon it, they can re ! ceive in tracts. Persons not connected : with the church should be allowed, nay en | couragcd to contribute to this fund, and should receive their portion of tlie tracts. In other places auxiliaries might be more j conveniently formed by drawing up a sim ple subscription, in which the subscribers agree to pay annually 25 or 30 cents, or one dollar, to some person named as thyir agent, whose business it will be to trans mit the money, procure, and distribute the 11 racts. In other cases, let societies be formed with constitution and officers in the usual form. These perhaps, in ordinary cases, would bo most permanent and most effi cient, A sermon preached at the annual meetings of these societies, by some intel ligent ministering brother previously ap pointed, would seldom fail of giving anew impulse to the cause. In all cases it is desirable that a portion of the money raised, should be forwarded as a donation to our Society, to aid us, and through us the parent Society, in sustain ing, and enlarging our operations. Our tracts are sold at the cheap rate of 15 pa ges for one cent. A person therefore who subscribes one dollar, can receive 750 pages of tracts for his own use, or for gra tuilous distribution, and yet contribute GO -rnt as a donation to our soeictv. Will not our ministering brethren pre sent tlie subject to their people? will not the churches take hold with a strong hand ? Tracts have been signally owned of hea ven as the instruments of quickening the saints, producing many revivals of reli gion, and converting thousands of immor tal souls. They are pioneers to the Bible, & often its rear-ward. They hasten on be fore to prepare its way, they follow oil be hind to apply its heart reaching truths. Annihilate this means of good, and Zion would feel that one of her hands was cut oft. They are cheap, so cheap that the poor can fill (heir quivers with them. Fif teen pages of wholesome, solid, saving truth, for one cent! a tract of 4 pages, which might be the means of converting a soul, or reclaiming a backslider, for about one fourth of a cent! Surely this is pur chasing w isdom at a cheap rate. Tracts from their smallness often secure attention from tlie careless, the busy, and the indo lent, when a larger book, when even the Bible would be treated with neglect. Thev can be scattered upon the four winds in countless multitudes, and thus be made to search out every corner and crevice of the land. Tracts furnish to the humblest Christians an opportunity of doing good. The weak, the ignorant, the timid mdv wield them with power. The deaf and dumb man may become a minister, a mis sionary. He can procure his 50 cents worth of tracts, and go fortli in the name ofthe Lord and distribute them. He can drop a few in the high way, he can cast two or three into that grog-shop, ho can deposit one in the hand or tlie hat of a blas phemer, or a Sabbath-breaker; give this to a neighbor, and that to a stranger, and at length send them all out embalmed with his prayers upon the errand of mercy and salvation. Perhaps in the day of judgment, many of them will return to the poor dumb man with a good report. Now brothers and sisters, you are not worse off than this poor deaf and dumb man; then if you will do no more, do as much as lie can do and you will not have lived in vain. Dear ly beloved, God has not converted us to rust and to rot, but to live, to act, to be blessed that we may be a blessing. What ever our hand findeth to do in the tract cause, or any other that heaven approves, let us do it with our might. And whilst supplying ourselves and our neighbors with tracts, can we not aid their circulation in foreign lands? Burmali is reaching out her hand to receive them, (‘Give us,” say their anxious sons and daughters, “give us a writing that tells us about Jesus Christ.” Dare we say that we -will not ? Any money that may be forwarded to our Agent to aid in the cir culation of tracts in Burmah, will be thankfully received and carefully applied to lhat'object. It will be recollected that some time since the Baptist General Tract Society, passed a resolution that every Baptist chjirch in tlie U. States, upon application, should be supplied with the 54 first num bers of their series gratuitously. Such of the chtirches in this region as have not yet received them, can, if they desire it, be supplied through our depository. The Baptist Tract Magazine, a neat lit tle periodical, published monthly at Phila delphia, for 50 cents a year, is recommen ded to the notice of the churches. It is well edited by Br. I. M. Allen, tlie general Agent; its pages are devoted to tlie tract cause. In behalf of the Board of the Augusta Branch, C. D. MALLARY. P. S.—Bro. Eli Mustiri of this place is our Agent, to whom orders for tracts can be addressed. —Money must always be sent in advance for tracts —none can be sent out on credit. MISCELLANEOUS BECOBD. Suscdny Sriiool I'nioa. The ninth anuual report of the Ameri can Sunday School Union has been receiv ed at this office. From which we make llie following extracts. The i ninual ser mon was preached by tha Rev. Dr. llen siiaw, a copy of which was requested for publication. Several important resolutions were past. We noticed the last in particular,— I“Re solved, unanimously —that the American Sunday-School Union will endeavour, in reliance upon the aid and blessing of Al mighty God, to plant, and for five years sustain, Sabbath-schools in every neigh borhood (where such schools may be do sired by the people, and where in other respects it may be practicable) within the bounds of the states of Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia and Alabama, the District of Columbia, & the Territory of Florida.” The Society lias formed during the last year 2,999, schools, embracing 13,118 teachers, and 45,688 scholars. And has had a steady annual increase for tlie nine years (of its existence) of 1,600 schools, 12,000 teachers, ami 84,000 pupils. The receipts of the Treasury (including $52, 015 73, borrowed) amount t 05127,379 55; and the expenditures to $120,002 23; leaving in the Treasury $777 32. Lau dable efforts are making in the great val ley. They close their report as follows. “ Ought not the influence of the Ameri can |>eople, and especially the American church, to be more widely felt by the na tions oftheearth? A restless spirit of in quiry; a desire for knowledge and liberty, are awakened and are gaining strength in every part of the world. As ancient hab its arid associations are broken up, new wants and new facilities for supporting them arc disclosed. The light ofthe morn ing spreading silently abroad, and sending its unbidden and often unwelcome beams into the caverns and secret places of the earth, but faintly illustrates the progress which the light of truth and liberty is mak ing at the present day; and those whom this light reaches are, at least, enough ex cited to feel the wants and seek the sup plies of an intellectual and immortal na ture. “ To meet this new combination of cir cumstances, the only adequate agency to which we can resort is the Christian edu cation of the world in its childhood ; —the universal and simultaneous training of the bodies, minds, and hearts of children, ev ery where, to the service of the Lord Je sus Christ, and of course to the most effi cient service of mankind, savage and ci vilized, heathen and Christian; and no a gency for this purpose has yet been given to man which may be compared with a good Sunday-school. “ 1. By it we establish safe and perma nent principles of conduct, such us have their origin and foundation in the constitu tion of man, as the subject of the moral government of God, and applicable alike to the Hottentot ami the Cherokee, the Greenlander and the Hindoo. We do not mean that to the universal dissemination of :hese principles, other agencies are not re quired besides the Sunday-school. Tlie Bible, which reveals and sanctions them, must be distvibuteckmiong the people of ev ery trite and tongue. Its pure doctrines and holy precepts must be declared by the example and voice of the living preacher. They must be illustrated and enforced, not in the stiff and dp- abstraction of.technical theology, but with the vividness .and sim plicity of those presen , passing scenes, which arrest the popular mind, and espe- j eially the thoughts and sympathies of cliil-j dren; and more than all “there must be that! glowing evidence of their influence which j will always appear in the temper of mind and daily deportment of such, whether in private or public life, as are really under their dominion. They must constitute the SEFTEMBER basis and strength of all systems of public and domestic education. They must be come to the soldier, (if soldiers we must have) the motive and pledge of courage & fidelity. To the sailor they must be light and comfort and protection, amidst the pe rils of the sea and the greater perils of the shore. They must be distinctly held up to view in the counting-house and at the. bar, as well as from the pulpit and tlie chamber of sickness. They must be in troduced until they are recognized and en tertained in public houses and offices; in steam-boats and stages; on warves, rail roads and canals; in work-shops, brick yards, manufactories and fields of labour; in navy-yards, asylums and hospitals; in work-houses, alms-houses, refuges and. prisons—till, like the perfections of their, divine author, there shall be no speech nor language where their voice is not heard, through all the earth and to tlie end of the world. “ 2. The principles we diffuse by means of Sabbath-schools, will secure and per petuate liberty of conscience —not consci ence abusfcd and hardened by habits of sin and unbelief; but quickened and enlight ened by a knowledge ofthe law of God, by which alone is the knowledge of sin. “3. It is by the prevalence of these principles that free inquiry becomes safe and salutary ; not the vain and presump-’ turn's inquiry of the atheist and scoffer, but that which is chastened and controled by deference to the councils of infinite wis dom. “4. Their tendency is, moreover, to settle and steady the public mind ; to for tify it against the maddening assaults of of passion and prejudice; and at the same time to enlighten and elevate it, so that it may justly and calmly estimate its rela tions, social and religious, present and fu ture. “ The machinery by which these vast foundations of public peace and prosperity arc laid, is to be prepared and directed by no faint heart, or sickly hand. It requires l the energy of the whole church arid of the whole country; and it promises to return to exert a power which shall be felt and owned arid blest in our remotest neighbor hood, and by the highest as well as the humblest of our citizens.” Right iS.tiid ofFelloYDiliip. YVenre too apt to suffer whatever par- in part of the nature of ceremony to become mere ceremony. YY’lien the eye is captivated with the splendor, and the imagination charmed by tlie appropriate ness of outward forms, the spiritual nature concealed beneath the form, and the obli gations of duty resulting from the ceremo ny arc but too rarely apprehended. Per haps this is the cause why there is so much supposed, and so little real, piety, (we do not speak uncharitably,) in the Ca tholic church. The exterior of worship is ■ so imposing, and the decorations and cere monies so gorgeous and attractive, that while the eye is filled with admiration', it transmits its full sensations to the heart; thus absorbing it and leaving no sprite for the spirit of humble devotion. At first, those terms, as they were gradually intro duced, might have fostered the kindling flame, and assisted men in lifting their sovils to heaven. But now, tlie exterior, in the grand majority of instances, is'p.pt in: stead ol the spiritual— not because the au thors ol those ceremonies designed that it ever should be so—they would have depre cated it—but from the very condition and constitution of human nature. AIT lrion -1 who have intellects do not use them, at least only in a slight degree. And al though the'cultivated student may be a;bte to dissever the form from the substance, to use tlie external merely as an aid to sug gest and enkindle the internal of worship;’ to make sense a minister of devotion rather’ than a substitute for it, it does not follow that all men can—or certainly that all men will do it. YVe have made the preceding rcmhrks merely in introduction of a few on a cere mony which is perpetually recurring aniong Christians—the right hand of fellowship. YV e call it a ceremony, because it is so— ■. an’ outward form—an observance which depends for its impressiveness, chiefly, on external form. Nothing is more common or more delightful than giving and receiv ing, or witnessing the presentation & re-, ception of tlie right hand of fellowship. Bat we sincerely doubt whether tlie the obliga tions springing from this act are often dis tinctly perceived. We doubt whether, in a church, where anew member is admitted to fellowship by the presentation ofthe right hand, every former member feels that he has come under anew relation to that new member—is laid under a different kind of obligation, and bound to a certain course of duty, in consequence of the act, to which he would not have been otherwise bound. The same is true of anew church admitted"'to an association. By the right hand of fellowship, the churches and min isters of that association pledge themselves to stand by it in weal and wo, to share its burthens and sympathize in its griefs, to watch over and pray for it, and, in its ad versity, by all reasonable and Christian ef fbris, to seek for it a return to prosperity and enjoyment. YY hether our churches and ministers are sensible of it or not, un-. der such an obligation they do come ; anti thus do they bind themselves. Perhaps this statement alone is enough to direct thought into an untravelled field, ‘ and to cause Christians to open their eyes to a beam of light that has al ways shone. But a few plain remarks, in addition, may not be out of place. In presenting the hand of fellowship to a new member, the minister acts as the'rep-