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way of life is narrow, am! trodden but by
few.
In order to this complete devotedness to
God, the apostle here advises believers “not
to be conformed to this world,” not to be j
moulded into the same fashion, not to com- j
ply with their temper and spirit, not to irn- j
itate their depraved customs and rrfcnmers. j
We would say, (not evasively,) that gam-;
mg of any description, and dancing, and !
such idolatrous amusements, are unbecom
ing for a Christian—even to be among them.
‘Pile (as’e of men discovers itself in nothing
more plainly than in their choice of-ainuse
nients. It is easy to know what these arc, !
and what is adapted to the corrupt taste of!
the carnal mind.
But let us examine the average character :
of those productions that emanate from the
Ball room, and gaining table.
ll we go to (he Ball room, we shall find 1
pride and ambition there. If we go to the I
gaming tattle, revenge, suicide, ail of which, |
Christianity is intended to extirpate from the !
human bosom, ft is true, gross, cruelty, ■
murder, and that lawless pride, ambition, i
and revenge, which trample on all the rights
and interests of mankind, are reprobaiedjbut
I would ask, who need to see vice acted in
order to hate it ? or will its being acted for
our amusement, be likely to increase our
haired of it upon right principles ? The
American emigre s, soon after the declara
tion of Independence, passed the following
motion. Whereas, true religion and good
morals are the only solid foundation of pub
lic liberty and happiness,
“Resolved, That ii be, and is hereby!
earnestly recommended to the several States, i
to take the most effectual measures for the
encouragement thereof; and for the sup-
pression of theatrical cnterliiininfmls, horse
racing, gaining, mid such oilier diversions
us are productive of idleness, dissipation, I
olid a general depravity of principles and I
manners.” Shall our National JiCgislalnre I
be more pure in morals than the church of
the living God ? .
One of the earliesudire iitm.s, Tertullian.
in the second century, says, “ (we Chris
tians) have nothing to-do with tij. garni- . ;
table, the lewdness of piav houses, or the 1
bear-gardin,” even the ••sons of clergymen J
must not he. present at plays.” Bishop
Tillotao.t. Let those who ple-ul for those
fashionable amusements hear wh.it in: has
published on the subject,— most
notoriously minister he! ?„ j V ty a. ‘’
viep. ‘l'ltcy are apt to in-oil bad principles. I
1 do not see how any person preteudinjf to i
sobriety and virtue, and especially to the
pure and holy religion of our blessed Sa
viour, ran, without great guilt and open
contradiction to his holy profession, be pie
sent a! such plays, much less frequent them j
ns too tnatvv <I. *-•>„ ,„„„i.i... . *-i. .. .. .. I
ill to he shut out of communion of Chris
tians, as they certnirjv would have been in
the first ages of Christianity-.”
There is one grand rule applicable to all
such idle amusements, and which may af
ford a pretty good lest of their propriety or
impropriety. You “ ill find this apostolic
direction in Col. 3; 17, “whatsoever ye do, J
in word or deed, do all in the name of the j
Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the !
Father, by him.” Now, can you tell me !
how ft- see a play, to dance a minuet, or-to !
play a game at earth “ in the name of the ■
Lord Jesus and to the glorv of God !” A •
good man once convinced a company of the j
folly of these things by ollY-iing to my
grace before cards, or to pray fora blessing I
oil them. The company “felt the impropri
ety, and asked him what lie was going to
do ? The good man replied, “God forbid I
1 should do anything on which I cannot j
ask his hl< ssing.’t O that divine grace may
so transform our hearts, that wc may prove
by our own experience (for nothing else |
can teach it) how happy at thing it is to be ;
wholly devoted to God.
Yours in the bonds ofChrisl.
J AMI’S FKRRYMA \. j
/’> be continued.
Anecdote of the Ret. .1 fr. .Y, ttfeton.— j
M e heard an anecdote of Nettleton, a pres- \
oyter.mi revivalist, which is apropos hero. |
A parcel of rowdies got up a hall in a neigh- \
borhood in which Mr. N. had been preach
ing with great success, and for the amuse- '•
memos themselves and others, inserted the j
revered gentleman's name at head of
the list of managets. Tin- company as- i
vembled at the time appointed. About the
hour for eommencing tbe’dance Air. N.
made liis appearance and observed to tin
company that lie perceived, from the tickets
that had been issued, that he bad been ap
pointed a manager, and therefore, lie pro
posed to open the services with prayer.—
lie then ollered up a very, affecting prayer
lor the thoughtless group ; which was
blessed ol God to the conviction of a mtin- ‘
her of those piesent, several of whom after-!
wards professed conversion, united with !
the church, and were never afterwards
found within the waits of a ball room.— [
fins anecdote we believe to be true. The I
circumstances were narrated to us in Vir-j
gtnia. while Mr. N. was laboring in tire!
county in which we then resided.
For the Cheistian Indej\
Public Reading of the Scriptures.
Til:: reading of the Scriptures bv .Minis-j
jers ft oat the Pulpit is too little attended to,
at the present day. It is very often tiie
case that the conga-gatton heats .to portion
lead except a single verse for the fwtinda- j
tion of a discourse, and the discourse itself;
is often given to show the eloquence of the!
speaker, or to prove some doctrinal point!
which, when established is of little fmpor
j lance to practical piety, or is treated of in !
such a manner as to evade the understand- !
ing of many to whom it is addressed. 1 !
am not a minister, but a hearer, and there- j
fore can have an opportunity of forming j
conclusions at leisure on the nature and val- j
tie of sermons, as they are pronounced. It j
is a mistake into which some Preachers ap- j
pear to have fallen, that theit congregations j
I c.in understand the language they use, and j
i they pour fortlt flowing sentences and from |
j excellent conclusions, which are lost upon j
| many hearers ; for a great many, though
! good men, are not good scholars. This is, j
I perhaps, not so much a fault as it is a neg- i
! led among preachers : and its effects are |
I principally tv?t by congregations at church- j
|es in the country. But I am wandering j
| from the subject on which i desired to offer
jan idea or two, which’is, as before remark-:
It'd, that ministers ought to read more of the
i Scriptures in connection with their dis
; courses, or apart from them. In support ofj
I my position I will offer tire following rea-!
! sons :
Ist. The Seiiplmes thomsclveS are more
1 valuable than any sermon, that can be de
livered from them. They aro generally i
I written in language that all can understand,
! and when read from the Pul pit they are j
sure to engage the attention of the hearers,
I and to impress the Truths which.they con
i’ vey upon their minds,
j a. A good reader, with proper tones and
i inflexions of the voice, nan often give an
audience clearer views of the meaning of a
Passage of Scripture by a single reading,
than some Ministers by an hour's preach
ing. This is especially the case where the
; rending is accompanied with a few words
! of explication or comment.
3. There is scarcely a chapter in the Bi
ble, which, when properly read hy another.
I dors not fix in the mini! of an attentive lte.tr
lor one or more ideas that he wishes to ex
! amine alone and at It-isme ; and thus public
! reading by the Minister begets in the minds
of a part, at least, of his audience a desire
to peruse and search into the meaning of
the passage privately.
4, This was the practice formerly fol
lowed by the most eminent ministers, and
jby Ghri a himself. (Luke iv. 10.)
I will conclude this short essay by giving
tt as my own opinion, that more good
would he done, if we could have fewer ser
mons on obscure points of Revelation, and
• 1
more reading of the Scriptures and com
ments upon them as a whole, ot in tliuir
connexions. S.
For the Christian Index.
Bjiiscopal Convention—Night preaching
—Confirmation and Bishop Flliolt’s
.'fddress —Missionary Sermon, Dr. Ba
con Stevens, Husks, Jpc.
The Episcopalians of Georgia held their
annual Uonvention in Augusta, last week, j
This body is very slowly increasing in size, j
The first Episcopal Church was collected
in Savannah as far bask as the lime of Ogle
thorpe, it is said. Its name is Christ's
X.'liureli. In the year 1814, they have 13
Churches, and twenty-one Ministers. The
larg ‘ proportionofthe congregations is sin all,
very small. Indeed, many churches are;
mulling mote than nuclei, around which i
they hope churches may bt: collected.— !
More of these have been formed during the i
short reign of the present worthy diocesan, i
than for years together, before lie was in- j
stalled in hi* present position. If the soil j
of Georgia bt* congenial to Episcopacy, Mr. !
Elliott’s liberality and piety will insure its
success. W e are disposed, however, to I
think unfavorably of the hypothesis. Tim I
Georgians have read more bibles than pray
er books. 1 attended night preach tug,‘and
am pleased to say that thu Ministers (lid
not “prophesy smooth things” to the peo
ple. The awful position of the impenitent
—the terrors of the law—the necessity of
repentance, and of convulsion, were the to
pics on which the preachers dwelt. They j
exhibited solemn and affectionate earnest
ness in urging men to escape for refuge to
the hope of the gospel. Some Church peo- i
I pie thought it ranting ; but their neighbors
- wished they had more of it. With others,
1 was particularly pleased with a discourse
of Rev. Mr. Pinckney of S. Caiolinn.—
This evidence of conversion, love of the
brethren, was the theme of the preacher.
rite composition was exquisitely chaste—
the Sermon was truly evangelical, exhibit-i
tug a personal acquaintance with icgeuera
tioii, and an enlarged affection tor the image !
• -s °
of Christ, whether found in tiie chureh , or,
out of it. On last Sunday, •• the holy rite
of confirmation,” as it is called, was admin
istered by the Bishop to 12 white and 2
colored-candidates. The address of Rev.
Mr. Elliott, it is said, was characterized by
simplicity, much earnestness, and great
lailhfuln ss. He did not spare the hypo
crite, w ho mumbled his prayers in the sanc
tuary with apparent sanctity on one day,
and entered the hall room the ensuing night
in great glee. He insisted upon a complete
separation front life world—that he who I
wedded Christ must he divorced from all
improper affection, lie declared, that God
being his helper ho would he faithful to
them as their Bishop in reproving their sins.
and in urging then'! to walk •* in the strait ’
and narrow way.” His address was in j
season. It has been supposed by some, 1
that the good brothei had an inkling of what;
has happened here, not a ago. On !
Sabbath evening the Missionary Sermon
was preached by I)r. BaCon, Stevens, of
Alliens. He is the contemplated historio
grapher of Georgia, and exhibited some of
the qualities of the historian, though it is
thought he was defective iri one essential
quality, faithfulness. This however may
be attributed to his anti-Catholic or High-
Church optics. Willi them he saw a sor
ry picture of Georgia—worse, an absolute
ly terrific one. Our State moral des- i
olation. Aeeoiding to the I&v. historian, ’
there was only one ministerlo 7 counties j
; and for every 55,000 people. This is hor
rible. “Mirabile diciu.” Upon this show- ’
1 ing, he called on true churchmen to contii- 1
I bute their money to tend abroad'the mission- i
1 ar y (Episcopal) that the people might have j
;dm bread ol life, and not feed.on husks.— ‘
Think of this, Mr. Editor—husks. -We
tiope the gentleman will, before lie issues j
his work, addict himself to thf bible. We ;
would suggest to him likewike, the ques
tion, whether it accords with”high church I
courtesy to speak of the !
incans employed in his Diocesans eonvei
; a ion—to say nothing of some dozen or !
; more of his brother priests in this and the ;
’ neighboring diocese ? If by “basks,” he !
meant the ministrations of other Christians,
lie is not only wanting in Christian courtesy, j
but m Christian feeling, Paul rejoiced that
Christ was preached though some did so
llnougli envy, and sonic through contention.
Perhaps, Paul might have felt with the Dr. j
if he had not loved Christ ‘above his chief
j ( >y-
The Dr.’s illiberality was feittho more,
because the public weie invited to attend;
it then became instill. This is the only
circumstance that marred the interest which
other Christians felt in the meetings of our
brethren of the Episcopacy. The Dr. is a
young preacher ; with more zeal than pru
deuce—by and by he may d<> boiler.
* If.
A Sabbath School Lrs^h,
I he following is from a supurintendant
°f >’ Sabbath School. We hope lie will
continue to attend to tin.- department and
forward communications for it.
i
Bro. Baler— Sir, thinking that some
person might derive peculiar benefit from
reading or having in recollection a few pas
sages of Scripture in proof of the final states
of men. I have selected froni'fliu Sabbath
School Class Book the following questions
and have given the full answirsjn Scrip
ture.
. THE FINAL STATES OF •MEN'.
1. Dcsc ribo the contrast in thu tleaili o(
the lighteotis and the wicked.
1 lie wicked is driven away in his wick
edness: but the righteous hath hope in his
death.
\\ hat prospect opens to a dving saint.
l'or we know that it our earthly house
; of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have
| ‘ building of God, an house not made with
| hands, eternal in the heavens.
Describe his triumph in death.
O death where is thv sting, i O gravo
where is thv victory-. The sling of death
is sin, and the sliength of sin is the law
But thnnksdie to God which givetli ns the
victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
■L What is said of the resurrection of the
dead ?
And many of them that sleep in the dust
iof the eartii shall awake. Some to ever
; lasting life, and some to shame and eveikist
i lll g contempt. And have hope toward God
j which they themselves also allow,that thene
shall be a resurrection of the dead both of
’ the just and unjust.
i 5. Repeat Paul’s description of the saints’
! resurrection?
For the Lord himself shall descend from
■ heaven with a shout, with the voice of the
I archangel, and with the trump of God airtl
the dead in Christ shall rise first.t
Blessed and holy is lie that hath part in
the first resurrection: on such the second
death hath no pnwci, hut they shall be
priests of God and of Christ and shall reign
with him a thousand years.
l>. State some proofs of a day of judg
ment.
Rejoice, 0 young man, in thy youth, and
let thy heart cheer thee in the days of thv
j youth, and walk in the way sos thine heart,
and in the sight ot thine eves : but know
thou that for all these things God will bring
thee into judgment. Because lie hath ap
pointed a day in which he will judge the
world in righteousness by that man whom
he hath ordained, whereof he hath given
assurance unto all men, in that he hath rais
ed him fiom the (lead.
7. Describe the attendants ?
And before him shall be gathered all na
\ tions and he shall separate them one from
another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep
I from the goats :
i For we must all appear before the judg
-1 ment seat of Christ that everv one may re-
I reive the things done in his body accord
ing to that he hath done, whether it be good \
or bad.
eh What will Christ say to the righteous? i
Then shall the King say unto them on j
bis right hand, come, ye blessed of my Fa- j
titer, inherit tlie kingdom prepared for you ]
from the foundation of the world. ,
9. What Provision for the Saints in hea-i
ven is suited by Christ?
In my Father's house are many man
sions, if it were got so I would have told
uou. Igo to prepare a place lor you.
10. What will the presence of God ira
; part? .
Thou will shew me the path of life : in ;
1 thy presence is fullness of joy, at thy right j
hand there are pleasuies for ever more.
11. State tlte sentence which Christ will
pass on the wicked.
Then ■shall he say also unto them on the
left hand, Depart from me, ye cuised, into
everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and
his angels.
Hi. What will be the final states of the ‘
righteous and the wicked?
And these shall go away into everlasting
punishment, but liie righteous into life eter
nal.
13. How does the Bible describe the fi
nal state of the wicked ?
Ami east ye the unprofitable servant into
outer darkness : there shall be weeping and j
gnashing of teeth.
14. What will be the situation of the
Saints in heaven ?
Therefore are they before the throne of!
i God and serve him day and night in his
j temple, and he that sittelh on the throne j
shall dwell among them. They shall turn- ;
j ger no more, neither thirst any more ; nui j
! liter shall the sun light on them, nor any
j heat, l-’or the Lamb which is in the mitlst
of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead
them unto living fountains of wateis: and
! God shall wipe away ail tears from their
! eyes. A. Parishioner.
Oconee, Ga.
A Revolutionary Relic.
The following eloqtrent revolutionary
I sermon, preached on the Sept. 1777,
j the eve ol the battle ol Brandy wine, by the
Rev. Jacob Prout, to a laige portion of the
| American soldieis, in the presence of Gen.
| Washington, and Gen. Wayne, and others
ol the coniinenml army, was recently dis- !
! covered among some old papers of Majoi
John Jacob Sclioefuiyer, an officer of the :
revolmioii. It should be pursued bv every ;
lover of patriotism- #
REVOLUTIONARY SERMON.
“ i hey that take the s word shall perish ;
by the .-word.”
Soldiers and’ Country men: —We have
met this evening .perhaps lip; the last time.
We nave shared the Jon of the march, the !
per.l oi the iignt, the dismay of the re
treat—alike we hu e endured cold and hun
ger, the coniunlWy of lit- internal foe, tfm! i
outrage of ;Ku hir-igit We \
have sat. night after night, beside the same
campfire, shared the .-.aim.- rough soldie-s’ !
fare, we have together heard the roll of the
reveille, which called.ti3 to dim-, or tin
hjSsibf the tattoo, which gave the signal
for tha hardy sleep of the soldier, with the ;
earth for ins bed, the knapsack for his pil
low.
And now, soldiers and bietlrren, we have
nrct in the peaceful valley, on the eve of 1
battle, while the sunlight is thing away be
yond yonder heights, the sunlight that to
morrow morn, will glimmer on scenes of!
blood. We have met, amid the whitening
tents of our encampment; in times ofter-I
ror and gloom, have we gathered together
—Goil grant it may not be for the last time.
It is a solemn moment. Brethren, does’
not the solemn voice of nature seem to echo !
die sympathies of the hour? The flag of j
our country droops heavily front yonder 1
stall, the breeze has died away along the
green plain ol Cftadd's ford —ihe plain
that spreads before ns. glistening in sun i
light—the heights of the Brandywine arise j
gloomy and grand beyond the waters of i
yonder stream, and all nature holds a pause
of solemn silence, on the eve of thu up-!
roar, .of the bloodshed and strife of to-inor
row.
•“ They that t ike the sword shall perish :
hy- the sword.”
Ami have they not taken the sword?
Le; the desolate plain, the blood-sodden- (
cd valley, the burned farm house, blacken
ing in the sun, the sacked village and rav
aged town, answer—let the whitening!
bones ol the butchered farmer, strewn a
lotig the fields of his homestead, answer—
let the starving mother, with the babe cling
ing to the withered breast, that can afford!
no snsten mc-e, let her answer, with the
ilealli-ratilo mingling with the murmndnn
tones, that mark the last-struggle for life
let the dying mother and her babe Answer!
it was but a day past. and.our land slept
in the light of peace. War was not here
wrong was not here Fraud, end wo,
and misery,'and want, dwelt not among us.
From the eternal solitude of the green
woods, arose the b'ue smoke of the set-
tier’s cabin, and golden fields f corn look
ed forth from amid the waste of the wilder
neSs, and the glad music of human voices
awoke the silence of the forest.
Now! Gotl of mercy, behold the e.liange!
Under the shadow of a pretext, under the.!
sanctity of the name of God, invoking the
Redeemer to their aid, do these foreign
hirelings slay our p-ople! They throng
our towns, they darken our plains, and
now they encompass our posts on the love
ly plain of C.’hadd’s Ford.
“They that lake the sword shall perish
1 by the sword.”
Brethren, think me not unworthy of be
| lief, when 1 tell you that the doom of the
i British is near! I Itink me nofvain, when
j 1 tell you that beyond the cloud that now
enshrouds us, 1 see gathering thick and
j fast, the darker cloud and the blacker storm
of a Divine Retribution!
They may conquer us on to-morrow!—
Might and wrong may prevail, and we
may be driven from this field—but the)
hour of God’s own vengeance will come! !
Aye, if ill the vast solitudes of eternal
space, if in the heart of the boundless uni- 1
verse, there throbs the being of an awful
iGod, quick to avenge, and sure to punish
I guilt, then will the man, George of Bums- j
lui, k. called King, feel in his brain and in
j his heart, the vengeance of the eternal Je
i liovah! A blight will be upon his life—a
I withered brain, an accursed intellect; a
| blight will be upon his children, and on his
! people. Great God! how great the pun
ishment!
A crowded populace, peopling the dense
towns where the man of money thrives,
while the laborer starves; want striding a
mong the people in till the forms of terror;
jan ignorant and God defying priesthood
| chuckling over the miseries of millions; a
j proud and merciless nobility adding wrong
to wrong, and heaping insult upon robbery
and fraud; royalty corrupt to the very heart; j
1 aristociacy rotten to the core; crime and j
want linked hand in hand, and tempting
men to deeds of wo and death—these are ;
a part of the doom and retribution that!
i shall come upon thu English throne and the)
; Eugl.sh people!
Soldiers! 1 look around upon your famil
iar faces with a strange interest! To-mur
row morning we will all go forth to battle
—for need 1 tell you that your unworthy
minister will march with you, invoking
God’s aid in the fight?—we will march
lurth to bailie! Neeil I exhort you to light
the good tight, to light for your homesteads,
j ami lor your wives and children?
My friends, 1 might urge you to fight, by
t lie galling memories of British wrong!—
Walton—l might tell you of your father
butchered in the s.l. nee of midnight on the
| plains ol Trenton—l might picture his gray
; hairs dabbled in blood—l might ring his
j death shriek in your ears. Shelmire, 1
i might teli you of a inodifr butchered, and a
i sister outraged—life lonely farm-house, the
! night assault, the roof in {! ones, the shouts
!of the troopers, as they dispatched their
| victims, the cries lor mercy, the pleading)
jof innocence for pity. 1 might paint this!
all again in the tumble colors of the vivid!
reality-, it 1 thought - your courage needed I
imrli wild excitement.
But 1 know you arc strong in the might
‘< of the Lord. You will go furlii to battle
j “u the morrow with light hearts and deter
mined spiiits, though the solemn duty—
| the duly of avenging the dead—mav rest
| heavy on your souls.
And itt the hour of battle, when ’all a
) round is darkness, lit bv the lurid cannon I
i glare, ami the piere ng musket (lash, when-j
! d |e wounded strew the ground and the dead j
j litter your path, then remember, soldiers.)
| that God is with you. The eternal God
; fights/ot you—lie rides on the battle cloud,
lie sweeps onward with the march of the
! hmricunu charge—God, the Awful and tit**|
1 lor you, ami you will iri-1
i umph. : *
“ 1 h-;v that take the sword, shall perish i
I by the sword.”
You have taken the sword,but not in the!
■ spirit <>f wrong and ravage. You have ta-!
! ken the sword for your homes, lot your I
|wives,.for*yuir little ones. You have ta-!
I ken the sword for truth, lor justice and
■ right, ad to yon tlie promise t-, !>u of good I
| cheer, for your foes have taken the sword!
in defiance of all that man holds dear, in I
1 blasphemy ol GoJ—iltev shall perish bu\
j the sword. “
And now, brethren and soldiers, I bid
yon all farewell. Many of us mav f-tU in!
lilt; fight of to morrow —Go ! rest lite souls I
j"I l 'e la'len—many of as may- live to teli I
. the story ol the fight ot to-morrow, and itt ;
; the memory ol all will ever rest ami linger j
I the quiet scene of this autumnal night.
Solemn twilight advances over the val-!
; lev; the w oods on the opposite heights j
fling their long shadows over the green of
the meadow—around us arc the tents of the
continental host, the suppressed bustle ft
j the camp, the hurried tramp of the soldiers
m and IVo among llu> loots, the stillness and
j silence that marks the eve of battle.
[ When we meet again: mav the long
I shadows ol twilight he flung over a peace
ful land.
God in heaven grant it.
Let us pray.
Prayer ok the Rkvoi.itiov
Great Father, we bov.- before thee- We
invoke thy- blessing, we deprecate tliy
| wrath; we return thee thanks for the past,
;we ask thy aid for the future. For we are
i ill time ol trouble, oh. Lord! and -ore beset
! by toes, merciless and unpitying, the sword
: gleams over our land, and thu dust of the i
soil is dampened with the blood of our!
neighbors and friends.
Oh! God of merev, we prav thv bless-!
! ing on the American arms, Mu ku the man!
i of our hearts strong tit thv wisdo i ; bless,
we beseech, with renewed life and strength,!
our hope, and Thy instrument, even George ■
Washington—shower Thv counsels on the;
I honorable, the Continental Congress; visit
f the tents of ‘our host, eoniffnt the soldier
: in his wounds and afifietiotw-, nerve him
for the fight, prepare bin* far rite hour of
death.
And in the hour es defeat, oh! God of j
hosts, do thou be ourstary.and ir.olic hour!
of triumph be tlioy our guide.
Teach US' to lie men-M’uF. Though the!
memory of galling wrongs be at otir hearts, j
knocking for admittance, that they may fill i
us with desires ol revenge, vet let- us, O! ’
Lord, spare the vanquished',* though tliev j
never spared us, in tl-err hour of butchery |
and blood-shed. And, in the hour of death. |
do thou guide us into the abode prepared
for the blest; so shall wc return thanks un
to thee, through Christ onr RcdeenVer.— !
God prosper the Cause —Amen.
The above is truly eloquent. As the ncl
; dress of a patriot ami nominal Christian,!
we cannot but admire it, but as the sermon
of a minister of the gospel of Chii-t, we
, are pained to find it radically defective.—
There is no reference to the Saviour, or to
! the necessity of examining the heart and
j seeking to prepare it for lite or death; no
exhortations to repentance for past sins and
tthe exercise, of a living faith in the Son of
God. A promiscuous soldiery tire address
ed, as though they were all Christians, tire
peculiar favorites of heaven and sure of di
vine approbation, whether they fell in the
t- tiled field or survived the day of battle,
j Sitcli a sermon was well calculated to in
! spire hopes of success in the approaching
conflict; but it was equally well calculated
to produce the erroneous impression, that
heaven was sure to all who fell in the field
of battle lighting valiantly for their conn
try’s liberties. l\thr was the only Sa
viour held forth to their view. Alas, for
j such preaching! while it stimulati s the
hearer to resist a temporal enemy, who has
i powei only to destroy the body, it insrnsi
j bly lures him into the snares of the devil,!
j tjie enemy of his soul! While tho c e who ;
| attack the fabric without, are boldly and in
i dignantiy repelled, a secret door is open to
; the sly- insiduous foe, who seeks not so
: much the demolition of the external fabric.
,as the destruction of live inmate! How
inneh of the preaching of the present day
is of a similar character!
V E N F I E LD.
FRIDAY, MAY 17, 184-1.
Onr Absrnce.
We shall necessarily be absent fiom our
post a few weeks, and respectfully solicit
the indulgence of our subscribers. • As we
shall be compelled to take our books with
us, it will be impossible to give the time to
which those pay who may make remittan
ces during our absence.
We had to leave before the inside of this
paper was sent to press. Our publisher
will do the best he can in our absence.
Onr State Convention.
Our Slate Convention meets to day at
: Cave Spiing, in Floyd County. We pre
j SR, ‘t ‘-o our rentiers the report of the dele
j. gates fiom our Stale who attended the Tri
i initial Convention. We also have copied
from a Philadelphia paper the report of the
discussion of slavery at the meeting of the
Home Mission Society, which will be
found in another column.
To Correspondents.
Col.J. W. Echols was credited with $2 50.
Wc knew not where to send his paper.
It has at last been sent and he is credited
u> May ‘45. The money for W. Burrows.
Tuskegee. was received in our absence and
duly credited. Bro. A. Morgan, Edgfiehl,
C. is credited with $5, from Aug. ’42 to
Ana. 11. Bro. J. Williams to AYay ’44
as directed, the papei will now be sent
to Mrs. Rey-no ds and J. R. Prescott, they
have been credited to May ‘45 ami A. C'ars*-
well to ‘44, the month being unknown to
tis. From what office was Ids pap*.-.trans
h rreil to Augusta? or tvas it not transferred?
ru. Vy . V, . Jordan is credited to Jan. ‘46
ami the correction was noted in air editorial
a lew weeks since.
f ••//,) Wo ten?runs.—Several n| -he** aro
0,1 h:*ntl- Some of them must li*- an ihe
table until we can work up the awitiral
’ ! -i,!. iu type. Thu report of she S. S.
(.’ mention in Maeon lias been-thankfully
received and will be publish; and, as
ted, as soon as the “Address” is seveived.
Improved Cnfreliis*.
I- proposed to publish two oe-s edi
tions of this valuable S.ibbalh School hook,
in one of which passages of scripture shall
he added, sustaining the co*tness of the
answers, and in the other, **ad.!ition mere
ly of the references. Witt not th rhnrch
es subscribe- each |,,r several dozen of the
improved edition, and thus
agement to go forward in tit* wa/k and se
cure the proprietor against loss? Wt; cor
dially approve of this Uateehism for chil
dren who have in.-vde some advances ill
learning, hut lor the youngest Hass some
thing in the style pf rite Majhers’ Cate
ehisnt’is needed.
The Alrthodbi Sgutbl Conference.
I his body, which meets only once in
| lour year?, commenced i session in X.
\oik on ihe Ist m.*t. It -jras expected that
| it would con tine* in session several weeks.
For the Christian Index.
CnvMßnei, April 29, 1811.
Dear brother Haiti — | wish to propose
a question, tlvroruth, your paper, for some
,of your ;tF>le contribwon to answer.
W h it should be dVme with a church pro
cessing to be believers in Christ, that will
not support their Sabbath School with the
| necessary books for its s je, (l leave out Li
! brary books.)
The above is from a young brother, who
: adds, ‘ It yon think this worthy of a place
: in the inestimable Judex, put it in and see
\if none will answer it. I do not wish to
put the task upon yon, ns I believe you
] have enough to do already.” •
j A church that neglects to supply its S.
j School with necessary books, neglects her
| duty and slights an honored privilege al
lowed- her by the great Head of the chureh,
and should be faithfully instructed in Iter
duty, and admonished, if she neglects it;
but these is no earthly power that can com
pel her to do her duty. We should be
pleased to have our correspondents reflect
and write on the subject.
Baptist Memorial.
There has been a very manifest improve*
ment in this periodical and we are pleased
to observe, that the publishers evince a
commendable determination to keep pace
with the improvements of the age. The
number for May has been received. It is
embeHished with an engraving of the sec
ond Baptist Church in the City of Rich
mond, Va. We are much gratified to
learn, from the pages of this number, that
arrangements have been made for the union
of the Baptist Monthly Record with it.—
We trust that the proprietors of the Me
morial, the Publication Society, and the
denomination at large will be benefitted by
this union.. The work is devoted to histo
ry, biography, literature and the statistics of
the denomination, and is published month
ly at the low price of 81 00 per yeq r , or-