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JOSEPH S. BAKER— Editok.
VOL. XIV.
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For the Christian index.
CHURCH.
The Greek noun ekklesia, which our
translators have been pleased to render
church-in some places, 1 Cor. xiv. 4, 5-
23, and assembly in other places, Acts xix.
32-30-41, iu the New Testament, is de
rived from the Greek verb ekkuteo, which
sifiuities, according to Donegaii, and oilier
.good Greek lexicographers, “to call forth;
to call up ; evoke as departed Spirits; to
cain%neji self, &c.” UonsequeiiUjxilie
most USMSf- and plain delinition, Oiyne
nuult. is an assembly of the peo
ple calleooigether, or collected together by
Convention, for any definite or indefinite
purpose : whether it be for the purpose of
worshiping the Lord, Heb. ii. 12, or for
transacting the political affairs of the coun
try, Luke ii. 3, or for performing some
intiifaiy exploit, Matt. IG. or for adminis
tering justice, through the judiciary of the
government; Acts xix. 3D, or for the more
reprehensible purpose ol holding a'riot, as
brought to our notice in Acts xix, 33-41.
‘llie twelfth verso ol the second chapter
of Hebrews, which reads thus, “1 will de-
ttiv name unto my brethren, in the
oi the church will 1 sing praise ntiio
tliec,” is a tpioiaiion from* the twenty-sec
,ond verse of “the iweiny-seeoml Psal.-ii,
whero it reads, “1 will declare thy name
unto my hreilucn : in the midst of the con
gregulion will 1 praise thee;” ami in the
twenty-fifth verse of the same Psalm, “.My
piaise shall be of thee iu the great congre
gation that is, in the congregation of
toe Jews, where the multitude was a mix
ture of evory sort, both ol good and of bad.
The reader will readily perceive, that the
term ekk/esiu iu the original, and the word
church, by which it is translated in more
than thirty places in the New Testament,
leaves it very undetermined whether we
mean an assembly of rioters, or a mixed
congregation of Saints and sinners; ot
‘•ilia general assembly and church of the
first born, which tire written in heaven,”
Heb. \4i. 23; Acts xx. 28; Epli. i. 22; v.
24, 25-27 ; and which is the true ckklcsiu,
or assembly, or congregation, or chureli ol
the living God. We have commonly
heard it called “the invisible church,” be
cuiise the liicmbeis, of which it i-s compos
ed, are invisible to us, including all those
who have already gone to glory, and all
those wlio are scattered over the earth,
from the North to the South, arid from the
East to the West, and all those who shall
yet be bom. If we mistake not, some at
tempt lias been made to point out the time
and place, when and where this church
had its commencement, hut as that is more
than we feel to have the ability to do, we
are content to leave it to others, and would
bßtely assert, that it had its origin with the
first soul \f,at truly believed in the Lord
Jesus Clirist; anil | l;iS continued to the
present day, and will comi.uie till the last
soul of the Fleet of God shall t,<, brought
to life and immortality.
We have promised not to be uncharita
ble, or uncotuTeous, and we hope we shall
not be considered so to be, when we assert
that the visible church—so called because
it is an assembly of persons, who, after giv
ing satisfactory evidence to each other and
to the world, that they possess those qual
ifications required of them by the Lord Je
sus Christ; the great Head of the cuurch ;
Acts ii. 47; xiv. 23-27, unite themselves
together, publicly, and positively for the
purpose of more effectually carrying into
operation the laudable, benevolent, and
heavenly designs, of their .Master in heaven
—is as indefinite at the present day, as is
the term ekklesia or church by which it is
denominated.
Now is the time, and here is the place,
to point out more explicitly, what those
qualifications are, which are necessary to
be possessed by an individual, belbie lie is
a fit subject to fill a place in this sacred in
stitution ; but as we design giving a sepa
rate essay on a few of the most important
of these heads, we shall now simply state
some of the most prominent, am! pass on
with but little comment.
1. Regeneration, or to be born of the
Spirit, is an entirely indispcnsiblc qualifi
cation. and we might say without the fear
of contradiction, the chief of all the remain
ing.
2. A profound knowledge of, and a firm
belief in the leading doctrines of revealed
religion, is a second very important qualifi
cation to constitute an individual a member
of the visible cjturch of Christ.
3. A determination, by the grace of God
to live in perfect obedience to all the com
mandments of the Lord Jcsto Christ, is a
third qualification, and one of no little im
portance, for “if ye love ine, keep my
commandments;” eailh the Lord of life
and glory.
THE CHRISTIAN INDEX.
4 Submission to, and performance of,
the ordinances of baptism and the Lord’s
Suppei, are so particularly enjoined on
those who would be members of the visible
church of tfie Lord Jesus Christ, that I do
not see how it is, that the church and her
membeis do not take mote interest in the
investigation ol those ordinances, in order
to have them attended to iti a proper man
ner.
I lie only way in which I have been able
to account for the manifest indifference with
which those lively figures have been trea
ted, lias been by a consideration of the
growing coldness, and indifference of all
aliose who, m die pre&cnt day, name tIA
name ol the Christ. We are’
told that when “iniquity shall abound, the
love of many shall wax old.” Matt- xxiv. 15.
A knowledge of the piesent slate of
things reminds me, very forcibly, of the
frailly and fickleness of the human neart. —
We have seen husbands lose their wives,
and wives their husbands,—each, for a time,
took a melancholy delight in manifesting
their love for the deceased, by repairing to
the held the beloved object
and wnjtaiHuverii; and il they should
happen throve a poi trait of the deceased,
they would n peatedly steal it out and cast
an affectionate glance on the once beloved
features of then departed ‘companion;
“'ldle <> silent tear trickled down the cheek.
But at length they became interested in a
nother; the grave of the deceased was for
gotten ; the pnrtiail of the once beloved ob
ject was laid away in some secluded place;
and il ever seen, perhaps not seen more
than once, twice, thrice, or lour times at
most in a year, and then looked upon more
lor curiosity, than for the purpose of awak
ening any leader emotion of recollection in
tlie heart. Is not this iu some degree anal
agous to the “signs of the time” with the
visible church, from first to last ? Did not
the primitive. Christians take the greatest
delight in pnilrajtng (he burial, and , osur
rccimii.ol llieir Lord and Master by’being
■buried with him by “buplismatos (is ton
thuiUiton,” Rom. vi. 4, or by immersion
into death ? And did nut thev take the
greatest delight, in coininemora ling the Af
ing love of the Lamb of God, by the lovely
portrait which he left them in the sacrament
ol the Lord’s Supper? Not once, not
twice, not thrice, not four times iu a year,
hut every time they went together, which
was, at least every Sabbath or fust day in
the week; and we believe much of letter;
for ‘ they that JVaieit tlie Lord ipnke oftr.n 1
one to another,” Matt. iii. Iti. lint we
have become interested in anothet; in the
God, Mammon; in “covetousness, which
is idolatry.” Brethren, are these lamenta
ble tacts; or have 1 been mistaken! 1
would to God that you could say, nay,
they are not lans; lon a mistake of yours;
but 1 lear that you cannot say it and tell
the truth.
We have made the foregoing remarks on
the term ckklesin and tlu; term chinch by
which it is indefinitely translated into Eng
lish, fearing, and believing, that many of
our beloved fellow-creatures, who are bone
ol our bone and flesh of our flesh, aru too
well satisfied with the bare name of being
a chinch member: having a name to live
while they are dead. Rcvelu. iii. 1.
Reader, art thou a member of anvclmrcli?
Os what church ? Do you know, certain
ly, that you are a member of the “church
ol the first born ,” and that your name is
written in the Lamb’s book of life in hea
ven ? If you are not, let me temind you
that being a member of a visible church—
I care not what your standing in that church
may be, or by what name that church may
be called—will do you no good. Trie as
sembly may soothe your fears and bear
you, recklessly, on to everlasting perdition;
b ‘“ being visibly a member ofany assembly
or church, will never entitle you to a crown
of immortal glory, which shall be reserved
for the finally faithfully jp heaven ; kept
alo/ie by the Lord Jesus Glinst, who pur
chased it for his followers with bft heart's
blood. ELUZAI.
March 18th, 1816.
To insure the publication of Ins articles,
our correspondent must send us his name.
We do not insist on its being appended to
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have sufficient faith in us to trust us, (the
editors) with his name. Where an indi
vidual desires his name concealed, we feel
morally hound to keep the knowledge of it
to ourselves, unless justice to others re
quires its disclosure, and this can only hap
pen wheie there are reflections on others,
or statements of facts that ate contested.—
In the foregoing article we sec nothing tiiat
could either justify a call for tlie author’s
name, or render it binding on us to give it,
were it communicated and were it demand
ed. All professions have their secrets—
printers and editors, as well as doctors and
lawyets. For a writer for our columns to
withhold his name from us, is indirectly n
reflection upon our honesty in keeping the
secrets of our profession. Surely no one
can expect us to pay attention to commu
nications made in such a way as to reflect
upon our faithfulness iu keeping|those
secrets.
For the Christian Index.
The Term Bishop.
Bio. Baker, — Sir, — It has often struck
FOR THE OF TMStATE OF GEORGIA.
PENFIELD, GA„ A RILL 10, 1846.
me as a singular inconsistency, that some
are disposed to introduce the custom of
calling all pastors of churches by the name
Bishop, and lately I see that in some notices
sent to the Index they are published, and
thus we have it Bishop A. and Bishop B.
I openly protest against the term, and send
you Dr. Wm, T. Brandy’s opinion in re
gard to it, which you will please publish :
“We ha’ve been addressed several times
of late both by word and writing, with the
dignified appellation of bishop. This odd
scheme owes the currency which ilhas oo
tauifid. cnuuly Reformer,
and ‘ePm! destinerl. to become one of-jYej
features in the baptismal regeneration
The word bishop, if any one can Ijeffeve it,
is derived from tlie Gteek
which, in Lit tin is Episeopus, and detorled
into Saxon, is biscop. This natural enough,
since by dropping the e and substituting b
forp, an orthogrhphy often- observable a
rnong illiterate people even in the word
baptist, improperly spelt bablist, the word
becomes biscupus. People unacquainted
with its import would readily cut off the
us, and so make biscop of it. The transi
tion, thence, to bishop is very short and
easy. It would hence appear that bishop
is nut a translation of the original word, but
rather a coiruption of it. Tlie knowledge
which the early English obtained respect
ing the office of a bishop, came from the
Roman church in the Latin language. In
that language it means a dignified clergy
ivii.li inferiot clergy
i t lias ;
■
imliiiiis, ii .i
bidiop, a;.d Ik n a ik. . nVHBH
This fact enables us to the*
words Easter, Bishop, which
evidently favor episcopacy. Had the
word been translated, it would have been
rendered “ overseer ” in every ease,’ as il is
in some ins lances.
We are therefore of opinion, that since
the term bishop is one which Episcopacy
has appropriated to itself, and since 100 it
Jias been corrupted from tlie primitive sim
plicity of its import; Baptists should not
be very forward to adopt it as a designa
tion ol 11 1 a ministerial office. Tlie use of it
‘ooks rather too much like a disposition lo
plume one’s self with borrowed leathers.—
‘1 o call a plain Baptist preacher, who claims
no pre-eminence among his brethren, by
the imposing name of bishop, lo our ear
sounds more like the ridiculous, than the
sublime. We trust that the sound discre
tion of onr brethren will reject ptomptly,
the silly gravity by which such an innova
tion is recommended to patronage. As all
the substitutes which have been proposed
for the title of -Reverend’ appear
be exceptionable, and as ‘■llc.vejK^^
thought by many to make us too sacred and
holy, we would respectfully suggest the ab
olition of all titles, and a recurrence to the
simple cu-iom of naming ministers without
any honorary appendages.”
By referring lo the Columbian Star, it
will be seen, that brother Brandy,- a minis
ter of the gospel, ennobled whilst lie lived
by unusual talent and devotion in tlie cause
of bis divine Master, pursued the course
above given even in ordinations. Did the
apostles and firt l ministers of the gospel
ever assume such titles. They were satis
fied to be called Peter, Paul, John, &c.
A PARISHIONER.
Oconee, Ga.
For the Christian Index.
’’v-
Extracts from a MS. Volume of “One
Hundred Maxims, Illustrated in Minia
ture Sketches and Essays .”
Maxim I.—“A Constant dropping will wear
away Stones.”
Frank Harwood would continuo
his dram every morning, and some times,
also, at noon, notwithstanding the many
friendly warnings he received from his
more sober associates. Frank was a good
fellow, as every body admitted, and he w as
fond of good company and good liquors, so
that the warnings of his friends did little
good. “I’m in no danger,’’.said lie; “I’m
not the fool to throw myself away as you
all seem to fear ; I can take a dram before
breakfast, I hope, without going to bed
dtunk.” And then he would exhibit to
advantage his powerful frame, as if he
would intimate that such a constitution
could not be easily weakened or seriously
deranged by a little good liquor. Well,
Frank’s wife wotdd sometimes say a friend
ly word or heave a deep sigh when his morn
ing glass was emptied ; buthe would laugh
at her fears or hiss away her pallid looks,
and go cheerily to hi* business. By and
by, Frank had to empty two glasses every
morning, and from that to three or (bur;
his decanter was replenished very often,
and the glow upon his cheeks began to
deepen into the burning red of drunken-
ness. Stutfiose friendly warnings of as
sociates, sometimes tears —
of wife w4-npt regarded:—“he was in
no j„deed !”
’I lie/c ‘. f(H gevera i debts hanging over
T as i e | la d | o st his love for hard
work #c stirring industry, there was little
pros peel of theiL being soon paid; at least,
so Lis cl-etlitors, and they proceed
ed tosti-mer mJ ;lßUreg which ended in the
sale cfhis homJ an( ] propeity. Then with
his wiping whjj, an d little babes he was
into the world. “Will
you f w ,
Frank?” said one of
iibll .anxious to save him.
Ihe rejK- was ;ii angry bTWTnuI a halt
aj lie again sought the rum
shop ! ljn aishort time his broken-hearted
wife wife lakkn from his poor hut and dc
posiiedßn t||e cold grave; she entreated
him in laer lait horns to reform and protect
her littiY suit-ring children, and be once
more iiCpectal'le amongst men. Remorse
did gn;j/ hjs very heart strings for awhile;
but Hull is stronger Iliad Remorse, so he
.sougl j#ius aid. His fine, noble counle
uaiiet,®'d strong, stout frame were gone,
....u iiWv'as the poor, emaciated, tottering
I. runny; t Often that dreadful visitant,
Dcieiflip Tremens, looked in upon him,
contoud his body, wrung his soul, and al
most#’, k his life: yet did he not reform, he
cotihwjot then ! He must either be a mad
man e a dec'll man, for these were it is on
ly alternates— Death just before him, imul
behind ! He was in the hands of
■ whose grasp was too linn ami
K ‘broken ; so lie yielded lo bis
; :bed ! His eliililiun ucie thrown
cold charities of a bad world, and
deprived of all those kind of
ficvs# love which parents alone can be-
I 1 rank Harwood sleeps iu a drunk
ard’s grave, from which lie will one day be
raised to give an account of his dark actions
while ‘iving !To be Continued.
j, For the Christian Index.
The Nature ami Importance of a Useful Life.
Lil; is a solemn introduction to the great
PL'ge of eternity, and it was said by Goethe
■ !;A ‘4*1.0 scenes change, but we never quit
tile Stage.” If this life does not manifest n
fulfillment of the highest purpose and desti
ny of the soul, then it becomes us carefully
to weigh tlie influence which it exerts up
on a future life, and to learn the part which
we should piny in so solemn a drama.—
Nor should we trifle and speculate, where
wo should be active and watchful. Again,
it is a beautiful and merciful ordination of
God’s wisdom, that our happiness and our
interest and our duty are me, and indivisi
ol duty always compre
hends our true interest and highest happi-
ness, a departure from one of these neces
sarily involves a derangement of the rela
tions of all.
Again; The most humble duty of the
most retired life is important, and necessa
ry; because it bears an immediate and inj's
lerious, though apparently remote relation
to those’duties, which are esteemed higher
and greater. Nor do we find that wide
separation between the little and tlie great,
which we often imagine. Perhaps, with
less enthusiasm, and more reverence, we
might be able more successfully lo study
oar present condition, and lo investigate its
present and future bearings upon ourselves
and others.
But again ; God overcomes as effectually
by us as for us, and makes us llis inslru
muents in our own advancement in grace.
Nor need we expect that lie will effect great
and glorious changes among mankind by
our labors, unless lie produce siinilai trails
within our own stubborn and
rebellious hearts. God first made Moses
himself tlie subject of strange and mighty
influences in the solitude of Mt. Horeb, be
fore lie sent lii in into the presence of Plia
rouli.
Again : we should study our intellectual
condition, that we may learn the duties of a
rational being, obtain just conceptions of
truth, acquire correct views of tlie nature
and influence of our mental powers, and
make them subservient to tlie higher and
greater faculties of our spiiitual nature.—
The mind is continually receiving and em
bodying principles, which will ennoble or
debase it, in future ages when the (earful
retribution of habit will have made resis
tance useless. Our moral condition also
requires our close investigation; because,
without the healthy exercise of our moral
faculties we sink iuto the crimes, and igno
rance of an uncilized life.
Again: a disobedience to the laws of our
physical constitution makes us the victims
of premature decay, and the unconscious
instruments of our own uselessness, and
unhappiness*. DELTA.
YOUTH’S DEPAROIKNT.
No. VII.
The Gardener and the Gambler.
Gambler. Good morning uncle Charhs.
Gardener. Good morning, sir.
Gam. What! are you always to be
delving and toiling in this little spot? and
that 100 iu tlie cultivation of trifles?
Gar. Yes. My life will probably be
spent mostly in tins little spot nursing tri-
Hes, you call them. But, sir, perhaps a
round or two in my garden might be ser
viceable to you, trifling as it appears. Will
you walk ?
Gum. Thank you. 1 have no objec
tion.
Gar. -incline ly the right. Let me show
you nty cabbage.
Gam. Well indeed ! these are fine !
Early Yotk I suppose.?
Gar. Yes.
Gam. How have you succeeded in
bringing them to iiiaitn^^so,early ?
Gar. By digging deep,,manuring well
and sowiug good se. il early.
Gam. What species of turnips are these
that grow so finely ? and how did you suc
ceed iu growing so fine a crop ?
Gar. Early Dutch. They have been
brought on by tlie same process that the
cabbage were—deep digging, manuring and
good seed early sown.
Gam. Well indeed! if you do labor,
you have some profit. But uncle Charles,
what bed is that on the left, with such ten
der luxuriant little growth?
Gar. Ah ! that is asparagus, a rare ar
ticle, just now come to perfection, alter two
or tinee years care and labor.
Gum. Well, now we’ve come to some
of your trifles—that bed of roses—those
pinks and oilier flowers, what say you a
bout them, old man ?
Gar. I have something to say about
them too. character, young man,
your profession and your habits are not un
known lo me, and 1 have sought this op
portunity to teadi you a useful lesson, sim
ply with my vegetables and flowers, for 1
give lessons out of the book of nature. —
Will you bear with me while 1 proceed ?
Gam. Go on.
Gar. This world is blit a garden.—
Human beings are its plants.—ln a state
of nature they yield neither fruit nor flow
ers to glotify llieir Creator—bulunder pro
pot culture, both.
The cabbages and turnips you first no
ticed are no extraordinary or Jmiraculous
pioduotioii, out just rue!) as naturally re
sult from tile course of labor bestowed upou
ilium. As excellence is not liie result of
chance in tlie vegetable kingdom, neither
is it iu tlie animal. So in due season, tlie
man whose mind lias been early prepared,
before tlie poisonous weeds of vice and
idleness have taken possession of it, and
lias received tlie good seeds of useful knowl
edge and virtuous habits, will do honor lo
himself, his cultivator and his Maker.
Would a man excel in any fine art or
science? Let nim remember that rarities
grow not on every bush. As I have labor
ed for my asparagus, and as my babors are
crowned, so must lie labor and so will he
teap his reward.
As lo those flowers you last noticed,
they beautify and adorn my walks, perfume
the air with their odors, variegate tlie scen
ery, bespeak die wisdom of the hand that
made them, and are raised without ex
pense. As tlie graceful accomplishments
of a gentleman ornament Ins usefulness, so
do they crown with their beauties and
sweetness the surrounding vegetables of
more substantial kind.
Gam. Your remarks appear very rea
sonable.
Gar. Give attention then to my clos
ing words.
Do you see yonder, without the wall,
that poisonous vine entwined around the
body of that oak, and insinuating itsell a
mong the brandies ? Its appearance is de
ceptive T!ioiigli,liamlsou>o Wrffjipeaeance,
its very tniii |i nates and poisons.—
Iy draws sustenance from soil belonging to
better growth. Its poisonous wreaths en
twine tlie generous stock that supports it,
and will finally rob it of its very life.—lt
bears no fruit, docs no good, but injures or
destroys every tiling associated with it.—
Shunned by the- animal creation, and un
welcome to the vegetable, it is a emnherer
of tlie ground.—How very like tlie Gam
bler! Wilt thou longer be one ?
Gam. I will reflect on tlie subject.—
Adieu.
From the Alabama Baptist.
DOMESTIC MISSIONS.
“Where there is a will there is away” is
an old proverb containing much truth.—
When tlie heat t is fully’ set upon tlie aceom-
plisliment of an object involving interests
important to us or to those dear to us,
schemes are devised with that skill and
piosecuted with that vigilance and industry
which neither formidable power, violent
opposition, embarrassing difficulties nor
distressing poverty can defeat. Ihe Chris
tian church has, in all its vie. shades, fur
nished many illustrious examples of this
character in defending and sustaining the
gospel. The present period is not without
them. There are many whose attachment
to Christ is so strong the ardor of their
love to his cause so great, that nothing can
deter them from doing something tp make
his love known to poor sinners.
One of these btigbt examples came tinder
Publisher— BENJ. BRANTLY.
my observation a few days since. I men
tion it with the hope that many others may
be benefilted by it. During the exercises
of last Sabbath, at a neighboring church, I
piesented th plans, wants and the field of
operations of the Board for Domestic Mis
sions. .Making no public collection on the
occasion, I visited, the next two days,
from house to house soliciting donations
and subscriptions. The manner with
which the brethren received me, the cheer
fulness and liberality with which they gen
erally gave their support, the pious feeling
that accompanied the work of their hands,
added much to the pleasure of my visit,
and the encouragement of my heart.
There was cue case of peculiar interest.
Such instances of sacrifice and devotion to
the cause of Christ awaken pleasing emo
tions in the breastsofall who love the Lord’s
work. This man has contended with ad
versity and poverty during the last few
years, his head is frosted with age, he is
lipcning for the grme and for heaven.—
Though poor, he has a liberal soul; and
“a liberal soul deviseth liberal things.” He
‘old me that since bearing my statements
of the destitution of our own country, fie
had been studying a plan to do something
in this mallei, vi/ ; He Hail a piece ofground
containing about twownd a half acres winch
lie would plant in cotton, ami the proceeds
of it should be devoted to the cause -rinis
sions. With the ordinary blessing ol Goa
it will produce a bale of cotton, which, at a
low estimate, will sell for thirty dollars.-
This certainly will be a liberal donation for
a poor man. llow many who make one,
two, three and four hundred bales of cotton,
put in the plea of poverty a* an excuse for
doing nothing for the cause of missions.
Tlie above is not the only instance of this
poor man’s sympathy for the destitute. —
He lias been known to deprive himself of a
portion of his sleep, and employ the time
in making shoes to procure something to
cast into the treasury cf the Lord. If all
Christians would make equal exertions and
exercise like self denial, there would be no
want of means to send the gospel to all the
world.
KUSSEL HOLMAN, Cor. Sec.
B. D. M. S. B. C.
Gospel Light. —Gospel light now shines
in the South Sea islands. A missionary,
in one of the islands, preached from the
text, “Let him that stole, steal no more,”
Eplt. tv. *JB.—The next morning, when he
opened bis door, he saw a number of the
natives silling on the ground before his
dwelling- He asked what made them sit
there so early. They said, “We have no!
been able to sleep all night: we were in
the house of God yesterday: we thought,
when we were pagans, that it was right to
steal when we could do it without being
found out. Iliro, the god of thieves, used
to assist us. Hut we heard what you said
yesterday from the word of God, that the
Lord had commanded that we should not
steal. We have stolen, and all these things
that we have brought with us are stolen
goods.” Then one of them lifted up an
axe, a hatchet, or a chisel, and cried, “I
stole this from a carpenter of a ship,” naine
ing the vessel: otheis held tip a saw or a
knife ; and, indeed, almost every kind of
property was 1.-ought and shown with
similai confessions. The Missionary told
them to take the stolen goods home, and
restore them to the owners when an oppor
tunity should occur. They all said, “Oh
no! we cannot take them back; we have
bad no peace ever since we heard it was
displeasing to God, and we shall have no
peace so long as they remain in our houses;
we wish you to take them, and give them
hack to the owners whenevei they come.”
The influence of Christian truth, as seen *n
their conduct, much encouraged the mis
sionaries in their work.
Let us now turn to another part of the
world, and trace the gospel light as it has
“begun to shine in New Zealand. An Eng
lish carpenter, who was building anew
church at one of the stations, engaged a na
tive convert, promising to pay him for his
labor. As soon as the native had finished,
lie went to the carpenter for his waees;
hut one of the woikmen told him to go
away, and then struck and kicked hitn verv
cruelly while lying on the ground. The
native Christian bore it all patiently; but
when theollier had ceased bis cruel conduct,
lie starled or. his feet, seized him by die
throat, shook hint, and taking in his hand a
sharp tool, he brandished it over the Head
ot the trembling man. “Now,” said the
native, “you see your life is in my hand.
You owe your life to the preaching of the
gospel. My arm is quite strong enough to
kill you, and my aim is willing to kill you;
but my heart is not, because l have heard
the missionaries preach the gospel. If my
heart was as dark as it was before I heard
them preach, 1 would strike off’your head.
You owe your life to the preaching of tho
gospel.”— Chris. Ob.
Revival in France. —M. De Pressense,
agent of the British Bible Society for
France, had an application from a young
man, of weakly and timid appearance, to be
appointed colporteur. Mr. P. presented to
him the difficulties of the work. He re
plied— I have weighed them all, but it has
not moved me.’ The agent, fearing that he
might eioss the will of God by rejecting
him, consented to appoint him, but propos
ed that he should connect himself with ex
perienced laborers, and learn of them. He
consented to this, if thought best, but add
ed. ‘My heart would lead me to Bens.’-^
NO. 15.