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THE CHRISTIAN INDEX,
PUBLISHED KY LRY WEDNESDAY MORNING
AT MACON, GEORGIA,
rfY A COMMITTEE OF BRETHREN,
FOR THE GEORGIA BAPTIST CONVENTION.
*♦
TERMS OF SUBSCRIPTION,
Two Dollars in adranoc: or paid within the year.
If suffered to overrun the year, Tmo Dollar *
and oru-half will be charged in all cases.
E. W. WARREN, Editor.
\ olume 38.—.N ew Series Vol. 27.
POETRY.
The Power of Kindness.
BY WILLIAM MAXWELL.
They say this W|)lnd is bleak and cold
Its region! 4Srk and drear ;
No Paradise its climes unfold,
No stream flows full and clear.
They tell how thorns infest the ground,
* How flowers refuse to grow ;
Aud trace through all their lurid round
The scene of human woe.
They call the rustling of the breeze
. Preludes of war and strife;
Destined upon the heart to freeze,
Chilling the vein of life.
moves a genial sphere,
JVPPBVpe the wreck is strowa ;
% A little “world of bliss is here,
Tljat kindness calls her own.
A cordial here revolves around
The altar of the breast;
A calm where lullabies are sung
To give the spirit rest.
’Tis kindness strikes the welcome strain,
And calls the wanderer nigh ;
Diffusing all the bright domain,
With sweet3 that never die.
Beat on ye tempests fierce and drear,
Forth let your arrows fly;
But kindness wipes the falling tear,
And bids the cheek be dry.
She speaks and wild dissensions cease,
And clamor slays its rage ;
In her fair book the law of peace,
Is stamped on every page.
The spirit’s ire, the heartfelt wound,
Kindness alone can heal;
Stiil may it run its genial round,
Till all its influence feel.
Till amity and quiet meet,
In friendship’s favored walls;
And love shall breathe a fragrant sweet, *
For every tear that falls.
CONTRIBUTIONS.
Hatchet Company.
Well, brother “0. I). M,” I have
thought over that proposition for form
ing an Axe Company, and it strikes
me as being right, as far as it goes. It
the thing eau he properly arranged,
then all our warlike spirits will have
au opportunity of gratifying their long
cherished desire for indulging their
bellicose feelings, and can march into
the field with the very weapon which
has been consecrated by crusades and
crusaders. What a formidable host
that will be when fully made up ! And
I am sure recruits will come in rapidly.
The young man, of course, will come
and join, and, I presume, some whose
“heads are silvered o’er with age,” will
gladly embrace so fine au opportunity
tor showing their devotion to the Great
Captain. And then that was a thought
so happy, naming the commander ol
the company beforehand ; for had that
been delayed until the host was made
up, there might possibly have been
some diversity of opinion as to who
should fill this important post, especial
ly if the selection had to be made from
the company itself. It was just the
thing, then, to devolve the command
upon one whose claims to the position
are unquestionable ; for now there can
be no contention about that. But
while your arrangements are good as
far as they go, I think they are in some
respects defective. There are some of
us, who have become infected with the
war spirit, that are utterly unable to
fiourish one of those heavy axes; and
for our accommodation, I propose that
a hatchet company be formed, as a
sdrt of reserve corps to the axe men,
and, should you accept the amendment,
I think the thing will then he fixed.—
But you ask, “what service ctmld yon
render with yonr hatchets ? George
Washington-fike, you would no doubt
chop aud spoil the cherry trees in the
King’s garden.” No, no, but hear me
through, and then you will see the
wisdom of the ameudment. You speak
of tiie axe-men “slaying the little foxes
which destroy the grapes.” We pro
pose to take this oil’ your hands ; and
there would then be a propriety in the
thing all around. Little hatchets, lit
tle arms to wield them, and little foxes
to be slaiu. Come, now, you certainly
must give in to this arrangement, aud
then the axe-men can turn their atten
tion wholly to the lions, bears, and
wolves, while we, the hatchet-boys,
turn our weapons against the foxes and
other “small fry,” aud thus we may all
do good service to the King. “But
who,” say you, “is to be your captain ?”
We’ll fix that. We will place ourselves
under the commander of the axe-men,
and, by your permission, march in the
rear. Another suggestion I would
make, if you do not think I have al
ready turned your proposition into an
“Omnibus Bill.” The leader of the
enemy is one captain Ambition, a gi
gantic fellow, and said to be great on a
dodge ; and I fear that when he shall
find himself hard pressed by the King’s
troops, he will, at some time, take ad
vantage of our commander’s absence,
to slip into vour host and claim to be
First Lieutenant, and thereby get the
command, as being the senior officer
present. Should such an event hap
pen, what’s to.be doue? that’s the
question. I know you can’t slay him
with the big axes, for that’s been tried,
times out of mind. The truth is he is
always sure to provide himselt with the
biggest axe in the crowd, and in a
hand-to-hand fight he can withstand
the most valorous 1 knights. Onr hatch
et company must do the work for him.
Come, now, don’t laugh at our pre
sumption, for I will show you how the
thing’s to be done, and done hand
somely. You will understand, then,
that oar hatchets are to be of various
• • c
kinds. One, in imitation of the axes,
we will call Love, another Joy, another
Peace, another Long Suffering, an
other Gentleness, another Goodness,
another Faith, another Meekness, an
other Temperance, and the last, but
not unworthy of a place amongst the
hatchets, is Humility. Well, when
this usurper gets in, and thinks to be
tray the King’s troops into the hands
of their foes, we shall send against him
a weak looking lad, armed with the
hatchet called Humility, and he will
despatch this giant as easily and as
quickly as David did the famous Go
liah. Here are my amendments, what
do you think of them ? Shall the
hatchet company be formed ? Come,
now, ‘don’t get off on the sliding scale,’
but give us a favorable response, for
we feel the war spirit tingling in our
fingers’ ends and if you do not encour
age our zeal while so highly stimula
ted, it may ooze out, and then the
hatchet company will never he known
to fame. I am to carry the hatchet
Gentleness, both because it suits my
nature best, and because it will be less
likely to bring villainous blows upon
one’s head in return from the enemy.
Yes, I must have this hatchet, or, as
the politicians used to say of “54 40,”
“fight.” RUPERT.
*♦
The Support of the Ministry.
The ministerial office and work, is
the highest and most important of all
others. It is the foundation, so to
speak, and the source of all our civil
and domestic privileges. Therefore the
gospel ministry has higher claims upon
us for support, than any or all other
institutions put together. Why is it
then that very few churches pay as
much aunually to support their pas
tors, as they pay taxes for the support
of government ? Why is it, that church
members pay more sparingly to the
support of ministers of the gospel,
than they do to persons pursuing any
other profession, or occupation ? thus
bringing the office of the ministry in
low repute; in value placing it be
neath every other calling, while God
in his word places it far above all oth
ers, and requires that we should esteem
his ministers “ve*| highly in love for
their work’s sake. Should not every
church claiming to jfea church of Jesus
Christ take into serious consideration
the obligation enforced by the law of
God, to maintain and support His
Embassadors? aud should not every
church member consider his individual
obligation to support his pastor ? Let
each one calculate the advantages he
derives to himself to his family, and
to the community in which he lives, by
the labors, the example and pious in
fluences of a devoted pastor. Let him
consider what his condition woujd be
with all other advantages, if left des
titute of the above blessings. Let him
remember that God has ordained that
his servants who labor in preaching the
gospel, shall live of the gospel; and that
he has made it the duty of those who
hear the gospel and are instructed in
its truths, to communicate a living to
those who preach. “Let him that is
taught in the word communicate to him
that teacheth in all good things.” Gal.
G : G. See also 1 Cor. 9 ch. 7t014 v.
inclusive ;*also 2 Tim. 2 : G.
The above may be argued upon the
principles of common justice. Is it
just and right that I should receive
from a minister, a pastor of ray own
choosing, the benefit of his labors,
which may include study, preparation
by meditation, traveling, preaching,
together with the actual expenses in
the purchase of books, paper, clothing
traveling equipage, Ac., Ac., and pay
him nothing? or if anything, a small
mite under the idea of charity, less
perhaps than I spend annually for To
hacco, Segars, or some comparatively
useless beverage or luxury ? But how
shall we determine the amount we
should contribute ? The N. Testament
rule is, to give according to what we
have, according as God has prospered
us. If we possess but little, little is
required of us; the widow’s mite is as
acceptable to the Lord as the abun
dance of the rich. As it is left to us
to tax ourselves we shonld try and he
sure to do enough, as there i3 more
danger of doing too little than too
much. If we bestow bountifully God
has promised to reward us. “The lib
eral soul shall be fat;” “he that wa
tereth shall be watered also himself.”
“He that sowetli sparingly shall reap
also sparingly, but he that soweth
bountifully shall reap also bountifully.”
1 Cos. 9 : G. SAREPTA.
Love.— Love makes drudgery de
lightful. It forgets self, and lives for
others. Love outruns law, and leaves
it far behind. Not to be able and per
mitted to serve is a penalty. The
question is not ‘What must I do?’ but
‘VVliat may I do?’ To give pleasure is
its joy. To grieve its object, is to
grieve itself. Love is the secret spring
of the believer’s life; and this often
makes him pass in the world as an en
thusiast. It stops at nothing. Moun
tains of difficulty are no more to it
than plains. It clasps the cross and
kisses it. Love strengthened Mary
when the soldiers quaked with fear.—
Love kept her hovering round the se
pulchre when all the disciples were
scattered to their own homes. Love
has a joy of its own, which a stranger
cannot understand. It is fed by the
unseen spirit of God, whilst reposing
on an unseen Saviour. To lose life for
him, is to gain it. To suffer martyr
dom for Jesus, is to see him standing
at the right hand of God, waiting to
welcome his servant into glory.
The summer flowers are departing.
SELECTIONS.
Providential Interpositions.
Much ridicule has been heaped in
our age on the superstition of those
who believe that the Providence of
God is special as well as general, and
may interpose in behalf of his child
ren in the minuter duties and details
of life. It has been said even by
Christian philosophers, that God can
not be expected to suspend or set aside
the great laws of his government for
human convenience, and that such a
belief is worthy only of ignorant and
vulgar minds. We are glad to find so
eminent a writer as Dr. Mansel, in his
“Limits of Religious Thought,” confu
ting these phil>sophers by reasoning
as subtle as their own :
The course of divine Providence, in
the government of the world, is re
presented in Scripture under the two
fold aspect of General Law and Spe
cial Interposition. Not only is God
the 1 Author of the universe, and of
those regular laws by which the peri
odical recurrence of its natural phe
nomena are determined; but He is
also exhibited as standing in a special
relation to mankind; as the direct
cause of events by which their tempo
ral or spiritual welfare is affected; as
accessible to the prayers of Ilis ser
vants ; as to bo praised for His special
mercies towards each of us in particu
lar. But this scriptural representation
has been discovered by Philosophy to
be irrational. God is unchangeable ;
and therefore He cannot be moved by
man’s entreaty. He is infinitely wise
and good ; and therefore He ought not
to deviate from the perfection of Ilis
eternal counsels. ‘The religious man,’
says a writer of the present day, ‘who
believes that all events, mental as well
as physical, are pre-ordained and ar
ranged according to the decrees of in
finite wisdom, and the philosopher,
who knows that, by the wise and eter
nal laws of the universe, cause and ef
fect are indissolubly chained together,
and that one follows the other in inev
itable succession,—equally feel that
this ordination—this chain—cannot he
changeable at the cry of man
If the purposes of God were not wise,
they would not be formed :—if wise,
they cannot be changed, for then they
would become unwise. . . . The de
vout philosopher, trained to the inves
tigation of universal system—the se
rene astronomer, fresh from the study
of the changeless laws which govern
innumerable worlds, —shrinks from the
monstrous irrationality of asking the
Great Architect and Governor of all to
work a miracle in his behalf, —to in
terfere, for the sake of his convenience
or his plans, with the sublime order
conceived by the Ancient of Days in
the far eternity of the past; for what
is a special providence hut an interfe
rence with established laws ( and what
is such interference but a miracle?
Now here, as in the objections pre
viously noticed, the rationalist mistakes
a general difficulty of all human tho’t
for a special difficulty of Christian be
lief. The really insoluble problem is,
how to conceive God as acting at all;
not how to conceive Him as acting in
this way, rather than in that. The
creation of the world at any period of
time ; —the establishment, at any mo
ment, of immutable laws for the future
government of that world ; this is the
real mystery which reason is unable to
fathom, this is the representation which
seems to contradict our conceptions of
Divine Perfection. To that pretentious
perversion of the finite which philoso
phy dignifies with the name of the In
finite, it is a contradiction to suppose
that any change can take place at any
moment; —that anything can begin to
exist, which was not from all eternity.
To conceive the infinite Creator, at any
moment of time, calling into existence
a finite world, is, in the human point
of view, to suppose an imperfection,
either before the act, or after it. It is
to suppose the development of a power
hitherto unexercised, or the limiting
to a determinate act that which was
before general and indeterminate.
May we not then repeat our authors
objection in another form ? How can
a being of infinite wisdom and good
ness, without an act of self deteriora
tion, change the laws which have gov
erned His own solitary existence in the
far eternity when the world was not ?
Or rather, may we not ask what these
very phrases of “changeless laws” and
“far eternity” really mean ? Do they
not represent God’s existence as man
ifested under the conditions of duration
and succession, —conditions which ne
cessarily involve the conception of the
imperfect and the finite? They have not
emancipated the Deity from the law of
time ; they have only placed Him in a
different relation to it. They have
merely substituted, for the revealed
representation of the God who, from
time to time vouchsafes His aid to the
needs of his creatures, the rationalizing
representation of the God who, through
out all time, steadfastly refuses to do
so.
Luther’s Courage. —When Luther
was making his way to a cardinal, who
had summoned him to answer for his
heretical opinion at Augsburg, he was
asked by one of the cardinal’s min
ions, where he should find a shelter, if
his patron the Elector of Saxony, de
serted him? Under the shield of
heaven, replied the intrepid Reformer.
The silenced minion turned round and
went his way.
Friendship is sweet.
MACON, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBEE 5, 1859.
From the American BiptDt.
Baptist Progress.
Dear Brn. Brown and Duer:—l of
ten take great pleasure in reviewing
the steady progress of the Baptist de
nomination. It is now 25 years since
God led me through the liquid grave
into the Baptist church. In 1834 I
was baptized in Vermont; in 1844 I
was licensed in Virginia ; in 1846 I
was ordained in Georgia; and in 1859
I was naturalised in California. I have
wandered through twenty-three of the
United States, aud preached in my
feeble way the Gospel of Christ. Some
times I have enjoyed sweet revivals,
and baptized scores and hundreds of
converts. I am now removed from
San Juan, Monterey Cos., to Visalia,
Tulare Cos., California, where you and
all my correspondents are cordially in
vited to direct your papers or letters.
To-day i was looking over the Baptist
almanac and Methodist almanac, and
it is gratifying to see the gradual in
crease of Baptists and princi
ples within the last 20W0 years. —
It delighted me so muclj*p| I thought
it would please others alfe</who have
the Baptist cause at heart. So I
the almanacs and other Baptist works,
and made out a statistical table of our
regular progression. The almanac for
1853 was defective, in that it had no
statistical table of Baptists, so I had to
conjecture or estimate our numbers for
that year. I hope our almanacs will
be more complete for years to come.—
If all Baptists are like me they will he
delighted to see the regular progress
of Zion, not only in the United States
but throughout the world. Oh, how
thjglful Baptists and Methodists and
OMBjfehrtstiansought to he for all that
doing among us. 1858 will
long lie remembered in America for
its great Revival. Our next year’s al
manac will begin to express the returns
of that great revival, and I expect our
numbers will roll up to over 1,000.000
regular Baptists and about
irregular Baptists, including
400,000 Campbelitee, and of
Baptists about 600,000
king in all, it fully reported, 2,000,000
Baptists of all sorts and kinds.
As nearly as I can ascertain, the
Christian cause stands thus in Califor
nia :
Disciples called Campbelites, about 1,500
Baptists, three Associations, 1,500
Methodist, North, 4,000
Methodist, South, 3,000
Presbyterians, Old School, . 1,000
Presbyterians, New Sehool, 1,000
Mormons, scattering, 2,000
All other Protestant Church Members, 3,000
Total Christians of all Denominations, 16,800
These numbers are all estimated from
the latest dates 1 can obtain. I have j
not the returns for this year, or I should j
.gladly send them to you. Here in |
Visalia the Christian cause stands as
follows: Disciples 80, Ilev. William
Higgins, pastor; Methodists 70, Rev.
C. B. Sockley, pastor; Baptists 12,
Rev, J. Webb, pastor. There were
only eight Baptists when I came here
a few months ago, but four have joined
since, and I expect more to join at our
next meeting; and in a year or two*l
hope we shall have as many as the
Campbelites. They had the field and
several preachers when the Baptists
had none, and this gave them the
start. Visalia is anew and flourishing
inland town, with the finest valley in
California to sustain it, and plenty of
water irrigation. Brick buildings of
all kinds are going up, as if by magic.
We have already a newspaper, and a
delightful hand of musicians. The en
terprising citizens are boring an arte
sian well to supply our Streets with
water. We have also two day schools,
and one union Sabbath school. There
are several vineyards, cane fields, corn
fields, wheat fields, Ac., aud it will not
be exaggerating for me to say that
Visalia is a fair specimen of mauy
towns in California, and our Tulare
Cos. is a fair specimen of many coun
ties in the Golden State. If any of the
Atlantic Baptist brethren are tired of
the cold winters and hard times of the
old States, let me cordially invite them
to our virgin State—
To dig up the gold, or to harvest the wheat,
Where treasures untold will the laborers meet.
BAPTIST STATISTICS.
PREPARED BY DR. JAMES WEBB OF CAL.
Date. Ministers. Churches. Members. Baptized
that year.
1792 1,264 1,000 70,017
1812 1,922 2,433 189,346
1832 3,647 6,3*22 3^4,859
1842 4,741 7,898 5J5.702 46,958
1843 5,898 8,383 611,627 34,611
1844 5,847 8,822 684,264 87,513
1845 5,675 9,561 761),354 94.042
1846 5,297 9,479 719,973 37,830 U. S.
1847 5,564 9,795 722,404 36,917 U. S.
1848 5,657 9,888 731,906 36,509 U. S.
■1849 5,874 10,264 737,078 39,829 U. S
1850 6,049 10,441 754,652 47,719 U. S.
1861 6,049 10,441 764,652 47,719 U. S.
1852 6,406 10,895 784,028 62,397 U. S.
1853 6,259 9,659 776,370 56,768 US.
1864 6,259 9,659 776,370 56,758 U. S.
1856 6,800 10,576 869,204 61,270 N. A.
1856 7,212 10,933 903,110 66,655 N. A.
1857 7,260 11,224 932,677 66,662 N. A.
1858 6,984 11,499 962,580 65,159 N. A.
1859 7,478 12,060 988,648 67,006 N. A.
Estimated.
1860 7,678 12,432 1,000,000 80,000 N. A.
Regular Baptists in North America, 1,000,000
Irregular Baptists in North America, 850,000
Baptists in Europe, 300,000
Baptists in Asia, 100,000
Baptists in Africa, 60,000
Total estimated Baptists in all the world, 2,800,000
What gratitude we'owefc Almighty
God for his tender love and boundless
mercy in calling us from nature’s
darkness in his marvelous light, and
that, in addition to all other blessings
in common with other denominations,
we, as Baptists, have been brought to
the truth on Baptism ; neither making
it a Savior on the one hand, nor a use
less non-essential on the other, but the
answer of a good conscience towards
God by the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
‘ A wish our Minister would Study.’
‘•We have a godly man for a minis
ter,’ said a friend to me the other day;
“a good; faithful pastor, and one I
should judge quite successful in private
Christian effort; hut lie does not study.
I love and esteem him, as we all do ;
hut oh! I do get so hungry on the
Sabbath ! Can you not possibly per
suade him to study?” “I will try,”
said I. And now, my dear friend,
(the pastor, I mean,) let me entreat
you most earnestly and affectionately
to do what more than one of your pa
rishioners wish you would, that is,
spend more time in your study. And
first, your own interest demands it.—
The strong men of your congregation
those to whom you go for sympathy,
arid on whom you lean for support,
will not, long give you either the one
or the other unless you in turn are able
to edify them. True, if they possess
Christian hearts, and are able to see in
all the good points enumerated above
they will be slow iu betraying, either
to yourself or others, their lack of in
terest in your ministrations, but in time
it will he painfully apparent. If, for
successive months, or it may be years,
the “hungry sheep look up and are not
fed,” they will stray away in search of
a more efficient pastor. How will you
bear their desertion ?
Secondly, your usefulness requires
it. The truths you teach have no at
tractiveness to the natural heart.—
They must be presented in new and
striking forms, or you cannot expect
unconverted men will listen to them.
True it is that we must depend upon
the Holy to send home
truth savingly* flP&he conscience and
heart. True, also, God, in infinite con
descension, often accepts and renders
effective those efforts that men consid
er extremely trivial; hut it is also true
that God demands our best. If you
have done your utmost, do not distress
yourself because, in your estimation,
it is poor and worthless; for the infin-
Jilte one can make up all deficiencies ;
Unt if what you present is poor, because
you have lacked industry to make it
better, then you ought most bitterly to
deplore your idleness. The lame and
half burnt offerings were not more ab
horred of Jehovah than some of our
Sabbath exercises may be. There is
meanness, as well as deep guilt, in al
lowing yourself to come before your
people without adequate preparation,
and you must not expect a blessing to
follow feeble and careless preaching.
There may be flashy excitement, re
sulting from an unstudied harangue,
but permanent building up will follow
sound instruction only. “Studied, on
his knees ;” this is the history of many
an effective sermon. Again, vour or
dination vows hind you to it. What
was the purport of your consecration
vows, but that you should preach the
word; and what will your preaching
amount to without study? You can
talk sometimes wisely and effectively
without premeditation, and so would
half your congregation ; hut you can
not preach in any good, honest sense,
without • study. Lastly, the word of
God enjoins it. I need not dwell here.
You know the teaching of revelation.
“A scribe well instructed.” “A work
man that needeth not to be ashamed.”
Such passages are too numerous to be
neglected.
Do you urge, my brother, you have
not time ? That plea is groundless, as
yon have time for all work you deem
indispensable. Did you only feel you
must 6tudy, you would compel times
and seasons to do your bidding. The
trouble is you do not really love study.
Start not at this suggestion—it is tru
er than at first reading it appears.—
Few men do really love, study —hard,
severe study. More application, men
tal or physical, is repulsive to our lazy
nature ; and to most minds and bodies
work becomes pleasant only after long
habit has made it customary. Bend
yourself then hopefully and patiently
to your toil. It is surely your duty,
and duty will brighten into pleasure.
Do not understand me to supercede
study for that dependance on the Holy
Spirit, without which all mere study
would he useless. “Without me ye
can do nothing, ’ is as true of the
scholar as of the illiterate exhorter.—
It surely would he a far sadder evil
than that now complained of, if your
sermons were mere intellections, and
all good, pious souls were compelled
to go out from yonr ministrations sigh
ing, “Oh, I am so hungry !”—Louisi
ana Baptist.
The Failure of Ministers.
[The following sensible remarks, by
Dr. Murray, on the causes of ministe
rial failure, should be pondered by all
who are engaged in the sacred cal
ling :]
I knew a pastor in my early minis
try, of excellent talents, of unques
tionable piety, of large common sense.
He was besides, a man of property,
and could have readily commanded a
fine library. But he neglected study,
had but few books, fell into the habit
of talking common places from the
pulpit, and when he had reached fifty
years was as dry as a chip, but not as
easily ignited.
The pulpit is the strong fortress of
the minister. lie who commands the
attention and respect of his people
there will wear to the last. Good
sense, well put, never wearies.
Another cause for the failnre of
ministers to interest, as they are ad
vancing in life, we find in the person
al habits of the ministry. Some ut
terly fail on the social side of their
character, thinking it undignified to
descend to the ordinary level of life.
Those who imbibe this notion at twen
ty-live, are awfully dignified at ti fcy
li've, and never collect around them
the sympathies of their people. “ A
man that hath friends, must show him
self friendly,” is a proverb that has a
special application to ministers, and
that has very much to do with their
influence and usefulness, down to old
age. The Rev. Dr. B. was a genial,
warm-hearted, sympathising man ; his
talents in the pulpit were only respect
able. The children followed him into
the streets, when he left the house, and
ran to meet him as he approached it.
He was venerated down to eighty.—
The Rev. Dr. D. was a line scholar, a
masterly preacher; but he had no
sympathies. He passed parents, in the
street, without recognition ; he knew
not their children. He was dismissed;
at about fifty lie found himself without
a parish ; and whilst his piety, and
scholarship, and ability were beyond
all question, no congregation was found
to call him. He was a man of buck
ram, and people felt no interest in him.
With the social qualities of Dr. 8., he
would have been pre-eminent as a
minister. Some, on the other hand,
are too social, and waste their time in
a round of social engagements. Mr.
E. was a genius ; he read and wrote
poetry, and preached eloquently ; lie
was the life of every party he graced
with his presence. He became wed
ded, beyond divorce, to fashionable
company, sought popularity, lost bis
position, and died under a cloud.
The Rev. was a brilliant man;
his mind, as by intuition, grasped all
knowledge and science. With good
habits, and continued life, there was
no height which he might not reach,
as a scholar, writer, or preacher. He
slept till ten in the mo'rning, and al
ways set up till the noon of night, and
often until the stars were burning out.
lie chewed tobacco, and smoked it in -
veterately. lie became nervous, and
excitable, and very irregular. And
all bis promises of high usefulness
failed. lie died when bis sun was at
its noon, and not too early. The ven
erable and venerated James, of Bir
mingham, now between 70 and 80, is
nearly as popular in the pulpit as he
ever was, and lias just sent forth a vol
ume on “Christian Hope,” from the
press, adorned with all tlio attractive
beauties of his more youthful works.
Some ministers, as they advance in
life, greatly impair their usefulness by
long sermons; i>y minute subdivisions;
by long prayers; by crowding too
many topics into the same discourse ;
by stickling too strenuously for old
tilings, in opposition to new things,
which may be better ; by too much
overlooking the young, to whose good
tlieir chief efforts should be directed.
Mr. Spurgeon’s New Tabernacle.
The British Standard, of London,
contains an account of the ceremonies
at the laying of the foundation stone of
this building. We copy the following
description of the edifice: “The style
may be termed Grecian, the ground
plan forming a large quadrangle, the
floor of the chapel being considerably
raised,, and access gained to it by a
broad and massive flight of steps lead
ing up to a portico supported on large
Corinthian colnmns. The total width
of the building will be 86 feet, the
length 195 feet, and the height to the
roof 85 feet, exclusive of the lanterns
for light and ventilation. The floor of
the tabernacle will be raised some 11:
feet above the level of the ground and
the whole of this extensive basement
story will be entirely occupied by spa
cious school and lecture rooms. Tims
the chief school will be 81 feet by 78,
and about 15 high. In addition to this
there will be a lecture room 81 feet by
56, and capable of accommodating 800
persons, with four separate class rooms,
each 14 feet long by 20 feet wide.—
The chapel, which is over these schools,
will be 140 feet long by SI wide, and
with two deep tiers of galleries on
either side. In this respect the interi
or will rather resemble that of the well
known Surrey Music Hall, but on a
larger scale, as each row of galleries in
Mr. Spurgeon’s building will accom
modate six rows of sitters. The ground
floor space of the Surrey Hall is only
8,625 feet, whereas, the proposed tab
ernacle on the ground floor will be no
les3 than 11,242 feet, or one-third lar
ger than the fine structure in the Sur
rey Gardens. The whole chapel is in
tended to accommodate no less than
5,000 persons with comfort. The fronts
of the galleries will be ornamental
cast-iron, with enriched cast-iron col
umns supporting the galleries and ris
ing from the upper tier to the roof,
which they carry on a series of small
and beautifully curved arches. Though
no great efforts have been made in the
way of ornamentaion, yet the propor
tions of the interior are good, and the
effect of the whole when finished will
be handsome and striking. The facil
ities for entering and leaving the build
ing are most ample, there being no less
than 16 doors to the chapel. Each
gallery has its separate door and stair
case, and all the staircases are of solid
stone. The cost of the building is to
be £21,500, but fittings and other mat
ters will probably swell this amount
to some £24,500 or £25,000, before the
edifice is opened for Divine service,
which can hardly be earlier than the
Spring of 1861.’’
The foundation stone was laid by Sir
S. M. Peto, M. P., after which Mr.
Spurgeon placed a bottle, containing a
copy of the Bible, of the Baptist Cate
chism, of Dr. Rippon’s Hymn Book,
and the programme of the day’s pro
ceedings, in the cavity prepared for it.
Speeches adapted to the occasion
“ TERMS OF ADVERTISING.
As An advertising medium, the nnrivalledcireula
tion of the Index, makes it one of the most valua
ble in the State.
For all transientadvertising One Dollur per squar
ot ten lines for the first, and 50 cents per square
of all subsequent publications.
RATES FOR CONTRACT ADVERTISEMENTS.
1 square of 10 lines per 3 months $ 4 oo
“10 “ “ 6 “ 700
•• “10 “ “ 1 year io oo
These lines are the text advertising lines and the
charge is for the space occupied by ten such lines as
are used in the body of an advertisement. Longer
advertisements in same ratio.
Number 40.
were made by Mr. Peto, Mr. Spurgeon,
and Rev. Mr. Dawson, after which the
avenues leading to the platform were
thrown open for all to see the stone, on
which it was earnestly hoped the fri*Js
of the cause would place an offering's
they passed by. This appeal was most
liberally responded to, one gentleman*
from Bristol placing on thestone £3,000
sterling. Other contributions were
received of £IOO and £SO, Mr. Spur
geon himself givifig £IOO. The total
amount received was between £4,000
and £5,000.
Baptist Statistics for 1858.
The Baptist Almanac for 1860 is
unusually rich in its statistical infor
mation. The “grand total of regular
Baptists in North America,” shows
■that there are in the United States
590 associations, 12,163 churches, 7,-
590 ordained ministers, 1,035 licenti
ates, 992,851 communicants, and that
the number baptised in 1858 was 98,.
508—nearly one hundred thousand
baptisms, and a little less than a mil
lion of members! These are figures
for which entire accuracy cannot be
claimed, but they may be accepted as
the closest practicable approximation
to accuracy, and as more lik*-!_ >e
too low than too high. While we ii. *.k
our God for the seal which He is thus
placing on our principles, let us pon
der faithfully the immeasurable respon
sibility of a million of Christian peo
ple, in such an age and such a coun
j try. The largest number of Baptists
reported from any one State is Virgin
ia—l15,146. The largest nnmber bap
tised in any one State is New York—
-10,802 ; and the next largest Georgia
7,0-14. The Almanac gives the names
of 33 colleges, 14 theological semina
ries, 29 weekly newspapers, 16 month
lies, and 2 quarterlies, that depend on
Baptists for their support. The names
are also given of 64 new church edifi
ces erected in 1858, of 238 new chur
ches constituted, of 65 ministers de
ceased, and 304 ministers ordained—a
number six or seven times larger than
the whole nnmber graduated in the
same year, 1858, from all our theolog
ical institutions. The Almanac, con
taining full statements of other denom
inational facts, is printed in excellent
taste, and every Baptist family should
have a copy of it. — Examiner.
Beautiful Allegory.— “ When God
in his eternal council conceived the
thought of man’s creation, he called
to him the three ministers who wait
constantly upon the throne —Justice,
Truth and Mercy-and thus addressed
them:
“Shall we make man ?” Then said
Justice, O, God, make him not, tor he
will trample upon thy laws. Truth
inade answer also,. O, God, make him
not for he will pollute thy sanctuaries.
But Mercy, dropping upon her knees,
and looking up through her tears, ex
claimed, O, God, make him—l will
watch over with my care through all
the dark paths which he may have to
tread. Then God made man, and said
to him, O, man, thou art the child of
Mercy, go and deal with thy brother:
[Crittenden.
Follow the Right. —No matter
who you are, what your lot, or where
you live ; you cannot afford to do that
which is wrong. The only way to ob
tain happiness and pleasure for your
self, is to do the right thing. You may
not always hit the mark; but you
should, nevertheless, always aim for it,
and with every trial your skill will in
crease. Whether you are to be prais
ed or blamed for it by others; whether
it will seemingly make you richer or
poorer, or whether no other person
than yourself knows of your action ;
still, always, and in all cases, dp the
riirlit thing. Your first lessons in this
rule will sometimes seem hard ones,
but they will grow easier, and ea-ier,
until, finally, doing the right tin v- ill
become a habit, and to do a wrung w ill
seem an impossibility.
How to grow in Christian G-races.
Would we grow in Christian graces
we must cultivate and practice. Would
we grow in love to God and man, we
must cherish that emotion by acting
as it dictates, Greater delight in
prayer, greater forvency in devotion,
and closer communion with God, can
be secured only by visiting the throne
of grace more frequently, tarrying lon
ger, and pleading with a more child
like earnestness for a Father’s blessing.
Study, dear reader, the Word of God,
and yau will love it more, Frequent
the sanctuary, and you will take in
creasing delight in its services. Be
lieve in Christ, and your faith will grow
stronger. Serve liim, and His servi
ces will become sweeter to you. Feel
an interest in his cause, and that inter
est will sink yet deeper into your
heart. Labor for the salvation of souls,
and you will find the privilege of be
ing a co-worker with Christ exceeding
ly precious. In a word, live a holy life,
and you will grow’ in holiness.
[Congregationalism
Mary Queen of Scots and John
Knox.— Mary Queen of Scots, who
was mother to King James,
she feared the prayers of Jolm Knox
more than an army of ten thousand
men.
In the morning, prayer is the key
that opens to us the treasury of God’s
mercies and blessings; in the evening,
it is the key that shuts us up under his
protection and safeguard.
He is happy whose circumstances
suit his temper, but he is more excel
lent who can suit his temper to any
circumstances.