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TTIE CHRISTIAN INDEX,
PUBLISHRD EVERY WEDNESDAY MORNING
AT MACON, GEORGIA.
BY A COMMITTEE OF BRETHREN,
FOK THE
GEORGIA BAPTIST CONVENTION.
TERMS OF SUBSCRIPTION,
Tmm* Dollars in advance: or paid within the year.
If suffered to overrun theyea-,Two Dollars and
one-half will be charged in all cases.
SAMI EL BOYKIN, Editor.
VOLUME XXNIX.
POETRY.
SPEAK NO EVIL.
BY CHARLES SWAIN.
Nay, speak no ill ! —a kindly word
Can never leave a sting behind,
And, oh ! to breathe each tale we’ve heard
Is far beneath a noble mind.
Full oft a better seed is sown
By choosing thus the kinder plan :
For if but little good be known,
Still let us speak the best we can.
Give me the heart that fain would hide—
Would fain another’s fault efface;
Ifow can it pleasure human pride
To prove humanity but base?
No : let us reach a higher mood,
A nobler estimate of man ;
Be earnest in the search for good,
And speak of all the best we can.
Then speak no ill—but lenient be
To others’ failings as your own ;
If you’re the first a fault to see,
Be not the first to make it know n;
For life is but a passing day,
No lip may tell how brief its span :
Then, oh ! the little time we stay,
Let’s speak of all the best we can.
From the Banner and l iptist.
Review of “ Corrective Church
DISCIPLINE.”
THE REDATION THE PASTOR SUSTAINS TO
CORRECT!V E 1 >ISCII>LIN E.
Number. 9. Concluded.
The following preparations are fair
ly contained in the same article:
1. A member cannot innocently re
fuse to be tried by his church.
I suppose that this proposition will
embrace an individual member, or any
number acting with him in the minor
ity. . •
Is it true that a member cannot, un
der any circumstances, innocently re
fuse to be tried by his Church'! No; ■
otherwise it becomes a sin for him not
to participate in sin! The church
may wish to try a member for murder,
when she knows that he is not guilty
of the charge ; she may have made out
the verdict of guilty before the cita
tion to attend Conference; shall the
member dignify the meeting by his
presence ; or the church by conceding
it the right to try him under such a
charge? As shown in a previous arti
cle, submission to trial implies the 1
right to try ; but it is sinful to con
cede a right, as coming from Christ,
which he has never given, and which :
does not exist. Besides, submission to
trial seems to me to imply submission
to the consequences of trial. But
shall an innocent man acquiesce in his
own condemnation! The idea is ab
surd !
Prof. Mell’s analogical reasoning
falls very far short of proving his doc
trine. The case of a man’s refusing to
be tried by his country, is not, as he
states it, analogous, or anal
ogous in the essential points, to that
of a member’s refusing to be tried by
his church.
1. There is a power to force a man
to the trial by the laws of his country;
but in the church it is wholly volunta
ry on the part ot the accused. If the ‘
trial is designed for overthrow of the j
slandered accused, he acts the part of 1
folly to co-operate with his enemies for
his own destruction. This distinction
is fatal to his analogy.
2. The case supposes that the ac- 1
cased is, in fact, a proper character to 1
be accused, and that the executive
power is proceeding in the case within
the bounds of the laws of the State;
but the church member maybe known
to be innocent, and the church may
proceed contrary to the laws ot Christ.
Is not the analogy radically wanting
here ?
Let us suppose that a number of cit
izens meet together, and agree to des
troy the reputation of a neighbor
(whose stand in the community they
envy,) usurp the forms of law—sum
mon the doomed man to trial with cer
tain indefinite charges against him —
ought the accused to heed the cita
tion t Should he dignify them by even
attending ? Neither ought the church
member to submit to trial by bis church,
when the object is to destroy him, con
trary to justice and the laws of Christ.
I conclude, therefoie, that there may
be cases in which a church member
may innocently refuse to be tried by
his church. Prof. Mell’s doctrine can
be true only on the supposition of
churce infallibility.
The case involving “minorities” will,
if necessary, be discussed in a future
number.
2. The church must decide as to the
nature of the olfence and the law to be
“applied in the case.
Certainly, let the majority decide in
what way they will- proceed ; but does
this deprive one of the right to inter
pret lor himself? There can, it seems
to me, be but one opinion as to the
law to be applied, where all parties
are willing to do justice. Does not a
man know when he has “sinned against
a brother”? Does not the offended
brother know that he has been offend
’ ed ? Cannot every body of the least
discrimination determine when the ol
fence is personal, and when it is not?
The New Testament is remarkably ex
plicit on these points —so much so as to
leave us “in no doubt as to the reme
dy to be applied in every case.” —
Whenever a Church mistakes for a pub
lic, what is merely a “personal offence,
it leads all unbiased minds to con
clude —
1. That the church is one of aston
ishing ignorance, or
2. That it has some wrong end to
accomplish, which can be more cer-
organ of % §i\. §ajh Cratottum: toiurfcfc to ftlissions, Religion, anb the Interests of % gajitist fenomiiuffiott.
tainly attained by reversing the laws
of Jesus Christ.
” We come next to the doctrine from
which some of Prof. M.’s deductions
are made—viz:
3. That “No error in the application
of the law in Mat. 18, or in any other
way, can annihilate the church.”
If there is no such thing as church
annihilation, then the church of Home
is the true church. If that be the true
church, then all other denominations,
the Baptist not excepted, are false
churches. But Pro. M. does not be
lieve that the church of Borne is the
church of Christ. Some act, or acts,
proceeding from a corrupt faith, or dis
obedience to Christ, must have caused
to church of Home to cease to be the
true church. It is not necessary here
the argue the exact nature of that faith
orpractice, which annihilates a church.
It is enough to say that that act of a
church, performed in direct violation
of Christ’s authority, deserves the cen
sure of every loyal subject of the Law
giver, and is not binding on any other
church, or church member.
From the foregoing, I conclude—
-1) That every Church has the right
“under Christ,” to discipline real offen
ders in the way laid down in the New
Testament; but that the jurisdiction
ot a church over her members ceases
when she uses it for the purpose of des
troying, or wilfully departs from the
divine directions in the exercise of ju
risdiction. Hence a church justly for
feits her sjveffeignty, when she follows
her own, in preference to the law’s of
Christ
2) The independence of a church is
never destroyed so long as the church
is permitted to vote as she pleases.—
The interception of the design of wick
ed discipline does not destroy the inde
pendence of a church.
3) These are circumstances which
justify a refusal on the part of a mem
ber, to be tried by his church.
4) There are some decisions of a
church which a member is bond not
to respect.
Prof. Mell, it will be observed,
makes no provision for the church’s
rejecting Christ’s law. What would
lie say, a member ought to do, when
the church is planning his ruin—when
she knows that the member lias done
nothing worthy of exclusion—when
she cast aside the law’s of Christ, and
makes laws to suit herself, that she
may crush him—ascertains the
strength of the church, learns about
how many can be induced to vote
against him—has trained the minors
in the church to vote w r ith promptness
against him! Add to this the fact that
the programme has been made out by
bitter enemiesof the accused, and that
for months before the trial the dread
voice, “We will expel him”—“We’ll
soon place him where he belong”—
“lie shall be disgraced in the eyes of
Baptists”—has been heard—suppose
such a trial should be inaugurated,
what would Prof. Mkll say the ac
cused should do? From all that I can
infer from writings, he would say—
1. “lie must go into trial.”
2. “lie must meekly submit to the
degradation his enemies (for they can
not be his friends) have planned for
him.”
3. “He can seek no redress except
from his enemies.”
4. “No other church ougli to receive
the persecuted man in her fellow
ship.”
Some of these points will be dis
cussed hereafter.
A. S. WORRELL.
Talladega, Ala., March 13, ’6O.
THE POSTULATES.
While w’e might reply to Brother
Wood’s dissection of Brother Crane’s
postulates, w r e prefer to let him defend
himself. The reader is therefore re
ferred to that defence below :
THE BOARD SYSTEM OF THE
SOUTHERN BAPTIST CON
MENTION.
Under the name, of the humble in
dividual, who pens this article, the
Editor of the “ Landmark Banner and
Cherokee Baptist,” publishes, his (the
waiter’s) postulates, in the “ Board
System of the Southern Baptist Con
vention.” We thank Bro. Wood, for
the compliment, which he pays to
“ some pretensions to logic, though it,
(the postulates) says but little of scrip
ture.” Deprecating most sincerely
these bootless logomachies about plans,
ways and means, while vast masses of
our fellow’ beings are clamoring for the
bread of life ;we will reply briefly to
Bro. Wood’s averments, for most as
suredly he cannot claim that be has
either exhibited logic or produced
scripture in his comment’s on the pos
tulates.
First. lie charges the first postu
late, with being a “ palpable sophism,
with a latent fallacy.” We will leave
the critics to harmonize the terms of
that logic which pronounces a postu
late a “ palpable sophism with a latent
fallacy.” A sophism contains a latent
fallacy what more does it become,
when it is palpable:
Secoiid. Under the first postulate
Bro. Wood assumes, that the basis of,
our State Convention and Associational
Boards, is not identical with that of
the Boards of the Southern Baptist
Convention. How it may be in Cher
okee Georgia, we will not pretend to
say, but for Mississippi and Louisiana,
we will aver, that they do work, in
the same way and operate on the same
basis with the Boards of the Southern
i Convention.
Third. Bro. Wood groups together
MACON, (I V., WEDNESDAY, JUNE 27, 1860.
a series of charges against the Board
which he does not offer one
single proof. And, should he ransack
all the records, he could not find the
proof. The first charge, is the Board
System takes charge of the Minis
try. Second charge, it takes care of
the Ordinances. Third charge, it has
the care of the rearing and training ot
Churches. Fourth, that it has no
Church responsibility. Fifth, that it
has no Church connection. All these
charges may be brought against every
Conventional or Missionary Board in
each State with equal force.
Fourth. Bro. Wood, charges under
the second postulate, that the Board
System “ignores the existence of the
Church” and does not “ even allow
them a representation in tlieir coun
sels.” How do these charges tally,
with the 9th article of the Constitution
of the Southern Baptist Convention.
“All the Officers, Boards, Missionaries
and Agents appointed by the Conven
tion, or by any of its Boards, shall be
members of some regular Church, in
union with the churches composing
this Convention.”
Fifth. Under postulate third, Bro.
Wood, observes that this postulate has
three elements. “It is borrowed.”
Our brother should have pointed out
the source from whence borrowed.—
Twenty-three years ago, if we mistake
not, we battled along side with Bro.
W. in Georgia, against the very argu
ments, he is now adducing and labor
ing, (we hope vainly,) to make popu
lar and influential. When we borrow
we either pay back or give credit, and
if lie will tell us from whom we bor
rowed we will pay back. If from Jesse
Mercer, John Ross, James Perryman
or Jesse M. Wood, we will gladly pay
back ? “It was not worth borrowing.”
That is the fox’s argument, about the
sour grapes, he could not reach the
grapes, hence they were sour. Bro.
W. could not reply, to the third postu
late, and hence it was not worth reply
ing to.
Sixth. Under the fourth postulate,
Bro. W. conjures up a parity of rea
soning between an organization for
missions, and a denominational organ
ization for church extention or secta
rian propagandism. He lifts up holy
hands, in pious horror at the mention
of, a great union for a great object, as
compared with weak and inefficient
bodies, in separate localities. There
is no parallalistn whatever between
the union of all the Baptist Churches,
South, in a missionary organization,
and the “ Union of all the Methjdist
Societies in one general organization,
for ecclesiastical purposes.” Thus the
most extended portion of Bro. Wood’s
reply to our postulates has the least
weight, and it is not important, that
we take any further notice of this mat
ter. May we be permitted to say, that
the commission of our Saviour as we
understand it, was not given to the
church, in an organized form, but to
individuals known as the disciples of
Christ. To carry out the commission
literally, is a'sheer absurdity. For the
church to go to the heathen, is an im
possibility. The duty of sending the
gospel, is hence an individual Christian
duty and only a church duty as a church
combines all the individual Christian
duties into a mass. The commission
of our Saviour, in its letter and spirit
is broad enough, to embrace all the
Christian schemes of evangelization,
now practised by Missionary Baptists.
There is one point, about which how
ever, we think Bro. Wood and those
who agree with him greatly err. They
say, “we believe(we quoted the Banner
and Baptist) that missions would be
more successful, (because spiritual)
conducted by Churches and Associa
tions of Churches, than by organiza
tions strictly human.” At the same time
this is said, “ Anti-Board men,” in
stead of putting their faith in practice,
inducing a church or churches or as
sociations, to send Missionaries to the
heathen, they fold their arms over their
own personal duty, and soundly berate.,
the Boards. That is the dog in the
manger mode of operations. The dog
would not eat tUe straw, nor would he
permit the ox to eat the straw. These
worthy anti-Board brethren, will not
induce their churches to send the gos
pel to the heathen on their scriptual
plan, nor will they allow others the
privilege of co-operating with the
Boards without soundly berating them
—Come good brethren, go to work, get
every Baptist Church in the world to
send one or more Missionaries to the
destitute, let the Boards alone, while
you are doing it, and when your work
has been accomplished, the work ot
the Boards of the Southeren Baptist
Convention will have been accomplish
ed, and every member thereof will
unite with you, in hallelujahs, over the
happy result. W. C. C.
Alt. Lebanon, La.
The following carefully prepared ar
ticles we commend to the careful pe
rusal of the Index readers.
The tirst is lengthy, but will repay
perusal. Two others will follow.
AN EXPOSITION.
Number 1.
BY REV. S. G. HILLYER.
“Thou art Peter, * * * * and I will give unto thee
the keys of Kingdom of Heaven ; and whatsoever
thou shalt bind on earth, shall be bound in Hea
ven ; and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth
shall be loosed in Heaven.”—Matt., 16 : 19.
“Whosesoever sins ye remit, they are remitted
unto them; and whosesoever sins ye retain, they
are retained.’’—John 20 : 23.
“Verily ! say unto you, whatsoever ye shall
| bind on earth, shall be bound in Heaven ; and
I w hatsoever ye shall loose on earth, shall be loosed
1 in Heaven.”—Matt., 18: 18.
| The above passages of Scripture have
played an important part in the histo
ry of the Church. They have been
made the authority for the supposed
supremacy of the Dope, and the infal
libility of the Roman Chi>rch. Pro
testants have rejected the interpreta
tion upon which these claims are found
ed ; and Baptists have never entertain
ed it. Both have been so much op
posed to the use made of these words
by Catholics, that they’ have sought an
interpretation as remote as possible,
from the one adopted as the founda
tion of the Papacy. Is it not possible,
that, in our zeal to deprive the Ro
manists of all support from these words,
we ourselves have faile 1 to see tlieir
true meaning ? After all, they are the
words of Christ. They are not idle
words. They must have a meaning ;
and it must be useful to discover what
it is. Let us then examine them in
the spirit of meekness.
A similarity in the mode of expres
sion, in these verses, has doubtless led
many to think, that they are only re
iterations of the same thing ; and de
signed to apply to the same subject.
But the careful reader will notice that
they stand in different connections,
and were addressed to'different parties.
The former is evident upon mere in
spection ; the latter, I think, will clear
ly appear as we proceed. But it is
also true, that while these differences
exist, we shall find one design common
to them all. That design is, to confer
upon the parties addressed, some kind,
and degree of authority.
The first verse was addressed to Pe
ter only. “I will give unto thee, the
keys of the Kingdom of Heaven, and
whatsoever thou shaft bind on earth
shall be bound in Heaven ; and what
soever thou shalt loose on earth shall
be loosed in Heaven.” If this lan
guage does not confer upon Peter au
thority to do something, it has no
meaning. I shall therefore take this
for granted, and proceed to inquire
what it was, which he was thus au
thorized to do.
To determine this question, it will
be a safe rule to inquire what peculiar
authority he actually exercised. For
surely, if Peter exercised any authori
ty which distinguished him from the
other Apostles, ’tfe may reasonably
conclude, that that was the authority
which had been conferred upon him
Asa faithful servant of Christ, he
could not have acted otherwise. What
then did he do ? The keys of the
Kingdom of Heaven were given him.
This implies that he had authority to
open its doors. Accordingly, we find,
that on the day of Pentecost, he preach
ed the first Gospel sermon under the
commission. In that sermon, he open
ed the doors of the Kingdom of Christ
to the Jews. Here we see the signifi
cance of the Keys. Again, he preach
ed the first Gospel sermon, which was
ever preached to a Gentile audience.
This lie did in the house of Cornelius.
There lie opened the doors of the King
dom to the Gentile world. Here again,
we see the significance ot the keys.
In reference to the remaining part
of the verse, it may be asked, what was
it which Peter bound on earth, that
should also be bound in Heaven? We
may find an answer to this also, in the
above mentioned sermons. In them,
he teaches the great truth, that salva
tion is freely offered to all nations,
through faith in the name of Jesus, and
obedience to his commands. This great
doctrine, he was the honored instru
ment of proclaiming for the first time.
And, by virtue of that authority, which
was conferred upon him by the words
under consideration, his proclamation
was the valid evidence of its truth. —
Hence what he bound on earth was
bound in Heaven.
What was it that Peter loosed on
earth, which was loosed in Heaven ?
When the Legislative power in a State,
enacts and proclaims a law, it does,
ipso facto, repeal every law or custom,
which is inconsistent with such new
law. Hence, when Peter had, by au
thority, proclaimed the new Gospel
law just stated, lie loosed forever from
the consciences of men, the laws and
customs and rites of the former dis
pensation, so far as these were incon
sistent with the “Law of the spirit of
life” by which the soul is set free from
the “law of sin and death.”
These are’ the things which Peter
did. And in them we have a sufficient
and adequate illustration of the au
thority conferred upon him by the Sa
vior, in the words of the text.
One more question in relation to
Peter. Did the Savior design by the
words of this text, to confer upon him
infallibility ? I think not. That the
Savior had power to impart infallibility
is true. That Peter, in common with
the other Apostles, was, on a subse
quent occasion, endowed with power
from on high, by tne gift ot the Holy
Ghost, is also true. But it is impor
tant to notice, that a gift ot authority
is one thing. The gilt of infallibility
is another thing. One is conferred by
a commission couched in words, either
written or spoken; the other is com
municated by actually working a mira
cle upon the subject of it. The words
ot the Savior did confer authority.
And had the occasion for exercising
that authority presented itself the next
hour, I see no reason why he could
not have exercised it. But the same
cannot be said of his infallibility. For
the occasion of exercising it did oc
cur in less than an hour, and he failed
most signally. To such an extent, as
to incur the stern rebuke of the Sa
vior ; “Get thee behind me Satan,
thou art an offence unto me.” Then
these words did not confer infallibili
ty. They were of the nature of a pow-
er of Attorney, or a commission in
which there is nothing but a grant of
authority to Peter, including a solemn
and special promise that Christ would
ratify in Heaven, his acts under that
grant. And this he has done to the
present hour
Bro. Chandler takes such scriptur
al views of Christian Unity, as will
delight his brethren and readers : read
what he says. Who does not desire
true unity?
CHRISTIAN UNITY.
It is the design of our blessed Sa
viour, that all his believing people
shall be one. To this end he prayed,
(John 17, 20, 21.) Neither pray I for
these alone, but for them also, which
shall believe on me through their word;
that they all may be one; as thou,
Father art in me, and I in thee, that
they also may be one in us, that the
world may believe that thou hast sent
me.
On the day of Pentecost, they were
all with one accord, in one place.—
The three thousand souls that believed,
and were baptized, continued stead
fastly in the teaching and fellowship
of the apostles, and in breaking of
bread and in prayers; (Acts 2 Chap.);
here is true Christian unity. Paul to
the Ephesians, writes, “I beseech you,
that you walk worthy of the vocation
wherew’ith ye are called, with all low
liness and meekness, with long suffer
ing, forbearing one another in love,
endeavoring to keep the unity of the
spirit in the bond of peace. Listen
farther to his argument in favor of uni
ty : “There is one body, and one spir
it, even as ye are called in one hope of
your calling —one Lord, one faith and
one baptism —one God and Father of
all, who is above all, and through all,
and in you all; (Eph. 4th Chap.) He
farther taught in the same Epistle,
that the various gifts and capacities for
usefulness bestow’ed on them, should
not be used for selfish purposes, but lor
the edification and furtherance of the
whole community of Christians, till
they should all attain to a oneness in
the faith and knowledge of the Son of
God. That they should thus attain,
individually, to the full measure of the
stature of men in Christ; and being
united, they should wield a powerful
influence in favor of the increase of the
Kingdom of Christ; not as children,
tossed to and fro, and carried about
with every wind of doctrine, by the
slight of men, who, by tlieir crafty and
cunning devices, are seeking to de
ceive ; but that they should be found
speaking and practicing the truth in
love and unity among themselves, and
in happy union with Christ their head,
from w’hom the wffiole body, the
church, receive spiritual nourishment
and strength, and thus abound in love,
happiness and usefulness.
Paul was a model preacher; he
evinced great concern for tile unity of
his fellow-christians; he faithfully
w’arned the churches of the evils of di
vision and discord, and affectionately
exhorted to oneness of purpose, that
they should be perfectly joined togeth
er in the same mind, and in the same
judgment. In his first epistle to Cor.,
he beseeches them in the name of our
Lord Jesus Christ, to cease from these
divisions and strife about men, and to
cultivate unity upon principles of hu
mility, self-denial, charity, forbearance
and brotherly kindness. lie had been
credibly informed that there were di
visions among them; they had be
come carnal, and w r ere divided about
men or ministers; some were for Paul,
and some for Apollos, some for Ce
phas, and others claimed to be for
Christ. llow kind and seasonable his
reproof! llow he deprecates the idea
of any motive on his own part, of be
< owning the leader of a party ! He was
thankful to God that he had baptized
but few of them, lest he
venture, be idolized by any .ctf them.
It would, perhaps, be well for minis
ters of the present day, to notice the
example of Paul, connected with his
instruction in regard to this particu
lar. Who can be so blind as not to
discover, that professed minis f ers of the
Gospel are indulging carnality; and
by their pride and selfishness, engag
in strifes of words, which lead to con
tention and divisions.
Let us call special attention to the
modesty, humility and self-denial of
the great Apostle of the Gentiles.—
When he refers to himself. “Unto me,
who am less than the least of all saints,
is this grace given, that I should
preach among the Gentiles, the un
searchable riches of Christ. This is a
faithful saying, c%c., that Jesus Christ
came into the world to save sinners, of
whom lam chief. By the grace of
God, lam what I am. When I am
weak, then lam strong. O, wretched
man that I am! And I, brethren,
when I came to you, came not with ex
cellency of speech, or of wisdom, de
claringunto you the testimony of God.
For I am determined not to know any
thing among you, save Jesus Christ,
and him crucified. I was with yon in
weakness, and in fear, and in much
trembling, and my speech and my
preaching, was not with enticing words
of man’s wisdom, &c., passages of
this sort might be multiplied. It was
doubtless not the aimol the Apostle to
be eloquent, or sublime, this was not
his object; and yet, with all his unpre
tending efforts, he was most profound
ly eloquent , and his speech forcible
and powerful. As Ido not wish to
write too lengthily, I will, in connec
tion with the above specimen of Paul’s
spirit, and manner of writing and
teaching, refer the reader to 12th chap.
Romans, which, by the by, is in favor
of the promotion of Christian unity —
read the whole of the chapter, read
133 Psalm and 4th chapter Ephesians,
and may brotherly love and Christian
unity abound yet more and more.—
Amen. A. C.
Bro. Clarke sends us some stirring
words, which we gladly publish, and
hope they will do great good. *May
all take heed to liis concluding re
marks :
MISSIONS.
“ The work must go on.”
Bro. Boykin :—lt is with pleasure I
notice a disposition in many brethren
of all persuasions and ways of think
ing, to improve the present year in a
spirited effort for missions. In our State
the proposition from the biennial Con
vention of last year, met a signal fail
ure. For this, there may, or may not
have been an adequate reason. This
year, however, the interest seems to he
manifested by the masses, speaking
through their own organs, while oth
ers are calling the attention of their
associations to an increased interest in
the extension of the Redeemer’s King
dom ; allow me to press this cause on
the minds of the members of the Beth
el. With us, there are differences of
opinion as to modes, how the work can
be carried on, &c., &., which it is ap
prehended, will result at least, during
the present year, in ihe churches re
maining in a state of inactivity, until
the question shall be decided in what
manner the association shall conduct
its missionary operations. While I
may be considered on one hand as an
extremist, I am unwilling that any
mere opinion I may entertain, should
tend in the least, to diminish the con
tributions of the churches. The work,
brethren, must be done. We have our
implicit orders, let us see to it, while
we maintain, inflexibly, our sentiment,
and seek to advance them in fear of
God, that the work does not stop. As
to how our funds shall be directed, is a
matter of action for each church ; let
us be certain we have funds to direct.
If a mere opinion I entertained, kept
me from giving, I should be very ap
prehensive something was wrong, and
that after all, there might possibly be
something ” to something good.
We are also in a peculiar situa
tion, respecting our YYrruba mission—
that state of affairs should not in the
least, deter the churches from acting
with their accustomed liberality. On
tliis subject, also, I have expressed
what appears to me to be the line of
policy, marked out by Providence. I
have taken the position, not that we
should abandon any field under the
line, so long as the commission remains
unfulfilled, but where we have labor
ers, peculiarly adapted to a certain
portion of the globe that is by nature,
directly hostile to the whites of a high
latitude; it is but following the indi
cations of Providence, and the fact of
wisdom and duty, to use those labor
ers. But, at the same time, I have al
ways held it good and true,if white men
■were the only alternative in preach
ing the Gospel to Africa, they must do
it, under the commission of Christ,
tho’ \heyperish onthe deserts and moun
tains, like the allied troops, before the
walls of Sebastopol. “ The work must
be done.” Shall we do it ? Shall we
go, brethren, to our next annual meet
ing, to hear the deep mortification of
doing nothing ; if not, let us act now
—let us hold our meetings in the forth-’
coming July, and labor, and talk, and
pray, and not forget to give. Let us
not be behind Alabama, nor any other
State, in our zealous efforts to pro
mote our Redeemer’s cause. Oh, let
not any unholy passion so possess our
hearts, that we will not labor for him
who died for us. I will here, merely
state, that one of our best and most in
telligent men in Liberia, in a recent
communication to me, has expressed
a willingness to take a mission to Yo
ruba, if God, by his Providence, shall
so direct—sßoo,oo or SIOOO,OO will
transport himself and family to Ogbo
mishaw, and support him one year. —
What shall be done ?
WM. IE CLARKE.
Mel vine Hill, June 9th, ’6O.
SPURGEON.
Spurgeon writing to the W. & Reflec
tor, tells how he managed to dispose of
an audience in the tpwn ofDiss, at night,
that was so large he had to preach to them
out of doors in the day time. “I gave out
that I should preach in both the chapels
of the town, but did not tell a soul in
which pulpit I should first appear. Both
places were tilled to the skylights. I went
to one, and preached at once, and then
requested a brother minister to read,
pray, and sing, and so conduct the ser
vices which ought to have been prelimin
ary, at the end instead of the beginning.
This was changing the order, but it pre
vented disorder. Rushing away to the
second housu, where they had been pro
ceeding with the usual service, I arrived
at the last verse of the second hymn, and
took up the sermon at once.
On the next day when “at Swaffham”
he says: “When I saw the size of the
chapel, and remembered the scene of
the day before, I prayed very earnestly
for rain in order that people might not
be able to leave their homes. Rain it
did in the most pouring style, and
hail-storms came at intervals to add to the
effect. Thus we were able to get into
the chapel; for although fearfully packed
within, the rain prevented the accumula
tion of a crowd at the doors, who would
infallibly have rendered all worship an
impossibility, by their furious rushes to
get into a place gorged already beyond
imagination.”
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SELECTIONS.
From the Sunday School Times.
PRAY FOR A REYIYAL.
A writer has said, “I doubt not when
the secrets of all hearts are made
known, it will be found that many pre
cious works of grace which have caus
ed saints and angels to rejoice, have
commenced in the self-denying efforts
and fervent prayers of one or two
individuals. Then an instance is nar
rated of a revival, in which over
one hundred souls were hopefully con
verted, where the interest commenced
in the dwelling of an humble woman,
who earnestly besought the Lord to
pour out his spirit upon that commu
nity, and accompanied her prayers by
faithful labors, among those within the
sphere of her influence.
In the western part of New York
State, a large and prosperous church
is now located in a place where once
there were only a hardened, degraded
set of godless men. One pious neigh
bor at length settled doVn among
them, whose righteous soul was vexed
from day to day by their ungodliness.
Rut lie knew that God was all power
ful, and be prayed unceasingly for their
conversion. At length one was led to
turn from his evil way, and unite his
prayers with those of the man of God.
Soon fifteen were brought to a saving
knowledge of Christ. Still there was
no minister until the little praying cir
cle numbered fifty-four, when they
were enabled to build a church and
call a pastor, giving a salary adequate
to his support, without assistance from
the Board of Missions.
A poor blacksmith, who could hard
ly speak for stammering, came to his
minister one day, and begged him to
appoint a conference meeting. He
felt confident that a blessing was about
to descend on the long slumbering
church. His soul had been at oppress
ed with the burden of souls that he
had closed his shop, and spent the af
ternoon in prayer. The meeting was
appointed with little hope of many at
tending. When the hour came the
house was crowded to overflowing. A
marked solemnity prevailed, soon one
arose and asked with tears for the
prayers of the church. Then another
and another followed, until it was
found that individuals from all parts
of the town were under deep convic
tion, and what was peculiar, they dated
their impressions from the time when
the poor old man was agonizing in
prayer, in that humble blacksmith’s
shop.
Reader, never feel that the sphere
of your influence is too narrow to ad
mit of your doing good. No one can
draw nearer to God than you may.—
lie is “no respecter of persons.” Oh,
will you not go then, at once to your
closet, and beg of him to pour out a
blessing on the church to which you
belong, and let this be the hourly cry
of your buidened heart. Surely he will
not turn you away unanswered.
J. E. L.
From the Sunday School Times.
ALWAYS CONSISTENT.
This is saying a good deal, but all
who knew him, and especially those
who knew him most intimately, will
bear me out in the assertion, A. G.
was a consistent prof essor of religion.
Whether in church or out it—whether
upon landorsea —whether in prosperi
ty or adversity, Tie was always a Chris
tian.
He was a standing^-ebuke.
1. To the citizen who says, “if I
were in better circumstances, I, too,
would try to be a Christian.” He was
a toiler for daily bread.
2. To the professor of religion who
saj s, “if I had not such triaL i would
be a better Christian.” His very oc
cupation brought him straight into the
furnace. Yet, the enemies of religion
being judges, he never faltered.
3. To the sailor and many others
who croak for him, “a man cannot be
a Christian and go to sea.” He could
go in any trade or any ship and never
flinch.
All, alas, alas, it is only those who
either do not wish to be Christians, or
who know but little of the religion of
Christ, that ever offer such flimsy rags,
and call them excuses.
Know ye all, everywhere, that the
religion of Christ, is ‘•'‘thepower of God
unto salvation .” Think you, God is
not equal to any of the circumstances
or trials of life ? Open thy mouth wide
and he filled with “all the fullness of
God,” and such pretended excuses will
never issue therefrom. j. b. e.
Albany & Bbunswick Rail Road.—The
Waresboro Forester has been assured b} r Mr.
Wheeler, President of the Company that this
road will be put under contract and completed
at an early day, to Albany. Northern capital
has been secured for that purpose, and Mr.
Wheeler was to have left for Europe on yes
terday’s steamer, to secure the iron.
A missionary preacher down East, who had
found metal buttons in the subscription plate,
took occasion in his sermon to request his hear
ers who might make such contributions in the
future, not to flatten out the eyes, as while it
had not the effect of deceiving the poor heathen
into the belief that the articles were coin, it ren
dered them entirely useless as buttons.
The Great Eastern. —The New Yorkers by
last accounts were still in a ferment of expec
tation of the arrival of the Great Eastern—un
aware of the postponment of her day of sailing.
The inevitable and invariable disappointment
which has attended every proposition in regard
to this mammoth steamship is singularly omi
nous. If she ever gets to this country at all,
it will be about the 4th July next.
An old Functionary.— Thomas R. Brace,
died in Hartford Connecticut on the 14th inst.,
at the age of eighty, and having held the Presi
dency of the well known iEtna Fire Insurance
Company since the year 1819.